Note: Hee hee -_-; I haven't been updating all that much, especially THIS story. Sorry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope none of you guys gave up trying to check to see if I updated, because you all have to understand that I have been going to school and school's NOT easy! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! See you on the next one! Warning: Mild swearing on this one and gruesome too! :D
Chapter 3 - Forgotten
She ran as fast as she could, her feet soaking from the mud that formed from constant raining. The air around her suddenly grew thinner and she breathed in for more, before realizing that she was surrounded by four tonberis, each of them carrying their deadly weapons, no matter how small they were. Her dark bangs fell in front of her face as she paused to face all four green mole-like monsters. The pins and sticks that kept her hair up were no longer with her so her hair fell behind her like a sea of black curtains. Lulu knew the tonberis were as dangerous as the large monsters around the forest areas. Usually, she and the others avoid them by running away on chocobos or have Auron easily finish them off, but Lulu was on her own. No matter how strong her magic was, she was nothing compared to the power the tonberis had.
"That's no way a black mage thinks!" came a deep, sensual voice. Lulu did not need to turn around to know whose voice it was. One tonberi moved forward, as slow as it could get and attacked her as quickly with its dagger. Lulu blocked with her thunder, keeping the tonberi away from her and cast ice on it, but it just moved away from that attack as well. She could not think, with Kai watching her with lust in his eyes from behind. How could she be defending herself from monsters when she should be defending from Kai, the most dangerous monster of all?
Kai watched with amusement, regarding her small, petite body moving from side to side, her hips seducing him to its final depth. He couldn't wait until Lulu's own hips straddled against his own and it would be worth something for him. Lulu was struggling with the tonberis, but despite it all, he folded his arms across his chest and smirked.
The woman did a triple cast, the ground shaking the four tonberis from their spots, forcing them all to fall. Lulu attempted to finish them off with another earthquake, only to feel Kai lifting up his own arms in the air and casting a deadly spell on all four, killing them instantly. Their bodies baked as the heat from the large rock that fell from the sky scorched them into pieces, the muddy ground absorbing the blood that blew from the small monsters' bodies. Lulu watched in horror at the attack, thinking of her six friends lying on the ground if they were ever caught in the cross fire with Kai's magic. Regardless of the act, Lulu suddenly began to run for her life and was surprised to see Kai just standing there, doing nothing to stop her.
"Keep running, Lulu!" he called. "I like it when a girl plays hard to get!"
Lulu closed her eyes, imagining herself flying in the air, with no one to touch her. She wanted to be free. Despite her escaping Kai's grasp, she knew she was not free yet. He will continue to haunt her- continue to bring her to her knees and make love to her. He lusted for her and she was afraid now that if she kept thinking of him, she will feel the same way.
Night soon glowered down on her with the moonlight touching the contours of her attractive face. She wanted to run, but she was too tired to continue. However, if she stopped now, Kai will surely find her. Lulu wanted to continue, but her knees buckled and she dropped on the ground like anvil. Where was everyone? Of course, why would she expect them to find her so quickly? She was in the middle of nowhere. 'I have to keep going,' she thought to herself. Chappu would never let her give up. Yuna would never let her die and she would never let Yuna die. She needed Yuna. She was her sister.
"Well, what do we have here?" Lulu jerked her head over her shoulder and gasped at the sight of two large men approaching her. Finally, there was help.
"Please, someone, help me! Someone's here to kill me!" she pleaded. She knew she sounded pathetic, but she didn't care. Lulu needed help after all. Why would she need help? She was Lulu after all and everyone knew Lulu was headstrong and knew how to take care of herself. Lulu got up quickly and ran to one of them, one who was walking ahead of the other and landed on her knees. She grabbed a part of his shirt and wept. She could not take it anymore. She needed someone. ANYONE! She was willing to get help from someone, even strangers.
This man, with strange, long red hair tied up in braids, wearing green tunic and strange colorful pants, glanced at his friend, whose hair was also in braids, but with brown hair and faded blue tunic. "What is it, my lass?" she spoke with an accent she has never heard of before.
Lulu said nothing. She felt something warm touching her breasts. Gasping, Lulu looked up to find the man grinning, his hands fully cupping her breasts in his large hands. "What are you doing?"
"I'm just trying to make you feel better, hon," he spoke, winking at her.
The black mage growled, slapping his hands away as hard as she could. She pointed a finger at him, ready to cast thunder on the big man and send him away fifty feet through the bushes, however, as she hummed the words, no power came from her. Lulu felt her powers draining, her energy gone from the previous fights. The man advanced towards her, followed by the other one, who was leaner and had fewer muscles than the red head. Lulu gasped. That's all she had. Magic. The rest... She felt useless at this point. She was going to die here. "I'm sorry, Yuna, I couldn't protect you," she whispered. She looked around for anything else to defend herself with. Lulu found a large trunk that must have broken off from a tree and she grabbed it as quickly as she could and swung. However, the larger man just grabbed it from her hand and threw it behind him. He grabbed her and pinned her down on the ground. Lulu closed her eyes. No longer will she ever fight anymore. No matter how hard she tried, the fight would continue to hurt her. The night was once again her enemy. The shadows that lurked above her blocked her view of the moon for the last time, before she felt her clothes being ripped off, like a part of her skin was taken away. She felt a sharp pain inside, tears now welling up inside her and flowing down her cheeks. This is what death felt like, even though she was not dying in body. She was dying in her heart.
