AN: I'm back! And I have a question for you guys... I am usually inspired by songs. So, I wasn't sure if I should just stick the lyrics that inspire me for the chapter at the top of the page Aka Rhianna-Aurora style or do what I have done the past couple of times, have Auron write them (or Rikku sing them, whatever the case). Opinions, anyone? I don't want to copy off of Rhianna-Aurora, it's just that seemed like the easiest way to go about it... but I dunno, you guys tell me what to do for this one.
Oh, and I have to say hello and thank you to my diehard reviewers, who say all sorts of funny wonderful things and leave me smiling on a day to day basis. You guys rock! I wrote a long chapter for you....
Disclaimer: Except for the notepad on my lap, I don't own a damn thing.
The glare off of the water was blinding when I opened my eyes. I could feel sand in every crook and crany of my body, including my mouth. And, I had the worst migrane of my entire life.
Are migranes only something that living, breathing people get? Because I know not ONCE in the past ten years that I had been unsent, had I ever been taken out by a dinky little headache.
Well, anyway, I felt like shit.
I tried to roll over, get off my back so that I could get up and get started on this brand new journey to find Rikku, but it didn't work out. All the movement ended up doing was making me rock back and forth in the sand, digging myself into a rut.
This, of course, had to be the way that I, Sir Auron, Legendary Guardian to not one but two summoners, was found. Flopping like a big, red fish on the beach.
"Sir Auron!" Yuna exclaimed.
I must have grunted in response, because the next thing I knew, she dove down next to me, spraying sand into my face.
"Sir Auron, what happened?" I heard another voice ask calmly.
"You had us worried, disappearing like that, ya?"
Oh vilg, tish... not only was I found in the embarrassing situation, but it had to be by Yuna and two other guardians from the pilgrimage, Lulu and Wakka. I put my hand up to my face and looked at all of them, Yuna leaning close to me, Wakka and Lulu standing farther back, and I grinned. Ah, what a family I do have.
Although I had heard stories of Lulu and Wakka's friendship dating far back in time, I never really could understand what first sparked any intrest between them. To me, there was never an unliklier pair than those two. Lulu was stern, quiet, and standoffish. Wakka was goofy, loud, and opinionated to a fault. I knew that there were reasons for the differences in their personalities, and it all came down to Chappu, Wakka's brother and Lulu's fiance. At least, he was Lulu's fiance before he was killed fighting Sin, using Al Bhed machina. The situation explained Lulu's depression and inability to open up, and Wakka's deep hatred of the Al Bhed. Most of the time, it seemed as if Chappu was the only connection between those two, and if it wasn't for him, they never would have dealt with each other at all.
But here they were, rock solid as always. The belts from Lulu's dark corset dress, same as she wore during the pilgrimage, glinted in the sunlight, and the sticks holding her hair in a mass of braids was as straight as before. Wakka's bright red hair was gravity defying, like usual, and he was wearing the same uniform from the Besiad Auroch blitzball team as he always did.
Finally, two people who never changed.
Well, at least, that was what I thought.
I squinted past Yuna's concerned face to scope out the situation between the both of them. Something seemed... off. Different. Then, it hit me.
They were standing shoulder to shoulder, holding hands.
The pounding of my head grew tenfold as I sunk back into the sand, shocked. The mood of the three in front of me suddenly went cheerful, as they realized what I had just figured out. Yuna grinned back at the two lovebirds, and Wakka put his arm around Lulu, grinning like a lunatic.
"Yuna didn't tell ya? Me and Lu are married now!"
Oh God. I squeezed my eyes shut. It figures that the most unlikely pair in Spira were not only together, but thriving.
In a way, it was a good thing, because it made a couple like Rikku and I suddenly look a lot more likely.
But on the other hand, Wakka and Lulu?
"I was not informed of that. Congratulations," I mumbled.
The corners of Lulu's mouth turned up into a rare smile. "I suppose it must be somewhat of a shock for you, Sir Auron. But that's not important right now..."
Yuna's face fell back into a worried expression as she nodded a few times. "Yes, we can all talk about that later. But what happened? Are you hurt?"
