Love Through Jealousy

Natsue Arishima

Chapter Eight: Separated

He was falling.

Below him there was nothing but darkness. Around him, the screams of his companions, the cries of shock, and the endless opalescent sheen of ice. For once, Auron felt unsure about himself, a small twinge of fear pricking at him as he continued to stare into the hole, the bottomless pit. His hands were shaking as they desperately clutched his sword, which was, for the first time in ten years, absolutely useless.

To die… Could he possibly die again?

The icy wind pounded at him, whipping through his hair and slapping his clothes. It was hard to breathe. He could feel the warm seep of blood crawling down his cheek and onto his collar where he had been struck by ice. Fragments of frozen water swirled around him, dangerously close.

Someone was shrieking in his ear, screaming hysterically. Turning ever so slightly, his eye widened as he noticed Rikku there, green eyes wide in panic, her hands clutched to her chest. The Al Bhed seemed to be just as scared of heights as she was lightning. Then again, maybe it was the fact that she was falling into the mysterious unknown and could possibly be flatted or dead when she reached the bottom that unnerved her…

Auron coughed, blaming it on the pressure of the howling blast against his windpipe.

Suddenly, he realized he wasn't nervous anymore. He didn't know why, but there was no longer fear wracking through him. He eyed Rikku again, pondering, before looking away, slightly bemused.

Was it because of her? The Al Bhed who was in love with the blitzball player?

Rikku's cries lessened and she glared at him. "Think I'm funny, do you?" she snapped over the gale, blaring in his ear. "Well you're falling too. And underneath me. So I'll just use your dead body as a cushion when we make impact!"

He could have sworn her nostrils were emitting smoke. The corners of his mouth twitched and he quickly hid it, covering it with his hand.

A high-pitched voice erupted in his ear. "Oh! So now you're smiling, right when we're about to die!" He winced at the volume as Rikku began to scream again when a new shower of ice fragments rained on them.

Auron turned in the other direction, wondering what had caused the dislodge. He swallowed when he recognized a tint of blue — Kimahri was near the side of the wide hole, his claws imbedded deep within the wall. There was a high shriek as the Ronso continued to slide down, leaving long trails of scratches in his wake. Flecks of red dotted his dark fur.

The legendary guardian looked down again. How long had they been falling? Did this pit even end? Guilt began to nag at him. Yuna. He had been unable to protect her. He wouldn't have minded if he had been the only one here, falling for an eternity. But Yuna, and the others…

He turned towards Rikku again, and his eye widened as he noticed a vast block of ice behind her, cutting through the air. His voice lodged in his throat and Rikku took no heed of his sudden desperation, still screaming like there was no tomorrow.

It was closer, forming a dark shadow over the young girl.

Rikku!Turn around!

Inches away…

He lunged towards her, pulling her close. His sword dropped from his hands. A flash of gold and startled emerald eyes.

And then solid impact, knocking the wind out of him. He choked as blood welled up in his throat.

Screams.

Darkness.

---

A familiar light surrounded his leg, light and warm. He could almost feel the bones shift back together, merging into one again. The soothing caress faded and Wakka opened his eyes, reaching out to rub his healed limb.

Damn that fall had been painful.

Gingerly, he got to his feet, thanking the summoner who was now nursing Kimahri. Wakka winced as he noticed the bloodied fingers — there were hardly any claws left. Yet the Ronso stood upright, almost indifferent to the pain.

His eyes flickered over to Lulu briefly, turning away before she could notice. Once again, the black mage was still, unmarred, taking no effect from the deadly fall. And yet… there had been a strange look in her crimson eyes, like confusion. She had been silent for a long time, staring but not really seeing the strange world around them.

Tidus was next to her, crouched, a hand touching the strange, tiled ground. His action caused Wakka to ponder again. Where were they?

The blitzball player could feel a migraine coming on. Groaning, he rubbed his head. Stupid brain.

Finally, he turned to the last pair, swallowing. There was Rikku, rocking back and forth on her heels, knees pulled to her chest, blond hair shielding emerald eyes that probably contained tears. She looked almost comical, and Wakka would have laughed if the situation had been different.

At her feet lay the lifeless body of Auron, his eye closed, the other hidden behind his shades. His face was mostly obscured by his high collar, a strange contrast to his pale skin. He had been the first Yuna cured, and the first that hadn't moved from his fall.

Slowly, Wakka paced towards the two, his footsteps deafening on the firm floor. He touched Rikku's shoulder encouragingly. She didn't move.

Wakka sighed before smiling. "Way to be inconspicuous, ya?"

She finally turned, eyeing him out of blank eyes. Her bottom lip was trembling. Wakka mentally shielded away. "Oi! Keep back the waterworks, ya? He'll be fine!"

He could almost sense the coming explosion.

She lunged towards him, crying and sputtering, burying his head into his chest. Wakka blinked, awkwardly patting her on the head. She was screaming and whimpering, words hardly distinguishable, her words cutting through the silent air. Behind him, he could sense multiple pairs of eyes on him.

"He… for me… and… hurt… could be… my fault…" She continued to babble, tears mingling with her hair and Wakka's blitzball uniform. He shushed her, unable to do anything else, casting a concerned glance towards the still guardian.

