What I Wouldn't Do For You
Chapter Five: Happy Birthday Rikku!
"RIKKU!!!"
I shouted her name above the desert sands as the dunes whipped wildly in the distance like millions of serpents. Even if the sun wasn't visible, dehydration was the least of my problems. I felt the sands wrap around me, getting in my hair and my boots. I searched frantically through the storm, looking for any sign of her.
"Rikku, where are you?!?" I yelled, not caring that my throat was sore and that my lungs felt like they were being deprived of air.
This is all my fault. If I hadn't teased her so much, she wouldn't have run off into the desert. I didn't mean to hurt her feelings and chase her into a sandstorm. I just wanted her to notice me!
Man, where is she? Is she lost? Is she hurt? Is she...dead? No, no! She can't do that to me! She can't leave all of us like that, I won't let her!!!
I walked further into the storm, not knowing my east from my west or my north from my south. I saw only thick blankets of sand whizzing past me and making it impossible to see barely three feet in front of my face. I feel so numb, but my feet keep moving me into some direction. I just want to see her and say I'm sorry for making her cry. I want to tell her that I didn't mean all those things that I said. I don't care if I get lost in this sandstorm. I'm not going back Home until I bring Rikku back with me.
I walk on, the storm getting worse and worse with each step I take through the sand. My throat feels parched and just the thought of water is torture. My arms and face have lost all feeling from the strong winds and the hot sand. My body suddenly gave out and I fall face-first into a bed of soft sand. I can still hear the high winds whistling in my ear, and a sand is beginning to cover me. I lost all feeling in my body and slowly the desert began to disappear before my eyes...
Rikku...I'm sorry for what I did to you. You can punch me, kick me, yell at me, I don't care! I just want you to be safe.
...please...forgive me...
...Rikku...
* * * *
I woke up with a start, sweat dripping from my forehead. I took in the air with deep, heavy breaths. I gripped at my hair, which was falling out of place, with my hands. I looked around the room with my one good eye and slowly remembered that I was in Rikku's bedroom. The sickly cute stuffed animals on the empty bed were a dead giveaway...
...wait a minute...EMPTY?!?
I stood up from the chair, looking frantically for Rikku. Where the hell was she? She shouldn't be out of bed, not after what happened today! Gotta find her in case she passes out again...
I left the room and entered into the main room of the temple. I saw destroyed pillars and heaps of rubble lying all over the place, but no yellow bouncing ball of energy. Some of the faction members were trying to clean up the temple and were already talking about rebuilding it.
"Rao!" I said to the Al Bhed guy passing me. "Ryja oui caah Rikku?"
He nodded and pointed to where the doors used to be. "Cra'c uidceta."
I immediately headed outside, ignoring the stares of the other members. I walked out of the temple and suddenly heard an extremely familiar voice.
"Hi, Yunie!" Rikku cried out to the little blue sphere that was positioned on the ground. She waved at it happily. "How are ya?"
"I'm fine, glad to see you're okay Rikku," the little sphere answered in the former High Summoner's voice. "My goodness, what happened?"
Rikku got a confused look on her face. "Whaddya mean?"
"The temple and everything around it is a mess! Did you get attacked by fiends or something?"
Rikku's fingers started fidgeting as she bit her bottom lip. "Well...not exactly..."
There was a moment of silence, and then the sphere began to talk again. "Rikku, were you casting spells again?"
"No! Well...maybe...yes?"
"Honestly, how many times have Paine and I told you? You shouldn't cast a third-level spell with the little experience that you have."
"Rikku casting magic?!" A second voice laughed. "Yeah, right! She probably did more damage to the people around her than to the fiends!"
"Shut up, Tidus!!!" She pouted. "And Yunie, I had no choice! There was this machina, and it was set in crazy-killer-mode and it busted out of the temple and was gonna hurt everyone and I had to stop it-"
"Rikku, calm down!" Yuna ordered her.
She took a deep breath and exhaled. "I had to, Yunie! There was this machina that malfunctioned and was gonna kill everyone. I needed to do something!"
"Okay, okay. Just don't cast any more spells again until you've gotten the hang of being a Black Mage."
Rikku hung her head down, her blonde braids falling against her face. "Oh, everyone treats me like I'm still a kid! I'm practically eighteen, remember?"
"Of course I do! How can I forget my favorite cousin's birthday?"
She looked back at the sphere, twirling a braid with her finger. "Um, Yunie? I'm your only cousin."
"Oh, right...um, anyway, why don't you come to Besaid to celebrate your birthday?"
"Yeah, so I can give you your birthday punches!" The male voice rang.
Rikku smirked. "Ha! Like that would hurt! You punch like a wimp!"
"Takes one to know one!" The guy called 'Tidus' teased back. I began to feel jealous as Rikku and him kept shooting insults at each other. I'm the only one who teased her to no end. Who does this guy thinks he is?
"Whatever!" Rikku stuck her tongue out.
"Children!" Yuna interrupted. "Will you both quit it for a second?"
She crossed her arms and looked away from the sphere. "He started it..."
"As I was saying, come to Besaid. Wakka and Lulu want to see you!"
Rikku scratched the back of her head and laughed nervously. "Uh, yeah, about that...I can't."
"Really? Why?"
She looked grimly back at the Commsphere, her emerald green eyes drooping. "I thought Brother would've told you. I have to stay here to help with the Machine Faction for three months."
"He did tell me, but don't you think Gippal could let you take one measly day off to celebrate your birthday?"
Rikku shook her head. "It's not like he wouldn't, but I don't want to bother him. He's always so busy and we got a whole lot of new members to train. He won't admit it, but I think he needs my help-"
"Oh, I see..."
Rikku's eyes concentrated on the sphere, obviously confused. "Huh?"
"Rikku, is it that you can't leave Djose or that you don't WANT to?" Yuna asked, hinting at something.
She shook her head again, waving her arms frantically like a lunatic. "W-what are you saying?!?"
