A short little one-shot. Since Christmas is only days away for us here in America, I thought it was time to write a little something. It's not great, but I'm content enough with it. Because I am an American, I used the traditional ideas for the holiday. Things such as red, green, trees, and stars. Hope you enjoy.
One more thing though, even though Christmas is supposed to be a joyous holiday, I did promise one writer that my next story would be angst. Pickamandy, this is for you! Merry Christmas!
Disclaimer says: Gin owns no rights to the places or characters inside this work of fiction. If I did, well you don't want to know what would happen.
A slender hand pulled back away from the star it had placed upon the top of a small evergreen tree. The hand could be followed to a sheer blue sleeve held in place by black cords. The owner of these sleeves and hand smiled as she turned to face her boyfriend.
Sea blue eyes shone back to her before he wrapped tanned hands around her black lace skirted hips. "It looks wonderful, Yuna. You did a great job."
The woman named Yuna giggled before leaning forward and planting a soft kiss to his lips.
"Hey, didn't I tell you two to get a room?" A thickly accented voice teased from the other side of the room. His orange hair stood out like a beacon in the red and green decorated hut. It didn't seem to bother the man nor the dark woman at his side. The woman gave her version of a smile, though half of it was hidden behind a wall of black hair.
"Wakka, I think it's perfectly acceptable given the season. Now that the tree is done, why don't we join everyone outside? I think the celebration is about to begin soon." The woman's belts clinked softly as she left the hut and greeted people just outside the door.
Wakka, the man with the orange hair, sighed as he followed her out. His two year old son ran up and hugged his legs as soon as he was out in the descending sun. "Papa! Papa! Aunt Likku here!" Vidina adored his aunt although no matter how much they corrected he struggled to say her name right. The toddler then pointed toward the entrance of the quickly growing village. There a young blond Al Bhed stood struggling to keep a large red sack on her shoulders.
Wakka handed the boy over to his mother before walking over to help his friend. "Eh, you need some help?"
"That would be great," Rikku replied as she released her hold on the sack and let it fall to the ground. "That thing is heavier then it looks." She kicked the bag gently with one foot.
Wakka winced slightly as he picked the bag up, "What do you have in here? It feels like a shoopuff!"
Rikku giggled as she followed him back to Yuna's hut. "It's just gifts, silly. What, being a father making you weak as well as pudgy?" She teased.
Wakka huffed before taking it inside to where Yuna and Tidus were still having their own private little party. "Knock Knock!" He warned as he entered forcing the couple to jump apart and blush is if caught red handed.
Tidus scratched at the back of his head before seeing what was brought in. "What do you got there, Wakka?" He moved in trying to sneak a peak.
"Hey! None of that! They are for later. Unless you like ruined surprises!" Rikku smacked his hand earning a yelp from him in response.
Yuna overcame her embarrassment and ran over to her cousin, wrapping her arms around her as she did so. "Rikku! I'm so glad you were able to make it. When Uncle Cid said you were busy, I thought you would miss this."
"Who me? Miss the very first ever Faythmas with family? I don't think so." Rikku smiled as she hugged her cousin back before disentangling herself and moving the sack she brought to the edge of the room closer to the tree.
Faythmas, that was the name given to the holiday being celebrated. When Baralai and Bevelle came to Yuna wishing to present a holiday after her in honor of what she did, Yuna had been honored, but declined the offer. They had gotten together and discussed the whys and the why nots, before settling on an appropriate day. Yuna had stated that while being a summoner she wanted to save Spira, she did it because it would make people happy, not because of how they would feel about her. The second time she did it, wasn't because she was thinking about the people but about herself. Saving Spira just happened to be a part of it.
The fayth were the ones that deserved to be honored, not the summoners. They helped the world for a thousand years before getting the rest the deserved. It was from this proclamation that a holiday was decided upon, Faythmas. Bevelle quickly went to work to spread the news around the world and everyone eagerly joined in the celebration exchanging gifts and remembering what was given up and sacrificed for this time of eternal calm.
Outside, Cid's loud voice could be heard shouting for his daughter. Rikku brightened up hoping that he was going to stick around the island and celebrate with her. She ran from the hut shouting "Happy Faythmas" to everyone she passed. "Pops! This means you plan on staying, right? Besaid has the best celebrations!"
"Naw, I just came to say that I'll be heading back home. I wanted to make sure you were fine here."
"Oh come on, Pops. I'm nineteen years old. Do you really think I need a babysitter?" She swung her green and red decorated arms around before crossing them over her chest in mock frustration. "Besides, I'm with Yunie, and Paine will be here soon as well what could go wrong?"
Cid stared down at her not saying a word. He knew what she was thinking about, but also knew his daughter well enough not to mention it. Rikku and he had become closer since the defeat of Shuyin and she left the gullwings. There were many secrets that father and daughter shared at night before going off to bed. "Alright. I worry about you. If things get too rough, call me. I'll come pick you up right away."
"Don't worry Pops, I'll be fine." Rikku tried to smile before they wished one another Happy Faythmas and parted. Inside, she understood why he was worried. She had expressed a feeling of longing several times as if she was not complete. Cid had said she was finally ready to settle down. Problem was, there was no one she knew of that was good enough for his little girl. And that made seeing the others that much harder.
Pushing down those feelings of jealousness, Rikku plastered a grin on her face and went back to where Vidina was waiting for her to play with him. Lulu stood nearby and watched for a bit before heading off to her hut and preparing a feast that would be served just after the sun went down completely. Several villagers were already hard at work and she jumped right in.
