Some spring break I have. I haven been called to work almost every day this
week. Suck! Esh, thanks for the feedback last chap. Really keeps me going,
you know?
Chapter 30 Final Doubts
Auron made haste to their room, his mind churning over his words with Cid. His boots clanked in steady rhythm as he strode down the deserted corridors, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Regardless of ten year's worth of preparations, he felt adrenaline surging throughout his body. It was almost time. Ten years of promises and pain, of waiting. And yet… part of him, the newly found portion of his heart that had for so long been abandoned… wanted to stay. On Spira… with her.
He paused, realizing that he was standing outside their door. He wondered how long he had been here, lost in his thoughts. He inhaled unsteadily in a vain attempt to calm his nerves. Briefly closing his eye, he then entered the room to find Rikku sitting on the far side of the bed, clutching a pillow to her unseen front side. Auron watched her breathe… and he realized she was crying. Her shoulders shook slightly as she clutched the pillow. The lights had been dimmed almost to darkness, and Auron wondered why. Momentary concern washed away his apprehensions, and he made his way around the bed to her. He sank down heavily, the depression on the bed rocking her form.
"What is it?" He asked softly. Rikku's face was buried in the pillow, and Auron could see the dampness outlying her hidden eyes. She didn't reply, but her hands further clutched the pillow.
"Rikku…" He murmured, both arms taking her far shoulder and pulling her quivering form into his lap. She relinquished the pillow, letting the object fall to the floor as her hands replaced it with Auron's waist. Her head rested on his upper thigh as she forced her face into his hip and stomach. Her legs curled around his back as she formed a ball encircling the confused man. Still, she said nothing.
Auron sighed, lifting a gloved hand to her head, stroking her hair as he looked down to her. He felt her squeeze his midsection tighter, her arms practically cutting into his waist. In a split second, she was suddenly on his stomach, crawling up his torso as if lighting had struck her hide. The sudden movement caused Auron to recline to the bed with a bounce and a look of shock. Her tiny hands grabbed hold of his gray collar as she lay across his prone body. With a frighteningly quick movement, she brought her face to his. Auron stared as drops of salty tears fell to his nose and cheeks, his eyebrows remaining high on his forehead.
"Do you realize?" She asked suddenly, her voice shrill and emotional, "That I'm dead?" Auron just gaped at her, uncharacteristically at a loss for words as she continued to pin him. "Dead! Not alive! As in, I'll never get to see my dad again after this! As in, I'll never get to see my home re- built! Never see Wakka, or, or Yunie or /anybody/!" Her voice became so high that she choked, her quaking form shaking Auron's as well as the mattress jiggled.
"What do I do, Auron?" She cried, staring into his wide rust eye, "What do /we/ do? When it's over, do we just… fade away? The farplane, sure, what if we don't make it? What if it's all just a dream, a bunch of memories with no people? What if-"
"Shhhhh," he hushed quietly, so softly that Rikku had to quiet in order to hear it. This was one of Rikku's many qualities showing through… she thought everything over until she worried herself sick. First Yuna, now this… Auron made a mental note to talk to her about it sometime in the near future. His face softened, now able to take her emotions in stride. He brought his unclothed hand to her trembling face, gently wiping away her tears. He could feel her jaw clench and unclench as she bared her teeth in raw emotion. He looked up at her with such compassion that Rikku's anger and terror faltered.
Her hands having pulled down his collar, Auron leaned upwards, his lips pressing against the bridge of her nose. His bare hand traveled to her neck as he pulled her head down, resting it against his shoulder. She broke down, bawling into his red coat, the top of her bobbing head brushing against his collar.
"I… I'm afraid," Rikku confessed to his scarlet coat, too ashamed to meet his face. Auron said nothing at first, but then shifted position so that he rested parallel to her, his brow touching hers.
"Don't be," He rumbled, caressing her cheek with his rough hand. Oh, how Auron wanted to stay like his forever, her soft skin pressed against his. His duties and promises were a constant cry in his mind, but they were subdued when he was with Rikku.
"I didn't say anything earlier… you were sick and I needed to be strong," she murmured, calming down somewhat as she felt Auron cuddle up beside her, pulling her tense frame against his. "I guess I never had a chance to really think about it until this morning, with dad… And I couldn't do anything, not in front of him. This is hard enough for him as it is, without me wigging out right there." Her voice still wavered towards the end, but Auron could actually hear her maturity leaking back into her words, hear the strength that had grown since the beginning reclaim her momentary fears.
Auron had slid his arms beneath hers and as his hands found her back, he massaged her shoulder blades as he sighed again. She snuggled against him, burying her face in the soft leather of his torso. He inhaled his scent with fervor, knowing full well that Bevelle was mere moments away. She struggled to fight back the panic that threatened to erode her thoughts again.
