29: Trial by Lightning

Cool air washed over Rikku as they entered the darkened antechamber of the temple. Tall, solemn statues stood vigil around the entrance to the Cloister of Trials, silently judging the group gathered before them. She shivered, pulling her cloak tighter around her body. It was her first time inside of Djose Temple, at least while it was still a temple. Converted as it was in the future into the base of the Machine Faction, Rikku had graced the halls frequently. By then, however, anger at the Church as well as the practical study of the machina there had ensured that its new Al Bhed residents had stripped the temple completely. It was barely recognizable to her in its original state; the difference in times was striking. Gone was the familiar warmth, crackling noise and unique oil-metal-and-sweat scent of the always-bustling camp orchestrated by Gippal and his minions. In its place lonely silence kept guard.

Her eyes settled on the grand pedestal before the Cloister, where a tall, cold-faced statue of a woman stood, larger and more weathered than the others surrounding it. Another unknown face to her, a High Summoner from times long past – perhaps a Champion of Djose once. The woman's story was forgotten to the passing of time, remembered only in the musty history books recorded by Yevon's priests and in her solemn gaze over the barren floor.

"That is the Lady Farron." Braska's hushed voice brushed against her ears as he came to stand beside her. Naturally, he of all people would know exactly who this bleak, anonymous figure represented. "Has she caught your interest?"

Rikku pushed the hood of her cloak away and tugged at a braid of hair, her eyes still trained on the statue. "I don't know anything about her," she admitted. "Except that it's a big statue, so she must've been a High Summoner. She did this, she made the same journey we are. She overcame all of the obstacles facing her and defeated Sin once. And I still don't know a single thing about her story." Her words echoed through the nearly-empty temple.

"She may be gone, but her sacrifice was never forgotten," Braska countered. "Lady Farron conquered Sin over eight hundred years ago. She helped pave the path we summoners still walk, even today."

Rikku brought her arms around herself and gripped her elbows. "She looks sad."

"But she brought the world happiness, for a time." Braska shifted, and Rikku recognized the minute movement for what it was: discomfort. His words and his face never gave anything away, but even he couldn't completely mask the struggle that came with choosing a summoner's sacrificial path. His restlessness in the serenity of the temple was more than enough of a tell. Uneasy, Braska moved away from her, and she squinted upwards into the sculpture's face.

The anger at the Church in Rikku's own era had not spared many of the temples, including the High Summoners' statues. The way Braska still struggled with himself over the Pilgrimage pulled at her, even knowing that he would become the catalyst for Spira's change through his own journey. The broken stone and chipped faces from her own memories only added to her torn feelings. Had all of those long-ago sacrifices been so carelessly discarded, forgotten in the bright new world of the future?

For the first time Rikku felt a twinge of regret for what the Machine Faction had done to Djose Temple. Her love for Yevon certainly hadn't grown over the course of this Pilgrimage, but her conscience tugged at her for the needless desecration all the same. The High Summoners were once just like Braska, sacrificing everything in order to instill the world with what they believed was real hope. They too were victims, just as much as the misled masses of the faithful. They hadn't deserved her anger.

Surprised, Rikku was finally able understand how Baralai's New Yevon faction managed to obtain a foothold of power at the start of the Eternal Calm. That had always been incomprehensible to her during time with the Gullwings; she had always wondered who could accept that there had been anything good in Yevon's thousand-year-old cycle of lies and death. Now, however, standing in the gravitas of a temple which would ultimately be lost to Spira's mad rush for change, nothing seemed as clear-cut as it had anymore. No matter how false the teachings had been, sometimes there were more reasons to hold on to the past.

And not all of the summoners' statues had suffered the same fate, after all; no one dared deface a statue of High Summoner Braska while Yuna was still alive. Lady Farron, too, had been spared destruction at the hands of the Al Bhed. But she wound up forgotten, Rikku knew. In a few short years, the statue of the woman before her would crumble and disappear, only to be moulded into the face of Braska himself, the new Champion of Djose.

Let those dark thoughts go, Rikku chastised herself and hurried to catch up with the others. Auron was speaking with the priest standing before the doors of the Cloister, while Jecht and Braska held back. "Are we good?" she asked, rubbing her arms to ward off the chill brought about from her morose introspection.

Jecht nodded at Auron, who was making his way back towards them. "Looks like it. Say, ya got any tips for us? You're the best at solving all them crazy puzzles they throw at us. Or are ya gonna sit this one out too?"

Rikku shook her head, pulling herself together. "I'm with you this time," she declared, winning a smile from Braska.

