Trials and Tribulations

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy X, nor any of the characters there within.

The air outside was absolutely frigid. Lulu's lips might have been blue if they had not been painted purple first. The party had been moving with a dragging pace, not much for Lulu's taste, especially in this type of weather. The road, which she held traveled twice before on separate pilgrimages, had not much changed.

Has not changed much at all.

Lulu thought, deftly skirting past a particulary large patch of ice that was mostly hidden under a thin layer of snow, and which Wakka promptly slipped on in her wake. The others laughed at his folly, except for the black mage, the legendary guardian, and the usually silent Ronso. Lulu might have laughed, had she not been so cold.

The Ronso quietly took it upon himself to right the stumbling red head when Tidus failed to help Wakka up and slipped himself. Yuna and Rikku found the events highly amusing and eventually a small smile tugged at the corners of Lulu's lips. She would never forget how Wakka's legs went up into the air, or Tidus eyes get so large as his legs slipped out from under him.

Of course, comedies did not long occupy the mind when cold was a constant companion. Patience wore thin amidst the group, which only sharpened Lulu's curt tongue.

"Jeez, it's cold, ya?" Wakka grumbled jokingly, trying to make light of the weather and terrain, but Lulu failed to see the humor in it.

"That's the fifth time you've said that, and complaining about it is not going to help the current conditions. You should have spent your money on a coat instead of yet another brand of blitzball when the ones you already have are in fine working order." She snapped, the chill in her voice one to match the ice around them.

"Aw, but Lu!" Wakka tried to explain his means behind buying the spiky blue and white weapon and found he could not place the right words. Tidus piped up for him and perhaps unwisely so.

"It's a blitzball thing, Lulu, we players just love to have one handy." He offered cheerfully. Lulu turned her crimson eyes to him unabashed.

"I hardly think that lugging around seven blitzballs is neither cost nor traveling efficient, and Wakka is now a retired blitzball player, he should have need for only one weapon to fight off enemies. And you should not be encouraging each other to babble on about the games when you should be focused on this pilgrimage!"

Lulu seemed ready to continue the rather one sided debate when Yuna appeared at her elbow and ferried the mage forward, speaking quickly about nothing in particular, while the two blitzball players looked down in shame and shuffled their feet. Rikku bounded after Yuna and Lulu, and Kimarhi walked silently past; though Tidus halted Auron before he could drift by.

"What do you think Auron, about the blitzballs?"

"I think she's right." He said after a moment's thought, and followed the others. Tidus shrugged at Wakka and they too trailed after the group.

The remainder of the trip lapsed in silence.

Happiness (and warmth) was found at last in an Al bhed traveler's agency; which the group picked up their feet at last to the promise of rest and a warm meal. And with night falling and temperatures dropping rapidly, even Wakka did not argue the questionable origin of the agency.

Warmth came as a blast when the company entered the doors, as did some contended sighs. Fires crackled pleasantly in the hearths, a few furs adorned the walls and the floors, and ice skates hung on the walls from wooden pegs. Though Lulu doubted they would have time to ice skate, she sighed softly as Rikku seemed to take a real interest in the bladed shoes.

Auron had edged past the group for the front desk and was asking about rooms. The woman at the counter smiled sadly as her eyes moved over the party.

"We only have four rooms available, sir."

The legendary guardian stared at her for a moment, and then turned to face the group, of which he suddenly had all their attention.

"Only four rooms?" Tidus spoke disbelievingly. "How are we going to do that?"

Rikku sidled up to Yuna, clutching the older girls arms in both of hers.

"Oh, I get to stay with Yunie! We have some serious chatting to do."

Yuna smiled sheepishly, but did not argue.

"Kimarhi get own room." The Ronso growled possessively, now that Yuna had been taken care of. Tidus cast a flirtatious glance at Yuna and Rikku.

"I wouldn't mind sharing a room with you ladies…" he winked, both Yuna and Rikku giggled.

"I don't think so." Auron ground out flatly.

"Aw, what? Bunk with you?" Tidus slumped forward, deflated at the thought. "But you are so boring, Auron."

Auron "humph"ed at the statement, but Tidus did submit to the older guardian. Besides, the agency only held one bed a room. Tidus was about to argue that he would only have use for one bed with the girls, but the disgruntled faces of Wakka and Lulu stopped his dispute short.

The entire company then turned to Wakka and Lulu, whose eyes went wide respectively. All of the rooms had been claimed except one. Lulu turned a not so subtle glare at Wakka; an accusatory glare that said: "You had this planned all along, didn't you?"

