The silence was imperfect. Each rustle of Lulu's skirt and clatter of her heel on the dark gray tile caused a noise, a disturbance of its own. The echoes expanded the noise tenfold by sending shockwaves across the dark corridor. Her breath, the most innocent sound, joined in with this chorus, as if it was pulsating around her. She felt the hairs stand up on the back of her neck, but refused the childish urge to clutch her Moogle doll closer to her. Although fallen, she was still a guardian, and that was worth being prideful of, even within the prison of Via Purifico.
A shadow from her hanging black hair was cast across her face as she passed by a dim wall lamp. She wrinkled her nose in distaste at the light, and looked away, despite the fact that she could not see into the darkness. Lulu had heard of this place at a young age, and as a result, it had been part of her nightmares. But now that she was imprisoned, she was not going to run from it. She was going to find her summoner, and any of the other guardians. It was her sworn duty. Did the temples really allot redemption in this dark place, as they had often preached? Highly doubtful. This area was clearly a den of fiends in which to throw any unwanted disturbances. That had been made quite clear by the slithering flans and pounding drakes she had faced down here on her own.
The silence was broken again by a sigh being drawn out by the black mage as she came face-to-face with another wooden barrier. It was true, she had won against those fiends, but she was also becoming tired. There had been no rest after the capture of her allies and herself at the Palace of St. Bevelle, and the tumultuous task of solving this labyrinth while battling its inhabitants was draining. Lulu turned away from the barrier, and continued down the path in the opposite direction. She was far from giving up, but the task was becoming maddening. She couldn't recall how long she had been down there, but what she did know was that the frustration at having nothing accomplished was beginning to eat at her. Lulu bit her lip subconsciously as this reminded her of the pilgrimage she had failed to help complete in the Calm Lands… Her previous summoner had called out for help, but she could not find her…
The tooth let the lip go. Lady Ginnem was a shadow now, much like the figures in these halls. True, her memory haunted Lulu, but she had to move on, at least for the moment. The Calm Lands still loomed ahead of Bevelle, and her opportunity to redeem herself lay there, if she was strong enough to take it. However, she would not go there if she did not first help Yuna here. Yuna was her first priority now, not Ginnem. Even if all was said and done in Bevelle, there was the chance that her previous summoner's cavernous grave would be avoided altogether. Lulu stopped and shook her head. No, that was Yuna's choice whether or not to enter the Cavern of Stolen Fayth. She knew well that Yuna would want to receive whatever aeons she could in order to better her training to summon the Final Aeon. That meant facing her demons for Yuna's sake. Although it would not be the first time, it would hurt the most. The guardian shuddered internally at that.
The movement was sharply cut off when she heard the sound of heavy footsteps coming near. Lulu mentally ran through the list of allies she knew most well. They were not hard-pressed enough to be Kimahri's, yet not soft enough to be Wakka's. Yuna's feet were completely out of the question. She treaded too softly. That left the remaining three: Sir Auron, Tidus, and Rikku. Although she felt doubts of it being Rikku, the black mage couldn't be sure; she didn't know her that well. For all she knew, it may not be a fellow guardian, but a prisoner sent here for a different offense…perhaps even a lumbering unsent.
Rather than cowering against a wall and risking becoming cornered, Lulu held her ground and went into an offensive stance. It was better to show valor than fear in order to outwit the enemy. Although her heart was beating with apprehension, she neither took no notice nor made no show of it. Her scarlet eyes narrowed slightly as the shadowed figure came around the corner. It was too far from the painfully close wall light to see clearly. The tension stretched the seconds out. The figure was pausing, assessing its surroundings just as she was in the muted battle of wits. Lulu held her breath for just a moment.
She softly let it out as she saw a familiar crimson coat whipping around sharply. "Sir Auron." Although her voice was kept calm, Lulu's release of breath and straightening up with a more comfortable cradling of her Moogle betrayed her relief. Her body language appeared to have been for the better anyway, as it prompted him to also switch out of his aggressive stature. With a nod of recognition, half obscured by darkness, the guardian stood from his crouch, crossing over to her. His blade remained slung over his shoulder.
Auron came to stand beside her. He turned his gaze to the stretching distance before them. "I can suppose we have no clue as to where the others are." Lulu smiled slightly. They at least had the small comfort of continuing to be who they were, even when things went wrong. He was still putting the business that needed taking care of first, rather than wasting time with small talk. She liked that about him. It helped to get things done. However, that didn't necessarily mean she always disliked the foolish fun Tidus and Rikku tended to have, but now wasn't the time for diversions. And her? She was keeping the goal in mind, all the while batting aside whatever weaknesses may spring up.
A moment later, the smile was gone. She was the focused guardian once more. Lulu carefully assessed the situation. The guardians had been separated from their summoner and each other before being released into the prison. She couldn't possibly tell how much ground Auron had covered, and neither could he do the same with her. Asking would be pointless. There was no possible way to create a map. They could go in circles forever. Auron turned back to face her, as if sensing her thoughts.
She raised an eyebrow at him speculatively. He had more experience as a guardian, although she had reason to doubt that it involved places like this. Still, she didn't feel compelled to lead. He gave a single shake of his head. "If we search for the others, we will be lost easily. We need to found our way out."
