Rikku sat on the edge of her bed with her dinner on her lap and watched Yuffie sleep. Her hair was still wound in a thick fluffy towel. The food was good but Rikku had little appetite. The crunching of salad greens filled the void of sound. Yuffie listened from the blank, empty space that her mind rested in as Rikku sighed again. Thoughtless. Weightless. Drifting in the space between asleep and awake, before the onslaught of pained thought would start again, even now she could feel it building up like a tidal wave. I don't care. I don't care. I don't care. A carroty crunch broke the spell. Yuffie felt her thoughts bubble up around her mind in a sudden volcanic surge and she opened her eyes to escape them. The ceiling was white. It had little designs on in. Yuffie concentrated on those for a moment and forced her worries into the corners of her mind. I don't care about anything. Rikku watched while Yuffie stared, unblinking, up at the ceiling. "Are you awake?" Rikku regretted the redundant question as she asked it. Yuffie turned to face her. Rikku noticed she had colour in her cheeks but no sparkle in her eyes. She still looked tired even for having slept all day. "You're looking much better at least you know... are you hungry?" Rikku held up an odd purple leaf. She wasn't sure what it was but they tasted nice enough. Yuffie just stared. A little smile flickered on and off for a moment. "We're in a castle! I don't suppose you've heard of Alexandria?" Yuffie's eyes flicked around the room for a moment. The decor was swank enough to be a castle. Never heard of Alexandria... probably be a new town, she thought. "Are you feeling okay now?" Rikku asked. Yuffie shifted and stretched her limbs. They ached from being asleep so long. She hauled herself up into a sitting position and rubbed her hands across her face and through her hair. She took a deep breath, stretching her lungs and expelled her exhaustion with a long sigh. A knock sounded out from the door. Yuffie looked at Rikku expecting to see a cheery little smile, instead Rikku looked sullen and tired. Harriet popped her head into the room, "Oh you're awake now! Well lets get you something to eat shall we? Then you can have a nice bath... nothing like a nice bath..." she continued to talk as she closed the door. Both girls listened as her voice made it's merry way down the corridor. Rikku looked down at her plate and swallowed down the lump in her throat. This is how it is Rikku, this is how it's going to be... always. The thought made her eyes sting. A little voice from deep down in her heart tried to talk but Rikku dismissed it. "Yo Rikku," Yuffie's sudden statement made Rikku jolt, "Where'd you say we were?" Rikku smiled, "Alexandria? Have you heard of it?" Yuffie shrugged, "Nope... haven't you?" Rikku shook her head, unable to suppress the wide grin she now displayed. Yuffie found herself smiling just seeing Rikku's puppy-like enthusiasm. "We were rescued in an airship! They've been taking care of us here in this castle! There's a Queen called Garnet and this little kid, their kid probably, who left us this!" Rikku picked the card up off the bench and showed it to Yuffie. "It's probably a new place... tonnes of new places..." Yuffie ignored the card and scanned the room for clues. It all seemed new enough. Doesn't matter where we are anyway. The door opened wide, Harriet had a tray of food balanced in one hand. She smiled at the girls, "There we go Yuffie dear... how is it Rikku?" "Oh it's good!" Rikku chirped with a touch too much enthusiasm. Her face flushed red. Harriet placed the tray of food down on Yuffie's bed. There was a little of everything on it. "Just eat what you want to, love, you might not feel too hungry at first but you will soon enough and we'll feed you as much as you need okay dear?" "Okay." Yuffie stared at the food and wondered if she was hungry enough to eat anything at all. "Thanks, by the way!" Rikku felt compelled to say. "Your welcome love. Now I'll be back in a bit to clear up. And get your bath ready missy... where was I?... Oh yes!" Harriet muttered to herself as she wandered back out the door. Yuffie poked at something green and wobbly on a little plate. "Geez she's cheery," she muttered as she tasted a glob of it. It tasted like oranges and something else mixed together. Sweet too. "She's really nice." Rikku watched Yuffie stab at random food items with her fingers, "It's good food." Yuffie shrugged, "Not hungry," and licked her finger again. "You should eat anyway." Rikku stated. Yuffie shrugged with one shoulder and picked up something she didn't recognise and piled it into her mouth. "I don't know what any of it is, but it all tastes good." Rikku commented. "Yeh, not bad," Yuffie mumbled through a mouthful of food. She picked up something pink and held it to the light. What kind of food is this? Both girls jumped when the door banged open and a large woman in amour bolted in and looked about. She stared at the two girls for a moment, "You two okay?" she demanded. Rikku forced herself to nod, her mouth open. The armoured woman placed a finger to her hat and left the room, "Sorry to bother you." The door slammed shut. Rikku could hear voices outside the room but they were too muffled to make any sense of. Yuffie continued