Chapter 5
Rikku felt as if something was passing through her body. She became lightheaded and barely kept any of her composure; her legs had nearly given out. For a minute she also began to think it had been a trick of the lights of the pyreflies. In any case, this definitely wasn't good for her at all.
"Rikku?" asked an older man's voice, coming forth softly, yet to Rikku it pierced through the black of the cave and shook all of Spira. She figured it was making her delirious, and that she had to go... but she couldn't bring herself to do so.
The voice belonged to the figure standing before her. Tall, statuesque, rugged-looking, and reflective of ancient wisdoms from a thousand worlds over. Though they were standing, facing each other in the dark, Rikku would still know that large red coat anywhere, and its buckles and straps hanging everywhere, and that huge band around his waist with two leather belts holding it together. One large hand hung out of the body of the left side of the overcoat, rather than utilizing the long sleeve hanging down near the man's waist. That white canteen lay at his right side, hooked to his coat by a few chain links. His right hand was gloved and stylishly wrapped in cloth strips, and it held the same familiar katana he had always carried, which was probably just about as tall as Rikku herself.
If it had been someone dressed like him, maybe Rikku might have gotten mad and attacked that man just then. It wasn't until she recognized the collar of the overcoat pulled up to the end of the man's nose, and a set of large, round and rimless sunglasses, that her stomach turned to water and she suddenly felt that this wasn't happening. It just couldn't possibly be.
"Rikku... is that you?"
"Who... are you," Rikku nearly inaudibly whispered more to herself than asking this man that in a form of a question.
"You know who I am," the voice replied in the same volume and tone. It was soft, tender, full of heart... like he could completely relate to the exuberance she was feeling, and that he wanted to comfort her more than anything. Rikku's heart melted into a sort of lava and drained out of her body.
"Rikku!!!!!!!!!!" yelled Paine as she came running and nearly crashed into Rikku, who was still standing there with her mouth wide open and her eyes preparing to tear up, though the tears somehow wouldn't come. "Rikku, what in the hell...." Paine set her crimson eyes on the man Rikku had been staring at and gasped loudly.
"Do not be afraid," he said. "I--"
"You're Sir Auron," Paine said firmly. "I know well who you are. All of Spira does. And you don't belong here. You should go, right now."
"Yes, I should," Auron nodded, "but I can't."
"Is it really you?" Rikku managed to say, breathlessly.
"It is. You look different, Rikku."
Rikku lowered her head and tried to suppress the heaving sobs that were inevitably coming from deep down inside her heart, though she couldn't figure out why they were.
It had been difficult, at first, for Auron to simply say that Rikku looked different. Well, yeah, like hell Rikku looked different, and he'd known that even before coming to Spira again, but he'd never imagined that it was this much. Setting his eyes on her just then, Auron felt as if he had been hit by a boiling-hot ocean wave, it was that much of a shock. She had grown up over these past two years, into a more voluptuous young lady with a figure it only seemed right for her to show that much of. Yet it was partly the ostentatious clothing. Compared to how much cleavage, flat stomach, smooth and tight thighs, and overall creamy tan he saw now, it would have been hard to say that Rikku was a pretty young woman two years ago. Maybe he had stumbled into a different part of the Farplane instead, the part where the souls of the dead were supposed to find their perfect happiness.
And then there had been the bright, shining green eyes. Jade and emerald, almost. Auron had always subconsciously liked that color, and that private personal liking came up to the surface once he caught sight of Rikku's gorgeous Al Bhed eyes. He wondered, for a second there, if Rikku would have made such a powerful impression had Rikku's eyes been any other color, when he forced them open on that fateful day that Rikku joined the Summoner Yuna's entourage. Probably not.
But for Yevon's sake, what is with that hairstyle? Auron would have smiled if it had been the right time, looking at the beads hanging in Rikku's braids and how wild the rest of her hair had been tossed around, long and like a lion's golden mane, and all held together sloppily under that blue headband. Perhaps some things never changed, and to Auron these youthful decorations were like a prelude to Rikku's frightened, innocent reaction like that of a child. Upon seeing him, Rikku's voice and face were lamblike, pure, soft.... Maybe he wouldn't have been able to stand himself anymore if their situation had been different.
"Why are you here?" Rikku's voice shook as she spoke again.
"I'm trying to figure it out myself," Auron chose his words wisely. "If I am meant to be here now, then I can say I'm complying with the wishes of someone who is still living. Now, are you going to show me around and let me see how you and the others have been living these past two years? I'd at least like to see Yuna again."