Lulu's eyes widened. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Yuna is our first priority. We have to find her first, and then make our escape," she pressed.
"We won't be any help to Yuna if she cannot find us," he responded calmly.
"Well, what should we do to tell her that we will be near the exit, send a message via Spira lesser gull?" Lulu responded sarcastically. She could feel her annoyance building within her. Sir Auron or not, she wouldn't stand for this. She couldn't abandon someone so close to her.
That annoyance was mirrored by his tone. "Do you have a better idea?"
Lulu wasn't sure how many moments passed between the two of them. What she did notice, however, was her image reflected in Auron's sunglasses. Her arms were folded, she face hard-set defiantly. Although the arm movement was not mimicked by the warrior, it was clear he was not going to back down, either. The skin was stretched hard over the gaping scar on his face, making it stand out more. It was not pleasant to look at. "We are wasting time," she replied suddenly, breaking the silence once more, her tone crisp.
Strangely, it was Auron who cracked. He chuckled slightly as he drew back, relaxing. He turned, and took a step to continue on his way. Lulu stood where she was, craning her neck to watch him go. He wasn't going to look back over his shoulder at her. She either came with him, or didn't. That was that. If she did come with him, it would be a defacement of her pride, and a loss in a chance to find Yuna. If she didn't, she would lose a companion, and could possibly wander forever. She weighed these options carefully, all the while watching him slowly beginning to draw further and further away. Finally, she rolled her eyes and continued after him, their steps moving at an irregular tandem. He didn't stop immediately. With irritation, she realized that it was because he was testing her.
After a few more paces, he came to a halt, and waited until she was shoulder-to-shoulder with him. Lulu cast a sidelong glance up at him. When he returned the glance, she did not retract it. For a short time, their eyes remained locked onto one another. The two guardians were not fighting among one another; rather they were doing quite the opposite. She was no longer praising a famous hero, or questioning an adversary to her character, but rather seeking trust in a man that she had only known for so long. He wasn't chastising an unknowing younger woman, but looking upon a fellow comrade for support of his decisions. Lulu felt vaguely aware of the warmth being absorbed into her body from her upper left arm being brushed against his upper right.
Lulu whispered something under her breath that Auron didn't catch. He asked her to repeat it. "Bikanel." The word was hollow, ringing through the air with the memory of the failure. He nodded, and she realized that the failure was shared. As painful as it was, it was also somehow comforting.
At some point, the stillness was ended, and they were continuing again, although together this time. But at the same time, they were far apart. Lulu could not help but feel the bitter taste in the back of her mouth as she saw the image of her youthful self rushing blindly around the Cavern for Lady Ginnem, and calling out more and more hysterically for her. Therein she found the painful knowledge. Sir Auron had been right in his judgment, and she had been dreadfully wrong.
XXXXXX
"I'll go too." Her face was vibrant as she made that declaration. A confident smile decorated her face. She was far from the all-but-broken being that been stumbling around in the dark. Yet, she was running off into the midst of battle after the others, something that he had advised her against. Had she learned nothing? Had she not seen him hold out his sword to stop Tidus?
Much to his own surprise, Auron found his own contradiction. Rather than trying to stop her and his allies from needlessly risking their lives for a second time against the Maester, he grunted in amusement, and followed after Lulu. He had led her out of the maze. She was helping him to find the path beyond. He still had Kinoc's death to avenge.
XXXXXX
Lulu didn't know whether to be relieved, or miserable. The pilgrimage was still on against all odds. Yuna could have given up; she had every reason to, but she didn't. She wanted to see this through to the end, even after being ostracized as a traitor. That was what endeared her evermore to the black mage. The summoner possessed true strength of heart, and that was what mattered most in such troubled times. On the other hand, such a good spirit would be lost with the calling of the Final Aeon.
Lulu's hand found the trunk of a crystallized tree. She looked from her pale hand to the lively blue of the trunk, and slowly let it drop. She glanced back over her shoulder to see Yuna walking off to make a sort of nest for herself with which to sleep upon. The guardian's throat moved slightly. It seemed as if only faith and dreams were the living beings anymore. She knew that Tidus still felt affection for Yuna, despite all that was to happen. She also knew that Rikku would try to save her, no matter how many times her want to help was refused. Pitiful was the correct description, but that word seemed too harsh.
She turned her attention back to finding a good place to sleep, feeling the full extent of the events of Bevelle beginning to take their toll. Her gait became slower, and less careful. She almost missed seeing a tree root. She could talk with Wakka about the transpiring events in the morning. Morning…The Calm Lands. She would have to face that as well.
"Lulu." She raised her head at the voice, and saw Auron making his way over to her. Even he seemed tired. His free hand brushed against a bush, effectively rustling it.
There hadn't been much else to say. She met him in the middle this time. Her cheek found a place against his breast plate. She could feel its coolness. The stress had caused heat to rise within her body. Lulu felt more heat be brought on as he rested his chin on top of her head. The mutual humanity returned as she realized that Sir Auron was feeling his own anxiety as well, but not to her extent due to experience. Nevertheless, the two guardians traversed in their perfectly shaded circle. Though they did not wish to think of it, the dawn would inevitably break, and the ring would be destroyed.