Love Her and Despair (18)

[auronlu]

Title: Love Her and Despair
Chapter 18: "Domestic Interlude"
Final Fantasy X
Characters: Auron, Wakka/Rikku
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2000
Summary: Rikku picks Auron's brains and gives him a piece of her mind.
Navigation: Previous Chapter | Next Chapter
Map of Pilgrimage - Links to All Chapters

The Story Thus Far: After a disastrous military operation at Djose, Auron is transported by Sin/Lulu to Bikanel Island along with Elma, Captain of the Djose Knights and right hand of Maester Lucil. Auron and Elma are found by Wakka and Rikku, now married with a growing family. Wakka has rejected Yevon, and is shielding his children from any stories that might inspire them to become summoners or guardians.

---

The children were a blessing and balm to the spirit, apart perhaps from Etta, who had roused Auron by targeting his belt as a landing pad from the windowsill. They swirled around the dining table, under no particular orders to stick to their own seats or plates as long as no food wound up on the floor or in each other's hair. (This latter rule required occasional reinforcement.) The younger children's chatter was largely in Al Bhed, apparently reflecting a switch in the household's primary language. To Wakka's annoyance, Yuna quickly latched onto Auron with a child's knack for sensing parental disapproval. Her father monitored every word with a glower while Auron answered endless questions about Ronso cubs and snow.

After the meal, Auron atoned for damaging the garden by washing dishes. Rikku set to work on a new batch of potions. Fleeing the stench of Al Bhed alchemy and their unwelcome guest, Wakka took the children out to the oasis for a swim. As soon as they were gone, Rikku cornered Auron in the kitchen and proceeded to grill him about current events. For once, he was willing to speak frankly; there were few secrets that Rikku did not already know. His report on the Djose operation left her shaking her head.

"Agh! Stupid Crusaders. Didn't they learn anything last time?"

"They learned to duck."

"Fat lot of good that does when Lulu kicks into overdrive. Walls block some energy attacks, but when she goes Ultima on your ass, you'd better be ten miles away. That Lightning Shield sounds buff, though. I'll have to smuggle somebody over there for a look. Of course, for all we know, she just soaked it up and shot it back at you."

Auron shrugged and moved to the flatware. "That's possible."

"Rrrgh! Getting usable intel out of you is like getting intelligence from my brother." She looked up from the pot she was stirring. "So anyway. My real question is, what brought you here? And if you say 'Lulu,' this spoon is going right up your nose."

Auron applied himself to the scouring-rag.

"Hmph," she mimicked, rolling her eyes. "Okay, Mr. Legendary Pants, I want an answer. Lulu's steered clear of Bikanel for years. In fact, we think she's been trying to shield us; she targets Yevon ships every time they come this way. So...did you put her up to this? Why?"

"Yes. You know why, Rikku," Auron said. "I need your help. I need Wakka's advice. He knows her best."

"Wakka won't help," Rikku said. "Unless you've got a plan to free her. But even then, he wouldn't trust you."

"Do you?"

"Of course not!" She rapped the back of his head with the spoon. "You'll do whatever it takes. Whatever you think is necessary. We've got family to think about. And Wakka, he..." she sighed. "Look. It's not fair to leave Lulu like this. But killing her isn't the answer. After the kids are grown, maybe Wakka and I can find a way to get her out. But we're not gonna help you kill Lulu just so you can put someone else in her place. Who's it gonna be this time, Auron? That Elma lady...is that why you're travelling with her?"

"No. Her abduction by Sin was an accident, I think. But Lulu needs our help now. It's not just Djose that's been hit. Lulu's been targeting all the temples. Soon, summoners will no longer have any aeons left to fight her."

"Well, good!" Rikku said. "Wish she'd listened to me sooner. I don't see the problem, Auron."

"Dozens died at Djose, Rikku," he said. "Hundreds more on the islands. She obliterated Besaid. This isn't what Lulu wants."

"Ugh." She addressed herself to the foul-smelling concoction, pondering. "I'm sorry, Auron, but that's what Sin does. You know what your problem is? You know Yevon's a sham, but you still think you've got some righteous mandate to fix everything. You can't stop the weather, you can't stop people being idiots, and you can't stop Sin. They're just—" Rikku paused. "Ah, hell. She's targeting the fayth?"

