The next morning, Rikku set out early, for one specific purpose…to avoid Gippal.
She'd packed a sandwich and stolen a few dresspheres from Yuna.
Sheathing her knives, Rikku shouldered her bag and raced toward the edge of the desert.
"Out of Besaid, out of Besaid, go on now, get away from Besaid." She kept repeating the same phrase to herself until it had driven her crazy. It was when she decided to concentrate on something else did she realize that she was being watched.
And laughed at, as she was going in circles.
"Oh," she whined, "where am I?"
"In the Bikanel, idiot."
"GIPPAL!"
Rikku twirled around.
"What are you doing here?"
"Making sure you don't get killed, stupid," he said walking right on by, "Hurry up, we don't have all day."
Rikku blinked stupidly in the sun, then ran after him.
"What are you doing?" She repeated, skipping after Gippal to keep up with his long strides.
"Isn't it obvious?" Gippal looked at her and stopped walking.
"Huh?" Rikku paused. What was that look in his….uh…eye…? Was it…nope, it was gone.
"You're gonna die if you don't have an escort, you weakling." After ruffling her hair, Gippal strode off in the direction of the coastline.
"You're slow, Rikku, have you turned into a sloth?"
"Don't make fun of me!"
"I was simply implying…that you seem to have turned into an incredibly slow and stupid being."
Just as Rikku was about to bash Gippal over the head with whatever was nearest to her, she and her traveling companion were attacked by fiends: an Amorphous Gel and a Lupine.
"Easy!" Rikku exclaimed, and did her thieving dance before beating the Lupine to a pulp with her daggers.
"Mwa ha!" she blew it a kiss and giggled.
"Pathetic."
In a blur, Gippal rushed by Rikku and slaughtered the Amorphous Gel, leaving her stunned.
"Fine," she snapped, and skipped ahead of him, "what, does he think I can't take care of myself? Gee!"
"Watch it, Rikku."
Whack.
"Owie!"
"Moron."
"You're so mean," Rikku wailed, rubbing her head where she'd bashed it on the dock, "I have half a mind to leave without you, as planned!"
"Half a mind," said Gippal, feigning concern, "Better be careful; that's all you've got, Rikku!"
"Ooh…" Rikku stomped off to the edge of the landing bay and jumped in a vehicle that hovered above the water. It was tied to the wooden post with a frayed rope, and a matching one lay harbored on the other side of the dock.
"Ooh, darn," Rikku said loudly, for now it was obvious Gippal would be accompanying her. Secretly, she was pleased. She might get some fun out of this; if he stopped being so wicked for no reason! Jeez.
"Race ya." Gippal leapt into the other vehicle and grinned at Rikku. The ocean breeze whipped the plaits in Rikku's hair about her face. She looked at the brilliant sun.
"You're on," she yelled, and gunned the machine. Her current means of transportation skipped the water, which splashed in her face as she rode across the vast stretch of water. Gippal had somehow ended up in front of her!
"Why, you…"
"Here's to you, Rikku!"
Gippal blew Rikku a taunting kiss, standing up on the seat of his ride. Rikku watched him, his lean body proud, blocking the sea spray, opening his face to the cool water of the ocean with a smile. She watched his shoulders move as he turned…and smirked at her, mouthing,
"I'm winning".
"WAHOO!"
"ARGH!" With an odd snarl of frustration, Rikku leaned forward and spurred the water jet machine forward.
"Vroom!" Rikku steered the jet towards Gippal and surprised him.
"You can't defeat me!" The spunky girl lightly bumped her jet against Gippal's, and he lost his balance, still standing, and fell off with a satisfying splash.
"Yippie!"
Racing along the stretch of beach before her, Rikku caught sight of the dock.
"Yes!"
Rikku maneuvered the jet into the dock space and turned it off at the same time she leapt into the air and landed on her rear on the wooden planks, laughing.
"I beat you!"
Gippal swam up to the dock, and paused to tread water for a moment before saying, "Nah, I let you win."
"What?" Rikku gasped, "I knocked you clear out of—"
She stopped when she realized he wasn't listening, but laughing, long and hard. A smile crept along her face when she realized he'd left his jet out in the ocean, and had probably swam the whole way to catch up with her. Idiot. Soon, Rikku was laughing too.
"So," Gippal said when the laughter had subsided, "How strong have you gotten?"
Rikku blinked.
"Um…"
"Hanging out with Yuna probably made you weaker." He smiled and dodged her punch, "C'mon, fight me!"
"Oh, but…"
Gippal gave her an impish smile and slid into a fighting stance.
"You won't hurt me."
"Fine!"
What Rikku neglected to tell him was her recent perfection to her Mechina Maw ability.
She'd activated the thief and Lady Luck dresspheres on her garment grid and was ready to kick some serious boy butt.
"I'm gonna whack you good," she promised. Gippal grinned.
"Your move first."
"Hai!" Rikku slit Gippal's forearm with her daggers and gasped as he winced. He looked up and dove for her. She leaped backwards, into a small wave that washed over her feet. The tide was coming in.
She shook her head. That had been a close one. Where had he gotten the new sword? Jeez!
"I'm gonna jump right in and kick your rear," she said happily, trying to ignore the blood dripping down his arm.
"Fine by me," he crowed.
She lifted her face skyward, then did a dance as the garment grid activated the dressphere for Lady Luck.
"Oh, I can't look," she cried as she threw magical dice into the air at Gippal, who watched them cautiously. Snake Eyes. Rikku leapt in. Twenty-two hits. Bang, bang, bang.
"AHHHHHHHH!" Gippal looked up, in pain, "that HURT!"
He lunged for her again, but Rikku pushed her fortune. He missed.
Rikku crossed her arms. She felt funny, giving into the rush that combined her with her ultimate dressphere. Soon she found herself combined with her beloved Machina Maw.
"One more, just to show you how awesome I really am," she yelled. With one measly homing ray, Gippal fell to his knees.
"Oh, Gippal!" Rikku yelped, and ran to him, thief dressphere back in play.
"Are you okay?" She held his head in her lap, "Idiot, you shouldn't have let me push you so far!"
"I guess you aren't Cid's little girl anymore, are you, Rikku…" Gippal actually smiled at her and leaned on his elbow to rise, then cried out and collapsed.
"Your arm!" Rikku glanced at it again, while Gippal cradled it to his chest.
"I'm fine, really."
"Ooh, I didn't bring the White Mage dressphere, I'm sorry!"
"Rikku, chill. I'm fine." He winced as she examined his arm. She frowned, wisps of sun bleached hair crowding her vision. She hastily blew them away.
"Come on," she said, "let's go get you help," she offered with a rueful smile of apology.
"Er," said Gippal carefully, "I can't."
"Well why not?" Rikku stood up, impatient.
"I think your Machina Maw broke my arm."