Finally. A continuation.. I know it's been forever.
Sorry for the delay, but thanks for the reviews!
They inspired me to continue. 3
Italics for Flashbacks.
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Transparent dew began to form along the brow of the usually stoic man. Though his expression did not break, his body had begun to do so. Voice dry, he almost ceased to produce a response.. It seemed as if the words were lodged deep in his throat and refused to be said.
"I'm.. Sorry.." It was a mere whisper..
"You've made a wise decision." The lead quado turned, as he kept Rikku in his grasp. Sending a sligt motion of his hand to signal his partner and their monster companions. They were on their road to retreat.. And Rikku had been forced to cease her struggling or risk herself in the hands of her captors, though she was hardly in any mood to fight. She was rejected. Utterly given away. He had no choice in her mind.. Everything was weighted against her, so she couldn't blame him. Yet, she still hurt. She'd willingly sacrifice herself for Yuna, yet the idea Auron made the choice burned her.
Though just as soon as they had turned, Rikku felt the grasp of her attacker tighten. He tensed violently against her as his muscles spasmed, uttering a low excruciating moan until he went limp and fell lifelessly from Rikku. Rikku squealed in horror as she felt a splatter of crimson from her captor, bloodstains, land upon her. It was all happening too fast, the actions didn't compute in her head..
He had been slain in an instant. One precise blow..
Her vision began to fade as she slipped into the grasp of shock.. And almost as lifelessly did her body tumble to the ground. Though not before she caught a blurry glimpse of a crimson clad man weilding his sword like none other had done before.. And then, she slipped into a fainted abyss.. Hearing the gruff voice of her savior.
"..I'm sorry. Jecht.. Braska."
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"..Uhn." Rikku shook her head as she came to rise from her spot on the ground. Surprised to see that she wasn't where she remembered. Instead of laying in the dirt, blood stained and shaken, she found herself rather cleaned up and on her own bedroll. Further observation led her to realize she was at their prior camp site.. The flames of a steady fire flickering not too far away.
Though, it was empty. Where had everybody else gone? The tents were down, the majority of stuff had been taken.. And Rikku had been knocked out the whole time. 'cept one other bedroll, which was occupied opposite to hers..
"Sir Auron!" Yuna was quite surprised to find him stalking back to camp, Rikku limply slung over his shoulder, bloodstained and worn. The whole party were in shock as they peered out of their tents to see. Lulu and Yuna of course were the first to reach the pair.. Lulu helping Auron get Rikku into her tent, and tending to the girl from there. As soon as Auron had exited, the mage was alone with the girl. Rikku, lay quietly unaware.
".So gullible." With a sigh, Lulu tended to her clothes. Stripping away the bloodstained articles as she turned away from the girl, and began her use of an array of helpful spells which would speed up the washing process. Water to cleanse, fire to dry. "Crimson isn't a fitting color of a girl so innocent. I know these stains weren't by your own hand.. But for your own.. But at what cost..?" The woman shook her head as she tended to her duties.
Outside the tent, Yuna tended to Auron's wounds with her curative magic. Wakka, Tidus, and Kimahri sat not too far away. "Yuna." He uttered behind the cover of his collar.
"Yes Sir Auron?"
He wanted to say sorry, but it just couldn't come out.. Because the people he wanted to apologize to weren't there. He wanted to say sorry to Jecht and Braska. Yet, something in Yuna's eyes seemed to quell his agony. Something in there reminded him of Braska, that calm, forgiving man. Something told him he had been forgiven already.
".We need time to recover, the rest of you can move ahead to a better spot."
"..Eh.." The shocked reply from Tidus, who overheard. The others were silent.
"I'm not in my best condition. Nor is Rikku. Our recovery will slow you down." .. He paused. "Rikku and I need some time."
Yuna's eyes softened a bit as she offered him a delicate smile. "Certainly, Sir Auron."
