Drake staggered up, his halberd attached to his back. He was clutching the dagger the Al Bhed threw at him in his left hand, still stained with his own blood.

"And when you come back...we'll be ready!" he growled, much like an injured beast ready to give hell to his assailant.

OOC: *Cough* Well that was anti-climactic...

Dezil had calmed down, now that it seemed Yngwie was mostly disarmed. He said, "Why do you choose to fight us? What does Lady Raine have that you want? Do you not also wish to defeat Sin and bring The Calm to the lands? If so why can't you let us continue our quest?"

Brian noticed Yngwie leave, and he also noticed the flow of ochus and wolves had dropped. He morphed back and looked at the hoards of stone wolves. Hope that helped.

Yngwie turned to Dezil.

"Defeat Sin? Hm. Hah. Ha ha ha! Everything you know, everything you were taught to believe is a lie! I've said it before, boy... you know nothing!"

"We know the only proven way to defeat Sin. We have seen the results of Al-Bhed plans in the past, and we have seen them all fail. Sin cannot be defeated by good intentions and fancy machina, it takes sweat, blood, and tears. It takes death to provide life in Spira. Life is fleeting, death is permenant, but the death of a few for the life of many is a price any summoner or guardian is willing to pay. But if I truely know nothing, educate me. How do the Al-Bhed plan to stop Sin when they have failed every time before."

"Who said anything about stopping Sin? Have you wondered why, despite all the summoner pilgrimages, Sin has never been destroyed? You didn't? No wonder."

"It is because no matter how many times Sin is vanquised, people never truely change. No matter how many time people are delived from the brink, people always begin to turn to their old ways. Technology, greed, violence, the Calms always end when these are once again on the rise as peace and hope for a life without Sin come. If people could actually change and become better for the destruction of Sin, maybe it would stay vanquished once and for all."

"And... if you aren't trying to stop Sin, what are your intentions with Raine?"

"So your plan is to ignore Sin and he'll go away. I'll ammend my statement. You aren't evil just retarded."

God, a fanatic. I hate fanatics.

"Then there is no point talking to you, either of you. You'll die just like the rest of them. It doesn't matter WHAT you do, you won't be able to stop it."

"Then what do you suggest to recommend the dying end? You have insullted us and called us fools, yet offered no alternatives. Do you have any alternatives, or is your suggestion simply to stick our heads in the sand and wait for Sin to come for us all?"

Ripel walked onto the field, breathing and sweating heavily though he seemed to have no wounds nor had partaken in the fight. Whatever the reason, he must have had a serious reason for stepping forward.

"Just go," he said to the Al Bhed attacker, "Your fiend allies have started to run off now. Just run, there's no point in staying here unless you want to die. The battle here has been decided.

"As for you," he continued, turning to face Dezil with his fists clenched, "Just shut up...please."

Dezil, still holding his sword, clenched his fist around it. "Do you want me to kill you now, Ripel? I would be happy to oblige, just say the word, and all of us would be happy to oblige. You avoid the fight and arrive just in time to show your connection to this figure, and then tell me to shut up. Perhaps if you, or he, or ANYONE explained what in all of Spira is going on here, I might be willing to oblige! I, along with the rest of us are in the dark, and you all seem to want us to listen to you on fiath alone! Well I for one like to have answers!"

Argoth yet again was spattered with his enemies blood. In fact his hands and forearms were dripping with it. "Just leave idiot" Argoth leveled Prometheus at Yngwie's throat, making sure he could make a quick thrust if the troublesome Al Bhed tried anything "before I loose my temper"

"I'm tired of this we have to stop the summoners bleeding heart bullshit." Mitsu burst out. "You assholes are hypocrits. The summoner is a pretty girl and you fall over yourselves to get in her way. Where were you when my brother went on his pilgrimage. Why didn't you stop him before he could die in the Calm Lands. You can all go to hell, and take your retarded 'plan' with you. Just cause you don't have the guts to lay down your life for the greater good, don't impede the way of those who have the courage to make the ultimate sacrifice."

He sighed to hear Mitsu rant.

""Whine, whine whine, sacrifice this, sacrifice that. You idiot, you think losing a brother gives you the right to lecture the whole world about sacrifice? Yours isn't the only tragic story in this world. You know nothing. "

Yngwie hurled a couple of silvery orbs to the ground, and a massive cloud of smoke billowed up, obscuring everything. There was a sound like a giant buzzing, and then suddenly the swordsman burst through the smokescreen, standing atop his golden dragonfly mount.

