Now if I were a dead guy, where would I be?
It was the question Rikku found herself forced to ask. Auron was out in Spira, but where? What was his favorite spot? Who would he want to see given the chance? These questions didn't have answers. Rikku knew she had never known Auron well enough to try and guess what or whom he desired to see. She wasn't so foolish as to guess he would want to see her. She refused to get her hopes up quite that high.
Still, where was there to look? Rikku thought she might scour Spira on foot, retracing the pilgrimage of nine years ago in hopes of uncovering clues. Still, she was a modern woman in a constantly advancing world. She had some money saved up. She could acquire a small airship if she really needed to. That would stay as a last resort, however; she wasn't willing to empty her savings so hastily when old favors could be called upon.
Rikku was well aware Gippal had his own airship, the Desert Rose or something corny like that. Maybe she could ask to borrow it from him? He could be dropped off in Kilika, Luca, or Bevelle, and visit a batch of his hundred girlfriends. That guy was such a player. She didn't mean to, but Rikku found her temperature rising. She harbored old affection toward Auron, yes, but fresher still was the resentment she possessed toward Gippal and his…habits.
She remembered the times she had seen other women draped around his neck, younger and prettier ones. At first it hurt her, disgust her too when he would pull the girls off and croon about how she was the best of all. Why did she have to be the best? Why could she never be the one, the only person to make his life complete?
Rikku had all but closed her heart completely toward Gippal. She now let stay in her life as a friend and nothing more. There would be no more dates, no more holding hands, no more embraces, no more kisses delivered by his well-practiced lips. During her teenage years, before the Gullwings were formed, she and Gippal had been in a relationship for several months. For a while, that admiration for the deceased samurai escaped her thoughts and she considered only the young, fresh, reciprocated love Gippal had to offer.
Gippal shared his affections with more girls than one, however, and, upon discovering this in a most unpleasant way, Rikku's heart was smashed into pieces. Her complete disillusionment took its sweet time, however. Gippal always tried to woe her back, and for so many evenings he almost succeeded. She would just about give in and think they could bring back the exclusive relationship they had once shared.
It never worked, and the only way Rikku could avoid the pain was to tell herself she didn't care about Gippal and his stupid love life. She certainly didn't want any part in it, either. So, after several years of careful practice, she could work with Gippal or even have a casual chat with him and not suffer the pangs of jealously that had once made their meetings unbearable. She was desensitized to him, even if he ran his hands down her back or tried to touch his lips to her neck. She was actually quite good at fighting him off and going on like nothing at all had occurred.
Why was she thinking about Gippal again? Oh yeah. She needed to call in a favor. Rikku made her way from the Farplane to the inn. There she used the Commsphere provided to get through to Bikanel Island.
"Nhadala of the Machine Faction here!" came the drowsy response. "How may I help you?" The woman's eyes focused, and her voice began showing an element of actual cheer. "Oh, it's you, Rikku. Hello!"
"Hey," Rikku responded pleasantly. "How are things over there?"
"Pretty good. We've gotten used to our leader taking off all the time," the woman added, failing not unintentionally to hide her irritation.
"You make a pretty great leader yourself, Nhadala. You should just kick Gippal out and take over."
They laughed together for a few moments. Nhadala, too, was often frustrated by Gippal, although for the sake of business reasons, not romantic ones.
"So how can I get in touch with Gippal?"
Nhadala shrugged, putting a hand to her forehead to shield herself from the sun. "My best guess would be to call the Desert Rose."
"Okay! Thanks so much, Nhadala."
"Any time."
The transmission ended. Rikku leaned back in her chair. She was a bit hesitant to call Gippal's ship directly. What if he had some girl on board? It would be disgusting to interrupt yet another of his flirtations. Still, she wanted to find Auron, and, if that meant seeing something she didn't like one more time, it would all be worth it in the end.
~
Gippal couldn't sleep. He was stalking about the interior of his small ship, trying to tire himself out enough so that rest would be possible. It was cozy enough, the Desert Rose. He had had the walls of the egg-shaped vessel painted a calming, deep aquamarine to rid them of the metallic shimmer so common in ships. In the very front was the control panel, a large, crescent desk covered with tiny screen, gauges, buttons, and knobs.
