Immortal Poison (FFXV)

Chapter 20

With plenty of daylight left, the team decided to use their time questioning the civilians about the ancient tomb. They had split up within the busy marketplace of the small town. Amethyst was in the same section as Ruby, and she stayed as close as possible, letting her do most of the talking. Ruby didn't just question the people and move on, she engaged in small conversations, playing the part of a casual explorer.
     With her hair pulled back by her skull hair clip, she had taken away that sense of mystery she gave off when her eye was covered. She played the part well, and didn't question every single person she spoke to. It seemed like a waste of time, making small talk every few people and browsing the shops, but Ruby felt it was necessary.
     Amethyst felt like everything within her had dropped. She felt butterflies in her stomach, and a lump in her throat, but she had to keep herself together. She stopped for a moment to take a deep breath and then caught up to Ruby. As long as my heart's in the right place, everything should be fine.

      "So tell me; where, would you say, is the most exciting, or mysterious place to explore?" Ruby asked a small group of kids. They appeared to be in the age range of middle school to early high school.
     One of the boys, the only one with dark gray, almost black hair, motioned for Ruby to lean closer; trying to add mystery to his words. "Follow the river north. There's an old tomb hidden within the forest. Two trees and a ton of vines have grown around it, you can't miss it."
     "Do you know how far it is?" Ruby asked, mirroring his low tone.
     "It's not that far. About a 90 minute walk." He confirmed.
     "Well thank you." Ruby smiled. "I'll be sure to check it out while I'm here."

     "Ruby." Amethyst called as she tapped Ruby's arm. The kids went about their business and the two women stepped aside.
      "Funny enough, a lot of these people had no idea what I was talking about, though some called it a maze. Overall, anyone who recommended it, pointed me in the same direction." Ruby explained.
     "Great." Amethyst nodded, feeling her nerves build up again.
     "What's wrong?" Ruby asked.
     "...Nothing. It's just crazy to think about how close we could be to ending this. Let's say there's only one here...what are your plans afterwards?"
      "Well...if we find one, we'll have to find the others. Though, regardless of what we find, I think I have to stop."
      "Good. I mean, I think that you should just sit back for a while. You've done so much already." Amethyst started walking.
     "So, why is it good that I stop?" Ruby questioned as she walked beside her. "It's not like I want to. I'd still like to help any way I can."
    "I know from experience how our line of work interferes with my duty as a mother. Assuming you're going to keep Prompto, you'll be a new mom. I'm honestly surprised you came all the way out here. You should turn back. I should turn back."
     Ruby could hear the slight tremble in Amethyst's voice. As much as she wanted to end the conversation, she was curious to see where it would go. "We're already here, Amethyst. Now is not the time to abandon ship, but if you want to go home, I won't stop you."
     "...Now seems like the perfect time. It's safe to say the others would agree with me when they hear you have a child with you."
     They stopped in their tracks, and despite all the space around them, Ruby felt like she'd been backed into a corner.
    "I've suspected it for a long time." Amethyst continued. "I must say, you really are a trooper, Ruby, but how long did you think you could hide it from another mother? From the very beginning, you were always tired. Yeah, you could've blamed it on the boring train ride, but you're not that person. Ruby Argentum is always so sharp and alert. You were more emotional than we've known you to be. I've seen you eat and enjoy foods that you dislike."
"...You're right. You caught me. Us. I'm a terrible person for coming all the way out here." Ruby folded her arms insecurely.
"What? Ruby, no. I didn't mean it that way." Amethyst sighed regrettably.
"This is not how I wanted to tell Cor."
"Okay. Just...be careful. Please."
Ruby nodded in agreement. "That's the plan."
    Moments later, they were reunited with the rest of the team.
    "Everything all right?" Artemis asked.
    "Everything's fine, Artie." Amethyst confirmed. "We know where to go."