"You know what I mean...it's about HIM, isn't it?"
Whatever Yuna was saying, it sure was making Rikku's cheeks red. "No it's NOT!!! Why would you think that?!?"
I thought that this little argument wasn't gonna end until the sun would rise, so I decided to step in. When Rikku gets started, she doesn't stop.
"Rikku, what are you doing out here?"
She swung her head towards me, her pretty eyes wide with surprise. "Gippal! U-um, nothing! Just talking to my cousin-"
"Hey, who is that?" I heard the male voice ask. "Is it that guy Rikku's always telling us abou-"
Before Yuna or Tidus could speak, Rikku let out a little shriek and pounded her fist onto the Commsphere. Her attack caused a little crack to form in the middle of the blue sphere, and all I could hear were garbled voices.
"Oops, guess I don't know my own strength!" she exclaimed with relief. "If you can hear me Yunie, we'll discuss my birthday later! Hugs and kisses! Bye-bye!"
She waved good-bye to the broken sphere and shut it off. She stood up and greeted me with a sheepish smile.
"Hey, Mr. Leader!"
I looked smugly back at her. "Don't 'hey Mr. Leader' me. You shouldn't be out of bed!" I grabbed one of her hands and began to tug her back to the temple. Rikku fought back by trying to stand her ground and pulling in the opposite direction.
"You big meanie! Let-me-go!!!" She shouted, her feet sliding against the dirt as I dragged her.
"You should be resting, not prancing around out here!" I argued, easily pulling her across the ground.
"But I don't wanna!" She cried, trying to yank her hand out of my grasp. "I feel better!"
"You're going back to bed," I said, oblivious to the crowd that we were attracting.
She finally was able to struggle her way out of my hold, and she planted her feet firmly on the ground. Her arms, which were covered in pale yellow bows like they always were, crossed over her chest. "I'm not gonna be told what to do! I'm almost eighteen!"
"Really? Is that so, Cid's little girl?" I asked, not giving in for one second.
"Yeah, so get used to it!" She stubbornly said and turned her back on me, her arms still folded.
Seeing how this was my perfect chance, I grabbed Rikku by the waist and effortlessly slung her over my shoulder.
"Fryd yna oui tuehk?!?" she screamed at me in Al Bhed. She began pounding her fists against my back and kicking her little feet. She kept wiggling around, but I didn't pay attention. Rikku's as light as a feather, plus there's no way she could ever physically harm me. She's WAY too weak.
I carried her back into the temple and to her room, shutting the door behind us with my boot. I walked over to her bed and set her down. When I was able to face her again, she was giving me the death glare.
"What'd you do that for?!?"
"You aren't going out of this room until morning. You're gonna rest 'til then."
She clenched her fists. "Gippal, quit treating me like a baby! That's all everyone does around here and it's really ticking me off!"
"What do you mean?"
"Pops, Brother, Yunie, Tidus, and you! Why can't people stop being so worried about me? I can take care of myself."
I looked away from her, not wanting her to see that I was hurt by her words. "Cunno...it's just that when I found you after the machina was destroyed, you were unconscious. I thought there was something wrong with you, so when I saw that your bed was empty...I got kinda worried."
I thought that she was truly pissed at me, until I felt her hand on my shoulder. I turned to see her face and I was almost stunned when I saw her beautiful swirled eyes staring at me sympathetically.
"I'm sorry, Gippal. I didn't mean to yell at you. It's been a crazy day, y'know?"
I scoffed, feeling a bit better. "Speak for yourself. You were the one that nearly disintegrated the temple, not me."
She laughed nervously. "Well, at least I got the machina! Heh heh...guess I need practice with my spells, huh?"
"Practice is an understatement," I replied, running my hand through her soft hair and messing it up. Rikku giggled and pushed me away.
"Yunie and Paine said the same thing..." her voice trailed off and she suddenly stood up. "But I don't wanna spend all that time training to be a Black Mage. It takes so many hours and it's SO boring..."
"Then don't," I answered bluntly.
"But I might need those spells someday! What if I get into a fight with an ultra-super powerful fiend that's completely invulnerable to physical attacks? How am I gonna protect myself then?"
"Don't worry about it. I'll protect you..."
Oh shit...did I just say that? Smooth, Gippal. Real smooth...
"W-what?" I heard Rikku ask. Her cheeks were a bit rosy and there was this shocked look in her eyes.
Quick, quick! Change the subject. Talk about weather, music, machina, talk about chocobos for Spira's sake! Just change the freaking subject!!!
"What were you dreaming about when you fainted?" I quickly asked, hoping to throw Rikku off. I can't tell her, not now of all times.
She cocked her head to one side, her long hair shifting from one side to the other. "Huh?"
"I heard you calling out for your mother. Why?"
To be genuinely honest, I truly did want to know what Rikku was dreaming about. It was the first thing that came to mind, so I decided to ask her. Rikku never spoke of her mother since the day that she had passed onto the Farplane. I was seven and Rikku was six then. Her mom contracted this illness that no one knew anything about at the time. Even if we had known the cure, we were all too preoccupied by being driven into the desert by the rest of Spira to create a vaccine. The world had hated us so much that they had forced us into Bikanel Desert without a shred of regret.
By the time that anyone even knew the name of the damn disease, Rikku's mom had died in her sleep. Cid held a memorial service in her honor. She was a well-respected woman of our clan, but I think that she meant the most to her family. Brother didn't talk at all that day, he just stood there like a living corpse and didn't budge. Rikku was crying so much though, and she didn't try to hide it. When I saw her burying her face in her hands and saw the tears dripping down her cheeks, I felt like wanting to cry to. But I didn't. I never cried, and I had to do it for Rikku. Cid and Brother were wrecks, so I had to be strong for her.
Rikku looked away from me and leaned back onto her bed, hugging her pillow. I suddenly regretted asking, but she spoke. "I was thanking her."
