AUTHORS NOTE: Hiya! This is my first attempt at an Aurikku ficcy (they're my second fave ff couple, after AerithxCloud that is!) and it IS only the first chapter (so don't read it and think that's all I'm writing!).. hope you like the start! Ahzuo! (don't forget to review please!.. I need the motivation when i'm trying to tackle writing 2 stories, making a 'puter game and manga all at once!!)
"The Power Of Change"
*a Rikku and Auron romance*
Chapter One: 'Unbearable Emotion'
'I believe.. in the faithful and true,
And I believe in silly things,
like everlasting love..'
*"Let Me Die Young" by Taxiride*
***********************************
The soft powdery sand against her back and warm sunshine that shone down apon her face made Rikku feel as if she were back home.. back in the Al Bhed capital where she'd lived so happily before it was reduced to ruins in a vicious attack some six years previous.
It was times like this, she'd be enjoying the beauty that the day had brought with it and suddenly be swept up in a tide of bittersweet memories. Recalling the good times and the bad in that place where she'd lived all her life - her home.. and the things that made it that way, her friends.. and family.
At twenty-two years of age Rikku still hadn't ridded herself of the pain of losing her brother on that fateful day so long ago, the hurt she felt still remained as fresh in her heart as if it had happened only yesterday. She often wondered why it had to have happened to her.. why do the things we love have to be taken so cruelly away from us? ...why?
It hadn't just been her brother who caused her heart so much pain from the loss. There were others aswell, and one in particular.. that she could never express her feelings over even in the very last hour - at least, not infront of everyone.
Shifting slightly, Rikku turned to stare over to where Yuna was setting out a picnic lunch for them all. It was the first time in several months that Yuna had managed to get some time off from her duties on the board of Spira, so Rikku had suggested that they all (Wakka, Lulu, Yuna and herself) have a relaxing picnic - something which they had all agreed was a great idea for catching up with each other.
For the entire first year after Tidus had left them all, Yuna seemed to be a mere shadow of her former self, lacking the strength and much of the motivation she'd had during her pilgrimage. Neglecting some of her duties was a frequent happening during that time, something which scared Rikku sometimes - all of it had been so unlike her cousin. Love had a way of making people act in strange ways, and Yuna was no exception when the lack of it arose.
But now Yuna was back to her old ways, stronger and more sure of her duties than ever before. Spira was being led forward by two delicate, but very capable hands, and the populos seemed perfectly happy with this new change.
Wakka was nearby aswell, throwing his blitzball at something caught in the foliage of the tree under which he stood. Since the defeat of Sin, Wakka had gotten back to training with the Besaid Aurochs - as their captain. His team had won most every game they had played since - save one or two that were very narrow losses indeed. The thing that seemed to get up Wakka's nose above all else was how cocksure the Luca Goers captain - Bickson - was that the Aurochs were merely on a "lucky streak", and that it would end soon enough. Supposingly this rival team had afew aces up their sleeves, something that had unnerved Wakka to the point were his once passionate hatred for the Al Bhed was all but a distant memory in comparison.
Than there was the black mage, Lulu, who was standing off to one side and studying an old book she held carefully. Seeming to have finally left her grievences over Chappu behind, she now taught her magic to a small group of apprentices in Bevelle. All of the people who came in contact with Lulu seemed to truly respect her - reacting with awe over her cool disposition and collected demeanor no matter what a situation might demand of her. Rikku had never known Lulu to be anything but sophisticated and self-assured, but over the course of just afew years her wisdom had grown to the point to which it may well have rivalled that of the legendary gaurdian himself.. Auron.
Shaking her head to rid herself of the unwanted memories that had surfaced at the rememberance of a certain older man, Rikku rose to her feet and began to slowly make her way along the sandy shore of the moonflow. Her toes sank into the saturated ground on which she walked with a cool pleasentness, allowing her thoughts to drift somewhat.
Her swirling green eyes felt themselves unable to resist the single yearning look she flashed out across the wide and flowing expanse she boardered on, longing to spy a certain solitary figure emerging to fill the void in her heart.. yet knowing it could never be.
The feelings she had felt.. during her time as Yunas gaurdian, alongside him.. were undescribable. For a time she had dismissed them as nothing but a hidden awe or secret crush she held.. and hoped he would return in his own way. Of course, he never did. It was unimaginable for a man with such sophistication to ever look at Rikku as anything but a young, unexperienced girl.. who probably had no idea what she was getting herself into. It was uncanny how she could go from moments of feeling unbearable desire, to ones of unreserved outrage in a mere word spouted forth from his lips. It had enraged her that he could have that effect on her, and with it make her look like a mere child - unable to control her own emotions over something considered a trivial matter by most. Yet.. despite all of this, she knew that a part of her being was left strangly empty without Auron to fill it. Rikku had felt it, the desperation deep in her heart as she'd watched Aurons existance fade into nothingness before her very eyes. A longing to push past anyone who stood in her way and refuse to let him go.. declare what she had known at that very moment. Rikku had loved Auron, it was as simple as that.
