Chapter one of what will probably be three or four, becuase I like this take on the characters and, yunno, why not?
Loads of people have 'done' Rikku questioning or messing about with the sake jug, and after being 'inspired' by a poor friend of mine at a party I thought I'd do nasty, gritty drunk. The kind that needs looking after...and if it's Auron the gods chose to do so, well, I'm not complaining ;)
Thanks to Tari for the beta once more.
Auron had been worrying for her ever since his sake had gone 'missing.' In fact, he'd finally accepted that he would worry about Rikku if she was out of sight for too long… The same also applying for Yuna of course, and to a certain extent Tidus; but they were more in the range of concern, rather than worry. He was bound to protect the couple by duty and his promises to Jecht and Braska, but fretting over the young Al-Bhed was born entirely out of his own sentiments. It was because of her age, he reasoned; she really was too young to be a guardian in all due respect... Nevertheless he'd allowed it, and would agonise that something irreversible would happen to her. One qualm was that if 'something' did happen to her, he would be responsible because he'd let her join the pilgrimage.
"Where is Rikku?" he announced calmly from the deck of Cid's airship. A somber mood hung in the air after the destruction of Home earlier that day; she'd disappeared shortly afterwards, incidentally about the same time his sake (he should be more watchful for thieves' fingers) and neither had been seen for about three hours.
"She went below deck," Lulu remarked calmly, "no one has seen her since." Auron did not want to be the person who had to look for her, but it seemed that none of the other guardians were willing, for they more focused on Yuna. However, he knew that Seymour still clung to the notion of wedding the young Summoner and was, therefore, unlikely to harm her… She was physically safe for the time being. Whereas he did not know where Rikku was - or if she was out of harm's way - which was now nagging at his subconscious.
"Fine," he carped gruffly, "I won't be long." He turned to storm irately down the corridor and began to systematically knock all the doors open in search for her. He eventually discovered a sad little pile of fifteen-year-old guardian in one of the cabins, along with a significantly drained jug of sake and the broken shards of what appeared to be a glass.
"Rikku?" he enquired sternly as some turbulence caused the ship to shift and he was pushed awkwardly through the door. "Rikku?" A slight heaving of her coiled limbs indicated that she was alive at the very least.
The notion that that she had or would cut herself on the broken glass bolted through his mind, so he stepped forwards to kick some of the larger shards aside, and noticed a shiver running through her body that seemed to acknowledge his presence.
"Rikku, can you hear me?" he repeated for what felt like an eternity until she gave a slight nod before collapsing even farther forwards. She was luckily saved from having her face cut to shreds by a strong arm that lashed out to stop her. Auron realised as her weight slumped against him that she was very, very drunk… Which was what he got for keeping such strong alcohol 'carelessly' on his person. She either didn't want to, or was simply unable to reply to any of his questions, so Auron heaved a frustrated sigh. The young girl could not even look at him through her intoxication.
"Rikku, you need to go to bed: stand up," he demanded in a way that had absolutely no effect on her because she was completely devoid to any form of intimidation… Or anything for that matter. With another sigh, Auron moved closer and took the girl into his arms; but although he could easily lift her, he worried that she would hurt her neck, being unable to hold herself to any sort of rigidity. Luckily he managed to shift her head to rest in the crook of his neck as he stood with what felt like a rag doll, treading carefully over the broken glass to carry Rikku out of the door.
As he stepped into the light, Auron detected her making a quiet whining noise and she flinched convulsively in his hold.
"Who's there?" she mumbled wanly as Auron planned to go up to the bridge and present this wreck to the others, hoping that someone might know what to do with her. He didn't reply to her question on the basis of it being pointless; what in Spira did it matter who found her?
"I'm taking you to the others," he stated stiffly as she shuddered in a way that he really hoped wouldn't result in her vomiting.
"Can… we… bathroom?" She groaned coherently enough for the older guardian to catch the crucial words and be keen to keep vomit off ofhis robe. Entering into a small cell-like room he came across in the search for her, Auron sat Rikku down on the floor as gently as he could manage, trying to keep her facing away from him as she heaved a steadying breath… Perhaps, he hopes, she won't be sick…
All of a sudden, the young guardian's skinny fingers shot up and forced themselves down her throat, rewarding her with an unhealthy retch before Auron can fiercely snatch for her hand to stop this.