****************
What was that? Auron glanced up at the night sky. It was a week now and there was no sign of Lulu. Days and days they searched for her, but still no luck. He felt a sharp pain in his neck, like something bad had just happened. He grabbed his sword from the ground and stood up, placing his weapon on his shoulder with less effort. The day to defeat Sin would be delayed for now. Their first priority now was look for Lulu and bring her home where she belonged. He heard something crack behind him. Quickly, Auron looked behind him, his sword aiming at something delicate.
"Do you really hate me that much, after everything we've been through?" a feminine voice spoke. She was a woman in her thirties, her small green, round eyes gazing through the thick lenses of his glasses. Her long, wavy brown hair was the only thing that reminded him of that same girl he fell in love with ten years ago. Cess Marjorie was the last person he needed right now. Auron put his sword down and sighed. She hasn't changed much in ten years and there was a lack of happiness in her eyes now than before. She wore blacker and tighter clothes, accentuating everything on her hip, her chest, her arms and legs and the insides of her thighs. On her feet, she wore black boots, strong enough to keep her from falling on muddy hills and wet plains, the shoelaces of the shoes keeping her feet inside. A small, red cape was attached on her shoulder, one corner wrapped around her arm, while the other flowed behind her. Cess wore tight fitting black gloves that cut off until the fingers around her hands and arms. A long sword was attached at the side of her hip where a large, buckle made of mythril hugged around her waist.
"Cess..." he spoke, almost to a whisper.
Cess looked behind him, expecting his companions, Jecht and Braska to come stumbling in, wondering what spooked Auron so much. However, there was no one and she finally spoke. "Where are your dear friends, Jecht and Braska?" She looked Auron up and down herself, making sure he was still the same Auron she fell in love with all those years ago.
"They're both dead, Cess," Auron spoke, his voice low and solemn. "They died ten years ago when they tried to beat Sin."
The woman gasped. She had no idea THIS would happen. She always thought the fearful trio could survive the battle with Sin, but... I guess not all stories end with a happy ending, she thought. Cess looked up, removing Auron's glasses from his face and looked closely into the eyes that were now Auron's. He has changed so much, though she could still see the youthful man she met while she was training in the Besaid fields with her father. She placed a hand on his face, remembering the way his skin felt and put his glasses back on. Cess turned away from him and looked down on the ground. She had a job to do and there no point in going back to the past and falling in love with him again. Auron had someone else in his mind now. She had to hunt HIM down. "I'm sorry to hear about Jecht and Braska, Auron. I just came by, so I'm leaving." She turned to leave, but Auron's strong hand had grasped itself around her arm. Cess paused and turned her head to face him.
"You didn't come here just to see me, Cess. No beautiful woman with a sword with her would come looking for me in the middle of the desert," Auron spoke, releasing Cess' arm gently.
Cess turned around, rubbing at the red marks Auron left on her arm and shook her head. "You're right, I didn't come here to see you. I came her to ask you something."
"About Kai? Who is he, Cess?" When Cess didn't answer, Auron grabbed her arm again and looked deeply into her eyes. "Who is he?" he repeated.
The woman turned away. "I'm sent to kill him, that's all, Auron. I don't know who he is. Someone paid me to kill him."
Auron released his grip on her and frowned. "You're an assassin now, Cess? Is this what you do for a living?"
Cess furrowed her eyebrows in frustration. "Why do you care? You never even bothered to write me a letter and ask me how I was doing! You cared too much of Braska that you didn't even bother to notice me. I knew that you would be unfaithful to me the moment you became a Guardian."
"What are you talking about?" Auron put his sword back inside its sheath and folded his arms across his chest. "Being a Guardian is more important."
"That's right!" Cess hissed. "Being a Guardian was more important than me! That's why I have to do this, to make you realize that this job is now as important to me than you are to your Guardianship."
"That's why you became an assassin? To show me that you didn't care about me anymore?" Auron couldn't believe what he was hearing.
Both were silent for a moment, until Cess began to walk away, but not before Auron suddenly changed the subject to the woman Cess feared to hear about- a woman, ten years his junior. Why should she care? He was free to choose whomever he wants, despite the gap of their ages.
"Who is he, Cess? He might be hurting my friend right now, if you don't tell me who he is," he spoke, taking off his glasses once again.
A friend, she thought. Maybe there was hope for her after all. She wanted to tell him that Kai was someone she knew, but that was not her job. Telling the truth was not her job. All she needed to do here was tell him to stay away from her mission and leave everything to her. So, why couldn't she tell him at this moment? Why would she miss a man like him- the one who had forgotten all about her? Making a decision, Cess took a deep breath. "All I know is that this Kai person is a black magician who just wants to get laid, that's all." She looked closely into his peering eyes, the pupils in them turning into slits and she knew what it meant...he didn't believe her.
