Author's Notes -- Okay, here's a sequel to the previous chapter. This is
probably the final sequel. I would like to thank Tuatha de Danaan's story
for this sequel as I liken this final chapter to that of A Secret Journey.
And by the way, the story's still on Auron's account.
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I sat by the cliff of the farplane. Its skies remained the same, still as pink as ever. Time was endless for us souls but it seemed like an eternity waiting for Rikku. Each minute I would take out the golden mechanical clock and pray that she would appear before my very eye. Clutching the clock with both of my hands, I would hope that the fayth would help to make time pass faster.
I heard some footsteps and turned to look at my lord summoner.
"Auron," he spoke, sitting down beside me. "You seemed to be suffering instead of being at peace in the farplane." I kept quiet, refusing to tell him my problems.
"It's nothing milord," I replied, hoping that I could try to let him know that I was calm. "I've never been so peaceful in my life before."
"My dear guardian," he placed a hand on my shoulder. "I've been with you for several years and it would be such a failure if I was unable to read your heart out." I looked at him, trying to hold back tears of loneliness.
"I...I...." I stammered, looking down at the ground. It was too depressing to bear out my heart to him. "Sorry milord, there's nothing wrong."
"A likely story," he retorted, trying to comfort me. "From your actions, I can tell that it is someone that you yearn for and that this person is still very much alive in Spira." My lord summoner had guessed my heart's deepest troubles. I took a deep breath before looking ahead.
"I feel a strong desire to see this person again," I muttered, hoping that he would simply ignore it. "Such a powerful feeling I never felt before ever in my life." My lord gave a sigh as he began to reply to my grievance.
"There can be only one thing responsible for your condition," he replied, giving his conclusion. "And that thing is known as love, true love between a couple. You have fallen for this girl and now pine for her in the farplane."
"You know my secret now milord," I answered back, burying my face into my palms, taking off my glasses as well. "She's Al Bhed." I told him the details.
"An Al Bhed?" he shook his head. "It is a pity that the Al Bhed does not stay long in the farplane. Once they reach the farplane, only a small period time is given to them before they reincarnate again. Such is the curse of these pitiful people."
"What does that mean?" I questioned eager to know their fate.
"That girl would only be here for at least an hour or so," my lord gave his heart-wrenching answer. Rikku could only reach the farplane for such a short time before she would be whisked off to be reincarnated again. "Be prepared for the time when she arrives." He got up and went off into the rocky plain of the farplane.
***
I looked down at the flowery field at the bottom of the farplane valley. Jecht had deemed it to be approximately six hours since I came here. However, it seemed like I had waited for at least a thousand years. 'Auron, why didn't you stay for Rikku? Why??' my mind scolded me as I looked at the sky, and recalling Yuna's sending earlier on. I had forced a wound on my heart deliberately by coercing myself to leave her at the time of the sending. Deep down, my heart was bleeding, bleeding profusely. I began to recall the times when I brought her to Esthar to revive her and the hardships that we had went through.
"Poor poor thing," a voice came from behind. This feminine voice was rather sinister too. I turned to see the same winged woman approaching me.
"H-how did you g-get here?!?" I exclaimed, drawing out my sword at her.
"Oh, don't you worry," she replied evilly. "I came to take Rikku's spirit away once she reaches the farplane."
"What do you want with her?" I demanded, with feelings of worry filling my heart.
"She will be reborn in another era," the wicked woman told her evil plans. "And she shall succeed me as the strongest sorceress in the world."
"No you won't!" I shouted at her, charging at her with my sword. It was no use, for the sword simply slid through her translucent body.
"I'm not real in this era," she taunted menacingly. "It's no use attacking me. Such a sad sad thing..." And she gave a hysterical laugh before dematerializing. I looked at my watch and discovered that something was not right. Our 'battle' had somehow made time jump several hours.
***
I looked out at the farplane, now with a heart more worried than before. Rikku's spirit would be in peril should she reach this place. I sat down once again, waiting for her arrival. As I concluded, life in the farplane was far much worse than life in Spira. It was an agony unable to pass time by even sleeping, which could be done back in Yuna's pilgrimage.
"Auron," a familiar voice sounded out which made my heart jump for joy. I turned to see Rikku with graying hair but with the same swirling green eyes. She approached me. As we got closer, she paused within a meter from me. "Sorry to keep ya' waiting." The Al Bhed girl, in her traditional clothing, shrugged her head.
