24: The Shoopuf Incident
Rikku jogged to a stop, leaning over and panting when the riverbank came into sight. "I'm getting out of shape," she huffed, looking around. There wasn't any real need to push herself, but Jecht was pretty fast and she did have her pride. Forehead itching, Rikku mopped the sweat from her brow. She pulled her fingers away and inspected the telltale traces of yellow on her palm, wincing. The not-so-flawless defeat of the Ochu was combining with the humidity and heat, forming a sweaty paste of sap that made her skin her skin itch in unpleasant ways.
Falling to her knees, she dipped her hands into the cool, refreshing water and rinsed off her sticky arms and face. When she felt somewhat human again, she patted her cheeks and sat back with a contented sigh.
The sun was perched at its zenith in the sky, and only a few pyreflies danced over the calm waters of the Moonflow. Even so, the sight was still magical. Moonlilies swayed in the breeze as pyreflies threaded their way between the plants, making it seem as though the river itself was alive, gently exhaling light and color with each breath. It was even more spectacular at nightfall, when the pyreflies would gather among the lilies en masse and light up the river like a ribbon of moonlight, fallen from the sky. She suspected Auron wouldn't let them linger for twilight; still, for the moment, Rikku allowed herself to drink in the sight.
Ever since Yuna had defeated Sin, more people were exploring the world. Fiends were still a traveling hazard, but with the Machine Faction's machina patrols and the ever-vigilant efforts of New Yevon and the Youth League, the roads had become much more densely packed. In a way, it was the same problem that affected all of Spira after Sin's defeat: every natural resort – every last bastion of idyllic beauty – was being settled and commercialized. It already happened in Guadosalam and also Zanarkand; even the Moonflow of the future was suffering under the effects of the population's rapid expansion.
Reaching out, Rikku plucked one of the plentiful moonlilies from the water and held the blossom in her hand. A pyrefly drifted around the plant, shifting and blending into the iridescent color of the flower's reflective petals.
Mixed feelings about the development mingled in her breast. On the one hand, seeing people civilize areas formerly too dangerous to settle made her Al Bhed senses tingle with pride. Much of the expansion wouldn't have been able to happen at all, if not for the willingness of her people to help and share their machina with the rest of the world. Rikku had been right there beside them, using her skills to teach others how to use technology.
On the other hand, Yuna's stricken expression as she had seen what Cid had made of her beloved Zanarkand was burned into Rikku's memory, just as were the melting forests of Macalania. She took a deep breath and stared out over the river once more, trying to absorb its beauty. It was saddening, to think of how the sight would almost completely disappear in just a few short years. In her time the flowers had nearly died out, trampled underfoot by the constant traffic of machina transportation devices. She carefully placed the moonlily back into the water and watched it drift away.
Rikku flopped backwards onto the sandy bank, staring into the bright afternoon sky. Her mind drifted towards her past and Spira's future. This was the same spot she'd washed up on after Tidus and Wakka had thwarted her attempt to kidnap Yuna. She had to admit, lazing away the afternoon on the bank of the Moonflow was a lot more enjoyable when her face wasn't planted into the sand.
You're not dead?
A smile crossed over Rikku's face and her eyes closed, imagining Tidus was right there, leaning over her with that goofy grin on his face.
Rikku! You're Rikku! Hey, you're okay!
It almost felt like someone else's memories to her now. Rikku drew an arm over her face. I'm not crying, she told herself. Still, the memory of Tidus' infectious smile was nearly as bright as the midday sunlight. It was one of her most precious memories; her fateful meeting with not only Tidus, but also Yuna and the rest of her Guardians. She remembered how clueless Wakka had been despite Tidus' near-slip; the disapproving press of Lulu's dark lips as she scolded Rikku for putting Yuna in danger; how amused Auron had sounded when he'd instructed her to actually open her eyes when looking at him –
With a start Rikku sat up, eyes wide. Amused? She frowned, replaying the memory over again in her head. His back had been turned as Yuna approached; Rikku hadn't even noticed him then, too caught up in her awe of Lulu's professional poise and beauty.