Rikku felt as if something was passing through her body. She became lightheaded and barely kept any of her composure; her legs had nearly given out. For a minute she also began to think it had been a trick of the lights of the pyreflies. In any case, this definitely wasn't good for her at all.
"Rikku?" asked an older man's voice, coming forth softly, yet to Rikku it pierced through the black of the cave and shook all of Spira. She figured it was making her delirious, and that she had to go... but she couldn't bring herself to do so.
The voice belonged to the figure standing before her. Tall, statuesque, rugged-looking, and reflective of ancient wisdoms from a thousand worlds over. Though they were standing, facing each other in the dark, Rikku would still know that large red coat anywhere, and its buckles and straps hanging everywhere, and that huge band around his waist with two leather belts holding it together. One large hand hung out of the body of the left side of the overcoat, rather than utilizing the long sleeve hanging down near the man's waist. That white canteen lay at his right side, hooked to his coat by a few chain links. His right hand was gloved and stylishly wrapped in cloth strips, and it held the same familiar katana he had always carried, which was probably just about as tall as Rikku herself.
If it had been someone dressed like him, maybe Rikku might have gotten mad and attacked that man just then. It wasn't until she recognized the collar of the overcoat pulled up to the end of the man's nose, and a set of large, round and rimless sunglasses, that her stomach turned to water and she suddenly felt that this wasn't happening. It just couldn't possibly be.
"Rikku... is that you?"
"Who... are you," Rikku nearly inaudibly whispered more to herself than asking this man that in a form of a question.
"You know who I am," the voice replied in the same volume and tone. It was soft, tender, full of heart... like he could completely relate to the exuberance she was feeling, and that he wanted to comfort her more than anything. Rikku's heart melted into a sort of lava and drained out of her body.
"Rikku!!!!!!!!!!" yelled Paine as she came running and nearly crashed into Rikku, who was still standing there with her mouth wide open and her eyes preparing to tear up, though the tears somehow wouldn't come. "Rikku, what in the hell...." Paine set her crimson eyes on the man Rikku had been staring at and gasped loudly.
"Do not be afraid," he said. "I--"
"You're Sir Auron," Paine said firmly. "I know well who you are. All of Spira does. And you don't belong here. You should go, right now."
"Yes, I should," Auron nodded, "but I can't."
"Is it really you?" Rikku managed to say, breathlessly.
"It is. You look different, Rikku."
Rikku lowered her head and tried to suppress the heaving sobs that were inevitably coming from deep down inside her heart, though she couldn't figure out why they were.
It had been difficult, at first, for Auron to simply say that Rikku looked different. Well, yeah, like hell Rikku looked different, and he'd known that even before coming to Spira again, but he'd never imagined that it was this much. Setting his eyes on her just then, Auron felt as if he had been hit by a boiling-hot ocean wave, it was that much of a shock. She had grown up over these past two years, into a more voluptuous young lady with a figure it only seemed right for her to show that much of. Yet it was partly the ostentatious clothing. Compared to how much cleavage, flat stomach, smooth and tight thighs, and overall creamy tan he saw now, it would have been hard to say that Rikku was a pretty young woman two years ago. Maybe he had stumbled into a different part of the Farplane instead, the part where the souls of the dead were supposed to find their perfect happiness.
And then there had been the bright, shining green eyes. Jade and emerald, almost. Auron had always subconsciously liked that color, and that private personal liking came up to the surface once he caught sight of Rikku's gorgeous Al Bhed eyes. He wondered, for a second there, if Rikku would have made such a powerful impression had Rikku's eyes been any other color, when he forced them open on that fateful day that Rikku joined the Summoner Yuna's entourage. Probably not.
But for Yevon's sake, what is with that hairstyle? Auron would have smiled if it had been the right time, looking at the beads hanging in Rikku's braids and how wild the rest of her hair had been tossed around, long and like a lion's golden mane, and all held together sloppily under that blue headband. Perhaps some things never changed, and to Auron these youthful decorations were like a prelude to Rikku's frightened, innocent reaction like that of a child. Upon seeing him, Rikku's voice and face were lamblike, pure, soft.... Maybe he wouldn't have been able to stand himself anymore if their situation had been different.
"Why are you here?" Rikku's voice shook as she spoke again.
"I'm trying to figure it out myself," Auron chose his words wisely. "If I am meant to be here now, then I can say I'm complying with the wishes of someone who is still living. Now, are you going to show me around and let me see how you and the others have been living these past two years? I'd at least like to see Yuna again."