I raised an eyebrow. "For what?"
She smiled and tucked her neatly woven braid behind her ear, revealing a red and yellow feather. "For this!"
I remembered those feathers. Rikku had always worn them on her braids as ornaments since her mom had died. She began wearing them as earrings after Sin had been defeated.
"What about them?"
Rikku giggled, playing with the soft tip of the feather with her fingertips. "These feathers belonged to my mom. She told me that they had always given her good luck, so she gave them to me before she..."
The smile on Rikku's face disappeared as her bright green eyes grew distant. If I didn't feel like a total ass earlier, I did now.
I was feeling so terrible that I didn't notice my hand placing itself on hers, holding it tightly. Rikku's eyes shot at me, surprised by my gesture. I was shocked too, but I didn't want to let go of her hand. I liked the feeling of her soft skin against my fingers, so I still held her hand.
A smile returned again to her pink lips. "Sorry. I kinda zoned out."
I shook my head. "Nothing to be sorry for."
She sighed, looking down again. "I...wished that I had more than just feathers to remember her by."
Rikku shifted onto her back, lying flat on her bed. She moved her legs aside so I had a spot to sit on the mattress.
"What do you want?" I asked, trying to keep my eyes off of those slim legs of hers. I figured that I should be listening to Rikku instead of checking her out on her bed. At least, that's what my conscience was telling my hormones.
She sighed again. "I dunno...maybe a sphere or something. I wanna see her face again, even if she's gone. It'd be nice to have something to share with Pops and Brother. Maybe if they saw her, they'd remember how much she hated to see our family argue and stop fighting."
Brother and Cid always seemed to be in each other's faces over something, even if it's about a trivial and stupid thing. Rikku doesn't know why they've always been fighting, they just do. Seeing her distraught over stuff like that made me want to pound some sense in both their thick heads. Rikku hated to see people fight, especially her family.
"I...don't know what to say," I answered. I know that it was a cold-hearted thing to say, but that's how I truly felt. I didn't want to make Rikku feel worse by saying 'It's gonna be all right' or 'Forget about all that stuff'. Who am I to tell her that things would turn out all rosy and nice or to tell her to forget about her problems? I didn't want to say those things because they had no meaning, kind of like lies. And I didn't want to lie to Rikku.
She was staring at me, like she wanted me to continue. So I did. "I mean, I never knew my parents. I didn't have spheres or pictures, or any of that stuff."
"But don't you miss them?" Rikku asked.
"Not really. How am I supposed to miss two people that I've never seen before in my life?"
She looked troubled by my words. "But they were your parents, Gippal."
"I know. But memories are memories, right?"
Rikku paused, but then nodded. "Yeah...memories are nice, but that's all they are."
And old Al Bhed saying. A saying that we have all lived by. With all the technological advances our people made, we were too caught up with our work to think about the past. Why bother with events that have already happened when all that mattered was our present and future, right?
"Still..."
I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard Rikku speaking again. She was sitting up and smiling at me, her emerald eyes holding mine.
"I bet that if they could see you now, they would tell you that they're proud of you."
I just grinned and laughed a bit. "Yeah, maybe."
Suddenly, the door burst open and there was Old Man Cid himself. Rikku nearly jumped and I had noticed the perplexed look on the old man's face. I then came to the realization that I was alone in the room with the Al Bhed leader's daughter, until now.
"What's going on here?" Cid demanded in his gruff voice. Before I could reply, Rikku stood up from her bed and faced her dad.
"Nothing!"
"Why is HE in your room?" He gave me a dirty look.
Okay, I've always thought that Cid was a cool guy. His love for machina was contagious and had obviously passed onto his children. He's a great leader, always knowing what to do and how to do it. But for some reason, he didn't like me. Probably because I was the one that broke up with Rikku, and I've had a reputation for dating a few girls here and there. He always spoils her and he treats her like a little princess, much to his daughter's dismay. As I've said, Rikku has always been an independent person, but I don't think that Cid has accepted that just yet. Guess because she's the youngest of his kids and also happens to be his only daughter.
Rikku rolled her eyes. "We were talking, Pops! Quit accusing me of stuff...hey, what are you doing here anyway?"
Cid grinned as if he had this big important secret. "Your bonehead of a brother told me about the whole situation. So that's why I've decided to throw my little girl's birthday bash here at Djose!"
Rikku punched the air with one fist and jumped in delight. "That's awesome, Pops! Can Yunie and Tidus come?"
"Heh, sure. The more the merrier! I don't want my niece and her beau to miss my daughter's eighteenth birthday party! And I've got a big surprise for you!"
Rikku's eyes sparkled in joy as she clapped her hands together excitedly. "Ohhh, really?!? What is it, what is it?!?"
Old Man Cid chuckled and shook his head. "I can't tell ya 'til the party, or it wouldn't be much of a surprise! You'll know the day after tomorrow."
She sulked and gave her dad the puppy-eyes look. "Bmayca, Vydran?"
"You'll see soon enough, Rikku. Now, keep up the good work around here! I'll see you at the party. You too, Gippal!"
I nodded my head politely, and then the Old Man left. After the door closed, Rikku did a little dance of happiness. "This is so great, I won't have to miss out on my birthday!"
She suddenly stopped dancing and looked at me worriedly. "Um, did Pops ask you if he could have the party here?"
"Nah, but I don't care. You only turn eighteen once, right?"
She squealed and threw her arms around me, smothering me in a tight hug. "Thank you so much, Gippal! You're the best!"
It took me a while to overcome my shock, but I found myself hugging Rikku back. "Heh, I know."
It felt great, knowing that she was in my arms. I didn't want her warmth to leave me, so I kept my arms around her waist as long as I could, not wanting to let go.
After that night, Rikku woke up perkier than usual. She was always devoted to helping the Faction and even I have to admit that her work was more than exceptional, but today she reached a new record. She fixed more machina in one day than most of the members could in two weeks. I knew that she was excited about the party and the surprise that her dad had in store for her, because her steps seemed lighter and she was humming a lot more as she worked.