In the back was his small bedroom, where he had a long, low bed covered by a green comforter. Next to it stood a metal table with a screen sunk into the top. Here he would do his business transactions or select a song or broadcast to watch or listen to. He had a shelf over his bed filled with those old-fashioned books, the ones made out of paper. They had been a gift from Baralai and Nooj, and, although he had previously seen little use in a degradable form of entertainment, the stories and lessons the volumes contained were a good cure for boredom.
There was carpet in his bedroom, too, and he enjoyed plopping down on his bed and letting his feet sink into the thick blue fibers. Late at night, after returning from a date or a long day of Machine Faction business, Gippal would take out his guitar and strum a song or two before becoming tired enough to lay back and read himself to sleep.
He liked his ship. On the outside, an actual desert rose was painted in orange, reds, and yellows. The inside was just as nice, perhaps better. It calmed him and made him content to be alone.
Usually.
Right now, Gippal was anything but content. He couldn't find Rikku. He'd called Yuna, Paine, Nooj, Baralai—no one yet who had seen her recently. He had bothered Brother to the point where the Gullwings leader just about screamed Gippal's ears off.
So he sat down at his desk, stared into the glowing blue screen set in it. He drummed his fingers across the menu, eventually choosing a song he had recorded. It was a little instrumental piece he had composed himself. Almost as soon as the song began, though, the screen fuzzed and displayed the very image of the illusive lady he was searching for.
"Rikku! Where the hell are you?"
Rikku blinked a couple of times. Gippal looked down into the projection of her beautiful face. Her hair was arranged very attractively. It seemed to be braided in some elaborate fashion, and it tied at the nape of her neck. And those spiraled emeralds of eyes she had! He could have looked at her all day.
The woman on the other end appeared to collect herself from the shock of being yelled at in place of a greeting. "Were you looking for me or something?"
"Yeah." Of course he was! "I've got something I really need to talk to you about."
"Well, so do I, in fact," Rikku replied. "So can you come pick me up?"
"Yeah!" He realized he wasn't containing himself very well. "Uh, where are you?"
"Guadosalam. I'll go out to meet you at the entrance to the Thunder Plains."
"Su—" The screen fuzzed back into a blue nothing. Whatever she needed, it was urgent.
Gippal could only smile to himself as he slid out of his chair and gingerly walked to the navigation terminal at the front of his ship. Rikku already wanted to speak with him. That was the one huge obstacle out of the way. Maybe this whole confessing his love thing wouldn't be so difficult after all.
~
As soon as Rikku deactivated the Commsphere, she was standing and packing away the few belongings she had brought with her. She put on her cloak again, tied the hood tightly around her head, plucked up her satchel, and left the room. She paid the innkeeper, who seemed surprised by anyone checking out before the sun rose, and headed through the labyrinthine environment that was Guadosalam, stepping over knots in the wood that shaped the hollows.
Without a second thought she descended into the darkened tunnel that lead to the Thunder Plains. Nine years ago this place scared her half to death, and Auron had had no tolerance for her childish reaction to the never-ending storm. He had been cruel to her then, or so she had felt at the time. Now the harshness of his manner was softened in her mind, and she could be proud of herself for overcoming the foolish fear of lightning.
Though it was a bit scary, still…
Going outside meant plunging herself into darkness. Rikku hovered at the end of the passageway, protected from rain and lightning and only occasionally bothered by the rumble of thunder. A wind came up and blew some water over her huddling form. She first retreated a few steps back into the cave, then bunched a bit of her cloak over one hand and used it to wipe off her face.
It was so dark. She wasn't scared, really she wasn't. She had fought Sin and Vegnagun and all the fiends in between. But the dark, broken only by the slivers of lightning piercing the skies, was slightly imposing. Would Gippal or the sun arrive first? She longed for either one.
Suddenly a round disk of light appeared on the ground outside. Rikku cautiously stepped out toward it, becoming illuminated in half an instant. The gusts created by the landing airship played with her cloak and skirt, blowing them in all directions to reveal her shivering legs to Gippal and anyone else around who cared to watch. Rikku pulled down her clothes to cover herself before approaching the extended plank.
