Chapter Six: What Have We Done?
Amanda's Ramble
Amanda: I just keep spacing out on this story, ya?
Auron: No more Wakka, young lady. *takes away Wakka*
Amanda: Awww, c'mon Auron. *snatches Wakka back* Anyway, here's chapter six, and, as promised, a little more Ophelia/Auron action.
Auron: I'm still not gettin' any, so what do I care? -_-
Amanda: ^-^;; Please excuse Auron, he got hit in the head by a Chemira.
They gathered at the temple entrance, a heavy silence permeating the usual good humor that usually pervaded even in the direst of situations. Most noticeably frustrated was Ophelia, who's brow was furrowed deeper than it had ever been. With a sigh, she turned to the others, hoping they would understand where she was coming from.
"Um…" she began, scratching her head, "how am I supposed to pray to something I don't believe in?" The words just popped out, and she could tell by the look on Wakka's face that she had said the wrong thing. Quickly trying to retract the harm her statement may have caused, she gestured awkwardly. "I'm not from Spira. Yevon is not a part of my daily life, you know? Besides," she said, pulling her swords from the loops in her jacket and letting them fall to the ground, "I don't even have the right tool for the job."
Everyone glanced at Auron, who shifted uncomfortably before stepping forward. "Here," he said handing her a staff made of what looked like wood, silver, and black leather. "This is what you must use."
Ophelia examined it a long moment before twirling it around in her fingers. "I guess. Did you make sure it matched the outfit?" She sent a coy look at Auron, who actually flushed and suddenly found his boots very interesting.
"No. Not unless your outfit is made from human skin."
"What?!?" Ophelia dropped the staff and rubbed her hands vigorously on her jacket, shuddering. "There's no way in hell I'm touching that thing." She frowned up at Auron, not finding the staff of human skin very amusing. "What kind of mean joke are you trying to pull?"
"None." Auron picked the staff back up and stuffed it into her hands. Ophelia held it out by two fingers an arm's length away from her, visibly disgusted. "The skin comes from the body of the fayth found in this temple. He will be offended if you do not use it."
"He'll just have to be offended. There's no way I'm using it. Where I'm from, you can get arrested and sent to prison for having something like this." She heard Auron's irritated sigh, and decided to just let it go. She turned away from everyone and began walking up the temple steps, feeling the ground shuddering beneath her. Unconsciously, she twirled the staff, trying to keep the fact that it was covered in human skin from her thoughts. As they entered the temple, she saw the summoner that would later challenge Yuna emerge from the room where the cloister of trials was and purposely ignored him for no good reason. She certainly didn't want to have to pretend that she knew what she was doing.
She walked around aimlessly as the others talked to the male summoner, purposely keeping her back to them all. This was certainly not her area of expertise. Finally they joined her at the entrance to the cloister, and they set off, Ophelia in the lead for once.
With Ophelia's guidance, the group made it through the cloister in no time at all, and they all gave her strange looks as she pushed open the last door, revealing a large alcove and two staircases leading to doors shaped like shields. She said nothing and moved into the room, eyeing the extra door with unease.
"Here we are!" Tidus sounded so cheerful. Ophelia glanced back at him over her shoulder before taking a deep breath and heading up the new staircase, not daring to glance back again. If she did, she was afraid she'd run and hide in Auron's jacket, and refuse to do what was keeping her with the group.
The door slid up as she approached it, and she stepped through, jumping when it slammed down behind her. It was dark here, and she hated the dark. Slowly stepping forward, she entered the chamber of the fayth, formulating a plan to get the summon that was supposed to be hers.
Outside, in the alcove, the others moved about restlessly. Both summoners had entered the chambers to obtain the fayths, and there was no telling when they would emerge. Wakka had leaned against a pillar, eyes trained on Auron, giving the older guardian a critical going over. In the beginning, he hadn't objected to Auron joining them. Of course, that was before Ophelia had joined them. Since Auron had announced his position as Ophelia's guardian, Ophelia had ignored Wakka, and, well, he was jealous. What did Auron have that Wakka didn't? Or was it just that Auron was the pillar to which Ophelia could cling in a world where she was lost and alone? Didn't she realize Wakka could be that pillar?