Soon enough, it was the day of the party. The Faction members were relieved that I wasn't gonna drive them like slaves today. I figured that they deserved a break since it was Rikku's birthday. A lot of people were there: there were several Al Bhed from Bikanel Desert, Brother and the Celsius crew, the former High Summoner and that Tidus guy, Paine and Baralai, and somehow Nooj was dragged to the party. And following right behind him was that LeBlanc lady, as always.
There was music blaring all over the place as people danced, stuffed their faces, or just plain talked. I went over to where my old friends were at the refreshment table. They all greeted me, and I noticed that they held gifts in their hands.
"Hey, what's up you guys?" I asked, kinda happy to see them for the first time in a long while. I wasn't able to meet up with either Paine or Baralai 'cause they, along with Nooj, were trying to smooth out the edges of the conflict between New Yevon and the Youth League.
"Where's your gift?" Baralai asked out of curiosity. I shrugged my shoulders and grinned.
"I'd figure that I would give it to her after the party."
Paine looked away as Nooj and Baralai stifled laughs.
"What?" I asked, a bit irritated. I hated when people were laughing at me. It made me feel stupid.
"So, what did you get her?" Nooj asked, a smart-ass tone to his voice.
"You finally going to tell her how you feel?" Baralai followed, smiling.
I took a step back and gave them all a confused look. "What are you talking about?"
Paine sighed, brushing aside a silver lock of hair from her eyes. "Don't play stupid, Gippal."
"Yeah, you know as well as we do that you have more than a little crush on her."
I felt like I wanted to just wipe the smirk off of Nooj's face. "H-hey! That isn't true!"
"She was all you ever talked about when we were in the Crimson Squad," Baralai answered. I hated him at the moment because he wasn't exactly helping me.
"It was always 'Rikku this', or 'Rikku that'," Nooj added.
"Yes, and trading a measly aircraft part with Brother for three months of Rikku's time? It didn't get more obvious than that," Paine was joining in on ganging up on me. I think that it was safe to say that I was cornered.
"Hey, I only asked for one month!" I shot back, realizing shortly that I had just stabbed myself in the back.
"Yes, but you didn't complain," Nooj reminded me, and Baralai and Paine nodded in agreement.
"Will you guys back off already?!" I shouted a little too loudly, drawing some spectators. My friends all exchanged glances and laughed.
"Fine, Gippal. We've had our fun," Baralai said, serving himself some soda from the table.
"Just remember, pretty girls like your little Rikku don't stay single forever. If you don't step up to bat..."
"You can bet that someone else will," Paine finished Nooj's sentence, and they were done teasing me for the day.
I shook off their words that day because I didn't take them seriously. If I would've known what had happened later that night, I would've kept my friends' warnings in mind.
After the party went on for a couple more hours, it was time for Rikku to open her presents. Her eyes seemed to light up when she saw how many guests had brought her something. She was like a little kid again, and that made me smile. Today was her day, no doubt about it. So I was happy knowing that she was having a good time and was free of any worries.
Or so I thought until Cid presented his gift.
"Can I have your attention?" He bellowed over the crowd. Everyone turned their heads to him and the music died down, allowing him to speak..
"As y'all know, today is my little girl's eighteenth birthday! Come over here, Rikku."
Rikku walked away from talking with Yuna and Paine and went to her dad's side. She smiled brightly at her guests and gave a little wave. Everyone clapped for her since she was the whole reason that there was a celebration at all.
"Rikku, you've matured from a little girl to a young woman. I've always been expecting this day, and I can't believe that it's already here."
I took a sip from my drink, wishing that the old man would stop rambling.
"I realized a long time ago that when you turned eighteen, you wouldn't be able to rely on Brother or me to take care of you anymore. You'll be going out into Spira by yourself, facing new hardships as you start a new life. I didn't want you to be alone during those times, so that's why I got you a little present."
Cid signaled someone from the crowd, and the guests and I watched as a guy walked over to where Rikku and him were. By the blonde hair and the green swirled eyes, he was obviously an Al Bhed. He wasn't dressed like one, though. He wore this long dark blue robe with baggy sleeves, tied with a yellow sash, over a pair of fancy black pants and boots. His hair was a little long, falling a bit over his shoulders. I could've sworn that I heard a bunch of girls swooning as he walked away from the crowd.
Cid placed his hand over the strange guy's shoulder. "This is Cibaneun, a friend of mine."
"Uh...hi," Rikku greeted him, a bit puzzled over what was happening.
"Cibaneun, this is my daughter, Rikku," Cid introduced him to her. The guy kneeled down and took Rikku's hand, kissing it as he did.
"Pleasure to meet you," he said, making Rikku blush. I felt my hand tighten around my glass, hating the guy's guts even if I didn't know who the hell he was.
"Rikku, Cibaneun is my gift to you."
Rikku looked uncomfortable and if I didn't know better, a little afraid. "Huh?"
"He's your future husband!"
Rikku looked as if she was going to die right there on the spot. As for me, I was speechless. I was beyond being pissed...I felt like I wanted to murder the bastard.
I saw Yuna's hands over her mouth in shock, while the blonde guy next to her spit out his drink. Baralai and Nooj both looked grim, and Paine's eyes grew to the size of saucers.
I was so angry that I didn't feel the glass shattering in my hand, the soda mixing in with my blood and dripping onto the dirt.
***AUTHOR'S NOTE***
Well, this is bound to get interesting, won't it? Looks like our beloved Gippal is going to have a little competition!
Thanks a gazillion times for the reviews, guys!!! I'm really happy that people are actually reading this story. I'll try and update soon. Happy New Year!!!
TRANSLATIONS:
Rao- Hey
Ryja oui caah Rikku- Have you seen Rikku
Fryd yna oui tuehk- What are you doing
Bmayca, Vydran- Please, father
Chapter Five: Happy Birthday Rikku!