"Who hired you to kill him? He must be a son of a bitch to have someone hire an assassin to kill him," Auron spoke; with words she has never heard him say. At first she was surprised at his choice of language and that's when she knew that this woman whom Kai kidnapped must mean so much to him, even more than she was. Cess never took her eyes off of him, studying every contours of his face, wondering if her convictions were true about him. Sometimes, she had to peer so hard into his face to find out what exactly he was thinking. The man was good at hiding his emotions.
Finally, after moment of silence, Cess shrugged and turned around, turning her head over her shoulder to look at him as she spoke. "Maybe the person who hired me was a woman who got mad at him for dumping her, who knows. All I need to do is kill this man, get my money and get myself a glass of the famous Besaid martinis."
Auron did not stop her this time as he watched her leave. She pause for a moment and looked over her shoulder once again, taking another look at the man who changed her life, the one who destroyed it and the one who made her feel alive again. Cess finally had the courage to turn once more and tell him what she needed him to do. "Oh and one thing!" she yelled out. "You stay away from this. This is my job and I don't want any of you or your friends barging in trying to save your other friend." With that said, she turned and walked away, out of Auron's sight. The man stared into nothing, the words Cess spoke, still lingering in his mind. He couldn't stay out of it. If it meant Lulu's life is on the line, then he had no choice, but become part of her job. She had no other choice either. He will have to make her change her mind about this new job of hers.
"Auron..." The tall man was slightly startled as a figure stepped in beside him, his mind still trying to solve the problem between him and Cess. He glanced to his side, a man in his youthful age, staring up at him with a curious look, like a child curious at what was inside the cookie jar. Tidus never ceased to amaze him. Despite the death of his mother, the changes of his father as Sin, the knowing of sacrifice of Yuna's life and the disappearance of Lulu, the young blond manages to put a smile on his face. "Who was that?"
Auron took a while to get the question in his head, until Tidus stared at him for the longest time that he could no longer take it anymore. "She was an old friend of mine. We- were lovers," he explained. He was never good at explaining anything personal to anyone, let alone the one closest to him.
Tidus nodded and looked down on the ground, as if telling the older man that he was done asking any more questions tonight. Another good point Auron found in Tidus. The seventeen year old knew when to ask questions and when not to. However, Auron chose to be generous tonight and opened his mouth to share his most hidden secrets that only he knew alone. "Her name was Cess Marjorie. She was part of our little group, Jecht, Braska and myself. Cess and I fell in love soon after that and I drifted from the other two for a while, until Braska told me something that I could not refuse. Braska knew in the beginning that he would become a Summoner and Jecht was the first one to volunteer to be his Guardian, then I spoke up to be one too. Braska also wanted Cess to be his Guardian, but Cess was unsure. She wanted to marry me and she wanted me to stay with her. I was torn between my friendship with Braska, my duty as a Guardian and my promise to Cess that I would love her forever." Auron took a deep breath. That story took a lot out of him and as soon as he finished telling his story, Tidus spoke up with his usual sunny, delighted voice.
"Cess was wrong to leave you just like that, Auron! I have to admit, if I were you back then, I would have stayed with Cess, but you also had your responsibility as a Guardian to stick with Lord Braska, so I guess it's okay...." He paused, thinking of something else to say, but none came out. Auron almost smiled as Tidus looked down on the ground, trying to think of a good advice to give the older man, but there was nothing. Tidus looked back up and grinned, realizing he had the same situation as Auron's a long time ago. "I guess I'm a hypocrite to tell you that, when I have the same problem."
Auron nodded slowly. He knew what was going on. Yuna had told him once that she loved Tidus very much and she couldn't decide whether to end her life, leave Tidus all alone or stick with him and abandon all her duties as a Summoner and end the world. At that moment, Auron couldn't talk to her as a father reassuring his daughter, because... he was dead. He abandoned everything a long time ago. "It doesn't matter," Auron finally spoke after a few seconds of silence. "We all say something that doesn't make sense sometimes. I guess you could say, life doesn't make sense at all."
Tidus winced. The tall man glanced at him and Auron knew that he had hit the spot on Tidus' worried heart. Yuna, he thought. The young blond looked down and sighed, his face turning into a frown. "I don't know what I'd do without her, Auron. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me."
Lulu, Auron thought, without even thinking it. Her name just popped into his head. He couldn't understand why his attraction to her was stronger. Maybe it was just lust, a man hunger for a woman who, for the longest time, has never touched one since Cess. That must be it, he thought. "I know what you mean." Did HE even know what he's talking about? All men must be attracted to the black mage. Auron closed his eyes in frustration. Lulu affected him so much that night they talked underneath the stars. He knew her thoughts were always on the one man who died with honor, but Auron couldn't take his eyes off of her. Her tears were another constant reminder of what he had forgotten all those years ago, the girl who cried out his name. His thoughts now shifted to Cess, the memory he had forgotten- the girl who cried out his name. He had forgotten love, he had forgotten everything a woman needed and Auron wanted to comfort someone. For him, that was his nature, even though not many men could have that type of personality where he wanted to comfort any woman. Most men just don't care. How could any man ignore a beautiful woman crying nearby? When he saw Lulu crying out for Chappu, all he wanted to do was wrap his arms around and make her feel better. He wanted her to forget Chappu, but who can blame her? No one could forget any of their loved that died just for their sake. He hated it when women cried. He would hurt anyone who made women cry.
