AUTHORS NOTE: Hiyo! How is everyone? Good I hope! ^.^
Short note about the song featured in this chapter: If you haven't heard it, you should take the time to track it down online or something - 'Art of life' runs for a staggering 28 minutes and 58 seconds. The longest song I've ever heard! It's also a fantastic song - all X-Japan's works are ^.^ If you have a POP3 email address, let me know & I'll send you the song! ^.^
Hehe.. I'll be interested to hear what you guys think of this chapter!! ^________^
Ok, big warm hugs to the following fantastic people!
kingster0517 - Aww, Auron isn't really such a silly old guy! He's just uber cautious because of the teachings.. but moreso due to certain circumstances to do with Rikku's race that occurred in the past. Can't say any more at this point though, don't want to give anything away!^.^ Thanks for enjoying the fic too! *glomp*
Rinny Leonhart / Rikku - You really do wanna be Rikku? even when Auron and herself get pysical later on? (or her and Jecht! XD) Actually.. that sounds kinda tempting... heehee. As you know from FFX, Auron has let go of his Al Bhed discrimination by that point - so no doubt it'll happen in the course of this ficcy - I'm just not saying when! ^.^
Blurry - Oh, so your mind's in the gutter too huh? So we've met? ^.^ Anyways, you'll get your mush soon enough you greedy little reviewee! ^.^
AFTERMATH: Chaotic Wind - You know I love you, right? XD You're being too nice to me i think! Do I deserve all tha praise? *grins widely* You bet i do! XD Anyways, you'll eventually realise/see just why Auron dislikes the Al Bhed to the extent that he does - it runs deeper then just the teachings!
Era Yachi - The cows do indeed need somewhere to poop. From experience that's been on me once or twice - I worked at a dairy for a week once.. and that fresh grass they eat goes straight through them! XD I'm not talking your average cow-pat either - think runny - REALLY runny - water-consistency runny. Ok ok.. that's just gross. XD Hey um, thanks for reviewing like always, ne? You know I love you too! ^.^
DracusXero - You'll get your hentai, don't worry - I'm just not the type of gal who'll slot a whole heap of sex into a story before the characters are well enough aquainted and would willingly wanna do it! :P I would never risk sacrificing the story for that kind of thing. Ta for the nice review!
arcander - glad you're enjoying the fic! Don't be sorry about getting hyper - I'm hyper so often, and i don't even need sugar to get that way XD
Anyways - read on my sweets! -Berry x
***********************************************************************
The Power of Change
A Rikku and Auron romance
***********************************************************************
Chapter Eighteen: 'Unknown Fate'
***********************************************************************
Desert Rose
Why do you live alone?
If you are sad
I'll make you leave this life
Are you white blue or bloody red?
All I can see is drowning in cold grey sand
The winds of time
You knock me to the ground
I'm dying of thirst
I wanna run away
I don't know how to set me free to live
My mind cries out feeling pain
I've been roaming to find myself
How long have I been feeling endless hurt?
Falling down rain flows into my heart
In the pain I'm waiting for you
Can't go back
No place to go back to
Life is lost. Flowers fall
If it's all dreams
Now wake me up
If it's all real
Just kill me
I'm making the wall inside my heart
I don't wanna let my emotions get out
It scares me to look at the world
Don't want to find myself lost in your eyes
I've tried to drown my past in grey
I never wanna feel more pain
Run away from you without saying any words
What I don't wanna lose is love
~"Art of Life" by X-Japan~
***********************************************************************
A number of days had passed since the small summoner's party had started out across the vast snowfields towards Macalania Temple.
Their progress had been severely held back due to a terrible blizzard that had started half a day after leaving the traveling agency, and it was frustrating them all a great deal. Not only was it making everything take that much longer, and requiring much larger portions of their stamina to walk against the wind - it also made the whole trek several levels more treacherous then usual. The current path they walked was well known for steep precipice's that lay hidden under the snow, on a regular day the signs were visible if travelers proceeded with caution... but in a blizzard such as this... .