"Yes."

"Vilg." She dropped a lid over the pot she had been stirring. "Watch this. I need to make a call. If it starts to boil over, turn the heat down to sixty. If it does boil over, run."

Hurrying to the other end of the room, Rikku reached for a sphere sitting on a side table. There was a flurry of curses. After rummaging around for a base to set it on, she tapped the sphere and plopped down on a chair in front of it. She switched to Al Bhed for the call, but Auron could follow most of it.

"Linna? Hey, Linna— yeah, what? Sure, everything's cool! It's just that...oh. Oops. Sorry, Wakka left the sphere off the charger again. Could you get Pops? Great, thanks for warning me." Sprawling sideways across the armrests, Rikku kicked her feet in the air and waited.

Finally, Cid's voice bellowed through the static. "Rikku! Where in Spira have you been? We've been trying to raise you for hours!"

"Sorry, Pops. I left the commsphere off the charger. We're fine, okay? Sin didn't touch us. Wakka's got the kids outside swimming. But listen, Pops, I've got news. Sin's attacking all the temples of Yevon. All the fayth. It may be headed for Baaj next."

"What? Are you certain? Who told you this?"

She hesitated. "Sir Auron, Pops. He just washed up here."

"You're kidding! Why didn't that blockheaded husband of yours—"

"Pops. You have to evacuate, NOW. I don't know how much time you've got."

"Roger that." There was a pause. "You all stay put, kiddo. No sense in coming down here 'til Sin's blown past us. Hug your babies for me. But once this is over, you bring Auron to me. You hear me? He and I have unfinished business, and it's long past time for him to pay up!"

"Uh," she said, glancing towards the kitchen. "Okay, Pops. Now scram, please?"

"You bet. Home out."

Rikku trotted back to the kitchen just as the lid began to rattle ominously. She seized the pot and transferred it to a cool burner. "Sorry," she said. "You wanna take your chance with the sand worms, you know where the door is."

A chime sounded in the hallway.

"It's all right. I should apologize." Auron toweled off the last plate and put it away. "Your people have time to evacuate. It will take Sin a few hours to reach Baaj."

"Well, yeah, but you've been here a few hours." She sighed. "No, you're right. They'll be fine. Pop's got a good evacuation plan. I just hope she doesn't wreck everything. This Home's even better than the last one." Setting the pot on a centrifuge and leaving it to simmer and spin, she moved to the sink to wash her hands. "There. That alarm means Elma's awake. Wanna come check on her?"

Rikku led Auron into the back of the house, opening a door at the end of the hallway. "Whoa-whoa, lady, don't you be gettin' up yet. You'll pop a seam." She moved to the side of the cot which filled most of the room. A crib— decked out with blankets and a mobile of ribbons as if awaiting another occupant, Auron noticed— had been shoved into the hallway. "Hiya. Name's Rikku."

Elma, struggling to sit up, started when Rikku slipped an arm behind her shoulders. "Thanks." Her voice rasped. Her face was covered with green ointment, and her arms and upper body were wrapped in bandages that disappeared under the blankets, but she seemed to have all her limbs. "Don't…remember you, soldier. Good work."

"We're not in Djose," Auron said, standing in the doorway.

"S-sir?" She turned her head and winced. "Status report, please?"

"We were carried to another place by Sin. Rikku is Al Bhed. Once guardian to Lady Yuna."

"Ah...oh?" Elma peered at the woman's eyes. "Thought...that name was familiar."

"Ex guardian," Rikku said. "Nevermind. Look, Auron's filled me in. You might pass out before you dig the whole story out o' him, so basically: a pack of sinspawn pulled you off the wagon and nearly tore you in half, Sin dropped a cliff on Djose Temple, we don't know how many Crusaders were squashed, and Sin yanked you halfway across Spira. I found you here the next day bleeding on our front porch. Here being Bikanel Island." Rearranging the pillows one-handed as she spoke, Rikku eased Elma to a sitting position. "Did you get all that?"

"I think so." The woman sat staring at the blankets, absorbing the news. "We failed, then. Failed them." She tried to raise her arms in Yevon's prayer, but got only halfway there before she shuddered and grabbed the sides of thebed. "Yevon guide the fallen," she said through clenched teeth.