"Auron?" Auron blinked. He hadn't thought of anything THAT much for a long time, ever since he hit puberty at twelve. He had so many questions in his head when he was young, but now that he was old enough, many more thoughts added to the previous ones he had when he was a child and intertwined together like a blender mixing dough and eggs.
"Yes?" It took a moment to realize that the one who had called him sounded female, soft and kind like singing birds. In unison, Auron and Tidus turned their heads to see Yuna approaching them.
Yuna paused on the other side of Auron and looked up at the man whom she considered as her father and smiled gently, but Auron could see worry in her eyes for the one person who was not present with them. The wind blew the bangs in her eyes and a small grain of sand caught against the tresses of her short, brown, locks. The sand in the desert were less harmful than the ones near Besaid village (heh, I don't remember if there was sand near Besaid, but hopefully there is. I'm just making everything up as I go, I hope it's not going to ruin anything :D). "How are we going to find her?"
Auron thought about that. "I know someone who can help us," he spoke simply. No one, not even Yuna, the one who asked him the question, bothered to ask him any further on the subject. Yuna and Tidus were the first one to realize that Lulu meant something to Auron than anything else, so she closed her mouth and looked up at the stars.
"We'll find her," she spoke quietly. "I know we will, don't worry." She did not need to look at Auron to know his hopes were high up. She knew Auron too well, about how he felt and Auron did not need to yell it out to her either.
All three stood there quietly and silently took in the beauty of the forms the stars were forming in the sky. Auron did not need to voice the reason why he saw a face and sticks and pins attached to the face's head, while long, dark hair fell down her shoulders like black silk.
****************
She woke up with a jolt, her head spinning and her body aching. Her eyes opened to a bright, beautiful day, her mind, nothing, but blank. What happened to her? It took her a while to remember the one terrible thing that happened to her. Lulu wrapped her arms around herself, feeling disgusted with herself for giving up too quickly. She felt chills run down her spine and she wasn't naïve to find out that she was naked all over her body. Only an off white blanket were wrapped around her- other than that, she was wearing nothing at all. Lulu glanced to her right. Her clothes were there, her dress and the belts sitting neatly on the old, rotting wood of what was once a chair. Her hairpins and hair sticks were lying neatly in lines on top of the dress and her boots were hidden from view underneath the skirt of her dress.
"I see you're awake." Lulu jerked her head and looked up as the man she feared the most entered the room without permission, carrying a bag of something. She quickly covered herself as much as she could from head to toe, even taking the pillow from behind her and putting it on her lap and glared at him.
"What did you do to me?" she hissed, wanting so much to cast him an ice spell to freeze him to death.
Kai snorted as he sat down her bed, clothed only in his under clothes, consisting of a white tunic and white trousers. He set the large plastic bag down on another chair that Lulu did not notice before and looked at her. "You should be thanking me," he spoke, with a sneer. What was once a grin and a face of lust, was now replaced with anger and concern for her. Lulu was confused.
"Why should I be thanking you?!" Lulu yelled, ready to escape, but it was no use. She had no clothes on and she would not let any man see her that way. She would not let Kai explore his eyes all over her and make him feel lust all over again. It was better that he was angry than hungry.
Kai smirked, picking up the plastic bag he placed on the chair and opened it just slightly so that the top half was opened. "Take a look. I did it for you."
Lulu furrowed her eyebrows. As the man leaned the bag closer for her to see, the black mage was shocked beyond belief. Two dismembered heads stared up at her and long red and black hair tangled and almost ripped from their heads, haunted her every being. Lulu shuddered, her stomach lurch from the foul smell that escaped from the bag. Blood were still dripping from the flesh that was once attached to their bodies. She took her eyes off of them and contained her sickness inside, not wanting to show Kai her weakness, but it was too late. Kai had seen it. "What have you done?" she spoke, after finding her composure.
"I did something good, that's what," Kai replied. He dropped the bag on the floor and it stumbled against the legs of the chair. The bag rested there as Lulu can still see the heads still staring up at her with deathly eyes. After doing so, Kai wrapped his arms around Lulu's naked body and peered closely into her eyes, his warm breath ready to throw her off from her bed. "I would kill anyone who touches you. Those bastards deserved it."
Lulu said nothing. She didn't know what to think. She agreed most of what he had said, but she could not love him the way he wants her to. Kai leaned closer, ready to kiss her, but the black mage turned her head and closed her eyes defiantly. "They deserved it yes, but we don't deserve each other. I don't love you!"
Kai nodded and grinned. He placed a hand under her chin and pulled her head back to face him. "Then I'll MAKE you love me," he whispered softly, gently kissing her lips. He released her and stood up, looking down on her with that smile playing on his lips. "Soon, you'll love me." With that said, he picked up the bag from the floor and left the room soundly.
Lulu sighed, placing a hand on her lips. No matter how intense and passionate his kiss was, there was only one man who can make her love him and he was no longer here. She glanced out the window, the glass ready to break and sighed as the afternoon sun kissed her forehead. She wished they would come soon and get her. "I don't know how long I can stand to be with him," she whispered out loud. She doesn't know either how long she will be able to stop herself from kissing him and release her lust to him.