The bonfire that normally burned in the middle of the village was gone and replaced by a tree far larger then the homes around it. Shredded paper lay all around as no one had as of yet picked it up to be disposed. It was small evidence of the gifts that had been exchanged between friends. Rikku sat near the edge with a sphere recorder making sure to get all the action in she could. This was Spira's first worldwide holiday, it was a day to be remembered!
She made sure that everyone was recorded at some point. Even Paine and Kimahri had smiled for her. Gippal waved wildly until she had to threaten erasing him from the movie to make him stop. Now, the party was winding down. The couples sat close to one another under the stars whispering words of love and peace between them. Rikku tried to make sure each one was recorded, but the more she watched, the more her heart sank.
The recorder was turned off with a soft click. It was set on the ground next to her before Rikku pulled her knees up to her chest. The ribbons on her sleeves waved in the warm island air making her close her eyes in an attempt to find contentment. She never found it, and instead stood up to head off to bed. Let the couples have their time. It wasn't a place for her right now.
As she bent over to retrieve her recorder, a flash or red fabric caught her attention. "Huh? Was that-" Biting her lip, she glanced around once thinking that maybe someone else had seen it too. They were all engrossed in themselves and not paying attention to anything else. "I wonder."
Following where she had seen the fabric took her outside of the village. No one noticed her leave.
Rikku ran down the trail that led to the beach searching for the hint of a figure she saw. Her heart pounded in her chest as she chased it. The red bikini she wore for the holiday stood out from the foliage around her, but it was dull compared to the red she saw before. "Wait! Come back!" She shouted several times to no avail.
She was panting and sweating by the time she reached the beach. The moon was hidden behind clouds down here making seeing difficult. "Hello? Is anyone here?" Rikku called out hoping that she wasn't alone. Her fingers hovered over her daggers just in case she should need them.
There was no answer to her calls no matter how many times she repeated herself. Frustrated, Rikku turned to head back to the village. It was foolish of her to come down here alone anyway. What did she really hope to find anyway? It was at this point her breath hitched.
There standing in the middle of the path leaving no room for her to pass was Auron. She rubbed her swirled eyes in disbelief. There was no way he could be here! Yunie had danced him away to the farplane years ago.
"Auron, is it really?" Small sobs began to escape from pale lips. Perhaps this was all just a dream and she would be waking up in a moment and he would be gone. But when she clamped her eyes closed, counted to ten, and then opened them again, Auron still stood in front of her. It made her heart race both in joy and fear. What could his being here now mean?
He lifted on gloved finger to his lips before holding a hand out waiting for her to take it. "Come with me," He said. It may have been spoken quietly, but there was an underlining note of command as if he knew he was not going to be refused.
Rikku could only nod as she took hold of his hand all words escaping her. Auron led her to a secluded section of the beach that seemed, if possible, even darker then where she was before. The clouds floated above forbidding the moon to shine her light. The water of the sea lapping gently at the sand was the only sound except for Rikku's uneven breathing.
"Sit down. It is time for your gift now." Releasing her hand, Auron walked closer to the water before stepping on top of it. As he did so his body became as lights. Swirls of greens and blues, with some violets and reds thrown in began dancing. It didn't take long for more to join in the dance of the pyerflies.
Rikku watched in awe as the form she knew turn into a thing of beauty in front of her. Tears streamed down her face in sheer joy, yet a part of her cried out in sadness. Pyreflies normally meant death, and she could not forget that, but this show of lights was so much more then that.
The lights swooped and skimmed the surface of the water sending ripples in all directions only becoming lost when they hit another. The sight was so captivating that she almost forgot and reached out to touch a pyrefly as it swirled around her. The show lasted about an hour before they all came together and flew straight up. Rikku accidentally cried out as they left before small white flakes began to fall around her.
Standing up, she reached out in front of her to catch it, "Snow? On Besaid? But it's so warm."
"They are the hopes of the pyerflies. They are being passed onto you." That deep voice she had come to love hearing back during Yuna's pilgrimage was suddenly speaking in her ear. It sent a chill down her spine.
"I-I don't get it. The hopes? And you? You're supposed to be dead." Finding her courage, Rikku took a step to her right and away. One bowed arm rested on her hip while the other was busy pointing at the man in accusation. "Just what are you doing here anyway?"
He didn't even seemed ashamed as his one good eye stared at her over the rim of his trademark glasses. He simply stood in place staring at the girl in front of him without saying a word. He shook his head as if to say that it could not be explained in words, either she would understand or she wouldn't.
"Auron?" Rikku began softly unsure if what she wanted to ask could even be answered. "I know you're dead, I watched as you faded away in front of us all. But Tidus came back for Yunie. Aren't you, can't you do the same?"
"I'm not a dream. I lived my life and died. You know that. I'm only here now for one reason." He lifted his face and stared out over the horizon. "Day will be here soon."
"Does that mean you have to go back?" The snow was still falling around them and laying gently within Rikku's braids and tails. She looked up and saw a flash of hurt inside his brown eye before it was gone and hidden behind dark shades. "I know, be strong, right? It's okay, thanks for trying, Auron."
Pulling herself away from him, Rikku turned to go. The snow slowed and stopped before she reached the path off the beach. Not once did she look back. Someday she might find one that she could share this moment with, but for now the memories were all hers. And they would stay inside. She held her hands close to her chest as she walked keeping the hopes inside until the right time.
Auron watched her go until he faded back away to where he belonged. Once back he reached up to his scarred face and pulled his shades off. He held them within his gloved hand for only a moment before throwing them further inside the farplane. With a small sigh and nod of his head, Auron released the pyerflies that made up his body allowing them to float away on their own will.