Another highly anticipated chapter of The Most Odd Of Relationships for yall. I have been havin' like... NO IDEAS PERIOD so I'm workin' with the little inspiration that my mind has. Well, read! 'Cause... well, I cannot tell you 'cause then you will like have the whole chapter ruined for yall!
Chapter Six: A Freezing Night To Be On Watch
The party wondered only a mile and a few yards into the winded paths of Macalania Forest before they needed a well deserved rest. After countless hours of walking and walking in the Thunder Plains, everybody was sure to be tired. It was Wakka who acknowledged this fact.
"Yall have to be tired, ya?" Wakka so suddenly questioned with his Besaidian accent.
"Yeah, exhausted!" Tidus replied almost immediately. He streesed out the word exhausted to it's fullest trying to make his tired status perfectly clear.
"Yeah! We should rest!" Rikku chimed in, not letting anyone attempt to protest.
"Kimahri think we should get out of forest so it is safe for Yuna," the Ronso stated.
"But I am sure Yunie's tired too! Right?" Rikku asked, trusting that Yuna would defend her side and vote for a resting time.
Yuna nodded. "Mmhmm," she added, clarifying her agreement.
"See Kimahri?" Rikku pointed out.
Kimahri only nodded his head up and down which was his typical reply to most things. The Ronso of the group never talked much, and was absolutely freeky.
"Looks like somebody is back to her own self," Lulu commented.
"Mmmhmmm!" Rikku said; realising that Lulu was refferring to her; in the upmost cheeriness and enthusiasm.
"If we must rest, it is best to set camp now," Auron suggested.
"Ya, Sir Auron's right," Wakka agreed.
"What are we waitin' for? Let's set up camp then!" Tidus exclaimed.
"Hmph," was the last word-- or grunt to be spoken about this situation and it came from Auron.
The party found a space in the woods where the paths were not as narrow to set camp. They had no choice but to camp in the path's center since the greenery of the woods were habitat to ferocious fiends. All 'camp' really was was just a little fire centering their campsite with a layer of blankets encircling the perimeter of the fire.
Yes, that was camp. As simple as it may have been, it was their little home; or recreation of a little home since the camp of course needed to be mobile in order to be suitable for any-time uses during the pilgrimage. Enough of this...
Currently, the party was setting up their little rest stop. Wakka was standing by his blankets, with a checklist. "Okay, who's turn is it to be on watch today?" he asked the crew.
"Simple, Wakka. Whosever names aren't checked off. The ones who didn't have their turn yet," Tidus suggested.
"I suggest two of us guardians should be on watch for there are many fiends in these areas," Lulu stated. "Remember what happened with Father Zuke here...," Lulu began.
"Yeah Lu, I remember. Okay. The last two names that haven't been checked off are Sir Auron and Rikku," Wakka said, gazing at his notepad. "Then rounds restart again, ya?"
Lulu got busy with starting the fire. She gathered a few sticks and piled them up in an orderly fashion. Sticks were at a limitless supply since this was of course a forest and there are bound to be many avaliable. "Burn," she said as a fire spell was casted and directed at the platform made to tame the fire so it would serve as their heat.
Everyone took a seat on their blankets and warmed up around the fire. Despite the burning fire, everybody was freezing! The chill night air was exhibited in a freely flowing breeze. The coolness made the forest floor shimmer even more than usual. The coldness seemed to have affect on everything, since growls from fiends could be heard in the distance ever since the temperature took it's dramatic drop.
"Are we almost to Zanarkand?" Tidus questioned.
"Not even close," Lulu informed. She was always the travel guide for the ever so clueless Tidus.
Tidus let out a discontented groan. He wanted to see the remains of this city he used to live in... or whatever the Zanarkand in Spira was in relation to his Zanarkand.
"Okay, time fo' bed! We need our rest!" Wakka instructed. "Sir Auron," he said looking over to Auron. "Rikku," he said, transferring his gaze to Rikku. "Yall are on watch tonight," Wakka noted to the two again.
'Mmmhmm!" Rikku exclaimed. "I'll get those baddies and protect Yunie tonight!" she added.