GoodGurl: Uh-oh, what does Lulu mean when she said she doesn't know how long she can hold herself from kissing Kai? The gang better hurry up and find her, before she lose herself the passion and before Auron lose the person he loves the most forever.
Chapter 3 - Forgotten
She ran as fast as she could, her feet soaking from the mud that formed from constant raining. The air around her suddenly grew thinner and she breathed in for more, before realizing that she was surrounded by four tonberis, each of them carrying their deadly weapons, no matter how small they were. Her dark bangs fell in front of her face as she paused to face all four green mole-like monsters. The pins and sticks that kept her hair up were no longer with her so her hair fell behind her like a sea of black curtains. Lulu knew the tonberis were as dangerous as the large monsters around the forest areas. Usually, she and the others avoid them by running away on chocobos or have Auron easily finish them off, but Lulu was on her own. No matter how strong her magic was, she was nothing compared to the power the tonberis had.
"That's no way a black mage thinks!" came a deep, sensual voice. Lulu did not need to turn around to know whose voice it was. One tonberi moved forward, as slow as it could get and attacked her as quickly with its dagger. Lulu blocked with her thunder, keeping the tonberi away from her and cast ice on it, but it just moved away from that attack as well. She could not think, with Kai watching her with lust in his eyes from behind. How could she be defending herself from monsters when she should be defending from Kai, the most dangerous monster of all?
Kai watched with amusement, regarding her small, petite body moving from side to side, her hips seducing him to its final depth. He couldn't wait until Lulu's own hips straddled against his own and it would be worth something for him. Lulu was struggling with the tonberis, but despite it all, he folded his arms across his chest and smirked.
The woman did a triple cast, the ground shaking the four tonberis from their spots, forcing them all to fall. Lulu attempted to finish them off with another earthquake, only to feel Kai lifting up his own arms in the air and casting a deadly spell on all four, killing them instantly. Their bodies baked as the heat from the large rock that fell from the sky scorched them into pieces, the muddy ground absorbing the blood that blew from the small monsters' bodies. Lulu watched in horror at the attack, thinking of her six friends lying on the ground if they were ever caught in the cross fire with Kai's magic. Regardless of the act, Lulu suddenly began to run for her life and was surprised to see Kai just standing there, doing nothing to stop her.
"Keep running, Lulu!" he called. "I like it when a girl plays hard to get!"
Lulu closed her eyes, imagining herself flying in the air, with no one to touch her. She wanted to be free. Despite her escaping Kai's grasp, she knew she was not free yet. He will continue to haunt her- continue to bring her to her knees and make love to her. He lusted for her and she was afraid now that if she kept thinking of him, she will feel the same way.
Night soon glowered down on her with the moonlight touching the contours of her attractive face. She wanted to run, but she was too tired to continue. However, if she stopped now, Kai will surely find her. Lulu wanted to continue, but her knees buckled and she dropped on the ground like anvil. Where was everyone? Of course, why would she expect them to find her so quickly? She was in the middle of nowhere. 'I have to keep going,' she thought to herself. Chappu would never let her give up. Yuna would never let her die and she would never let Yuna die. She needed Yuna. She was her sister.
"Well, what do we have here?" Lulu jerked her head over her shoulder and gasped at the sight of two large men approaching her. Finally, there was help.
"Please, someone, help me! Someone's here to kill me!" she pleaded. She knew she sounded pathetic, but she didn't care. Lulu needed help after all. Why would she need help? She was Lulu after all and everyone knew Lulu was headstrong and knew how to take care of herself. Lulu got up quickly and ran to one of them, one who was walking ahead of the other and landed on her knees. She grabbed a part of his shirt and wept. She could not take it anymore. She needed someone. ANYONE! She was willing to get help from someone, even strangers.
This man, with strange, long red hair tied up in braids, wearing green tunic and strange colorful pants, glanced at his friend, whose hair was also in braids, but with brown hair and faded blue tunic. "What is it, my lass?" she spoke with an accent she has never heard of before.
Lulu said nothing. She felt something warm touching her breasts. Gasping, Lulu looked up to find the man grinning, his hands fully cupping her breasts in his large hands. "What are you doing?"
"I'm just trying to make you feel better, hon," he spoke, winking at her.
The black mage growled, slapping his hands away as hard as she could. She pointed a finger at him, ready to cast thunder on the big man and send him away fifty feet through the bushes, however, as she hummed the words, no power came from her. Lulu felt her powers draining, her energy gone from the previous fights. The man advanced towards her, followed by the other one, who was leaner and had fewer muscles than the red head. Lulu gasped. That's all she had. Magic. The rest... She felt useless at this point. She was going to die here. "I'm sorry, Yuna, I couldn't protect you," she whispered. She looked around for anything else to defend herself with. Lulu found a large trunk that must have broken off from a tree and she grabbed it as quickly as she could and swung. However, the larger man just grabbed it from her hand and threw it behind him. He grabbed her and pinned her down on the ground. Lulu closed her eyes. No longer will she ever fight anymore. No matter how hard she tried, the fight would continue to hurt her. The night was once again her enemy. The shadows that lurked above her blocked her view of the moon for the last time, before she felt her clothes being ripped off, like a part of her skin was taken away. She felt a sharp pain inside, tears now welling up inside her and flowing down her cheeks. This is what death felt like, even though she was not dying in body. She was dying in her heart.