On the first night they set up camp, the small group huddled in one of the tents they'd set up - sapping what little warmth they could from a modest oil lamp. It was little consolation for the energy they'd lost, but all four travelers where grateful nonetheless. Over the course of a few hours they debated whether it was best to just turn back and continue on with the pilgrimage when the blizzard had passed, but Auron and Braska had been adamant that waiting for that could take up to a week, and thus they'd surrendered the plan. After that idea was put to rest they'd sat in silence for a time, each milling over what could possibly be done to make the most out of the bind they'd gotten themselves into.
But eventually they gave in to the fact that... the only way to go was forward.
Currently the group had just passed the half-way mark of their endeavor against nature - by now the toll that had been taken from their precious energy was immense - every step taken was a feat within itself.
Rikku stumbled every few steps, and although Auron kept a watchful eye on her all the same - he had his own health to worry about.
Over the course of twenty-four hours, the dark guardian had developed quite a bad cold - causing his eyes to turn bloodshot, his eyesight blurry, his immunity against the temperature almost nullified and in general, his whole system had been severely weakened. Despite this Auron pressed on without complaint - and kept what little focus he had alternating between the path he walked and Rikku's back.
Braska and Jecht where generally of good health, therefore they took the time to look over their shoulders in concern for their friends safety - although the Blitzer often felt his patience growing thin when their pace could not have matched any more than that of a snail (a handicapped snail).
"Braska, how much further is the temple?" he rasped - the same question he posed numerous times during the day. As usual Braska replied with coaxing patience - refusing the truth to bring him down.
"If the weather keeps up, another one-&-a-half days."
That seemed like a lifetime to all of them.
Rikku wrapped the scarf she'd bought with her new outfit more securely around her neck, taking a glance back at Auron in the process.
She was worried about him. Since their little dispute a few days ago they'd taken the time to make amends... but something was different. Auron seemed more distant then he'd been before.
He would leave sentences unfinished, shrug questions she posed off, or just change the subject.
It troubled her endlessly.
Perhaps it was something I did…; Rikku found herself thinking quite frequently. But it didn't make sense really - when they'd settled their previous disagreement with simple apologies, she'd truly felt like everything was resolved - like things would get back to normal.
But they hadn't.
Now Auron was treating her like a mere friend - nothing more.
At first Rikku had felt comfortable with that... well, for all of half a day. Then she had started missing little things - like those half smiles he'd flash her way when he thought she wasn't looking, or the way he'd make subtle contact with her in the presence of Jecht and Braska, or even just the way he smelt when he stood close to her - that special manly scent he had that was so alluring.
After that things became more serious - this was around a day and a half later, quite close to the present. Rikku began to long for the pleasant weight of Auron's muscular arms wrapped around her shoulders - those special embraces that as of yet hadn't been overly-affectionate, but had been all his style. She pined for the feelings he invoked within her whenever his mouth met hers in a kiss filled with unbound desire.
She was thinking of all that and more when her foot shot through a hole in snow.
Although she had been deep in thought at that moment, her body reacted perfectly with the expectancy of what would happen at the end of the fall into the precipice.
Yet it never came.
Rikku's tightly shut eyelids flickered open to view Auron above her - his arm extended down to grasp firmly onto her slender wrist - a look of worry printed across his face.
"Thank you..." she murmured gratefully, as she dropped to her knees in the snow after being pulled out. Her heart was beating an erratic tempo, and she welcomed the crimson warmth that spread swiftly across he cheeks. Rikku only blushed when she was close to Auron - and being close to him was something she'd missed terribly.
"You should be more careful." He stated, although his voice held none of its usual lecturing hardness that went hand-in-hand with such a comment - and looking up, the Al Bhed noted his features held a look of undisguisable shock at what had nearly happened.
In reply Rikku merely nodded, expecting Auron to begin one of his speeches about her actions endangering the whole group - but it never came.
He pulled her to her feet instead, and without further notice - began to walk over to where Braska and Jecht stood waiting.
Rikku didn't know whether to laugh at her good fortune (the fact that today hadn't been her last one alive), or cry at how Auron hadn't embraced her like she hoped he would (considering the circumstances). So she just released a deep sigh and joined the group again.
"I didn't know I could come to detest any other element of nature as much as I do lightning," Rikku commented, after some moments had passed, "but I think I found one." Jecht chuckled, a dry raspy sound due to the effects of the weather.