"Then let us begin." Braska swept through the rumbling doors which opened before them. With a sense of building excitement, they trudged into…

… an even smaller antechamber than before. The doors sealed shut with an ominous thud, and soon the only light in the room was the dim glow filtering in from two spheres embedded into the walls. A low buzzing sound filled the room; Rikku recognized it as the hum of electricity powering up and waited expectantly.

"This trial supposed to be about seein' in the dark?" Jecht asked after a few moments, when nothing else happened.

"Maybe we have to do something to the spheres?" Rikku guessed, throwing her arms out and flailing her way towards one of the glowing walls. She gripped a sphere in her hand and yanked it out of its socket, and instantly the room descended into shadows even blacker than before.

"Great idea," floated Jecht's dry answer through the darkness.

Inwardly thanking Lulu for beating into her the most basic black magic lessons ("Control, Rikku. I know this is difficult for you, but you must learn control. Now hold that flame until the skoll is roasted or there'll be nothing for dinner tonight!") and whispered the invocation for a Fire spell. The flame sprang to life in her palm and lent some illumination to the small room. "Anyone find anything useful?" she asked, raising her arm above her head to spread the light as far as possible.

Auron was already prying the other sphere out of the opposite wall, and Jecht looked on in surprise. " 'ey man, what're you doin'? Ain't you the one always tellin' us to be careful? Look before you leap into that pit of spikes and all that?"

"We won't get anywhere by standing around waiting for the door to open itself," Auron said. "So where do we put it?" he asked Rikku without preamble.

"How should I know? I've never been here before!" she shot back, flushing. Maybe I oversold myself in Bevelle.

"You're the tinkerer," he replied with a hint of censure. "Can't you solve this puzzle?"

"Technically, Braska's the summoner, so he's supposed to be the one to figure this out," Rikku hedged. "And stop putting me on the spot! I'm already being our resident human torch!"

"Over here." Braska's reply saved her. No one had noticed as he wandered off to study the decorative reliefs carved onto the walls of the chamber; now, he stood before a simplistic render of a stylized horse's head.

Rikku recognized it as Ixion, but honestly, it looked as though the artists of Djose had been shocked one too many times by the resident aeon while decorating. If anything, the carving looked more like a deranged goat of some kind than a majestic unicorn.

"It looks like the nostrils of this sculpture are also sphere sockets," Braska told them.

Jecht let out a hoot as Auron and Rikku both reflexively looked at the spheres in their hands. They were, of course, colored an unfortunate shade of sickly green.

"Eww…" Rikku said, scrunching up her face as she shoved her sphere into the socket. "Someone else gets to touch the sphere boogers next time, I pass!"

Auron grunted in faint amusement as he placed his own sphere into the socket next to hers. "This is a holy sculpture of Djose. Do you always have to bring things to the lowest common denominator with your crude humor?"

Privately Rikku was glad Auron was unclenching so quickly after revealing his past to them. It seemed airing his frustration to their small group had actually worked to relieve him of some of his constant tension. He wasn't even really sniping at Jecht for once despite their close quarters – and the ensuing bad jokes.

"Look, you're gettin' slimed!" Jecht snickered even as Braska shook his head in disbelief. Of course, now that he'd said it, Rikku couldn't unsee it – the nose of the creature they'd filled with spheres was overflowing and running into two parallel grooves on the floor, filling the room with luminescent "mucus."

"I don't think I'm going to manage to ever see this aeon the same way again," Rikku mumbled as the wall split apart and opened a path deeper into the heart of the temple. As they entered the next small chamber, she sniggered and found herself agreeing with Jecht for once. "Oh look, a symbol of Yevon made up out of a pool of snot." She pointed at the floor. "If the shoe fits..."

Braska let out another long-suffering sigh and cut her off. "Might we at least pretend to show a bit of respect? I haven't won over the Fayth yet." He stepped forward and eyed the symbol on the floor with a stone pillar rising directly from the center of it. "It is incomplete. I suspect we will have to find a way to make all portions of the symbol light up."

"Well, we could all try sneezin' at the same time!"

Three groans rose in unison to Jecht's suggestion, and Auron took charge. "There's enough light to see here from that sphere in the wall. Braska, you take the left corridor. Rikku, you and I will go right. Jecht, stay here at the symbol and shout if anything changes."

Braska opened his mouth and then shut it, his eyes crinkling in amusement as he glanced between Auron and Rikku. Shaking his head, he turned off and made his way down the corridor. Jecht wasn't as blissfully quiet or subtle about the division of duties.