With a sigh, he looked back at the door Ophelia had disappeared through. He hoped she was alright. He wasn't sure if she knew what she was doing. He pushed away from the pillar and moved closer to the door, only to be stopped by a silent and grim Auron.
"Shouldn't you be worried about your own summoner?" Wakka visibly bristled at the comment, and his hands curled into fists.
"What rule is there against being worried about a friend, ya?"
"I can't say that you've been exactly 'friendly' with Lady Tilana." Auron's tone was dry, and he peered at Wakka coldly from behind his glasses. "As a matter of fact, you've done nothing but berate her for her different beliefs since discovering her identity."
"That's none of your business." Wakka's voice was low but harsh, and Auron raised a brow at the younger man's causticness.
"I suggest you get back where you belong." Auron's voice was equally low, but deadly. "You have your own responsibility, and I suggest you learn it." That wasn't necessarily true, and Wakka did guard Yuna well, but an inexplicable surge of jealousy had shot through Auron, and he hadn't known how to deal with it. He watched impassively as Wakka scowled at him and stomped off to where Tidus was pacing back and forth, stopping finally at the expression on Wakka's face. The two talked for a moment before they both looked over at Auron. Tidus gave Auron a thoughtful look before shaking his head and returning to his pacing.
Hours passed, and the group remained silent, only speaking to one another when absolutely necessary. Auron passed the time by musing over his short future in Spira, and his growing attachment to his summoner. He shouldn't care so much, that much he knew. He'd be leaving as soon as the battle with Sin was over, and there was no reason to form more ties with people who would only know him in his final hours. Yet…..Auron sighed and leaned against the wall, resting the tip of his blade against the tiles of the floor. He'd honestly never met anyone who needed guarding more than Ophelia. Such had been the case when she had been a little girl. He was secretly glad that Wakka was worried about her. It meant that she would have someone to take care of him when he was gone.
The door to the chamber Ophelia had entered slid open, and she stumbled out, using her staff as a support. She gave them all a weak smile and a thumbs up before her eyes rolled back in her head and she began to fall. Quicker than he knew he could move, Auron ran up the stairs and caught her before she tumbled down the steps. The others looked at each other and back at Auron as he carried her down the steps. He ignored them and stopped to slide his sword into the loop for it in the back of his jacket before walking out of the chamber, Ophelia's limp form in his arms. The cloister was open, and he made quick work of moving through it, thankful that it didn't reset itself until the temple was empty. Priests he recognized from his days as a Yevonite monk and later as Braska's guardian gawked at him, but he didn't spare them a glance. He was angry at himself for letting Ophelia go to obtain the summon after only an hour's rest from the disaster of Operation Mi'ihen.
He entered the inn and made his way back to the room he and Ophelia would be sharing, laying her down on the bed. She still clutched her staff in one hand, and he gently pried it loose, setting it against the wall, propping his sword next to it. She murmured some nonsense and opened her eyes, her gaze darting around the room.
"This has got to be a record." She frowned slightly at Auron's chuckle and sat up slowly. "Think it's funny, do you? I'm sick of passing out. This is ridiculous."
"At least it was just a few minutes this time," he pointed out, a wry grin pulling at his mouth. He removed his collar and threw it casually onto the table before shrugging his jacket off and tossing it over the back of a chair. "You're getting better." He untied his jug and sat it next to his collar before dropping into the chair his jacket was hung over. "You aren't yet conditioned for this kind of……stress."
"Aren't you full of insight," she grumbled. She swung her legs over the bed and stood, stretching. "I guess it's my fault this time." She shrugged and pulled off her own jacket, throwing over the other chair. "But I did it. I don't know how…and wow, that fayth was a little bit scary looking, but it's mine. It's kinda cool. He told me how to call him and everything. It was like he knew what I was up against, knowledge wise."
"Are you sure you can control it?" He raised a brow at her nod, and she rolled her eyes. "We shall see if you can soon enough. But onto other matters. There is something you should know. We are sharing this room."
"Oh, not again," she moaned. She slapped her forehead and sighed. "Everyone's gonna thing you're boning me."
"Boning you?" He raised a brow, unfamiliar with the expression, and she flushed a deep crimson.
"You know, that you're, that we're….." She trailed off, gesturing awkwardly and he caught the gist of her words.
