Scars of Time

Scars of Time

Chapter Five - The Deal

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Hermione gave Draco a strange, censorious look as Rikku helped Yuna to stand up. "We must get out of here," said Rikku breathlessly. "Or that--thing--will find us and eat us alive." Draco inspected the expression of Yuna's face. There was stubbornness written on it and, for some reason, she reminded him of his own mother, Narcissa. Beautiful, strong-willed, but an obstinate and difficult woman. There was certainly softness in her face that was described by Rikku; however, he did not doubt that Yuna had her own hidden traits that no one knew about.

Without wasting any time, they began to run as fast as they could down the stony stairs. They barely reached the bottom when they met two pairs of penetrating, frightening ruby-red eyes. It rose above the staircases, so humongous that they had to raise their heads to get a better look at the beast. It had the body of a man, and the head of a scorpion, with two sharp pincers as its hands.

Its noxious breath formed a subtle cloud around them; they winced as the foul miasma reached their noses, dropped on the floor as it reached their nostrils. It was poisonous, toxigenic, and foul.

Am I going to die? Draco wondered. The nauseous smell was too much for him to handle. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hermione struggling to stand up, grasping her wand tightly as though she was holding on for her dear life. She began to advance on Utherial, trying to put on a brave face, although he knew that she was afraid. Her hands were shaking and her stride was unsteady.

Don't do it, he thought, shutting his eyes. Don't do it, you foolish Mudblood!

Hermione pointed her wand at Utherial, while it had its pincers ready to attack her. "Impedimenta!" she shouted, and a jet of light emitted from the edge of her wand. The band of light shot up and slammed itself on Utherial's face. The monster screeched, and Draco saw her smiling with triumph. For a moment, he too thought that it was dead.

But how wrong they were.

Utherial growled angrily and the sparks of light disappeared. It raised its pincers and made a move to grab Hermione. Draco wanted to get up, to help her, to make Utherial go away, to help her escape, but something inside him made him hesitant. In his mind, Hermione was still a Gryffindor and she was still a Muggle-born. Draco was bound to his family and his own belief that saving a Mudblood or a Gryffindor wasn't worth the risk. Shutting his eyes, he cursed himself for being a coward, and as he opened them again, he expected to see Hermione to be killed or perhaps eaten, by Utherial.

But no, she was lying on the ground, looking up with her eyes widened. And right there and then, Rikku flung herself desperately in front of Hermione. Utherial grabbed her and let out a triumphant growl. "Go! Run!" Rikku yelled, trying to fight off from its grip, but Draco knew that it was hopeless. Yuna's mouth was opened, but she couldn't emit a single sound.

Without hesitating, Draco seized Hermione and Yuna's hands and at top speed, they ran to the entrance. They could hear the footsteps of the guards behind them, but he knew that they were able to overtake the old men. "What if they continue to chase us once we're outside?" Hermione asked breathlessly as they approached the entrance.

He did not know, but he didn't want to think about it. All he wanted to do was to get out of the fortress and breathe under the light of the sun again. "Close the entrance! Close the entrance!" shouted one of the guards behind them in a hoarse, desperate voice. The door began to close as they heard levers being pulled. For a minute, Draco thought that they were unable to make it, but suddenly, a warm wind began to envelop around them, permitting them sprint faster.

And when they were out of the fortress, they felt as if they were being thrown out instead of running. It was as if something had carried them. They jogged a good distance from Corel, and dropped to the grassy plain, their faces scrunched up with tiredness. Draco was practically wheezing, for he had never run so fast in his life. "Are you two all right?" he asked breathlessly.

Yuna nodded, simply looking down at the ground as if it was the most fascinating thing she had ever seen, while Hermione had an anguished look on her face. "I can't believe it," she began, shaking her head with regret. "Why did I fail? I was not supposed to fail. Because of me, Rikku's dead."

Draco threw her a look of scorn. "But that's what you wanted, right?"

"No, of course not," said Hermione, shaking her head. "How could you even say such a thing? I never wanted her to die, and although I was angry at her for being spiteful, I would never, ever wish for such a thing." She stared at him accusingly, and continued, "you should have helped me, Malfoy. You had your wand with you. Why didn't you at least help us?"