"You got a real soft touch, Auron. Don't use this as an excuse to play tonsil hockey though! We'll hear it!"

Rikku tried to cover her cheeks, an automatic reaction to hide the embarrassment splashing across her face. Her flush only deepened as Auron's hand shot out and caught her palm, preventing her from burning half of her face off. With a surprised yelp, she shook out the flame, releasing control of her Fire spell. Then she glared at Jecht, who was smirking at both of them. "Real funny big guy!"

She turned to Auron, mouth open to complain, and shut her jaw with a click as Auron's hand came up to graze her cheek. "Are you hurt?" he asked, his eyes roving across her face. He seemed completely unaffected by Jecht's exaggerated coo in the background. All Rikku could do was mutely shake her head, her "Nu-uh" coming out as more of a squeak than a whisper. He spent another moment searching – or maybe just judging, because who could tell with Auron – before he released her with a nod and turned down the corridor. "Coming?" he asked without looking back.

Rikku recovered from her daze quickly enough to turn to Jecht and point at him with one finger. "Not a word! Not ONE SINGLE WORD," she warned, before running after Auron.

Jecht only shook his head, still chuckling to himself. "You guys just make it too damn easy."

.x.x.x.

The rune puzzle was fairly easy to decipher in the end, although the unexpected bottomless pit of CRACKLY LIGHTNING DEATH, as Rikku liked to call it, had been an unpleasant surprise. Still, they'd easily unlocked the final staircase leading towards the Chamber of the Fayth, and she even managed to hand off the destruction sphere they'd unearthed to Auron without Braska taking notice.

Now, gathered before the closed chamber, Rikku marvelled at the difference she felt from the other temples. The deep bass of Djose's Hymn swirled around them, soothing and comforting now that she finally allowed herself to accept its beauty. There was no pressing desire to crash Braska's communion with the Fayth. Most likely not by coincidence, she had also yet to feel an uncontrollable urge to seize up in front of the others while foaming at the mouth. In fact if anything, the atmosphere in the temple felt… relaxed, for once. Crossing her arms over her head, Rikku found a smile bubbling up when she faced Braska. "Good luck in there!" She actually meant it.

Braska nodded in acknowledgement, but hesitated. "I do have one small request to make of each of you before I begin my prayers," he told them.

Auron stood at attention, and Rikku lined up next to Jecht behind him. "Anything, my lord."

Braska's smile widened at the sight. "Cooperation between my Guardians. I could get used to this," he mused.

"Don't hold your breath. It'll only last a minute and thirty-seven seconds," Rikku shot back with a wink, earning herself another grin.

"My favor will require a bit longer than that I fear," he replied. "But it is nothing taxing. I merely ask that you wait for me outside. I want all of you to be able to witness the true face of Djose if I am successful."

"When," Auron corrected him. "Are you sure? You're always weakened after praying to the Fayth. I could remain behind and – "

Braska declined with a firm shake of his head. "No, Auron. I think all of you have earned a chance to see this. Djose Temple opens only rarely, and only in the presence of a successful summoner. It is the least I can do to repay all of you for the support you have given me so far." Rolling his hands together, he performed the traditional bow to all three of them and straightened. "Now, off you go. I will do my best!"

With only a token grumble of protest, Auron herded them towards the steps. As soon as Braska disappeared behind the closing doors, Rikku drew them back. "Wait a minute! Have you still got the goods?" she asked Auron.

Jecht stopped stared at her. "Goods? What're ya talkin' about? Those glowin' snotballs?"

"Sorta," Rikku hedged, and nudged Auron's boot with her toe. With a sigh, he reached into his coat and pulled out the destruction sphere he'd hidden there.

"Whoa!" Jecht said, the jokes leaving him as the sphere's aura visibly dampened the room. "The hell is that?"

"We're not sure," Rikku said, "but I think we don't really wanna know. What I do know is that it blows things up, though!"

"It's a bomb?" Jecht yelped, withdrawing his questing finger almost as quickly as he'd pointed it to poke the offending object.

"A bomb that landed you your sword," Rikku corrected. "The first one made the path that led to the treasure chest holding it." She raised a fist and danced in place, her old sphere-hunting senses taking over. Wherever there's treasure, there's a Gullwing! "Who knows what we'll find with this one!"

"I'd sooner get rid of it as well," Auron noted, approaching the lone platform with the sphere socket. "This thing makes my skin crawl." He slotted it in, and they watched as a sickly pink line of energy lit up and raced away from the platform and towards one of the far walls. There was a loud bang, and then a small cloud of dust rose up from the corner of the stairwell.

