"He he he he he he he...." said Rikku as I walked alongside her.
"Are you sure you're okay?" I said, putting my arm around her.
"He he he he he...." she nodded.
"Being afraid of lightning is nothing to be ashamed of, Rikku. I had a friend who was scared too. Her name was Lady Ginnem. She had yellow hair, like you, and it was hell for her to cross this place. It's horrible, I know but we'll help you get through it."
Rikku nodded slowly and smiled at me. I heard laughter. When I looked up, I saw Auron smirk. I left Rikku with Yuna and went up to him.
"What's so funny?" Ruthy said into my ear.
"I have no idea." Auron looked at me with a sideways glance.
"We'd better keep moving or we'll get hit again." he pointed to Tidus, hair singed but still smiling.
"Fine. We'll talk while we're walking."
"I have a better idea." He pulled me to a conductor and thrust his sword into the ground. He took off his glasses. I saw his eyes properly for the first time. One of them had a healed, but still prominent, scar running down from his forehead to by his nose.
"What is it, Lulu?"
"What was so funny?"
"The fact that you act like a mother to others but can't help yourself. I can help you." I put my hand over his mouth tightly, so his jaw couldn't move.
"Shut up. Please." I felt myself weakening and took my hand away. "Don't talk about it. That's behind us now." Auron put his hand against my cheek and stroked it.
"What, you're going to act like it never happened?"
"What, you're going to act like it never happened?" Chappu stood on the beach, the air cool on his face. Lulu said nothing; she just gazed at the sinking sun far away in the horizon. "I don't understand you. You tell me you wanted it to happen but now you've just decided to throw that away? Our chemistry, our friendship? I love you Lulu." Chappu took a step closer to her. Lulu turned so her back was facing him. She hung her head and felt the warm, salty path of a tear fall down her cheek. Her mouth was sealed.
"I'm going to make you love me again. I'm going to fight Sin. I'm going to be a hero, Lulu, someone you can be proud of. I'll marry you and we can live by the waterfalls, like you wanted! We'll have beautiful children, as beautiful as you, and we'll live in Besaid, happily ever after." She remained silent as she had done for the past few days. "I'll be thinking of you when I cut Sin's throat. Goodbye Lulu." Chappu hesitated, just to check if she was changing her mind. He didn't want to do it but he loved her so much it was painful. She was going to have it her way. Chappu threw his gift from his brother, a magnificent sword, into the ocean. Then he ran away.
***
"One kiss isn't everything, Auron. In fact, it was nothing. Our relationship from now on is strictly professional, you understand?" I started to see him as he really was. A child, nothing more. A silly child who needed a new toy. I am no toy.
"Agreed." As I turned to leave, he pulled me back behind the conductor. "I'm sorry Lulu. I didn't realise how stupid this whole thing was. Just coming back, treading these old paths reminded me of her."
"Her?" Ruthy popped out from behind my skirt.
"The monk's daughter?" I said.
"Yes." Auron laughed. "Kinoc's daughter."
"Maester Kinoc?" I was so surprised my mouth must have been wide open because Ruthy was copying me exactly. A loud crack hit the conductor.
"I broke her heart. She was so beautiful. She looked a little like you, just reminded me, you know?" Like Tidus reminded me of Chappu?
"I understand." I stepped forward and stroked his arm like a mother hugged her son. "Don't worry, Auron."
"I won't." he laughed. "Hey, you're mothering me too now, huh?"
Like he said, I mother everyone apart from myself. Did I mother Yuna too much? Did I make her feel suffocated? Yuna smiled at me and I remembered when I hugged her at the Moonflow. Had I squeezed her too hard? I had squeezed the life out of Ginnem here four years ago... Had I ruined this pilgrimage too?
"Yo! Lu!" My voice of reason called.
"What, Wakka?"
"Yuna wants to speak to us!"
I prayed for good news but my prayers are never answered.
"Are you sure you're okay?" I said, putting my arm around her.
"He he he he he...." she nodded.
"Being afraid of lightning is nothing to be ashamed of, Rikku. I had a friend who was scared too. Her name was Lady Ginnem. She had yellow hair, like you, and it was hell for her to cross this place. It's horrible, I know but we'll help you get through it."
Rikku nodded slowly and smiled at me. I heard laughter. When I looked up, I saw Auron smirk. I left Rikku with Yuna and went up to him.
"What's so funny?" Ruthy said into my ear.
"I have no idea." Auron looked at me with a sideways glance.
"We'd better keep moving or we'll get hit again." he pointed to Tidus, hair singed but still smiling.
"Fine. We'll talk while we're walking."
"I have a better idea." He pulled me to a conductor and thrust his sword into the ground. He took off his glasses. I saw his eyes properly for the first time. One of them had a healed, but still prominent, scar running down from his forehead to by his nose.
"What is it, Lulu?"
"What was so funny?"
"The fact that you act like a mother to others but can't help yourself. I can help you." I put my hand over his mouth tightly, so his jaw couldn't move.
"Shut up. Please." I felt myself weakening and took my hand away. "Don't talk about it. That's behind us now." Auron put his hand against my cheek and stroked it.
"What, you're going to act like it never happened?"
"What, you're going to act like it never happened?" Chappu stood on the beach, the air cool on his face. Lulu said nothing; she just gazed at the sinking sun far away in the horizon. "I don't understand you. You tell me you wanted it to happen but now you've just decided to throw that away? Our chemistry, our friendship? I love you Lulu." Chappu took a step closer to her. Lulu turned so her back was facing him. She hung her head and felt the warm, salty path of a tear fall down her cheek. Her mouth was sealed.
"I'm going to make you love me again. I'm going to fight Sin. I'm going to be a hero, Lulu, someone you can be proud of. I'll marry you and we can live by the waterfalls, like you wanted! We'll have beautiful children, as beautiful as you, and we'll live in Besaid, happily ever after." She remained silent as she had done for the past few days. "I'll be thinking of you when I cut Sin's throat. Goodbye Lulu." Chappu hesitated, just to check if she was changing her mind. He didn't want to do it but he loved her so much it was painful. She was going to have it her way. Chappu threw his gift from his brother, a magnificent sword, into the ocean. Then he ran away.
***
"One kiss isn't everything, Auron. In fact, it was nothing. Our relationship from now on is strictly professional, you understand?" I started to see him as he really was. A child, nothing more. A silly child who needed a new toy. I am no toy.
"Agreed." As I turned to leave, he pulled me back behind the conductor. "I'm sorry Lulu. I didn't realise how stupid this whole thing was. Just coming back, treading these old paths reminded me of her."
"Her?" Ruthy popped out from behind my skirt.
"The monk's daughter?" I said.
"Yes." Auron laughed. "Kinoc's daughter."
"Maester Kinoc?" I was so surprised my mouth must have been wide open because Ruthy was copying me exactly. A loud crack hit the conductor.
"I broke her heart. She was so beautiful. She looked a little like you, just reminded me, you know?" Like Tidus reminded me of Chappu?
"I understand." I stepped forward and stroked his arm like a mother hugged her son. "Don't worry, Auron."
"I won't." he laughed. "Hey, you're mothering me too now, huh?"
Like he said, I mother everyone apart from myself. Did I mother Yuna too much? Did I make her feel suffocated? Yuna smiled at me and I remembered when I hugged her at the Moonflow. Had I squeezed her too hard? I had squeezed the life out of Ginnem here four years ago... Had I ruined this pilgrimage too?
"Yo! Lu!" My voice of reason called.
"What, Wakka?"
"Yuna wants to speak to us!"
I prayed for good news but my prayers are never answered.