Author's Notes: Welcome to the new chapter of I'm A Fighter, Not a Lover! Sorry for taking so long to write it... but here's something. Hope you like it!

Eighth Chapter ~-~ Down the Thunderous Roads...

"Hey! You guys...! Shelinda said Seymour left Guadosalam!" Tidus had told us.

"Yuna inside. Tell Yuna," Kimahri instructed the young man.

Tidus walked inside the manor to inform Yuna of the news. I had nothing to do but stand still within the premises, and wait for the two to come back so the pilgrimage could proceed.

The two came out of the manor almost as shortly as Tidus walked inside. "See, they said that Seymour went to... Macarena temple," Tidus said once he and Yuna rejoined with everyone.

I admit, the fumble with his words were quite humorous...

"Macalania Temple," Wakka corrected.

"Aye..." was the young man's reply.

"Wonder why the Maester left without a peep to anyone," Wakka pondered aloud.

"Maybe he didn't expect Yunie's answer so soon?" Rikku suggested.

"Ah, that's probably it," Wakka agreed, after thinking about that possibility for a moment.

Yuna's expression looked quite sullen, so I felt promted to ask what was the matter. "Yuna, what is it?" I questioned, secretly concerned but my voice would not allow that concern to be heard.

"Oh, nothing," she answered. I knew it was a lie.

"You're a poor liar," I advised her.

"It's true! It's nothing!" Yuna insisted, forcing a slight smile on her face. "Now come on! Let's go!"

I decided to lend her privacy on the issue. It wasn't my duty to pry into her personal business. If something was wrong, it was her choice on wheter or not to tell me or anyone else.

She cheerfully rushed us into the Thunder Plains. Yellow and white lightning struck on all sides. The rain was beating at the muddy ground feverently. The thunder repeatedly growled. The Thunder Plains- the one place eternally cursed to storms.

Metal towers stood tall over the Thunder Plains, serving as our guards to the lightning. Of course, these guards were faulty since they only alligned the perimeter of the path and not the path itself. Not to mention that they don't attract all the thunder, and thunder still does strike on the path... the area wasn't safe.

Prevalent winds slapped us as soon as we were about to proceed into the depths of the plains, and away from the small cave connecting the Thunder Plains to Guadosalam. Once we were able to move forward without the winds holding us back, a bolt of lightning had struck the ground right before us.

That caused Rikku to yelp. It wasn't even a yelp. It was a high- pitched squeal of utter fear.

"And we're going to cross this how...?" Tidus inquired, confused.

"Simple, ya? We follow the path! We don't stay close to the towers or far away from them," Wakka explained. What a clear explanation it was... that was sarcasm, excuse me.

Tidus' face grew a puzzled expression.

"We stay away from large gaps between the path and the towers," Lulu clarified.

And the lightning struck the ground right in front of me. The unsent have always attracted negativity, including lightning. It seemed as if the lightning was challenging us... or more specifically, challenging me. I don't know about what kind of challenge, but that's what it felt like.

"Y-y-y-you know what! I think I left something back in Guadosalam. Let's go back! Like... now? Heh, heh," Rikku quickly said, blending most of her words together. She turned her back to the group, shivering, cold, soaked, and scared. Her fear for the lightning and the thunder were great, and that was obvious to all of us.

No matter how much reason she had for fearing thunder, I didn't feel pity for such a childish fear like that. "Nice knowing you," I calmly said, brushing past her, on my way into the Thunder Plains' dangerous and muddy terrain.

"Grrr... I'll go, I'll go! Sheesh, you're a big meanie!" Rikku grumpily said, conjuring enough valor to be able to take a slowly but surely pace further.

"You are a complainer, I see." I had to say that to her. It wasn't the most mature thing I could've said so that fact could've went across, but it was the only thing I could say.

"You're gonna take that back! I don't complain all that much...," she stated, in a matter-of-factly voice.

"Of course," I dismissed, in all sarcasm.

"Yeah that's right!" was her only retaliation. I kind of feel guilty for that now, but I guess now I think of it as a way I was joking with her even though that wasn't my intent.

All around, the white and faint yellow flashes attack the lightning rod towers and the muck terrain. Berserk rain drops pour over our heads, drenching us with freezing smacks of water. The thunder sounding... the typical storm, repeating itself with an increasing intensity. With all of the darkness in that area, the lightning, rain, and thunder are essential. I figured that without the lightning there would be no light, without the rain there would be no way to reflect the light any further, and without the thunder... there would be no sounds other than the fiends.

I guess with the lack of better things to do in my spare time, I've come to put together that system.

We've walked ourselves halfway through the Thunder Plains during the early afternoon. The Travel Angency marked that feat. It wasn't so significant, but I suppose to Rikku it was for she had been so afraid of the lightning. But I've made peace with it. And right then, I couldn't see how Rikku couldn't make peace with the lightning aswell.

But as we approached the Travel Agency, the peace has been disturbed...

Lightning struck.

And I ended up being the target.

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I had to make a twist! Sorry... and there will be more twists where it came from. I had to switch it up! But you know what? Aurikkuness will ensue... VERY SOON! [Within the next 2 or 3 or 4 chapters. I'm gonna stick with the 3 to be safe.] Be excited! 'Cause I am!