That's how it had happened. There was almost no question in Rikku's mind as to who slept in the other bedroll. Steadily she rose to her feet, and quietly slipped besides the slumbering Auron, taking a seat by him. She couldn't tell if he was slumbering or not, all she did was assume he was.
She was still rather frightened from the incident earlier.. Without a doubt, Auron had taken them down single handedly for her. She rarely saw the brutality of his strength, but she felt it this time. She felt the warmth of the blood of her enemies so vividly upon her skin. It made her shudder to think of it. Though.. That same incident was her salvation. She had only thanks for the man who saved her.
Yet when she looked down upon his face, battle scars, frownlines.. She saw the ages of pain he had endured, and only more to come. It frightened her slightly.. Was she scared? Seemed so.. By the expression Auron caught on her face when that single ocular opened to peer at the girl. Rikku almost tumbled back, startled as he rose into a seated position. Perhaps he only slept out of habit, rather than need?
"Kya.."
Auron turned his back to Rikku, facing the fire as he sat up. His coat was off, laying on the ground besides his bedroll.. Vaunting the raven hued shirt which fit the contour of his chest and back.. Leaving his arms exposed, the scars of many years blazed upon his flesh.. Even those of a recent encounter. Rikku was speechless, and blushed slightly as she looked away uncomfortably.
She was both thankful and scared.. Realizing how little she did know about the man before her.
"I'm.. Sorry about earlier, Rikku."
Sorry? He saved her.
"What do you mean? You saved me! ..Do you regret it?"
It was then he tugged his collar down slightly, rubbing his palm against his rough unshaven visage.. "I only regret.." He turned about to face her, rising to his feet as he stood up, towering over her. Rikku followed, also standing as she faced him.. Peering up at him with those spiraling green orbs. "I only regret that you had to witness any of it."
"Auron.."
With that, one gloved hand was placed upon the girl's shoulder as he drew her close to him, encircling his arms about her slender physique. Comforting her.. Or was he doing it to console himself? All he understood was.. He didn't feel completely alone anymore.. Not with -her- in his arms.
Italics for Flashbacks.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Transparent dew began to form along the brow of the usually stoic man. Though his expression did not break, his body had begun to do so. Voice dry, he almost ceased to produce a response.. It seemed as if the words were lodged deep in his throat and refused to be said.
"I'm.. Sorry.." It was a mere whisper..
"You've made a wise decision." The lead quado turned, as he kept Rikku in his grasp. Sending a sligt motion of his hand to signal his partner and their monster companions. They were on their road to retreat.. And Rikku had been forced to cease her struggling or risk herself in the hands of her captors, though she was hardly in any mood to fight. She was rejected. Utterly given away. He had no choice in her mind.. Everything was weighted against her, so she couldn't blame him. Yet, she still hurt. She'd willingly sacrifice herself for Yuna, yet the idea Auron made the choice burned her.
Though just as soon as they had turned, Rikku felt the grasp of her attacker tighten. He tensed violently against her as his muscles spasmed, uttering a low excruciating moan until he went limp and fell lifelessly from Rikku. Rikku squealed in horror as she felt a splatter of crimson from her captor, bloodstains, land upon her. It was all happening too fast, the actions didn't compute in her head..
He had been slain in an instant. One precise blow..
Her vision began to fade as she slipped into the grasp of shock.. And almost as lifelessly did her body tumble to the ground. Though not before she caught a blurry glimpse of a crimson clad man weilding his sword like none other had done before.. And then, she slipped into a fainted abyss.. Hearing the gruff voice of her savior.
"..I'm sorry. Jecht.. Braska."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"..Uhn." Rikku shook her head as she came to rise from her spot on the ground. Surprised to see that she wasn't where she remembered. Instead of laying in the dirt, blood stained and shaken, she found herself rather cleaned up and on her own bedroll. Further observation led her to realize she was at their prior camp site.. The flames of a steady fire flickering not too far away.
