Thunder and Lightning
A Fanfiction
By Emeraldstargazer
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy X or any of its characters (though I wish I did!!); they all belong to Squaresoft. So please don't sue me.
Authors Note: This little scene takes place soon after the group agrees to spend a night at Rin's Travel Agency on the Thunder Plains. It's just a little conversation piece I thought up centred mainly around Rikku's fear of thunder and it involves Rikku and Auron.
*
The lightning flashed, close by this time, making her cry out once more. Rikku pulled her knees closer to her, cursing herself, her fear and her decision to come outside into the storm to face it. A fine guardian she made! All the others were inside worrying about Yuna and she was stuck out here trying to overcome a silly childish fear! How hopeless…
Angrily, she brushed away the tears that rolled down her cheeks, then gave up and let them lose as yet another crackle of lightning lit up the sky. Hopeless, hopeless, hopeless...how could she protect Yuna if she couldn't even master this? Sobbing, she buried her face in her hands and let herself cry while the lightning rolled around her.
"Don't cry"
Startled, Rikku looked up sharply though she could identify the speaker just by his voice - deep and rich. Auron stood a few metres away, staring out at the Plains, his red coat flaying out behind him in the wind, his back to her. She bristled with anger at his matter of fact statement, remembering Auron's words earlier - his simple dismissal of her fears.
"What's it to you if I do?" she retorted.
Auron turned around to face her, his face impassable; "What does crying achieve?"
The question surprised her, not least because she couldn't think of an answer to it. It wasn't as if sitting here like this was making her feel any better – if anything she felt worse. She'd gone without dinner in order to come out here and feel sorry for herself meaning she now felt frightened, miserable and hungry.
"Well?" Auron persisted.
Rikku shrugged and lowered her head, unable to hold Auron's piercing gaze. However, she failed to hold back another sob and more tears fell down her face.
"You're not, you know" Auron stated.
Confused, Rikku looked up; "Not what?"
"A bad guardian"
Rikku attempted to keep her face blank but failed miserably, her surprise showing through. She detected a wry smile on Auron's face as he came and knelt down next to her. "How did you…" she began
"Everyone feels like that sometimes" he stated simply.
"But it's such a stupid thing to be afraid of – thunder and lightning"
"That is true"
"Hey! I thought you were on my side!"
"I am. But you are right – they are silly things to be afraid of. But, it is also an easy fear to overcome"
"But what if we come up against a lightning fiend? How am I supposed to protect Yuna then?"
"You will do it because you must. Because that is what a guardian does. 'Protect one's summoner even at the cost of one's own life'"
"What's that?"
"The guardian's code. All guardians abide by it. You are a guardian therefore you too must follow the code."
Rikku nodded. Auron was right, much as she hated to admit it. She would protect Yuna no matter what came along – no matter what happened she would be there to help her. Though despite Auron's words, she still felt ashamed of her fears.
"I don't suppose you're afraid of anything…" she sighed
"Everyone is afraid of something"
"Even you?"
Auron lifted his head, looking up toward the night sky, the occasional bolt of lightning illuminating his face. For a long time he did not speak and Rikku began to worry that she had offended him. Then…
"There will come a day when we can no longer protect Yuna. Not you. Not I. Not anyone. When she will have to fight her own battles"
"You mean…the Final Summoning?"
Slowly he nodded; "I fear that day"
She nodded understanding; "Yuna…Yuna will…die…won't she?"
"All summoners do"
"Have any…any summoners survived?"
"None. Neither do their guardians"
"You did. I mean…last time, with Lord Braska?"
"I am a…exception rather than the rule"
"And…Sir Jecht…he didn't die either!
"…that depends on what you class as dying"
Rikku wondered what the legendary guardian meant by that…it was true Sir Jecht had not been seen in Spira since Lord Braska bought the last Calm. But, until a few weeks ago, neither had Auron. She supposed that Auron was referring to Jecht being changed by the experience…perhaps not the same man Auron had journeyed with? Either way, she decided it was best to leave the subject. Instead, she asked, "If you've come so close to death before, why are you still afraid of it?"
"I do not fear death"
"But, you said…"
"I promised Braska that I would protect Yuna should she choose to become a summoner. Just like I promised Jecht I would watch over his son. When Yuna fulfils her destiny, I will no longer be able to do that."
"So…you fear breaking your promise…to Lord Braska and Sir Jecht?"
"I fear the inevitable"
She nodded; "I fear that too. Knowing that Yuna will die and being able to do nothing about it."
"She chose her path. So did we. We knew when we became guardians that, one day, it would kill us."
"All the others know?"
"All except Tidus"
"He should know"
"He will find out – when the time is right. Do not tell him. He has enough to think about at the moment"
"But he has to be given the choice we had!"
"It is not yet time for him to know. Promise me that you will not tell him"
She paused for a second, then nodded; "I promise. Not yet."
They lapsed into silence, both lost in their own thoughts. Rikku wondered what Auron meant by the right time. When would it be the right time for Tidus to know of their fate? Or did Auron know more than he was telling? Glancing across at him, she suspected that might possibly be the case. As usual the legendary guardians face gave nothing away. Lightning illuminated them both once more and, in the flash of light, Rikku could make out Auron's scar – the long jagged line running down across his one eye – a remnant from a previous battle. His last with Sin? She reflected upon how little she knew about Auron. How much did any of them know? He was a legendary guardian, had fought alongside Braska; survived. He was fearsome both on the battlefield and off it and yet he cared what happened to them all. He spoke little but his words always counted. Yet, despite knowing so little Rikku felt that she could trust Auron, could trust all of her companions. In fact, with any of them she felt…safe. Safe from anything.
"You realise something?" Auron asked, breaking her thoughts.
She looked up; "What?"
"All the time we have been talking, you haven't screamed once. And yet, the thunder and lightning has continued, as it always has"
She smiled; "I know. I was focusing so much on what to say – I…I forgot to be afraid. I…I still fear it though, on the inside"
"It is okay to be afraid on the inside. But on the outside, you must be strong"
She nodded; "I will be"
"Then are you ready to come back inside rather than sitting here in the storm? Rin saved you something to eat"
He rose and proffered his hand to help her up before walking back towards the building. Just outside the door, he turned and stopped her; "Not a word, remember?"
"About Yuna?"
"About anything"
She nodded her understanding; "I promise"
Auron nodded then turned and walked into the building. Rikku paused a moment, looking back up to the dangerous sky, lightning flashing across it. It is okay to be afraid…on the inside…
"But on the outside, I will be strong"
Smiling, she followed Auron into the agency, to the company of their friends.