"RIKKU!!!"
I shouted her name above the desert sands as the dunes whipped wildly in the distance like millions of serpents. Even if the sun wasn't visible, dehydration was the least of my problems. I felt the sands wrap around me, getting in my hair and my boots. I searched frantically through the storm, looking for any sign of her.
"Rikku, where are you?!?" I yelled, not caring that my throat was sore and that my lungs felt like they were being deprived of air.
This is all my fault. If I hadn't teased her so much, she wouldn't have run off into the desert. I didn't mean to hurt her feelings and chase her into a sandstorm. I just wanted her to notice me!
Man, where is she? Is she lost? Is she hurt? Is she...dead? No, no! She can't do that to me! She can't leave all of us like that, I won't let her!!!
I walked further into the storm, not knowing my east from my west or my north from my south. I saw only thick blankets of sand whizzing past me and making it impossible to see barely three feet in front of my face. I feel so numb, but my feet keep moving me into some direction. I just want to see her and say I'm sorry for making her cry. I want to tell her that I didn't mean all those things that I said. I don't care if I get lost in this sandstorm. I'm not going back Home until I bring Rikku back with me.
I walk on, the storm getting worse and worse with each step I take through the sand. My throat feels parched and just the thought of water is torture. My arms and face have lost all feeling from the strong winds and the hot sand. My body suddenly gave out and I fall face-first into a bed of soft sand. I can still hear the high winds whistling in my ear, and a sand is beginning to cover me. I lost all feeling in my body and slowly the desert began to disappear before my eyes...
Rikku...I'm sorry for what I did to you. You can punch me, kick me, yell at me, I don't care! I just want you to be safe.
...please...forgive me...
...Rikku...
* * * *
I woke up with a start, sweat dripping from my forehead. I took in the air with deep, heavy breaths. I gripped at my hair, which was falling out of place, with my hands. I looked around the room with my one good eye and slowly remembered that I was in Rikku's bedroom. The sickly cute stuffed animals on the empty bed were a dead giveaway...
...wait a minute...EMPTY?!?
I stood up from the chair, looking frantically for Rikku. Where the hell was she? She shouldn't be out of bed, not after what happened today! Gotta find her in case she passes out again...
I left the room and entered into the main room of the temple. I saw destroyed pillars and heaps of rubble lying all over the place, but no yellow bouncing ball of energy. Some of the faction members were trying to clean up the temple and were already talking about rebuilding it.
"Rao!" I said to the Al Bhed guy passing me. "Ryja oui caah Rikku?"
He nodded and pointed to where the doors used to be. "Cra'c uidceta."
I immediately headed outside, ignoring the stares of the other members. I walked out of the temple and suddenly heard an extremely familiar voice.
"Hi, Yunie!" Rikku cried out to the little blue sphere that was positioned on the ground. She waved at it happily. "How are ya?"
"I'm fine, glad to see you're okay Rikku," the little sphere answered in the former High Summoner's voice. "My goodness, what happened?"
Rikku got a confused look on her face. "Whaddya mean?"
"The temple and everything around it is a mess! Did you get attacked by fiends or something?"
Rikku's fingers started fidgeting as she bit her bottom lip. "Well...not exactly..."
There was a moment of silence, and then the sphere began to talk again. "Rikku, were you casting spells again?"
"No! Well...maybe...yes?"
"Honestly, how many times have Paine and I told you? You shouldn't cast a third-level spell with the little experience that you have."
"Rikku casting magic?!" A second voice laughed. "Yeah, right! She probably did more damage to the people around her than to the fiends!"
"Shut up, Tidus!!!" She pouted. "And Yunie, I had no choice! There was this machina, and it was set in crazy-killer-mode and it busted out of the temple and was gonna hurt everyone and I had to stop it-"
"Rikku, calm down!" Yuna ordered her.
She took a deep breath and exhaled. "I had to, Yunie! There was this machina that malfunctioned and was gonna kill everyone. I needed to do something!"
"Okay, okay. Just don't cast any more spells again until you've gotten the hang of being a Black Mage."
Rikku hung her head down, her blonde braids falling against her face. "Oh, everyone treats me like I'm still a kid! I'm practically eighteen, remember?"
"Of course I do! How can I forget my favorite cousin's birthday?"
She looked back at the sphere, twirling a braid with her finger. "Um, Yunie? I'm your only cousin."
"Oh, right...um, anyway, why don't you come to Besaid to celebrate your birthday?"
"Yeah, so I can give you your birthday punches!" The male voice rang.
Rikku smirked. "Ha! Like that would hurt! You punch like a wimp!"
"Takes one to know one!" The guy called 'Tidus' teased back. I began to feel jealous as Rikku and him kept shooting insults at each other. I'm the only one who teased her to no end. Who does this guy thinks he is?
"Whatever!" Rikku stuck her tongue out.
"Children!" Yuna interrupted. "Will you both quit it for a second?"
She crossed her arms and looked away from the sphere. "He started it..."
"As I was saying, come to Besaid. Wakka and Lulu want to see you!"
Rikku scratched the back of her head and laughed nervously. "Uh, yeah, about that...I can't."
"Really? Why?"
She looked grimly back at the Commsphere, her emerald green eyes drooping. "I thought Brother would've told you. I have to stay here to help with the Machine Faction for three months."
"He did tell me, but don't you think Gippal could let you take one measly day off to celebrate your birthday?"
Rikku shook her head. "It's not like he wouldn't, but I don't want to bother him. He's always so busy and we got a whole lot of new members to train. He won't admit it, but I think he needs my help-"
"Oh, I see..."
Rikku's eyes concentrated on the sphere, obviously confused. "Huh?"
"Rikku, is it that you can't leave Djose or that you don't WANT to?" Yuna asked, hinting at something.
She shook her head again, waving her arms frantically like a lunatic. "W-what are you saying?!?"
