42: The Temple of Fire
"So, this is Kilika?" Jecht leaned against the railing, his gaze darting around the thriving fishing port along the coast of the island.
"Yes," Braska replied. "It may not be as large as Luca or Bevelle, but Kilika does have a charm all its own."
"That what you call this stench? Charm?" Jecht inhaled and gagged, cupping a hand over his nose.
"Jecht," Auron grumbled. "Control yourself."
"Fine," the larger man groused, turning to face them. "So, what's the plan?"
"There's a Fayth here." Rikku flapped her shirt, uncomfortable in the sweltering heat. "It's on a hill in the middle of the jungle, so we're going on a hike. A sticky, icky hike. And, did I mention the giant poisonous mosquitoes yet?"
"The journey to the Temple of Fire is worth that effort," Braska chided, bowing toward the thick green forest rising over the edge of the village. "Although I am hoping that we have the means to purchase some shoes before we leave."
"Shopping? With what money?" She pouted. "All our hard work in Luca, washed out by Sin. I guess I know what I'm gonna be doing here."
Jecht and Auron directed bemused looks her way.
"What?" she asked.
"Blondie, I told you Auron's still got some money." Jecht glanced at Auron. "You didn't say nothin' yet?"
"The timing wasn't right," Auron replied. "We only lost a portion of our earnings when the Pualu sank. You didn't think I was foolish enough to travel with that much cash in person?"
"Our earnings?" Braska asked, glancing between them. "What earnings? Do Blitzball players earn that much?"
"They do when they're me!" Jecht told Braska.
"The odds were roughly two thousand to one," Auron said to Rikku in an undertone, "and I bet generously. Three fourths of our total earnings. And all your personal share."
Rikku blinked, reviewing her memory of their gil reserves; her mind crunched the numbers. She blinked again. Then she screamed. "WE'RE GILLIONAIRES?"
Auron grimaced at her attention-grabbing shout. "Not quite. I put aside a fund for Yuna as well."
A nice thought, but Rikku could care less. She launched herself into Auron's arms and hugged him, despite his disgruntled look. Grabbing him by the lapels of his coat, she bounced in excitement. "We're rich! We're totally, filthy rich!" She threw her head back and cackled, unfazed even when Auron pushed her away. "No more fiend hunting!" She whooped. "Ever!"
" 'ey man, what gives?" Jecht called after her. "Did they pay you more than me?"
Braska looked dumbfounded. "I hadn't realized Blitzing was quite that profitable. Maybe I should have looked into enrolling Yuna in a few swimming courses..."
Rikku continued to laugh madly.
"I think we broke her," Jecht observed.
"Woo-hoo!" She danced her way around the deck, throwing in an occasional cartwheel for good measure.
"Hnn." Auron moved toward the gangway to the dock. "She hasn't yet realized I'm still in charge of our budget."
Rikku faltered and tripped. "What?" she yelled, scrambling to her feet.
Jecht shrugged, following Auron.
"…Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" she muttered.
"Well, perhaps he is joking – " Braska began, but then stopped and paled. "Auron. I do still need shoes! We are going to stop by a vendor before we begin our journey, correct? ... Auron?"
No answer came, and Rikku watched with dismay as he hurried after the other two men.
.x.x.x.
The jungle was, as Rikku had guessed, even more sweltering than Kilika Village. Though the path was shaded by palm fronds, the humidity was almost unbearable; even breathing felt uncomfortable. She wiped sweat from her brow and wished, for the millionth time, that her borrowed "dress" was a two-piece.
At least then, fiend-hunting would be a little less miserable.
"Why do I have to do this?" she whined. "I thought we were rich now!" Focusing on the battle, she dashed forward and willed her hand through the lizard hissing at her. Stealing a petrify grenade, she skipped back, and removed the pin. "Fire in the hole!"
It detonated with a boom; the fiends crashed to the ground, transformed into life-like sculptures.
"We're trainin' our teamwork!" Jecht said, munching on the papaya he'd bought at the marketplace. "Next time, go slower. I still don't get how you're stickin' your fingers between 'em like that."
"That's because you're not even looking, you meathead!" Rikku exploded, throwing her hands into the air.
"Auron…" Jecht sing-songed. "Rikku's bein' mean."
Auron looked up from the rock he was sitting on while polishing his sword. He lowered his sunglasses and gave Rikku a look.
"Fine, fine, I'll do it slower next time," she groaned, slumping.
"I still do not understand why I have to take part in this as well," Braska groused, weaving between the petrified fiends. In his hand was a roughly-hewn quarterstaff, carved from a stray piece of wood. Red-faced and sweat-soaked, he struck at one of the statues with the weapon until the fiend shattered.
"I've neglected your lack of close combat skills for far too long, my lord." Auron's smile was cold. "This exercise should help improve both your strength and endurance. You'll need every advantage you can get against Sin."
"Thank you…" Braska huffed, swinging his makeshift staff once more. "... for thinking of me." Another statue broke apart. "Could you not have applied that same thoughtfulness to my choice of footwear while you were shopping for your new jug?"
Auron made a token attempt to mask his smug expression, adjusting the jug on his hip. "Many Kilikans are proud to wear those sandals every day."
Braska leaned on his knees and glared. "They're made of reed and are two sizes too large. You only bought them because they were on sale."
Auron resumed polishing his weapon. "You missed one."
Braska shattered the last statue with an angry whack.
"Well," Jecht said, throwing the remains of his snack over his shoulder. "Guess it's time to move. We must've squashed every fruit fly between here and the village already."
"I suppose you're right," Auron said, packing up as well.
Rikku let out a gusty sigh, before facing Jecht as he snickered.
"How's it feel to be on the other end of one of Auron's training regimens?" Jecht asked.
Rikku raised the Godhand at him, making it emit a few sparks. "Wanna find out how it feels to be on the other end of this?"
"Touchy," Jecht grumbled, still in good humor. "Least you two took care of all them mutant bugs 'round here."
