Basically, this fic is based on Rikku and Gippal's relationship, starting from the very beginning when they were still in diapers. The ages of Rikku and Gippal, as well as any other major characters in here will be displayed before the individual stories start. You'll notice a common element in every "chapter," which will play an important part at some point in the overall plot. There will be 5 parts per submitted document in order to not make FFNet overlowdz :)

Part I: Pyreflies

Golden sand and heat. That's all there was to experience in the desert...Unless you knew where to go, at least. For right in the middle of the desert was a secluded civilization, known as the Al Bhed.

Now, as with every civilization, the Al Bhed people had a leader, named Cid. Cid was the kind of man you wanted as leader: a man with a wife he loved and a son who would most likely take the throne if the time arose when such an event was necessary. He had excellent charisma and several airships that could take you anywhere and everywhere. Overall, his people loved having him as a leader, and if a time of crisis arose, they knew they could depend on Cid. He was always strong in times when he was needed most.

"Father, mother just had the baby 'n it's a girl!" A young tattoo-covered boy with a blond mohawk squawked, waving his arms around madly like a chicken.

Cid fainted.

Okay, so maybe he wasn't always strong, but who doesn't have moments like that every now and then? Our story continues five months post birth.

Cid paced in the sand, his hands clenched at his sides into fists. There was nothing he could do and because of this, he felt absolutely weak. For the first time in his life, he felt like he was near the breaking point...as if one more thread of bad news would send him over the edge. His wife lay inside a tent, her limp and fragile body resting on a healing mat, her skin no longer its usual golden bronze hue that was such a beauty to gaze upon. Instead, it was a sickly, pasty white. Sweat beaded her brow, and her hair was ragged and limp. Her eyes hadn't opened in a month, and her breathing came out in slow, raspy gasps. The white mage came out of the tent, a solemn look on his face. He placed a hand on Cid's shoulder.

"My king, I'm sorry...but there was nothing we could do. The Yevonites improved their poison beyond our means of healing, and despite our best efforts..." He trailed off, no chance to finish. Cid had run off, tears of anger and grief streaming down his face. Only one person saw.

"...Papa..." the infant girl whimpered, tears welling up in her enchanting emerald eyes as she watched Cid run away. Her older brother, who sat next to her on the blanket, frowned.

"Don't worry, baby sister...He'll be okay." He brushed the sand off his pants and looked down at her. "That was your first word, wasn't it?" The infant merely pouted in response as she watched her father's figure become smaller the farther he ran.

Three days later, the entire Al Bhed nation was in mourning as they prepared to send their queen to the farplane. She lay on a mat, pillows under her golden hair to support her head. A peaceful smile rested upon her lips, giving the illusion that she was merely peacefully sleeping.

"She truly was a good queen...She cared for all of us and watched over the wounded during every war. Rest in peace, Lady Yhkam. An angel amongst the chaos," a woman whispered, tears falling from her eyes. She held her 1 year old son close to her chest, stroking his blond hair with her fingers. He squirmed until she sat him on the sand. He walked in a fumbling manner over to the blanket where a five month old baby girl was laying in a baby carriage. He placed his small, pudgy hands on the edge and gazed down at her, his dark green eyes twinkling in awe. She looked up at him and smiled a toothless grin, letting out a little squeal of delight. He giggled back and reached his hand inside the carriage to gently pat her head.

"Wikku! Wikku!" He exclaimed. Suddenly, there was a brilliant flash of light as Summoner Braska performed the sending, the queen's body glowing before separating into a billion little twinkling lights, known as pyreflies. Both baby girl and toddler boy stared in awe as the pyreflies floated around aimlessly before swarming over to the baby girl and stopping in front of her face. The baby squealed in delight and batted a hand at them, a few of them brushing against her cheek in a loving caress, then surrounding the toddler boy. He stared at them, giggling when one bumped gently into his nose before flying off to join the rest. However, as most of the Al Bhed tribe was mourning, they missed this exchange, save for a two-year-old girl with chestnut brown hair and bi-colored eyes, and her surrogate mother.

