Chapter 3
[Disclaimer: A bit of the dialogue from this chapter was taken right from the script of FFX, so I don't claim to own it. These parts are: Starting with "It's not stopping, is it?" until "I'm not scared, you hear?" both said by Rikku. Just so y'know. Now, enjoy!]
Rikku's eyes opened slowly as she was stirred from her sleep, focusing in on the figure standing in front of her. It was Yuna, well awake and ready to go. Rikku glanced around the room, which was as dark at it had been earlier.
"Doesn't the sun ever shine in this place?" Rikku asked groggily, pushing herself up and rubbing her eyes.
"It's always too cloudy," Yuna replied rather distantly.
Looking up with concern, Rikku stared at Yuna for a moment before speaking up.
"You okay, Yunie?"
"Yes," she nodded firmly, "I'm fine."
Rikku gave Yuna a considering glance, which was easily readable. She didn't believe her cousin, plain and simple, and she KNEW it had something to do with meeting up with Seymour yesterday; the meeting that turned into a marriage proposal.
Yuna stepped away and headed out of the room without another word, and Rikku shook her head. She didn't like that Seymour was causing Yuna to act so awkwardly, which in turn caused all the guardians to be a little less at ease.
Rikku stood up in front of her bed and fixed up her hair rather absently. Lulu was missing from the room, as well, she noticed- probably waiting for her along with the rest of the guardians.
Rikku heard a knock at the door that was left slightly ajar. She walked over to it and opened the door fully, and found herself once again standing face-to-face with Auron. A slight blush formed over Rikku's cheeks as she looked down, rather embarrassed for some reason.
"Are you ready?" he asked plainly.
Rikku's eyes traced back up to the quiet man, and she nodded.
"Yep!" she exclaimed, with a false confidence restored to her voice.
CRACK!
Rikku huddled down a bit and let out a small whimper.
"Not this again," Auron sighed quietly. "We're almost out of here. Come on."
"Damn this lightning," Rikku mumbled.
Auron turned away from the door, and Rikku quickly followed after him, heading down the hall to meet the other guardians. They all assembled in the main room of the agency, Rikku taking an empty spot and standing next to Lulu.
"We'll continue onto the Macalania Temple, now," Yuna said quietly. "I hope that Maester Seymour isn't too upset that I waited a day."
"Seymour can wait until you're ready," Tidus commented in a rather annoyed voice.
"It's obvious that Tidus doesn't like Maester Seymour," Lulu whispered to Rikku.
A smirk formed over Rikku's face.
"Does he even try to hide it?" she whispered back.
"I don't think so, but if he did, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference," Lulu chuckled.
A rumble of thunder echoed in the distance, but no crack of lightning followed it. Rikku looked around the room cautiously.
"It's not stopping, is it?" she asked timidly.
"Don't tell me you were hoping it would," Auron commented.
The crack of lightning that never occurred after the thunder finally came, causing Rikku to shriek and snap her eyes shut again.
"Fine. Stay here," Auron said dryly, and walked out of the building.
Rikku opened her eyes and stomped a foot against the floor.
"Alright already! But you didn't have to say it like that, you know! You could be more comforting or something! You know, try to cheer me up? You just don't get me at all, do you? Hey, are you listening?"
CRACK!
Rikku huddled, but wouldn't allow another terrified shriek escape from her mouth. She stood up again, and narrowed her eyes.
"I'm not scared!" she proclaimed. "I'm not scared, you hear?"
The party began exiting the agency, filing out onto the Thunder Plains once again, where the storm swept on. The started out on the other half of the Plains, dodging lightning furiously and moving along as quickly as possible, if only for Rikku's sake, at least.
Near the edge of the Plains, Yuna stopped the group, a serious expression set on her face. She had everyone ushered under a lightning rod so they wouldn't be struck as they stopped to talk, and she informed the group that she decided to accept Seymour's marriage proposal. The guardians felt rather helpless about the situation, with Auron satisfied as long as Yuna would still continue on her pilgrimage, and Tidus simply upset at the whole idea. The whole discussion was quite a blur, with Rikku's thoughts wandering a bit, since they were so close to escaping the dreadful place. Her cousin was going to get married to a rather shady character, and she couldn't do anything about it, all in the midst of her frustration with trying to fit into the group without being a complete annoyance. This was all just wonderful.
The group continued on through the Plains, and Rikku stayed rather huddled up, until they reached the entrance of the Macalania Forest. As they all set foot on the firm, forest ground, and the air seemed to suddenly become less thick, Rikku realized that there was no more thunder or lightning. She stopped walking, and stood up straight once again, as most of the group walked past her.
Silence. Not a crack of lightning or a roar of thunder rumbling through the sky!
A big smile crossed Rikku's face, and she jumped into the air happily. She heard a slight, low chuckle coming from behind her, and out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Auron looking at her with a trace of a smile on his face.
Best to pretend she didn't hear it. Rikku ran off to join the others, in a significantly better mood than before.
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[ A/N: Hope you liked the new chapter. ^_^ Not much /obvious/ has happened yet to REALLY spur on the Aurikku romance to this story, but don't worry. Things like these take time. XD I apologize if this chapter was a bit uneventful, but trust me, things will get better. I just needed to get them out of that place so I can continue with the rest of the story. So, R&R if you liked! And much thanks to my reviewers so far: jackie, ShadowCatLeader, YourAngelStandingBy, azn-saphirestar, and berry-berry. :D ]
[Disclaimer: A bit of the dialogue from this chapter was taken right from the script of FFX, so I don't claim to own it. These parts are: Starting with "It's not stopping, is it?" until "I'm not scared, you hear?" both said by Rikku. Just so y'know. Now, enjoy!]