****************
What was that? Auron glanced up at the night sky. It was a week now and there was no sign of Lulu. Days and days they searched for her, but still no luck. He felt a sharp pain in his neck, like something bad had just happened. He grabbed his sword from the ground and stood up, placing his weapon on his shoulder with less effort. The day to defeat Sin would be delayed for now. Their first priority now was look for Lulu and bring her home where she belonged. He heard something crack behind him. Quickly, Auron looked behind him, his sword aiming at something delicate.
"Do you really hate me that much, after everything we've been through?" a feminine voice spoke. She was a woman in her thirties, her small green, round eyes gazing through the thick lenses of his glasses. Her long, wavy brown hair was the only thing that reminded him of that same girl he fell in love with ten years ago. Cess Marjorie was the last person he needed right now. Auron put his sword down and sighed. She hasn't changed much in ten years and there was a lack of happiness in her eyes now than before. She wore blacker and tighter clothes, accentuating everything on her hip, her chest, her arms and legs and the insides of her thighs. On her feet, she wore black boots, strong enough to keep her from falling on muddy hills and wet plains, the shoelaces of the shoes keeping her feet inside. A small, red cape was attached on her shoulder, one corner wrapped around her arm, while the other flowed behind her. Cess wore tight fitting black gloves that cut off until the fingers around her hands and arms. A long sword was attached at the side of her hip where a large, buckle made of mythril hugged around her waist.
"Cess..." he spoke, almost to a whisper.
Cess looked behind him, expecting his companions, Jecht and Braska to come stumbling in, wondering what spooked Auron so much. However, there was no one and she finally spoke. "Where are your dear friends, Jecht and Braska?" She looked Auron up and down herself, making sure he was still the same Auron she fell in love with all those years ago.
"They're both dead, Cess," Auron spoke, his voice low and solemn. "They died ten years ago when they tried to beat Sin."
The woman gasped. She had no idea THIS would happen. She always thought the fearful trio could survive the battle with Sin, but... I guess not all stories end with a happy ending, she thought. Cess looked up, removing Auron's glasses from his face and looked closely into the eyes that were now Auron's. He has changed so much, though she could still see the youthful man she met while she was training in the Besaid fields with her father. She placed a hand on his face, remembering the way his skin felt and put his glasses back on. Cess turned away from him and looked down on the ground. She had a job to do and there no point in going back to the past and falling in love with him again. Auron had someone else in his mind now. She had to hunt HIM down. "I'm sorry to hear about Jecht and Braska, Auron. I just came by, so I'm leaving." She turned to leave, but Auron's strong hand had grasped itself around her arm. Cess paused and turned her head to face him.
"You didn't come here just to see me, Cess. No beautiful woman with a sword with her would come looking for me in the middle of the desert," Auron spoke, releasing Cess' arm gently.
Cess turned around, rubbing at the red marks Auron left on her arm and shook her head. "You're right, I didn't come here to see you. I came her to ask you something."
"About Kai? Who is he, Cess?" When Cess didn't answer, Auron grabbed her arm again and looked deeply into her eyes. "Who is he?" he repeated.
The woman turned away. "I'm sent to kill him, that's all, Auron. I don't know who he is. Someone paid me to kill him."
Auron released his grip on her and frowned. "You're an assassin now, Cess? Is this what you do for a living?"
Cess furrowed her eyebrows in frustration. "Why do you care? You never even bothered to write me a letter and ask me how I was doing! You cared too much of Braska that you didn't even bother to notice me. I knew that you would be unfaithful to me the moment you became a Guardian."
"What are you talking about?" Auron put his sword back inside its sheath and folded his arms across his chest. "Being a Guardian is more important."
"That's right!" Cess hissed. "Being a Guardian was more important than me! That's why I have to do this, to make you realize that this job is now as important to me than you are to your Guardianship."
"That's why you became an assassin? To show me that you didn't care about me anymore?" Auron couldn't believe what he was hearing.
Both were silent for a moment, until Cess began to walk away, but not before Auron suddenly changed the subject to the woman Cess feared to hear about- a woman, ten years his junior. Why should she care? He was free to choose whomever he wants, despite the gap of their ages.
"Who is he, Cess? He might be hurting my friend right now, if you don't tell me who he is," he spoke, taking off his glasses once again.
A friend, she thought. Maybe there was hope for her after all. She wanted to tell him that Kai was someone she knew, but that was not her job. Telling the truth was not her job. All she needed to do here was tell him to stay away from her mission and leave everything to her. So, why couldn't she tell him at this moment? Why would she miss a man like him- the one who had forgotten all about her? Making a decision, Cess took a deep breath. "All I know is that this Kai person is a black magician who just wants to get laid, that's all." She looked closely into his peering eyes, the pupils in them turning into slits and she knew what it meant...he didn't believe her.
"Who hired you to kill him? He must be a son of a bitch to have someone hire an assassin to kill him," Auron spoke; with words she has never heard him say. At first she was surprised at his choice of language and that's when she knew that this woman whom Kai kidnapped must mean so much to him, even more than she was. Cess never took her eyes off of him, studying every contours of his face, wondering if her convictions were true about him. Sometimes, she had to peer so hard into his face to find out what exactly he was thinking. The man was good at hiding his emotions.