"Well Yuna, looks like Rikku and Gippal's futures have already been set, wouldn't you say?" The woman asks, smiling at the young Al-Bhed children. Yuna smiled and giggled, her eyes twinkling. The mourning Al Bhed tribe members slowly retreated to their tents, where a more private mourning period would commence.

"Come on, Gippal. Time to let Princess Rikku be with her family," the woman said, coming back for her son. As she walked away with him on her hip, he reached out a hand to the baby as the baby did to him, their fingers touching for a second before they were separated for the night.

A lone pyrefly, who'd come back to give the baby girl one last caress before leaving for good, saw the entire exchange and hovered in the air for a second before flying away to return to the farplane.

Part II: Beginnings

Ages: Rikku-4, Gippal-5

She stuck her yellow plastic shovel into the sand, humming as she scooped it into the matching yellow bucket. She had a bit of sand in her golden blond hair, which was currently up in pigtails, but she didn't care. A smile graced her adorably chubby face, her cheeks rosy and her eyes twinkling.

"Sandy sandy sand sand, sandy sandy sand sand, I love you! Sandy sandy sand sand, sandy sandy sand sand, I love you!" she sang, bursting into a fit of giggles. A 5 year old boy walked up to her and grinned.

"Hey Rikku! Wanna play today? We can go asplorin' if you want! Daddy 'n mama are busy with stuff, 'n your pops is goin' away for a while, which means you can sleep over at my house again! C'mon Rikku, let's go asplorin'!" He exclaimed upon reaching her side. The little girl stopped singing and looked up at him in a serious manner.

"Not now, Gippal. I'm buildin' a sand castle! 'n it's gonna be so pweddy! 'n I'm gonna have a mommy in it 'n a daddy in it 'n a baby in it!" She exclaimed as she patted down the sand on the roof of the castle. However much to her dismay, the sand simply fell down in piles. Gippal snorted.

"C'mon Cid's Girl, everyone knows you need water to hold a good sand castle together! Let's go to the oasis 'n you can build it there, 'n then we can go asplorin'!" He exclaimed. She gave him an exasperated sigh at the nickname, but quickly brushed those feelings aside at the idea of going exploring with Gippal. A cheery smile graced her face instead.

"Okies, let's go!" Bucket and shovel in one hand, she started walking but Gippal remained where he was. She turned back to face him. "C'mon, Gippal! We gotta go now!" she yelled, her yellow sun dress fluttering in a passing breeze. He picked something up off the ground and put it in his pocket before running to catch up to her, grabbing her free hand with his own. They continued their trek to the oasis hand in hand, swinging their arms as they walked. One of the women saw them and smiled.

"There go Rikku and Gippal again. Can't have one without the other, can you?" she whispered to her friend, who giggled and replied with a "yeah, I know! It's so cute though!"

For some reason, those words stuck with Gippal for the rest of his life, though he didn't think much of it at the time, as he was only 5. They reached the oasis and right away, a happy smile graced Rikku's face as she trotted over to the water's edge and began on her sand castle again. Gippal wasn't slow to run over and assist her, occasionally throwing bits of sand in her hair, earning an irritated squeal in return, which only made him giggle.

A lone pyrefly watched from behind a distant palm tree.

Part III: Guardians

Ages: Rikku-8, Gippal-9

There couldn't possibly be a pain worse than this, it just wasn't plausible. Tears streamed down her cheeks, her body shaking with every sob. The boy looked at her with cool indifference, turning his back to her.

"Sorry Rikku, but...I just don't like you that way anymore." He began to walk away but was stopped short just outside of Rikku's view.

"'S there somethin' about her you don't like?" A menacing voice growled. The boy looked up to see Gippal, his eyes swimming with fury and his knuckles white as his hands were fists at his sides.