She'd only realized that she was standing beside the Legendary Guardian himself when he turned to face them. And when she had seen his shielded, grim face masked by those dark sunglasses, the first thing she'd felt was an overwhelming jolt of fear. He had stepped in front of her, and Rikku thought he might have heard her knees knocking together. When he demanded that she look at him, she'd nearly wet her shorts; then, he'd forced her to open her eyes – well, one, at least – and she had been certain the game was up.
She wasn't the only one to be left flabbergasted by Auron's easy acceptance afterwards; Tidus had even complained that she hadn't had to face a trial by Kimahri's lance. Rikku had responded by pointing out all the bruises Tidus and Wakka had given her while destroying her submarine.
It wasn't until later, when she was smarting from both Macalania's stinging cold and Wakka's harsh rejection of their friendship that Rikku had begun to see the gruff man as Auron rather than the Legendary Guardian. It had happened somehow between the moments that her face was buried into Auron's coat, trying to keep her tears from freezing to her cheeks and his easy dismissal of the suspicious temple guard. That was, she had thought, the first time he had been kind to her. But as she reviewed her memories, the seed of doubt was planted. How much of it was colored by the capricious whims of a fifteen-year-old lovesick girl? She'd even had a crush on Tidus, of all people, back at the beginning – at least before the blond had opened his mouth and ruined it for her. Now, though, she wondered.
She thought back on the initial reaction she'd received from Yuna's Guardians when they first met. With Yuna's reassurance, Lulu had accepted her after their private discussion. Wakka was too thick to understand and too good-hearted to question her sudden desire to join the group. Tidus was already in her corner and she'd known Kimahri would remain silent, as Ronso tradition demanded. That had left only Auron to convince. He was anything but stupid; his single vigilant eye seemed to catch everything. Why had he, the most paranoid of all Yuna's Guardians, allowed her to join the Pilgrimage? He must have known she was the one piloting the submarine that kidnapped Yuna, and yet he acted as though she wasn't a threat. Facing away from the others, he had barely even noticed she was there. Or maybe, Rikku thought, his back had been turned because he didn't want to see her.
"Show me your face." She'd thought he was angry; with the filter of memory and experience, though, she understood that his gruff voice had actually been gentle. Had he been trying to reassure her because of her obvious fear? "Look at me." No, he'd been stern then, annoyed with her evasiveness. And then…
"Open your eyes."
Rikku covered her mouth, and felt a shocked smile stretching over her face. He'd been laughing at her. A silent, grumpy unsent Guardian laugh, but a laugh all the same.
"Are you certain?"
Rikku's grin faded. She'd heard that in the Farplane, too. Auron's voice, asking her if she was sure of her wish. Maybe, Rikku thought with a shiver, he hadn't been asking for her sake. Maybe he'd known what was to come. Hadn't Bahamut told her that she wasn't important?
Does that mean my friends... Auron... they're going to die no matter what I do? What will happen to me? Will I die here with them, too? Rikku drew her knees into her chest and buried her face in her arms, the afternoon sun no longer warming her shoulders. The song of the pyreflies grew louder in her ears, her heart thundering in her chest. She couldn't be sure if her sudden panic was for her friends or for herself. So worried about the course of history and the flow of time, Rikku had never once considered she might be a part of it – but every story had to end, didn't it? This cold, paralyzing feeling flooding her body – this was real fear, not the knee-knocking bumbling of her fifteen-year-old self.
She thought of Tidus, boldly leaping off the edge of the airship. How did he do it? How could he keep smiling and acting normal even when he knew what was coming? How did Yuna do it during her Pilgrimage? Or even Braska?
What was Bahamut was trying to accomplish? The Fayth never did anything without a reason. Was it to change the world? Bahamut had all but said she couldn't affect the future. But, Rikku realized, even if the world hadn't changed, she had. The past was the past. And if the future, too, was set in stone, then maybe – just maybe – that was the reason she was here. To learn how to live in the present.
"Are you certain?" Auron had asked her. Rikku took a deep breath and lifted her head, holding onto her idea and using it to beat down her rising fear. If there was one thing she was sure of, it was that she wouldn't go down without a fight. This was her life, and it was her story. It didn't matter where or how it ended; she'd make sure the journey was worth it.
"One hundred percent," she breathed, letting her memories fade.
.x.x.x.
Rikku found Braska and Auron loitering at the edge of the way station away from their fellow travelers, conversing. From the looks on their faces, it seemed their disagreement still hadn't been resolved. She wiped her hands off on her skirt and approached them with a cheery smile.
