Author's Note: Second redone chapter. Wooo… we're on a roll..

Summeray: A months after X-2. Rikku opens up to a Guado man about why she is the way she is and shows him how things aren't always what they seem.

Rating: PG-13/R (I can't decide)

Chapter Two: Action and Reaction

By: Mazzie May

I laid my eyes lazy back on him. "And then... I never told. I went through the next six years of my life never saying a word. And the Warrior Monks never found that man." I snorted. "Though, I seriously doubt they were looking that hard. And he went on murdering people. And I never told a soul..." I trailed off then. I was lying again. My eyes dropped to the floor like they always did.

When I was little and Cid found my taking parts from machina to make my own, my eyes were like this.

When I first met Tidus and he spoke of Zanarkand and I told him it didn't exist anymore, my eyes were like this.

When Wakka first found out I was Al Bhed, my eyes were like this.

When Auron and I sat outside of the Farplan and he spoke of Braska's pilgrimage, my eyes were like this.

When I straight out lied to Yuna that there was nothing between Tidus and I and that we'd never done anything together, my eyes were like this.

When Yuna told me to stop thinking of ways to save her, my eyes were like this.

When I told Gippal I didn't need him anymore, my eyes were like this.

When Yuna confronted me about Tidus and I having sex, my eyes were like this.

When Brother told me he had feelings for Yuna, my eyes were like this.

When Paine talked down to me and I didn't have the energy to fight back, my eyes were like this.

When Tidus came back and asked me for more sexual favors, I'd comply and afterwards, my eyes were like this.

When Baralai asked me if I was okay I'd lie to him, and my eyes were like this

I felt very sad during that last thought. I always wanted someone to ask me that, and when they finally do, I lie. It was just a reflex. When someone asks, I always say 'Oh, I'm fine!' and smile my smile. The smile that means nothing is ever wrong. I always smile like that, because when people ask how you are, they don't really care. But Baralai did. He really wanted know how I was. And I lied. The one time, somebody's gonna care, and I lie.

Time to start telling the truth. I looked up again. I had told someone. And, if I really wanted to talk it all through, this little loser had to know. "...Except for my mom..."

He looked at me then. "I had had a bad dream and she asked me what it was. I was already do upset, I just told her about the murder." I smiled another Rikku-ish smile. "It felt good to talk about it then, too." The smile faded around the edges. "But I shouldn't have said a thing. I thought I would regret for the rest of my life.

"She came to pick me up from a friend's house late that night. Didn't want me walking home alone she told me earlier that day before I left. She said, she didn't want that scary man to come after me now that I had told. I told her there was now way that he could find out. I was wrong" My throat tightened up. My last three words coming out in a raspy kind of way. I rested my hand around my neck. "I miss mom..." I whispered.

The Guado was still looking at me. He wanted me to talk, to finish up the story. He had leaned away from his little corner. He was listening to what I had to say. He had that look on his face. You know, that look; like watching something or hear something you shouldn't be because it's so horrible or ugly, but you can't stop. Yeah, that look. He still thought I was going to spare him.

It wasn't fair of me to just end it there. I wouldn't want someone to just call it quits right there. I calmed myself down. And the corners of my lips began to twitch with a smile. "I left my friends house. Looking for Mom, on account of she was late. I walked around the back of the gardening shop. And then I saw it...Mom in puddle of her own blood. The Man...standing over her..."

My eyes unfocused, taking my self back to that night. That night would change me forever. I'd walked around the corner of the Garden Shop. It's where Mom would buy flowers for her flower boxes, and indoor gardens. I figured she'd be there. And I was right, all too right. I stopped when I saw two people; one laying lifeless on the ground, the second towering over the other, something dripping from his hands. I walked forward again. Then I recognized the waist length blonde hair and the blue shall tied around their hips; it was Mom.

I was in shock. I heard a low chuckling. I dragged my eyes away from the bloody sight. My mouth slightly open, I looked at the man. He beckoned me over with a few waves of his hand. Again, he was clad in shadow. Just like the last time I met him.

'Look' he'd whispered in my ear. 'Look at your handy work' I felt his stubble against my cheek and ear. His hot breath hitting the side of my face. But I wasn't paying attention to that.

I had my attention on the corpse in front of me. She was dead but still twitched. I grimaced. The limp, once tan but now I sickening yellow from blood loss and the moon limbs, flaps of skin peeled back. Exposing the milky-red, glossed over muscle and its tendons.

It made me think of when I was eight. A tomato had been long forgotten in the back of our fridge. It was so old; at the touch of my young fingers it caved and bruised almost immediately. Being as curious as I was, me and my oldest brother, Klakku, decided to cut it open. The dull butter knife slide into it easily, dragging the crinkled skin with it. The thick layer that had always been so crisp and rich had melted into a thick, redish-brown sludge that oozed out slowly. The gel that had surrounded the seeds had liquefied. To the point where I'd thought it water at first. It ran thin and quickly over the counter.

And that's what I saw now; only it was cool concert this time instead of a counter. The exposed muscle was the tomato.

But...what had he meant when he said my handy work? 'I didn't do this' I had whispered. He'd laughed then, a strong laugh. It made me shiver, it was almost fatherly. I still hadn't turned to look at him. My Mom, my MOTHER had been killed. By The Man.

I hadn't even noticed him walking away. He said over his broad shoulders, 'Told you not to tell. So, yes, my dear, it is your fault." His husky voice merging into another throaty laugh. His footsteps faded away.

I couldn't see; I was blinded by my anger. Literally. Red and white blotches danced across my vision. And my unshed tears blurred even what vision I had left. My fist so tight my nails cut into my skin, blood dripped off my palms slowly. But I didn't notice. I was too enraged. I'd clenched my teeth so hard, two cracked.

How could this have happened? Oh, why did I tell? I could've just kept it to myself! But I told. He's right it was my fault. I did this...I killed her. My mother. It was me...Me... I...I did this...

But The Man didn't have to help.

I spun around then, grief and angry in full control. My fists unclenched, the stinging of my nails exiting my skin, went unnoticed. My left hand wrapped around something smooth and solid. It was wood. A back hoe.

It stung a bit to have the dirty wood against my palms, but again, I don't think I noticed. Or really cared. I swung it around, to my front, letting my other hand get a hold on the handle. The flat metal head facing his receding form. It made me feel better having it, like I had some comfort in the melee weapon. I started after him.

I didn't really think I was walking that fast, but I was behind him quickly. I gripped the back hoe tightly. Bringing it up, I positioned it like I was playing with a base ball bat, only higher up. What I did next would change who I was for the rest of my life;

I swung.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

Second chapter redone. I'm really glad I got all this crap worked out. Same rules apply; R&R is you want.

Oh, and I don't own FFX-2 or any of it's characters. Square-Enix does. Stupid Enix