"It's like I told her, I just don't see her that way. She's not good enough for me, she's too tomboyish." Before he knew it, the boy was being held against the wall, picked up by the front of his shirt. He gulped and Gippal got close to his face.

"You're wrong on one thing...You aren't good enough for her. Anyone who thinks Rikku's got any flaws deserves a good beatin' up if you ask me." With that, Gippal proceeded to exercise his protectiveness of Rikku, leaving a lasting impression in the form of a black eye and a broke nose on the poor boy's face as he ran home, sobbing. Gippal simply brushed his hands off, wincing when he looked at his knuckles, which had become black and blue. He shrugged and walked over to Rikku. He hugged her and she sobbed into his chest, her eyes red and puffy, her cheeks tear stained with a bit of sand stuck to her cheek. That didn't matter to Gippal though, as all that mattered then and there was the fact that Rikku's feelings were hurt, and as her best friend since practically birth, it was his duty to soothe her. Her body shook as she sobbed.

"G-Gippal, h-he said I'm t-too tomboyish f-for him! A-am I too t-tomboyish?" She looked up at him, her body shaking with ragged breaths from her crying. He wiped her tears away with his fingers.

"Naw, I like it that you're a tomboy. It's more fun to go asplorin' with you then to hear about make up 'n clothes all day. He was just a jerk," Gippal replied, smiling at her. She gasped as she saw his knuckles.

"Gippal! You didn't beat 'im up, didju? That was mean!" She lightly punched his shoulder and he pretended to wince in pain.

"Aww come on, Cid's Girl! Don't be such a tomboy." Rikku gave a frustrated growl before tackling him and punching his shoulder harder, causing him to laugh. Eventually she began to laugh too, resting her head on his chest. Though she'd done this many times before, it caused Gippal to blush lightly, then to be confused about what he was feeling.

'Why is my tummy all fluttery?' he asked himself, looking down at Rikku who had fallen asleep where she lay. He smiled, shrugging the thought away, and picked her up in his arms. He carried her to her house, where he gently placed her under her covers and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

However, it was then that the Yevonites decided to attack. Gippal suddenly heard a woman's scream and ran back inside of Rikku's room, looking out the window. Several workers' tents were on fire, women ran about rampantly as they looked for their children amid the chaos, Yevonite soldiers entering the camp which was only five miles north of the residential area. Gippal's eyes narrowed and he hissed.

"Yevonites...they just can't leave us alone, can they?" He turned to leave the room and grab some sort of weapon when he heard a whimper behind him on the bed where Rikku was. He turned to her and she sat petrified in fear, her eyes wide as she glanced out the window at the Yevonite soldiers. Realizing there was only one thing he could do, he picked Rikku up in his arms and ran out of the house to find shelter, as the Yevonites had begun to advance on the residential area. He ran through a list in his head of places where they could hide out, quickly thinking of the cave they'd discovered near the oasis when they were younger. It was well-hidden by overgrown shrubs and trees, but it would serve its purpose. He quickly turned in that direction, stopped short when he ran into Cid, who simply looked Gippal in the eyes, a gun in his hands and grenades and potions on his belt. Gippal understood his mission before the words were uttered.

"Boy, no matter what happens...Protect my little girl, understand? Don't let anything happen to her." Gippal nodded, then quickly continued running to the oasis. Rikku was still stiff as a golem in his arms, mumbling incoherent sentences, her eyes wide in fear. Gippal hurried to the cave, looking over his shoulder to make sure they weren't being followed, then looped an arm around Rikku's waist as he crawled into the cave, holding her tight against his stomach and chest. The cave appeared small on the outside, but it was much larger on the inside. There was enough room for four people easily, with a large rock weathered down enough that it could be used as bed for someone about Cid's size, a fire ring made of smaller stones, and a couple of rocks that appeared to be seats. He attempted to simply lay Rikku on the large stone, but she whimpered and clung to Gippal tighter, her eyes closed tightly and tears brimming her eyes. Gippal's eyes softened and he smiled gently.