"You know what I mean...it's about HIM, isn't it?"
Whatever Yuna was saying, it sure was making Rikku's cheeks red. "No it's NOT!!! Why would you think that?!?"
I thought that this little argument wasn't gonna end until the sun would rise, so I decided to step in. When Rikku gets started, she doesn't stop.
"Rikku, what are you doing out here?"
She swung her head towards me, her pretty eyes wide with surprise. "Gippal! U-um, nothing! Just talking to my cousin-"
"Hey, who is that?" I heard the male voice ask. "Is it that guy Rikku's always telling us abou-"
Before Yuna or Tidus could speak, Rikku let out a little shriek and pounded her fist onto the Commsphere. Her attack caused a little crack to form in the middle of the blue sphere, and all I could hear were garbled voices.
"Oops, guess I don't know my own strength!" she exclaimed with relief. "If you can hear me Yunie, we'll discuss my birthday later! Hugs and kisses! Bye-bye!"
She waved good-bye to the broken sphere and shut it off. She stood up and greeted me with a sheepish smile.
"Hey, Mr. Leader!"
I looked smugly back at her. "Don't 'hey Mr. Leader' me. You shouldn't be out of bed!" I grabbed one of her hands and began to tug her back to the temple. Rikku fought back by trying to stand her ground and pulling in the opposite direction.
"You big meanie! Let-me-go!!!" She shouted, her feet sliding against the dirt as I dragged her.
"You should be resting, not prancing around out here!" I argued, easily pulling her across the ground.
"But I don't wanna!" She cried, trying to yank her hand out of my grasp. "I feel better!"
"You're going back to bed," I said, oblivious to the crowd that we were attracting.
She finally was able to struggle her way out of my hold, and she planted her feet firmly on the ground. Her arms, which were covered in pale yellow bows like they always were, crossed over her chest. "I'm not gonna be told what to do! I'm almost eighteen!"
"Really? Is that so, Cid's little girl?" I asked, not giving in for one second.
"Yeah, so get used to it!" She stubbornly said and turned her back on me, her arms still folded.
Seeing how this was my perfect chance, I grabbed Rikku by the waist and effortlessly slung her over my shoulder.
"Fryd yna oui tuehk?!?" she screamed at me in Al Bhed. She began pounding her fists against my back and kicking her little feet. She kept wiggling around, but I didn't pay attention. Rikku's as light as a feather, plus there's no way she could ever physically harm me. She's WAY too weak.
I carried her back into the temple and to her room, shutting the door behind us with my boot. I walked over to her bed and set her down. When I was able to face her again, she was giving me the death glare.
"What'd you do that for?!?"
"You aren't going out of this room until morning. You're gonna rest 'til then."
She clenched her fists. "Gippal, quit treating me like a baby! That's all everyone does around here and it's really ticking me off!"
"What do you mean?"
"Pops, Brother, Yunie, Tidus, and you! Why can't people stop being so worried about me? I can take care of myself."
I looked away from her, not wanting her to see that I was hurt by her words. "Cunno...it's just that when I found you after the machina was destroyed, you were unconscious. I thought there was something wrong with you, so when I saw that your bed was empty...I got kinda worried."
I thought that she was truly pissed at me, until I felt her hand on my shoulder. I turned to see her face and I was almost stunned when I saw her beautiful swirled eyes staring at me sympathetically.
"I'm sorry, Gippal. I didn't mean to yell at you. It's been a crazy day, y'know?"
I scoffed, feeling a bit better. "Speak for yourself. You were the one that nearly disintegrated the temple, not me."
She laughed nervously. "Well, at least I got the machina! Heh heh...guess I need practice with my spells, huh?"
"Practice is an understatement," I replied, running my hand through her soft hair and messing it up. Rikku giggled and pushed me away.
"Yunie and Paine said the same thing..." her voice trailed off and she suddenly stood up. "But I don't wanna spend all that time training to be a Black Mage. It takes so many hours and it's SO boring..."
"Then don't," I answered bluntly.
"But I might need those spells someday! What if I get into a fight with an ultra-super powerful fiend that's completely invulnerable to physical attacks? How am I gonna protect myself then?"
"Don't worry about it. I'll protect you..."
Oh shit...did I just say that? Smooth, Gippal. Real smooth...
"W-what?" I heard Rikku ask. Her cheeks were a bit rosy and there was this shocked look in her eyes.
Quick, quick! Change the subject. Talk about weather, music, machina, talk about chocobos for Spira's sake! Just change the freaking subject!!!
"What were you dreaming about when you fainted?" I quickly asked, hoping to throw Rikku off. I can't tell her, not now of all times.
She cocked her head to one side, her long hair shifting from one side to the other. "Huh?"
"I heard you calling out for your mother. Why?"
To be genuinely honest, I truly did want to know what Rikku was dreaming about. It was the first thing that came to mind, so I decided to ask her. Rikku never spoke of her mother since the day that she had passed onto the Farplane. I was seven and Rikku was six then. Her mom contracted this illness that no one knew anything about at the time. Even if we had known the cure, we were all too preoccupied by being driven into the desert by the rest of Spira to create a vaccine. The world had hated us so much that they had forced us into Bikanel Desert without a shred of regret.
By the time that anyone even knew the name of the damn disease, Rikku's mom had died in her sleep. Cid held a memorial service in her honor. She was a well-respected woman of our clan, but I think that she meant the most to her family. Brother didn't talk at all that day, he just stood there like a living corpse and didn't budge. Rikku was crying so much though, and she didn't try to hide it. When I saw her burying her face in her hands and saw the tears dripping down her cheeks, I felt like wanting to cry to. But I didn't. I never cried, and I had to do it for Rikku. Cid and Brother were wrecks, so I had to be strong for her.
Rikku looked away from me and leaned back onto her bed, hugging her pillow. I suddenly regretted asking, but she spoke. "I was thanking her."
I raised an eyebrow. "For what?"
