Chapter 12

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"It's... a diner?" Raine was surprised.

"Yeah, but I doubt there's any food here... It's been quite a long time. Now that I think about it, didn't you bring something? You must be hungry by now." Yuan said, motioning to the bag around her shoulders.

"Oh... I did." Raine admitted, she reached in an pulled out an apple. "We could eat this on the way out of here." eyes scanning across the tall ceiling of the place, she examined the chandeliers and blue-on-white patterns that speckled across the top. Before them in the carpeted room, the only room with a carpet so far, Raine noticed, were a couple dozen of spread out tables. Each was with a black tablecloth and was set with white placemats and plates, beside a set of silverwear on folded napkins.

Every table was set out perfectly, as if fully ready to serve someone. Everything was well-dusted, as if somehow someone had cleaned everything every day.

But then again, there had been absolutely no-one here, ever. So there was no dust to collect, considering the origin of dust has to do with people in the first place.

xxxxx

Finally, back with the Lloyd gang. (sters. hah.... _'' yeahhh haha, nvrmnd.)

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"We're almost to the part by the water, Lloyd!" Colette giggled, as they walked through the corridors of Volt's temple. They came to an opening where a drop before a large floor filled with water stood still.

"Okay, who's going in to get it?" Lloyd turned to his group. "Any volunteers before I do it my--"

"Ooh!" Zelos raised his hand, but Lloyd checked again, upon seeing he was just pointing at Sheena. "I volunteer Sheena to get wet." His face became immediately stern and serious. He had a dead-intent look on his face. "She should, first... take off all of her clothes."

"Whah--" Sheena spun around to glare at him. "What?! NO!"

"Who votes for Sheena." Zelos looked into her eyes with a solemn stare, he put up his hand and waited for a vote.

"Ooh, I wannt raise my hand!" Colette put two hands in the air, in supposed agreement with Zelos.

"If Colette thinks so..." Genis shrugged, raising his hand as well.

"Oh." Lloyd blinked, scanning over the crowd. "Well, people are voting for you to, so here." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small glass bottle.

"Oh come on!" Sheena turned to point at Lloyd, poking her finger into his chest, "That was NOT fair!"

"Y-You don't really have to take any clothes off, Sheena." Lloyd swallowed, he couldn't help but admit to himself he somewhat wanted to see her in nothing but that white, short, thinner kimono that she wore under her clothes... waist deep in liquid.

Oh yeah. Soaking... wet.

Lloyd mentally slapped himself. He simply decided to prevent further thoughts like that from entering his mind.

"But you know it wouldn't hurt to take something off and dance aro--" Zelos was sharply cut off.

"NO." Sheena glared. "Look, we came here for the 'special' water from Volts temple and nothing more. Not a strip show, not me performing some weird dance while I'm wet in the water." She said sternly to Zelos. "OKAY?!" Her eyes turned fierce, and she leaned towards Zelos with intimidation. "So don't ask again!"

"..."

"...."

"..."

"But couldn't you just--"

-WHH-TSH!!-

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"Hm... It just got a bit darker in here." Raine narrowed her eyes in suspicion as she glanced around the room for another exit. "Don't you think?" she looked at Yuan as she nibbled on part of an apple.

"I suppose." Yuan trailed, also looking around. "..." he crossed his arms as he sighted a door at the far, opposite end of the room. "There." he pointed with his eyes, and Raine followed his gaze and sighted the door.

"Ah, of course." she said upon seeing it. "Let's move on."

"Indeed." He took a step forward before hearing a noise, a slow shifting sound that caught his attention immediately. "What was that noise?" he asked himself quietly as they started walking. It was like... something was dragging, stopping, then continuing again. over and over.

"I don't hear anything..." Raine trailed, but acknowledged that he could hear so many more things that she couldn't. She started looking behind them into the empty doorway from where they had come in. Nothing was there, but she admitted, she was getting a bad feeling, like... fear trickling up her spine for no particular reason, she was becoming insecure, like they were being watched.

Raine repeated it quietly to herself. "Watched..." The word seemed to feel like... a jynx. Now she felt even worse about it. It seemed like the feeling was real now.

About halfway through the room, Yuan opens his mouth, "I sense something, but it's hard to put a finger on what it might be." he said suddenly, as they slowly, gradually drew closer to the door. "I think we should hurry. We might end up locked in here."

Shrugging off the trembles that shook her spine, Raine tried to brighten her own mood, she lifted up her chin and scanned the ceiling. She couldn't figure out why she was so down at a time like this, it was such a rare opportunity to be first-hand exporing such a place as a shrine devoted to an unknown goddess.