"C'mon Rikku, you're safe here, it's okay...Shh, it's just me, Gippal...I'll protect you no matter what, Cid's Girl." She seemed to relax more and looked into his eyes, causing Gippal to freeze on the spot. Her tears were like tiny diamonds, her eyes like emeralds. They sparkled, enchanting Gippal on the spot.

"Is that a promise?" she whispered, breaking him out of his trance. He smiled and brushed his fingers against her cheek.

"Yeah, it's a promise. And you know I keep my promises." It was true. For her 6th birthday, Gippal had asked what she wanted, and she replied that she wanted to see all the stars at once, but she didn't think it was possible, and that it was a stupid wish. He simply smiled, said he promised she'd get just that. That night, just as the sun was setting, he knocked on her bedroom window and motioned for her to come outside. They ran off to a secluded area they'd found when exploring, sitting on top of the tallest dune. Rikku gasped in surprise once the sky turned completely dark and all the stars came out. She could see every one of them, just as he'd promised. Simply put, it'd been the best birthday present she'd received that day.

Her thoughts were broken though as a shout was heard right outside the entrance of the cave. Her eyes widened and before he knew what he was doing, Gippal kissed her softly on the lips. He pulled away a couple of seconds later, his eyes gleaming and a look of awe upon his face. Rikku's cheeks were flushed and she looked at him with a puzzled look. However, their exchange was broken when the stone was moved from the entrance and a Yevonite peered in at them. Instantly Gippal became rigid with hate and disgust, standing in front of Rikku with determination set in his face. The Yevonite grinned and pulled his sword out, laughing as he entered. He was easily ten times Gippal's size, though that wasn't saying much, as Gippal was rather puny and slender.

Gippal grabbed a rock and quickly whipped it at the Yevonite's face, grabbing him by surprise. Temporarily blinded for a second, the Yevonite slashed out blindly with his sword but to Rikku, it all happened in slow motion. The next thing she knew, Gippal was yelling out in immense pain, blood splattering the floor. The Yevonite soldier tripped on the makeshift fire ring, landing unconscious on the stone floor of the cave. Rikku did the only thing she could do at such a time. She screamed out in rage, grabbing the sword of the fallen Yevonite, and driven with pure anger and adrenaline, hacked off the head of the Yevonite and began to viciously punch, kick, scratch, and stomp on his broken body, her rage completely consuming her. After a while, remembering Gippal in his present state, she stopped. She ripped off the bottom of her shirt and used it as a makeshift cloth, wiping the blood from Gippal's face. He vomited from the intense pain and shock before passing out, Rikku catching him before he hit his head on the stone. She gently rested his head on the stone, turning to face the Yevonite's body, which was a mistake on her part. After vomiting, she somehow managed to drag the body to the far end of the cave, looking outside to see...nothing. Houses were aflame, bodies of both sides littered the sands, turned crimson from the bloodshed. Her own house was fine, as were several others, but no one was in sight.

'It's okay Rikku, they're probably just taking shelter somewhere,' she told herself as she dragged the body over to a tree, quickly running back to the cave to check on Gippal. She rinsed the makeshift cloth in the waters of the oasis before wiping all of the remaining blood off of his face. She felt tears brimming her eyes as she discovered the extent of his injuries.

'His eye...It's all my fault too...' she bit her lip, holding back her sobs as she gently stroked his cheek.

"Gippal...I'm so sorry..." she whispered, ripping off another section of her shirt. She rinsed it in the oasis' crystal waters, wrapping it around his head as a makeshift eye patch. Making sure the knot was well in place, she then cupped some water in her hands and splashed it on his face.

"C'mon Gippal, I need you to wake up," she murmured, tears flowing feely. One splashed on Gippal's face and he slowly opened his eye, looking up at Rikku.

"What happened?" he mumbled. Then, he remembered what had happened and fumbled for his face with his hand, meeting cloth. Rikku grabbed his hand.