She smiled and tucked her neatly woven braid behind her ear, revealing a red and yellow feather. "For this!"
I remembered those feathers. Rikku had always worn them on her braids as ornaments since her mom had died. She began wearing them as earrings after Sin had been defeated.
"What about them?"
Rikku giggled, playing with the soft tip of the feather with her fingertips. "These feathers belonged to my mom. She told me that they had always given her good luck, so she gave them to me before she..."
The smile on Rikku's face disappeared as her bright green eyes grew distant. If I didn't feel like a total ass earlier, I did now.
I was feeling so terrible that I didn't notice my hand placing itself on hers, holding it tightly. Rikku's eyes shot at me, surprised by my gesture. I was shocked too, but I didn't want to let go of her hand. I liked the feeling of her soft skin against my fingers, so I still held her hand.
A smile returned again to her pink lips. "Sorry. I kinda zoned out."
I shook my head. "Nothing to be sorry for."
She sighed, looking down again. "I...wished that I had more than just feathers to remember her by."
Rikku shifted onto her back, lying flat on her bed. She moved her legs aside so I had a spot to sit on the mattress.
"What do you want?" I asked, trying to keep my eyes off of those slim legs of hers. I figured that I should be listening to Rikku instead of checking her out on her bed. At least, that's what my conscience was telling my hormones.
She sighed again. "I dunno...maybe a sphere or something. I wanna see her face again, even if she's gone. It'd be nice to have something to share with Pops and Brother. Maybe if they saw her, they'd remember how much she hated to see our family argue and stop fighting."
Brother and Cid always seemed to be in each other's faces over something, even if it's about a trivial and stupid thing. Rikku doesn't know why they've always been fighting, they just do. Seeing her distraught over stuff like that made me want to pound some sense in both their thick heads. Rikku hated to see people fight, especially her family.
"I...don't know what to say," I answered. I know that it was a cold-hearted thing to say, but that's how I truly felt. I didn't want to make Rikku feel worse by saying 'It's gonna be all right' or 'Forget about all that stuff'. Who am I to tell her that things would turn out all rosy and nice or to tell her to forget about her problems? I didn't want to say those things because they had no meaning, kind of like lies. And I didn't want to lie to Rikku.
She was staring at me, like she wanted me to continue. So I did. "I mean, I never knew my parents. I didn't have spheres or pictures, or any of that stuff."
"But don't you miss them?" Rikku asked.
"Not really. How am I supposed to miss two people that I've never seen before in my life?"
She looked troubled by my words. "But they were your parents, Gippal."
"I know. But memories are memories, right?"
Rikku paused, but then nodded. "Yeah...memories are nice, but that's all they are."
And old Al Bhed saying. A saying that we have all lived by. With all the technological advances our people made, we were too caught up with our work to think about the past. Why bother with events that have already happened when all that mattered was our present and future, right?
"Still..."
I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard Rikku speaking again. She was sitting up and smiling at me, her emerald eyes holding mine.
"I bet that if they could see you now, they would tell you that they're proud of you."
I just grinned and laughed a bit. "Yeah, maybe."
Suddenly, the door burst open and there was Old Man Cid himself. Rikku nearly jumped and I had noticed the perplexed look on the old man's face. I then came to the realization that I was alone in the room with the Al Bhed leader's daughter, until now.
"What's going on here?" Cid demanded in his gruff voice. Before I could reply, Rikku stood up from her bed and faced her dad.
"Nothing!"
"Why is HE in your room?" He gave me a dirty look.
Okay, I've always thought that Cid was a cool guy. His love for machina was contagious and had obviously passed onto his children. He's a great leader, always knowing what to do and how to do it. But for some reason, he didn't like me. Probably because I was the one that broke up with Rikku, and I've had a reputation for dating a few girls here and there. He always spoils her and he treats her like a little princess, much to his daughter's dismay. As I've said, Rikku has always been an independent person, but I don't think that Cid has accepted that just yet. Guess because she's the youngest of his kids and also happens to be his only daughter.
Rikku rolled her eyes. "We were talking, Pops! Quit accusing me of stuff...hey, what are you doing here anyway?"
Cid grinned as if he had this big important secret. "Your bonehead of a brother told me about the whole situation. So that's why I've decided to throw my little girl's birthday bash here at Djose!"
Rikku punched the air with one fist and jumped in delight. "That's awesome, Pops! Can Yunie and Tidus come?"
"Heh, sure. The more the merrier! I don't want my niece and her beau to miss my daughter's eighteenth birthday party! And I've got a big surprise for you!"
Rikku's eyes sparkled in joy as she clapped her hands together excitedly. "Ohhh, really?!? What is it, what is it?!?"
Old Man Cid chuckled and shook his head. "I can't tell ya 'til the party, or it wouldn't be much of a surprise! You'll know the day after tomorrow."
She sulked and gave her dad the puppy-eyes look. "Bmayca, Vydran?"
"You'll see soon enough, Rikku. Now, keep up the good work around here! I'll see you at the party. You too, Gippal!"
I nodded my head politely, and then the Old Man left. After the door closed, Rikku did a little dance of happiness. "This is so great, I won't have to miss out on my birthday!"
She suddenly stopped dancing and looked at me worriedly. "Um, did Pops ask you if he could have the party here?"
"Nah, but I don't care. You only turn eighteen once, right?"
She squealed and threw her arms around me, smothering me in a tight hug. "Thank you so much, Gippal! You're the best!"
It took me a while to overcome my shock, but I found myself hugging Rikku back. "Heh, I know."
It felt great, knowing that she was in my arms. I didn't want her warmth to leave me, so I kept my arms around her waist as long as I could, not wanting to let go.
After that night, Rikku woke up perkier than usual. She was always devoted to helping the Faction and even I have to admit that her work was more than exceptional, but today she reached a new record. She fixed more machina in one day than most of the members could in two weeks. I knew that she was excited about the party and the surprise that her dad had in store for her, because her steps seemed lighter and she was humming a lot more as she worked.