As the memories played out in her a vivid quilt of recollection, Rikku dropped to her knees in the sand and buried her face in her hands. It was all just too much to bear. Why can't there be a way to bring him back? she wondered desperately in her anguish.
'I know it hurts..' Came a quiet voice from somewhere behind the weeping Al Bhed.
Rikku turned around without bothering to wipe her eyes, peering up through her veil of tears to the dark visage that was Lulu.
'..But the pain will lessen over time.' the black mage continued. Although her voice remained as monotone as ever, Rikku could see a look of gentle compassion briefly shine in the older womans eyes as she spoke - perhaps understanding from the time of her own sorrows over Chappu. 'You mustn't let your losses corrupt the heart,just as you know it is better to accept that to wish for things beyond the power of change is futile. Accept that what has happened, has happened.. and move on with your life, Rikku.' The Al Bhed turned from Lulu and shook her head quickly.
'If we hadn't have gone against that very rule, Yunie would have ended up dying just like her father did! you know?' Rikku began weeping softly again, 'I'm not saying that this is the same.. but you wouldn't be saying that at all if there was a chance to bring back Chappu!' Once the words had slipped out of her mouth, Rikku immediately regretted them. Lulus eyes flashed darkly, silently showing her anger at the remark, but instead of retorting she simply turned her back and walked away.
Rikku felt terrible. Me and my big mouth! she thought angrily, Chappu is still a sensitive subject with Lulu - dispite the fact that she doesn't feel that destructive remorse over his death anymore.. to say that there was possibly a chance to bring him back and that Lulu just hadn't bothered to find it was truly horrible of me. Besides.. she was just trying to comfort me.. .
Rikku rested her chin on her knees and wrapped her arms around her legs, staring out over the moonflow at the pyreflies silent dance. She often felt mesmerised by the way they would dip and rise, creating the most intricate patterns and murals with the light that trailed behind them - but tonight it was different. Although she watched them as she usually did, her mind was awash with thoughts of the past.
It was unclear as to what exactly convinced her to clamber to her feet and walk towards the edge of the moonflow. All Rikku knew was that she couldn't go on any longer with the burden of Aurons absence weighing in her mind and heart . So with one final look back in the direction of Yuna and the others, who were concealed from view by a cluster of trees, Rikku dived into the murky moonflow.. and dissappeared.
©Erica Runge, 21st of February, 2003. All characters, etc ©Squaresoft and FFX. Songwords ©Taxiride.
"The Power Of Change"
*a Rikku and Auron romance*
Chapter One: 'Unbearable Emotion'
'I believe.. in the faithful and true,
And I believe in silly things,
like everlasting love..'
*"Let Me Die Young" by Taxiride*
***********************************
The soft powdery sand against her back and warm sunshine that shone down apon her face made Rikku feel as if she were back home.. back in the Al Bhed capital where she'd lived so happily before it was reduced to ruins in a vicious attack some six years previous.
It was times like this, she'd be enjoying the beauty that the day had brought with it and suddenly be swept up in a tide of bittersweet memories. Recalling the good times and the bad in that place where she'd lived all her life - her home.. and the things that made it that way, her friends.. and family.
At twenty-two years of age Rikku still hadn't ridded herself of the pain of losing her brother on that fateful day so long ago, the hurt she felt still remained as fresh in her heart as if it had happened only yesterday. She often wondered why it had to have happened to her.. why do the things we love have to be taken so cruelly away from us? ...why?
It hadn't just been her brother who caused her heart so much pain from the loss. There were others aswell, and one in particular.. that she could never express her feelings over even in the very last hour - at least, not infront of everyone.
Shifting slightly, Rikku turned to stare over to where Yuna was setting out a picnic lunch for them all. It was the first time in several months that Yuna had managed to get some time off from her duties on the board of Spira, so Rikku had suggested that they all (Wakka, Lulu, Yuna and herself) have a relaxing picnic - something which they had all agreed was a great idea for catching up with each other.
For the entire first year after Tidus had left them all, Yuna seemed to be a mere shadow of her former self, lacking the strength and much of the motivation she'd had during her pilgrimage. Neglecting some of her duties was a frequent happening during that time, something which scared Rikku sometimes - all of it had been so unlike her cousin. Love had a way of making people act in strange ways, and Yuna was no exception when the lack of it arose.
But now Yuna was back to her old ways, stronger and more sure of her duties than ever before. Spira was being led forward by two delicate, but very capable hands, and the populos seemed perfectly happy with this new change.
