Playground
Rikku kicked around in the sandbox while Tidus attempted to use the monkey bars.
"Just like Zanarkand!" he insisted, and climbed on the top of the bright yellow monkey bars with certainty.
"You look like an idiot," said Lulu.
"Are you sure that you're supposed to do it that way?" asked Rikku.
"Well how else would you do it? You can't hang on the bars, they're too close to the ground!"
A young mother had come into the park with her baby boy, only to turn away at the sight of Tidus holding onto the monkey bars the wrong way.
"Never ever do that Henry, understand?" they heard from her, and Lulu sighed.
"I'm telling you! Just like Zanarkand!" protested Tidus, although feeling stupid himself.
"Get down," said Auron, at his spot from the park bench facing the huge sandbox.
"Or I'll pull you down!" chirped Rikku cheerfully.
Tidus groaned, and swung off the monkey bars. Wakka mumbled something about having a blitzball, and Yuna looked at the playground, trying to figure it out.
"Come on Yuna, this is a slide," said Tidus, leading Yuna to the small spiral slide.
Rikku giggled, "I hope he knows what he's doing!"
There was a yell of delight as Yuna came down the slide, a big smile on her face. Tidus came soon after, and Rikku jumped up after them.
"I wanna try!"
Soon there was a merry-go-round for the slide, and Rikku giggled uncontrollably.
"I want it to be longer!"
Wakka tried not to look interested for Lulu's sake. But he couldn't stop the wandering of his eyes towards the slide, and Lulu waved her hand at him. He jumped up and ran after Tidus.
"I want some too!"
"This is ridiculous," said Lulu to Auron.
"There's nothing else we can do," said Auron.
"We don't have to be here, we can leave, find our own way," suggested Lulu.
"And what will we do? Chelsea said that we would be noticed here. There is nothing we can do," he repeated firmly.
"And what of the Pilgrimage?" pressed Lulu.
"We will finish it," said Auron, tensing.
Lulu left it at that, and went to accompany Kimahri who was in a secluded spot of trees.
"Kimahri lonely," admitted the ronso, holding the blue jacket in his paws.
"She'll come back Kimahri, and then we'll return to Spira," said Auron.
Kimahri grunted, although he didn't sound too sure.
Chelsea came running into the park a little bit later, with her bookbag again. She passed out provisions and drinks, then looked at the panting Tidus.
"What have you been doing?" she asked warily.
"Slide-" gasped Tidus, pointing to the kiddie slide, "Best thing in the world!"
Chelsea laughed, "You guys are crazy! If you think that was good, then you've seen nothing yet!"
The conversation was taking a turn, and Chelsea ran over to the slide. Some of the members trailing after her. She slid a quarter down, and held onto the sides of the metal slide with her feet.
"Tidus! Come on down!" she shouted, and he looked at her confused.
"But you have to be all the way down!" he said.
"Trust me!"
He shrugged, and slid down, coming to a jarring stop when he hit Chelsea.
"Ow! You have big feet!" she said.
"Not my fault!" said Tidus, "What's the point of this? Do I have to push you down?"
He dug his boots into her back and she yelped.
"You dumbass stop that!"
"Watch out!" screamed Rikku, hurtling down, and shoving Tidus down.
"Ahh!" everyone underneath Rikku's feet yelled.
Wakka's arrival really knocked the breath out of Rikku, who started bawling at the top of her lungs. He tried to stop her, and Yuna, came over to help, Auron and Lulu climbing the playground obstacles to get to Rikku.
"What's going on?" asked Auron, who was promptly bowled over by a pull from Rikku at the neck.
Wakka grabbed Lulu's foot for just long enough so she would trip, and slide down. Yuna looked apologetically, she was stuck too. It was Auron and Lulu's combined weight that make Chelsea yell, "I'm gonna kill you all!" and let go so that they would all be reduced to a pile of arms and legs on the sand.
"Ppootey!" Tidus spat out a bunch of sand that had gotten into his mouth. He had managed to wriggle out, and helped the others get up.
"What were you thinking?!" asked Lulu, in a spin of a rage.
"Uhh, that wasn't my idea," said Chelsea, underneath Yuna, who was heavier than she looked.
Auron had gotten up pretty quickly, and dusted the sand off himself. Chelsea looked at her arms, which had a couple of bruises on them. Wakka gave her an enthusiastic look. This was the most fun she had had during the summer.
