Author's note: Song chapter! Yay! Last time I did this was with my 'Foolish' story. I have a few one-shot songfics I'd like to do now that I've gotten back into this sort of thing. ^.^
Disclaimers: *flicks a crumb on the table* Nothing . . . . Is mine . . . -_-'
~*~*~
Rikku watched as Ryo collapsed to the ground, dead. The whole scene was surreal. Auron had one hand over his chest in agony while the other held Rikku's hand. The Al-Bhed just wanted to fall through a hole and die. This was all her fault.
Auron looked down at Rikku and smiled weakly. "Glad you could make it," he breathed. Without warning, he fell face first onto the ground. Tidus and Yuna ran into the room but stopped short when they saw the scene before them.
Hold on to me love
You know I can't stay long
Rikku picked the guardian up in her arms and brushed a strand of the blonde hair from his face. "Why didn't you tell me when you first came back?"
Auron snorted and looked away. "I would have, but you looked so happy with Ryo."
All I wanted to say was I love you
And I'm not afraid
"Liar. You were just scared. You were scared of my reaction that you had come back," she debated, shifting him in her arms. Auron looked back at her, his gaze distant and dimmed.
"That may be true. But I know now that I love you and I can't let you go." Shakily, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the item he'd picked up in Luca. A small box. When he opened it up, a small silver ring sat snugly inside decorated with red rubies and green emeralds.
"I knew it! It was a ring! And for Rikku!" Tidus exclaimed when he saw the piece of jewelry. Yuna elbowed him in the ribs and shushed him.
Can you hear me?
Can you feel me in your arms?
Rikku kept glancing back from the ring to the man in her arms. "What do you want me to do with this?"
"Rikku, I'm really sorry I couldn't have told you sooner or acted on my feelings. I went out and bought the ring before you came here to Bevelle. I picked out the red rubies for me and the green emeralds for you. I know I can't stay long, but I want you to know that I love you and I'll always be waiting for you."
Holding my last breath
Safe inside myself
Are all my thoughts of you
Sweet raptured light
It ends here tonight
"No, you're not leaving me. You're already dead. You can't die again, it's just not possible," she laughed, pushing the ring back.
I'll miss the winter
A world of fragile things
"Well, at least it's certain I won't become a fiend now, huh?"
"There's no way you can go back. We've already gotten this far. Why can't you just . . ."
"Listen to me! I can't stay. You know that and I know that. No use denying the obvious. I'm giving you this ring because it'll serve as a reminder that I'm going to wait for you in the Farplane, no matter how long that'll take. Hopefully not anytime soon, right?"
Look for me in the white forest
Hiding in a hollow tree (come find me)
"Sir Auron . . . ." Yuna's meek voice whispered for Auron. He looked back at her and nodded.
"It's certain Tidus will stay. I've broken the spell. Tomorrow morning he will be back in his own body."
Tidus looked up, fear in his voice. "Wait! I'm going to have a bullet in my chest? What spell? Why didn't I know any of this?"
Auron chucked but soon found himself wincing in pain. "No. Everything'll be healed. Only I will be gone. Trust me on this. You've had to for the past some-odd years, right?"
Rikku pounded a fist on the ground, regaining all the attention. "Why does it seem like you're saying your goodbyes? You're not dying!" she screamed, tears falling down her bruised cheeks.
I know you hear me
I can taste it in your tears
She felt his hand reach up and brush one of the tears away. "Why must you always be so stubborn?" he croaked.
"Because you're the only person who I could ever truly love. In the end, it was always you. I couldn't stop thinking about you. And when I finally get the chance to see you again . . . well . . . sort of . . . you've gotta go back. It's happening all over again. You're leaving me and I'll be all alone without you," she faded off, burying her head into his chest.
Holding my last breath
Safe inside myself
Are all my thoughts of you
Sweet raptured light
It ends here tonight
He stroked her hair as his means to comfort her. He was never good with this type of stuff. Yuna was being held close to Tidus, whimpering into his crimson coat. Strangely enough, Tidus didn't even look sad. He just had a blank look that made it rather hard to detect what he was feeling at all.
Closing your eyes to disappear
You pray your dreams will leave you here
Still lost in his thoughts, Auron vaguely heard the Al-Bhed whisper, "You can go now."
There was no more debating or fighting, only defeat. She'd simply given up what she'd wanted since the end of the pilgrimage. Another chance to be with Auron.
But still you wake and know the truth
No one's there
"Rikku, remember the ring. I'll wait for you beside the cliff in the Farplane. Come find me. And remember. I'll always love you and I'm not afraid."
Say goodnight
Don't be afraid
As the pyreflies emitted from Auron's body, Rikku found herself calling out to him once more amidst the tears and heartache. Soon she couldn't even feel his being, only air and her hands connecting as he faded away.
Calling me calling me as you fade to black
"I'll wait for you by the cliff in the Farplane. Come find me."
Say goodnight
(Holding my last breath)
Rikku shook her head, reaching out for the ring where Auron had let it slip from his hand. It dawned on her that, with this ring in her possession, Auron was never really leaving her. He'd be with her always. And, when she wore it, she wouldn't fear anything.
Don't be afraid
(Sage inside myself)
Because he'd be waiting.
Calling me Calling me
(Are all my thoughts of you)
Soon it was only her, Tidus, and Yuna in the room. Yuna knelt beside her cousin and pulled her into a hug, letting her cry on her shoulder. Both didn't even look up when a group of policemen stormed into the room, demanding an explaination. Tidus tried to explain but he, too, had no clue what just happened.
Sweet raptured light
It ends here tonight
"Are you going to be ok?" the Summoner asked, staring at the bloodstained carpet where her former guardian had just been.
Holding my last breath
Safe inside myself
"At least I know he never meant to hurt me. And I know he came all this way . . . just for me. That's gotta show for something, right?"
Are all my thoughts of you
Yuna released her and stood up, offering a hand. "C'mon. Let's go back to Luca. I'm sure your father will want an explanation."
Sweet raptured light
Hesitantly, the Al-Bhed was helped up and, with Tidus in tow and leaving the policemen behind, the three somberly left Bevelle, and all the chaos, behind.
It ends here tonight
~*~*~
Three months later, Rikku sat at a bar with Tidus and Yuna. Just a week ago, Tidus had proposed to Yuna and they were now celebrating the occasion since they'd been so busy before.
Auron was correct in saying that Tidus would be back in his own body the next day, no wounds detectable. Although none of them knew what the spell was that he'd broken. They still took his word for it and left it at that.
"Rikku? Do you want another drink?" the blonde blitzball star asked cheerfully. Rikku snapped her head up and smiled, pushing her drink away to signal she wanted more.
A light caught a gleam in the ring on Rikku's left ring finger. She gazed at it lovingly. She remembered when her father asked a few days after they arrived from Bevelle where she'd gotten it. It took a lot of courage (and Al-Bhed curse words) to finally get him to accept that her heart belonged to the guardian and no one else.
There had been few times that guys had asked her on dates and tried to get her to be their girlfriend, but she'd declined every single one, only pointing to the ring on her finger. That was all it took for them to shrug and walk away, dejected.
Rikku didn't care how long it took until she could finally see Auron in the Farplane. Because she knew, in the end, he'd still be there where he promised.
Waiting by the cliff for her to return.
~*~*~
Author's note: My real author's note will be located on the epilogue. Read there.