Auron sat leaning against a tree, looking at the confident and hyper Rikku. How she irritated him with her happiness. Auron never really understood how she could always be happy, even in the recovery of a lightning strike. He just theorized that it was what kept everybody going strong since she came along, so he never was to question it.
"Goodnight everybody," Yuna sweetly said, laying down on one of her blankets and fixing herself underneath the other.
Everybody did exactly the same. Bidded eachother a goodnight's sleep and fell fast asleep.
Except Auron and Rikku...
Rikku sat on an opposite site of the same tree Auron was. She took her blankets with her, and clutched them to her body. She was so cold! She shivered and shivered and her face grew pale. The cool winds tickled (more like tortured) her whitened skin with absolute ice-coldness.
She hugged her legs to her chest and shivered more. The freezing night made Rikku unaware of her current duty as Yuna's guardian on watch. She was exhausted for one; and for two she was near completely frozen into an ice block. "C-c-c-cold," she muttered.
"You should be well prepared for weather like this," Auron told her.
"How was I supposed to know it was ice cold out here?! You're a big meanie, ya know, you don't have to say your 'I Told You So's' like that!"
"It isn't even cold."
"That's easy for you to say! You've got that big red coat all to yourself!"
... No reply.
Shiver... shiver... freezy... freezy Rikku thought, as she cuddled up into her blankets even more. "Cold... cold... cold," she muttered.
As a man, it was his upmost duty's to comfort a woman... as so it is to us folk. Auron had no thought of this simple 'rule' as he made his next offer. "Rikku, come," he ordered. Auron was simply irritated at the constant repeat of the word 'cold' come from Rikku's mouth. It sounded like a broken record or how it may be in Spira-- a broken music-sphere.
"Huh-mmm?" she asked, standing up. She took her blankets with her; fearing that she may freeze to death without them.
Auron opened his jacket so swiftly with the undoing of a few clasps. Was he going to... share his big, crimson source of warmth with Rikku? He let the left side of his coat hang lay open, while the right side still be attached to him.
It seems that way...
"Here," he simply said. "You may use this as a blanket. Don't complain of the chill air again," he added, offering up the half of his coat.
"Uh, thanks. Guess you're not such a meanie...," she said, sitting back in the half of Auron's coat. Just a measly half of this gigantic thing could cover Rikku. Rikku tugged it over her body. With the addition of her blankets to keep her warm; she felt a little warm. I stress the little, mind you.
Rikku formed a ball in his coat. Instinctively, she got closer to Auron, in the need of more warmth. He held no response. Auron was completely alert for any fiend. Auron stayed true to his duty; he had an unbreakable work ethic.
A yawn came from Rikku as her forehead rested on Auron's shoulder. The move was not purposeful, but she was cold so she craved something warm. I'm cold! But, he's warm... Rikku thought while inching closer until they were touching from all of the length of Rikku's body. Hey, I'm not cold anymore! Not cold! Yes! Note to self: Purchase a big puffy coat. Thought Rikku, relaxing into Auron.
Auron didn't care-- didn't even notice. He was maintaining his work ethic. His eye shot fastly around the campsite, in look for fiends. That was his duty. He never slacked nor shirked his duty. But, the freezing young one against him apparently did.
"Rikku," he said plainly.
"Huh?"
"Keep watch."
"Okay..." Rikku looked into the woods Okay, think on track. Gotta watch... gotta make things safe for Yunie! Rikku thought, with a yawn to follow. ...Tired. No! Can't go to bed! WATCH! Riklku ordered herself.
Auron's eye darted around at the speed of light. He caught everything in his sight if there was something. He would have heard it if his halved sight failed him. Auron kept this up for hours...
Somewhere in those hours Rikku drifted off to sleep against Auron. What is she thinking?! Sleeping on watch! Auron thought. He acted before thinking anything against his next actions. Auron pulled Rikku in closer to him and caressed her shoulder all the while keeping watch. The reason why he did so was unknown.
Swish... a sound was heard in the forest.
----END OF CHAPTER
EXCUSE THE SHORTNESS! Me sleepy-sleepy and me has no more ideas for the time being. Me sorry that this seems rushed. That's the way the past few chapters have been! I spent like a whole lotta my time editing and revising this when I first finished and it still lacks so much. Excuse me for it. I try for you all!