I did not hesitate to move towards her. We embraced each other as Rikku hugged my torso once again, reliving the moments that we did so back during the pilgrimage. "You have aged," I commented with a relieved tone, stroking her graying hair.
"But deep inside, I'm still the young sixteen year old girl you knew," she replied enthusiastically but hung her head soon after. "I'm so sorry for leaving Yuna, Tidus and Aurra."
"Aurra?" I asked, curious about this strange person who shared a resemblance to my name.
"He's your son," Rikku replied to me, making me astonished. How could she have a son by me when I did not touch her during the entire journey to Zanarkand. "He looks almost like you but has my eyes." She continued.
"How? How did you bear a son by me?" I asked, curious to know about my son.
"Somehow a miracle," she replied, with a happy tone. "I had a dream about you one night and when I woke up; I was found to be pregnant. I knew it was your child for I could feel your love with Aurra inside me." She took my hand and pulled me to the cliff.
I looked down from the cliff and saw a ledge. People from Spira came here to visit their loved ones on this ledge. A boy who sported the same hairstyle as my younger self and an older man with a black patch over one of his eyes were on the platform. As they looked at an image of Rikku and I, the boy began his conversation with the man.
"Uncle Gippal," he asked the man. "Who was that?" The boy pointed to the picture of me.
"It must be," Uncle Gippal replied. "He's your father Auron, who I lost Rikku to."
"But but..." the boy asked. Uncle Gippal put his hand to the boy's side.
"No buts," Uncle Gippal replied. "We'll talk after your mother's funeral is over. Right now, take one last glance at your real father and your mother." The boy nodded before looking at the picture.
"Father, mother...rest in peace," he spoke to the image before following the one-eyed man out of the platform. I turned back to look at Rikku.
"Rikku..." I had to ask her. Rikku looked me with a sad look.
"I'm sorry Auron," she spoke sadly. "This will be the last time we will meet. I'll be sent to be reincarnated to another era and we won't meet again." I looked at her, giving her the message of begging her not to go. "I know it's hard but we have to accept the facts. My time will be up soon before the farplane shall dissolve me into pyreflies to taken to another time period."
"Rikku, don't go," I pleaded. "I've been waiting for this moment to arrive and it is now here."
"Sorry Auron," she apologized. "I really have to go soon. It begins." A pyrefly flew from Rikku's body into the air. "Just help me do something. Confess your love for me."
I came closer to Rikku. A fifth pyrefly left her body and flew to the skies of the farplane. The only way to confess my love was to make my move. I took her body up and prepared to lock lips. She took off my sunglasses and dropped onto the ground, revealing my wizened face, scarred eye and stubble on my chin.
"I want to see your real face before I leave," she spoke. "Your eye is the warmest I have ever seen at this moment. It just looks so beautiful." I kept silent and touched my lips with hers. As I felt the pain of seeing her leave, my tear-control mechanism broke down. We re-opened our eyes to look at each other.
"Hush," she whispered, touching my face. "Don't cry; I won't want to see my knight in red armor weeping for my sake." I refused to listen as I felt two smooth stream of tears roll down my cheeks. Of all things, why must she go? I shouted silently to the skies of the farplane. A group of five to seven pyreflies left her body. "Rest in peace Auron," she mumbled to me as we exchanged sad glances at each other. "Your final wish has been fulfilled."
I nodded at her request. My final desire was fulfilled for my wait for her was over. But to see her leave was a painful feeling. I was to become a lovelorn person soon, wasting my life in the farplane.
"Goodbye Auron," came her soft reply as her body broke up into several pyreflies before ascending into the skies. "I'll always love you and remember you, in your heart." Her voice echoed as the sea of memories flew up into the sky.
"Rikku! I love you too!" I shouted to the sky. "I promise that I shall rest in peace! I love you for eternity!" I gave out my confessions hoping that she would hear it.
***
I had got over Rikku's departure. I proceeded to walk to a gigantic rock that allowed the entire scenery of this land to be visible. Taking off my sunglasses and collar, I reached for the golden mechanical clock in my coat.
"This is for you Rikku," I held up the clock. "Rest in peace too." I looked at the sky and smiled. An image of a smiling Rikku appeared across the great horizon. She wore exactly the same as she did during the pilgrimage. "Thank you Rikku, for allowing me to discover love," I spoke before turning back to join Braska and Jecht. As I got down, Braska and Jecht comforted me as we walked across the plains of the farplane. I turned to take one last look at the Al Bhed girl who I love so much. Her smile was still prominent. I smiled before turning back.
