Ok, I know my chapters are being really short, but I just needed to get this out because I've been neglecting this for way to long and I'm really sorry for taking so long. So here's another little tid bit to keep you going I guess. The next chapter will hopefully include the rest of the gang and will be much longer and more involved.
The moon shown brilliantly in the night sky and created a silver river of light across the water. A cool wind blew in off of the ocean causing the ornaments in Lulu's hair to clink together as she contemplated the lack of stars in the sky. This was definitely one of the reasons she didn't like the city quite so much as the country. The stars were far less vibrant here in Luca than almost any other part of Spira due to all the light pollution.
Maybe it was best that she couldn't see the points of light in the sky as brightly as she would like. It would remind her too much of that sky wyrm that almost got the best of Wakka two days ago. She had never seen the muscular red-head so vulnerable. Granted, there had been plenty of occasions in the past when Lulu had seen him down, like when Chappu died and even when he collapsed after his game against the Al Bhed Psyches during the pilgrimage, but this was completely different.
He had actually been on the verge of death and it was her fault. She had grossly underestimated that wyrm. She felt that she never would have miscalculated that badly during the days of the pilgrimage, but ever since the beginning of the eternal calm she had felt a lack of purpose which seemed to have lead to an extreme decay in her talents.
She couldn't accept this, especially while the image of Wakka's blood covering her hands was still fresh in her mind.
She sensed a warm presence moving toward her in the darkness. Being a mage had taught Lulu a lot about energy fields and she had been able to identify Wakka's happy glow ever since she had picked up her first spell book. Of course you didn't have to be a black mage to here a the heavy foot falls and labored breathing of the clumsy blitzer who stubbornly refused to stay in bed despite the near fatal wound in his side.
"You know you shouldn't be walking around yet. You're far from healed" Lulu spoke into the warm night air as she continued gazing out across the Lucan skyline toward the lit up blitzball stadium that seemed to float in the sparkling waters of the sea.
"I can't sleep, ya. Not with you over here thinkin so loud." He came up next to her and leaned against the railing to get a better view of the breathtaking cityscape below. Lulu noticed him flinch slightly at the change of posture from standing to leaning.
"I'm entitled to think as loud as I want when my best friend has nearly lost his life."
"Hey, don't say that Lu, I'm fine, no worries." The mage turned her dark countenance toward Wakka. She looked almost ghostlike with the moon illuminating only one half of her pale face.
"I'm sorry Wakka." He frowned and looked into her one crimson eye, which seemed to be glowing in the moonlight. For the first time he saw uncertainty in that one powerful eye, that was something he never expected to see there and was utterly at a loss when he did.
"Sorry for what Lu?"
"For almost losing you like I lost…" She trailed off and looked back out at the glittering ocean below. "Nevermind."
Suddenly she felt a strong hand grab her shoulder, catching her completely off guard. She look over to see Wakka pushing himself off the railing with an apparent effort and the brought his other hand to her other bare shoulder pulling her in to his warm embrace.
"Don't be sorry Lu. Chappu made that decision on his own no one could have stopped what happened to him. No one."
Lulu was so shocked that for a moment she just stood there, stunned by the maturity and wisdom of his words, and even by the shear power of his presence as it encompassed her. Then slowly she brought her arms up and wrapped them around his back. She couldn't figure out why, but suddenly all of her doubts were gone. The warmth that Wakka emanated seemed to flow into her for a brief moment and she felt genuinely happier than she had felt in a long time.
"Thank you," were the only words she could muster at that moment, and she felt that that was all that was necessary anyway.
Wakka slowly released his grip and Lulu felt a shiver run up her spine as his strong arms slid across her bare shoulders. At this point she was so confused that she decided to not even consider that for right now and to simply enjoy his company while she had it.
Wakka was looking back out at the stadium now.
"Can't wait to blitz again. I haven't gotten to play since the pilgrimage, ya"
"I suppose there will be plenty of time for that now."
"I know. It's pretty exciting, ya." He said with a boyish grin. Lulu looked at him out of the corner of her eye, musing at his ability to change so rapidly from a man to a child in the blink of an eye.
"Oh yea, so did you end up seeing that girl about the thing?"
"Not exactly Wakka, I've been a bit preoccupied with a certain blitz ball player."
"You and Keepa eh? I never would have figured on you two getting together." A smile played across his lips as he looked at the ghostly black mage.
"Hm, well the fact that he isn't half dead is rather appealing to a lady." Wakka's smile faded as confusion crossed over his face. Lulu didn't show it but she was equally as confused about her own flirtatious quip.
"Anyway, I need time to consider this new turn of events. The appearance of such a powerful fiend so near to a population center is rather disturbing."
"Huh, I didn't really think about it that way. Now that I think about it, I never have seen a really big fiend around Luca before, even when sin was around, ya."
"Exactly."
"Hah, it's pretty lucky that we happened to be here when that wyrm showed up considerin' how lazy the crusaders have been lately."
"Mm." Lulu continued staring out into the darkness trying to make out the constellations. Was it luck or something more?
"Lu? You ok?" Wakka said as he waved a hand in front of her face. She suddenly realized she had been spacing out while Wakka had been rambling on about blitzball.
"Oh, sorry, I guess I'm just tired."
"Yea, it has been a long two days huh? You'd better get some sleep ya."
"You're right Wakka. And you should too, for that matter."
"Alright then, it's a deal, I'll sleep, if you sleep." Lulu smirked a bit,
"It's a deal."
The two walked into the room from the balcony, which was cast in a bluish glow from the moonlight that reflected off of the ocean. Wakka slowly eased himself down onto the edge of his bed.
"Do you need anything?"
"Nah, I'm fine. I just need you to get some sleep, and no more of that loud thinkin', it keeps me up/"
Lulu walked over to Wakka and gently pushed him down into the bed, her cool hands soothing against the bare skin of his chest.
"You first," she whispered as she released the sleep spell she'd been storing in her hand. Wakka didn't even know what hit him as his eyes became to heavy to keep open anymore and finally closed altogether. Lulu pulled the sheets over the sleeping blitzer and took in the look of tranquility that came over his face. If only I could find that kind of rest.
She walked back over to the balcony to maintain her two day vigil over her injured friend. Nothing would ever harm him again, as long as she could control it.
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Hey, thanks again for reading you guys, and hopefully I'll be able to get the next chapter out faster, I've been really busy lately.