The desert sun warmed the sand quickly. Within a matter of minutes, those
thousands of tiny little beads of glass and crystal would be warm enough to
sting the soles of even the most travel-hardened foot. The rays of sun
would sap the strength of whatever unfortunate creature ventured beneath
them. And the same sun that was warming the empty shelter Wakka had just
vacated wasn't even beginning to penetrate the lush foliage of the oasis
where Auron and Lulu lay stretched beneath his coat.
Lulu awoke first, stirring against Auron's warm body. In the haze of her having just woken up, she noted to herself how hard his body was. How unmoving the muscles and sinew of his chest and arms were. But she felt good. She felt as if she'd slept for a thousand years, and all her ills had been healed. The terrible sickness she'd been dealing with was vanished. Her body had finally had just enough time to repair itself. If she could count on a full night's sleep the next night, then she just might be at full strength.
Her ruby eyes quietly surveyed the area around the couple. Their campfire lay in a pile of smoldering coals now. The few bits of sunlight that did drift down through the leaves above shone brilliantly through the water of the lagoon. A warm wind filtered through the trees, and she sniffed the air.
'Time to get up.' She thought. 'I should ready myself for hard travel this day.'
It would be much easier now, with Auron by her side.
She let Auron sleep. He may deny from dawn 'til dusk, but she knew the journey across the desert had to have been hard on him as well. As soon as they had finished making love, he had drifted down into a dull, heavy sleep. For a moment, Lulu had feared him dead. But he drew breath and his eyes fluttered beneath their lids for an instant, and then she too, had been sucked down into sleep.
As gingerly as possible, Lulu extricated herself from Auron's arms. As she stepped away, his hands searched for her momentarily, before coming to rest once more. He murmured in his sleep. She looked down on him, and had a flash of memory. Flaming red hair, blue eyes lit up in the firelight. Chappu smiling up at her as she settled in beside him.
Her ebony hair swung free as she shook her head.
'That's gone.' She thought. Her eyes left Auron's face, and focused on the dunes outside the oasis. 'This is now.'
Where were the others? Had they succumbed to the awesome force of the tsunami that Sin had spilled on them? She couldn't bear to think of little Yuna, dead and baking somewhere on the sands. Tidus, and Kimahri, and Wakka.... The taste of blood in her mouth startled her, and in surprise, she found that she had bitten her lip.
Scorning her lapse into weakness, Lulu grabbed her hairpins, and retreated to the waters of the lagoon. Very well, then. She must travel today. The hair would have to go back up. Braiding the black mass took the better part of two hours, and she sat there on the banks, wetting her hair, and plaiting it. But the long, methodical work did little to alleviate the anxiety she felt. She tried to force the memories away, but she remembered Chappu braiding her hair for her, and then later, after Chappu had died, Wakka's clumsy fingers learning the intricate work.
'Why you gotta braid your hair, Lu? Just let it loose...'
Lulu's fingers stilled. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath.
"Wakka is nothing to me!" She whispered aloud. "He's nothing."
Then why the pang of sadness?
Furious with herself, Lulu finished the braids, and knotted the ties around the ends.
She'd done nothing wrong by sleeping with Auron. She was free, and so was he. Nothing wrong whatsoever. Then why did she feel like she was betraying somebody?
Lulu dipped her hands into the water, and gave herself a fast washing, then stepped from the lagoon. The sounds of Auron's breathing focused her, and she fastened herself into her dress with robotic motions. Travel, and finding the others. This was what she must focus on today. No time for these little trivialities.
When her little feet had been zipped into her boots, she nudged Auron with her toe. He snorted, and then opened his good eye, squinting up at her. Lulu's lips curved into a smile as she gazed down at him.
"Enough sleep. I want to find the others by sundown."
Auron's hand moved to curl around her ankle, and he grinned up at her in that way that only lovers grin at each other.
Lulu awoke first, stirring against Auron's warm body. In the haze of her having just woken up, she noted to herself how hard his body was. How unmoving the muscles and sinew of his chest and arms were. But she felt good. She felt as if she'd slept for a thousand years, and all her ills had been healed. The terrible sickness she'd been dealing with was vanished. Her body had finally had just enough time to repair itself. If she could count on a full night's sleep the next night, then she just might be at full strength.
Her ruby eyes quietly surveyed the area around the couple. Their campfire lay in a pile of smoldering coals now. The few bits of sunlight that did drift down through the leaves above shone brilliantly through the water of the lagoon. A warm wind filtered through the trees, and she sniffed the air.
'Time to get up.' She thought. 'I should ready myself for hard travel this day.'
It would be much easier now, with Auron by her side.
She let Auron sleep. He may deny from dawn 'til dusk, but she knew the journey across the desert had to have been hard on him as well. As soon as they had finished making love, he had drifted down into a dull, heavy sleep. For a moment, Lulu had feared him dead. But he drew breath and his eyes fluttered beneath their lids for an instant, and then she too, had been sucked down into sleep.
As gingerly as possible, Lulu extricated herself from Auron's arms. As she stepped away, his hands searched for her momentarily, before coming to rest once more. He murmured in his sleep. She looked down on him, and had a flash of memory. Flaming red hair, blue eyes lit up in the firelight. Chappu smiling up at her as she settled in beside him.
Her ebony hair swung free as she shook her head.
'That's gone.' She thought. Her eyes left Auron's face, and focused on the dunes outside the oasis. 'This is now.'
Where were the others? Had they succumbed to the awesome force of the tsunami that Sin had spilled on them? She couldn't bear to think of little Yuna, dead and baking somewhere on the sands. Tidus, and Kimahri, and Wakka.... The taste of blood in her mouth startled her, and in surprise, she found that she had bitten her lip.
Scorning her lapse into weakness, Lulu grabbed her hairpins, and retreated to the waters of the lagoon. Very well, then. She must travel today. The hair would have to go back up. Braiding the black mass took the better part of two hours, and she sat there on the banks, wetting her hair, and plaiting it. But the long, methodical work did little to alleviate the anxiety she felt. She tried to force the memories away, but she remembered Chappu braiding her hair for her, and then later, after Chappu had died, Wakka's clumsy fingers learning the intricate work.
'Why you gotta braid your hair, Lu? Just let it loose...'
Lulu's fingers stilled. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath.
"Wakka is nothing to me!" She whispered aloud. "He's nothing."
Then why the pang of sadness?
Furious with herself, Lulu finished the braids, and knotted the ties around the ends.
She'd done nothing wrong by sleeping with Auron. She was free, and so was he. Nothing wrong whatsoever. Then why did she feel like she was betraying somebody?
Lulu dipped her hands into the water, and gave herself a fast washing, then stepped from the lagoon. The sounds of Auron's breathing focused her, and she fastened herself into her dress with robotic motions. Travel, and finding the others. This was what she must focus on today. No time for these little trivialities.
When her little feet had been zipped into her boots, she nudged Auron with her toe. He snorted, and then opened his good eye, squinting up at her. Lulu's lips curved into a smile as she gazed down at him.
"Enough sleep. I want to find the others by sundown."
Auron's hand moved to curl around her ankle, and he grinned up at her in that way that only lovers grin at each other.