Turbulence

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(09/03/08)New AN:It's been nearly six years since I started this. I would like to ask anyone reading this for the first time to please excuse any odd or selfish behaviour displayed in the ANs of the first...oh, 30 chapters or so. Heh...my writing was not nearly as good as it has become after half a decade. I've come so far, it seems. Only seems right that I finish this story. Thank you, all.

Old AN:

Well, besides the fact that this is my first FFX ficcy, (No! Do NOT run away now) I don't think that I own it either. No, I'm pretty sure Square has it. Alas, I am not rich enough to challenge them to a lawsuit that may dump this precious game into my possession. I guess I'm stuck in dream-land like the rest of you. Smile.

Right, it's an Aurikku. Personally? I don't like the idea of Auron and Rikku like that, but yeah. You like it, right? Obviously, 'cause you're here. It's kinda sweet, and I love writing so this is my opportunity to be brave and try something new!

Enjoy.

Chapter One

"Rikku?"

Somewhat dazed, the young Al Bhed girl found her gaze straying from the crystalline interior of the object she held. Her fingers instinctively curling about the fragile figure, she aimed her attention towards the front of the tent. The flap marking the entrance rippled slightly, teased by the wind, and standing not very far away from her chair was Lulu. The black mage smiled softly, crossing her arms in front of her and inwardly wishing for any other scene but the one she saw before her now. She was sympathetic towards her newest friend, yet one she had known for so long. Rikku was a bundle of changes, arraying from her appearance, to her attitude towards life. Nothing seemed to interest her anymore.

"Rikku, you shouldn't be like this. You miss him too much." her older friend advised calmly, trying not to upset her further. Rikku stiffened, wondering just when Lulu had found out anything about what she was thinking about. "…Lulu?"

"Yuna misses him too, Rikku. We all do. Tidus wouldn't want us to remember him as a lost friend." Lulu crouched down to Rikku's level, folding her hands in front of her. "What is that?"

Containing her relief, the Al Bhed sighed and returned her morose gaze to the crystal that lie in her palms. She held it out for the mage to see, managing a weak smile. "See? It's a piece of crystal. From Macalania Forest."

"I see," Lulu nodded, and reached out with a hand, hesitating. "Is it all right…?"

"Oh," Rikku flashed another sad smile. "Go ahead. It's…it's not mine."

Returning the expression, Lulu gently took the figurine from the girl's quivering hands. Instantly, Rikku withdrew them, looking meekly up at her friend who sat, examining the piece with interest. "It's beautiful," she said, voice barely above a whisper. "Where did you get this?"

"Oh," Rikku said again, casting her eyes to the ground. "I'm just…holding on to it for a friend. It's a tree, see?"

The mage tilted her head, and then rotated the figure about in her hands, slowly. Finally, she broke out into a wide smile, this time displaying true amusement instead of the falseness she had been giving to the Al Bhed. She exhaled shortly, in a laugh that brought forth no sound. "It's a tree," she said, still wonderingly. "It has some amazing detail, Rikku."

The girl had barely begun to reply when, at that particular moment, the 'tree' caught a seemingly perfect ray of light Every possible color existing through the waves of a rainbow scattered lightly onto her face, causing her to shrink back slightly in surprise. She gaped as the brilliant colors swirled, dipped, and then vanished without a trace onto the dull earth at her feet. Lulu had dropped the figurine, and quickly picked it up again from the dirt with a horrified expression. "Rikku-"

"No," she responded quietly, shaking her head. Her long, golden bangs brushed her face as she did so, and she looked back into her friend's face. "It's all right. It looks very breakable, but it's actually stronger than rock. See?" Carefully, she reached out and took the crystal again, holding it up for her to see. The figure, indeed, was still intact and rather unscratched.

"I'm sorry," Lulu, somewhat embarrassed for being so careless, attached her eyes to her feet. "Really…but we should be going now. Yuna is waiting for us."

The Al Bhed's eyes lightened considerably as she thought of seeing Yuna and Wakka again at the stadium. Kimhari, too. Hastily, she found herself on her feet, tucking the loose strands of hair behind her ears nervously. "You mean…"

"It's about to start," the mage nodded, taking a standing position as well. "If we don't hurry, we might miss the first act."

"But-" Rikku started forward, fingers outstretched. But she stopped, watching Lulu retreat towards the front of the tent again. When the mage turned around, the girl was already sitting in her chair again, cradling her face in her hands. "I don't want to see Yunie that way! How can she bear to watch it…I don't want to go!"