Sir Auron… you better wake up, ya?

---

Lulu turned at the sudden scream, finding Rikku sobbing into the arms of the redhead. She looked away almost immediately, feeling the Al Bhed's pain seep through her. Her Knight stared at her silently, probing.

She almost felt guilty as the familiar wave of jealousy flooded over her.

Jealousy. For she had distinguished it. Raw emotion, human sentiment. And she hated it.

At the same time, there was relief and rage. She knew now that Rikku and Wakka carried no feelings for each other. It had been a setup, one to get Auron, and possibly herself, jealous. And to the looks of it, it had worked.

A small smile caught at her lips, so slight that only her Onion Knight noticed. She replayed the conversation she had overheard earlier today. Yes, they had mentioned her name. And Auron… the Al Bhed was in love with him. And Wakka, possibly…

I'm sorry Chappu…

But… she had been played. Her sudden happiness faded. She had been the fool. Her eyes narrowed, gazing down at the furnished floor. Such was her anger and disbelief that she hadn't even bothered to question where they were now. She was letting her emotions get the better of her again, something she had struggled for ages not to do.

The sobs behind her diminished. Rikku had fallen asleep. She shut her eyes, listening. Familiar footsteps, slightly stretched. The pacing stopped. A rustle of fabric. Silence. And then the steps started again, heading over to her.

Crimson eyes opened and Lulu stepped away, further into the strange city. She didn't want to talk to him.

She didn't know what to do.

---

Wakka bit his lip as the black mage walked away. Sighing, he turned back towards the sleeping form of Rikku, nestled against the Ronso who had also, surprisingly, fallen asleep. He sat down next to her.

There was a faint breath behind him and he turned. He caught the gleam of Nirvana before it was lifted off the ground and Yuna replaced her, stress etched across her face. Wordlessly, she eyed the mist above them, hiding the hole they had came from.

"Thanks Yuna," he whispered. She didn't turn but smiled faintly. Wakka frowned.

"What's wrong?"

The question seemed to catch her off guard. Blinking, she swallowed before shaking her head. "Nothing." Unconsciously, she began to play with her hair.

Realization hit him. "It's about Seymour, isn't it?"

A brief pause before her fingers found a smooth lock and began to braid it. "It's nothing, Wakka."

She was so tense. He reflected back to the beginning of their journey, where there had been laughter. And now… it was almost despair. He hadn't thought it would have been this way. It was different from the tales other summoners told. Here, everything was real, from a single tear to the lifeless body of a friend. Unpredictable.

And this journey… it was about her.

"Tell me."

Finally, she lowered her gaze onto him, green and blue eyes hooded with worry. There was a clink as she placed her staff on the ground.

"I just can't help think… that I won't make it," she murmured, twisting her hands into her dress. "After the fight with Seymour…" She shook her head. "I don't know. I'm sorry. I'm just confusing you along with myself."

Staring at her, he smiled and hugged her. "Don't ever think that, ya?" he said quietly, voice muffled in her smooth hair. "We're here for ya. Everyone. Sir Auron, Kimahri, Lu. And Tidus. He won't give up."

He could sense her smiling. "Thanks, Wakka."

There was a low rumbling and the two of them tensed. The low growl became louder and for the second time, the ground began to shake. Wakka cursed, pulling Yuna to her feet. Besides them, Rikku and Kimahri woke with a start.

"Not again!" Rikku whined, hopping on her feet. Her eyes caught Auron's still unmoving form and she immediately ran forward.

Wakka suddenly realized they were moving. No. Not them. The thing they were standing on. There was a dull roar and he clamped hands over his ears, wincing from the pressure. Yes, they were definitely moving. But on what?

There was a flash of blond and Tidus appeared at Yuna's side. The summoner herself was in shock, eyes wide, mouth partially open. And then, so faintly that Wakka barely heard her, she whispered, "Sin."

The ground was shaking, trembling. Wakka was thrown into the wall. Snarling, he pushed himself up and panic suddenly took him. "Lu… LU!"

Where was she?

The walls around them were crumbling. There was dust everywhere, clouding his eyes, invading his throat. He couldn't see. Yuna and Tidus disappeared from his view. He was alone.

And then a flash of red. He almost fell with relief. There she was, unfazed, heading towards him. He reached out for her. So close…

The floor beneath him swayed and before him, the black mage fell. Desperately, he flung out his hand. Please…

His fingers connected with hers. They were so cold. He gritted his teeth, tightening his grip. No. He wasn't letting her fall alone this time.

There was a snap and he jerked his hand back, eyes wide. She had shocked him. Everything was falling now, slipping away. Including her. Her reached for her again and caught her eyes.

He stopped.

The crimson message was clear. Don't touch me.

And then everything shifted. He fell.

---

A/N: Yay! Right on time! I feel so proud of myself. Oh, and thank you reviewers, especially the ones who waited so long for this story to be updated (months I may add... I should have wrote this in on chapter 6) and kept with me. Thanks loads!

Anyhoo, not much to say besides that. Also, next update: December 5, 2004. There. So if I forget, all you guys get a chance to scold me. Lucky break, huh?

- Natsue Arishima