"Hey guys! What's up?"
"Where's Jecht?" Auron asked, not sounding surprised to see her alone. "Wandering off to find his next watering hole?" He crossed his arms.
"I wish you would have a little more faith in Jecht," Braska interrupted, frowning. "I am sure he was delayed for a good reason." He looked at her with a hint of hope.
Rikku clasped her hands behind her back and swayed on the balls of her feet. She'd been looking forward to meeting up with the others again, but now felt as though she were a tiny bug under a giant magnifying glass, and both men were pulling her legs in opposite directions. "Uhh, see, about that..."
"Don't worry. I would've left him behind, too," Auron supplied.
"Are you sure he will be fine on his own?" Braska asked, a crease forming between his eyebrows. "Perhaps we should backtrack and try to find him."
Though they were addressing her, it seemed more like Braska and Auron were continuing to fire verbal volleys at one another. "Actually," she began.
Auron cut her off and glared at Braska. "I'm not wasting my time by looking for him, and neither is Rikkma."
Braska's frown deepened. "Unless I am mistaken, Rikkma chose not to leave us in Guadosalam. All of us, including Jecht. She would never abandon a companion so heartlessly."
Grimacing, Rikku gestured at the men's argument, muttering under her breath. A moment later, a large splash of water rained down over both Auron and Braska. A few of the other passengers glanced their way and murmured, and even more of them got up and left for the central station. Auron stood stock-still, while Braska delicately plucked the now-drooping tassel attached to his circlet off of his face. Rikku swallowed and reconsidered her bright idea when both men turned to face her. For a moment the only sound punctuating their incredulous stares was the slow drip of water from their soaked clothing. "Ah, ha hah..." Rikku rubbed the back of her head. "So you see, there was this Ochu, and..."
" 'EY!" a loud voice yelled, and Rikku spun around, half-expecting to see a jubilant blond burst out of the forest. It wasn't Tidus who appeared by the riverbank this time, though, but Jecht. He was jogging towards them, his progress slowed by a thick bundle of rope that was coiled around one shoulder. "Braska! Auron! You guys ain't gonna believe this!"
Rikku's eyes almost popped out of her head as she began waving her hands at Jecht to catch his attention. You promised not to tell! she mouthed, dancing in place as he neared them. Her hope of being subtle plummeted as he ignored her with a familiar glazed look in his eyes. I thought I cured him already! Where'd he find more to drink?
"Rikkma? There are bathrooms available at the central crossing station if you need them," Braska interrupted, and Rikku caught herself mid-hop and dropped her arms, squeaking in surprise. Looking uncomfortable, Braska cleared his throat. "Of course, if it's really that urgent, we could escort you to the side of the road – "
"I'm fine," Rikku chirped out, her face burning red. She watched Auron looking away from the corner of his eye, his expression unusually solemn. With a jolt, she realized he was trying not to laugh at her. Again. "Really," she mumbled, feeling her mortification quadruplify. Blackmail or not, Jecht was going to pay.
The man in question was already boasting, tapping his chest with a thumb as he weaved before them. "So Blondie ran into this big plant thing an' pissed it off, but then I saved her all by myself."
"Saved?" Rikku clenched her teeth. "Wait a second! I'm not the one who was dancing with it!"
Jecht barreled on, gesticulating with his arms to illustrate his story. "Yeah! It was pretty good, but I was better!" His face darkened and he whirled on Rikku, losing his balance in the process. When he straightened, he pushed an accusatory finger into her face. "The party was just gettin' started, but then you had to go all gung-ho on it with yer swo – " He stopped when Rikku shot him a murderous look that managed to briefly pierce through his inebriated fog. "S-sw-swearin'," he finished clumsily.
Rikku let out a silent sigh of relief. Then Jecht ran with it.
"Yeah, swearin', that's it! Worse than me, too! I mean, shit!" The few remaining passengers began to glance in their direction again. "And not just any shit," he continued in what Rikku imagined was the loudest voice possible to achieve without a microphone. "Choco-shit! No wait. Choco-humpin' mog-snoggin' shit. No, no wait! Choco-humpin' mog-snoggin' shit and... and... your momma!" He gave Rikku a big thumbs-up. "Nice one, Blondie!"