eating unabated. For someone who wasn't hungry she sure eats like she is, Rikku thought. She picked at her own food for a moment; her own appetite waning as her head started to ache in dull throbs. *** *** *** *** *** Yuffie returned from her own bath, tired and sore but refreshed. Rikku had since fallen asleep on top of the covers. Lying on her back with her dressing gown still on and the towel still around her hair. Yuffie pulled the towel from her head and ran her fingers through her short hair. She wandered to the window and looked out over the courtyard and over the houses in the distance. Nothing recognisable. Yuffie sighed with relief. To be nowhere was a good feeling. Someone knocked on the door. Harriet walked into the room and put her finger to her lips, "She asleep dear?" she whispered. "Yeh." Yuffie answered. She watched as the nurse cleared up their dinner. "She didn't eat much, is she feeling okay?" Harriet's face was lacking the overdone smile it had shone with before. Yuffie shrugged. "Was she... never mind I'm sure she's fine... fine... I'll just clear up a bit dear then I'll be out of your hair." Yuffie watched and noticed how tired Harriet seemed, worried lines creased up her face that was shiny with sweat. Harriet muttered to herself while she stacked up bowls and cups. "Everything will be fine... yes ... just fine... she's just ill poor dear... poor little dear..." Harriet stood up, the tray shaking so much it sent a chorus of clinking through the room. Yuffie watched as she forced a smile out and left the room. She listened as the chattering nurse with the chattering tray made her way down the corridor. A corridor, she had noticed earlier, that was lined with guards. Who's ill? Rikku? What with? Yuffie walked to Rikku's bed. The room darkened as the last few rays of the sun vanished for the night. Yuffie stood by Rikku's legs, flopped over the edge of the bed. She reached out and hovered her hand just above Rikku's forehead. Not like I'm a doctor anyway... As night settled like a blanket, Yuffie watched Rikku sleep. Unmoving like the guards and with no thoughts to trouble her, just the sounds of their breathing to occupy her mind and the occasional sounds of talking outside. *** *** *** Rikku woke to the sound of someone bringing breakfast into the room. She opened her eyes and saw the ceiling. Her head was heavy, the towel still wrapped around her head. Rikku pulled the towel off. Her hair was still damp. She looked over at Yuffie's bed. Yuffie was sat on the edge and smiled at her. "Are you okay?" Yuffie asked. Rikku felt the smile emerge before she could stop it. "Yeh, I think... I feel okay." She closed her eyes on the world for a moment and forced her pounding heart to slow. Stop it stop it stop it. "Where's Harriet?" Yuffie asked, Rikku opened her eyes again and noticed the new nurse. "Harriet's resting. She had a long night." The new nurse was a lot younger and placed the tray on the beds without a single glance at either girl then left the room. Rikku looked over at Yuffie, her smile gone. "Rikku," Yuffie gave Rikku a serious look, "Are you sure you feel okay?" Rikku shrugged. Yuffie was worried now. She just stared with big wide eyes. "Well... I do kind of have a headache. Why?" "They think you're sick. It's probably contagious. I reckon that's why they got those guards. And why the nurse is gone now. Rikku?" Yuffie tilted her head as the colour drained from Rikku's cheeks. Rikku's brow creased up, "Really? Do you feel okay? I mean you look really well... even better than when I met you." "I feel okay." Yuffie jumped up, almost knocking her food off the bed. "Where are you going?" for a moment Rikku thought Yuffie was going to run off so that she didn't catch ... whatever it is I've got. Yuffie opened the door and yelled out, "Hey! Someone tell me what's wrong with Rikku!" In a matter of seconds three lady guards bolted into the room and ran to Rikku's side. "Well?" Yuffie demanded, hands on hips. "What? What's going on? What was she doing?" one of the guards demanded. "Nothing. Why?" "You wanted to know what was wrong with her?" "Well duh!" Yuffie pointed her hand at Rikku. Rikku opened her mouth to talk. The guards stopped and stood still, watching her. "Am I sick?" The three women watched for a moment more. One looked at another. "The nurse said she was ill." Yuffie stated. The guards looked at each other again. Yuffie wondered if they had any idea what was going on. "Has she been acting strangely at all?" One of them finally asked. "She's not the one acting strangely!" Yuffie yelled. "I think you should just eat and get dressed," the guard remained calm, "You're going to talk with their majesties and you'll find out what's going on soon enough." The three guards turned and walked away leaving Yuffie with her hands still on her hips, glaring at them. The door closed and voices muttered. Yuffie sagged and sat back down on her bed. Then, to Rikku's surprise, she smiled. "Cool." Yuffie said, and started to eat. "Cool?" Rikku was gladdened by the sight of her eating at least. "Sorry?" Yuffie looked up and waited. Rikku shook her head. The two girls ate in silence. *** *** *** *** Guards lined the corridor that Rikku and Yuffie were led down. Guards marched along behind