Finally, after moment of silence, Cess shrugged and turned around, turning her head over her shoulder to look at him as she spoke. "Maybe the person who hired me was a woman who got mad at him for dumping her, who knows. All I need to do is kill this man, get my money and get myself a glass of the famous Besaid martinis."
Auron did not stop her this time as he watched her leave. She pause for a moment and looked over her shoulder once again, taking another look at the man who changed her life, the one who destroyed it and the one who made her feel alive again. Cess finally had the courage to turn once more and tell him what she needed him to do. "Oh and one thing!" she yelled out. "You stay away from this. This is my job and I don't want any of you or your friends barging in trying to save your other friend." With that said, she turned and walked away, out of Auron's sight. The man stared into nothing, the words Cess spoke, still lingering in his mind. He couldn't stay out of it. If it meant Lulu's life is on the line, then he had no choice, but become part of her job. She had no other choice either. He will have to make her change her mind about this new job of hers.
"Auron..." The tall man was slightly startled as a figure stepped in beside him, his mind still trying to solve the problem between him and Cess. He glanced to his side, a man in his youthful age, staring up at him with a curious look, like a child curious at what was inside the cookie jar. Tidus never ceased to amaze him. Despite the death of his mother, the changes of his father as Sin, the knowing of sacrifice of Yuna's life and the disappearance of Lulu, the young blond manages to put a smile on his face. "Who was that?"
Auron took a while to get the question in his head, until Tidus stared at him for the longest time that he could no longer take it anymore. "She was an old friend of mine. We- were lovers," he explained. He was never good at explaining anything personal to anyone, let alone the one closest to him.
Tidus nodded and looked down on the ground, as if telling the older man that he was done asking any more questions tonight. Another good point Auron found in Tidus. The seventeen year old knew when to ask questions and when not to. However, Auron chose to be generous tonight and opened his mouth to share his most hidden secrets that only he knew alone. "Her name was Cess Marjorie. She was part of our little group, Jecht, Braska and myself. Cess and I fell in love soon after that and I drifted from the other two for a while, until Braska told me something that I could not refuse. Braska knew in the beginning that he would become a Summoner and Jecht was the first one to volunteer to be his Guardian, then I spoke up to be one too. Braska also wanted Cess to be his Guardian, but Cess was unsure. She wanted to marry me and she wanted me to stay with her. I was torn between my friendship with Braska, my duty as a Guardian and my promise to Cess that I would love her forever." Auron took a deep breath. That story took a lot out of him and as soon as he finished telling his story, Tidus spoke up with his usual sunny, delighted voice.
"Cess was wrong to leave you just like that, Auron! I have to admit, if I were you back then, I would have stayed with Cess, but you also had your responsibility as a Guardian to stick with Lord Braska, so I guess it's okay...." He paused, thinking of something else to say, but none came out. Auron almost smiled as Tidus looked down on the ground, trying to think of a good advice to give the older man, but there was nothing. Tidus looked back up and grinned, realizing he had the same situation as Auron's a long time ago. "I guess I'm a hypocrite to tell you that, when I have the same problem."
Auron nodded slowly. He knew what was going on. Yuna had told him once that she loved Tidus very much and she couldn't decide whether to end her life, leave Tidus all alone or stick with him and abandon all her duties as a Summoner and end the world. At that moment, Auron couldn't talk to her as a father reassuring his daughter, because... he was dead. He abandoned everything a long time ago. "It doesn't matter," Auron finally spoke after a few seconds of silence. "We all say something that doesn't make sense sometimes. I guess you could say, life doesn't make sense at all."
Tidus winced. The tall man glanced at him and Auron knew that he had hit the spot on Tidus' worried heart. Yuna, he thought. The young blond looked down and sighed, his face turning into a frown. "I don't know what I'd do without her, Auron. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me."
Lulu, Auron thought, without even thinking it. Her name just popped into his head. He couldn't understand why his attraction to her was stronger. Maybe it was just lust, a man hunger for a woman who, for the longest time, has never touched one since Cess. That must be it, he thought. "I know what you mean." Did HE even know what he's talking about? All men must be attracted to the black mage. Auron closed his eyes in frustration. Lulu affected him so much that night they talked underneath the stars. He knew her thoughts were always on the one man who died with honor, but Auron couldn't take his eyes off of her. Her tears were another constant reminder of what he had forgotten all those years ago, the girl who cried out his name. His thoughts now shifted to Cess, the memory he had forgotten- the girl who cried out his name. He had forgotten love, he had forgotten everything a woman needed and Auron wanted to comfort someone. For him, that was his nature, even though not many men could have that type of personality where he wanted to comfort any woman. Most men just don't care. How could any man ignore a beautiful woman crying nearby? When he saw Lulu crying out for Chappu, all he wanted to do was wrap his arms around and make her feel better. He wanted her to forget Chappu, but who can blame her? No one could forget any of their loved that died just for their sake. He hated it when women cried. He would hurt anyone who made women cry.
"Auron?" Auron blinked. He hadn't thought of anything THAT much for a long time, ever since he hit puberty at twelve. He had so many questions in his head when he was young, but now that he was old enough, many more thoughts added to the previous ones he had when he was a child and intertwined together like a blender mixing dough and eggs.