"Let's do it again!" they both said, and Chelsea got an evil glint in her eye.
She pointed at the red-clad warrior, "Get him!!!"
"No," said Auron, and everyone paused, then the floodgates broke. Chelsea and Tidus ran at Auron, chasing him towards the slide again.
Auron fought back by not moving an inch. He stood his ground very well as Chelsea braced herself against him and pushed with all her might. Tidus even tried tickling the guardian to no avail.
"Move-you-big-fat-uargh!" shouted Chelsea as Auron sidestepped, and she fell into the sand.
"Yinuh'c zicd cuuuuu lida ech'd ra? Knayd bancuhymedo duu! Ra'c banvald!" shouted Rikku, and Chelsea looked clueless.
"Yinuh I know, but-" said Chelsea.
Rikku blushed, "I thought you knew Al-Bhed, never mind"
Rikku laughed to herself, while Chelsea jumped up to grab Auron's sunglasses, and run up to the slide.
"Give them back," he said, sounding very serious.
"You'll have to get them first," said Chelsea, sitting down on the metal grating.
Auron shook his head, and slowly went up, Chelsea flashed her eyes at Wakka, who took the hint, and silently climbed after Auron.
"Give them to me," he said, opening his hand.
"If you insist," she sighed, and stretched her hand out, still sitting.
Wakka barrelled at Auron, full speed, and Auron was pushed a little forward. However, with Chelsea under his feet, he tripped, and landed on the slide.
"Yes! Uah!" yelled Chelsea as she tumbled over with Auron.
Rikku, once again hyped up by all the excitement, jumped down the slide. Unfortunatly, Auron and Chelsea were underneath her.
"Euurgg!" screamed Chelsea, as Auron's foot dug into her stomach, and Rikku's banged on her shoulder.
"Come on down!" shouted Rikku.
"No!" yelled Auron, upside down, hanging onto the walls of the slide with his hands.
"Come on come on!!" Rikku shouted louder, and Wakka jumped.
"Help," said Chelsea weakly.
Auron's grip slid down a little, and he strained with the effort to keep everyone from falling on him.
Tidus, Lulu, and Yuna stood above them all. Tidus' face was bright and excited while Yuna tried to keep it hidden, and Lulu shook her head in disapproval.
"How ya holding there Auron?" asked Tidus, cupping his hands around his mouth.
The guardian answered with a very angry snap of words.
"This is foolishness!"
"Actually, it's good for morale," Chelsea pointed out, and Auron gave her a withering glare.
"So how long can you hold on?" asked Rikku, looking extremely comfortable in her position.
"This isn't funny," Auron struggled to say, because Chelsea was trying to remove Auron's foot from her stomach.
"Stop that!" said Auron.
"You're crushing me!" said Chelsea, and shoved Auron's leg away as he tried to brace it.
"Omph!"
Rikku had pushed her down again, and her head landed on Auron's arm. He gritted his teeth, and looked ready to kill.
"My leg," gasped Wakka. Rikku was sitting on it.
"Are you going to be there forever?" asked Tidus.
"Sir Auron, do you need help?" asked a timid Yuna.
"Yuna...please stay out of this," said Auron, trying to regain his dignity, and Rikku rolled her eyes.
Yuna respectfully nodded, and stepped a little back from where she was standing on the platform. Chelsea was extremely uncomfortable, with Rikku sitting on her legs and her head on Auron's arm, slipping, slipping, slipping...
"Where do you think you're going?" asked Chelsea nervously, trying to hold onto the slide with her sweaty hands.
He grunted, and grabbed her head with the closest hand, causing all of them to slide down another foot.
"Why don't you just let go?" asked Tidus.
Auron looked at the mass of people above him, and quickly calculated the losses. He let go, and everyone either yelled or screamed as they all came crashing down on the sand once more. Chelsea got a mouthful of Auron's shirt, and she gagged as she stood up.
"We are never playing Traffic Jam again! Ever!"
Auron was the last to get up, and Yuna couldn't help but let out a small giggle. He took back the sunglasses, which were half-buried in the sand, and put them on. Wakka rolled his eyes.
"Okay, Rikku, come along now," said Chelsea, and Rikku jumped up after her.