"I don't think I'm mistaken when I say that Wakka already does." He held up a hand, forestalling her angry words. "He confronted me in the temple. I'm giving you a warning, as your guardian, and as your friend. If he continues, I will be forced to fight him."
Ophelia gave an exasperated sigh and flopped down in the empty chair. "Jesus." She shook her head and began to laugh. "This is so funny. Here I am in Spira, Wakka's jealous because he thinks you're screwing me, and you're threatening to fight him." She caught a glimpse at Auron's very unamused expression and sighed. "Hey, it's not everyday this kind of thing happens to me, you know."
Auron only raised a brow before standing and opening the room's door. "Where are you going now, oh great Sir Auron?"
He didn't glance back and replied in an odd, neutral voice. "The others have returned." With that he left the room, and Ophelia, not wanting to miss out, grabbed her staff and ran out after him.
The commotion in the common room was noisy and turbulent, and Ophelia didn't miss the dark look Wakka threw Auron as they entered. So, Auron wasn't joking. She pushed her way to Yuna, who sat in a chair, looking tired, but pleased. She smiled up at Ophelia and held out a hand, which Ophelia took and sat next to her, feeling something of the same emotion.
"So, you've done it, and quicker than I did. Good. I wanted to come see you before I went to perform the Sending, to make sure you were alright."
"I'm fine. Are you sure you shouldn't rest before you go? You look awfully tired." Yuna shook her head and stood, patting Ophelia's shoulder.
"You should rest. You need it more than I do. This was something I've done a few times now." With that, Yuna headed out the door, leaving the others. A silence fell over them, and Ophelia glanced from person to person, finally noting a staring contest between Auron and Wakka. It seemed that they were taking each other's measure. Ophelia sighed and moved past them, heading back to her room. It wouldn't do any good to try to stop them, they were men, after all. If there was one thing she knew well, it was that men were the same everywhere, whether they were from earth or Spira.
She had just sat on the bed to remove her boots when Auron entered behind her and shut the door, glancing at her before settling in the chair he'd occupied earlier. For a moment Ophelia said nothing and pushed her boots against the wall, pulling her legs beneath her.
"You were right. Wakka looked like he wanted to rip your throat out."
"I believe it was more than my throat he was after." He began removing his own heavy boots, letting both hit the floor with a thud before unclipping his armor and setting it aside.
"He wasn't the only one with that tar-and-feathers expression." Ophelia's tone was light and teasing, but secretly she hoped there was more to what she'd witnessed in the common room. Auron looked up at her, a bemused smile settling on his lips, before pulling his shirt over his head and draping it over his jacket.
"A man's pride can sometimes cloud his true vision," was all he said on the matter. He rose from the chair and moved to the window, and Ophelia took the time to examine Auron's bare back, wincing at the scars that marred the flesh. The scars didn't detract from the sheer physical beauty of the man's physique however. Ophelia had always thought that men let themselves go with age, but Auron certainly hadn't. He's only thirty-five, anyway, moron, she thought. As if feeling her eyes on him he turned, and Ophelia quickly glanced away, suddenly becoming very interested in the rest of the room, and didn't catch the small smile that tugged at Auron's lips.
"Well, I, uh, better get some rest, you know. It's been a long day and all." She moved to the far side of the bed and veritably clawed her way under the covers in an attempt to hide her flaming face. Auron said nothing and moved away from the window and to the bed, sliding in next to her. Ophelia succeeded in not jumping when his flesh brushed hers, and she shut her eyes tightly, not daring to look at him. She felt him drape an arm around her waist, pulling her closer, and she had to fight the blood that rushed into her cheeks. This man would kill her with a heart attack before it was over with. Something brushed her mouth lightly at first before pressing harder, and her eyes flew open. What in hell?
She opened her mouth to give Auron a talking to, but found herself kissing him back, letting him do what he would with her mouth. Finally he released her and she lay there, her breath coming in short, ragged puffs.
Auron said nothing, but lowered himself back onto the bed, his one eye closed. Ophelia decided to take a page from his book and shut her own, but found that she was wide awake. It would be a long, sleepless night, and she sighed inwardly. Little did she know, she wasn't the only one who would be spending the night awake.
Okay, this chappie was a little weird. As promised, some more Ophelia and Auron action. And Wakka's jealous. Wonder what's gonna happen? You'll just have to wait until the next chapter.