The Origin of the Bracelet

By: Chibi-Sorrow

The night was silent as the seven of the pilgrimage sat around a burning fire, courtesy of Lulu. Well, almost silent minus Rikku's scattered giggling as she talked to her cousin in hush tones. This time both her and Yuna giggled out loud a bit as Rikku reached over and gently pulled on the beads dangling from Yuna's hair.

"Yunie, I still can't believe you have these!" beamed Rikku as she looked in slight awe at the beads.

"Of course I still have them, Rikku. It was the first gift I received from you when we were growing up. Remember, it was the first time we had met. You were around… Oh, I'd say five years old. It was right after my father defeated Sin…" Yuna murmured in soft tones as she spoke to her cousin. She watched Rikku grin still as she nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Yeah, I know! That was when I had some strange obsession with making anything out of beads! That didn't last long though," laughed Rikku as she put a hand behind her head as Tidus decided to join in the conversation.

"Whoa, so you made those, Rikku? Weird. I never thought of you as someone who would use beads." said Tidus as Rikku turned her attention to him on the other side of Yuna.

"Yeah, it's weird, I know."

"I'm surprised Rikku could do somethin' like that without breaking it, ya?" said Wakka, adding in his two cents as Lulu rolled her eyes.

"Wakka, I do believe that is your issue." Lulu spoke in low tones as Rikku and Tidus started cracking up at that comment.

"Hey, now! I ain't that bad!"

"Right, Wakka. Just keep telling yourself that," mumbled Tidus briefly before Wakka pulled him into a headlock.

"Brudda needs to learn to keep his mouth shut!" laughed Wakka as Tidus tried to pull his head out, gagging somewhat.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" He yelled as laughter filled the background from most of the occupants.

A little bit off from the others sat Auron, tinkering with his sake jug and the bead bracelet that it hung from. As normal, he strayed off from the them, staying in his own thoughts. As he heard the others speak of Yuna's hair decoration, it got him to thinking of where he had gotten his own little thing of beads…

Ten years ago…

It was another cold day on the outskirts of Mount Gagazet as Auron trudged his way away from everything that lie back there. He didn't even want to think anymore on what had occurred just recently. He shook his head in anger as he limped to the closest shop that was close by.

'Braska would be so disappointed in me…' he thought grimly.

Finally, after what seemed like ages to him, but really was only minutes, he finally reached the shop. He pulled the doorknob open, slowly pushing the door forward as he walked into the shop. He was immediately greeted by the female Al-Bhed that stood behind the desk. He nodded to her in his own gesture of hello, before taking a seat in one of the closest chairs. Resting his arms on the table, he laid his head down, exhausted from everything.

'I… just need to rest here a bit…' his weary thoughts came out slowly, mixing around strangely in his head.

It wasn't until a few moments later did he notice a strange tugging, that seemed to persist non-stop, on his large red coat. He wearily blinked his eyes before looking down to see what was pulling on him. And to his surprise, his eyes met with a large pair of emerald-green, swirling Al-Bhed eyes. His eyes widened at seeing them, before noticing that it was a small, Al-Bhed child clinging to his jacket. It was hard to admit, but even he had to say she was one cute little kid. She was quite short, probably only around four or five years old, with a mass of blond hair held up in two pigtails. She wore a pale yellow sleeveless dress that went just above her knees; a belt with pouches attached around her waist, and a pair of brown boots. She gave him a small smile as she looked up to him, still clinging to his jacket.

"Hiya!" she squeaked out happily as she, again, still hung onto his coat for some reason.

"Hello… Little girl, why are you clinging to my coat?" he asked, looking at somewhat blankly.

"'Cause I wanna!" she said back, tilting her head to the side before she started talking to him again. "What's your name? My name's Rikku! I'm five and a half!"

He let out a small, almost microscopic, chuckle at her hyper nature, before answering her question.

" My name is Auron…"

"Ohhh, I like your name! Sounds lots different than mine! Hey, why are you here all by yourself? Don't you have any friends? Are you alone?" she questioned, talking quite fast as she looked up to him. His eyes took on a sad look as he looked away from her and stared out into the window ahead.

