(a/n: Thanks to all of you who have stuck with this story and to those of you who have just now come across it and have read this far. I realize that there hasn't been any real Aurrikku fluffy goodness, but do not fret just yet! I'm just trying to develop their relationship by allowing their rocky start find some common solid ground...and I think we may just about be there! *happy dance*)
CHAPTER 6
As soon as we unboarded the ship, Jecht immediately started to jump for joy at the sight of the vast beach and I just knew that he would start to complain if he didn't at least get in several hours of swim time and that's when he spotted a Blitzball on the sand. So I quickly suggested that we take a momentary break from the Pilgremage and live a little. Auron thought this was a horrible idea which earned him a smack from Jecht's new Blitzball.
Jecht laughed at the You-did-NOT-just look on the younger Guardian's face, "Come on man, do as the lady says and live a little."
Auron opened his mouth to protest but Braska gave him a look that somehow stopped him, "I agree with Rikku, Auron. This journey is going to be long and tiresome; also we may not get many chances like this once it truly begins."
There was a sadness in his voice that made my heart ache. Jecht didn't seem to have noticed it as he started to kick the ball around, but the sudden look of understanding in Auron's eyes said that he had. For Braska, moments like these were precious since they were all he would have to take his mind off how this journey would end.
It wasn't like Auron didn't care about this, in fact, he probably cared too much. When they found out the truth about the final Aeon, he had become so blinded by rage that when Jecht became said Aeon and Braska still died to only temporarily defeat Sin, he had gone back to Yunalesca and attempted to destroy her but failed and was killed…but…since there hadn't been a Summoner to send him to the Farplane he became an unsent. Therefore, all three legends had died.
This sucks, I thought, angrily. I already knew not only the truth about the Final Aeon but also the truth behind Sin. I was willing to bet that I was the only person who knew that Sin was actually a protective shell for the real culprit. And that bastard would be the person who was the reason that all Al Bhed were hated, the person that all of Spira still viewed as a "holy" figure…the one-the evil…Yu Yevon!
I suddenly wondered if it would be safe to tell them this. Then I could save everyone's life and we could put an end to all this right now. This was starting to sound like the perfect plan, but just as I stepped forward and called out to Braska I felt something rush past my face, "Rikku, no…Don't!"
I blinked and noticed the frantic voice belonged to Bahamut, the Child Fayth. He was hovering before me with a look of urgency gleaming in his wise eyes, "You must not tell them! Not Ever!"
I blinked and then narrowed my eyes in irritation, "Listen here, you-"
"Stop! You mustn't use your voice to speak to me…"
Now I was becoming confused as well, "Why not?"
He sighed and then waved to the rest of my group who were all staring at me but they didn't seem to notice much less even see him. The child Fayth then turned back to me, "Do you understand now? No one else can see me…or hear me for that matter. So unless you wish to look like you are seriously upset with the voices in your head, I suggest you use your mind to speak with me from now on."
I sighed and then began to think, wondering if he would actually hear it, So tell me then, why am I not allowed to tell them something that will save their lives and put an end to Sin forever?
"For one thing, you four are not the ones meant to defeat Yu Yevon, Tidus is. And secondly, saving your Uncle is not the reason you were brought back here to this time." The child Fayth folded his arms and gave me a look that suggested he wanted me to discover the real reason on my own.
But the truth was that I had absolutely no clue as to why they brought me to this point in time, much less what they expected me to do while here. I glanced at him with a slight loss of nerve, You sure you couldn't give me even a small bit of a clue as to why you thought I should be here?
His lips curved into a sad smile, "I'm sorry, Rikku. But I can tell you that this could be considered a kind of gift from we Fayth to you."
My eyes widened in slight disbelief, A gift? You call being shot and then imprisoned by those who would sooner see me dead then give me a fair trial…A GIFT?"
The Child Fayth chuckled softly and slowly shook his head, "I think you are failing to see what is the gift."
Then how 'bout you just tell me what it is, dammit!
Unfortunately, the Child Fayth chose this moment to disappear and to make matters worse, I had said that last part out loud.
All three of my companions were staring at me with their own versions of the WTF look which only made it more difficult to keep a straight face. I gazed back at them all as heat swiftly moved its way up my neck to my face, "Uh-umm-I-that is-you see…"
Braska was the first to break the staring silence as he slowly walked up to me, "Rikku…? Is there…uh…something you would like to tell us?"
I jumped and fought the urge to run away screaming, How did he know I'm hiding something? Am I really that transparent? Quick, think of a believable reason for your strange behavior!
I breathed in, feeling only slightly calmer, "No, there's nothing. I'm just struggling with…well…you know how we Al Bhed feel about Summoners and their Pilgremage…"
Auron graced me with an expression that seemed almost concerned though it was probably more for his Summoner than for me, "Then why did you agree to become a Guardian?"
