Once again it is time for my lovely reader responses.
Ghost: New reviewer, thank you so much. And this will (finally) tell what happened.
Neko-Yuff16: Well... but that's the point, to make you wonder.
Mysterious digidreamer: If I tell you now, it will spoil it.
Riny Beoulve: I'm glad someone was okay with it. But don't worry I make it up to you all here.
Fallen-Angel-2009: Another new reviewer. Thanks. And maybe she is, maybe she's not. Read on to find out.
Filter Season: Thanks for reading it. I hope this made a little more sense now. It's not a strait out Aurikku.
Madlax: Yeah Cid trusts him now, but wait till you see what happens next between them.
Oy vie: I hope I spelled that right. Anyway, I was on to update this and had to disconnect to try again. (internet exploder at work) I came back and here's another review. So anytime you want to send me that doller, is fine with me. And I'm glad that you are enjoying this too.
Chibi: I hope you enjoyed your version. And guess what, I made my ten pages! And thanks for all your help last night too. It helped a lot. But I lied, it's only Monday and here it is! I hope you likie!
Just as the two men were about to step off the airship, the video sphere began to blink signaling there was someone on the other end.
"Now who could that be?" Cid asked as he walked back and turned it on. A woman with dark hair and eyes filled the screen. "Yeah, what do you want?" He asked the woman roughly.
She leaned back away from the screen in surprise. "I'm sorry." She spoke after getting her bearings. " I was looking for a man named Cid."
"Well you found him. I don't have all day. Whata want?"
Auron came up behind the man and placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. "What is this in reference to? Cid has things that he must be doing now." Auron asked the woman in a much softer tone then Cid had used.
"I have someone here that refused to be treated until he was able to speak to Cid. He says his name is Luzzu." She explained.
"Put him on." Auron commanded.
The woman moved from view and a moment later Luzzu's face entered the screen.
"By Yevon, what the hell happened to you boy?" Cid yelled.
Luzzu had a swollen lip, a busted eye, and dried blood going down the side of his face. And that was what they could see. They could only imagine what he looked like from the shoulders down. "Auron, I'm glad to see you as well. I have something important to tell the both of you. I know where Rikku is."
Both men fought to see the screen in front of them. Cid won. "Spit it out already. Where is she?"
"She is in the Thunder Plaines. Two men kidnapped us both. I was only able to escape with her help. She is still trapped though. And she isn't doing so well. I think she may be sick."
Auron's heart dropped to his feet. Rikku was sick. "We have to rescue her." He said bluntly in a monotone voice.
"And how do you plan on doing that?"
"The two guys like to sleep a lot. If you can sneak in when they are not looking.." Luzzu spoke up leaving his thought unfinished for the men to figure it out on their own.
Rikku sat next to the wall huddling under a brown and green moth eaten blanket. It scratched her skin and let the cold breeze of the cave to make its way to her skin. Her wrist hurt and she had trouble moving the fingers on that hand. She guessed it was broken, but would not be able to heal it unless she could get the choker off her neck.
She cradled it close to her body trying not to let the tears fall. She had managed to hold the two men at bay, but it cost her a broken wrist and a few other cuts and bruises. She didn't know if she would be able to keep them back next time they tried to rape her again. Nothing would be able to stop them then. Her clothes were already laying around the cave in pieces. She moved her eyes to look around at the colored fabric around her. She pulled the smelly cover closer to herself and cried.
Cid Called Brother and Tidus back to the airship. They had somewhere to be. Once they heard where she was, they ran through the city as fast as they could. People jumped out of the way before they could get run over. A few yelled obscene remarks, while others just make gestures at them. They ignored them for the most part as they ran.
"We have heard from Luzzu. It seems with Rikku's help he was able to escape." Auron explained when they were in the air. "She has been taken to the Thunder Plains. We will split up again once we get there. He says that they were hidden deep inside a cave north of the travel agency."
"We have to move fast. Can't let them know we know where they are." Cid cut in.
Auron glanced at him before moving back so the older man could talk. "We talked to that crusader and he told us to search about six miles north. If we move fast, we should be able to catch them before evening falls."
Tidus and Brother (who was sitting behind the controls) both nodded that they understood. Auron left the cockpit to have some time to himself to think. He and Cid had already gone over the plans before the others had shown up. He turned a left in the corridors and headed to the cabins. The door opened automatically for him as he approached.
Taking his coat off and threw it over the back of a chair. He lay on the bed and brought his hands up behind his head. The room was too hot though. He sat up and pulled the leather shirt over his head. His hair fell back down over his shoulder.
He then kicked his boots off and let them fall lazily onto the floor. He brought his hands back up and used them as a pillow. He was clad in only his pants and socks now. He closed his eyes to think about what that evening was to hold. He only hoped they would be able to reach Rikku in time.
Auron sat up in bed. On the chair next to him was a young Al Bhed. She sat watching him sleep. When he opened his eyes she smiled.