Rikku sighed, clambering to her feet and trying to stop the back of her dress from sticking. "Actually, if it weren't for our resident slave-driver, I think I'd be enjoying myself." She looked into the canopy overhead, drinking in the birdsong and the sun filtering through the treetops.
"It's so different from what I remember," she admitted, glancing around to make sure Auron and Braska weren't in earshot. "Wilder." Jecht had opted to keep the secret about his own origins to himself, and after the whole not-so-romantic fiasco on the Winno, Rikku was finding it easier to trust him with a few of her own.
Jecht stopped, crossing his hands behind his neck and looking up with her. "Yeah, they ain't got a view like this in Zanarkand either. We got buildings taller than you can see, but the only color in 'em comes from the neon lights. None of them trees or birds an' stuff." He smirked. "No man-eatin' bugs either, though."
Rikku laughed. "Oh, we still have those hanging around." She plucked one of the brilliant orchids blooming on a twisting vine nearby. "But all of the nicer parts are going away. People got used to using machina riders. They get you from one end of the jungle to the other quickly and avoid all the fiends. And the sweating." She twirled the flower in her hand. "The birds left because of the noise. The flowers kinda died out too from the fumes, and the path is always muddy and torn up from the wheels. You can't even walk parts of it anymore without a good pair of boots."
Jecht made a face. "Sounds like a real vacation paradise."
Rikku stroked the flower carefully. "It makes me wonder sometimes if my future really is the best one possible." That brought about a wave of guilt; she knew for a fact the people of Kilika would happily take a little more mud and a little less wildlife as the price of avoiding Sin's periodic destruction of their town.
"If you don't like it, why not change it?" Jecht shrugged at Rikku's surprised look. "Ain't that what I'm doin' right now? You can do it too, ya know. Last I'd heard, nobody got a rulebook 'bout how things are supposed to happen. Your Church tries real hard, but look how far it gets 'em out here."
"It's not my Church," she protested.
"You're Spiran, ain'tcha? It's your Church whether you like it or not, Blondie." He gave her a friendly nudge and jogged ahead to catch up with the others.
"My Church, my butt," Rikku muttered, studying the flower in her hands. "Why not change my future, though? I wonder..."
Wait a sec, what am I thinking? She gave herself a mental slap. No, no, bad Rikku! No wondering! Wondering means Sin comes back! Wondering means Tidus will never make it to Spira! She blinked, rotating the orchid slowly. … Right?
"Rikku!" Auron's tone was sharp. "Put that down."
She scowled, pulled from her thoughts. "Why? It's pretty!"
"And deadly, like most everything in this jungle. If you don't want to use up our entire stock of antidotes, stop being so careless. We're leaving for the temple now."
Rikku scoffed and tossed the flower aside. It settled among the twisting vines and lush greenery – a shock of brilliant red. Change the future? Yeah, right! What a dumb idea.
Without Auron forcing them to stop and beat the underbrush for fiends every few meters, they made quick progress. That changed, however, as they arrived at the base of the stairs to the temple.
"Where is it?" Jecht squinted and shaded his eyes, looking at the seemingly endless series of stone steps and circular plateaus leading up the hillside. "I don't see no temple 'round here. Ain't it supposed to be huge or somethin'? Where the hell is it?"
"The temple in Kilika is mostly underground," Braska told him. "We're probably standing on top of a portion of it right now. But the entrance is at the zenith of these steps. We call it the Pilgrimage Road."
Rikku groaned, fanning her shirt. "Forget what I said, I'm really missing the machina now."
"Think of this as another excellent training opportunity." Despite his words, Auron tugged off his coat and wiped his brow.
The four of them started climbing at a slow pace, and Rikku noted with a little satisfaction that Auron's undershirt was just as damp with sweat as hers. Little was said until they reached the first circular platform.
"Whoa! The hell is that?" Jecht made a disgusted face at the thick-lipped fish leering at them. He spun around and jumped. "Ugh, it has a brother!"
Auron looked the statues over. "Kilika has a thriving fishing industry. People idolize what they know."
"But why'd they make it look like ol' fish lips here is puckerin' up?"
"Maybe they really love fish." Rikku brushed by, too hot and tired to admire the statue. Her calves were screaming, her eyes stung, and worse yet, there wasn't a drop of water in sight – other than on her sweat-soaked clothing.
Braska gave Jecht a sympathetic pat as he passed. "These artistic statements line the entire length of the path, I regret to inform you."
"I liked the sparkly boom temple better," Jecht mumbled.
The hike was slow and arduous; Rikku felt herself wilting with every step. It wasn't just the stifling heat that was sapping her energy, though – even with Jecht's banter, the palpable strain between Auron and Braska made her want to sink into the ground. And despite what he'd said on the Winno, it was clear that Auron was also still pretty pissed off at her, too.
Guilt wasn't a feeling she was used to experiencing, but she was starting to realize she hadn't actually taken Jecht's advice. I never apologized to Auron.
Squaring her shoulders, she resolved to pick up her pace. Well, that's gotta change. But instead, her feet slowed as the oppressive jungle heat reminded her why she'd been flagging.
… I'll make sure he understands how I feel when I'm not about to turn into a walking Flame Flan.
By the time they reached the next platform, even Jecht was starting to huff, mopping his face with the hanging length of his bandana.
Braska was openly using his quarterstaff as a third leg. "Auron. We'll rest here," he declared, a note in his voice indicating he wouldn't compromise. He sat down in the shade of one of the hideous fish sculptures and closed his eyes.
"Fine," Auron said, unhooking his jug from his hip. After taking a short sip, he walked over and passed it to Braska. "It's water. Drink."
Braska cracked an eye open and regarded the other man. Then with a faint nod, he accepted the offering and took a long draught. "Thank you, my friend," he said as he handed the flask back.
Auron grunted and moved on. He held out the jug to Rikku, who took it and drank so greedily that he pulled it out of her hands. "Leave some for Jecht," he scolded.
" 'ey man! Why am I last?" Jecht snatched the drink out of Auron's hands and guzzled the remaining water down.