Rikku's eyes opened slowly as she was stirred from her sleep, focusing in on the figure standing in front of her. It was Yuna, well awake and ready to go. Rikku glanced around the room, which was as dark at it had been earlier.
"Doesn't the sun ever shine in this place?" Rikku asked groggily, pushing herself up and rubbing her eyes.
"It's always too cloudy," Yuna replied rather distantly.
Looking up with concern, Rikku stared at Yuna for a moment before speaking up.
"You okay, Yunie?"
"Yes," she nodded firmly, "I'm fine."
Rikku gave Yuna a considering glance, which was easily readable. She didn't believe her cousin, plain and simple, and she KNEW it had something to do with meeting up with Seymour yesterday; the meeting that turned into a marriage proposal.
Yuna stepped away and headed out of the room without another word, and Rikku shook her head. She didn't like that Seymour was causing Yuna to act so awkwardly, which in turn caused all the guardians to be a little less at ease.
Rikku stood up in front of her bed and fixed up her hair rather absently. Lulu was missing from the room, as well, she noticed- probably waiting for her along with the rest of the guardians.
Rikku heard a knock at the door that was left slightly ajar. She walked over to it and opened the door fully, and found herself once again standing face-to-face with Auron. A slight blush formed over Rikku's cheeks as she looked down, rather embarrassed for some reason.
"Are you ready?" he asked plainly.
Rikku's eyes traced back up to the quiet man, and she nodded.
"Yep!" she exclaimed, with a false confidence restored to her voice.
CRACK!
Rikku huddled down a bit and let out a small whimper.
"Not this again," Auron sighed quietly. "We're almost out of here. Come on."
"Damn this lightning," Rikku mumbled.
Auron turned away from the door, and Rikku quickly followed after him, heading down the hall to meet the other guardians. They all assembled in the main room of the agency, Rikku taking an empty spot and standing next to Lulu.
"We'll continue onto the Macalania Temple, now," Yuna said quietly. "I hope that Maester Seymour isn't too upset that I waited a day."
"Seymour can wait until you're ready," Tidus commented in a rather annoyed voice.
"It's obvious that Tidus doesn't like Maester Seymour," Lulu whispered to Rikku.
A smirk formed over Rikku's face.
"Does he even try to hide it?" she whispered back.
"I don't think so, but if he did, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference," Lulu chuckled.
A rumble of thunder echoed in the distance, but no crack of lightning followed it. Rikku looked around the room cautiously.
"It's not stopping, is it?" she asked timidly.
"Don't tell me you were hoping it would," Auron commented.
The crack of lightning that never occurred after the thunder finally came, causing Rikku to shriek and snap her eyes shut again.
"Fine. Stay here," Auron said dryly, and walked out of the building.
Rikku opened her eyes and stomped a foot against the floor.
"Alright already! But you didn't have to say it like that, you know! You could be more comforting or something! You know, try to cheer me up? You just don't get me at all, do you? Hey, are you listening?"
CRACK!
Rikku huddled, but wouldn't allow another terrified shriek escape from her mouth. She stood up again, and narrowed her eyes.
"I'm not scared!" she proclaimed. "I'm not scared, you hear?"
The party began exiting the agency, filing out onto the Thunder Plains once again, where the storm swept on. The started out on the other half of the Plains, dodging lightning furiously and moving along as quickly as possible, if only for Rikku's sake, at least.
Near the edge of the Plains, Yuna stopped the group, a serious expression set on her face. She had everyone ushered under a lightning rod so they wouldn't be struck as they stopped to talk, and she informed the group that she decided to accept Seymour's marriage proposal. The guardians felt rather helpless about the situation, with Auron satisfied as long as Yuna would still continue on her pilgrimage, and Tidus simply upset at the whole idea. The whole discussion was quite a blur, with Rikku's thoughts wandering a bit, since they were so close to escaping the dreadful place. Her cousin was going to get married to a rather shady character, and she couldn't do anything about it, all in the midst of her frustration with trying to fit into the group without being a complete annoyance. This was all just wonderful.
The group continued on through the Plains, and Rikku stayed rather huddled up, until they reached the entrance of the Macalania Forest. As they all set foot on the firm, forest ground, and the air seemed to suddenly become less thick, Rikku realized that there was no more thunder or lightning. She stopped walking, and stood up straight once again, as most of the group walked past her.
Silence. Not a crack of lightning or a roar of thunder rumbling through the sky!
A big smile crossed Rikku's face, and she jumped into the air happily. She heard a slight, low chuckle coming from behind her, and out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Auron looking at her with a trace of a smile on his face.
Best to pretend she didn't hear it. Rikku ran off to join the others, in a significantly better mood than before.
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[ A/N: Hope you liked the new chapter. ^_^ Not much /obvious/ has happened yet to REALLY spur on the Aurikku romance to this story, but don't worry. Things like these take time. XD I apologize if this chapter was a bit uneventful, but trust me, things will get better. I just needed to get them out of that place so I can continue with the rest of the story. So, R&R if you liked! And much thanks to my reviewers so far: jackie, ShadowCatLeader, YourAngelStandingBy, azn-saphirestar, and berry-berry. :D ]