Chapter 27 – Tourist Trap
A trio of people sprinted past the Gullwings, yelling something about a monster in the cave as they shoved their way passed. Pandemonium abounded outside the cavern. The girls weren't quite sure what to make of the chaos. Another pair of stragglers ran amok from inside the cave, nearly bumping Rikku off her feet, who cursed at them in Al Bhed. A large group of people panicked near the entrance, scrambling around to determine what was causing the trouble inside.
"Man, what's going on here?" Rikku wondered, scratching her head at the nutty people raving about.
Yuna shrugged. "I wish I knew. All Shinra said was that there was an accident of some sort?"
Paine looked at Yuna and shook her head. Perhaps they should ask somebody, she suggested. It wasn't every day that a group of tourists go berserk. Knowing what lurked in the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth, the girls, at least Yuna and Rikku, weren't the least bit surprised that something like this would happen. Aside from Cid converting Zanarkand into a playground, turning the Cavern into a tourist attraction angered them more than anything since the defeat of Sin. There wasn't much they could do about it, but now, they could at least collect a small profit from the upheaval.
Paine approached an elderly woman to ask about the situation. "Ma'am, just what's happening here?"
"Oh it's terrible," she strained in a squeaky voice. "Many people were chased by terrible fiends. Now they're lost in the cave and can't get out."
Rikku grunted. "Didn't you know it was dangerous in there?"
"I had heard that fiends once resided there. But I believed the company had gotten rid of them all."
Yuna sighed and turned to face Buddy. "Well, we got a job?"
"Yeah we do," he replied, flicking her a thumbs up.
"Eh, are you going to help us?" the old woman questioned, her eyes getting larger in anticipation.
"Yes, we are." Yuna smiled.
"Thank you. You're most kind."
With that, the girls leaped into action. Although at first, they crept into action, once reminded of how creepy the cave was upon entering. It was dank, musty, and cold. Even though the place was a tourist attraction, it appeared as though it hadn't been cleaned in a thousand years. The girls had heard one of the company officials speaking about "atmosphere," or something of the sort. Rikku thought the atmosphere sucked. Cobwebs lined the smooth, rocky walls. The girls could see fat, hairy spiders crawling on the ground around them.
Then they heard a faint noise coming from further into the cave. It sounded like the voice of a man, blubbering softly. They ran around a corner and stepped back into a large crevice. Their sudden appearance frightened the unassuming man.
"No! Go away! Don't eat me!" he shrieked, curled up in the back corner.
"It's okay, we're here to help you," calmed Yuna, extending her hand.
The man peeked one eye open. "Huh? Oh, you're not fiends. Well then, let's get out of here!"
Lifting the man to his feet, they told him to follow them while they proceeded deeper into the cave. Much obliged, the man followed near the Gullwings as they resumed their journey through the cave. Ahead of them, they spotted a woman hiding in a little fissure. She poked her head out of the shadows, smiling when she saw the girls approaching her.
"Are you here to rescue me?" she cried, leaping out of the fissure.
Yuna nodded. "Yes, we are. Please, follow us!"
The woman happily agreed, giving Yuna a tight hug. Paine glanced left and right, wondering which path to go down first. Rikku rubbed her chin, thinking the same thing. She turned around to ask the man and woman if they saw anyone else going down either direction. The man shrugged, he sprinted away as fast as he could until he curled up and hid in the crevice. The woman could offer no advice either.
"I think we ought to go right," Yuna spoke, pointing that way. "If I remember correctly, this way is a dead end."
"Yeah, good idea. We can see if anybody's hiding there first," agreed Paine.
Leading the way, Rikku started down to the right. She took her two steps down the path, and a ghastly, floating fiend phased through the stone wall. The wiry creature with long, curling horns, pointed its bony finger at Rikku, causing her to shriek and hide behind her cousin. It began to chant, and then waved its arm violently, conjuring up a dark fiend from its magic. With a hideous chuckle, a little demon-like entity appeared out of thin air. With it, a boiling cauldron and clouds of mystic fog swirled around it. Not liking any of this, Paine immediately charged the hovering fiend. With one clean slice, she split it in half, shattering the bony fiend into a thousand pyreflies. The magical spirit glared at Paine with a petrified look, and with a yelp suddenly disappeared. Feeling good, she let out a soft chuckle.
