Precious Things
Chapter One: Maddening Shroud
Auron walked through the forest, determined to get away from the damned clearing everyone else occupied as they rested. The longer he was around, the more he felt like he was loosing his mind. Then again… maybe he was. It was no secret that the unsent were in constant battle with both the pull of the Farplane and the pull of anger and hate, leading them down the path of becoming fiends.
It seemed, as of late, these forces struggled within him and threatened to push him over the edge. The constant chattering of his traveling companions did nothing to help this situation.
Sighing, Auron rubbed his temples with his thumb and forefinger, temporarily easing the throbbing pain behind his eyes.
"Auron, hey man where ya….". Tidus stopped talking and just stared blankly at the retreating form of the older guardian.
Auron had not been in the best of moods lately but even this was a little extreme for the normally anti-social man. Tidus was not sure why Auron was acting this way, but he would love to have the old Auron back.
Tidus continued to watch Auron's retreating form, his crimson coat blowing lightly in the wind as he walked.
"Bastard." Tidus mumbled under his breath, hoping that it was just loud enough for the 'legendary guardian' to hear.
Auron knew he was being an ass, but at the same time he really didn't care. They had no idea what he was going through. Let them complain and hate him. It would be easier in the end, anyway. He closed his eye as old memories washed over him.
"Auron!"
His eye snapped open, Auron cursed the interruption. 'Must everyone bother me today?'
He scowled deeply, the lines of his face making him look much older than he was.
"Auron!"
'Why will she not let me be?'
"Aur..." Rikku did not finish his name as she watched him ignore her and continue walking. Rikku fumed; she had no idea what was with him, but it was about time it stopped. Sure, he was always grumpy, but lately it had risen to an all-new high. Even Yunie was being affected and Rikku was not having it. This man deserved a good yelling at. The big, bad, intimidating meanie was not going to scare her off. It would take more than one of his 'over the glasses' glares.
With courage, and maybe a little bit of stupidity, she marched up to the towering man and grabbed his wrist.
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
Auron was shocked, to say the least; she had just grabbed him and, to top it off, had yelled at him. Just who the hell did she think she was? 'Do not make me teach you a lesson, little girl.'
Auron turned around upon her scolding, looking like a wild animal ready to attack, and all courage fled her as fear took over. His eye was full of rage, a rage he held back deep within. This child knew not what she was getting herself into.
"Go back to the camp. These woods are no place for a child." Auron's tone was harsh- and that was his intention.
Rikku may have been the last person he would ever want to hurt, but now was not the time. It would never be the time anymore, as far as he was concerned. He had already been too lenient with her as it was. He had been too easy on all of them. Each one of them had their own weakness; hell, even he had his downfall.
Rikku shrank back at his words and the blatant meaning behind them. They were full of poisonous venom, which numbed the trembling Al Bhed to her core. She didn't understand what was going on and it hurt her not to be able to help. But then, Auron had never been one to flat out accept help. It usually took a little persuading or at least a little annoying to get the big oaf to budge.
She didn't know if it was the look in his eye that held her back, or her own mind busy in its confusion, but the small blonde was paralyzed, sucking on her bottom lip as she remembered the last time Auron had spoken to her in such a way.
Lulu had watched the rather troublesome exchange between the girl and guardian, and placed a hand over her heart as she sighed, preparing to make her way over to Rikku. Perhaps the young girl could be loud and overwhelming at times, but the way he had just spoken and looked at her, she had not deserved. The black mage contemplated sending a little lightning spell in the crimson warriors direction, but decided against it in the end. He would get what was coming to him if he continued to act in this manner.
"I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it."
Rikku shook her head. "No. He always means what he says. Always."
As she finished, several tears fell from her emerald eyes and she took Lulu's quiet shock as her moment to leave.
All she wanted to do was find Yuna and leave as soon as possible. She would make sure to stay as far away from Auron as she could on the rest of the hike to the travel agency.
'What's wrong with you? I don't understand. I never understand.'
Auron continued to trek deeper into the woods, until it was almost impossible to see beyond the trees and growth in any direction. And that's when he finally let go; the pain shooting through his entire body with such force it felt as if he were dying all over again.
Stifling a yell, he leaned against a tree for support, praying this would soon pass. Who or what he prayed to, he did not know.
Instead of release, he was rewarded with the memories of a tragedy-filled life that would play over and over again. The newest being the look of fear Rikku had given him only a few moments ago. 'I'm sorry my Rikku.'
Auron cringed at the emotional-pain-turned-physical as he doubled over, falling to his knees. Everyone who had ever meant anything to him had been taken away, and so he now pushed away everyone else. In the end his cold-hearted nature would be for the best. He had denied his heart what it wanted for so long, and as his breathing evened back out, he told himself: he would continue to deny.
RR
Eva Harlow