them and in front of them. Guards on every door. "Do they think we're dangerous?" Rikku whispered. "They should, I am dangerous!" Yuffie whispered back, grinning while she flexed her arm. She slapped her 'biceps'. Rikku smiled back. She's gaining weight at least. That's good. "Wait here." A guard ordered. The procession stopped while guards talked by the door. The door was opened and the procession moved aside to usher the girls inside. It was just a bedroom with a dining table in it. Rikku shuffled in, Yuffie walked in and sat down at the table bold as brass. The two people already sitting at the table just watched. Rikku stared. And stared ... and stared. A young woman smiled at her. She looked as though she hadn't slept, washed or even eaten in a long time. The young man by her side held her hand in his. He was just as scruffy. His long hair tied back in a rough ponytail. Both wearing what Rikku could only assume was their pyjamas. The young woman had clearly been crying. "Take a seat kid, no formalities please." The young man waved Rikku to the table. "I uh..." The young woman sniffed and turned to her husband. He smiled, "Please call me Zidane, this is Garnet." "Your king and queen right?" Yuffie blurted. "Well yeh, kinda." Zidane's hand ran through his hair, he seemed almost embarrassed at the title. Garnet looked from his eyes to the two girls, "You were found on an island west of Conde Petie, is that right?" Rikku shrugged and looked at Yuffie, "West of where?" "Dunno. It was an island alright." Yuffie answered. Garnet nodded. "How did you get there?" Rikku and Yuffie both spoke at once. "I was in cave and..." "This cave went right into the side of the mountain so I climbed in..." "There was this... where did that necklace go?" "I don't know, I lost it." "When it collapsed?" "I reckon." "Then we went out and it was all different." "Yeh I was halfway up a cliff before... then there's all this water!" Zidane interrupted. "Where was the cave when you went in?" "I was near North Corel somewhere... I think." Yuffie stated. "I was past Mihen... North where?" Rikku stared at Yuffie. Then at Garnet. "Where's Mihen?" Yuffie asked. Neither of the girls spoke for a moment. "Is that one of the new towns?" Yuffie asked. "New towns? I don't think so." "No towns I've ever heard of either." Garnet stated. "I thought you two were together, so you only met on the island?" Zidane asked. Rikku nodded. "She was right there when it all went black." Yuffie said. "It went black? What went black?" Zidane asked. "Everything. There was all this stuff flying around..." Yuffie swooshed her arms through the air. "I remember that now, some kind of symbols. I didn't know what they were!" Rikku piped in. "What were you doing just before it went all black?" Zidane asked. "Well..." Rikku wondered if they were going to get into trouble for stealing from the cave, "I was just exploring around and stuff." "I found some piece of junk down there but I tossed it anyway. It was crap." Yuffie said. Zidane leaned backwards on his chair, hands behind his head. "So you weren't there just waiting for one of those treasures to appear?" "What treasures?" "I wasn't on an island when I went in that's for sure." "What treasures?" "And I wasn't ... are we in trouble?" "What fricken treasures!!?" Rikku turned to Yuffie, "You had the necklace!" "Yeh but that was in the cave, not on the island." "But ... I don't know." Garnet spoke up, "You're not in trouble." Zidane leaned forwards again, "We're going to show you something. But first some questions." Rikku nodded. "Where are you from?" Zidane asked. "Why'd you wanna know that for?" asked Yuffie. Rikku looked down at the table, "I'm from nowhere. Our home was destroyed. They're building it again..." Zidane pointed at Yuffie, "I need to know, where are you from?" "Wutai." Yuffie mumbled. Zidane nodded. He pointed at Rikku. "It was just called Home. On Bikanel Island. Now it's being built again." Zidane nodded then turned and spoke to Garnet, "Right... See? He was right. They're from somewhere else." "Right." Garnet looked at Zidane, tired and confused. "And they're not from the same place. They're both from somewhere different, different." Garnet nodded and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath. "Well show them the mirror but ... be careful. I need to get some sleep." Garnet spoke with her eyes shut. "So now do you believe?" Zidane put his arms around his wife and kissed her forehead. She shook her head. "It's too risky." "What else can we do? If it gets worse what's going to happen to her?" Yuffie jumped up, "If what gets worse!" Zidane stood up and helped his wife to her feet. Yuffie thumped her hand on the table, "Someone tell me what's wrong with Rikku!" Zidane stopped and stared at her. "Nothing's wrong with Rikku." Garnet stood up and yawned. She shuffled across the carpet and landed on the bed. Yuffie heard her sniffing. Zidane walked to her side and helped her under the covers. Rikku stood up, knocking the chair over. "Does he have... hey Yuffie!... he's got a tail!...look!" Rikku pointed at Zidane. He turned around. "Come on then, lets go." "Then how come everyone says she's sick?" Yuffie snapped at Zidane just as he passed her. "Who says she's sick?" "The nurse for one thing, going