A World of Fragile Things

By ShatteredOasis

I'm frightened by what i see,

but somehow i know

that there's much more to come.

Immobilized by my fear,

and soon to be blinded by tears.

I can stop the pain

if i will it all away.

--"Whisper", Evanescence

II. Don't Turn Away

After Rikku finished, she said, "See? I've kept my promise. Yuna's been safe, and now Tidus is with her. Yeah, he showed up a little while after we beat Vegnagun. It was really weird, but he's not a dream anymore." She paused. If Tidus could come back... No. She wouldn't allow herself to think about it.

"A couple of years ago I visited Kimahri at Mt. Gagazet. He gave me a sphere he found. The person inside looked like Tidus, but he was really a guy named Shuyin, who had lived in the real Zanarkand and died during the Machina War. We searched all over for more spheres. During Yuna's Calm, two groups formed called New Yevon and the Youth League, and they were fighting all the time. But Yunie held a concert in the Thunder Plains, and they began to resolve their differences. That's when I started to think of you again...

"Oh no... We're here."

Rikku stopped at the end of the tunnel that led from Guadosalam. Her green eyes were fixed on the scene in front of her. Thick black clouds obscured the sky over the Thunder Plains, but bolts of white lightning could be seen striking the tall towers and the ground. Rain poured down in sheets, plastering her bangs to her face. Thunder crashed, and lightning struck not too far from the group of guardians and the summoner.

Rikku jumped, and she stared up at the sky as though it had grown a scary face and would come down to gobble her up at any moment.

"How are we supposed to cross that?" Tidus asked doubtfully.

Thank you, Tidus! Rikku thought silently.

"See the lightning rod towers?" Lulu replied. "The lightning is drawn to them...hopefully." What is that supposed to mean, 'hopefully?'

"We head north, not too near and not too far from the towers, ya?" Wakka added.

Rikku didn't hear Lulu's next statement, because another bolt of lightning struck the ground, and she let out a cry of surprise. Everyone turned to face her, concern apparent on most of their faces.

"I-I think I left something in Guadosalam," she stammered, hoping in vain that they would turn back with her, and she would have at least a few more minutes of peace.

"No turning back now, ya?" Wakka said, clearly unaware that her words were merely an excuse.

"Nice knowing you," Auron said. She turned to face him, glaring up at him. Meanie! Can't he give me a break for once? she thought. He returned her gaze, his eye challenging.

"Okay, okay! I'll come!" she said finally. Pretending to ignore the flashes of light above, the young Al Bhed girl strode past the legendary guardian with her head held high. I'll show him, she thought.

They continued across the Plains, moving as quickly as they could from one tower to the next. Rikku was usually the first one to arrive and the last to leave, sprinting ahead of the others in a state of near panic. She tried to shut the noise of the booming sky overhead and the white streaks of lightning from her mind, but it proved hopeless.

To make things worse, lightning fiends also roamed the Plains: Pupae, Elementals, and Bolt Drakes, among others. Lulu, Auron, and Wakka had been put in the front line, for which Rikku was grateful. She didn't want the other guardians to think she was a coward for not wanting to fight the fiends.

As they continued to traverse across the Thunder Plains, a bolt of lightning suddenly struck the lightning rod tower right overhead.

"Whoa! That was a close one!" Wakka said, laughing.

As if the brontophobic Al Bhed's nerves weren't already near to the breaking point, the lightning strike and Wakka's careless demeanor caused her to snap. Her feet felt glued to the spot and she hunched down, her hands clasped so tightly together that the knuckles were white.

"Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh," she muttered, shutting her eyes tightly, her ears attuned to every distant rumble of thunder.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

But Rikku didn't heed Wakka's return. She suddenly broke into a maddened fit of giggles. By now everyone in the party had stopped and were watching her with concern.

"'Heh heh heh..." Tidus said, rolling his eyes. "You're giving me the creeps!"

BOOM!

"Eep!" Rikku squealed and dived to the ground, cowering in a tight ball. The thunder boomed again, and she scrambled over to Tidus, latching onto his leg in a death grip.

"I wanna go home!" she cried. "I hate lightning! I hate thunder!" She cracked open an eye and, for a moment thinking she was hallucinating, saw the bright lights of a Travel Agency just a few yards away. "Let's go rest over there! Please?"

"This storm never stops. Better to cross quickly," was Auron's reply. Rikku's antics were an itch on his back that he couldn't seem to reach, and he was growing impatient.

"I know but... Just for a second?" She met his single eye, putting her every effort into making her face as pleading as possible. Auron returned the gaze for a moment before turning around and walking towards the Travel Agency. Yes! she thought, but as they approached she realized they were just going to pass by it.

"Pretty please?" she asked, stopping in front of the door. The group moved on, ignoring her. As Tidus passed she grabbed him by the arm.

"Tidus, my friend, my buddy ol' pal, you won't leave me, will you?" she said anxiously. The blonde blitzer stared at her for a few seconds, before glancing at the group's retreating backs.

"Sorry, Rikku. I've gotta go with Yuna," he said, before dashing off to join them.

Sayhea, she thought, and then said louder, "I'm really, really, REALLY scared of lightning! Please stop? Pretty please?"

Again, they ignored her.

"I'm too young to die!" she screamed, on the verge of madness. Auron's jaw twitched as he listened to her. If she was this scared of a little storm, what state would she be in when they reached Zanarkand?

"You're mean... cruel! Your mothers would be ashamed of you!"

Just ignore her, he thought. She'll catch up eventually. Either that, or the Al Bhed in the Agency can take her home.

"Are you having fun doing this to me?" Her last accusation seemed to be directed at him. He stopped, heaving a great sigh.

"Fine, we rest," he said to the group. Yuna appeared relieved. Then, louder, so Rikku could hear him, "She's worse than the storm."

As she followed everyone into the Travel Agency, Rikku felt as though being struck by lightning wouldn't have made her feel worse than what Auron had said.

"Hey, guess what?" Rikku said, as her mind returned to the present. "I'm not afraid of lightning anymore! I had my brother drop me off at the Thunder Plains, and I stayed there for a week!" She put her hands on her hips, pleased with herself. But Ghost-Auron just stared back at her. "Yep, no more brontophobia for me! I guess I have you to thank. I just kept thinking what you would say if you saw me being a scaredy-cat."

Pyreflies swirled over the Al Bhed girl's head, attracted to the warmth of human blood. They sent a chill down her spine. How much longer could she stay here?

"You probably thought I was so immature that day when we crossed the Thunder Plains. I mean, you just wanted the best for Yunie, and I was whining like a little baby. But you can't really blame me, you know. I had a bad childhood experience! And what about you being afraid of the Farplane!" She pointed her finger at his chest. Then she realized she was starting a one-sided argument with a bunch of pyreflies, and felt stupid again.

Why does this always happen? she wondered. Why does he always manage to make me feel dumb and, and... incompetent! Even when he hasn't said anything! Or maybe it's my fault. Maybe all of this was my fault...

Note: So is this chapter better? Please review! Come on, don't be shy! I'll give you a cookie.