"Why should I help a stranger and a Gryffindor?" Draco questioned her, his eyes looking into hers piercingly.

Hermione clasped her mouth shut into a thin line, her face filled with hurt. Draco's eyes widened as a thought struck him. Did Granger actually think that she was actually his friend? His companion? The mere speculation was already starting to make him feel decidedly uneasy. "I wonder how we're going to get out of here," he mumbled, turning to Yuna. "Do you have any idea where Macalania is?"

Yuna did not even look up. She was lost in her own world. Under the sunlight, Draco noticed that there were several bruises on her face, hands, and knees. For a moment, they sat there in silence, not looking at each other. They suddenly heard the familiar sound of rumbling engines above them, and Hermione jumped up in relief. "They're here!" she exclaimed.

"Is..." Yuna began, but paused. "Are Lulu and Wakka in the airship?" she glanced at Draco briefly, apparently asking him, and not Hermione.

"I suppose so," he answered, shrugging. He brushed off the dirt sticking on his blue shirt and waited for the ropes to be thrown. For some reason, there was a strange twist in his stomach as Hermione caught one of the ropes. Perhaps it was guilt? He tried to catch her eye, but she did not even take notice of him. Once they were aboard, Wakka and Lulu immediately greeted Yuna with a hug.

Lulu stroke Yuna's brown hair gently and Wakka examined her wounds. Both of them had pleased and relieved visages, but Draco knew that it would change once they would hear about Rikku. Hermione watched them quietly in a corner, biting her lip with worry. The Summoner, however, had a calm look on her face, and did not even say anything as she was given their full attention.

"Where's Rikku?" asked Wakka, suddenly realizing that she wasn't there.

Draco stared at Yuna, expecting her to explain and, hopefully, leave them out of the fault. But she hardly raised her head or opened her mouth. "She was caught by Utherial," Hermione blurted out. "It was my fault actually, I--I was trying to ward the monster off, but I failed and Rikku--Rikku lost her life to save me." Tears began to form in her eyes, but she determinedly brushed them away. "It was really my fault. It wasn't theirs--" Hermione halted once she saw the mortified looks on Wakka and Lulu's faces.

"You--you murdered her!" Wakka yelled. "You murdered Rikku! Oh, you are going to be so sorry once I report this to Cid. He'll be so upset, no doubt about that--but you're going to pay."

"Wakka, stop," said Lulu gently, placing a hand on his shoulder, trying to soothe him. "It wasn't their faults; many powerful people have perished because of Utherial, because of his monstrosity."

"We're not going to be executed or anything like that, right?" Hermione asked hopefully, but there was a flash of doubtfulness in her eyes.

Lulu looked at her sharply. "No, but you will leave this ship and never return to us again once we've reached Bevelle."

"No--"

"You have caused us great trouble, and Rikku's death is a proof of your carelessness. You have also injured Yuna--look at her bruises!" Wakka growled.

"She was tortured there," Hermione protested. "Please, let us explain. Yuna, we need your help. We need to go back home to see our friends and family. We need you to help us!"

"You and your lies have no place here," Wakka looked warningly at Hermione. "You're lucky that you're not going to be imprisoned for this!"

Draco knew that she wanted to continue arguing with him, but some kind of realization struck Hermione, because her shoulders suddenly sagged, and she backed away, her face somber. Draco longed to say something that would make her feel better, but he knew that it would be very unlike him. Instead, he placed a hand on her shoulder.

Which she at once brushed away.

* * * *

Yuna sat on the comfortable chair in Cid's meeting room. Cid was not there, because he had to attend a meeting with Icarus. She had never felt so peaceful in her life, and yet, the thought of Corel sent shivers running down her spine. She remembered being tortured by magic, beaten so hard that blood oozed out of her mouth. She remembered being humiliated--for no reason.

She felt angry with Icarus for arresting her. It was unfair and unjust. Yuna had never done anything against the law--ever--in her life, and suddenly a so-called new 'Sin' comes out from nowhere and she is the one at fault. She regretted killing Sin, regretted all her hard work in the past...

--with him.

Tidus.