"What do we do, Auron?" Rikku asked softly, blinking into his chest. Auron paused his heavenly ministrations on her back, bringing his hands to cup her face as she suddenly locked eyes with his.
"We protect Yuna," He said sternly. "We defeat Sin, and when it's over…" He paused, trying to find the correct phrasing, "… we go on. We continue what we have now… it won't ever go away, understand me? Never."
Rikku felt the world slip away as he leaned forwards to kiss her, their mouths connecting and joining. Hurried, heated kisses were exchanged as Rikku heard and recognized the groan of the engine switching gears. No, Nono, her mind begged, please, just a few minutes longer.
Auron knew it was time. He gently cupped her cheeks again and pulled away, leaning forwards. He grasped her hand and pulled them both to their feet, Rikku's eyes wide the whole time. Rikku took a deep breath, and grasped her claw from where it rested on the floor. As she moved to leave, she felt Auron' hand on her arm.
"No matter what happens, to you or I, we will be together," he said quietly, squeezing her arm. "Protect Yuna, and then… the rest will be ours."
His words were comforting to Rikku's mentality, and she nodded fiercely. She and Auron then left the room, and made their way towards the cockpit. Rikku's mind was in a daze, her eyes bouncing off the walls of the airship, her ears taking in Auron's booted footsteps. The walk was surreal, as if she was dreaming. In slow motion, they entered the final corridor, and then the doors whooshed open to reveal the rest of the party in the cockpit.
Yuna met Auron's gaze with a nod. "We go to the highbridge in Bevelle's temple… where we will face… and defeat Sin," she said confidently, and Tidus nodded behind her. As they left the bridge, Rikku waited, letting the others go ahead.
She stood alone, facing her father. All was silent.
She felt her mouth turn downwards against her will, and raced forwards, running into Cid's arms. She clutched him desperately, burying her face in his shoulder. Cid enwrapped her, as if never to let go.
"E muja oui," He whispered.
"I love you," She cried quietly.
They broke apart, staring into each other's tearing eyes. Rikku leaned forward and kissed his cheek, and turned, fleeing through the open doors. Cid was left alone, staring after her as he fell to his knees.
***Awr. :( so sad!!! Oy… will get better. Not for a while… I swear, you are going to hate me. O_o But it won't be a bad ending! I promise!
-Spazkit
Chapter 30 Final Doubts
Auron made haste to their room, his mind churning over his words with Cid. His boots clanked in steady rhythm as he strode down the deserted corridors, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Regardless of ten year's worth of preparations, he felt adrenaline surging throughout his body. It was almost time. Ten years of promises and pain, of waiting. And yet… part of him, the newly found portion of his heart that had for so long been abandoned… wanted to stay. On Spira… with her.
He paused, realizing that he was standing outside their door. He wondered how long he had been here, lost in his thoughts. He inhaled unsteadily in a vain attempt to calm his nerves. Briefly closing his eye, he then entered the room to find Rikku sitting on the far side of the bed, clutching a pillow to her unseen front side. Auron watched her breathe… and he realized she was crying. Her shoulders shook slightly as she clutched the pillow. The lights had been dimmed almost to darkness, and Auron wondered why. Momentary concern washed away his apprehensions, and he made his way around the bed to her. He sank down heavily, the depression on the bed rocking her form.
"What is it?" He asked softly. Rikku's face was buried in the pillow, and Auron could see the dampness outlying her hidden eyes. She didn't reply, but her hands further clutched the pillow.
"Rikku…" He murmured, both arms taking her far shoulder and pulling her quivering form into his lap. She relinquished the pillow, letting the object fall to the floor as her hands replaced it with Auron's waist. Her head rested on his upper thigh as she forced her face into his hip and stomach. Her legs curled around his back as she formed a ball encircling the confused man. Still, she said nothing.
Auron sighed, lifting a gloved hand to her head, stroking her hair as he looked down to her. He felt her squeeze his midsection tighter, her arms practically cutting into his waist. In a split second, she was suddenly on his stomach, crawling up his torso as if lighting had struck her hide. The sudden movement caused Auron to recline to the bed with a bounce and a look of shock. Her tiny hands grabbed hold of his gray collar as she lay across his prone body. With a frighteningly quick movement, she brought her face to his. Auron stared as drops of salty tears fell to his nose and cheeks, his eyebrows remaining high on his forehead.
"Do you realize?" She asked suddenly, her voice shrill and emotional, "That I'm dead?" Auron just gaped at her, uncharacteristically at a loss for words as she continued to pin him. "Dead! Not alive! As in, I'll never get to see my dad again after this! As in, I'll never get to see my home re- built! Never see Wakka, or, or Yunie or /anybody/!" Her voice became so high that she choked, her quaking form shaking Auron's as well as the mattress jiggled.
