Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Rosalind hated Jumping. She always ended up dizzy and sick to her stomach. She groaned as she rolled onto her stomach and resisted the urge to heave. "Ugh... Why? Why is it always like this?" she whined. Her friend Ariana stretched and shrugged, annoyingly unaffected as usual as she pulled a water bottle out of her bag.

"Weak stomach?" she offered, taking a sip of water before pushing the bottle into her friend's hands.

"Thanks..." Rosalind sat up on her knees and took a swig of water. "Where are we, anyways?" She looked around, trying to make sense of the jungle around them.

The blonde snorted. "As if I know. You have the book, so you pick the destinations, remember? I just hang on for the ride." She glanced around, sniffing. "I can smell the sea."

Rosalind screwed up her eyes, trying to remember what the hell she picked this time. "So we're on an island. Not exactly many places like that."

"Or you landed us in the middle of nowhere. Again," she snarked. 

"Oh shush already," Rosalind groaned. "I'm trying to think."

"That'll be the day," she snorted, shrugging innocently when her friend glared at her. "All right, all right."

She looked around, trying to find some kind of marker so she could figure out where they were. "There's a few paths. I wouldn't say go exploring at this moment." She paused when a small creature ran past them.

"Are we in Narnia?" Rosalind wondered. "Sweet! Maybe Aslan can pick me up."

"I'm sure Narnia doesn't have tropical jungles." She wracked her brains trying to remember where she had seen that creature before.

"It does, but anyway..." her friend muttered, making for the bushes. "I'll see if Taiitsukun left us anything while you think."

Jungle Book perhaps? Rosalind mused to herself. No, not near the sea. Tarzan? Plausible. Which means we'd have to watch out for Sabor, but the jungle has no things like that. She chewed her bottom lip, a bad habit she had picked up while travelling. She saw another one of the creatures run by and it dawned on her. "Ariana!" she jumped up happily, swaying slightly as her vision swam. Clearly she wasn't fully settled. "I know where we are."

"Fine, keep your shirt on, I'm changing!" Ariana's voice called back, slightly muffled. "How the heck does this even..."

"Watch out for fiends then," Rosalind replied innocently. "It'd be bad if they caught you while you were trying to dress."

"I'll survive," her friend replied dryly, stepping back into the clearing with two bundles under her arms. She'd changed from her navy-and-white-dress ensemble into a long skirt that flowed around her ankles, changing from a pretty tangerine colour into a butter-yellow rising from the hemline. The skirt was held in place with a thin golden belt and thick red cord that had a peach-coloured, knee-length fabric hanging from it, stitched with red thread. She had on a faded red top that showed her stomach and had only one shoulder strap, while golden bangles jangled merrily from her wrists. "Change into this," she added, tossing a bundle at the redhead as she clicked an ornate metal choker into place and put two red flower clips in her hair. "You stick out like a sore thumb."

"We're in Kilika," Rosalind informed her, catching the bundle, ignoring the sore thumb comment.

"I know. I saw the village down below." Ariana paused, fiddling with a long hank of her hair. "How much time do you think we have? Did we even arrive during Yuna's pilgrimage?"

Rosalind shrugged. "I have no clue. Was the village standing?"

Her friend gave her a look. "Would I be here talking to you if it wasn't?" she asked. "Go change."

Rosalind disappeared into the bushes. "Hey, I'm just checking." She ditched her own clothes consisting of a dark blue knee length skirt, long sleeved white blouse, brown leather vest and her boots and tights, before examining the new clothes. She slipped on the emerald green bandeu top that fit surprisingly well and didn't show signs of slipping off, before putting on the skirt. The skirt was like a patch work of different shades of green on it, a fringe on the hemline, a slit on the right side of the skirt going up to her hip. She pulled on a gold armband up her right arm where it stayed in place on her upper arm and placed white flower clips into her hair. It showed a bit more than she was used to, but with the tropical heat, it felt good. She just hoped her curls didn't fall flat.

"Yeah, well, the last time I Jumped solo, I landed way off course," the blonde pointed out, remembering. Padmé had looked pretty damn surprised to see her appear while she'd been having a private moment in her quarters. What a fun time that had been.

"You're making it sound like that was my fault," Rosalind stated as she stepped out.

"It was," her friend deadpanned, shoving her clothes into her little bag.

"How was I supposed to know you were going to land there?"

"Because you were distracting me when I was about to jump; you were too busy kissing your boyfriend," she said smugly, watching as her friend went pink.

"Pfft. Man can kiss," Rosalind brushed her off. 

"You're avoiding the issue, but whatever," Ariana laughed, sobering quickly. "What's the trick going to be this time?"

Rosalind didn't respond as she stuffed her clothes into her pouch. She stood up and looked around. She sighed. "Try not to get too attached?" She looked over at Ariana. "And try not to die?"

"As you wish," she replied, thinking for a moment. "I think...I don't want all those people to die. Luzzu, Gatta, all the summoners that the Guado killed, Auron and Tidus if I can help it...all the innocents that didn't deserve to die because of a few fruitcakes."