"You can't have anything against ice! Ice is a component of water... and water is a component of Blitzball!"
"How can you think of water and swimming in it at a time when all our extremities are basically frozen solid?" Rikku grumbled, wrapping her arms around her body and shivering even harder at the thought. She turned to see how Auron was fairing; only to realize that he'd began to trail off to one side of the path they all walked.
"Auron?" Her eyes took on a look of concern.
He didn't reply.
"Auron, are you okay?"
Still nothing.
Rikku prepared to inquire again - the words were on the tip of her tongue - when something horrible happened.
Auron's foot shot through an unstable area in the snow, just as hers had, and he disappeared from view - the last trace seen of his hand shooting up in reflex, clawing for a handhold where there was none.
Without stopping to think, Rikku dived toward where he'd fallen through, sliding to a halt and reaching down in vain for the heavy grasp of Auron's hand. "AURON!!!"
He was gone.
She heard nothing of him.
"AURON!!!!!" Tears of shock and fear cascaded down her cheeks as she lay on the spot, her arm still plunged down into the hole where he'd disappeared. "AURON, SAY SOMETHING!! PLEASE!!!"
She prayed she'd hear something, anything, to indicate that he'd made it through the fall alive.
But there was only the merciless howling of the wind that greeted her.
Braska and Jecht had failed to hear the commotion taking place behind them over the noise of the storm, and only now as they performed one of their routine checks on the guardians behind them, realized what had happened.
Fear was etched heavily across their faces as they hastily made their way back to where Rikku was, still reaching down into the darkness - refusing to believe that Auron was gone.
"AURON!!! NO, PLEASE!!!"
They had just reached her when another disaster occurred.
The ground on which Rikku lay gave out.
Both Jecht and Braska reactions where far too slow to save her from the same fate as Auron.
Her screams as she fell echoed hollowly throughout the chasm into which she fell - the sound reaching the remaining members ears as a shocking reminder of actions carried out too late.
The Al Bhed and dark guardian were gone.
***********************************************************************
©Erica Runge, 29th of July, 2003. All characters, etc ©Squaresoft and FFX. ©X-Japan.
Short note about the song featured in this chapter: If you haven't heard it, you should take the time to track it down online or something - 'Art of life' runs for a staggering 28 minutes and 58 seconds. The longest song I've ever heard! It's also a fantastic song - all X-Japan's works are ^.^ If you have a POP3 email address, let me know & I'll send you the song! ^.^
Hehe.. I'll be interested to hear what you guys think of this chapter!! ^________^
Ok, big warm hugs to the following fantastic people!
kingster0517 - Aww, Auron isn't really such a silly old guy! He's just uber cautious because of the teachings.. but moreso due to certain circumstances to do with Rikku's race that occurred in the past. Can't say any more at this point though, don't want to give anything away!^.^ Thanks for enjoying the fic too! *glomp*
Rinny Leonhart / Rikku - You really do wanna be Rikku? even when Auron and herself get pysical later on? (or her and Jecht! XD) Actually.. that sounds kinda tempting... heehee. As you know from FFX, Auron has let go of his Al Bhed discrimination by that point - so no doubt it'll happen in the course of this ficcy - I'm just not saying when! ^.^
Blurry - Oh, so your mind's in the gutter too huh? So we've met? ^.^ Anyways, you'll get your mush soon enough you greedy little reviewee! ^.^
AFTERMATH: Chaotic Wind - You know I love you, right? XD You're being too nice to me i think! Do I deserve all tha praise? *grins widely* You bet i do! XD Anyways, you'll eventually realise/see just why Auron dislikes the Al Bhed to the extent that he does - it runs deeper then just the teachings!