"You look so cute when you sleep. Just like a baby." She teased.
"Rikku? What are you doing here?" He asked as he pulled himself into a better sitting position.
She giggled softly and he found himself lost in it for the moment. "Silly, I was watching you. I didn't want to wake you, and ruin that peaceful face you had." She stood up and leaned over him. "You're always so serious. I think it's time you relaxed a little."
"I have things that must be done." He said suddenly as he tried to stand to leave.
Rikku moved in front of him and put both hands on his chest. She closed her eyes as she felt the strong muscle under the leather armor he wore. "Wait. Don't go." She pleaded.
He watched her eyes drop to his feet as if they were the most entertaining things on Spira. "Rikku, I must. You know I must."
"But what is so important that you have to leave me?" She asked him lifting her eyes to meet his once again.
How could he resist her? The way her hair tumbled down her back and over her shoulders, her eyes that gazed at him with nothing short of love. And her mouth. The way her lips moved when she... Damn it, he couldn't resist. He brought his mouth down to meet hers while his arm slinked behind her back to keep her from falling.
She fought at first, only a reaction to the sudden movement. Soon she was finding herself enjoying the feeling of his body against her own. Auron's hand traveled the length of her back as if it had a mind of its own. He couldn't stop it even if he wanted to, not that he did. He reached under the peach top she wore feeling the softness of the skin on her back.
She moaned lightly against his lips and he took that as a sign to continue. He moved his mouth away to travel down her jaw and neck. He bit lightly at the skin teasing her. Not giving her a chance to get away, he began to remove the top she wore as he lowered her to the bed he was laying on just moments ago. It slid off easily, and he threw it behind him as he noticed the color bra she wore underneath. Black lace, it cut low in the front showing off more of her breasts then needed.
Rikku moaned again as her hands explored his body. Deciding the armor would have to go, she pulled it over his head and threw it close to where ever it was her shirt had gone. She traced kisses down his neck just as he had done to her.
Auron tried to hold back the urge to moan himself, but found he was unable to. Rikku was just too irresistible. Taking charge he grabbed her shoulders and pinned her down where she would not be able to escape. Light laughter escaped her mouth as he did so. She enjoyed this as much as he did. Hungrily he leaned over her and claimed her lips as his own once again. He ran his tongue over her bottom lip begging for entrance, which she readily gave. Using his tongue he memorized every part of her mouth he could.
Without him even knowing it, she had unbuttoned his pants for him leaving him wide open. Not letting her have the upper hand, he found the clasp that would remove her bra. He was so caught up in the moment that he almost failed to hear the pounding from the door. He tried to ignore it, but it only became louder.
He sat up in bed and groggily ran a hand over his face. That dream had been so real. Now he could hear Tidus on the other side of the door. He sighed in annoyance that he had been woken up.
"Hey, Auron. Wake up in there! Cid said it's time to go!" Auron grunted. "You hear me in there? It's time to go." Tidus repeated.
"Yeah, I heard you." He answered loud enough for the blond to hear.
Retreating footsteps let him know that Tidus had indeed heard. Auron stood up and put his boots and leather shirt back on. He glanced at the red jacket unsure. He stepped away from it thinking he wouldn't need it. He was about to exit when he changed his mind. Taking the four steps back to the chair he picked it up and slipped it on leaving his left arm free like he had when on Braska's pilgrimage.
"'Bout time you showed up." Cid said as soon as he entered the bridge. Seeing that he wasn't going to say anything, Cid continued. "So like I said, we are going to land here." He pointed to a spot on the map in front of him. "Auron and I will take the lead. Brother, you and Tidus are going to land a mile north of us. You will be back-up in case they decide to run."
"Yes, Vydren." "Got it." They both answered at the same time.
"Good. Now, let's move out!"
All four men turned to go to their respective places. When Cid and Auron were alone, Cid said one last thing. "It's all or nothing now. After we rescue Rikku..." He trailed not used to these types of conversation.
"It's alright." Auron answered. "I understand."
"Good." They walked in silence as they arrived at the bay doors, and then the plains themselves.
Fiends attacked as soon as the airship moved away. Slowly they made their way to the cave Luzzu had told them about.
They had come back. Just like she knew they would. The blanket had been torn away from her as she slept. She couldn't stop then this time. Her wrist still hurt, and now she felt nauseous and hot. A fever must have kicked in that morning. Sweat beaded on her neck and forehead.
After they were done with her, they kicked her aside and told her to cover up her scrawny Al Bhed body. When she tried to fight then, they slapped her and cursed at her calling her all kinds of names. After they had gone, she curled up onto her side and cried. Why couldn't they just kill her and let her out of her misery?
She glanced over to see what they were doing now. They had calmed down some. An hour ago they were drinking and laughing at her expense. Then she saw why they were so quiet, they were asleep.