"No Gippal, just...leave it for now, okay? Drink some water," she said, leading him over to the water's edge. He took large gulps of water, but Rikku pulled him back. "No, no! Slow down or you'll go into shock! Here..." she cupped some water up in her hands and gently poured it into his mouth.

After he'd had his fill of water, Rikku helped him back to the stone bed. She couldn't look him in the face and Gippal noticed this, asking why. She bit her lip and tears came to her eyes again.

"Because..." she gently undid the knots on the makeshift eye patch and led him to the water, where he could look at his reflection. Afraid of what his reaction would be, she turned her back and sobbed silently into her hands. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned, greeted by Gippal's smiling face. She looked at him with a puzzled expression when he simply wiped her tears away, kissing the tip of her nose.

"I'm proud of this wound...Wanna know why?" She nodded and he smiled again.

"'cause I got it by protecting Gippal's Girl."

A pyrefly watched from afar as Gippal gently lifted Rikku's chin, closing his eyes and moving his face closer and closer to hers. Rikku eventually closed her eyes as well, moving closer as well, their lips finally meeting in a sweet, gentle, tender kiss. He gently broke the kiss and smiled down at her.

"So, how 'bout it? Wanna be Gippal's Girl?" He stroked her cheek gently and she smiled up at him, nodding. He embraced her, not noticing the pyrefly that flew near his ear.

"Protect her always, hold her close, and never let go. Protect my sweet little angel, and know that you two belong together." The pyrefly flew off once more, Gippal watching it in awe. He shrugged, thinking he'd simply been hearing things, but made a mental note to do just that anyhow, 'cause after all...

She was Gippal's Girl now.

Part IV: Comfort

Ages: Rikku- 9, Gippal-10

A year had passed since the attack...and the death of Gippal's parents. Rikku and Gippal had taken shelter for that last night to be safe before returning to the village the next day, only to find Gippal's parents being sent by Summoner Braska. Though Gippal hadn't cried in front of Rikku, she knew he'd started the minute he said he'd see her later before running off somewhere. She was about to run after him until Cid placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Let him go...He needs time to take it in and grieve." Rikku simply turned and hugged him tightly, tears streaming down her face.

"I'm so glad you're okay, daddy," she whispered. Cid smiled as he hugged his daughter close, a certain pyrefly floating around nearby. Said pyrefly slowly flew over to the father and daughter, circled around them, and flew off again, but not for the last time.

A year later, Gippal isn't mourning, as is expected. Instead, he seems...happy. Rikku lifted her head from his chest.

"You feelin' okay today?" She asked, causing him to look over to her. He smiled and pecked her cheek.

"'Course, Gippal's Girl...why you askin'?" he replied, sitting up so his feet were planted on the ground, his knees bent. She shrugged, digging a single finger into the sand. She didn't want to address the topic further in case it brought about negative emotions, but she could tell he really didn't know what she was talking about, so she opted to ask in a gentle way.

"Well, 's just...your parents...and you're not sad at all! Are you just hiding it?" He smiled at her and kissed the tip of her nose, locking his fingers in between hers.

"Well you see, when I ran off, I ended up at my house, and I found a letter written by mom 'n dad." He pulled a worn piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to her. She opened it carefully as to avoid ripping.

Our dearest son Gippal,

In case we don't make it out of this battle, please don't be saddened. As King Cid's loyal friends, it's our duty to protect him, even if the cost is our lives. Make sure to always stand by Princess Rikku, no matter what happens, and stay strong, for us. Defend her with your life, and let no harm come of her.

We must part now. We will always be watching from the Farplane with Queen Yhkam.

All of our love,

Mother and Father

Rikku felt tears come to her eyes at mention of her mother. Though she'd never met her (she was only five months old when her mother died), she felt a strong connection with her, almost as if she was always there, watching from afar when she was down. Gippal pulled her into an embrace and they just sat there, holding each other and being with each other. The moment was interrupted when Rikku's stomach let out a large growl, causing both to look at each other and laugh.

