Notes: I want someone to take me to get some pho! All I want is some pho…er..

It really kinda depresses me, I have no idea where my fic is going. However, I think it will become 4 series instead of three…mostly because I decided to write about when Auron goes to Zanarkand…erm….

Chapter 9

The half Truth

It had been an extremely painful voyage through the rest of Macalania. While the amount of fiends was very low, especially ones that did very much harm, the trail to Rin’s Travel Agency was rough. The rocky crystalline was at times impassable as it had the appearance and the same features of Ice. The group had unfortunately stepped in the wrong spot and skidded down a particularly slick wall of crystal, only to realize they were off the trail a few minutes later. Then when they finally got on the right trail again, Jecht tripped and fell, getting crystal shards on his chest.

Finally they did make it to the travel agency. It was about dark when they approached the place. Everyone there greeted the group kindly. Jecht was taken to the room him and Braska would share, to get the smaller pieces of crystal out from his chest. Braska had to eventually put him to sleep, to stop his complaining. Rikku eventually got bored and left the room.

Rikku had been especially excited to approach this travel agency. In the basement there was a small library, filled with books only in the al Bhed language. Unfortunately Rikku never decided to come to this particular travel agency, except once after she was forced to trek through the Thunder Plains. She had been too scared to even think about going to the library at that time. Now however, since the Thunder Plains were impassable, she had some time to relax.

Rikku nodded to the attendant who was sitting at her desk. They exchanged a few words, and then Rikku wandered through the several stacks. She would pull down a book from time to time to look through the pages, then put it back on the shelf. Rikku saw a book in a corner. She reached for it and started reading it. Soon she realized it was a book she had read a few times already. She decided to take that book and sit on a couch in the corner of the room.

Auron left Jecht’s room. All the pieces of crystal that could be taken out of Jecht’s body were gone. He went to wash the blood from Jecht’s body off of his hands in the bathroom. Auron was very fatigued and just wanted some rest. He had agreed to share a room with Rikku in order to save some money. He entered the room and noticed immediately that there was only one bed. He left the room and went to the counter.

“Uhm, in my room there is only one bed, and there are two people.” Auron half complained.

“I’m sorry sir, all the two bed rooms were taken.” The woman shrugged to him. ‘Its not worth it, I’ll figure it out later’ Auron thought. He returned to the room and collapsed on the bed. He wasn’t particularly sleepy, just tired. Dinner wouldn’t be for a while, Jecht was a sleep, Braska said he wanted some time to pray alone and Rikku had vanished off somewhere. Auron smiled. ‘I get some time to my self, with no worries.’ He looked over at Rikku’s belongings and noticed the sphere she always carried around.

“I wonder what’s on it. Maybe the one she loves?” Auron sat up and reached over to the sphere. He pulled it out of her bag and looked at it. He opened it up and it started to play.

“Hello father. It’s me, Yuna. I don’t know if you’ll be able to ever see this, but I hope you will some day. I just wanted to say I’m alright. I am on my own pilgrimage to defeat Sin for once and all. I don’t have time to tell you everything, but I wanted to say that things are fine, and…I’m in love. He is a very nice guy, and has protected me through my pilgrimage. I am very happy to have him. Sir Auron is here too, and so is Rikku. Everyone is a little down to find out he was an unsent, but has promised to find a way to give this to you somehow. I love you very much father, and I hope to see you again someday.” Yuna’s figure disappeared and the sphere shut off. Auron put the sphere back into Rikku’s bag.

His face was one of shock. He wasn’t sure where to begin; he wasn’t sure what to believe. That had been Yuna, a grown up Yuna. What set him off the most however was hearing he was an unsent. What did it mean? How did it happen? He would have to ask Rikku the meaning of it all but if he told her, then she would know he was looking through her things. Then he remembered:

“Wait for me to tell you those words until I am able to tell you everything.” Auron would just have to wait, and hopefully not reveal he had gone through her things. ‘It’s just best to not think about it now.’ He thought. However he only could think about what was going on.

“Maybe her mission is to give that to Braska before he dies? That doesn’t make any sense.” Auron asked himself. He decided to drop the issue before it gave him a headache. He would find out, one way or another. He decided he had enough of laying in bed, and went to find Rikku.

Auron was told there was a small library in the basement. He went down the steps, into the library. He nodded to the attendant who smiled at him kindly then went back to her own reading. It was somewhat small, but was probably large for and Al Bhed library. He walked down the stacks of books, once in a while seeing something that peaked his interest.

He turned a corner and saw Rikku reading a book. He stood there for a while, just looking at her. She was balled up in one corner, one of her hands holding the book, the other resting at her side. She would sometimes lift that hand to turn a page, or to move the hair in front of her face. ‘She’s absolutely beautiful. Now I know what Braska must have gone through.

“There should be dinner soon Rikku, why don’t you join us upstairs?” Auron asked quietly. Rikku was startled by the voice, but calmed down immediately after. She put the book down, smiling at Auron. She patted a spot next to her, motioning Auron to sit down. He nervously walked to the couch and sat down.

“You should know that in our room there is only one bed. I don’t know what you would prefer to do…” He trailed off. She just looked at him.

“I don’t mind, sharing a bed for one night. Its not like you’re going to do anything.” Rikku winked at him.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Auron tried not to shout it out.

“Nothing…nothing. Anyway let’s go get some dinner, I’m hungry!” She put the book back where she got it and the two went upstairs together.

“Rikku…teach me Al Bhed.” Auron stated. He never needed a reason to learn Al Bhed before, but was always wanting to learn the language.

“Sure! How about after dinner?” Rikku asked.