"The soldiers at the Operation?" Rosalind asked quietly. A single nod was her answer.

"If we can stop it."

"And... Seymour... Him too, if we can...?" Rosalind added. Ariana's nose scrunched as she folded her arms and stared accusingly at her friend. "He's not all that bad. Messed-up childhood and being shunned from both sides would really do a number on a person," she defended. "I think if maybe someone showed him they cared, he wouldn't be so bad."

"That 'someone' better not be you up to your old ways," Ariana snapped, sighing. "Fine. Even him. If we have enough proof that he's a good person. And we both have to agree on it."

"No tricks. I really do feel bad for him. I always have. I think... Saving him will lessen the guilt I always felt about not being able to help." Rosalind held up her hands, honesty written across her face. "But we don't have to save Kinoc do we?"

A peal of laughter escaped from Ariana. "Debatable. I'll see how everything goes."

"I already vote no," Rosalind smirked. "He can go die in a hole for all I care. He's creepy."

"If I'm giving Seymour a chance, I'm giving this guy one," the blonde shrugged. "That's my condition; so like it or lump it."

"Blah!" Rosalind pulled a face as her friend held out a hand and the two shook on it. "Well, here's not to getting killed!" she chirped cheerfully. "Now lets get out of her before that Lord Ochu shows up."

"Bless you," she said absently, eyes scanning the treetops before narrowing. "It's already late afternoon. Doesn't Sin attack in the early evening in the game?"

Rosalind groaned. "No! It's the huge nasty plant fiend that blocks the way to the temple." The red-head paused, her friend's words sinking in. "Oh shit! We have to do something!"

"Calm down, Rose," Ariana soothed. "We don't even know if it's today it's supposed to happen. Get out your telescope, shimmy up a tree and see if you can see something."

Rosalind did just that, pulling out her telescope and climbed up one of the trees. Once she reached the top, she pulled the telescope to it's proper length and had a look. "I don't really see anything... Wait. There's some sort of disturbance out in the water. It's pretty far though, but it looks big. If I can see it from here, it might be Sin."

"Make sure it is!" Ariana shouted up. Rosalind adjusted the vision before peering through again.

"Oh no..." She felt her blood run cold. "Sin!"

Ariana bolted from the clearing, heading straight for the village. She came to an abrupt stop as the first house came into view.

Rosalind hopped down and followed after and nearly collided into Ariana. "Why'd you stop? Sin is still far away but that can change very quickly."

Ariana's hands clenched into fists. "I know. But..." she bit her lip. "This is where Tidus first gets his idea of changing Yuna's fate as a summoner. He sees her dancing."

"I know, but is now really the time to be discussing it? Sin is going to be here soon, so less talking, more saving. We can worry later," Rosalind replied. "I'm not saying we'll be able to save everyone. Honestly, I'd feel better for Yuna if she didn't have to send so many people this time around. You with me?" She asked, holding out her hand.

Ariana huffed and pressed her hands into her face, angry tears pricking her eyes. "I hate this - this heartlessness, the calculations. We have to be practical. Some people will have to die for Tidus to start thinking of how to save Yuna, and I hate this." She sniffed at her friend's impassive stare, then took a breath. "Okay. You get your ass out there and get the people on this side up to the temple. I'll deal with the ones on the far side."

Rosalie merely nodded at her before she started running towards the village and began raising the alarm. People didn't ask her where she had come from or how she knew, they listened to her as she ordered them to get to the temple as fast as they could. She ran around to the houses to alert anyone inside that Sin was coming and to take cover. A lot of the men stayed behind as to try and protect their homes and families, refusing to seek shelter. She climbed up on top of a house to see where Sin was. He was still far away, but she knew that wouldn't last long.

She hoped Ariana was doing all right.

She jumped down and helped round up any stragglers and children that could not run fast on their own. She helped a woman with her children and carried one of the smaller ones as she headed for the temple. She looked back to see if she missed anyone before going up the trails to the temple. They'd be screwed if that giant fiend showed up and blocked their way. The path was clear thankfully and everyone managed to make it into the temple. She waited by the doors as more people came, trying to catch a glimpse of her friend. Just as the sun started to spread its colours on the clouds, there was an enormous roar. Several villagers who were still outside the temple turned to see their homes being torn apart, a huge cyclone of debris, water and trees swirling where the village of Kilika had sat moments ago.

"Move!" Rosalind cried, urging the villagers to get inside. She stood off to the side as they rushed in, trying to find Ariana in the crowd. "Ariana! Where are you?"

"I'm here!" a familiar voice yelled. She turned to see her friend making her way towards her, slightly bedraggled with a huge group of children around her. "Look who managed to Jump with us!" She showed off a very familiar purring bundle of black fluff in her arms. "The brats were torturing him." She gave the stink-eye to the kids who shuffled nervously and darted into the temple.

Rosalind sighed in relief before ordering, "Get inside before the backlash hits."