"Wow! Why couldn't you guys have come earlier?" commented the man, applauding Paine.
"Well, you know, all in a day's work." Paine blushed.
Still cowering behind Yuna, Rikku peeked her head out to see if the fiend was gone. She exhaled a sigh of relief and promptly resumed her position as the leader. Yuna chuckled under her breath and followed close behind Rikku. The man and the woman quickly scuttle behind them both, not wanting to get attacked by a fiend.
"Hey, why am I the rear?" jolted Paine, who huffed at the tail end of the line.
Following a narrow corridor, at the end the girls found a couple sitting. They didn't seem to be in any sort of panic. They were in a heated argument between themselves.
"I told you we should have gone to Kilika. It's so nice there now!" grumbled the wife, bickering at her husband.
"The man I talked to said this was safe," retorted the husband.
Yuna watched the couple's argument for a few moments before loudly clearing her throat. "Are you both okay?"
This startled the couple, who leaped into each others' arms. Surprised by their sudden outburst, Yuna stumbled back, tripping over Rikku who stood behind her. The chain reaction continued, as the woman fell over the man. Unaware of the line of people toppling over in front of her, Paine ended up crushed beneath the pile of bodies.
"What the hell is wrong with you people?" she yelled, right into the man's ear. "Get off of me!"
Both Rikku and Yuna laughed at Paine's temper tantrum, although the man and woman were both quite frightened by it. They both apologized profusely, as did Paine's clumsy companions. Once everyone calmed down, the man and the woman explained a little more about the incident.
"You see, my husband booked us a tour," she began. "We're from Luca."
"Really? Are you on vacation or somethin'?" poked Rikku.
The husband nodded. "Yes, we are. We had discussed going on a second honeymoon for many years. With Sin destroyed, I thought now we could finally do it."
"But of course, he has to choose to do the stupidest thing," the wife growled.
"It's not my fault, honey! How would I know something like this would happen?"
"Well, let's see now. Oh dear, let's take a honeymoon to a fiend-infested, dirty, haunted cave. Nothing will surely happen to us—use your head!"
The girls were doing all they could to hold back their giggles. So were the man and the woman standing behind them. Such a feud was probably what had stirred up the fiends in the first place. Anybody would want to get them out of their home, the girls thought.
"This is the last time I book from a Pelupelu!" roared the husband. "Little duck-hatted guy told me this was one hundred percent safe!"
This unique description triggered a thought in Yuna's mind. "You wouldn't be talking about Tolbi, would you?"
"That's right, how did you know?"
"Oh, we're familiar with him," sighed Paine, folding her arms. "Is he here?"
The husband nodded. "Yeah, yeah he is."
"Then we better find him. I'm sure he's gotten himself into a lot of trouble," suggested Rikku, throwing her arms behind her head.
"You'd better find the little shyster before I do. If the fiends don't kill him, I will!" rumbled the husband, then getting thwacked in the back of his head by his wife.
"Settle down, dear. If you cause any more fiends to come —"
"Um, let's get these people out of the cave," suggested Yuna, before the woman could finish her sentence.
"I'll take them back," smiled Rikku, bouncing around. "And you guys can keep searching through the cave."
Paine chuckled. "Sounds like a cop-out."
"Hey!" Rikku made a silly face at her friend.
Yuna nodded. "Actually, that sounds like a smart idea."
After sticking her tongue out at Paine, Rikku guided the four refugees back to the entrance of the cave. Unfettered by civilians to protect, Yuna and Paine ventured on. This time hanging a left at the juncture, they found a few more fiends roaming about. Yuna remembered all the creepy monsters that resided in the Cavern, lurking unseen in the shadows. Nearing another intersection in the cave, they found a little Tonberry hobbling about. Paine drew her sword upon sighting it, but Yuna raised her arm against it.
"No, Paine," she whispered. "Don't hurt it. It looks kind of friendly."
She disagreed, raising an eyebrow at Yuna's comment. "What? I don't think those things are friendly, Yuna."
