A/N: Are you getting tired of my constant updates, now? Hopefully not. hapter Five Commin' yo' way! I am watchin' The New Tom Green show while writing this... so... yeah. The chapter after this one will be the one for the Aurikku lovers! TRUST ME!
Disclaimer:I do not own Final Fantasy X even though I wished I owned a select few characters. (Like Auron, Maroda, Kimahri and Luzzu...)
Chapter Five: Bye-Bye Thunder Plains
---One and a half days later---
A gentle knock come upon Rikku's door...
"Ms. Rikku," said a nurse into the door of her little hospital style bedroom. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm feeling good, thanks!" called Rikku. "Hey, when will I be released?"
"Once we see if there was severe damage done to you or not. If there is, we would need to hold you here," the nurse said into the door.
"Oh okay," Rikku replied.
You could hear the nurse's footsteps against the perfectly spotless white tile of the floor of the medical care area, walking away from Rikku's room.
Rikku sighed. It's boring in here! I cannot stand this boredom. Hmmm... I wonder if Yunie and everyone else is having fun because I sure am not! Rikku shifted onto her left side and pulled the bright white cotton sheets over her head, while nuzzling into the fluffy pile of pillows that laid behind her head. Everything in the room was a pearly white. White covered everything. The counters, walls, curtains... everything was white! Even every potion that was used on Rikku's scar was a creamy white and very thick fluid. The rest of the agency, however, was light blue while the main room was tan. The whole place simply had no imagination... so very boring.
Rikku took a glance outside-- her window was wide open. Vivid images of jagged lightning bolts being attracted to the lightning rod towers were present. The thunder's beastly howl made itself known, aswell. Freezing air also found it's way into Rikku's room through the open windows, flowing freely, while temperatures in the room dropped at a steady pace. She didn't mind this, even though she preferred a hot and sticky climate; one similar or exactly alike the one she accustomed to at Home. Oh how she hated this thunder! And the lightning... She had adapted to these surroundings, however, and would not shudder every time lightning would strike or whenever thunder would emerge in a giant uproar. Of course she'd remember both of the horrifying instances that she had with these forces. The time when lightning came upon Rikku in it's natural habitat, and the time a Thundaga spell was casted on her as an acidental mess-up from her extremely inaccurate elder brother.
Another knock on the door...
"Yes?" called Rikku.
"We have the clear result of this mornings X-ray...," a nurse yelled into the door-- not the typical nurse, a male nurse.
"Really? Oh, and you can come in, ya know," Rikku shouted back through the door from her bed. Well, there's one thing these people have here good for the customer service-- the privacy factor. Thought Rikku.
"Oh, okay... sorry," the nurse peaked his head in the door, then stepped inside. It was a mid-aged man, dressed simply in a white laboratory-like jacket with light khaki pants; which resembled more of an off-white than the tanish khaki color. His messy black hair was just that-- messy and very untamed. It seemed as if he just awoke in a stuffy closet! "Well, luckily no major damage has been delt on you, so you may be released as early as you're ready to," the nurse said, relaying the great news.
"Does this mean I can get outta here... now?" inquired Rikku, hopefully.
"Yes...," the nurse replied.
"Goody! Bye-bye, thanks for everything!" Rikku shouted in joy, leaping up from the cozy bed she slept in. She was fully clothed, not given chance to change-- or not even having anything to change into. Her belt and everything was still on her. There was no absence of clothing or belongings except for her shoes which she instantly slipped into.
The boredom got to her; so that is why there was much urgency for her to leave. "Uhh... keep that scar clean!" the nurse shouted to Rikku, as she speed-walked from her room and into the spiraling halls of the Agency. Hmmm... wonder where everybody is. Rikku thought to herself, wondering around the pale blue hallways. She wondered and wondered until she came to the main room... the enterance room. Familiar faces were here-- such as Rin, Shelinda, and Maechin.
"Oh! You've healed so soon?" asked the religious Shelinda. She had been doing voluntary work around the Agency's around Spira ever so often.
"Yup!" Rikku answered, regaining her cheery attitude and voice. Her voice still had a bit of weakness, but only enough to be hardly noticeable.
"How happy we are for your fast recovery," Rin said. "Oh, and... there is a medical care fee...," began Rin.
Rikku groaned. "How much?"
Rin did a little mental math. "Four hundred gil," replied Rin.
"Oh great," Rikku said, forking over four hundred gil. "Hey, is everybody else awake? Where is everyone?"
"In their rooms, I assure you. They are most likely awake, aswell," Rin replied.
"Ohh, well, I shouldn't disturb them. I will wait here," she stated, taking a seat in a chair by a desk full of books in Al Bhed.
"Rikku! You're okay!" a voice exclaimed.
"Yeah...," Rikku clarified. She turned around and there stood the party. Yuna in front, and Rikku was certain it was Yuna who spoken.
"Good. We should leave now and make up for lost time," Auron plainly stated.
"Yes, Sir Auron," Yuna said.
"Bu-but... I-I...," Rikku began.
"You will not get struck again," assured Tidus.
"Yuna, cast a NulShock spell on Rikku. It may help prevent the unlikely," Lulu suggested.
"Right," Yuna said. With a twirl of her Rod of Wisdom, Yuna's NulShock was casted to protect Rikku. Nobody did speculate that NulShock was only supposed to help with thunder themed spells. "Done."
"We
leave," commanded Auron, then taking the lead of the party,
making an urgent move to exit.
Everyone followed Auron, who stole the lead from Yuna. Rikku was hesitant to leave, however, even with NulShock casted on her. The fears took her over and consumed her thoughts once more. Why can't this stop when I'm here? Oh no, it has to go frighten people... Rikku thought, referring to the thunder and lightning storms.
She marched out, despite her fears. Grr, you know what!? I am not scared of you! Oh no, no, no! Rikku kept in mind as she marched down the soggy paths of the Thunder Plains behind the others. The mood of the party was completely opposite of the mood of the climate. The mood of the climate was loud-- and monstrous. However, in contrast, the mood of the party was absolutely silent but somehow upbeat.
They trodded along the path. In response to every step anyone in the party made, a you could hear a squishing sound that the mud made while dirtied drops of fallen rainwater rose and fell with a barely audible splash.
No words were exchanged...
No glances were sent to eachother...
They just marched and marched following Auron... and have been the past five and a half hours.
The weather still frightened poor Rikku. She had to suffer through one of the, most likely the biggest fear she ever had for a period of time which seemed like forever! She trodded along... With little squeals of fear emitting from the frightened girl every time lightning is near; or when Thunder would sound.
After they walked for a long time, towering trees became visible. Trees with bushy tops and long branches. They were close to the Macalania Woods!
"The Macalania Woods," Lulu informed Tidus with her index finger pointed out into the distance.
"Ohhh," Tidus said, taking in the information.
"We're almost outta here?!" asked Rikku, exhausted and scared.
"Yes," Wakka plainly said. "Hope there's food there, ya?"
Lulu sighed, and continued walking the final stretches of the Thunder Plains; just as the rest of the party.
--- --- ---- END OF CHAPTER--- --- ---
How'd ye like? Does it seemed rushed? I spent ALL DAY editing this (Literally!) and it still seems rushed. Next chapter is for those Aurikku lovin' peoples, for real, I swear to you! This is kinda cool, I am watching the New Tom Green Show... again, three days later since the chapter began! Coolness! Well, bye-bye and review! I am seriously doing a redo of this chapter one day. Wait til I get an idea for a redo first, though.