Wakka held up his hands in innocence, shaking his head—he hadn't planned this!

Lulu turned her back to him and was the first to trek to the rooms, "You can sleep on the floor." She said coolly, adjoined with a round of chuckles throughout the company.

Tidus was surprised to hear even the grizzled warrior he would be bunking with chuckle.

"Not even engaged, yet they bicker like a married couple."

"What was that, Auron?" Tidus asked impishly, knowing full well what the guardian had just said, but Auron just shook his head.

"Nothing."

When Wakka closed the door to the last room down the hall, he was almost immediately assaulted.

"I don't know how, but I know you are to blame for this."

"Whaaat?" Wakka said as though a ton of bricks had just fallen on his head.

"Like I said before, you can sleep on the floor." She said, her back still to him as she deftly took the pins out of her hair and set them on the nightstand.

"Aw c'mon Lu, be sensible, ya? It'll be cold and hard lying on the floor—I need rest too!" he reasoned.

"Well you should have thought of that before everyone had claimed the rooms." She said coldly, now working to loose her many braids. Even in Wakka's not so subtly harassed state, he knew full well the extent of Lulu's rage. When she wanted to control anger through means other than furiously flinging spells, she would instead work at her hair. Of course, she would have to braid it again the next day (and on the rare but occasional incidents, she would still be upset for so long as to carry it over another day) with the same vehement passion.

Wakka swallowed hard.

"I was just tryin' to be polite!" he pouted, barely daring to continue. "Y-you c-could have s-spoken up too, you know?"

Lulu turned to face him, crimson eyes flashing, fingers still entwined in her long raven hair.

"This is not improving your chances of sleeping in a bed tonight." She snarled.

"Aww, Lu!"

"Besides, I remember you being quite the bed hog when you were little."

"What! But we never—" Wakka began feverishly.

"Chappu told me." Lulu stated in exasperation; had Wakka forgotten he had a brother? Wakka made a strangled noise, one Lulu had come to know that he was at a loss for words. There were secrets between he and his little brother that the latter was supposed to keep. Lulu did not trouble to hide a devilish smile at Wakka's discomfort. "Oh yes, your brother told me so much about you, I know more than you would think."

Wakka upraised his hands once more, in efforts to give up the rather one-sided battle.

"Of course, Lu, of course."

Finally seeming satisfied, the verbal battle was dropped; Lulu went back to silently unbraiding her hair. Wakka sighed and began to remove his shirt when Lulu gave an exhale of exclamation.

Wakka froze, and wisely so.

"What are you doing?"

"It's just the shirt," Wakka supplied, already knowing where the conversation was going. "Everything else will stay on." Lulu stared at him, with her hair entirely down, she somehow looked less severe; younger. How she should look—not so aged with terrible past experiences, not so weighted with sorrow and regret. Her long raven hair pulled at some memory deep within him of when they would all play together as children; yet here she stood now—poised, defined—she was beautiful. With the "younger" Lulu before him, he was tempted into his next comment despite himself, "but, if you wanted to dress down…"

Lulu was not amused. Those crimson eyes, which had only a moment before looked at him with youth and perhaps the faintest touch of uncertainty, slanted with grim severity.

"I will not hesitate to cast a spell on you." She stated sincerely, as she slipped into one side of the bed, fully clothed. Wakka chuckled, but kept tight to his own side of the bed lest he incurred the mages' wrath any further, silently murmuring under his breath.

"You already have, Lu."

Author's Note: Aww, what a mushy part to stop at. Wakka better watch it, things might get a little more intense as the night draws on (insert evil laughter here). And poor Yuna, having to play peacemaker when tension is high. Well, she does a good job of it.

I thought this would be a fun idea to do (dunno exactly how it came to me again, probably while I was visiting an Al bhed shop--these people have to sleep sometime! And why not in comfort on occaision?) I chose the more chilly setting because I actually have another funny bit to add, I'm just unsure of how to work it in and it might cause a slight delay in the next post! NO! This piece is far from finished yet. It might be two chapters for this story, or more likely three, I just need some time to hammer out the little details. Luckily however, this beginning part is pleasing to me, so it is posted! I hope you all like the first installment there!

You folks can look forward to a love triangle between Wakka, Lulu, and Auron--there wasn't too much Auron and Lulu interaction in this one, but there will be in a later chapter. (The next one might tailor more toward Yuna smoothing out what happens the morning after. Tee hee!)

Anyway, I hope you will look forward to more and will please review!

Blackfire 18