"I'm not paying for that," Rikku said immediately.

"What they don't know won't hurt them," Auron replied, moving towards the debris as the dust cleared. As expected, a chest lay behind the ruined stone panel, and Rikku rubbed her hands together in anticipation while Auron cracked it open. Then he paused, a look of confusion on his face.

"Oh come on! What is it? Another sword?" she asked, hopping from foot to foot.

"Or a magic warrior blitzball?" Jecht cut in more hopefully.

"I'm not sure," he said, pulling the item out of the chest and standing. "I think it's a glove. Or a shield of some kind." He turned around and held the object out towards them, and Rikku felt her world narrow down to the weapon in his hand. She covered her mouth and choked back a sob.

"Rikku?"

A tear really did escape her as she rushed forward and wrenched it out of Auron's loose grip, cradling it to her chest.

My friend! I thought I lost you forever after we beat Sin – !

The Godhand she clutched almost felt as if it was warming and purring in response to her silent greeting. It had slipped from her grasp after that final, gruelling battle within the bowels of Sin, much like the Celestial Weapons of the others. With all of the pyreflies floating around from bursting Aeons, Aurons and Tiduses, none of them had truly cared that their weapons had also deemed their jobs done. It didn't stop Rikku from sorely missing hers, though. The Celestial Weapons had almost seemed alive back then, merely dormant until wakened with the power of the crests and sigils tuned to their natures. It was just as well that time seemed to flow fluidly in any direction for the weapon itself; it responded eagerly to her touch, still thrumming with the full measure of magic they'd worked so hard to unlock during Yuna's Pilgrimage. "I missed you," she whispered to it, stroking the metal.

"Man, chicks and their obsession with accessories," Jecht said as he eyed her. Auron was less irreverent about the find; he recognized the Godhand as one of the legendary Celestial Weapons, even if he didn't know what it was or why it had bonded to Rikku.

"An explanation?" he demanded, though not unkindly. "Is that what I think it is?"

Rikku nodded, drying her tears and slipping the familiar weapon over her forearm. She felt complete as she did so, as if she'd been travelling naked all this time and only realized it in that moment. "It's a brass knuckle and a targe in one," she said after a moment, stretching her arm out and revelling in the feel of it. "I call it the Godhand."

"It's yours," Auron said, his voice reflecting his surprise. "That Celestial Weapon chose you?"

Jecht picked up on Auron's interest and was now eyeing the weapon with open curiosity. "How come it's so different from mine? Yours is…" He gestured helplessly at the air, unable to voice what Rikku already knew. "It's all magicky, right?"

Alive, Rikku amended. "You have to wake the magic in them to get them to feel this responsive," she explained. No use holding back, since they were staring at the proof of a wakened Celestial Weapon right on her arm. "I'm guessing you need to find the Neptune crest to match your sigil."

Jecht whistled under his breath. "So yours is awake?"

"We managed to activate it during my first Pilgrimage, but it just kinda… disappeared after that ended," she admitted. Then she fell into her old, familiar low battle crouch, testing the Godhand while rocking back and forth. She needed to shift her center of balance to familiarize herself with its lone weight on her arm; it was so much heavier than her light twin daggers. It only took a few short moments, however, to regain the feel of it, like slipping into a comfortable pair of old shoes. Her already broad smile widened. I must look like an idiot to those two, rocking on my heels like this!

Instead, when she straightened and met Auron's eyes, there was a glint to them that hadn't been there moments ago. It looked suspiciously like approval. With another small shock, she also realized her defensive style while using the Godhand was actually quite similar to Auron's.

"It's a bit different from what they taught the monks, but you know the basic form," he noted, mirroring her pose with his own bracer-covered arm. Of course, Auron didn't slouch and bounce around like a punch-drunk monkey when he guarded, but Rikku was surprised to see he was right. Why didn't I ever notice that before? Too distracted by that huge sword, or maybe the muscles holding it up.

"You are quicker than I. It's more suited to your style," he mused. Auron moved closer, still studying the Godhand with avid interest, though he did spare a moment to meet her eyes and quirk his lips upwards. "Quite the secret to be hiding. You should have let us know earlier that you could fight."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" The pleased flush brought about from his flattery was displaced by indignation. With a scowl that matched Auron's rising humor, she realized he was baiting her. Well, it's working, she admitted with a sulk. Poop head! "I've been pulling my weight just fine with my daggers! Excuse you!"

Jecht sniggered.