"You didn't really say that?" Braska asked her in a low tone, glancing around.
"No!" Rikku yelped. Then she looked at Jecht. "Well, okay, so maybe I did say some nasty things, but, it wasn't that bad!"
"You do realize, it was just an Ochu..." Braska murmured.
Rikku gave up trying to shush Jecht and hung her head in defeat as the few travelers who had remained for the entire serenade of obscenities stared at them. "Yeah, so anyway, one of you can just kill me right now and put me out of my misery."
Jecht hadn't noticed the attention he was garnering; he only seemed capable of focusing on things in his immediate line of sight. Fortunately he moved on from Rikku and now had Auron on his radar.
"Uh, say. Why are ya wet? Aww, man, did I miss out on a pickup Blitzin' game?" Squinting, Jecht finally seemed to realize there was a river next to them. "Whoa! Lookit all that water! 'ey... it's leakin' those shiny things. Whatchamacallits. Y'know, dead people." He waved a stray pyrefly away, nearly smacking his own face in the process. "Trippy..."
Rikku slapped her forehead. "Maybe I will take a bathroom break, after all."
"... so you two were delayed because Jecht was dancing with an Ochu?" Auron said, wringing water out of the sleeve of his coat. "I rest my case."
"I beat it fair and square," Jecht piped up. "And look!" Bending over, he shrugged the mass of rope off of his shoulder into a pile at Rikku's feet. "This time I brought back the loot!"
Rikku leaned in to have a look at the "rope." Then she jumped back with a disgusted yell. "Eww! Grossness! Those are Ochu tentacles! I can't believe you brought them with you!"
Jecht looked crestfallen at her outburst. "Huh? Y'mean you can't use 'em?"
"I steal stuff on the inside of fiends, I don't rip off their body parts!" Rikku took another large step away from the pile.
"Aww, c'mon! But I even dried 'em out an' everything," Jecht answered, his expression turning surly.
Braska, who had finished squeezing excess water from the bulk of his outer robes, nudged the pile with his staff. "Now now. I'm sure Jecht meant well, Rikkma. And I think we all must admit that defeating an Ochu on one's own is an impressive feat."
"Yeah, ain't it?" Jecht preened with a self-satisfied smirk.
"I wonder, though... what do you mean, you dried them out?" Braska was kneeling now, his face troubled as he poked through the tentacles with his staff. Jecht licked his lips.
"Humph," Auron said. "I told you so. Lord Braska?"
Braska let out a slight sigh and shook his head. "There is no use debating over it now. Let us move on, the shoopuf station is right around the bend. Jecht, come with me. I will walk you there." With a look of resignation, Braska grabbed Jecht's arm and led him down the path towards the landing point. "So... did you know that pyreflies gather to the Moonflow at twilight? The entire river turns into a sea of light."
"A river full o' dead people. I swear, this place is gonna turn me into a than... thana... thanatana... aww, hell with it. Zombie hater!" Jecht continued to spout his potation-inspired wisdom as Braska made several futile attempts to hush the large man.
Rikku watched them wander away, scratching her head. "Huh? What'd Braska mean, debating about what?" She raked a few more fingers through her braids with an expression of disgust; the Ochu sap still trapped in her hair was clumping and it probably looked as bad as it smelled. As far as she was concerned, a bath couldn't come soon enough.
"You really don't know?" Auron stepped over the pile of abandoned tentacles and paused at her side. He grasped her hand and pulled it from her hair, then held it before her face.
Rikku stared at the yellow goop running down her fingers in confusion. Then she looked over her shoulder at Jecht, who chose that moment to burp before staggering into Braska. "Wait, you mean..." Returning her gaze to her fingers, her eyes widened. "Oh, that is just too gross, even for Jecht."
"Ochu sap is known to be a potent inebriant," Auron explained. Then he sniffed and twisted his face into a mild grimace. "Next time, cast the Water spell over yourself."
"Oh, umm..." Rikku blushed; Auron was still holding her hand. "Yeah, sorry about that. But it really looked like you two were going to go at it right there, you know?" She let out a brief sigh of disappointment when he released her hand, striding down the road. "Hey!" She jogged to catch up with him, slowing by his side. Auron wasn't looking at her, so she frowned and tugged at the loose sleeve of his coat. "Is everything alright? 'Cause, this tension is really uncool. All these negative vibes are gonna bring us bad luck!"
