A/N: LIke I really need to start a new story when I've got like 4 to finish...oh well. Okay so this has been in my head for a while now, and it won't be too long. Just a few chapters.
Disclaimer: I don't own FF or the character
Warning: Major game spoilers
Auron was uneasy. Well, uneasy was a word that generally described him in the past few months, but today he felt even more so. It was getting harder and harder to continue the pilgrimage. He was surrounded by a group of people that were ignorant to the true face of Yevon. He had to bite his tongue every time the blitzball captain offered a prayer to a stranger. He tried not to scoff when the mage would explain to Tidus about the religion.
Tidus for his part, didn't really care all that much. Religion was just short of nonexistent where he came from. Zanarkand was the true city of sin in its day so dream Zanarkand proved to be just the same. Tidus was wise enough to respect Yevon, but he felt the unease too. Something was going to happen.
Here, standing outside the Yevon Temple at Djose, Auron just didn't care anymore. He wanted to rest. Eternally. He was tired of playing by Yevon's rules. After this pilgrimage was over, he was never going to think about anything having to do with the lies ever again. He looked around, passing the time until the others were finished shopping. He gripped his sword tighter, ready for any attack, and remember the time he passed through this temple with Braska and Jecht. He had been naive then, willing to guide is friend to death. He used to blame his own stupidity for Braska's fate, but now only blamed Yevon. The lies are what killed Braska.
"Auron!" came Tidus' voice, pulling the warrior from his grim memories. Auron looked around to see Tidus running up to him. The younger man seemed to have gotten bored with Lulu's bartering and was ready to leave.
"So we are going to the Moonflow next? What's that exactly?" he asked.
"It's better to understand if you see it" Auron answered. Tidus nodded and Auron wished the group would hurry up. If they had been ready, Tidus could be bothering Lulu with questions, and leaving him to brood.
"Okay, let's go" Wakka said, leading the girls and Kimahri to the waiting guardians. Auron nodded and swung his sword up on his broad shoulders.
Crossing the Moonflow proved to be more difficult than it needed to be since an Al-Bhed machina captured the summoner that they were protecting. The two blitzball players jumped overboard to save Yuna, while the others could only wait. Kimahri didn't like the waiting at all. He looked over the side of the shoopuf, down into the dark water and let out a very low growling sound.
"It has been a long time" Lulu commented after twenty minutes or so. Auron simply frowned and wondered if Kimahri was going to try and jump in the water. Lulu rolled her eyes at the warrior and sighed softly. Auron had been the cause of her uneasiness so far on this trip. The legendary guardian had been an object of her fantasies for quite sometime. The stories about him made many woman swoon and Lulu had not been an exception.
Auron held her respect and admiration and of course she found him to be handsome. She couldn't help but feel smug when they passed through a town and the woman looked at him. She was on the pilgrimage with him, not them and she knew they were envious. She wanted to impress him as much as she could. It was part of the reason she answered Tidus' questions so much. Here, waiting for the other party members to come back, she found an opportunity to talk to him, but didn't know what to say. Before she found her words, the calm surface of the water broke and three breathless people were being pulled up by the Ronso.
"Damn Al-Bhed!" Wakka yelled. "They almost killed you Yuna!"
The summoner nodded slightly, not entirely sure the Al-Bhed were trying to harm her. If her suspicions were right, they might have simply been capturing her to prevent her pilgrimage. She looked up at Auron and nodded to him to let him know she was okay. The trip continued, but this time Kimahri and Auron stood on either side of the carrier, watching for any attack.
The other side of the Moonflow was practically deserted as the party began the trek to the next destination. Wakka was still sore about the capture on the water and was mumbling to himself as he walked. Everyone else ignored him except Tidus. He walked ahead of the group under the pretense of scouting ahead, but he really was clearing his head. The Al-Bhed he met when he found himself in Spira were nice enough and he was tired of hearing Wakka.
"Uggh" came a muffled groan from his right. Tidus looked over and saw a small figure on the side of the river and ran over. He approached carefully, not sure if the person was a friend or foe. The figure stood suddenly and stripped out of a wetsuit. Tidus could see the person was female and pretty familiar looking. The girl took off her goggles and Tidus gasped.
"Rikku!" he said, "you're Rikku! Hey, are you okay? What happened?" Tidus looked her over, walking around her and almost bouncing, like a puppy who saw an old friend.
"You beat me up remember?!" she shouted, hitting him in the chest.
Tidus took a step back from the force of her punch. "Oh man, you mean that was you?"
"Duh" she said, looking over her equipment and frowning at her missing objects.
"But, why would you capture Yuna?" he asked. Rikku looked at him for a minute and started to speak but she saw the rest of the party walking over to them.
"Hey, who's your friend?" Wakka asked. He eyed the blonde girl approvingly, making Rikku want to hit him.
"This is Rikku" Tidus explained. "Remember, I told you guys about her before."
"Man, you look pretty beat up" Wakka observed. "Praise to Yevon that you're okay. Wait, did the Al-Bhed attack you too?" Rikku's eyebrows shot up and she wanted to respond, but she was distracted by her cousin looking at her accusingly. Rikku smiled sheepishly and walked up to the older girl.
"Hey, Yunie" she said softly. Yuna smiled at Rikku, despite the fact that she was interfering with her pilgrimage and put a hand on her shoulder.
"I think we need to talk" Yuna said, pulling Rikku to the side and motioning for Lulu to come along. Wakka tried to follow, by Rikku shot him a glare.
"Girls only!" she yelled.
Auron watched the girls talking and knew what Yuna was asking her cousin. He watched Rikku plead with Yuna and then Yuna plead with Rikku. The Al-Bhed looked frustrated and crossed her arms. He saw Yuna speak to the girl and Rikku finally nodded. Yuna smiled and walked over to Auron.
"Sir Auron, I would like Rikku to become one of my guardians" she asked.
"I thought as much" Auron said. He walked up to Rikku and looked down at her. "Show me your face."
Rikku faltered at the odd request for a second, but realized what he was doing. He wanted to see her heritage. She wasn't sure what he would think, but decided to do what he said.
"Open your eyes" he said to her. Oops. She didn't realize she had her eyes closed. "As I thought." He figured that she was the person operating the machina and judging by the way Yuna reacted to her, she was also Braska's niece.
"Um, no good?" she asked him, looking up into his shades.
"Are you sure?"
"One hundred percent" she smiled. Auron nodded his approval and she smiled. He was looking forward to another Yevon hater on the journey.
That was one month ago. One month ago he had met Rikku. One month since his unlife changed forever. Now, looking back on what he let happen to her, he would have left her on that shore and never looked back.
A/N: Okay, so like i said, short story. Let me tell ya a little about what's going on, ya? Its a darker story than what I normally write, with Lulu and Wakka being chumps in this one at the start. But, stay with me now, you know I'll make it okay in the end. Expect major lemon in this one. Just one chapter away from it actually. Also, major AU as I'm changing the end of the game. Will update soon!