"Because you're my favorite," Auron told him. Corking the jug, he turned to them and crossed his arms. "Be on the lookout for fiends when we continue. We've been lucky so far, but the path is long enough that it's not uncommon to be attacked along the way."
Rikku frowned. "Hey, isn't it the warrior-monks' job to guard the temples? Why do we have to do all the work again?"
Auron's sardonic grin lacked any trace of humor. "Kilika and Besaid's temples are a bit more difficult to reach. They don't pull in quite as much income as the others."
She wrinkled her nose. "No money, no monks, huh?"
"I'm sure it is merely a forty-year oversight on Maester Mika's part," Braska noted with a hint of cynicism. He pulled himself to his feet and leaned against his staff. "Shall we continue?"
They resumed their slow trudge up the steps, but it wasn't long before Auron's prediction came true.
"Gnat ahead," Jecht called, darting forward.
Rikku felt like she was going to melt. "Squash it yourself!"
"You should be more serious about this," Auron told her, drawing his sword and rushing to aid Jecht.
Rikku dragged her heels and shared a conspiratorial grin with Braska when she noticed him doing the same. "Do your feet hurt?" she asked him innocently.
"I seem to have stubbed my toe upon this stone. Perhaps it's because of my inappropriate footwear," Braska added with more volume.
"Get over here now, you two!" Auron snarled at them.
Shrugging, Rikku shambled near, adjusting the straps on her Godhand. Braska trailed behind, still using his staff as a walking aid. The crested the platform to see Auron batting away one of the gigantic flies. Jecht was being swarmed by the remaining two; even as he split one in half, the other dove in and sunk its stinger into his flesh.
"OWW! DAMN IT, YOU LIL' PESTS!"
Rikku and Braska both winced. "He's not gonna be able to sit down for days if you don't heal that," she noted.
Braska sighed and waved his staff, curing both the poison and Jecht's ridiculous pain-induced dance.
Auron killed the remaining fiend and stalked toward Rikku and Braska, pyreflies shadowing his footsteps. He fixed them both with an Auron Look Mark III. "Why didn't either of you assist? We can't function as a team if you aren't present for the battle!"
"Woah, slow down there buddy," she protested. "We've been fighting these things all day long! There's nothing serious about these bugs and you know it. Even Braska could handle them alone… well, with a couple of lucky hits," she amended.
"Thank you for that vote of confidence," Braska said, exasperated.
" 'ey guys?" Jecht limped over.
Rikku rolled her eyes and ignored him. "My point is, we don't even need to do this for money anymore. All teamwork means here is, 'Whoever is closest gets to hit it first.' "
"You could at least help," Auron countered. He transferred his glare to Braska. "Especially you, milord."
Braska slammed the butt of his staff against the ground. "You don't want my help. You want to punish me. The next time you feel petty, you can walk through the jungle in these shoes. I am finished with this ridiculous penance." He kicked off the flopping sandals.
"Yo?" Jecht waved his hand.
"Not now, Jecht," Rikku said.
"I am not being petty," Auron growled. "Although I think I have every right to be vindictive!"
Rikku crossed her arms and glared. "Liar liar, pants on fire! These fiends are a waste of a Celestial Weapon. And the muscles in my arm, which are pretty sore from all the stealing I did earlier, by the way." She stuck her nose up. "If it comes my way, I'll smack it. Otherwise, do it yourself next time!"
"Hello!" Jecht shouted. "I don't care what you all decide to do, but my ass hurts. Somebody else take care of that over there." He pointed over his shoulder at a swarm of angry fiends that were approaching behind him.
Rikku counted the bugs with growing dismay. "Five? Five of them? Is this some kind of cruel joke the universe is playing on me? That's it – "
Braska spat out a few short words. A whirlwind of glowing stars fell from the sky, blasting the fiends with spears of destructive light. They also carved away a good portion of the intricate stonework underneath them and took out one of the statues, blowing the head clean off and leaving only half of a fishy tail behind.
"... Overkill, much?" Rikku mused when Braska lowered his staff. "Thumbs up on the redecoration, though."
Auron and Jecht stared at Braska, who shrugged.
"What? You wished for us to take care of them and I wanted to test my new spell," he said.
"Ha-HA!" Jecht shook himself and pumped his fist into the air. "So that's how ya did it! Rikku was right, you got some mad skills, B!"
"That's how you did what," Auron asked, overcoming his shock.
Braska raised a bemused eyebrow at Rikku. "You didn't tell him?"
Rikku winced as Auron's laser stare cut over to her. "I thought you were telling him! You told him practically everything else, didn't you?"
Braska frowned, looking affronted. "I thought you didn't want me to tell him anything!"
Jecht scratched his head. " 'ey, Blondie, you told me."
"You… told Jecht," Braska said, rapidly paling.
Rikku turned bright red. "Uh, not everything!
Jecht smirked at Braska. "She told me enough, though."
Auron unsheathed his sword and swung it – a silent, complicated kata of warning.
Jecht positioned himself behind her. With one magnanimous step backward, Braska joined him.
Cowards. She eyed Auron's continued movements and forced a laugh. "So, maybe we forgot to mention that Braska got this nifty new aeon in Baaj. It gave him that scar on his back and now he can kick butt!" The sweat beading on her forehead had nothing to do with the tropical heat. "That's the short version, soooo… don't kill us please?"
Auron sheathed his sword and rubbed his forehead. "We need to work on your communication skills." He lowered his hand and glared at them.
"Uh, Blondie, race you to the top?" Jecht asked.
"You bet your life on it!" Rikku agreed, scampering away from Auron. "Literally," she huffed, overtaking Jecht's own desperate scramble.
"If it was good enough for Lord Ohalland, it's good enough for me," Braska added, finding his second wind and running after them.
"Hnn," Auron said as he watched them flee. He began a much more sedate climb up the steps, a faint smirk on his lips.
.x.x.x.
"Now," Auron warned them, tapping the hilt of his sword. "I expect to see a little more decorum before we approach the temple. Are we clear?"
"Yes, sir," Rikku, Jecht, and Braska chimed.
"Ain't you the leader here?" Jecht whispered to Braska.