"Then use Jecht's costume," Auron replied.
Rikku refused to give up with a stubborn pout. "Come on! What are you and Braska really fighting about?"
Auron exhaled. "Primarily about Jecht. I'd hoped traveling together would teach him some responsibility, but with his dependence on spirits he's only getting worse. Braska still sees hope for Jecht's future and wants to guide him. I, on the other hand, am starting to believe he is nothing more than a liability."
Rikku frowned; she couldn't exactly express her own opinion when she found herself agreeing with Braska. The whole point of talking was to try to get Auron to calm down, though, not to get him mad at her, too. Speaking of which… "But it can't be just that," Rikku guessed. "It's also about me, isn't it?"
Auron's expression tightened into a pained smile, and at that moment Bahamut's chastising words about her own audacity returned full force. Self-esteem? Who needed that? "Or maybe not," she added, feeling her face heat.
Auron sensed her discomfort and cleared his throat. "In a manner of speaking. Perhaps not in the way you imagine. It's more of a disagreement over our definitions of duty... and how you should fit into that definition."
So then he's still holding back? Rikku decided she'd cheer doubly hard for Braska... on the sly, of course. "Ooh, you mean he hit a sore point." She frowned. "Well... even if you don't agree with him, maybe you could... I dunno... compromise?" And actually start dating me for real? She gave him a mental kick to the butt.
"It's not that simple – " Auron began. He broke off as a loud yell rang through the air.
"Was that Jecht?" Rikku asked, before a myriad of screams and the sound of groaning metal rose above her voice. The chaos was coming from the landing point, and seconds later, Rikku gaped as panicked travelers streamed out from around the bend, running in every direction. "Hey! Hey wait! Is Sin attacking?" she yelled, catching the arm of a passer-by.
"No, it's some maniac with a sword!" The man shook himself out of her grasp and scrambled away.
"Braska... Let's go!" Auron said to her. He drew his sword in one fluid motion – causing yet another wave of screaming and panic – and began shoving people out of his way.
"Maniac with a sword?" she mumbled, ducking behind Auron and drawing her daggers. "Holy moley, please don't tell me..."
The fleeing passengers thinned out, and Rikku slammed into Auron's back as he turned the corner and pulled up short. "I'm going to kill him," she heard him say, and peeked out from behind his arm. Then she choked.
"Jecht, you have to stop!" Braska was trying to calm the other man down, with little success.
Jecht, for his part, was brandishing his sword, crouched before a very surprised and angry shoopuf. A very surprised, angry and bleeding shoopuf.
"He hit the shoopuf?" Shoopufs were supposed to be huge, gentle and friendly creatures. The furious animal before them only seemed to be ginormous to her, though. It roared in pain and lashed out with its trunk, tearing away yet more metal from the already-damaged machina docking bay, forcing everyone to duck the flying shrapnel. The gigantic pole it was lashed to strained dangerously under the weight of the panicked creature. While the travelers had managed to escape unscathed, more than a few pieces of luggage had already been flattened under the shoopuf's feet. A lone Hypello was ducking and weaving between the debris, waving his arms over his head in agitation.
"Shtooop! Shtooop!" it cried, running towards Jecht.
"Get back! I killed an Ochu single-handedly, ya know!" Jecht yelled, ducking into his battle crouch.
Braska was already whirling his staff around. "Slowaga!" he chanted, sending the offensive spell flying at Jecht without hesitation. The other man stood frozen for a moment as the magic hit him. It was enough for the surprised Hypello to scramble out of the way of Jecht's sword.
"Are yoo inshane!" he squawked at Jecht, falling over.
"Ain't you a fiend?" Jecht fired back, hefting his sword again. Before he could attack, Auron was already in motion, knocking the weapon out of Jecht's grip with his own sword, his face a mask of fury.
"Unbelievable! Shut up and stop attacking things!" Auron roared, turning to face the rampaging shoopuf. "Rikkma! Get over here! Braska, keep Jecht down and protect the civilian!" His voice was nearly drowned out as the shoopuf heaved and finally managed to snap its tethering post with a loud crack.