Yuna chided herself for still thinking about him, but she could not make herself forget him. In her heart, she knew that he was somewhere, and yet--and yet why did it feel like he was so far away? Why does it have to hurt? The memory of him hugging her and jumping out of the airship, disappearing into the clouds... it was too painful. "Yuna?" a soft, comforting voice was heard above her.

She looked up to meet Lulu's kind brown eyes. But she could not gain contentment from them. She was too tired of hearing what everyone had to say; too tired to stand up and too tired to be given attention. She was also sick of being asked about Corel. Wakka had asked her about a hundred times that day. She was sorry for not defending the two strangers in the airship. It was not their fault that Rikku was assassinated.

Why do I have to do all the 'right' things? Yuna wondered, frowning. It's not like I'm a saint. I've never labeled myself as a saint!

"Your thoughts are wandering off again, I suspect," said Lulu, breaking her sentiments. "How are you feeling now?"

"I'm okay," Yuna mumbled. "Fine, really."

The door opened and Wakka stepped in, a grim look on his face. "It's time to tell her what we found out at Macalania, Lulu. She has the right to know about it--and him."

"I am exhausted," said Yuna hastily, making an effort to stand up. "Can we resume this later?"

"No," he said sternly. "This is important."

"But you're not the one who was in a hellhole for the past month!" Yuna yelled furiously. "Now leave me alone!"

Wakka's face scrunched up as if he was shot by something knifelike. But Lulu managed to save the situation with her calm persona. "Yuna," she began slowly. "I know that you have been traumatized and I know that you have been tortured, but this is important. It concerns your life."

Yuna breathe deeply and sat down, her mismatched eyes avoiding Wakka's. "All right," she said. "I'll listen."

"As you know, there is a new 'Sin' causing chaos. This 'Sin' can fly, swim, and according to a scholar in Macalania, once it gets too powerful, it can walk on the lands of Spira--and destroy it. We have proof that it can do it now. A village in Macalania was destroyed because of this 'Sin' and witnesses said that it slithers across the land like a snake." Lulu paused. "The new 'Sin' is a serpent with magnificent blue scales that almost match the colour of the water, and mysterious golden eyes."

"So my task is to kill it," Yuna finished.

"Yes, but wait, I am not done. The new 'Sin' is not a 'Sin' type of monster. Yuna, it is the Sleeping Aeon, the King of the Seas. Leviathan."

"But I've performed the Far-place Send-Off ritual to all of my aeons..."

"But not to Leviathan. Remember, he has been sleeping for thousands of years..." she glanced at Wakka briefly and resumed, "and now he has awakened..."

"Why, though?" Yuna pondered.

"Because the source of power, origo, has entered Spira," Lulu answered gravely. "We have learned that the origo is actually of human form. What you must do is find the origo and perform the Far-place Send-off to him or her... then to Leviathan."

"But there are millions of people," Yuna protested. "It's impossible."

"... Tidus will tell you..."

She froze, as if attacked by electric shocks. Her anger swelled up and she found herself shouting. "Don't say he's alive!"

"Yuna--"

"Stop giving me false hope, Lulu! It has been torturing me all these years, ever since he went away." Her eyes were blazing with rage, her expression threatening.

"LISTEN," Wakka barked. "LISTEN until we're finished. We want you to go to Schmaera Island and meet Tidus there. Retrieve the information and meet us here once you're done. And I don't care if you believe us or not, because your beliefs are not of importance right now!"

"You've clearly gone insane," Yuna declared, and stormed out of the room.

But before she was out of earshot, she could hear Wakka calling, "Tidus is still alive, Yuna!"

However, she did not look back.

* * * *

"Come on, Granger," Draco eyed her exasperatingly. "Let it go."

He knocked the door once, twice, thrice, but Hermione did not let him in. Plainly, she was very upset over what had happened. Draco himself was bemused and slightly furious. It's not our fault Rikku died, he thought gloomily, leaning against the door. But honestly, does she have to hog the room like it was her who paid for it?

"FINE!" he shouted and slouched off, feeling slightly dejected. The innkeeper threw him a dirty look as he made his way out of the inn; several of the customers glanced at him strangely, perhaps he was contaminating the quality of the inn? Father always liked ruining people's business, he thought, smirking. I suppose I should too.

An empty feeling grasped his heart.