"Yes?" It took a moment to realize that the one who had called him sounded female, soft and kind like singing birds. In unison, Auron and Tidus turned their heads to see Yuna approaching them.
Yuna paused on the other side of Auron and looked up at the man whom she considered as her father and smiled gently, but Auron could see worry in her eyes for the one person who was not present with them. The wind blew the bangs in her eyes and a small grain of sand caught against the tresses of her short, brown, locks. The sand in the desert were less harmful than the ones near Besaid village (heh, I don't remember if there was sand near Besaid, but hopefully there is. I'm just making everything up as I go, I hope it's not going to ruin anything :D). "How are we going to find her?"
Auron thought about that. "I know someone who can help us," he spoke simply. No one, not even Yuna, the one who asked him the question, bothered to ask him any further on the subject. Yuna and Tidus were the first one to realize that Lulu meant something to Auron than anything else, so she closed her mouth and looked up at the stars.
"We'll find her," she spoke quietly. "I know we will, don't worry." She did not need to look at Auron to know his hopes were high up. She knew Auron too well, about how he felt and Auron did not need to yell it out to her either.
All three stood there quietly and silently took in the beauty of the forms the stars were forming in the sky. Auron did not need to voice the reason why he saw a face and sticks and pins attached to the face's head, while long, dark hair fell down her shoulders like black silk.
****************
She woke up with a jolt, her head spinning and her body aching. Her eyes opened to a bright, beautiful day, her mind, nothing, but blank. What happened to her? It took her a while to remember the one terrible thing that happened to her. Lulu wrapped her arms around herself, feeling disgusted with herself for giving up too quickly. She felt chills run down her spine and she wasn't naïve to find out that she was naked all over her body. Only an off white blanket were wrapped around her- other than that, she was wearing nothing at all. Lulu glanced to her right. Her clothes were there, her dress and the belts sitting neatly on the old, rotting wood of what was once a chair. Her hairpins and hair sticks were lying neatly in lines on top of the dress and her boots were hidden from view underneath the skirt of her dress.
"I see you're awake." Lulu jerked her head and looked up as the man she feared the most entered the room without permission, carrying a bag of something. She quickly covered herself as much as she could from head to toe, even taking the pillow from behind her and putting it on her lap and glared at him.
"What did you do to me?" she hissed, wanting so much to cast him an ice spell to freeze him to death.
Kai snorted as he sat down her bed, clothed only in his under clothes, consisting of a white tunic and white trousers. He set the large plastic bag down on another chair that Lulu did not notice before and looked at her. "You should be thanking me," he spoke, with a sneer. What was once a grin and a face of lust, was now replaced with anger and concern for her. Lulu was confused.
"Why should I be thanking you?!" Lulu yelled, ready to escape, but it was no use. She had no clothes on and she would not let any man see her that way. She would not let Kai explore his eyes all over her and make him feel lust all over again. It was better that he was angry than hungry.
Kai smirked, picking up the plastic bag he placed on the chair and opened it just slightly so that the top half was opened. "Take a look. I did it for you."
Lulu furrowed her eyebrows. As the man leaned the bag closer for her to see, the black mage was shocked beyond belief. Two dismembered heads stared up at her and long red and black hair tangled and almost ripped from their heads, haunted her every being. Lulu shuddered, her stomach lurch from the foul smell that escaped from the bag. Blood were still dripping from the flesh that was once attached to their bodies. She took her eyes off of them and contained her sickness inside, not wanting to show Kai her weakness, but it was too late. Kai had seen it. "What have you done?" she spoke, after finding her composure.
"I did something good, that's what," Kai replied. He dropped the bag on the floor and it stumbled against the legs of the chair. The bag rested there as Lulu can still see the heads still staring up at her with deathly eyes. After doing so, Kai wrapped his arms around Lulu's naked body and peered closely into her eyes, his warm breath ready to throw her off from her bed. "I would kill anyone who touches you. Those bastards deserved it."
Lulu said nothing. She didn't know what to think. She agreed most of what he had said, but she could not love him the way he wants her to. Kai leaned closer, ready to kiss her, but the black mage turned her head and closed her eyes defiantly. "They deserved it yes, but we don't deserve each other. I don't love you!"
Kai nodded and grinned. He placed a hand under her chin and pulled her head back to face him. "Then I'll MAKE you love me," he whispered softly, gently kissing her lips. He released her and stood up, looking down on her with that smile playing on his lips. "Soon, you'll love me." With that said, he picked up the bag from the floor and left the room soundly.
Lulu sighed, placing a hand on her lips. No matter how intense and passionate his kiss was, there was only one man who can make her love him and he was no longer here. She glanced out the window, the glass ready to break and sighed as the afternoon sun kissed her forehead. She wished they would come soon and get her. "I don't know how long I can stand to be with him," she whispered out loud. She doesn't know either how long she will be able to stop herself from kissing him and release her lust to him.
GoodGurl: Uh-oh, what does Lulu mean when she said she doesn't know how long she can hold herself from kissing Kai? The gang better hurry up and find her, before she lose herself the passion and before Auron lose the person he loves the most forever.