"Don't," he snapped in a shocked state. To his surprise, she pulled away and repeated the action, finally acquiring the desired effect into a fortunately placed bin (placed by him, he might add.) He wanted to tell her to stop again but knew that he was too late: her pained hacks and heaving causing him to shudder. Eventually, not knowing what else to do, he reached out to rest a hand on her back, instinctively circling it against her trembling frame as a large amount of his sake made a second appearance.
"I'm… sorry…" she whimpered weakly with tears in her eyes and Auron merely shook his head.
"You aren't sorry yet," he replied forebodingly as she gagged again, followed by a heavy sob an onslaught of tears tumbling down her wan face.
"They're all…" She wept raggedly, scrubbing a hand across her burning eyes and grinding the moisture into her skin. "It's all…" Another hiccup accompanied by a sigh from the older guardian. "Everything's… gone." She spat wretchedly and began to sob again. "All…my…"
Auron attempted to reply but realised it was a useless endeavour with her in this state. So when her retching became dry, becoming therefore merely discomforting and painful, he pulled her back to lean against his chest as if he were cradling a child. Auron recalled Tidus once returning home in a similar state to this when they were still in Zanarkand; the foolish boy had one too many post-match drinks after a blitzball match and paid very severely for it… Not to mention the extreme hangover that he suffered in the aftermath. Unfortunately, Auron cannot remember how in Spira he dealt with him, but eventually decided on another attempt at handing Rikku over to the other guardians. He balled her up in his arms and moved gingerly back into the corridor. However, upon realising that her father was in the bridge, he could not bring himself to it; it was not his place to present a daughter to her father in this state… That will be her decision.
Reluctantly, he turned around with the poor girl in his hold and found a room with a cot in it. Setting Rikku down as well as he could manage; Auron turned the Al-Bhed on her side (just in case) and pulled the soft coverlets to her chin. However, the next problem was that she wouldn't close her eyes to sleep: the red-rimmed spirals fixed open as her pupils writhed rather disturbingly.
"Sleep, Rikku," demanded Auron levelly, but she appeared to shake her head.
"Spinning," she replies semi-consciously, then for no apparent reason burst into tears again. Auron pressed a hand over his face exasperatedly as the Al-Bhed sobbed bitter tears that rolled down her face and darkened the pillow that she rested against.
"Shh, stop crying." He found himself hushing in a low tone as she curled up and the constricting of her daunting eyes disappeared from his view, replaced by her hands as she whimpered in a pitiable way. He shifted to sit next to her on the bed and allowed her to crawl over and rest against him. When she calmed slightly, he went to move away, but the weeping started up once more. He sighed yet again and lifted her to lie in his lap, his hand trailing across her hair, which was still clean and soft. Regardless of whether he thought it would help her or himself, Auron drew his fingers soothingly through her fringe to draw it off her face, and she shivered into him as he pulled the blanket further across her sorry frame.
"Silly girl," he murmured softly as her breathing gradually settled and he assumed she had fallen asleep… That is until the half-closed door was raucously flung open.
"Auron, you in here?!" Tidus barked loudly before a vicious snarl of "Quiet!!" silenced him. However, he still managed to wake the slumbering girl, who groaned feebly until the older guardian ran his calloused, and yet surprisingly soothing hand along her upper arm, effectively warming her back to sleep.
"Is that Rikku?" Tidus enquired in a false whisper as Auron shot him a scathing glare.
"Who do you think it is?" He retorted venomously, angered that after he finally managed to get Rikku asleep, Tidus had to barge in so noisily… He was also angry to be caught in such an exposed and somewhat vulnerable state.
"What's wrong with her?" the boy pried nosily, and Auron signalled that the lights be switched off.
Once the room was dimmed he replied: "She's drunk," much to Tidus' astonishment.
"Drunk?" He gawped at the fitfully sleeping girl and Auron rolled his remaining eye.