It stood before them for a few moments, panting noisily, the whites of its eyes showing clearly. Thick red blood from the heavy gash Jecht had inflicted was spilling onto the ground with each breath of the huge creature.
"We should help it!" Rikku said.
"Out of the question," Auron replied sharply. "If it charges, we won't be able to stop it from trampling other people. We need to kill it."
"Now, that's what I'm talkin' abo – " Jecht fell over with a pained grunt as Braska simply cracked his staff over the head of the other man. "Oww," he mumbled from his sprawled position, face-down on the ground.
"Rikkma's correct. We were the cause of this problem, so we can't simply solve it with bloodshed." Without waiting, Braska sent a powerful curative spell towards the shoopuf.
"It worked!" Rikku cheered as she saw the animal's wound clot and scab over. Once again she marveled at the raw power behind the force of his spell; a shoopuf was several times the size of a normal human being, and yet Braska's magic worked as effectively as ever – his magical capacity could have easily rivaled Lulu's. She pulled her attention away from the summoner as she heard Auron curse.
"It didn't work. We've only made it easier for the creature to move."
Even without its injury, the shoopuf was still pawing the ground, eyes rolled as it prepared to charge them. "Wait!" she yelled. "I don't want the blood of an innocent shoopuf on my conscience!"
"You may not have a choice," Auron said, even as Braska cast another Slowaga, this time at the enraged creature.
Think, Rikku! Think! How can we take it down without killing it?
As if in answer, Rikku's sphere grid lit up, its magic coming to life and swirling around her. "What? What's going on?"
Let me help you, a familiar voice whispered in her ears. Use me.
Rikku blinked as her vision cleared, staring up at the angry shoopuf even as her hand automatically lifted to catch the rays of light forming above her head.
"Believe," she heard herself saying. And then the presence faded, and Rikku was left standing in the midst of three bemused men, one panicking Hypello, and one very angry shoopuf with nothing more than a microphone in her hand.
Oh, well. She'd played before tougher audiences than this.
"Listen up! It's showtime!" she shouted, pulling the microphone down and striking a dramatic pose.
"Rikkma?" Braska said, eyeing her newfound excess of feathers and ruffles as she turned her back to the shoopuf and flounced.
Jecht peeled his face off of the ground. "Wow! Is that a skirt or just a really big belt?"
"Trust me!" Rikku crooned, sending both of them a playful wink. Then she focused her attention completely on the shoopuf. Even with the glow of Lenne's spirit surrounding her, she retained enough presence of mind to realize the immediate danger. The Songstress sphere was a perfect manipulator, but the costume had no attacks and nearly no defenses. If she couldn't charm the beast quickly, she might as well have rolled under its feet with a target painted on her stomach.
"Sleep, baby, sleep..." Rikku murmured, swaying as she pointed a gloved finger at the shoopuf. It bellowed in response, and Rikku felt the sweat beading on her forehead. A really tough crowd, huh? She sucked in her breath and gripped her microphone.
"C'mon, don't try to brawl..." she cooed. "Listen to the moonlilies' call!" The shoopuf stopped roaring and whiffed, and Rikku twirled. The song she was belting out was just a distraction; what really counted were the movements of her feet. Still, if she couldn't capture the shoopuf's attention, it would be able to resist her spell.
"And down the pleasant dreams will fall..." She shimmied to the side, then skipped, and... there! Rikku felt the magic taking hold, her steps synchronizing to the pattern of light on the ground as she hummed. She smiled as her body moved on its own, the dance itself becoming a channeling rod for the energy she was pouring out through her song. Come on, big boy, she thought as she ran a hand down her side. Pay attention to me!
As if in response, the shoopuf began to sway, its pants slowing down as it watched Rikku's dance show.
Yes! It's working! Unfortunately, the magic worked a little too well. It caught the attention of more than just her target.
"Whoa, that's pretty good, Blondie!" Jecht cheered, sitting up and rubbing his head. He whooped and clapped his hands, and the shoopuf snapped out of its trance. It let out an earth-shaking roar, and Rikku stumbled.
"Sleep, baby, sleep..." Rikku's voice tapered off, the spell she was weaving broken. Damn you to Yevon, Jecht! You deserve each other!
The shoopuf rose onto its hind feet, and Rikku panicked. Getting smooshed was not in the plan!