Soon enough, it was the day of the party. The Faction members were relieved that I wasn't gonna drive them like slaves today. I figured that they deserved a break since it was Rikku's birthday. A lot of people were there: there were several Al Bhed from Bikanel Desert, Brother and the Celsius crew, the former High Summoner and that Tidus guy, Paine and Baralai, and somehow Nooj was dragged to the party. And following right behind him was that LeBlanc lady, as always.
There was music blaring all over the place as people danced, stuffed their faces, or just plain talked. I went over to where my old friends were at the refreshment table. They all greeted me, and I noticed that they held gifts in their hands.
"Hey, what's up you guys?" I asked, kinda happy to see them for the first time in a long while. I wasn't able to meet up with either Paine or Baralai 'cause they, along with Nooj, were trying to smooth out the edges of the conflict between New Yevon and the Youth League.
"Where's your gift?" Baralai asked out of curiosity. I shrugged my shoulders and grinned.
"I'd figure that I would give it to her after the party."
Paine looked away as Nooj and Baralai stifled laughs.
"What?" I asked, a bit irritated. I hated when people were laughing at me. It made me feel stupid.
"So, what did you get her?" Nooj asked, a smart-ass tone to his voice.
"You finally going to tell her how you feel?" Baralai followed, smiling.
I took a step back and gave them all a confused look. "What are you talking about?"
Paine sighed, brushing aside a silver lock of hair from her eyes. "Don't play stupid, Gippal."
"Yeah, you know as well as we do that you have more than a little crush on her."
I felt like I wanted to just wipe the smirk off of Nooj's face. "H-hey! That isn't true!"
"She was all you ever talked about when we were in the Crimson Squad," Baralai answered. I hated him at the moment because he wasn't exactly helping me.
"It was always 'Rikku this', or 'Rikku that'," Nooj added.
"Yes, and trading a measly aircraft part with Brother for three months of Rikku's time? It didn't get more obvious than that," Paine was joining in on ganging up on me. I think that it was safe to say that I was cornered.
"Hey, I only asked for one month!" I shot back, realizing shortly that I had just stabbed myself in the back.
"Yes, but you didn't complain," Nooj reminded me, and Baralai and Paine nodded in agreement.
"Will you guys back off already?!" I shouted a little too loudly, drawing some spectators. My friends all exchanged glances and laughed.
"Fine, Gippal. We've had our fun," Baralai said, serving himself some soda from the table.
"Just remember, pretty girls like your little Rikku don't stay single forever. If you don't step up to bat..."
"You can bet that someone else will," Paine finished Nooj's sentence, and they were done teasing me for the day.
I shook off their words that day because I didn't take them seriously. If I would've known what had happened later that night, I would've kept my friends' warnings in mind.
After the party went on for a couple more hours, it was time for Rikku to open her presents. Her eyes seemed to light up when she saw how many guests had brought her something. She was like a little kid again, and that made me smile. Today was her day, no doubt about it. So I was happy knowing that she was having a good time and was free of any worries.
Or so I thought until Cid presented his gift.
"Can I have your attention?" He bellowed over the crowd. Everyone turned their heads to him and the music died down, allowing him to speak..
"As y'all know, today is my little girl's eighteenth birthday! Come over here, Rikku."
Rikku walked away from talking with Yuna and Paine and went to her dad's side. She smiled brightly at her guests and gave a little wave. Everyone clapped for her since she was the whole reason that there was a celebration at all.
"Rikku, you've matured from a little girl to a young woman. I've always been expecting this day, and I can't believe that it's already here."
I took a sip from my drink, wishing that the old man would stop rambling.
"I realized a long time ago that when you turned eighteen, you wouldn't be able to rely on Brother or me to take care of you anymore. You'll be going out into Spira by yourself, facing new hardships as you start a new life. I didn't want you to be alone during those times, so that's why I got you a little present."
Cid signaled someone from the crowd, and the guests and I watched as a guy walked over to where Rikku and him were. By the blonde hair and the green swirled eyes, he was obviously an Al Bhed. He wasn't dressed like one, though. He wore this long dark blue robe with baggy sleeves, tied with a yellow sash, over a pair of fancy black pants and boots. His hair was a little long, falling a bit over his shoulders. I could've sworn that I heard a bunch of girls swooning as he walked away from the crowd.
Cid placed his hand over the strange guy's shoulder. "This is Cibaneun, a friend of mine."
"Uh...hi," Rikku greeted him, a bit puzzled over what was happening.
"Cibaneun, this is my daughter, Rikku," Cid introduced him to her. The guy kneeled down and took Rikku's hand, kissing it as he did.
"Pleasure to meet you," he said, making Rikku blush. I felt my hand tighten around my glass, hating the guy's guts even if I didn't know who the hell he was.
"Rikku, Cibaneun is my gift to you."
Rikku looked uncomfortable and if I didn't know better, a little afraid. "Huh?"
"He's your future husband!"
Rikku looked as if she was going to die right there on the spot. As for me, I was speechless. I was beyond being pissed...I felt like I wanted to murder the bastard.
I saw Yuna's hands over her mouth in shock, while the blonde guy next to her spit out his drink. Baralai and Nooj both looked grim, and Paine's eyes grew to the size of saucers.
I was so angry that I didn't feel the glass shattering in my hand, the soda mixing in with my blood and dripping onto the dirt.
***AUTHOR'S NOTE***
Well, this is bound to get interesting, won't it? Looks like our beloved Gippal is going to have a little competition!
Thanks a gazillion times for the reviews, guys!!! I'm really happy that people are actually reading this story. I'll try and update soon. Happy New Year!!!
TRANSLATIONS:
Rao- Hey
Ryja oui caah Rikku- Have you seen Rikku
Fryd yna oui tuehk- What are you doing
Bmayca, Vydran- Please, father