It was so incredibly fascinating that it existed under such pressures for so long without collapse and that it's still equipped with technology such as that.

The door was about a foot from them, when Raine started being able to hear the sound as well. "...?" She stopped, and Yuan could hear her footsteps cease. So he turned to face her.

"Is something wrong?"

"I think I know what you meant, possibly." Raine put her hand folded over her chin in thought. "I'm hearing a--"

"--!" Yuan motioned for her to stop talking, making a line motion with his hand over his neck.

"..." Raine blinked and looked around the room, she could see something. It looked like a type of blob at first. Except it was twitching and dragging itself forward between the tables by some sort of limb. A newly formed trail of slimy liquid from the door they just came out of told them where the thing came from.

Raine was taking steps back, she couldn't tell if she was supposed to be fighting the thing or not. If it was hostile. But it certainly was disturbing, and even as the thing (yes, thing) drew closer, she could make out different details in it's body, it was kind of like....legs. A mass of spider legs, but none of them seemed to be working or moving. Rather, it was pulling itself at them blindly using only...

"Is that a tongue?" Raine grimaced slightly. Crossing her arms.

Yuan cringed upon hearing her voice, rushing forward at her and grabbing her arm. "Damn it! It's obviously blind." he said, "But it heard us and it coming over quickly. Be prepared." Raine couldn't exactly tell how he did it, but she didn't even see him grab for his blade before it was in front of him in battle-ready position.

She brought her staff to the front as it actually lunged forward at her. It seemed to flip in the air once as it clashed against her staff. She offensively knocked the monster back with a soft grunt and a lung forward to slash it in the side.

They now knew. The thing was most definitely out to hurt them. Or maybe it was just incredibly attracted to Raine but that was doubted.

A hissing sound made her uneasy. The thing was motionless for only a second before jumping forward again.

"Raine. Your staff!"

Now able to feel a heating under her palms, Raine looked down, her staff was bending in her hands. It was also tinged a reddish color rather than the pearly silver that it was supposed to be. Like it was...

"Ow!" it suddenly became very hot and Raine dropped it immediately, She was knocked backwards by the monster's tackle and fell backwards on her back, she slid by Yuan's feet and his eyes were wide as she groaned, struggling to get up. This weird.. foreign concern-like-thing started washing through him.

"Damn it, Raine!" Yuan chanted a quick spell and cast lightning blade upon the enemy in a matter of seconds before it had a chance to strike again. The monster seemed to be momentarily phased, like it was paralyzed. Yuan took that opportunity to fall to Raine's side and grab her by the arms. He lifted her up, draping her on his right shoulder securely with one arm while holding his sword in his left.

Passing through the doorway, he was relieved that it closed behind them as he started up an immediate set of stairs in a narrow hallway that lead straight up to another door. It seemed so far away even with his strength and stamina. Why was it such a ridiculously long hallway? Of course Yuan could see the door because it was going straight up and he had angelic vision. But it was far enough so that Raine wouldn't be able to see it.

But knowing how far away that really was, he was getting anxious. Glancing behind them once with uncertainty. Half-expecting something else to chase them out of the blue again. He was starting to wonder what that monster was. How could it have lived here for so long and still be alive? Another machine perhaps?

--Thrump--

Yuan, with gritting teeth, looked behind them again and watched in pure irritation as long spikes started pointing out of the wall. He wasn't surprised when full-on death-spikes emerged and the wall shifted. It started grinding against the stairs as it sliding up them, slowly at first.

"Ngh--" Yuan used his wings to lift himself upward and bring his feet away from the stairs which flattened themselves out and proved easier for the spiked wall to catch up to them. If he had been running still, he would have slid down, otherwise, it still would have proved difficult to run up.

"Y-yuan..." Raine groaned, trying to keep herself awake, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in the back of her head.

"Just let me carry you for now, It would just be much easier that way." he commanded, and Raine fell silent. She happened to bring her eyes up and catch a glimpse of a rushing wall of enormous thorns sliding straight up at them.

"AHH!" Raine shrieked, flinching and fisting the cloth at Yuan's back. "G-go faster, damnit!!" she urged. And Yuan grumbled in return.

"I would gladly oblige but I am going as fast as I can at the moment."

"It-it's catching up!!!" She squealed. "Fly faster!"

Sighing and picking up his pace by a bit, Yuan leaned into his flight as he headed faster towards the end of the stairway.

"We... have a problem." He said.

"What?!"

"Door's shut."

"WHY are you so calm about this?!" Raine pounded an ineffective fist into his back with frustration, as he quickly landed them before the shut door. There was no lever or anything.