"Next time... there won't BE a next time!"

As Yngwie disappeared, Dezil muttered, "Oh, there will be a next time, and I will recieve answers sooner or later about what it going on..."

Argoth staggered back through the smoke hacking and coughing. He took a final look at Yngwie his eyes seething with rage "we will suceed, even if I have to take my own life I will make sure you are proven wrong" Argoth turns around "Zita, Ripel I think we should make out exit. Things are becoming more and more unfriendly as we speak"

Ripel closed his eyes and chuckled, taking a knee. "So...you," he started, ignoring Argoth at the moment, "Really think that little of me? Daring to say I have plans, that I've allied myself with this man, and even go so far as to call me a coward. All this is based on what?

"Idiots. I have no damn clue to where you got those ideas, let alone believe them. I do know that I do not want any blood shed here, nor should you since we are on temple grounds. I pretty much don't care if I die myself, but I don't like death. Not at all.

"The fight has been won, and unless this man here decides to continue to struggle against you, yes you since I am -obviously- too afraid to fight when I would simply get in the way, it would be murder to kill him now. And I find that killing in cold blood brings a bad taste in my mouth.

"So all of you who want to kill him, shut up. You're all like a bunch of kids, playing a game you don't really understand.

"Believe what you will of me. I will not allow an avoidable death, wether it be friend or foe."

(OOC: Jad, you should prolly have your guy have a major headache...or just ignore the side effects of the medicine...)

"Good, Ripel's back. And why are you accusing him of being connected to that bastard. He told the crazy to leave, then you accuse him of being the guys friends. And now that I defend Ripel, you'll prolly think that I was involved too, when I'm the one who saved half your lives...sorry about your shirt though."

Argoth sheathed his sword and began walking. He couldn't stand all the bickering and just wanted to make sure his job was done. Let them bicker amongst themselves. In turn it doesn't help anyway. Now then where did that summoner go?

OOC: sorry I wasn't around ^^;; I was drawing... ^^;;

Finally seeing the threat was gone, Raine stroked Ifrit before dismissing him and hopping onto the ground. Ifrit had carried her a little bit away from the others, chasing after the last of the attacking feinds, but now she could see them just through the trees so she walked through, saw her Guardians, and bowed, "I'm so sorry I am the cause for all of this trouble." She looked up at her Guardians, "Are you all alright?" She stopped talking as she noticed Ripel was there too, and it looked like they had been arguing.

Dezil immediatly said, "We are fine, but how are you doing? He was dangerously close to getting you this time, are you okay?"

OOC: I missed a page or two...

"Bruise on my back, but that's about it."

Raine smiled a bit, "I'm fine. I was just mostly worried about you guys... I thought he was going to kill you..." She said quietly, "We will have to keep our eyes open for him more often. So we don't get surprised again."

Uran walked over to the group. His dragons were currently playing with a peice of fried ochu, and Uran was trying to get some wolf-blood off of his combat knife.

"Wow. You people are truly and utterly crazy. And don't mind, I just finished mopping up the strays." One of the lizards growled cheerfully.

Uran sheathed his sword, and got the tattered remains of his coat off. He put it into his pack, it would be good for a torch.

"I take it this isn't a new thing for you guys? You know...the whole freaky Al Bhed showing up, criticising, almost killing you, then saying ta-ta?"

"I care not for the madness, or the hypocracy of the Al Bhed. They hate the system so, yet they offer no solutions. The system works, if only for a time. The only thing the Al Bhed have brought Spira is needless tragedy. Time has proven Sin is only vulnerable to the Final Summoning, to try different is folly and suicide. Now can we get back to Kilika I need a nap my head is killing me."

Raine nodded at Mitsu, "We should go rest at my mother's house before departing on the boat." she turned to head back to town, "We don't have a ton of room at my house, but some of you can crash on the couch or wherever you find room." She said then led the way back to town.

Drake managed to sheath the Al Bhed's knife inside his vest. I'll make him pay for nearly killing my comrades...and I'll keep this until I do.

He then stumbled along with the others, his right arm clutching his left. "You know...that lotion helped, but I think that dagger tore some tendons in my arm...would you happen to know of any hospitals back in town, Lady Summoner?"

Raine glanced back, "We don't have any hospitals, but once we get to my mom's house. I'll cure anybody that needs it."

(OOC: can I skip the trip to her mother's house and just start the next chapter starting with the boat to Baaj? )

OOC: In my opinion, yes.