To prove her point, Yuna walked up to the little Tonberry. Kneeling near it, she called for it to come to her. It turned around but didn't move. She reached out with her arm, attempting to entice it. At a moment, it began to approach at a sluggish speed. Paine's face tightened with bad anticipation. The pitter-patter of the little Tonberry's feet crawled ever closer to Yuna. Paine covered her face with her hands. Peeking between her fingers, all she witnessed was Yuna rubbing the cute little Tonberry on the head. Paine let out a long sigh, rubbing the bridge of her nose.
A gigantic knife suddenly flew inches in front of her face, taking a huge chunk of stone out of the cave wall. In shock, Paine fell backward, bracing her fall with her hands. The appearance of what had to be the tallest Tonberry she had ever seen loomed before her. Paine blinked a couple of times, not believing what her eyes saw. Unlike the cute little Tonberry Yuna attracted, this one stood oversized and tenacious with a menacing expression on its face. She rose to her feet and immediately drew her sword. She glared at it, as it charged her. Slowly, very slowly the giant Tonberry charged at her. Not wanting to wait an hour for it to attack again, Paine rushed at it, swiping her sword. In the most nimble display she had ever seen, Paine found her blade dodged, as the gigantic Tonberry jumped into the air. It did an amazing wall-climb on the cave's ceiling and plopped down to the ground directly behind her.
Meanwhile, Yuna sat, holding the little Tonberry in her arms. She stared in awe as Paine and the gigantic Tonberry battled back and forth. At least, between the long pauses as the oversized fiend crept after her. In Paine's fury, she sliced a big chunk of its tunic, angering the Tonberry. With haste, it countered by smashing its lantern on Paine's head. Yuna finally stood up and walked over to the enormous Tonberry. It raised its long knife but saw her holding the little Tonberry, which made a cute little squeak. She extended her arms, still carrying the tiny Tonberry. This caused the gigantic fiend to halt its attack. The little Tonberry jumped into its arms lovingly.
Back into the darkness, the two Tonberrys traipsed, holding each other's hands. Paine, staring dumbfounded at the fiends, scratched her head and winced at the big lump in her hairline. Yuna giggled, patting her friend on the back.
Paine grimaced. "Ugh, I hate those little green freaks."
Proceeding forward, the girls searched in every nook and cranny. In a little corner, they found another woman, hiding her face in the cave's wall. She shivered frightfully in a delirious fit.
"Ah! You can't see me! I'm not here!" she muttered, cramming her face into a crack in the wall.
"No, ma'ma, ma'am—" called Yuna.
"You can't eat me! Go away!"
Paine shook her head and yanked the woman from her hiding space. Still refusing to open her eyes, the lost woman instead buried them in her hands. Paine said that she would be safe, yet the woman remained too terrified to look. It wasn't until Yuna poked her on the head, and explained that they weren't fiends.
"Oh! Oh, I'm so sorry. Now I feel kind of foolish," the woman said, still shaking.
"Don't worry about it. Anyway, did you see anybody else around here?" asked Paine.
The woman, still attempting to regain control of herself, murmured, "Huh? Um, let me see. Uh, yeah there was."
"And?"
"Oh, right! It was a little guy. The guy who told me about this place. Tolbi, I think. He ran off that way," she replied, pointing deeper into the cave.
The girls looked at each other, and backtracked to the intersection, once again resuming their trek further into the cave. Not long after they walked through the curving tunnel did they hear a quiet scamper ahead of them. Darting behind a rock scampered the one and only Tolbi. Paine couldn't help but laugh at his distress. He couldn't bargain his way out of this mess.
Yuna bent over, and knocked her fist on the rock he hid behind. Tolbi jumped up and shrieked something about not tasting appetizing. She rolled her eyes and stuck her head back to look at him. He peeked up and saw a glimmering smile from Yuna hovering above him. Blowing out a sigh of relief, he hopped from his hiding space, attempting to appear suave.
"Well hello, Miss Yuna. Fancy meeting you in a place like this," he commented, hobbling out from his rock.
"Truly it is. Um, I heard from some people that, well, this was an idea of yours?" she questioned, giving him a stern look.