Rikku blinked, becoming aware of how close she and Auron were standing, matching stares as he challenged her. He'd pressed himself so near to her that she could feel his breath on her lips and the warmth of his skin. That immediately lit up an interesting avenue of thought that had her own eyebrows lifting in surprise. Hmm. So Auron like-likes it when we talk shop about fighting, huh? Now that had possibilities. Still, having Jecht cheer them on as an observer in the background pretty much killed the moment, and she stepped back.

"I told you, he's a smooth operator," Jecht repeated, holding up his hand for a high-five with Auron that was pointedly ignored.

"Come on," Auron told them. "If Braska wants us to be outside the temple when he addresses the Fayth, then we need to be there." They made their way down the steps and outdoors once more, and even the presence of the crusaders and monks milling around wasn't enough to dampen Rikku's spirits.

It did have a sobering effect on Auron, though, who eyed the sudden flurry of activity within the camp suspiciously. "Something's happening – " He cut off as the ground began to tremble under their feet.

"Whoa!" Jecht yelled, windmilling his arms to keep his balance. "Is Sin attackin' us again?"

"Not quite," Rikku said, a knowing smile passing over her face. The Machine Faction liked to keep the temple permanently fired up with their equipment, but there was something to be said for seeing a summoner do it on his own. "Look up, guys!"

Even the bustling monks and crusaders paused as a huge beam of electricity flew out from the apex of the rocky temple. A low whine and a rumble was the only warning before the rocks themselves flew apart, exploding into huge, gravity-defying chunks that rotated slowly around the now-exposed man-made temple.

"He did it! Braska got the aeon!" Rikku cheered, picking herself up off the ground and dancing despite the quakes.

"It was never a question," Auron replied. Still, his deceptive tone did nothing to disguise the incredulous stare he was directing towards the spinning boulders floating overhead; clearly he'd never witnessed Djose Temple blooming with his own eyes.

"Whoa..." was all Jecht could manage, his jaw hanging loose.

After a short while, the tremors subsided and the rocks descended towards the temple, sealing it in its dormant state.

"I guess that's our cue," Rikku began, but snapped her mouth closed as a uniformed monk brushed by her, entirely too close for comfort. Her skin crawled when she realized just who had done the brushing as he removed his helmet.

Auron, always quick to recover, noted the intrusion with displeasure. All of the tension they'd managed to dissolve with their sojourn inside of the Temple made a swift reappearance.

"Wen," he bit out, performing the obligatory bow. His sharp eyes never left the other man's face.

"Auron. Good to see you around, though I'm a little surprised that those two are still with you." Kinoc's gaze shifted towards Rikku and a slow grin formed. "Or have you finally seen the wisdom in taking my advice?" He leered at her. "Hello again, sweet thing."

Rikku skipped backwards, scowling at Kinoc, and didn't protest when she bumped into Jecht.

"That the problem you were havin' in the camp earlier?" At Rikku's nod, he cracked his neck aggressively and thudded a menacing fist into his palm as a greeting.

"To what do we owe this pleasure Wen?" Auron interrupted brusquely. "As you can see, Lord Braska has completed his task. We must to return to his side."

Kinoc directed his oily smile towards Auron, folding his arms behind his back. "Far be it from me to keep a Guardian from his duties," he offered, though the way he drew out the word made it sound more like an insult. "I'm afraid, however, that I find myself in need of your help."

Auron snorted. "You have your men for that."

"Yes, I do." Kinoc's easy smile dropped from his face, shadowed by something darker. Then the smile returned, albeit smaller and colder than before. "But come now, is that the way to treat an old friend? You do still owe me after all," he added, this time looking at Rikku with no hint of amusement.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," Rikku spat out, finding her backbone. She wasn't in prison anymore, and the Godhand thrummed comfortingly on her arm. She narrowed her eyes at Kinoc's scornful laugh.

"Relax, I've no use for the likes of you," Kinoc answered, dismissing both her and Jecht from his mind as if they were no more than trash under his steel-toed boots. "I only need you for this for this mission, Auron."

Auron grunted, his face giving away nothing as he looked at his companions, and Rikku cringed.

Don't do it, Auron. Don't listen to him! You're with us now, you don't have to take this guy on alone! Leave your past where it belongs, in the dust! She tried to convey her thoughts with her expression, wishing she still had her Psychic dressphere around.

"I'll go," Auron ground out, and Rikku sagged in defeat as Jecht let out a yell of protest. She straightened again at his next words, though.

"But I won't go alone."

edited 8/16