"Not until I have shoes again, at the least," Braska murmured back. Auron cleared his throat, and Braska fell silent.
"Good." Turning, Auron marched up the remaining stairs. "Let's go."
"Blondie, you need to do better. I thought I told you to take care of that temper!"
She stuck her tongue out. "Hey, at least you didn't get the worst of it!"
"Neither did you," Braska pointed out. He sighed. "But, I suppose I'll need to take up the mantle of a summoner again once we reach the temple." Disappointment was obvious in his voice.
Jecht scratched his head. "Wait, you're enjoyin' this? Auron's been ridin' you the hardest outta all of us!"
"Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say I've enjoyed any of his punishments thus far. My feet certainly haven't." Chuckling, Braska shook his head. "Auron is merely treating me the way he would one of you two, had you upset him. He would not have dared to do so before." His expression morphed into something old and tired. "But it is high time for me to return to reality."
"...You know, Braska, they're just robes," Rikku began. "You don't even need the staff anymore. It's not like you have to change who you are just because you have them. We'd all still be your friends anyway."
"It is freeing, to travel among you like this," Braska replied. "But without my robes and staff, I may not be able to complete the Pilgrimage."
Her face fell, understanding what he was really saying; he needed distance.
"Huh? Why?" Jecht asked. "They got a dress code in Zanarkand or somethin' ?"
"Not a dress code. However, you might say a certain mindset is required." Braska started walking up the steps. "Besides, I am sure both you and Auron would appreciate it if I reined in my more… impulsive nature."
Jecht grunted as Braska left them behind. "Didn't realize how bad he got it for you," he said to Rikku. "What're ya gonna do 'bout him?"
"I think I did more than enough already. I'm voting for ignoring all this awkward in the room and letting Auron handle him."
"Well, that ain't gonna work." Jecht snorted. "Mark my words, folks like him? They always snap, sooner or later. And, if ya stick to your plan, Auron'll be doin' the snappin' for him."
"They're best friends though," Rikku said. They resumed the slow climb. "How do you know they won't be able to work things out?"
" 'Cause I'd break anybody dumb enough to put the moves on my wife."
"Wife?" Rikku squeaked, face immediately flaming.
Jecht smirked. "What? C'mon, even you gotta know the Stiff's a lifer by now."
Rikku glared and held her cheeks, trying to cool the sudden burn down. "Don't ever mention that again! Marriage! Geez, we haven't even made it past the midfield yet!"
"Eurgh!" Jecht gagged. "Too much info, Blondie! Auron, gettin' handsy? Now I gotta wash my brain!"
"Whatever you two are discussing can be done from up here." Auron paused mid-turn, then leaned back over. "Better yet, just stop talking when you reach the temple."
"Grumpy." Rikku pouted.
"Yeah. Just like an old married guy, huh?"
Rikku flipped a rude gesture towards Jecht and skipped up the last of the steps. She came to a stop next to Auron and Braska, taking in the grounds.
Kilika's temple was an ugly, squat thing. It rose out of the jungle's peak like a boil on the hillside, its outer hull bearing no resemblance to the artistry or majesty of any of the other temples they'd visited thus far. Colorful flames burning behind magical barriers lit the area, the only sign that the building was host to a Fayth. The whole thing looked like a primitive rendition of a stone airship – something people might have built in the long centuries after the Machina War ended to honor what they remembered but didn't quite understand. It also looked to be the work of the same hand that had gifted Spira with Kilika's unique fish sculptures.
She could appreciate the irony of the structure being dedicated to the Church of Yevon.
Besides its lack of architectural grace, a large part of the temple's shabby appearance was its obvious lack of upkeep. The upper half of the outer walls were in ruins, overgrown with many years' worth of jungle lianes and moss. It was easy to see where the monetary hand of the Church was tightening its fist.
Despite that, the temple bustled with an organic liveliness absent from its more majestic counterparts. Villagers from the port swarmed everywhere, chatting, praying, and hocking religious souvenirs in makeshift stalls. To one side of the temple, hopeful Blitzball players were even training.
The murmur of conversation was everywhere, and the attending priests and nuns looked just as relaxed as the visitors.
"Whoa," Jecht said. "This place is awesome!"
Rikku scratched her head. Sure, the atmosphere was lively, but was Jecht just ignoring the temple's visible disrepair? " 'Awesome' might be a stretch," she said dubiously.
Jecht pointed. "They got a hot spring right there! I'm goin' in!" He ran for the circular indentation that was glowing misty green in the middle of the courtyard.
"Jecht!" Auron yelled. "It's not water – "
Jecht was already airborne, trying to cannonball right into the center of the "pool."
Rikku winced as he hit the magical, Fayth-generated force field with a painful-sounding thud and flopped over, drawing activity around the temple to a standstill.
"This is not a good day for my ass," Jecht groused in the ensuing silence as he stood, rubbing his posterior.
A few titters spread through the crowd, and movement around them resumed.
As Jecht limped back towards them, Auron palmed his face. "Why in Yevon's name would you make a spectacle of yourself like that?"
"I thought it was water, alright?" Jecht looked a little embarrassed. "Nobody ever told me flames could be green."
Braska sighed. "I should apologize. It slipped my mind to inform you about the quirks of this particular temple." He pointed towards the circular depression, flickering deceptively with its cool fire. "The Fayth here powers the flames, which change color based on several factors. For example, they will turn blue when the temple is in danger, or bright red when a summoner communes with the Fayth."
"So why's that one green?" Jecht asked, peering at the "pool." " 'Specially made for greetin' summoners?"
"Oh my! You are a summoning party?" A smiling nun approached, bowing when she stopped. "I couldn't help but notice this lively young man," she said, glancing at Jecht with a twinkle in her eye. She appraised their party, her eyes lingering briefly on Rikku, before she performed another, deeper bow to Auron.
"My Lord Summoner," she said. Auron's brow rose at the title. "You've chosen quite the collection of Guardians for your Pilgrimage. Kilika Temple welcomes you!"
