Rikku draped Gippal's good arm around her shoulder, and nearly dragged him to the nearest house. He looked pale beneath his tan, and his eye color was flat. Rikku sped up the pace, limping oddly on one foot to bear the extra weight.

"Oomph, Gippal! You're so heavy!"

"Sorry, Rikku."

Rikku blinked, wiped sweat from her brow and collapsed in the sand.

"Ugh, I can't do this…and it's too hot…" She longed to dump Gippal on the ground and rush into the cool waves, but she just couldn't begin to do such a thing. Rikku tried to stand, but her vision blurred and she fell to her knees, then on her face with a thump.

"She'll be okay, it was just heat exhaustion."

"You're sure?"

"Yep…Not sure about the other guy though. He looks bad."

Rikku jolted upright and fell out of her bed.

"Ooh, headache," she moaned. She looked over. Gippal was lying still in the bed beside hers. She crawled up to it, head pounding in sync with her heart.

"Gippal…" she poked him gently. He stirred and looked at her, then closed his eyes in pain and smiled.

"Rikku, you idiot, and you said I was heavy." He smiled again then his breathing became deep as he faded into the grasp of sleep once more.

"You're awake," said a voice behind her. Rikku recognized this as a voice she'd heard a moment ago. She jumped backward, arms shielding Gippal.

"Oh…are you the one who brought us here?"

"No." the man pointed to Gippal, "He carried you."

"WHAT?" Rikku screeched.

"Shh, you'll wake him. Let's step outside, missy."

Once outside, Rikku looked around. The place looked familiar, but her head hurt so she decided not to dwell on it. She turned her attention to the man before her. He was a head taller than Gippal, and had darker skin. He wore a black sleeveless shirt and red paint on his face like cat slashes on his lower cheek, near the jaw. His eyes were a bright green like Rikku's only they looked like green ice. Rikku smiled at them. She liked the way they smiled back.

"Your friend will be okay, he just sprained his arm and he seems a bit tired and beat up. Was he previously injured by a machine?"

Rikku flushed.

"Yes, we were training, and I think I took it too far."

"You did this, young lady? Although it isn't serious, I must say I'm impressed!"

She looked back at Gippal and sighed, at the bandage on his arm and his pale hair on his pillow.

"Oh Gippal…"

"That's his name, then?"

"Oh! Yes! I'm sorry, I was just worried…I'm Rikku, by the way. We came from Besaid! Well, we're actually from the Bikanel, but we've got friends in Besaid.."

"Across the sea…Rikku, you're a very pretty young lady, what are you doing out here alone?"

"Huh?" Rikku blinked stupidly. On the other side of the door, Gippal leaned against the wall, fuming.

"She has me, you letch…"

He forced himself out the door and fell to Rikku's feet.

"Rikku?" he asked naively, looking up at her, "I had a dream about you…" He smiled softly at her, then frowned at the opposing man, getting to his feet.

"Hey…you took care of her..? I told you I would, though!"

Rikku looked confused.

"But, Gippal, you were unconscious!" Something dawned on the teenager.

"You idiot, you carried me all the way here!"

"I couldn't leave you there, Rikku…"

Before she thought to stop herself, Rikku was yelling at Gippal in her native language, head swirling with memories from home, everything a big cloud of sand in her head…and that sand, oh that sand…the memories the sand held…The kiss the sand held…The boy that sand held…

Rikku shook her head and ran. She ran swift, sure, and fast. Far away.

Halfway through the white, pale sands, so unlike her homeland, Rikku came to an oasis. She smiled and slipped into the water and sighed.

"This is insane," she whispered, the beads in her hair floating about her head as she ducked into the water up to her eyes, "what's wrong with Gippal?"

She watched the braids slowly unwind in the water with additive help from the breeze, leaving her hair in teeny crimps and waves. She sighed. This was complicated and she had to figure out what to do in such an odd situation.

"Um huh ooh…"

Something grabbed Rikku's foot. And it was really slimy.

"AIEE!"

"RIKKU!" Oh no, it was Gippal. This could only be more trouble. Rikku kicked her foot and gritted her teeth, flailing her arms to keep afloat.

"Ooh, lemme go!" Rikku snorted and kicked her leg with her other foot. The thing let go. Rikku stumbled up towards the edge of the oasis, tying her tops on hastily, leaving her strange gloves near the water. She tripped at fell, the sand sticking to her wet body, her crimped hair plastered to her shoulders and back. Beads of perspiration mixed with the cool water from the pond as the creature who had reached for Rikku roared and splashed about in the lake.

"Oh, oh!" Rikku looked up.

"Gippal!" WHAM.

"Rikku!"

"What were you doing here?" Gippal grabbed her shoulders and looked over her head at the pond and the mysterious splashing, which had subsided.

"Taking a bath, do you mind?" Rikku flicked him on the forehead.

"Rikku, you scared me!" Gippal hugged her close to him and Rikku sharply drew a breath as he whispered into her damp hair, "Do you know what I would've done to myself if you'd gotten hurt?"

"Gippal?" Rikku's voice rose with fear as she spoke into his chest. Then the doctor came over the hill.

"There you are, Rikku!"

Gippal coughed loudly and pushed Rikku away.

"No bruises. Good." He glared at her, "Twit. Don't get yourself killed before we get away from Besaid…" he walked away, but smiled and winked at her. She blinked, confused, then she shook her fist at him.

"ARE YOU CALLING ME STUPID?"