“Alright.” He looked away towards the dinner table. All the other guests were there; some seated, some standing talking to others. Most of them were Al Bhed, some not. He was impressed at how everyone was getting along well. Of course however, there would be no Yevonites around to pester. Rikku and Auron took their seats next to each other. Braska and Jecht were on the other side of the table, Jecht complaining about something or another.

Dinner went on without any excitement. It wasn’t like it was boring, just nothing happened. Idle conversations between everyone at times, but nothing that peaked Auron’s interest. Sometimes Rikku would have a conversation with a few Al Bhed, making Auron wish he already knew their language so he could understand. Jecht and Braska had their conversations, mostly talking about their family.

“Auron, after dinner do you want to go back to the room?” Everyone looked at Rikku. Jecht and Braska both winked at Auron.

“She’s going to start teaching me Al Bhed! That’s all!!!” Auron Blushed. Everyone giggled.

“What? What did you think we were thinking about Auron?” Jecht asked sarcastically. Auron grumbled. Rikku laughed.

“You’re funny Auron!” Rikku laughed some more. Auron smiled, then started laughing as well. He didn’t know the last time he really laughed, or felt so relaxed. Dinner went on, same as before.

Auron and Rikku entered the room. She jumped on the bed and laid back, her head resting on the pillow. Auron’s head had been lying there earlier, as Rikku was able to catch his scent. She closed her eyes, letting the scent envelop her body. Auron just looked at her in awe.

“Rikku…I still love you, even though you’re not from this time.” Rikku shot her eyes open. She sat up in bed, only to allow Auron to hug her tightly.

“I don’t know your purpose here, but I still love you.” He whispered in her ear. He had enough of hiding what he knew. At least he would tell her he knew that she indeed came from ten years from now, if not anything else.

“A…Auron. So you know. I had wondered if you would figure it out before I decided to tell you. However, I still do not intend on telling you my reasons of being here for a while. I just can’t tell you, I don’t want to tell you.” Rikku wrapped her hands around Auron.

“It’s alright Rikku, when you’re ready you can tell me. I told you I’ll wait for you and I still will keep that promise.” He let go of Rikku.

“Let’s learn some Al Bhed!” Rikku stood up, motioning him to stay there. Rikku ran down to the library, and asked for a couple of books. She went back upstairs and entered the room, noticing Auron had changed into different clothing. Rikku remembered instantly it was the same clothing she saw Auron in the first time she ran into him when she went into this time.

“I brought up some books, that will help you. I’ll first teach you the alphabet and then we’ll go there accordingly. The language is fairly simple, just hard to speak it. I doubt you’ll have too much trouble with it though.” Rikku then proceeded to teach him the basics of her native language.

Meanwhile, Jecht and Braska were outside of the travel agency. The weather was somewhat chilly but tolerable. Jecht had managed to get his hands on a blitzball, somehow and was showing off to Braska. He even tried to teach Braska his Jecht shot, which ended up in Failure when the summoner got caught up in his own clothing when trying to kick the ball. Jecht laughed and then helped him up.

“Do you think they’ll fall in love?” Jecht asked Braska.

“Who, Auron and Rikku?”

“Yeah..” He muttered.

“Hopefully. Auron has been lonely most of his life especially the past few years. After becoming ex communicated he really had no one except for me and a couple others.” Braska remembered the day Auron had been ex communicated him and Braska went out and Auron got drunk for the first time in his life.

“Who was this woman anyway, and why did he not marry her?”

“She was the daughter of a high priest. Auron did not marry her because he just was not ready. He had told me that she was a kind person, but did not think she was the one he wanted to be with the rest of his life. She also was an extreme Yevonite, and disliked Al Bhed. She told Auron that she wanted him to have nothing to do with me since I married an Al Bhed. The next day he said he wanted to break the engagement and the rest is history.” Braska explained.

“Wow…to tell you the truth, I hope him and Monkey do get together, then he can show to everyone he isn’t such a stiff..”

“You must insist on calling Rikku a monkey don’t you?” Braska chuckled.

“Well…don’t you see the connection?” Jecht asked.

“Honestly? No.” Braska answered. The two of them got in a small argument over how Rikku looked. A few minutes later.

Auron was having a hard time pronouncing the Al Bhed language. He couldn’t even say simple things right. He was becoming more and more frustrated. Rikku just started giggling at him, which made him even fore frustrated with the language. He decided to collapse onto the bed, giving up on the twisted language for the night. Rikku went to return the books. When she returned she laid down on the bed next to Auron.

“Auron, to be honest I haven’t been able to get Macalania off my mind.”

“I can understand Rikku. I cant either. It just makes me dislike Yevon even more.”

“Auron if you didn’t come when you did, things would have happened. I never got the real chance to thank you. I just wanted to let you know what you did for me was the nicest thing in the world. I am forever in debt to you.”

“You do not have to be in debt to me. I love you Rikku, and you accept that fact. Having you here with me is good enough, even though you cannot return the feeling right now.” Auron closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth next to him. Rikku looked at him.

“I’ve always been attracted to you Auron. Your strong body, I just was never able to tell you until now.” She rolled on top of him, forcing Auron to open his eyes.

“Being able to see your eyes this close, is something I always wanted to do.” Rikku stared at him, then moved closer to his face and kissed him fully on the lips. Auron’s eyes opened wide then closed them at the feeling a few moments later.



End notes: you know what..this was supposed to be about the Thunder Plains…you know that? Instead its three pages about them at Rin’s travel agency…oh well ^^;;; I will get them to uhm, to Moonflow by the end of the week, I hope! Gyar!