"Do you still practice white magic, Yuna?" I interrupted. She nodded entusiastically. "In that case, cast a bit of Curaga on my skull, will you? I'm surprised my head didn't crack in half."
Yuna's hands moved over my face instantly, and she started softly chanting the spell. A white light glowed around her hands and my body, and suddenly, I felt much better.
"Thanks," I nodded as I stood up, leaning on my katana for support.
Lulu looked around the beach for a moment, then came to a realization. "Rikku was supposed to come back today, wasn't she?"
Memories of what happened hit me like a rock. "She's... gone," I said, my voice cracking.
"Gone?" the three gasped at once. They looked shocked, and I couldn't blame them. Hell, I was shocked too.
I paused for a moment, swallowing hard. "A group of soliders... attacked her... took her away... I couldn't save her..." I said brokenly. I felt silly for a moment, letting these three see how I really felt, but then I realized if anyone were to know, and could help me out in any way, it would be them.
And how did I feel about this? Crushed, broken, horrible. Rikku was out there, getting fucking tortured, and all I could do is sit here with a headache. I couldn't even save her... I couldn't even beat through those soliders, past that man behind me, run up and save her.
No, instead she was drug away before my very eyes, tortured in front of me, and left for dead, crying and whispering my name.
My headache came back full force as I leaned forward a bit too far, nearly tumbling onto the sand again. "Sir Auron!" Yuna gasped. Wakka and Lulu ran forward and the three caught me at once, holding me up while my legs were a bit too weak to work.
"I think we should go find somewhere to sit down," Lulu spoke.
. . . . . . . . . . .
The three sitting in front of me, in the living room of Yuna's house, were speechless after I calmed down and explained what happened in detail. I told them about everything, including the out of body experience on the ceiling. The only thing I didn't mention was that I had been communicating with Rachelle and Jenae, because I felt they didn't need to know.
Wakka was the first to break the silence. "Sounds like something Yevon would do, ya?"
"Yes... but that doesn't seem likely, considering they are mostly out of power. The people of Spira do not trust as easily now, and new political parties are rising up. What would Yevon want to do with Rikku?" Lulu, the voice of reason, spoke up.
"They mentioned Yuna," I brought up. "They wanted to know if she was Lady Rikku, Legendary Guardian to High Summoner Yuna. They also didn't speak Al Bhed, which leaves an Al Bhed conspiracy out of this."
"If it was an Al Bhed conspiracy, they would have kidnapped her for being Cid's daughter, not for being my guardian," Yuna pointed out. She paused for a moment and looked at her hands, clasping together in her lap. Suddenly, she exclaimed, "Why did they do this? If they wanted me to do something, say something, they should have informed me! Not taken Rikku!"
"They knew she was afraid of thunder," Lulu said quietly. Then, seeing the look on my face, stood up and crossed the room to sit on the couch near me. She put her arms around me for a moment, then kept her hand on my arm. I drew strength from her presence, and attempted to keep my face closed off from my emotions.
"That was the worst part..." I said shakily. "They knew what she was afraid of. And it all it took was one spell, a few mumbled words, to knock her off her feet and take away the strong, cheerful look on her face..." I stopped speaking and looked down at my boots, ashamed at showing how I felt so easily.
I sensed more than saw Yuna move from her chair in front of me to the other side of the couch, and I felt her hand clasp mine. For me, this feeling of drawing strength from others was a new, foreign sensation. And these two girls, at this one moment of time, had strength to spare for me. I knew I helped them out at other times, and this was their way of repaying me, but it still felt... different.
"Well, there's only one thing to do, ya?" Wakka said.
Lulu nodded at him, her face glowing with understanding. "We find her."
"And we save her," Yuna added.
I looked from face to face. Wakka's face showed the excitement, worry, and admiration. Yuna's face showed determination and strength. Lulu's showed concern and love for us all. "You don't have to do this..." I said. "I can go alone... You can have your peace we all worked so hard for..."
"No."
"We're going."
"Whether you like it or not."
And with those last words, I knew the journey had only just begun.