"I'm sorry," Rikku said with some feeling, reaching for a tumbler on the nightstand. "Here, drink this. It'll settle your stomach. I had to use a lot o' potions on you. Ours work faster and pack a lot more punch, but they're rough on the system after the buzz wears off. You're gonna feel like crap for a while."

"Thanks." Sipping it slowly, she sounded less shaky when she spoke again. "What about Isaaru?" Her voice rose and cracked. "Lucil?"

"Unknown," Auron said. "The wagon was hit by lightning. Isaaru was farther away than I. Lucil was closer."

"No." Elma's eyes squeezed shut, damming tears. Rikku took the cup slipping from her hand before it spilled on the blankets. "How far is it back to Djose?"

"Far. We're several days west of Moonflow North by ship. I'm sorry."

"Huh?" Elma's jaunty smile looked ghastly under the green salve. "Oh, don't worry, sir. The general's alive. I'm sure of it! I'm just worried about my troops."

"You still suck at cheering people up," Rikku muttered to Auron.

The front door banged open. The sounds of shrieking, laughing children carried down the hallway. Elma blinked at the commotion, giving Auron a bewildered look.

"That was quick," Rikku said. "Excuse me. Gotta corral some cactuars. Back in a minute. Move, ya big meanie." She squeezed past Auron and hurried down the hallway. "Hey, hey, no running— Vidina! Mbela! You're soaking wet! Everybody up! Get towels and dry off before you sit on the furniture! And put some clothes on. We've got guests!" The sounds of chaos faded several decibels as she took charge.

Moments later, Wakka stormed down the hall, halting behind Auron outside the door. His hair was dripping, and he was clothed only in a towel and sandals. Breathing hard, he drew himself up for another explosion, then spotted Elma sitting up against the pillows. He ducked his head. "Uh. Hi. Sorry, ma'am. Good t'see you're in one piece." Then he turned on Auron, growling, "Didn't think to mention you got a new summoner, eh?"

---

Next Chapter: Attack of the Cactuars

---

Author's Notes

PS: I tried to put Al Bhed translations in a hover-link, but they broke on mobile and triggered a reload. There's only a few more examples, and they're nearly all swearing. The ones that aren't are prosaic orders like "Inform Elder Cid so-and-so is here."  

Comments

[trekqueen.livejournal.com]

Good smacking Rikku! Though that line about Brother was pretty funny. Can't wait to see Cid if he shows back up, I bed he's a happy grandpappy!

And yay! Isaaru made it. :D

[vandevere.livejournal.com]

"And if you say Lulu, this spoon is going right up your nose"...

It's a good thing I wasn't drinking anything when I read that.

Rikku really has grown up. She's not as bouncy as she was before. But she's *STRONG* now. I guess she has to be. She must have been the one to keep Wakka sane in the immediate aftermath of Yuna's Sacrifice and Tidus' death......

Now, she's a strong wife, and mother.

Kudos to you for writing her that way...

Vandevere

[auronlu.livejournal.com]

:) It's hard to age somebody properly -- Rikku is 28 now, and being a mother makes somebody grow up fast (usually).
I tend to remember their characters in FFX more than X-2. Rikku was fairly strong* in FFX, I thought, though she talked like a teeny bopper (because she was!) She was more serious in that game because there were more serious things happening.

*Except for the problem with lightning. Which I haven't forgotten *ebil grin*

[muggy-mountain.livejournal.com]

Again, I love how you write domesticity. Very believable, and it sounds precisely the kind of family Rikku wanted. Full of sparks and sugar. Rikku's vivacious and sensible as ever. And your bits of technological detail really ground us in an Al Bhed household while sounding all-too familiar. Wakka's left the sphere off the charger. Natural and effortless.

[auronlu.livejournal.com]

And lots of kids. She told Tidus wanted TONS of kids, because she was sad about having only one sibling. Wakka beware. :)

[cumuluscastle.livejournal.com]

Really, Rikku and Wakka's household is so lovely. I enjoy the relaxed rules.

Oh man, I love the way you've written Rikku. You have 100% of the sass and none of the dopiness that some people seem to see in her, but which I DO NOT. I enjoy Auron being rapped with a spoon.

Rikku makes a lovely mother. :)