"Rikkma! Get back!" she heard Auron shouting. Silly Auron, getting so worried like that. People might get the idea he liked me. Braska, too – he was hitting Jecht with his staff again, this time knocking the drunken man unconscious. It was kind of funny, because everybody knew white mages hit like Shelinda, so why even bother? Still, it was strange, though... they all sounded so distant. Everything was fuzzy, probably because that white light was surrounding her again. But she hadn't activated her sphere grid, had she? She wasn't done yet. Rikku wanted to yawn, but found herself growing worried as she realized that she couldn't blink.
Lenne? Lenne! Let me go!
Rising panic burned away the cotton surrounding her mind. It wasn't as frightening as when Bahamut had trapped her; she knew Lenne was only trying to help. Still, the sensation of being a prisoner in her own body shook her to her very core. Someone else was moving her arms and legs, and as she raised the microphone to her lips, Rikku realized that she wasn't seeing her own hands. She opened her mouth, and the voice that spilled out was Lenne's, rich and soulful. Even the very breath she took to power her words seemed laden with magic.
"Be still, be calm, my precious boy..." The shoopuf dropped to all fours. "Don't struggle, my love, just enjoy." Lenne threw her arms wide, and the beast's legs folded. "It's much too late to get away..." Lenne lowered her hands, and with a low keen, the shoopuf's eyes closed. Smiling, Lenne threw her head back and spun, long brown hair flying around her. "Fall into your dreams where we will play!"
The light was flaring, and Rikku felt her control over the Songstress sphere – and her own appearance – returning. Even so, she couldn't stop herself from shaking as the echo of Lenne's parting laughter rang in her ears. She dropped the microphone as though it burned her hand and reached for her belt, deactivating the sphere. Then she slid to her knees, numb.
"Shank yoo, shank yoo! Yoo shaved my shoopuf!" The Hypello scrambled to care for his sleeping mount. Rikku could only watch and stare as Auron knelt by her side.
"What happened?" he asked quietly. "It wasn't just your clothes this time. Your face... your hair... it's as though you became a different person."
Rikku worked her jaw for a few moments. "I-I lost control," she whimpered. "That wasn't me, it really wasn't me!" She gripped her belt. Wasn't Lenne gone, dead, living her happily ever afterlife with Shuyin in the Farplane? Every fantasy Rikku had had, every scrap of jealousy she had ever felt for Yuna's charmed ability with the sphere grid was fading into horror. There was nothing magical or special about being possessed; it was terrifying.
"That was very brave of you, to face an angry shoopuf alone." Rikku felt an arm on her back, and looked up to see Braska regarding her.
Is that what the Summoner's Rapture is really like? She shuddered.
"And reckless," Auron murmured, but Rikku couldn't really disagree with him on that point.
"I felt it," Braska told her. "An ancient presence. It was almost... like a Summoning, in many ways. But different, somehow. The pyreflies which gathered around you transformed your appearance."
Rikku bit her lip. "But I didn't call them. She did."
"Who was that?" Auron's voice was serious, and... worried?
He was worried about her? Progress! Despite herself, a small smile crept across Rikku's face.
"That was Lenne, a thousand-year-old memory," Rikku explained, fingering her grid. "She's done this before. I mean, not to me. But it's always been for a good cause."
"There's an actual soul trapped in your sphere?" Braska said, kneeling back in surprise. "An aeon that can summon itself?"
Rikku blanched. Well, when he put it that way, Lenne did sound a lot creepier than she was. "Ahh... no no no, she's not a Fayth. It's kinda more like... she's an Unsent, maybe? Except it's not really her, it's just her memories. She doesn't have a body of her own."
Braska continued to frown. "Memories? I doubt that memories alone can wield that kind of influence even with that magical belt of yours." His frown deepened. "Such power could be dangerous. It might be in your best interest to inform the Church about your – "
"No way!" Rikku shot up, bubbling with indignant anger. "There's absolutely no way I'd ever trust Yevon with any of my stuff! They'd probably want to shoot me just for having it. They did shoot me, actually! So you can forget about it!"
"Calm down," Auron told her, rising to his feet and offering her a supportive arm. "Lord Braska meant well. He was only thinking of your safety when he suggested it."
