Part II: More Magic, More Fantasies

Chapter 20- The Amnesiac

"We probably should've worked out a buddy system before we came in here," you could tell that was Vanille.

"Vanille, don't you know the problem with the buddy system?" That was Selphie.

"No, what?"

"Well, it works fine so long as only one person goes missing. What happens if that person and their buddy go missing? No one was accounting for the both of them."

There was a short silence before you heard Vanille say, "I want to go home now."

In the same breath of Vanille's "now," Lulu finally succeeded in lighting the new torch. "Finally."

You all looked around to see that Justin, Aubrey, and Yuffie were no longer with you. Upon further investigation, there was a giant hole in the floor of the cave. "So do we go get them, or do we keep going and then come back?" you asked.

"If we go down there, how are we gonna get out, stupid?" asked Kairi.

You frowned. "I dunno, but we can't just leave them down there, they're our friends. Well... two-thirds of them anyway."

"[name] is right," agreed Lulu. "We have to find out how to get down there safely, as well as find a way to get back up..."

You discovered, upon your hand brushing upon the tie on it, that everyone was still dressed in their aircraft uniforms. "Hey, can't we tie all these bows together and make a rope?" you asked.

"Hmm... I'm not sure how long that would come out. There are only five of you that have them." Lulu thought, "Of course, if one of us went down, and that person was taller than usual..."

Everyone turned to Spencer-Lynn.

"Oh, come on! You already ruined my hat!"

"Pretty please?" Selphie clasped her hands together.

"What would your sister say if she found out you chickened out?" you added, remembering Yuffie saying the same thing to Mumford.

Spencer-Lynn's face frowned in an expression of defeat. You almost felt sorry for her. (You got me... it is really fun to poke fun at Spencer-Lynn. I just love her so much. :D)

"That thing's tied on sturdy, right?" she asked as she steadily lowered herself into the hole. "These shoes don't have very good traction."

"You'll be fine!" Vanille said optimistically.

"Uh... actually, I don't think she will." Kairi pointed to the line of ties, which was tearing at your end.

"Damn chiffon! Never stays raveled..." You grumbled. "Spencer-Lynn, the line is tearing. You have to come back up before it-"

It ripped. Audibly. It barely was together at this point.

With the exception of you and Lulu, everyone else screamed and got kind of hysterical, but you spotted a pale, bony hand near the rim of the hole. Hurrying over, you pulled her out of the hole. She was deceptively light.

"If anyone has a Plan B, this would be a good time to throw it onto the table," you said, tired.

~~~~~

Sazh was in charge of the small band of chocobos that lived in the field just behind the building in which everyone stayed, and Tifa usually helped him when no one was inside at the bar. The latter walked out to the field now, searching for the afroed man. "Sazh!" she called.

"Over here!" He was sitting on a small chair, tending to a chocobo who had injured its foot.

"Did you hear the news? Another ship crashed some miles from here." Tifa sat beside him. "Lightning and the others are going to need a few of these chocobos to see if anyone got hurt."