Braska coughed. "Actually," he said, stepping forward. "I am Summoner Braska of Bevelle."
"Oh!" The old woman straightened, looking flustered. "My apologies, my… Lord…" She trailed off as she took in Braska's bare feet, ragged pyjama shorts, loud Kilikan beach shirt and unkempt hair. "... I take it the journey here was difficult?" she added diplomatically.
Auron's lips quirked. "For some."
"Oh, you poor dears," the woman said, grasping Braska by his arm. "You just wait right there and I'll bring you all some water. And you, my lord… perhaps we can find you some better suiting attire, hmm?"
"Gladly," Braska said, patting the woman's hand with an even smile.
As he was ushered away, Rikku tilted her head. "You know… we aren't famous here."
"News from Luca would travel slowly," Auron replied. "Especially after an attack by Sin."
"But you and Braska aren't infamous here either," she pointed out. "It's like they don't even know you!"
He shrugged. "Most likely they don't. Politics also tend to stop travelling at this distance." He looked pointedly at Jecht, who was haggling with one of the vendors over a blitzball decorated with a cartoon rendition of Ifrit.
"So we're not celebrities, but we're not pariahs. This is good!"
Auron grunted in assent.
"And we have money now, which is better!"
"No shopping."
She deflated at his terse answer; Auron wasn't budging on his anger. "Can I at least get a needle and thread to tailor this thing?" she whined, picking at her dress.
With a sigh, he said, "So long as you don't turn it into another bikini, fine. Do it when we return to the port."
Rikku hummed and swayed on the balls of her feet. Despite the surrounding hubbub in the temple – or perhaps because of it – it felt like they were alone. The lively noise surrounding them made their silence much more acute. C'mon, Rikku. It's now or never. She glanced at Auron a few times, gathering her courage.
"What?" he bit out.
"Sorry," she said, continuing her sway. She clasped her hands behind her back, hoping to hide her nervousness.
"What are you apologizing for?"
She slowed her movements and dropped her gaze to her boots. "Hurting someone I love."
"...Why are you saying this now?" he asked with none of his previous impatience.
"It's easy for me to say the words, but it's hard to mean them sometimes." She reached for his hand, relieved when he didn't resist. "I've been letting Braska do all the talking for me, but I don't think that's what you wanted to hear. So… I'm sorry."
Auron squeezed her hand. "Are you sorry you love Braska?"
Rikku watched the temple flame flicker and dance. "... I don't think so," she eventually said. "I don't think I ever want to be sorry for loving anyone. Feeling love for someone else isn't something you should apologize for." She looked at Auron again. "I don't love him the way he wants me to, though. The way I love you. I'm just sorry that my feelings ended up hurting both of you anyway."
"This is an unusual amount of honesty for you."
"I don't like lying to you," she replied with complete sincerity. If nothing else, it was important he understood that. "Everything's so much more complicated and I don't even know why. I want to be with you. It should be simple."
"Nothing is ever simple with you." He huffed out a wry breath. "Maybe it's my own weakness to be drawn in by complexity."
She fidgeted, restless. "I hate this feeling. Like we're fighting, even though we're not."
He attempted a smile for her, but didn't quite succeed. "As do I."
Auron pulled away as Braska emerged from a side chamber, escorted by the nun. Braska was clothed in a familiar mass of billowing robes, new staff in hand and even a helmet on his head. This one was missing the gigantic feather, but it did still have long trailing flap of fabric drifting out behind it.
"So they still keep the traditional uniform of Bevelle, even here," Auron observed.
"He looks like a summoner again." She couldn't keep the dismay from her voice. This is happening. Braska's still going to go through with it. She crushed Auron's hand with hers. "I couldn't lie to myself enough to stop him."
Auron gripped her hand back, gaining her attention. "Braska told me he tried to seduce you."
"I tried a little, too," she admitted. "I thought maybe… maybe if I convinced him he could feel the same way for me that he did about Raenn, he'd stop." She thought about Braska's prayers, and her discovery of his true feelings on the sphere. "But I couldn't go through with it." Because he already really did love me. "It just… backfired and got us into this mess. And then the aeon in Baaj came out and tried to kill us both."
Auron exhaled slowly. "Your plan wouldn't have worked. He's not doing this for Raenn anymore." He released her hand. "I'm not like Kinoc anymore either. You are the ones who showed me the faults of using people in such a manner. I can't thank you for trying to stop Braska." His finger brushed her face. "And I don't want to share you with anyone." He sounded unhappy.
Rikku hid her wince; she'd tried her best to be honest, but his tone said enough. Her apology was acknowledged, but whether it was accepted was a more delicate matter. Weariness flooded her. How long do we have to be like this? What can I do to make it better?
"Oh there you are, dears!" the nun called, nearing, with Braska in tow. She handed over some filled bottles. "Water, to quench your thirst after the journey. I can't imagine how you managed the climb in this heat!"
"Sister Ovelia has been most generous," Braska told them, straightening his robes. "She even managed to procure a proper staff for me." His placid smile towards them did little to ease Rikku's tension; somehow she just knew he'd been watching her talk with Auron. "Auron… if we are as well provided for as you stated, perhaps we could repay the good sister for her kindness."
"Oh, that won't be necessary, my lord," Ovelia said. "You summoners do more than enough for the people as it is. It wouldn't be right to take your gil as well. Now where is that other young man with the long hair? I've got one bottle left for him."
"Sister," Auron said, drawing a handful of coins from his money pouch. "You misunderstand Lord Braska. This is not compensation for services rendered. It is merely a token of our gratitude." He pressed the money into the old woman's hands.
"Well, on behalf of the temple, I won't refuse, although – " She choked as she did a quick count of the coins he'd handed her. "... this much! Are you certain?"
Braska's congenial smile towards Auron deepened into something more sincere. "Of course. Thank you, Auron. Worldly trappings can sometimes obstruct us from reaching our goals. If I am to defeat Sin, I shall have no need for such things." He glanced at Rikku. "Let us collect Jecht and enter the temple."