Rikku took a deep breath and tried to push aside her sudden spout of anger. "Yeah, yeah, I know." She caught sight of Braska's stricken look and hid her smile. "It's fine, you can stop looking like you kicked me. I just lost my temper, that's all."
"I am sorry," Braska replied as he bent over Jecht. "It slipped my mind for the moment – how strongly you feel about the Church. Not all of Yevon is as strict as the clergy in Bevelle, though." Then he frowned at Jecht, who was groaning from where he sprawled across the ground. "Hmm, I believe I may have struck Jecht a little too hard the second time."
Auron released her arm and stepped over Jecht. "Not hard enough," he grunted, the disgust leaking back into his voice. "What happened here?"
Braska paused mid-spell, containing the healing magic in one hand. "Jecht had never seen a shoopuf before. He thought it was a fiend." Releasing the magic, he let it trickle down over the Blitzer's forehead, reducing the noticeable swelling there.
Rikku blinked. "How could he think it was a fiend?" She glanced at the Hypello, who was inspecting the fresh scar on the slumbering shoopuf. "I mean, it's wearing a saddle. And it's not like he hasn't seen a Hypello before!"
"You mean he was drunk," Auron said bluntly to Braska, who didn't quite manage a smile.
"Well, yes, there was that, too..."
Rikku kicked Jecht in the shin, causing him to grunt as he rolled awake. "Huh?" Then he saw Braska and grabbed his head. " 'ey, stop hittin' me with that thing already!" He blinked when he noticed everyone staring. "Eh? What's the big deal?"
Jecht wasn't expecting Auron's punch. Rikku and Braska weren't expecting Auron's punch either and both jerked back as Jecht toppled over. It wasn't a punch between friends, and Auron shook out his hand after delivering it.
Some semblance of sobriety returned to Jecht as he sat up, holding his jaw. "The hell was that for?" he shouted.
"You attacked a shoopuf. What's worse, you tried to attack a civilian," Auron said coldly. He gestured at the Hypello, who was ambling towards them. "You put Lord Braska and many innocent people in danger, and you nearly killed Rikkma as well."
Jecht's mouth opened and closed a few times, then he held his head between his hands. "Listen, I didn't know that thing wasn't a fiend."
"Idiot," Auron muttered under his breath. "I'll deal with you later." He fell silent as the Hypello stopped before Braska, who bowed deeply.
"I must apologize for my Guardian's behavior," Braska said, his head dipped low. "I really do not know what I can say, but please believe that we never meant to cause you this trouble."
" 'ey, wait a minute, shouldn't it be me apologizin' – " Jecht let out a sharp wheeze and stopped talking as Auron sent a none-too-gentle elbow into his stomach.
Ignoring everyone else, the Hypello swayed for a few moments, blinking his wide-set eyes. He tapped his long fingers together.
"Yoo are a Shummoner?" he asked placidly. Then again, no one had ever really seen an upset Hypello before, so Rikku could only assume. Their fish-like features were so alien that it was hard for other races to interpret their usual expressions as anything other than vacant curiosity.
Braska remained immobile, his head still bowed. "Again, please forgive us."
The Hypello said nothing and Braska slowly straightened. "I would like you to accept this money as a token of our sincerity," he continued. "Auron?"
Auron shifted, reaching into his coat. "Yes, my lord, but how much – "
"All of it," Braska said immediately, and the silence that followed seemed to stretch on forever, until it was broken by the Hypello.
"Verily generous of yoo," he said, swiveling away from Braska to shuffle in front of Auron. He held one long-fingered hand out expectantly, and Auron looked down at that hand and stared. Rikku could almost see the vein beginning to pulse in his forehead. With a stiff movement, he withdrew the pouch from his cloak and let it drop into the Hypello's waiting palm.
Not even bothering to count the coins, the Hypello looked at the debris and shrugged. "Next shoopuf ride will be delaylay-laaayed. Come back this evening!"
"Well," Jecht mumbled as Braska led them away from the destruction, "It ain't all bad. At least we get to see the Moonflow at night, right?"
"Wonderful," Auron spat. "Maybe that will give us time to sober you up before your next accident."
Braska's shoulders drooped, and Jecht rubbed the back of his head, looking away with a guilty expression.
Edited 8/16: removed song lyrics, replaced with original text. Special thanks to AuronLu for helping me figure out how to swear in Spiran.