Though, it was empty. Where had everybody else gone? The tents were down, the majority of stuff had been taken.. And Rikku had been knocked out the whole time. 'cept one other bedroll, which was occupied opposite to hers..
"Sir Auron!" Yuna was quite surprised to find him stalking back to camp, Rikku limply slung over his shoulder, bloodstained and worn. The whole party were in shock as they peered out of their tents to see. Lulu and Yuna of course were the first to reach the pair.. Lulu helping Auron get Rikku into her tent, and tending to the girl from there. As soon as Auron had exited, the mage was alone with the girl. Rikku, lay quietly unaware.
".So gullible." With a sigh, Lulu tended to her clothes. Stripping away the bloodstained articles as she turned away from the girl, and began her use of an array of helpful spells which would speed up the washing process. Water to cleanse, fire to dry. "Crimson isn't a fitting color of a girl so innocent. I know these stains weren't by your own hand.. But for your own.. But at what cost..?" The woman shook her head as she tended to her duties.
Outside the tent, Yuna tended to Auron's wounds with her curative magic. Wakka, Tidus, and Kimahri sat not too far away. "Yuna." He uttered behind the cover of his collar.
"Yes Sir Auron?"
He wanted to say sorry, but it just couldn't come out.. Because the people he wanted to apologize to weren't there. He wanted to say sorry to Jecht and Braska. Yet, something in Yuna's eyes seemed to quell his agony. Something in there reminded him of Braska, that calm, forgiving man. Something told him he had been forgiven already.
".We need time to recover, the rest of you can move ahead to a better spot."
"..Eh.." The shocked reply from Tidus, who overheard. The others were silent.
"I'm not in my best condition. Nor is Rikku. Our recovery will slow you down." .. He paused. "Rikku and I need some time."
Yuna's eyes softened a bit as she offered him a delicate smile. "Certainly, Sir Auron."
That's how it had happened. There was almost no question in Rikku's mind as to who slept in the other bedroll. Steadily she rose to her feet, and quietly slipped besides the slumbering Auron, taking a seat by him. She couldn't tell if he was slumbering or not, all she did was assume he was.
She was still rather frightened from the incident earlier.. Without a doubt, Auron had taken them down single handedly for her. She rarely saw the brutality of his strength, but she felt it this time. She felt the warmth of the blood of her enemies so vividly upon her skin. It made her shudder to think of it. Though.. That same incident was her salvation. She had only thanks for the man who saved her.
Yet when she looked down upon his face, battle scars, frownlines.. She saw the ages of pain he had endured, and only more to come. It frightened her slightly.. Was she scared? Seemed so.. By the expression Auron caught on her face when that single ocular opened to peer at the girl. Rikku almost tumbled back, startled as he rose into a seated position. Perhaps he only slept out of habit, rather than need?
"Kya.."
Auron turned his back to Rikku, facing the fire as he sat up. His coat was off, laying on the ground besides his bedroll.. Vaunting the raven hued shirt which fit the contour of his chest and back.. Leaving his arms exposed, the scars of many years blazed upon his flesh.. Even those of a recent encounter. Rikku was speechless, and blushed slightly as she looked away uncomfortably.
She was both thankful and scared.. Realizing how little she did know about the man before her.
"I'm.. Sorry about earlier, Rikku."
Sorry? He saved her.
"What do you mean? You saved me! ..Do you regret it?"
It was then he tugged his collar down slightly, rubbing his palm against his rough unshaven visage.. "I only regret.." He turned about to face her, rising to his feet as he stood up, towering over her. Rikku followed, also standing as she faced him.. Peering up at him with those spiraling green orbs. "I only regret that you had to witness any of it."
"Auron.."
With that, one gloved hand was placed upon the girl's shoulder as he drew her close to him, encircling his arms about her slender physique. Comforting her.. Or was he doing it to console himself? All he understood was.. He didn't feel completely alone anymore.. Not with -her- in his arms.