Draco shook his head and looked up at the roof. The inn was facing northwest--the sea. Perhaps he could catch the sun setting over the horizon? He fancied the idea, and pointed his wand at himself. With a flick, he began to float upwards and landed on the roof neatly. He sat down, the wind playing with his hair, blowing away all his troubles.

He wanted to think of all the things that he could do in Spira, since it was official that there was no way home. He had lots of Galleons with him--perhaps he could spend them lavishly? But for some reason, the idea did not enthusiast him. Draco wanted to go back to his manor in Wiltshire and make his life normal again. That was the one thing he wanted. But somehow, he knew there was no way home.

Hermione was so upset, and he would too, if he had not lost his family and possessions. For a moment, he smiled as he thought about her. Granger's always such a bossy person, he thought. Always conquering her space... the smart one... She has a pretty name too. Draco's head shot up once he realized what he was thinking about. You bloody prick, Malfoy; do you fancy her?

No, he didn't think so. Perhaps it was only pity?

A sense of foreboding dawned upon him, but he also sensed that there was someone behind him. Draco turned around to see Yuna, staring at him cautiously. "You," he murmured, then looked away.

Yuna did not say anything. She didn't look like she wanted to talk, anyway.

For a long time, both of them gazed at the orange-like color of the sea, watching as the sun dived into the water; then twilight fell. "Have you ever been forced doing something you don't want to?" Yuna asked him suddenly.

"Yes," he answered promptly. "Being here with Granger."

He felt wrong saying that.

"Do you fancy being stuck here forever?" she asked him.

"Yeah," Draco scratched his blond hair thoughtfully. "I do have some money, y'know..."

"Money isn't everything."

"Ignorance can destroy you," he shot back.

"You seem to know what's going on," Yuna said gingerly, looking at him suspiciously.

Draco waved breezily. "Of course I do. Why else would you come here? Only people in doubt would stare into space for a long time. Potter used to do this. I watched him, you know? I watched him contemplate whether to kill Voldemort or not. I watched him wonder if he was going to die risking it. Of course, Potter didn't die."

"What in the blazing Hell are you talking about?" Yuna asked, her eyes widening.

"Thing is, Summoner... God I can't believe I'm giving advice. You've got to do what you've got to do." Draco held up a finger and added, "and don't you dare tell Granger I told you this."

"You mean I should go to Schmaera and get information from Tidus--then go off to find the origo and in the end defeat Leviathan?"

"Now I don't know what you're talking about," he grumbled. "Wait, I'm not a dimwit. Yes, you should go to Schmaera. Tidus is a nice bloke anyway. Granger and I met him you know? He was the one who told us to find you."

Yuna's eyes shined suddenly. "He was the one--you--met--Tidus?"

"Yeah," Draco nodded, puzzled. "Didn't they tell you?"

"No, but--but--" Yuna suddenly smiled. "Come with me to Schmaera and help me defeat Leviathan."

"No," Draco yawned. "What reward do I get anyway?"

"I--I--I'll do anything."

"Good," Draco nodded. "I won't tell you what I want just yet--but I'll follow you. I bet Granger will agree to come too." I'll ask her to take us both home... I know Granger will appreciate this... maybe... just maybe... STOP IT, DRACO!

"It's a deal."

And once they agreed to the deal, they began to tell each other what was really going on. Draco told her all about Hogwarts, how they got to Spira, and Yuna told him about Leviathan and her past. While this was going on, the two did not notice Hermione going out of the inn.

* * * *

"Damn him," she cursed under her breath. "I knew he would leave me here alone. He's probably somewhere exotic, spending his god damn money."

Hermione sighed and walked down the street. Gloom descended upon her once she realized that she would never see Harry, Ron, or her family ever again. Bitterness swept in her heart and she resisted the urge to burst into tears. "Hey," said a voice above her. It was familiar somehow. "Aren't you the one who was with Wakka, Lulu and Rikku?"

She looked up to meet Icarus' eyes. Hope bloomed in her heart. Perhaps he could help her? He was the mayor, after all. "Yes," she answered, her lips trembling.

"You seem to be in trouble, I can tell," he said sympathetically. "Would you like to come by the Mayor's Office? I can give you an advice or two, if you like -- or I will just listen."

"Of--of course," Hermione accepted. "I'd like that."