Oh dear. What to do. Yeah, they had a good.... about ten to fifteen seconds to think it through before the wall would crash down upon their skulls.

Yuan's eyes darted about quickly, but they soon-after halted and lit up, he suddenly recalled what the Goddess had said to him. He quickly reached for Raine's wrists and under her sleeves so they were actually touching directly.

He pushed her forward against the wall behind them so that their chests were closer, but still about a foot apart. Not quite touching yet, but close. His head was next to hers with his forehead on the wall, Yuan braced himself for impact in case this didn't work, bowing his head which hovered over her shoulder.

"..." Raine was silent, peering down the stairs where the wall retracted and slid back down towards the other door.

"..." Yuan was silent as well, examining how physical contact kept them from getting killed. He pulled away and coughed, still inching backwards.

"Thank you." Raine sighed in relief, sliding down the wall, rubbing her forehead. "For saving me. I..." she blinked at the floor before looking up at Yuan who boldly stared her in the eyes. Wow, eye contact with him really makes people's minds scatter.

"Thanking me is unnecessary." he stated. Giving his attention to the door before them. "It's still not open." he grumbled, crossing his arms in irritation.

"Well ah..." Raine trailed from the floor. "I'm guessing we should try for longer." She rubbed her arm as she brainstormed.

"..." Yuan pressed his lips firmly together, Raine already knew that there was only so much physical contact that he could take.

"It's fine." Raine stood, brushing off her coat once, glancing back at the wall that started going back into the ceiling down at the bottom of the stairs. "...It doesn't seem to be coming back again." She thought aloud. "So we could always wait around for if that monster decides to make it's way up after us."

Yuan grumbled something incoherent, looking down the stairs as well. She didn't have a weapon anymore, so he would have to worry about protecting her as well, (she is necessary if he wants to 'proceed' in the temple after all.) But if he used long-range magic it should be fine. But then again... what if it absorbed magic? It didn't die or.. fry or turn black, it just looked slightly phased.

Maybe not... but it definitely dissolves weapons. Which isn't something he wants to happen to his blade...

"Fine. But only because I have wishes for preserving the rest of my renegades. There is still a chance that he's slaughtering them as we speak, and I have to deal with the ridiculous riddle created the Goddess here."

"... Ridiculous, huh." Raine shrugged. "I don't exactly feel an opinion for it." she said. "..." then furrowing her eyebrows. "Strange, it's as if I can't feel anything at all." she crossed her arms, thinking.

"She said something along the lines of 'my will is with her' or something. So perhaps there are some things that she controls your feelings towards."

"It's possible." Raine hummed, "But.... still."

"Regardless, come here."

"?" She looked over at him, he looked a little ticked. But she ignored the expression. "Are you finished catching your breath already?" She teased.

Narrow eyes penetrated her soul. So she decided to go along with him for the moment.

Saying nothing while she drew closer, Yuan uncrossed his arms to reach in and grab her upper arms. The look she gave him was sort of like a pout, partial glare.

"...?" She raised an eyebrow. Raine waited for him to actually make contact.

"Hmph." Yuan scoffed, bringing his hands down to her forearms, then further to her wrists. Raine almost pulled away at the light, chilling contact. It sent a tingling feeling up her back, it was strange his touch did that.

"..." Yuan stood there with Raine silently. They waited for something to slide open... and finally after about a minute of what felt like pointless contact, it actually did slide open.

"I see. That really does prove it then." Raine sighed, waiting for Yuan to let go. "But... I have to wonder what our contact has to do with the temple itself."

"Well.." Yuan said, releasing her wrists awkwardly and proceeding through the door. "The temple seems to be almost registered with the Goddess's train of thought. So if she was always bent on physical contact with someone else who might have been here, and because she said her will was with you, you might have something to do with."

"So because of her, I supposedly play the role of someone who wants constant physical contact with..."

"Guessing from context, It may be referring to myself."

"Yes, I was thinking that as well." They walked into the next room and looked around.

"...Well this certainly looks familiar." Yuan sounded a little ticked off again.

"Hm..." Raine looked around, and indeed, it was.

"It lead us straight back to the original room... I'm guessing we're going to have to go through that process again."

"Yes..." Raine bit her lip, thinking about how they're supposed to proceed.

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(Referring, below, to the line where Raine's making fun of Yuan's contact-a-phobia) "finished catching your breath alREADY?!" whoa--

hahaha... "penetrated!" Raine just got penetrated! lolz (Yeah, just ignore my immature sophomore comments here.)