around saying that she's sick, in our room last night." Yuffie stated. "Well I don't know about that. But someone who is sick really needs your help." Zidane ushered the girls from the room. "Maybe she just said that because I didn't eat much." Rikku walked along side Yuffie, surrounded by more guards. They were unlocking door after door. Some of the doors had bolts on them. Makeshift bolts that didn't look as though they belonged with the fancy decor. "Yeh maybe..." Zidane stopped by a door covered in warnings written on paper. "We find things on that island. Things no-one's seen or heard of before. Some like treasure, some like weapons... some are just... things. Sometimes these things seem to... well ... we found a mirror and now it's showing us images of ... places that don't exist. People who don't exist... anymore. My... like people who died. Then one day something else came to life. It shone into the mirror an image of ... you two on the island. There was a woman's face and then it was gone. And ... anyway..." "So that's how you rescued us?" Rikku asked, thinking of her supposed lucky escape. "Yeh, only something knew where you were. Somehow. And..." Zidane opened the door and walked inside. It was a storeroom. Full of shelves and boxes. In one corner was a mirror, showing only the reflection of the room. Objects of all descriptions littered every surface. "It stopped glowing when we found you." Zidane picked up a small light green ball. "Holy!" Yuffie yelped. She clamped her hand over her mouth. "So you know what it is then?" Zidane handed the ball to Yuffie, who held it as though it were the most delicate thing she'd ever held. "Holy." She whispered and stared into the little orb, stroking its surface. "So what is it?" Zidane asked. "Holy," Yuffie held it to her cheek for a moment then peered down into it, "Aeries?" "Its called Holy?" Zidane joked. He thought Yuffie was trying not to swear. "Yeh," Yuffie continued to stare into the ball. "Oh... well do you know the mirror as well?" Rikku walked to the mirror. It did look familiar somehow. "It looks like something we found once... only the one we found ... was a bit different." "How could this get here?" Yuffie sat down with Holy and looked around the room. Zidane walked to Rikku by the mirror and placed his hand on the mirrors edge, "Sometimes things just sort of ... come to life. My... my brother appears in the mirror sometimes... he died... a year ago." Zidane stared into the reflection of his feet. Rikku nodded in silence. "Only..." Zidane looked up as a guard knocked on the door. Zidane left Rikku by the mirror and walked to the guard. Rikku looked over at Yuffie, sitting on the dusty floor just staring at the objects in the room. Guards muttered by the door. Zidane turned and yelled at the girls, "You two, come with me." *** *** *** *** The guards followed back toward the bedrooms, Zidane rushed along, walking backwards while he spoke, "These objects and whatever is making Eiko sick are connected, I don't know how and I don't know why but they are." He turned and hurried along the corridor, Rikku and Yuffie jogged behind him to keep up. "Eiko's the one who's sick, Yuffie." Rikku said. "That card in our room, that was from her right?" Yuffie halted as the procession in front of her stopped abruptly. Zidane opened the door to her room. Rikku saw Harriet by the side of the bed, holding the hand of the child who lay there, on her back, staring at the ceiling and crying out. Rikku stepped into the room and slid to one side, out of the way. Zidane leaned over the little girl, "Eiko?" Eiko screamed. She gasped for air and stopped, still gasping and then yelled a long wailing cry. Rikku felt her stomach tighten. The girl was sweating, her skin was grey and she stared up at the ceiling. "Don't they have doctors in this place?" Yuffie asked. She walked to the girl and looked down at her. Eiko's expression was one of total fear. Yuffie stepped back and looked up at Zidane, he looked back with the same fear in his own eyes. Eiko began to yell again. Each time she did the breath she took sounded as though she was being strangled. Her voice dropped and she yelled so low and loud it made Rikku freeze, Yuffie stepped backwards again. Rikku noticed Harriet was shaking. Silence returned while Eiko went back to gasping for air. Zidane looked up at Harriet. The room filled with noise. Eiko screamed again. With a sudden boom the ceiling above the bed heaved inwards and crashed apart, Zidane leapt across the bed and grabbed Eiko as the pieces of plaster fell onto the bed. The child went limp in his arms. Zidane sank to his knees. Yuffie gasped for breath, pressed up against the wall. Rikku clamped a hand over her mouth. Harriet began to sob. The guards swore and looked about at the destruction. Zidane sighed. "I have to take her to him. What else can I do?" He stood up with Eiko in one arm and walked to the door. "What about Garnet?" a guard asked. Rikku recognised him from the airship. A large man with a weary look. He looked worse now. "I don't want to do this behind her back." "I should hope Not!" the guard bellowed. "I just..." Zidane closed his eyes and walked to the door in silence, "I trust him."
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