Wakka was nearby aswell, throwing his blitzball at something caught in the foliage of the tree under which he stood. Since the defeat of Sin, Wakka had gotten back to training with the Besaid Aurochs - as their captain. His team had won most every game they had played since - save one or two that were very narrow losses indeed. The thing that seemed to get up Wakka's nose above all else was how cocksure the Luca Goers captain - Bickson - was that the Aurochs were merely on a "lucky streak", and that it would end soon enough. Supposingly this rival team had afew aces up their sleeves, something that had unnerved Wakka to the point were his once passionate hatred for the Al Bhed was all but a distant memory in comparison.
Than there was the black mage, Lulu, who was standing off to one side and studying an old book she held carefully. Seeming to have finally left her grievences over Chappu behind, she now taught her magic to a small group of apprentices in Bevelle. All of the people who came in contact with Lulu seemed to truly respect her - reacting with awe over her cool disposition and collected demeanor no matter what a situation might demand of her. Rikku had never known Lulu to be anything but sophisticated and self-assured, but over the course of just afew years her wisdom had grown to the point to which it may well have rivalled that of the legendary gaurdian himself.. Auron.
Shaking her head to rid herself of the unwanted memories that had surfaced at the rememberance of a certain older man, Rikku rose to her feet and began to slowly make her way along the sandy shore of the moonflow. Her toes sank into the saturated ground on which she walked with a cool pleasentness, allowing her thoughts to drift somewhat.
Her swirling green eyes felt themselves unable to resist the single yearning look she flashed out across the wide and flowing expanse she boardered on, longing to spy a certain solitary figure emerging to fill the void in her heart.. yet knowing it could never be.
The feelings she had felt.. during her time as Yunas gaurdian, alongside him.. were undescribable. For a time she had dismissed them as nothing but a hidden awe or secret crush she held.. and hoped he would return in his own way. Of course, he never did. It was unimaginable for a man with such sophistication to ever look at Rikku as anything but a young, unexperienced girl.. who probably had no idea what she was getting herself into. It was uncanny how she could go from moments of feeling unbearable desire, to ones of unreserved outrage in a mere word spouted forth from his lips. It had enraged her that he could have that effect on her, and with it make her look like a mere child - unable to control her own emotions over something considered a trivial matter by most. Yet.. despite all of this, she knew that a part of her being was left strangly empty without Auron to fill it. Rikku had felt it, the desperation deep in her heart as she'd watched Aurons existance fade into nothingness before her very eyes. A longing to push past anyone who stood in her way and refuse to let him go.. declare what she had known at that very moment. Rikku had loved Auron, it was as simple as that.
As the memories played out in her a vivid quilt of recollection, Rikku dropped to her knees in the sand and buried her face in her hands. It was all just too much to bear. Why can't there be a way to bring him back? she wondered desperately in her anguish.
'I know it hurts..' Came a quiet voice from somewhere behind the weeping Al Bhed.
Rikku turned around without bothering to wipe her eyes, peering up through her veil of tears to the dark visage that was Lulu.
'..But the pain will lessen over time.' the black mage continued. Although her voice remained as monotone as ever, Rikku could see a look of gentle compassion briefly shine in the older womans eyes as she spoke - perhaps understanding from the time of her own sorrows over Chappu. 'You mustn't let your losses corrupt the heart,just as you know it is better to accept that to wish for things beyond the power of change is futile. Accept that what has happened, has happened.. and move on with your life, Rikku.' The Al Bhed turned from Lulu and shook her head quickly.
'If we hadn't have gone against that very rule, Yunie would have ended up dying just like her father did! you know?' Rikku began weeping softly again, 'I'm not saying that this is the same.. but you wouldn't be saying that at all if there was a chance to bring back Chappu!' Once the words had slipped out of her mouth, Rikku immediately regretted them. Lulus eyes flashed darkly, silently showing her anger at the remark, but instead of retorting she simply turned her back and walked away.
Rikku felt terrible. Me and my big mouth! she thought angrily, Chappu is still a sensitive subject with Lulu - dispite the fact that she doesn't feel that destructive remorse over his death anymore.. to say that there was possibly a chance to bring him back and that Lulu just hadn't bothered to find it was truly horrible of me. Besides.. she was just trying to comfort me.. .
Rikku rested her chin on her knees and wrapped her arms around her legs, staring out over the moonflow at the pyreflies silent dance. She often felt mesmerised by the way they would dip and rise, creating the most intricate patterns and murals with the light that trailed behind them - but tonight it was different. Although she watched them as she usually did, her mind was awash with thoughts of the past.
It was unclear as to what exactly convinced her to clamber to her feet and walk towards the edge of the moonflow. All Rikku knew was that she couldn't go on any longer with the burden of Aurons absence weighing in her mind and heart . So with one final look back in the direction of Yuna and the others, who were concealed from view by a cluster of trees, Rikku dived into the murky moonflow.. and dissappeared.
©Erica Runge, 21st of February, 2003. All characters, etc ©Squaresoft and FFX. Songwords ©Taxiride.