Rest in peace as I shall rest in peace. Goodbye and I will always love you.
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Okay, that's the end. Hope you liked the sequel~! =)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --
I sat by the cliff of the farplane. Its skies remained the same, still as pink as ever. Time was endless for us souls but it seemed like an eternity waiting for Rikku. Each minute I would take out the golden mechanical clock and pray that she would appear before my very eye. Clutching the clock with both of my hands, I would hope that the fayth would help to make time pass faster.
I heard some footsteps and turned to look at my lord summoner.
"Auron," he spoke, sitting down beside me. "You seemed to be suffering instead of being at peace in the farplane." I kept quiet, refusing to tell him my problems.
"It's nothing milord," I replied, hoping that I could try to let him know that I was calm. "I've never been so peaceful in my life before."
"My dear guardian," he placed a hand on my shoulder. "I've been with you for several years and it would be such a failure if I was unable to read your heart out." I looked at him, trying to hold back tears of loneliness.
"I...I...." I stammered, looking down at the ground. It was too depressing to bear out my heart to him. "Sorry milord, there's nothing wrong."
"A likely story," he retorted, trying to comfort me. "From your actions, I can tell that it is someone that you yearn for and that this person is still very much alive in Spira." My lord summoner had guessed my heart's deepest troubles. I took a deep breath before looking ahead.
"I feel a strong desire to see this person again," I muttered, hoping that he would simply ignore it. "Such a powerful feeling I never felt before ever in my life." My lord gave a sigh as he began to reply to my grievance.
"There can be only one thing responsible for your condition," he replied, giving his conclusion. "And that thing is known as love, true love between a couple. You have fallen for this girl and now pine for her in the farplane."
"You know my secret now milord," I answered back, burying my face into my palms, taking off my glasses as well. "She's Al Bhed." I told him the details.
"An Al Bhed?" he shook his head. "It is a pity that the Al Bhed does not stay long in the farplane. Once they reach the farplane, only a small period time is given to them before they reincarnate again. Such is the curse of these pitiful people."
"What does that mean?" I questioned eager to know their fate.
"That girl would only be here for at least an hour or so," my lord gave his heart-wrenching answer. Rikku could only reach the farplane for such a short time before she would be whisked off to be reincarnated again. "Be prepared for the time when she arrives." He got up and went off into the rocky plain of the farplane.
***
I looked down at the flowery field at the bottom of the farplane valley. Jecht had deemed it to be approximately six hours since I came here. However, it seemed like I had waited for at least a thousand years. 'Auron, why didn't you stay for Rikku? Why??' my mind scolded me as I looked at the sky, and recalling Yuna's sending earlier on. I had forced a wound on my heart deliberately by coercing myself to leave her at the time of the sending. Deep down, my heart was bleeding, bleeding profusely. I began to recall the times when I brought her to Esthar to revive her and the hardships that we had went through.
"Poor poor thing," a voice came from behind. This feminine voice was rather sinister too. I turned to see the same winged woman approaching me.
"H-how did you g-get here?!?" I exclaimed, drawing out my sword at her.
"Oh, don't you worry," she replied evilly. "I came to take Rikku's spirit away once she reaches the farplane."
"What do you want with her?" I demanded, with feelings of worry filling my heart.
"She will be reborn in another era," the wicked woman told her evil plans. "And she shall succeed me as the strongest sorceress in the world."
"No you won't!" I shouted at her, charging at her with my sword. It was no use, for the sword simply slid through her translucent body.
"I'm not real in this era," she taunted menacingly. "It's no use attacking me. Such a sad sad thing..." And she gave a hysterical laugh before dematerializing. I looked at my watch and discovered that something was not right. Our 'battle' had somehow made time jump several hours.
***
I looked out at the farplane, now with a heart more worried than before. Rikku's spirit would be in peril should she reach this place. I sat down once again, waiting for her arrival. As I concluded, life in the farplane was far much worse than life in Spira. It was an agony unable to pass time by even sleeping, which could be done back in Yuna's pilgrimage.
"Auron," a familiar voice sounded out which made my heart jump for joy. I turned to see Rikku with graying hair but with the same swirling green eyes. She approached me. As we got closer, she paused within a meter from me. "Sorry to keep ya' waiting." The Al Bhed girl, in her traditional clothing, shrugged her head.
I did not hesitate to move towards her. We embraced each other as Rikku hugged my torso once again, reliving the moments that we did so back during the pilgrimage. "You have aged," I commented with a relieved tone, stroking her graying hair.