Era Yachi - The cows do indeed need somewhere to poop. From experience that's been on me once or twice - I worked at a dairy for a week once.. and that fresh grass they eat goes straight through them! XD I'm not talking your average cow-pat either - think runny - REALLY runny - water-consistency runny. Ok ok.. that's just gross. XD Hey um, thanks for reviewing like always, ne? You know I love you too! ^.^
DracusXero - You'll get your hentai, don't worry - I'm just not the type of gal who'll slot a whole heap of sex into a story before the characters are well enough aquainted and would willingly wanna do it! :P I would never risk sacrificing the story for that kind of thing. Ta for the nice review!
arcander - glad you're enjoying the fic! Don't be sorry about getting hyper - I'm hyper so often, and i don't even need sugar to get that way XD
Anyways - read on my sweets! -Berry x
***********************************************************************
The Power of Change
A Rikku and Auron romance
***********************************************************************
Chapter Eighteen: 'Unknown Fate'
***********************************************************************
Desert Rose
Why do you live alone?
If you are sad
I'll make you leave this life
Are you white blue or bloody red?
All I can see is drowning in cold grey sand
The winds of time
You knock me to the ground
I'm dying of thirst
I wanna run away
I don't know how to set me free to live
My mind cries out feeling pain
I've been roaming to find myself
How long have I been feeling endless hurt?
Falling down rain flows into my heart
In the pain I'm waiting for you
Can't go back
No place to go back to
Life is lost. Flowers fall
If it's all dreams
Now wake me up
If it's all real
Just kill me
I'm making the wall inside my heart
I don't wanna let my emotions get out
It scares me to look at the world
Don't want to find myself lost in your eyes
I've tried to drown my past in grey
I never wanna feel more pain
Run away from you without saying any words
What I don't wanna lose is love
~"Art of Life" by X-Japan~
***********************************************************************
A number of days had passed since the small summoner's party had started out across the vast snowfields towards Macalania Temple.
Their progress had been severely held back due to a terrible blizzard that had started half a day after leaving the traveling agency, and it was frustrating them all a great deal. Not only was it making everything take that much longer, and requiring much larger portions of their stamina to walk against the wind - it also made the whole trek several levels more treacherous then usual. The current path they walked was well known for steep precipice's that lay hidden under the snow, on a regular day the signs were visible if travelers proceeded with caution... but in a blizzard such as this... .
On the first night they set up camp, the small group huddled in one of the tents they'd set up - sapping what little warmth they could from a modest oil lamp. It was little consolation for the energy they'd lost, but all four travelers where grateful nonetheless. Over the course of a few hours they debated whether it was best to just turn back and continue on with the pilgrimage when the blizzard had passed, but Auron and Braska had been adamant that waiting for that could take up to a week, and thus they'd surrendered the plan. After that idea was put to rest they'd sat in silence for a time, each milling over what could possibly be done to make the most out of the bind they'd gotten themselves into.
But eventually they gave in to the fact that... the only way to go was forward.
Currently the group had just passed the half-way mark of their endeavor against nature - by now the toll that had been taken from their precious energy was immense - every step taken was a feat within itself.
Rikku stumbled every few steps, and although Auron kept a watchful eye on her all the same - he had his own health to worry about.
Over the course of twenty-four hours, the dark guardian had developed quite a bad cold - causing his eyes to turn bloodshot, his eyesight blurry, his immunity against the temperature almost nullified and in general, his whole system had been severely weakened. Despite this Auron pressed on without complaint - and kept what little focus he had alternating between the path he walked and Rikku's back.
Braska and Jecht where generally of good health, therefore they took the time to look over their shoulders in concern for their friends safety - although the Blitzer often felt his patience growing thin when their pace could not have matched any more than that of a snail (a handicapped snail).
"Braska, how much further is the temple?" he rasped - the same question he posed numerous times during the day. As usual Braska replied with coaxing patience - refusing the truth to bring him down.
"If the weather keeps up, another one-&-a-half days."
That seemed like a lifetime to all of them.
Rikku wrapped the scarf she'd bought with her new outfit more securely around her neck, taking a glance back at Auron in the process.
She was worried about him. Since their little dispute a few days ago they'd taken the time to make amends... but something was different. Auron seemed more distant then he'd been before.
He would leave sentences unfinished, shrug questions she posed off, or just change the subject.
It troubled her endlessly.
Perhaps it was something I did…; Rikku found herself thinking quite frequently. But it didn't make sense really - when they'd settled their previous disagreement with simple apologies, she'd truly felt like everything was resolved - like things would get back to normal.
But they hadn't.
Now Auron was treating her like a mere friend - nothing more.