Auron tensed, likely sensing the immediate shift in command. "Of course," he said, words somewhat bitter, "we have a job to do." He moved to follow the summoner.
" 'Sup?" Jecht asked as they approached, holding the fresh bottle of water in one hand and waving goodbye to the sister who'd brought him over with his other. "We goin' in?"
"Braska's ready to start the Pilgrimage again," Rikku told him unhappily.
"That's great!" Jecht ambled after Auron, looking at the steps heralding the entrance to the shrine. "I really thought there'd be bodies lyin' around before those two started talkin' to each other."
Despite the oppressive heat, Rikku shivered. That might still be coming.
The air chilled the further they descended into the heart of the temple. Kilika, like Besaid and Djose, was one of the shrines she had only chanced to visit with Yuna and Paine. And just as in Djose, being in the presence of an active Fayth changed the atmosphere considerably.
The low buzz of conversation filled the antechamber, but even the presence of visitors couldn't detract from the feeling of power residing within the walls. Firelight danced across intricately carved reliefs lining the room, giving them a strange feeling of movement and life in the flickering light.
As with other temples, statues of summoners long passed lined the walls. Most were aged and rough, falling into ruin thanks to inadequate temple funding. The notable exception was one large statue near the entrance to the Cloister, meticulously maintained. Most of the visitors were praying to it.
Some things never change. It brightened her spirits a bit to see something so familiar and comforting despite all of her inner turmoil.
"Hey, Jecht." Rikku tapped him on the shoulder. "If you were religious, this guy right here'd be your patron saint."
Jecht squinted at the sculpture. "What's so special 'bout him?"
"That is High Summoner Ohalland. He defeated Sin three hundred and twenty years ago," Braska answered. "He is very highly regarded here, as Kilika was his home village."
"Not just that," Auron added. "Lord Ohalland was a star player for the Kilika Beasts in his youth. For many years, before he took up the Summoner's path, he was a world-famous blitzer." He smirked. "Someone to compete with for your title as the best."
"And they say he fought with a blitzball," Rikku added with a giggle.
"...No, they don't," Auron corrected her with a frown. "Where would you get an idea like that?"
Rikku scoffed. "That's what the bartender in Luca told us when…" When Wakka was given his Celestial Weapon. She remembered that clearly. Wakka fainted dead away and Kimahri had to scramble to catch him. Even Tidus had been surprised to hear that someone else besides their resident chocobo-head had used a blitzball as a weapon; it even inspired him to create a new finishing move. The only person who hadn't batted his lone eye at the news had been Auron.
Rikku swallowed. "Well, you never know. They're crazy about Blitzball in Luca. Maybe some people like to keep the history the Church doesn't care about alive. It could be true!"
"That is an intriguing idea," Braska said. "I know the Al Bhed originally passed their own records down through oral tradition, but I hadn't considered that it might be happening in Luca as well."
Auron grunted. "If that's the case, it's better you never suspected it. If you'd voiced that idea while you were still a priest, Mika might have found an excuse to start an Inquisition."
"Against the citizens of Luca?" Braska shook his head. "I doubt it."
"They sent me to kill Cid if you failed. Inquisitions aren't always public matters."
"Umm, can we stop talking about Church-sanctioned assassinations while we're in the temple? I thought you guys were all about the decorum!"
" 'S not like anybody's listenin', though," Jecht pointed out.
"Whatever," Rikku hissed, upset. "Can we just drop it?" Honestly, she just didn't like dwelling on the thought of Auron trying to kill her father any more than necessary – which meant at all.
"Yes, well. The Cloister of Trials should be this way," Braska said, leading them towards some steps hewn into the wall at the far end of the room.
"Yo, where're the guard dogs?" Jecht asked.
"There are no warrior-monks stationed here," Auron answered. "The blind trust of the faithful keeps the southern temples safe enough in the eyes of the Church."
"But… y'know… what if Sin attacks here?" Jecht prodded.
"The Chamber of the Fayth is hidden deep within this mountain. The devastation would only affect the living." Auron grimaced. "Civilian casualties would be considered an acceptable level of collateral damage."
An uncomfortable silence fell. No one seemed to be willing to inform Jecht that Kilika was as famous for its periodic destruction by Sin as it was for its temple. Judging by the look on his face, he still got the message.
"So it's like that, huh?"
Braska coughed and strode forward. "Not for me."
Jecht quirked his lips in grim amusement. "Well. Won't be no casualties if we wreck Sin first, right?" He stalked after Braska, leaving Rikku and Auron to bring up the rear.
"Think this will be hard?" Rikku asked as they approached the stone elevator embedded in the floor.
"After everything we've been through?" Auron snorted. "Not likely."
Jecht let out a triumphant hoot. "Are you kiddin' me? This'll be a piece of cake! Team BARJ is finally back in action!"
Rikku's own groan was matched by Auron and Braska's, their aversion to Jecht's pet name obvious. The not-quite-dulcet sound of their collective exasperation ended, and seconds later, she had to stifle the involuntary giggle bubbling in her throat. The line chiselled between Auron's brows softened, and even Braska smiled a little.
I guess we still do have something in common after all. Good job, Jecht.
With the tension drained, they managed to situate themselves comfortably around the circle. A rune on the floor lit and the rock shifted, carrying them deeper into the mountain.
She couldn't help feeling nervous; some part of her knew the Temple couldn't possibly be overrun by the evil spirits Shuyin's hatred had awakened, but it was hard to shake the dread she'd felt when facing Ifrit's dark, malice-filled form with Yuna and Paine.
That's all in the past, she told herself firmly. Or, the future, I guess. Ugh!
The elevator touched the bottom with a rattle that jarred her from her musings. All the noise from above disappeared, leaving them in silence.
"At least this one ain't dark," Jecht observed.
Stepping into the Cloister, he prodded a sphere set into a pedestal in front of them. Every touch sent a spurt of fire into the air. "And them flames don't hurt." He grabbed the sphere and tossed it from hand to hand, trailing arcs of fire.
"You know, I'm feeling a little underwhelmed." Rikku crossed her arms as Jecht threw the sphere a few more times before fitting it into the only other slot by the door. Red runes lit up along the frame.