"No… No, I don't. They're gone…" he muttered more to himself than to her. He distantly heard her let out a small gasp, before he heard her digging around for something in one of those many pouches she had, or that was what he assumed her to be doing. It was silent for a moment before he felt her attaching… something onto his sake jug. He blinked in confusion before looking down to her to see what she could possibly be doing.

To his complete and utter shock, Rikku has attached a small, colorfully beaded bracelet to his sake jug. He blinked his eyes again in confusion before looking over to her. She beamed up at him, still smiling brightly as she had done before.

"It's a friendship bracelet! I made it all by myself! I'll be your friend, okay? You won't be alone anymore!" she giggled out as she now decided she wanted to cling to his arm instead. She hugged it tightly until she felt herself being lifted up and onto his lap. Rikku, for once, looked to him in confusion as she sat on his lap. He gave her a small smile as she grinned up at him again, her confusion gone as she jumped up, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. That action certainly caught him off guard, but he allowed the gesture to continue, though he didn't respond to it.

"Rikku! Mad'c ku!" shouted a voice from outside of the shop.

"Lussehk, Papa!" she yelled back, her high-pitched voice squeaking somewhat. She turned back to Auron, smiling at him still.

"I gotta go, okay? My Papa is calling me. But don't worry! I'll see you again! Still friends, right?" she asked, looking up at him hopefully, her large eyes shinning. He blinked slightly, before nodding his head a bit at her.

"Yeah…Still friends…" he mumbled quietly to her. She smiled brightly as she quickly leaned up, giving him a kiss on the cheek, before she bounded off his lap and ran out the door, waving to him.

"Bye bye, Auron!" she squeaked out as she left the shop. He looked on in shock again, just taking in the fact that she had kissed him.

He shook his head in slight amusement, before looking down at the bracelet she attached to him.

'Friends, huh…'

Back to the Present…

He shook his head as that memory resurfaced, blinking slightly as he looked over to the group, seeing that Tidus and Wakka were still being their stupid selves while Lulu, Rikku and Yuna all watched in amusement. But it was Rikku that he really looked at.

'It's been ten years since that day she clung to me at the shop…I don't even know why I have still kept that bracelet… She probably doesn't remember any of it.' he thought, shaking his head slightly. He looked back up to the others again, and to his surprise, Rikku was now making her way over to him. She gave him her normal grin, as he plainly seemed to be ignoring her. She turned her head at an angle, trying to get a look at him.

"Hey there, Auron! Whatcha doing?" she asked cheerily.

"Hmph…" Came Auron's normal reply as he sat there, acting like his tough self. She still continued to stay there, smiling at him all the same.

"Say, Auron? Where'd you get that bracelet from?" she questioned him, watching as he visibly stiffened in response to her question, before forcefully relaxing and acting as if it never happened.

"I… got it… a long time ago…" he finally got out, muttering his reply.

"Oh, is that so?"

"Hmm…"

She noticed that he now refused to look at her after asking that question. Of course, in all honesty, she knew where the bracelet was from. She just wanted to see his reaction since he had been staring at it for quite some time.

"Well…I'm glad you kept it…Thanks, Auron," she said as she turned away and started walking back to the others. He looked up in surprise after hearing her response, his eye widening.

"Rikku, wait."

She turned back to him, looking at him over her shoulder curiously.

"Hmm? What is it?" she asked as she walked back over to him. She crouched down in front of him, trying to get a good look of him in the eye, but before she could really do so, she felt him lay one of his large hands on top of her head, giving her hair a quick ruffle.

"I never… got to thank you for it… So, thank you, Rikku." he mumbled slightly, seeming embarrassed that him, Sir Auron, great legendary warrior, was thanking an Al-Bhed girl for a bracelet. He watched as she gave him a smile again, nodding her head under his hand.

"Your welcome, Auron…"

Soooo…How was it? Hope this didn't seem too OCC! This is my idea on where that bracelet thingy came from, as well as Yuna's hair thingy. This idea has been swimming in my head for weeks and I just HAD to write it! Hope everyone liked it! Well, it's 8:05 in the morning and I have yet to go to bed, so I shall be going now! Night everyone!