He gave her an uneasy smile. "Oh well, about that. You see, I don't run this attraction, but another company does. Anyway, they needed some marketing consulting, and I was happy to help . . . for a fee of course."
Paine and Yuna shook their heads. Tolbi emitted a feeble chuckle and started pacing around. He looked as nervous as the woman they just discovered. Maybe it was just Yuna, but she wasn't daunted by a couple of fiends. Then again, she fought them constantly since her pilgrimage began over two years ago. Perhaps she became desensitized to the matter. Tolbi explained to her that he saw a few more people run off ahead of him. Therefore, deeper into the Cavern she must venture.
Leading the motley group of lost patrons, Yuna continued to walk to the final area before the Chamber of the Fayth. Huddled near the teleporter, crouched a woman with two small children. Rightfully afraid, the children shuttered next to each other, with their mother holding them tight.
She noticed the group enter and got up to speak. "Are you here to help?"
"Yep. We're the rescue squad," stated Yuna merrily.
The woman sighed in relief. "Thank you. We were so frightened when the tour group was attacked by fiends. There was so much panic."
You don't have to worry now," comforted Paine. "We'll get you guys out safe and sound.
The mother and children thanked Yuna and Paine. Meanwhile, one of the children said they saw a man disappear when he stepped onto the teleporter. Crossing her arms, Yuna wrinkled her nose and frowned.
"Great, we'll have to go find that guy," moaned Paine.
"I'll take care of it. Please take them back to the entrance for me," said Yuna abruptly.
Paine gave her a concerned look. "Hey, you shouldn't wander through the cave alone."
"Don't worry about me. I'll be alright. We can't take all of these people through the teleporter."
Paine agreed reluctantly and left with Tolbi and the group of stragglers. Yuna swallowed some nervousness and stepped onto the left section of the teleporter. In a sudden burst of light, she was transported to a small room, void of anything except some fleshy bugs crawling on the ground. Shrugging to herself, she stepped back onto the platform and returned to the former chamber. This time she stepped on the teleporter's right section. Now she materialized in another, slightly larger area. She glanced around for a moment and spied a man laying on the ground. She ran over to see if he was injured. From him, she heard what she thought was a snore. Emitting an annoyed grunt, she shook him hard.
"What? Who . . . oh man, did I doze off mom?" he blurted, startled by Yuna.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt, sir?" she asked.
He looked up at her in confusion, scratching himself on the side. At this moment, he realized he wasn't at his mother's house, and it wasn't polite to dig himself in front of a lady. Jolting up, he flashed her a salute. Yuna raised her eyebrow at his odd behavior but felt it best not to ask questions about his peculiarities. They both stepped back on the platform, returning to the large area with the teleporter.
As Yuna was about to return the man to the entrance of the cave, she paused. For a moment, she glanced back to the teleportation platform. She stared at the arrow pointing forward, leading to the Chamber of the Fayth. A knot formed in her stomach. Although against her better judgment, not to mention her instincts, she decided to search the Chamber. In case other guests got stranded there, she would have to search there as well.
Swallowing hard, she told the man he would have to wait for her return. Shuffling his feet in hesitancy at first, she persuaded him to wait for her return. While she felt guilty for putting him in a dangerous position, something inside of Yuna told her she needed to go into the Chamber. Approaching the teleporter, she closed her eyes. Breathing in, she sighed long and hard. The tightness persisted in her chest. She stepped onto the front arrow of the teleporter and was taken to the Chamber of the Fayth. Just like the first time she entered two years ago, only a dim glow lit the Chamber. A large hole in the back held what was the resting place for this fayth. Pyreflies still swarmed around it.
With that as her only light source, she stumbled around, calling out for anybody lost and stranded. A low-pitched growl echoed around the cave chamber in reply. She darted her eyes around but couldn't pinpoint anything else in the Chamber. The growling grew closer. Before she knew it, she saw a large dog emerge from the shadows, stalking near her. She stepped back, now eying its rumbling mouth and sharp teeth.
A voice boomed from the darkness. "It has been a long time, Summoner. What is it that you seek?"