"But deep inside, I'm still the young sixteen year old girl you knew," she replied enthusiastically but hung her head soon after. "I'm so sorry for leaving Yuna, Tidus and Aurra."
"Aurra?" I asked, curious about this strange person who shared a resemblance to my name.
"He's your son," Rikku replied to me, making me astonished. How could she have a son by me when I did not touch her during the entire journey to Zanarkand. "He looks almost like you but has my eyes." She continued.
"How? How did you bear a son by me?" I asked, curious to know about my son.
"Somehow a miracle," she replied, with a happy tone. "I had a dream about you one night and when I woke up; I was found to be pregnant. I knew it was your child for I could feel your love with Aurra inside me." She took my hand and pulled me to the cliff.
I looked down from the cliff and saw a ledge. People from Spira came here to visit their loved ones on this ledge. A boy who sported the same hairstyle as my younger self and an older man with a black patch over one of his eyes were on the platform. As they looked at an image of Rikku and I, the boy began his conversation with the man.
"Uncle Gippal," he asked the man. "Who was that?" The boy pointed to the picture of me.
"It must be," Uncle Gippal replied. "He's your father Auron, who I lost Rikku to."
"But but..." the boy asked. Uncle Gippal put his hand to the boy's side.
"No buts," Uncle Gippal replied. "We'll talk after your mother's funeral is over. Right now, take one last glance at your real father and your mother." The boy nodded before looking at the picture.
"Father, mother...rest in peace," he spoke to the image before following the one-eyed man out of the platform. I turned back to look at Rikku.
"Rikku..." I had to ask her. Rikku looked me with a sad look.
"I'm sorry Auron," she spoke sadly. "This will be the last time we will meet. I'll be sent to be reincarnated to another era and we won't meet again." I looked at her, giving her the message of begging her not to go. "I know it's hard but we have to accept the facts. My time will be up soon before the farplane shall dissolve me into pyreflies to taken to another time period."
"Rikku, don't go," I pleaded. "I've been waiting for this moment to arrive and it is now here."
"Sorry Auron," she apologized. "I really have to go soon. It begins." A pyrefly flew from Rikku's body into the air. "Just help me do something. Confess your love for me."
I came closer to Rikku. A fifth pyrefly left her body and flew to the skies of the farplane. The only way to confess my love was to make my move. I took her body up and prepared to lock lips. She took off my sunglasses and dropped onto the ground, revealing my wizened face, scarred eye and stubble on my chin.
"I want to see your real face before I leave," she spoke. "Your eye is the warmest I have ever seen at this moment. It just looks so beautiful." I kept silent and touched my lips with hers. As I felt the pain of seeing her leave, my tear-control mechanism broke down. We re-opened our eyes to look at each other.
"Hush," she whispered, touching my face. "Don't cry; I won't want to see my knight in red armor weeping for my sake." I refused to listen as I felt two smooth stream of tears roll down my cheeks. Of all things, why must she go? I shouted silently to the skies of the farplane. A group of five to seven pyreflies left her body. "Rest in peace Auron," she mumbled to me as we exchanged sad glances at each other. "Your final wish has been fulfilled."
I nodded at her request. My final desire was fulfilled for my wait for her was over. But to see her leave was a painful feeling. I was to become a lovelorn person soon, wasting my life in the farplane.
"Goodbye Auron," came her soft reply as her body broke up into several pyreflies before ascending into the skies. "I'll always love you and remember you, in your heart." Her voice echoed as the sea of memories flew up into the sky.
"Rikku! I love you too!" I shouted to the sky. "I promise that I shall rest in peace! I love you for eternity!" I gave out my confessions hoping that she would hear it.
***
I had got over Rikku's departure. I proceeded to walk to a gigantic rock that allowed the entire scenery of this land to be visible. Taking off my sunglasses and collar, I reached for the golden mechanical clock in my coat.
"This is for you Rikku," I held up the clock. "Rest in peace too." I looked at the sky and smiled. An image of a smiling Rikku appeared across the great horizon. She wore exactly the same as she did during the pilgrimage. "Thank you Rikku, for allowing me to discover love," I spoke before turning back to join Braska and Jecht. As I got down, Braska and Jecht comforted me as we walked across the plains of the farplane. I turned to take one last look at the Al Bhed girl who I love so much. Her smile was still prominent. I smiled before turning back.
Rest in peace as I shall rest in peace. Goodbye and I will always love you.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------
Okay, that's the end. Hope you liked the sequel~! =)