"I suppose the lack of funding reveals itself in more ways than one," Braska noted as stone grated against itself, revealing an opening.
"Let's get this over with," Auron said as he passed through the entrance and surveyed the area. "It's safe."
They filed into a dim-lit room containing nothing but a pillar holding another sphere and a few empty sockets in the surrounding walls.
Jecht grabbed the sphere and eyed his choices. Shrugging, he shoved it into the socket nearest to him. A complicated glyph lit up, floating in front of the wall, blocking passage to a hidden door. After a few tense moments of expectation, nothing else happened and everyone deflated.
"This has all of the makings of another logic puzzle," Auron observed, reaching for the door. His hand was repelled by the warding magic of the glyph.
"A moment," Braska said, stepping forward and pushing Auron aside. He examined the glyph, but whatever he found soon caused his earnest expression to slide into fleeting look of annoyance. "Du ramm fedr drec."
Rikku's eyes bugged. Did he just –
Braska tapped his staff against the glyph, whispering. With a tiny explosion, the magic dispelled. His spell also affected the sphere powering the rune, extinguishing its magical flame with a discordant plink. The temple's interior lighting deactivated simultaneously, cloaking them in darkness.
Jecht was the first to react. "Uh… I think you just broke the temple. You even allowed to open doors like that? Ain't it cheatin' ?"
Braska pushed the door, which swung open obligingly, letting a sliver of light into the room from the passage beyond. "I have had enough trials for my lifetime. Let us move on."
Rikku glanced over her shoulder; Auron was palming his face again and muttering. With a heavy sigh, he shouldered past Braska and took point. "I expected you to have more of a delicate touch, my lord."
"I've recently come to learn that diplomacy can only get one so far," Braska sniped back, trailing after him.
Rikku tripped forward when Jecht nudged her less-than-gently. "Think the temple's gonna survive those two?"
"I don't even know if I will."
The remainder of the trial passed quickly and, in Rikku's opinion, violently – mostly because Braska and Auron seemed to be racing to decide who could dismantle the Trial's puzzles first – usually by the judicious application of brute force, whether magical or physical. Jecht hung behind Rikku, opting to stay out of the way of the two competing men.
The contest was broken only briefly by the discovery of a destruction sphere; there was a moment of awkwardness when Braska spotted it.
"My lord," Auron hedged as he removed it from the wall. "This – "
"There's no need. I know what that is," Braska replied with a look of distaste.
Rikku stepped in, eying the sphere with a barely-contained shudder. It wasn't easy to ignore that pink glow when it brought to mind the memory of Anima's deadlier half. "It's a part of the hidden Cloister we discovered in Baaj. Braska already collected that aeon." She couldn't stop herself from glancing at Braska, hoping he wouldn't share the finer details of their encounter.
He gave her a steady look, then turned to Auron. "Do what you wish with it. This particular corruption hiding within the Church is no longer a concern of mine."
Rikku's fists uncurled as the tension leaked out of her. Some things Auron really didn't need to know; if he heard about the true extent of her injuries, it would probably make the havoc he was wreaking in the Cloister look tame.
"So... you two busted up this temple pretty good," Jecht noted, pointing at the smoking trail of destruction they'd left behind. "You sure we ain't gonna get in trouble for this?"
Auron shrugged, slotting the sickly pink sphere into every wall socket they passed, removing it when nothing happened. "You'd be surprised at the amount of forgiveness money can buy. Besides, Bevelle will be forced to send a restoration team to Kilika once they hear of what we've done here."
Rikku sniggered. "Oh c'mon, admit it. You just wanted to smash things up, right?"
"Hnn," Auron replied neutrally, though he didn't deny it. He stepped back as the last socket he tried pulsed with sudden power, imploding with a loud bang.
Jecht still looked uncertain. "We really got enough dough to cover this?"
"Yes," Auron replied, sounding almost bored as he stepped over the rubble. A chest was pushed up against the wall, and he made short work of opening it.
"What's in it this time?" Rikku demanded impatiently.
"A better staff?" Braska asked with a note of hope. "It would be a sign from Yevon…"
"A new blitzball," Jecht corrected him with a gleam in his eye. "You said it yerself, this Ohalland guy was a blitzer!"
Everyone leaned forward eagerly as Auron stood up. Then the men's faces fell as he held up the treasure.
"It's… a dirty mirror." He turned the dull, strangely shaped object over in his hands once. "Inscribed with flowers." He swiped the surface of the mirror with his coat a few times and frowned. "Damaged beyond repair."
"We went through all that for a piece o' trash?" Jecht groaned, throwing his arms up.
Auron shrugged and moved to put the mirror back in the chest. "One man's trash…"
Rikku rushed forward and snatched it out of his hands. "Is another girl's treasure!" she said, cradling it. She held up the mirror with a smile, even though the surface reflected nothing but dark smudges of dirt. "This is better than a new blitzball, Jecht. Think of all the things you could do with it! You know… like your hair!"
"Hell no. You have just as many bad hair days as I do, you ain't one to talk me into usin' no mirror." Jecht crossed his arms and smirked. " 'Sides, I make bed hair look good. Take a lesson, sweetheart."
"Ha ha." Rikku resisted the urge to chuck the mirror at Jecht's head. "I'll just let you keep thinking that, okay?" Jecht sucked in some air for an objection, but she flapped her hand at him impatiently. "No, seriously! This mirror's a part of the ritual to wake up your Celestial Weapon. I recognized it from when I got my Godhand. Of course, since you don't want it, maybe I will keep it instead," she drawled.
"May I have a closer look at that?" Braska asked, interested. Once she'd passed it over, he frowned, wiping at the surface with no more luck than Auron had. "I've read the legends of the Celestial Mirror. This hardly seems to be 'shining jewel of the heavens' that was described in the holy texts."
"You have to clean it first," Rikku explained. "In Macalania. ...with memory water."
"Memory water?" Auron said sharply. "That's suicide."
