Rydia's Last Cure

Golbez

After I unleash Esuna, I feel the wisps of my white magic wink out completely.

It's like a darkness swallowing my insides—like Leviathan's yet again opened a whirlpool beneath me, to the great dark below—and it chills me.

It's worse than sad.

Deeper than hopelessness.

I wonder how I'm supposed to get through this one. Are emotional adventures more difficult than Dark World ones?

Not wanting to fall into the maw of black magic roiling with me, I stand behind Cecil, Rosa, Yang, and Kain as they pick themselves up off the ground.

"Whoop his ass!" I shout.

"Rydia," Yang laughs. "I'm overjoyed to see you again!"

I wish I could feel joy. Right now, that emotion's not on my radar. I smile to him anyway, and that momentary bliss bubbles up a summons from within me.

"Shiva!" I call.

My friend and love appears in a flicker, beautiful and serene, hailing ice across Golbez's firmly set jaw.

Then she disappears without a word.

This is our relationship now; she's but a face that passes through my life, a summons, a glance, nothing.

The well of loneliness is bottomless.

Solitude's weight is infinite.

Ah, well...

I cry out, "Bomb!" then throw him towards Golbez's heart, hoping to cause even half the singed ache I feel on the inside.

As Rob flies like a firework towards Golbez's chest, he squeals, "YEEHAW!"

♦️

First draft: September 18

Word count: 239