I grimaced, hearing the hint of disappointment in younger Auron's voice, "I wish I could tell you why, but I fear that it wouldn't make any sense."
Jecht walked up to me and wrapped one of his big arms around my shoulders, "Listen, Rikku, with me around, I highly doubt that you'll ever have to worry about making the least sense in this group. After all, you may be Al Bhed, but you still know more about all this than I do, since you were born here…and I wasn't. Plus the first thing I did when I got here was get thrown in prison because I mentioned that I came from Zanarkand and that I had no clue what a Spira even was! So…Yeah, I think I got you beat on being crazy." He then burst out laughing and twirled me around a few times before returning to kicking around his Blitzball.
I watched him as I started to feel that he was probably the only person in all of Spira who could even remotely understand what I was going through.
"Saving your Uncle is not the reason you were brought to this time."
What exactly did Bahamut mean by this? If not my Uncle, if not Spira…then…why the Crap am I here?
X.X.X.X.X.X
After several hours of beach time, Auron never taking his eyes off me – okay, weird – he finally sauntered up to me, an unreadable look in his eyes, "You know, you never did answer my question."
I glanced at him before looking back at Jecht who at this moment was retrieving his Blitzball from the ocean, "So?"
He seemed unsure of my response but his eyes remained unreadable, "I wanted to know why someone who is brought up to be so completely against this journey would even consider taking part in it."
I realized he was just curious but something about what he had said really hit home and before I could reign in my building anxiety and anger, "I am so sure! Like anything I say could possibly justify my part in this. After all you still cling to the ways of Yevon!" OMG! I can't believe I just said that!
I slapped my hand over my mouth to stop anything more insulting from being uttered. Auron said nothing and just gaped at me with a look that closely resembled that of guilt. Did I actually hurt him? Dammit! I can't believe how much of jerk I'm being!
Without another word I quickly turned and ran off to the path that I remembered would eventually lead to the village of Besaid.
X.X.X.X.X.X
I decided to sit down under one of the larger trees and take a moment to think about my situation which was gradually becoming crappier. I must have drifted off cause when someone cleared their throat I noticed that several hours had slipped by and also that there was someone sitting under a tree across from me. I stared at them in a slight daze until my mind finally registered who they were, "Oh, hey Braska," I noticed then that he was alone, "Where are the other two?"
He smiled warmly in response, "I asked them to give us a moment alone to talk." He then got up and wandered over, sitting back down next to me, "I understand why being my Guardian may be more difficult for you than for the others."
Oh no! Does he know? Has he realized that I'm his niece? Dammit, Rikku, why the Crap didn't you come up with an alias instead of giving him your real name?
My Uncle smiled at my obvious internal ranting and leaned back against the tree, "I don't know what you said to Auron, but you seem to have disrupted his usual irritated demeanor."
I blinked at him, not quite believing that what I said could have affected him so. Though the look in Auron's eyes from before had said otherwise. I sighed, "He'll get over it…"
Braska folded his hands in his lap, "That may be so, but I still think there's something you need to understand."
A cold breeze swirled around us; only then did I remember that I still had Auron's coat wrapped around me, causing me to feel an odd amount of shame.
Braska noticed this as well, his eyes holding some hidden understanding of his own, "You may not know this but Auron has already been betrayed by Yevon followers a few times himself."
"What?" this made no sense to me, "But isn't he a Yevon follower as well?"
Braska sighed, the sound seeming filled with an odd sadness, "Yes. In some ways he still follows Yevon, however, in many ways he is very much like the Al Bhed." This seemed even less likely. I fought off the urge to scoff. He noticed my odd struggle and chuckled, "You see, just like the Al Bhed, he doesn't wish for the Summoners to sacrifice themselves for the sake of Spira. But just like Yevon has taught us, he doesn't let his desire for me to live allow him to stop me from going through with this tragic journey, no matter how badly he suffers to help me see it through. So, in this way, I believe, Rikku, that you and Auron are the same. So, please don't take what he says the wrong way. He's just as unhappy about this as you are…"
Hearing about this hidden side of Auron, a side that even later in life he hadn't revealed to me, made me feel like some great weight had been lifted from me. Auron had never wanted Braska to become a Summoner…, just like I had never wanted Yuna to be a Summoner. But also much like myself, he was forcing himself to allow this to happen knowing all to well how this would end…only because this was what Braska had wanted and he, Auron, would never betray his friend's wishes. So yeah, we are very much alike, Auron and I. So maybe that also meant there may also be hope for "us" in the future to become more than just fellow Guardians following the path of a hopeless Journey to save a dying world.
X.X.X.X.X.X
(a/n:
Disappointed Rabid Fan Girls: WTF? No Aurrikku Fluff? You must DIE BITCH!
Rikkumorningstar: First of all I already said that I was going to let their Relationship develop a bit more before I would have any signs of love surface! Be patient, for it will happen in the near future ;A; ...)