"Come on, let's get some food. I'm starved too!" Gippal exclaimed, helping Rikku up. They ran off hand in hand, her golden blond hair streaming behind them in the wind. The pyrefly flew after them, at a distance, of course.

Part V: Promises

Ages: Rikku- 13, Gippal-14

Rikku and Gippal had been together for five years now and were a constant topic of conversation with everyone, young and old. They never had a real argument, just little tiffs here and there that were instantly solved with a kiss on the cheek. It was plain and obvious to everyone that they'd get married someday. Even Cid thought so, though he wasn't quick to admit it. He saw her mother every time he looked at her, and therefore, didn't just want to hand her over just like that. The boy he had to give her to would have to be one who was strong, broad of shoulder, not afraid to give his life for her to live, and one who would love her no matter what. So far, Gippal was passing, but there was just one final test that Cid needed him to pass in order for him to prove himself good enough for Rikku.

"Boy, c'mere a minute. Got somethin' I needja to do. I'll try to be brief." Gippal nodded as he closed the office door. He looked up to Cid as a father figure and mentor. Anything Cid ever asked, he did without question, no matter how grueling. This would be no exception. Cid looked into his eye.

"Join the Crimson Squad."

"He said WHAT?!" Gippal winced and covered his ears. He was expecting a more open-minded response on such a topic, but then again, he was used to Rikku doing exactly the opposite of expected. He uncovered his ears and reached a hand out to grasp hers.

"Y-you're not actually going to do it, are you?" She looked at him hopefully, her hand slipping into his. He looked away, not wanting to see her face when he responded.

"Actually..." Rikku didn't give him the chance to answer. She spun on her heel and walked off in a huff, angry tears blinding her vision. She walked right into Gippal's chest, as she'd actually spun in a complete circle. She began sobbing and he moved to wrap his arms around her but she tore away from him.

"Don't touch me," she muttered, walking away towards her house. Gippal watched her go with a lost expression, totally unsure of how to react. Frustration took over and he jogged after her, grabbing onto her arm firmly once he reached her.

"Rikku, please just...let me explain the reason before you walk away on me." She turned to him and he felt guilt when he noticed the tears.

"Gippal, there is no reason out there that would make me happy to let you go get yourself killed. I...I..." she looked at the sand as if finding her words, Gippal left in suspense.

'You what? You like me? You hate me? You...love me?' He thought, watching her struggle for words with an expressionless glance. She looked up at him once again with a blush.

"I...really really REALLY care about you, you know...In fact...I think I l-...lll..lo...ermm...Point is!" She straightened up and put her hands on her hips. "You're gonna get killed if you go off to the Crimson Squad! Haven't you payed any attention to the reports of all of our people coming back dead?! Al Bhed people aren't liked out there, Gippal, and...I don't want you to die...Yet you insist on throwing yourself in the face of danger just like that and expect me to welcome the idea with open arms! What kind of girl do I look like I am?!" Gippal hung his head, unsure of what to say. She was right, every one of their people who went off to fight in the Crimson Squad came back...as a corpse in the back of a hoverplane. She was also right about the fact that he pretty much was throwing himself right in the danger zone. He grabbed her right hand and placed it over his heart.

"Rikku, look at me." She did as told and was surprised to see tears gathering in his single eye. "I promise you, Princess Rikku of the Al Bhed, that no matter how rough it gets out there, I will come back to you...and I'll come back alive. And when I do come back...we'll get some ice cream together, first thing. Whaddya say?" he asked, his eye twinkling. Rikku giggled and wiped his tears away.

"Sounds fair, but..I have a question..." He looked at her with curiosity. She toed at the dirt. "...Will I always be Gippal's Girl?" He smiled and kissed her forehead softly.

"Always and forever, Gippal's Girl. No one can strip that title from you." She smiled at him and they kissed there, under the full moon and the watchful eye of a certain pyrefly.

Alright folks, that's it for the first section! Stay tuned for section 2!