Chapter 23 Damn, not again.
The entrance to the cave was about the size of a normal person, but once you entered, it looked massive. "So...which way do we go?" I asked.
"Dunno, pick a direction." Barret said. I try to remember the outline of the mythril mines from the game.
"How about we split up, Ryan, Riker, and Aeris go to the left." Cloud started. "Me, Barret, Tifa, and Red will go straight."
"Sounds good." everyone said. My group started our way. The cave was not a fun place to be. Noises were heard all over, and trying to guide in the dark was harder, when A lighted room was finally seen. There was a treasure chest, and on top of the ledge, was something shiny. I started up the ledge, having a metal arm made it easy to dig into the rocks. Aeris and Riker went to get the treasure. I climbed to the top and grabbed the purple materia. When my arm clasped it, two sharp claws grabbed mine. I looked up to see the reptilian face of a small dragon.
"Uhhh hi?" I said. The thing screeched at me as i tried to shake it off. Its mouth was starting to glow red, and I knew it was doing a flamethrower. "Get the hell off of me!" I shouted at it. No good, the flames let loose, barely hitting my head, and I couldn't shoot it because it wouldn't get off. "SHIT, STUPID BASTARD!" I started to punch it with my other hand, but it bit me hard.
"RYAN WHATS WRONG!" Aeris screamed from the bottom.
"I GOT AN ARK DRAGON HERE WITH A SERIOUS ATTITUDE PROBLEM!" I screamed back. "Stupid f&ker. Beta." I yelled. (Yes I Knew that the spell wouldn't hit.) The shot fired into the back of the cave, and the dragon started to cry out as, after a beta spell, my arm turns red hot. It let go long enough to let me fill it with bullets. As I finished, I remembered, ...my arm was HOT. I jumped down and started to yell at Aeris. "CAST ICE ON ME, CAST ICE ON ME." She did so and the cooling sensation rushed into my arm as it was temperarily turned into an ice cube. I smiled at the relief as Riker and Aeris both sighed.
The ice melted, and the burning gone, I showed Aeris the fruits of my labors. A long range materia, giving the user the ability to attack from a farther distance. Aeris and Riker got an elixer after an incounter with some snakes. This was obvoiusly a dead end, so we continued on the path the main party went.
"Ryan?" Aeris asked, giving a slightly upset smile.
"Yeah?" I responded.
"How are you always so upbeat, expecially with everything going on, I try to seem happy, but its hard...everything I went through." She was starting to look really upset.
"You just got to live for the memories." I responded, giving reassurance."I was constintly harassed because...of just being me." I took a moment to thing about what I was saying. "There are days where people will just want to shovel shit right into your face, but you got to be the better person, and learn when to just make something bad good. Use memories of friends to keep you going, the good times you had to keep you smiling, and never forget, the only person you should truly ever listen to is yourself." I finished with what I said, smiled back, and continued foreward. She didn't say anything else after that.
As were walking, we come up to the rest of the group, and a few visitors. The turks were leaving just as we were ariving. "What happened?" I asked.
"Turks, and their usual bullshit." Barret responded. I laughed and climbed up the ledge to the exit of the cave. Apparently, though, a baby ark dragon was following me with a look in its eye. "Oh no, not again." I said. I could have sworn I heard it call me mama. "Listen, you can understand me, I can tell. I just can't..." It gave me the puppydog eyes."Dammit...fly into my pocket". It happly listened. I thought to myself :What do I look like, a zoo.: I ran out and caught up with the others.