A noise outside the cave caught her attention. Then two figures started to walk in. Fiends! She was surely going to die now. Trapped to a wall and nothing to defend herself with. One of the fiends moved closer to her. She tried to curl as small as she could, hiding under the blanket for protection. Maybe they would leave her alone.
Something reached out and touched her back. She screamed and threw the cover over its head.
"Rikku? What are you doing?" The fiend spoke from under the blanket. She knew that voice.
"Auron?" She asked as she helped pull the brown and green thing away.
His head was uncovered a moment later. "That thing stinks." He said with disgust. When he saw the state Rikku was in, he realized why she had been covering with it. It must have been all she had. A slight blush filled his face and he was glad it was dark and Rikku couldn't see it. He turned around and slid out of the red coat. "Here, put this on." He commanded as he held it out behind him.
She took it, but was only able to drape it over the front of her body. He turned around but scowled when he saw her.
"I can't." She cried as tears began filling her eyes. She moved her hands so he could see the chains that bound her.
A primal growl escaped from Auron's throat as he pulled out the Masamune. Lifting it over his head he swung. Rikku squeaked before hiding in the folds of his coat. She never thought he would want to kill her.
"Auron, I think I'm getting tired. May I go back to the village now?" She asked as she fell to the ground exhausted.
"Yes, I think that may be a wise idea. This is only your first day. You do not want to overdo it." He answered her.
"What will happen if I do overdo it? It won't kill me or anything, will it?" The new fayth remained silent. After knowing him for so long, Rikku knew this was a sign he was holding back information. "Auron?" She questioned him praying she was wrong.
"I will not let you die." He finally answered somewhat cryptically.
"Good, because I'm going to hold you to that." She joked letting out a weak giggle. A movement from down the path caught her attention and she pulled herself to her feet ready to summon if needed. She waited until it was in sight before letting out a breath of relief. It was Yuna and Tidus.
The scene came to the front of her memory. Was it only less then a year ago he had said those words to her? It was the day she had gone out to fight the fiends of Besaid to practice her magic skills. "I will not let you die." Those were his words then.
Hesitantly she poked her head out from under the coat. Auron stood next to his massive sword watching her. The tip of the sword rested in the ground as one hand held onto the handle of it. A warm feeling came over her as she realized what he had done. The chains no longer held her to the wall. She turned the red coat so that her arms went through where they belonged. On shaky legs, she attempted to stand.
She fell almost as soon as she got to her feet. A hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her close to a warm body. "Dryhg oui, Auron." She said before she passed out in his arms.
On the airship, Auron never left Rikku's side. He sat in a chair next to her while holding her hand. Praying, pleading she would wake up soon. A hissing sound behind his gave evidence someone else had entered the infirmary.
"Still here I see." Cid's voice traveled over to him. It wasn't as loud as it usually is, but the coarse undertone was still present. A scratching sound over the floor, and Cid was sitting next to him. "I talked to the healer. She said that Rikku is in bad shape. It's a miracle she even lasted this long. She has lost a lot of weight, almost twenty pounds. Cuts and bruises were all over her body, a broken wrist. Probably from being slammed into rock," Cid stopped not able to say more. Auron could hear how his voice broke as if he was holding back his own tears. "What have they done to my little girl?"
"They did more too, didn't they?" Auron asked in a whisper. He didn't want to accept it either, but he knew whatever they did wasn't right.
"Yeah." Cid answered simply.
They sat like that for a few minuets before Cid stood up and left the room. Auron really did care for his little girl. He knew she would be safe with the monk. Besides, he had other things to take care of.
A few strands of hair had fallen into the Al Bhed's face. Gently Auron brought a hand up to brush them away. As he looked on her face, he saw something that he had missed before. It was a metal choker. He reached up to take it off, and was rewarded with a slight shock.
Now he was curious. Letting go of her hand he grasped the choker in both of his own and pulled it apart as fast as he could, careful not to injure the woman on the bed any more then she already was.
The metal shocked him, but he ignored the pain as it started to crack and then break. He held the machina contraption in his hand and stared at it. Disgusted he threw it over his shoulder and against the wall. He reached down and held Rikku's hand within his own once again.
"So how are things in the desert?" Cid asked over the commsphere. He chose not to use the video sphere so she wouldn't suspect that they knew anything about her.
The woman answered with her practiced speech. "All is well so far. There still hasn't been any sign of your daughter yet though."
"That's because we found her, Kaleya."
"That's great!"
"Not really. She was dead. We weren't able to save her in time." He mocked being upset.
"Oh, Cid. I am so sorry. If there is anything, anything at all. Just let me know." She offered.
"You can help me find the bastard who did it."
"You can count on me, Cid." She answered before hanging up.
Cid smiled. All was going as planned.
There, Rikku had been saved. I hope you all are very happy. And I didn't hurt her...much. Now you can leave a review telling me how much you loved this and that you all won't kill me now.