Apparently confused with her sudden behavior, Lulu made a move suggesting comfort. But she paused, seeing the anguish in her eyes. Being afraid of the past wasn't so bad a thing, but Rikku's case was different. The Al Bhed didn't want anyone to know about her secret feelings, however much she let them spill from time to time. . "Rikku, it's hard to understand. Those people are only doing this to keep the joy alive, even though they have become aware of our own pain. They asked for Yuna's opinion, and she didn't refuse. You have to trust her."

Rikku sniffed, partly because she wanted to cry right then, and partly because she was cold and her nose was runny from the lack of heat. Lulu sensed her depression, and sighed softly with understanding, while defeated. There was obviously no telling what the young Al Bhed thought at what moment, or whether she was even considering the loss of Tidus, even. Every time someone mentioned him, she never went stiff, or changed the subject. Yuna was prone to that, even when he was referred to, not by name, but by indication. It was all Lulu could do, wondering just how either of them were going to sit through a reenactment of the final battle with Sin. One way or the other, the two of them would fall apart.

Then again, the world was unaware of the deep love the young summoner and blitzball player shared. A loss of friendship, of course, was already assumed. Whenever the story was told, tears were shed. To tell it again with a touch of the truth would bring more than sympathy, but despair all around. Disbelieving by half, and others thinking it ludicrous. This wasn't the case they hoped for, and so the whole truth was kept veiled.

But inside the circle, another truth was hidden.

"Let's go," the mage offered gently, waiting with a patient expression. Slowly, yielding to Lulu's insistency, Rikku let herself get to her feet again. Try as she might, she couldn't picture herself in front of a crowd, smiling and waving. She didn't want to see herself there, among the higher parts of the crowd, pretending to enjoy the show that they would play for her, for them, for what they thought was a good cause. All this was thought to her, and she wanted to deny it.

She was concerned as far as the term 'fair' went, but as for the fact of trusting her after telling them what she knew and hoped for, she wasn't sure. Lulu was just being kind, and tolerant as a good guardian was supposed to be. Yuna never said anything about Tidus, making it clear that she was not even by a slight chance, catching on to Rikku's emotions. Wakka focused on Lulu, and blitzball. Renouncing his retirement seemed to be one of the happiest things he'd done in his life. Kimahri only stuck around from time to time. He would often visit Mt. Gagazet, just to observe his fellow Ronso's slipping return.

And Rikku? She didn't return and help rebuild Home after all. It was a painstaking act upon her refusal, but Cid had profoundly insisted that she lived on for at least a little while with her friends. He had promised a new, and fresh Home full of happy Al Bheds ready to welcome their heroine back into their society. She couldn't remember his exact words, but his voice was so reassuring, giving her more hope to add to whatever she was recollecting.

Yet still, no one understood the real reason why she had withdrawn so much from the rest of the world. This was mainly because of the effort she put into hiding it fom everyone else.

The tent flap gently brushed her shoulder as she followed her friend out onto the cold plains. In the distance, soft celebration music played like a thousand voices strumming the same chord and plucking, whistling or beating the same instrument at once. Raising her eyes to the horizon, the Al Bhed girl found it glowing with a million lights, some dancing across the sky like lost sunbeams. A cool breeze picked up, pressing against her bare shoulders. Immediately, she wished for a warmer garment, or at least an Al Bhed-approved night warmer – a comfortable, light material that heated when it came into contact with cool air. Unfortunately, while some machina were accepted by had-been Yevonites, others were found very pointless, and out of the question.

Somehow, the thought that had been dreading her only minutes before picked up a burden from her thoughts. Just knowing that they – meaning those alive today and those whom had passed – put all of their hard work and suffering into creating this perfect, Sin-free world, and that the world appreciated it in return was enough to make any one of them happy.

Rikku closed her eyes, and brought her arms in front of her, wrapping her palms around her own neck. Was that what Auron and Tidus thought? Did they know the world that they had helped in creating?

"Rikku!" Rikku snapped her eyes open, watching as Lulu made a turn and doubled back towards her. She pursed her lips in a silent apology; she hadn't even realized that the mage had moved on without her. Briskly, she shook her head, indicating that she was already coming, and with a last, sad glance towards the large tent and the item she left inside, the Al Bhed girl hopped over the rocky ledge in front of her. No more infuriating thoughts swam inside of her head as raced down to her waiting comrade.

Er, this is just a prologue. It's gonna jump into history next chapter, and then jump back after several more chapters. See, I like making happy endings. Then again, I've been known to be cruel and heartless so you can expect an unhappy but angsty ending as well. Haven't decided, really. Hee. Hee. Hee.