"What do I do, Auron?" She cried, staring into his wide rust eye, "What do /we/ do? When it's over, do we just… fade away? The farplane, sure, what if we don't make it? What if it's all just a dream, a bunch of memories with no people? What if-"
"Shhhhh," he hushed quietly, so softly that Rikku had to quiet in order to hear it. This was one of Rikku's many qualities showing through… she thought everything over until she worried herself sick. First Yuna, now this… Auron made a mental note to talk to her about it sometime in the near future. His face softened, now able to take her emotions in stride. He brought his unclothed hand to her trembling face, gently wiping away her tears. He could feel her jaw clench and unclench as she bared her teeth in raw emotion. He looked up at her with such compassion that Rikku's anger and terror faltered.
Her hands having pulled down his collar, Auron leaned upwards, his lips pressing against the bridge of her nose. His bare hand traveled to her neck as he pulled her head down, resting it against his shoulder. She broke down, bawling into his red coat, the top of her bobbing head brushing against his collar.
"I… I'm afraid," Rikku confessed to his scarlet coat, too ashamed to meet his face. Auron said nothing at first, but then shifted position so that he rested parallel to her, his brow touching hers.
"Don't be," He rumbled, caressing her cheek with his rough hand. Oh, how Auron wanted to stay like his forever, her soft skin pressed against his. His duties and promises were a constant cry in his mind, but they were subdued when he was with Rikku.
"I didn't say anything earlier… you were sick and I needed to be strong," she murmured, calming down somewhat as she felt Auron cuddle up beside her, pulling her tense frame against his. "I guess I never had a chance to really think about it until this morning, with dad… And I couldn't do anything, not in front of him. This is hard enough for him as it is, without me wigging out right there." Her voice still wavered towards the end, but Auron could actually hear her maturity leaking back into her words, hear the strength that had grown since the beginning reclaim her momentary fears.
Auron had slid his arms beneath hers and as his hands found her back, he massaged her shoulder blades as he sighed again. She snuggled against him, burying her face in the soft leather of his torso. He inhaled his scent with fervor, knowing full well that Bevelle was mere moments away. She struggled to fight back the panic that threatened to erode her thoughts again.
"What do we do, Auron?" Rikku asked softly, blinking into his chest. Auron paused his heavenly ministrations on her back, bringing his hands to cup her face as she suddenly locked eyes with his.
"We protect Yuna," He said sternly. "We defeat Sin, and when it's over…" He paused, trying to find the correct phrasing, "… we go on. We continue what we have now… it won't ever go away, understand me? Never."
Rikku felt the world slip away as he leaned forwards to kiss her, their mouths connecting and joining. Hurried, heated kisses were exchanged as Rikku heard and recognized the groan of the engine switching gears. No, Nono, her mind begged, please, just a few minutes longer.
Auron knew it was time. He gently cupped her cheeks again and pulled away, leaning forwards. He grasped her hand and pulled them both to their feet, Rikku's eyes wide the whole time. Rikku took a deep breath, and grasped her claw from where it rested on the floor. As she moved to leave, she felt Auron' hand on her arm.
"No matter what happens, to you or I, we will be together," he said quietly, squeezing her arm. "Protect Yuna, and then… the rest will be ours."
His words were comforting to Rikku's mentality, and she nodded fiercely. She and Auron then left the room, and made their way towards the cockpit. Rikku's mind was in a daze, her eyes bouncing off the walls of the airship, her ears taking in Auron's booted footsteps. The walk was surreal, as if she was dreaming. In slow motion, they entered the final corridor, and then the doors whooshed open to reveal the rest of the party in the cockpit.
Yuna met Auron's gaze with a nod. "We go to the highbridge in Bevelle's temple… where we will face… and defeat Sin," she said confidently, and Tidus nodded behind her. As they left the bridge, Rikku waited, letting the others go ahead.
She stood alone, facing her father. All was silent.
She felt her mouth turn downwards against her will, and raced forwards, running into Cid's arms. She clutched him desperately, burying her face in his shoulder. Cid enwrapped her, as if never to let go.
"E muja oui," He whispered.
"I love you," She cried quietly.
They broke apart, staring into each other's tearing eyes. Rikku leaned forward and kissed his cheek, and turned, fleeing through the open doors. Cid was left alone, staring after her as he fell to his knees.
***Awr. :( so sad!!! Oy… will get better. Not for a while… I swear, you are going to hate me. O_o But it won't be a bad ending! I promise!
-Spazkit