"Very drunk," he added tiredly… Perhaps all of the stress was beginning to take a toll on him.
"But… how?" Tidus questioned, still in shock.
"Sake," Auron replied curtly, "Mine." Tidus stared at Rikku for a while longer and then sat down next to his mentor, bemused.
"I didn't realise she was so upset," he remarked quietly as his eyes adjusted to the faint light, Rikku drifting in and out of a confused slumber. The Legendary Guardian would have probably remained there all night, had Tidus not eventually volunteered to take over. He felt guilty for Auron having to look after Rikku so diligently in her vulnerable state.
"She's asleep, right? So what's the problem?" he declared optimistically as for some reason, the older guardian was reluctant to budge. Auron could easily name several things that might go wrong if the boy wasn't careful enough, which was why he was reluctant to leave Rikku with him even if only for a few hours.
"Tell the others," he announced quietly as he shifted her slightly to ease the discomfort of her shoulder blade digging into his leg. "Maybe they will have a better solution." She sighed softly in her broken sleep and Auron craned his head slightly to check if she had woken up, but luckily she was still unconscious, remaining so as Tidus slipped out to dash up to the bridge.
"Guys!" He whispered at first, and then realised he didn't need to anymore. "GUYS!" He hollered urgently and practically half the cabin crew then turned to look at him expectantly.
"Uh…" He gawped as he stumbled backwards. "Guardian stuff, guys: outside maybe?" Lulu and Wakka filed out while Kimahri remained; he wasn't really tailored to handle those sorts of situations anyway.
"What is it?" Lulu enquired coolly as Tidus wondered what words would best phrase the circumstances.
"It's Rikku," he mumbled awkwardly. "She's, well, in a bad way… Auron sent me to get you because…"
"Eh? What do ya mean 'bad way'?" Wakka demanded; he was still unhappy with the girl's race, but that didn't affect his concern for her.
"Well, you know Auron 'lost' his sake?" Wakka suddenly scoffed disdainfully. If Rikku was drunk, then that was all her own doing.
However Lulu sighed with pity for the young girl. "Where is she?" she enquired tactfully, "Did you leave her alone?" Tidus immediately shook his head.
"Nope, Auron's still with her," he answered self-assuredly. "He was looking after her." Lulu raised an eyebrow sceptically.
"Really? Well where are they, then?" she questioned dryly and Tidus obediently pointed down the corridor to the closed door.
"Keep your voice down, she's sleeping," he stated bluntly as Lulu made her way over to the room in question and tentatively opened the door. Wakka remained behind to carp irately to Tidus about how irresponsible it is to drink if you're a guardian… Tidus pointed out that it was Auron's alcohol she stole, which silenced him for a while.
"Sir Auron?" Lulu called out quietly and was greeted with a low cough, directing her gaze to the girl curled up in his lap, frowning in her sleep. "How is she?" she continued and Auron simply shrugged.
"Sleeping." The black mage crept closer to study the odd sight. "Her clothes will need changing," he stated adamantly as he gently slid Rikku away from his muscular frame and made room for Lulu to kneel down next to her, propping a pillow under the head. Lulu hushed her softly when the girl half-awoke.
"Auron?" she mumbled despondently as Lulu turned to find Auron had already vanished.
"Hush, go back to sleep," she told her soothingly and Rikku seemed to obey. Outside, Auron straightened a knot in his neck and settled resolutely by the door.
"Uh, Sir Auron? Is Rikku okay?" Wakka asked gingerly: the fact that the legendary guardian seemed so concerned was enough to worry the Yevonite.
"Not really," he retorted blankly, "Only time will better her; there is nothing we can do." He sighed inwardly, wishing that there was something he could do… Anything to lessen his guilt - it was his sake after all - and worry for the helpless guardian.
Not to sound like a crazy girl, but the whole releationship of people looking after others at that stage of being drunk kinda facinates me. Because it can be a person you don't know very well, but people stay and 'look after' them all night just out of this instinct that they get.
Crazy girl says review or she will start theological debates about instinct and the in-built compulsion to protect the pack ;)