"There's a shrine, at least I think there's still a shrine! So you don't have to go diving to get it. But it has to be the wielder," Rikku added, turning to Jecht. "Every change that happens to your weapon has to come out of you. No one else can do it for you."
"So you pour a little magic water over the thing and bam! You're done. What's the big deal?"
Auron levelled Jecht under an exasperated look. "What really happens?" he asked Rikku, curious.
"Well, it's a test, see, a way to bond with your Weapon. You make it come alive because it's a part of you." Rikku sighed. "You see things. And hear things. That's what memory water does." Absently, her hand strayed over the Godhand, still attached to her wrist like a second skin. "I think it's different for everybody, but it's never easy."
"Sounds like fun," Jecht grumbled, his eagerness dispersing. "Thanks for enlightenin' me."
"Try not to let it weigh on your mind," Braska told him. "It will be some time before we need to pass through Macalania once more, so this trial need not concern you before then."
"So ya mean I get to have pre-game jitters for as long as we're stuck out here in the sticks collectin' aeons. Great, no pressure, right?" Jecht shook his head when Braska offered him the mirror. "I'm gonna try to forget that thing even exists for now. Remind me 'bout it if we hit Macalania again."
"Sorry!" Rikku mouthed with a wince as Jecht stomped out of the tiny alcove.
.x.x.x.
The Antechamber of the Fayth was similar to the others they'd visited before – long, filled with the deep tenor notes of Ifrit's Hymn, and otherwise pretty boring.
Although boring could be nice, Rikku corrected herself as she lounged on the floor. As long as the Fayth was still singing, no murderous aeons were about to materialize in the room to try to slay them all. That was always a good thing. Lifting her chin out of her palm, Rikku glanced around the room at the others, wondering if she should bother trying to start up a conversation.
Jecht had his pinkie finger stuck in one ear. He pulled it out, made a face, and flicked it towards one of the ornately decorated walls.
Rikku redirected her hopes at Auron. He had propped himself against the wall, sword held in front of him, with his head bowed in meditation. Even now, while his summoner wasn't in the room, he was guarding the door. She'd never seen anyone who so completely dedicated himself to the single-minded duty of protecting others from danger.
Auron's head bobbed forward with a soft snore.
Or he was just really, really tired. Payback time. She grinned and began to creep towards him, but was stopped by a soft cough from Jecht. Looking over her shoulder, she gave him an impatient glare that clearly read, What?
"Didn'tcha hear a word I said before? Auron nearly lost his mind worryin' 'bout you two while you were gone," Jecht whispered. "Let the man sleep."
Rikku sunk back down, flushing. It was pretty bad when Jecht was the one handing out the disapproving looks. Guess I have to entertain myself. With a sigh, Rikku decided to resort to tinkering. She dug into her pouches, searching for her tooling knife, but froze when her fingers brushed the edges of a familiar sphere.
Gingerly, she lifted her modified sphere out of the pouch and stared at it. Part of her was amazed it had survived at all – she hadn't, after Anima's attack. Then again, Anima had been aiming at her face, not her inventory.
The sphere looked a little rough around the edges, but was otherwise intact. Placing the recorder on the floor, she carefully pried it open. The lightning marble was almost burnt out, and it took only a moment's effort to strip it away. Then she stared at the open sphere, thinking.
"What's that?" Jecht murmured.
"Something I made in Baaj," Rikku said, mindful of Auron's slumber. "We needed a light source and this was all I had." And it accidentally trapped a whole bunch of completely incriminating and embarrassing information on it. She was tempted to spill the precious water within, scattering the memories it contained.
"You're pretty handsy!" Jecht told her with a smile, and Rikku almost knocked the sphere over right there as she jumped.
"What did you just say?" she whispered back, glancing at Auron to make sure he was still asleep.
Jecht peered at her like she'd grown a second head. "I said you're pretty handy. Boy, are you touchy today. What's twistin' your panties this time?"
Not helping, Jecht! Patting her cheeks to reduce their burn into something less incriminating, Rikku shook her head. "Sorry, I misheard you," she managed to choke out. "Just… ignore me while I try to fix this thing," she mumbled, masking her face behind her hair. She heard Jecht's snort as she refocused on the disassembled sphere.
I really should just throw this thing away. Or at least erase it. Despite her thoughts, her fingers were already reassembling the sphere. It lit up with the usual soft light when she switched it on, no worse for the wear from her modifications. Heart pounding, Rikku powered it down before any of the content could play. Then her finger hovered over the control that would purge the sphere of its contents.
Auron would kill Braska if he found this, Rikku thought. Braska would kill me first if he knew I still had this. Well. Hurt me really bad. Or look at me disapprovingly. Or… just try to kiss me again.
That stray thought struck a nerve that stayed her hand. It wasn't that she wanted to keep the evidence of Braska's attraction to her after all the grief they'd caused, but there was more than just his moment of physical weakness recorded onto the sphere. It was also his confession to himself. He had, in a sense, granted her permission to see the rawest depths of his heart, of the doubts and the anguish that drove him to try so hard to be so kind and perfect around others.
Braska had finally chosen to reveal his true face to her; it felt somewhat wrong to destroy the evidence of his change.
Well. Most of the evidence, Rikku amended, adjusting the playback to purge the sphere's more salacious content. As Auron himself had said, sometimes it was better to leave people in the dark.
She jumped at the sound of the Chamber's doors sliding apart; Braska stumbled through, looking tired. Auron jerked out of his stupor and stood to attention.
"I was successful," Braska said. "We can stay in Kilika tonight, I will summon there."
"Alright!" Jecht sprung to his feet. "That was the fastest I've ever seen ya do it, too! You must be getting better at this!"
Braska gave Jecht a thankful smile, and then looked at Rikku, who was still kneeling on the floor and cleaning up her supplies. He caught sight of the sphere and lifted an eyebrow.
Rikku ducked her head. "Congratulations," she managed to say, scooping the rest of her belongings into her pouches.
"Let's return to the village," Braska told them, sounding weary. "I think I would like to move on."
/ Du ramm fedr drec. = To hell with this.