Just before entering, Rikku slipped. Gippal's arm appeared from within the interior of the dimly lit ship. Oh, what the heck, she thought, taking hold of his forearm and going inside. It was better to utilize the assistance that he offered than to make a fool of herself sliding off the plank and falling to the muddy earth.
The plank retracted and the door thudded shut behind them. The lights imbedded in the ceiling buzzed and the room grew brighter.
"You painted it," Rikku observed after taking down her hood. She glided across the floor in a circle to fully appreciate the depth of the aqua color. "Pretty."
Gippal smiled. He remained quite the gentleman and took her coat and bag for her, placing them in a closet with an automatic sliding door. He certainly had all the latest inventions at his disposal, she noted.
"So what was so urgent you called me at five in the morning?"
Rikku smiled at him, her eyes turning into crescent moons and her mouth widening to cover a good part of her face. "I need a favor." She let her words emerge like a song with no melody. Gippal knew how to manipulate girls all right, but she knew how to manipulate right back.
He seemed to relax immediately upon seeing her grin. His shoulders drooped to their regular position, his fake smile transformed into a true one. The nervous look in his eye, though, remained, as well as the perked nature of his scalp (his spiked hair stood up a bit more than normal). He was nervous about something.
Oh well, she couldn't be bothered with his worries right now.
"If you've got a girl back there, you honestly should have dropped her off before coming to get me," Rikku told him, strolling in the direction of the bedroom door. She could see the room was empty, so she spun around and winked up at the man. "You planned ahead. Good job."
Gippal frowned slightly. His shoulders dropped just a notch more. Why was her teasing upsetting him so much more than normal?
Hmm… Rikku considered the situation for a moment. Must just be 'cause it's so early? I do feel bad for waking him up—but this is important!
"What about your favor, Rikku?"
"I need to," she began, her words broken by nervous giggles. "I need to, um, borrow your ship…?"
"You what?"
"Just a few days, I promise! 'Kay?"
He looked confused now. Surprised, too.
~
Borrow the ship? Now why would she want to do that? Gippal could only scratch the back of his head. "Okay, but you've got to tell me what it's for. I put a lot of work into this baby," he explained, walking over to touch the navigation panel, "and I don't want anything to happen to her."
"I need to find somebody," she said simply, not meeting his gaze for some reason.
"Anyone I know?"
She shook her head. Still no eye contact. "Nope, don't think so."
"What kind of person?"
"A friend…" She had such a song-like quality in her voice when she was trying to be vague. So charming, so pretty. He would have listened to her avoid questions all day long—had he not been so worried about what she was trying to not tell him.
"How many times have I helped you out, Gippal?" Rikku was saying, apparently testing another method of attaining her goal. "Whenever you need to find something, aren't I the one you call?"
"I pay you, though. And it's the Machine Faction dealing with the Gullwings, not you doing business with me." Oh man. He had that stupid defensive, edgy feeling again. His emotions were like lava inside him, churning and bubbling. Oh God, if only he could touch her hair or something…if only she would allow him to be close to her. It was exhausting to just stand, to stop himself from reaching out and grabbing her right then and there.
Damn. Damn it all! Why had her years of indifference only served to entice him more than before? Why did her cool manner make him want her all the more? She was torturing him, singing her vague responses, carelessly fluttering her eyelashes—and on the search for "somebody."
"Who is it, Rikku? Don't play games with me," Gippal said.
Rikku gave a start. She had gone over to inspect the control panel while he had zoned out into the realm of internal debate, and seemed a little surprised to hear his voice again. "Games?" she asked, laughing. "I thought you lived your life by playing games, Gippal."
It was true. For so long he had lived life as one intrigue to the next. How could he explain that that wasn't what he wanted anymore? How could he say that he wanted to relinquish his lonely freedom for the love of one woman? That he would give up anything so long as he could be with her?
It was too much to say, too many feelings and thoughts to simplify into words. All he could do was agree to loan her the ship—on the sole condition that he would be along for the ride.
***