At first Rikku had felt comfortable with that... well, for all of half a day. Then she had started missing little things - like those half smiles he'd flash her way when he thought she wasn't looking, or the way he'd make subtle contact with her in the presence of Jecht and Braska, or even just the way he smelt when he stood close to her - that special manly scent he had that was so alluring.
After that things became more serious - this was around a day and a half later, quite close to the present. Rikku began to long for the pleasant weight of Auron's muscular arms wrapped around her shoulders - those special embraces that as of yet hadn't been overly-affectionate, but had been all his style. She pined for the feelings he invoked within her whenever his mouth met hers in a kiss filled with unbound desire.
She was thinking of all that and more when her foot shot through a hole in snow.
Although she had been deep in thought at that moment, her body reacted perfectly with the expectancy of what would happen at the end of the fall into the precipice.
Yet it never came.
Rikku's tightly shut eyelids flickered open to view Auron above her - his arm extended down to grasp firmly onto her slender wrist - a look of worry printed across his face.
"Thank you..." she murmured gratefully, as she dropped to her knees in the snow after being pulled out. Her heart was beating an erratic tempo, and she welcomed the crimson warmth that spread swiftly across he cheeks. Rikku only blushed when she was close to Auron - and being close to him was something she'd missed terribly.
"You should be more careful." He stated, although his voice held none of its usual lecturing hardness that went hand-in-hand with such a comment - and looking up, the Al Bhed noted his features held a look of undisguisable shock at what had nearly happened.
In reply Rikku merely nodded, expecting Auron to begin one of his speeches about her actions endangering the whole group - but it never came.
He pulled her to her feet instead, and without further notice - began to walk over to where Braska and Jecht stood waiting.
Rikku didn't know whether to laugh at her good fortune (the fact that today hadn't been her last one alive), or cry at how Auron hadn't embraced her like she hoped he would (considering the circumstances). So she just released a deep sigh and joined the group again.
"I didn't know I could come to detest any other element of nature as much as I do lightning," Rikku commented, after some moments had passed, "but I think I found one." Jecht chuckled, a dry raspy sound due to the effects of the weather.
"You can't have anything against ice! Ice is a component of water... and water is a component of Blitzball!"
"How can you think of water and swimming in it at a time when all our extremities are basically frozen solid?" Rikku grumbled, wrapping her arms around her body and shivering even harder at the thought. She turned to see how Auron was fairing; only to realize that he'd began to trail off to one side of the path they all walked.
"Auron?" Her eyes took on a look of concern.
He didn't reply.
"Auron, are you okay?"
Still nothing.
Rikku prepared to inquire again - the words were on the tip of her tongue - when something horrible happened.
Auron's foot shot through an unstable area in the snow, just as hers had, and he disappeared from view - the last trace seen of his hand shooting up in reflex, clawing for a handhold where there was none.
Without stopping to think, Rikku dived toward where he'd fallen through, sliding to a halt and reaching down in vain for the heavy grasp of Auron's hand. "AURON!!!"
He was gone.
She heard nothing of him.
"AURON!!!!!" Tears of shock and fear cascaded down her cheeks as she lay on the spot, her arm still plunged down into the hole where he'd disappeared. "AURON, SAY SOMETHING!! PLEASE!!!"
She prayed she'd hear something, anything, to indicate that he'd made it through the fall alive.
But there was only the merciless howling of the wind that greeted her.
Braska and Jecht had failed to hear the commotion taking place behind them over the noise of the storm, and only now as they performed one of their routine checks on the guardians behind them, realized what had happened.
Fear was etched heavily across their faces as they hastily made their way back to where Rikku was, still reaching down into the darkness - refusing to believe that Auron was gone.
"AURON!!! NO, PLEASE!!!"
They had just reached her when another disaster occurred.
The ground on which Rikku lay gave out.
Both Jecht and Braska reactions where far too slow to save her from the same fate as Auron.
Her screams as she fell echoed hollowly throughout the chasm into which she fell - the sound reaching the remaining members ears as a shocking reminder of actions carried out too late.
The Al Bhed and dark guardian were gone.
***********************************************************************
©Erica Runge, 29th of July, 2003. All characters, etc ©Squaresoft and FFX. ©X-Japan.