{{ Chapter 3: Flames }}
****
"Hey! Wait up!"
Gippal turned, seeing Rikku running up to him, panting. He had one hand resting on his hip as she came up.
"Told you to hurry," he simply replied, beginning to walk again. A small smile tugged at his lips.
"No you...didn't..." Rikku gasped, panting. She shoved him lightly. "What about your men back there, hm? Do they get a break too?"
Gippal seemed to chuckle at this. He raised an eyebrow in the direction they had just come from. "They already had their break."
"Ohhhh. Okay. If you say so," Rikku said. He didn't respond after this, but the two began to walk down the steps heading out towards the forest again.
She and Gippal walked side by side, a significant amount of space between them. A moment of silence remained for a while before he started speaking again.
"So...uh..." Gippal began.
Rikku turned her head so she was looking at him. He was staring straight ahead but from her angle she couldn't see his good eye. Presently, the black patch greeted her.
"What's up?" Rikku offered. She couldn't help but sense that something was bothering him.
He suddenly stopped walking, prompting her to stop as well. Gippal scratched the back of his head. Rikku paused as she watched his facial expression. He seemed tense about something.
"Know any place to eat around here?" he finally asked.
Rikku felt her mouth drop open. "That's all you have to say?" she asked incredulously.
"What did you want me to say?" Gippal asked defensively. He paced around a bit before turning to face her again. "You know, for Cid's girl, you can be a little strange sometimes."
Rikku was fuming. "Oohh! Don't go bringing that up now! I have a name y'know!"
Gippal laughed, pushing her back lightly in a playful manner. Rikku pouted up at him and crossed her arms, turning away.
"Mad?" he asked, trying to look into her face. Rikku turned away some more as he continued to edge closer to her.
"Shut up."
A moment of quiet passed before Rikku suddenly heard him laughing loudly. She turned on her heel and faced him, one eyebrow raised in annoyance.
"Well as much as I get a laugh from you, I really am starving," Gippal declared, rubbing his stomach thoughtfully. Beginning to walk down the steps, Rikku watched him pause and say something more. "So are you coming?"
Rikku stood with her arms at her sides as she stood gaping at him. She didn't know what it was, but Gippal was currently annoying her at that moment. He wasn't so bad back at the temple, and his behavior during their little "race" even started to look questionable. The Al Bhed felt her eyes drifting towards him again. Gippal stood with one leg on the top step and another at the step below that one. He stood in that characteristic way that Rikku was starting to grow used to. She even thought it was a bit...cute. Her eyes widened at the thought. Shaking her head from the unwanted thoughts, Rikku forced herself to answer him.
"Aha...uh. Y-Yeah, I'm coming!" she exclaimed and jogged over to him.
Gippal smiled as she approached him. Rikku could only smile back in an awkward manner. He didn't seem to notice it.
Holy chocobos. What the hell was wrong with her? Rikku could hardly believe that the wayward thought concerning the other Al Bhed who was presently walking next to her had just crossed her mind. Rikku could only guess that it was because she was feeling lonely since Paine and Yuna had left. But presently, she didn't know what she was thinking.
"Hey, are you okay?"
Rikku blinked as Gippal's voice suddenly cut through her thoughts.
"Huh? What?"
"I said, are you alright? You seem...off..." Gippal replied hesitantly. He stopped walking and faced her. "Is your leg botherin' you or something?"
"Oh! No! No! Nothing like that! Heh..." Rikku responded frantically, waving both hands in front of her. "I uh-I guess I was just thinking..."
"Mind if I ask what of?" Gippal asked casually. Rikku watched as his facial expression turned serious. She was about to reply but paused when he spoke again.
"Hey, do you hear that?" he suddenly whispered, quickly scanning the area.
Rikku looked around them slowly. The wind rustled the bushes that were directly behind them and she watched as a leaf fell next to her boot from a nearby tree up above. She could hear the faint songs of the birds in the trees, calm and soothing. Maybe a noise from a squatter monkey or two but...
"Rikku! Do you see that?!" Gippal interrupted in alarm, pointing to the entrance of Kilika Village.
She quickly turned around and squinted her eyes at the sight. And she felt her breath catch in shock.
The brilliant colors of the reds and oranges of a raging fire greeted her disbelieving eyes. Her green orbs flew to the left and right of the bridge leading back to the village. Flames engulfed either side and Rikku could see frantic villagers hurrying about from behind the gates, their disbelieving shouts echoing across the forest. A thick smoke rose high into the blue morning sky, blocking the bright sunlight and casting an ominous feeling in the village.
And it certainly was ominous sight.
Her heart sank as she turned to Gippal. He was staring back at her with alarm evident on his face. Voice shaking, she forced herself to speak.
"W-Who did this...?" she managed to choke out.
"Rikku...we-" Gippal began.
"NO! You know what? I'm sick of it!!"
He paused and took a step towards her, but her voice interrupted him.
"Our Home was burned once, and now this too? Why?! Tysh ed! This is the last time!!" Rikku exclaimed, her anger overflowing. Gippal could not speak.
Her eyes glistening, he watched as Rikku tore her blazing eyes away from his and began to walk away towards the fire, her scarf trailing behind her.
"Wait."
Rikku paused, her feet kicking up dirt as she turned to face him. Gippal could see tears softly streaming down her cheeks.
He took a step towards her before raising his thumb hesitantly to brush her warm tears away. Through her tears, he saw her eyes widen slightly as his finger touched her face.
"We have to save those villagers, Rikku. There's no time!"
Trying to recompose herself, she nodded, trying to brush away her anger for the time being. Before she could even open her mouth to reply, her heart leaped as Gippal bent down to grasp her hand in his and began to run, causing Rikku to quicken her steps to keep up with him.
The looming fire danced before them as the two approached the village gates. Rikku felt Gippal release her hand.
"Young man! Please help us!! The gate won't open!!!" a voice shouted from behind them.
Gippal's eyes flew to the gate. Seeing an old man's face, he hurried to him. His face was pressed between the small gap in the doorway and Rikku noticed that it was the old man she had seen earlier that morning at the fishing docks.
"There's more of us behind here! Please!!" the man continued to shout. He began to kick the gate, shaking the frames wildly.
Rikku could hear more villagers screaming from behind the gate. Her legs began to feel weak and the smoke from the fire around them drifted through her nose, causing her lungs to burn. She began to cough violently. Her eyes watered from the smoke and the only air she could breathe was the smoke-filled atmosphere around them.
"Gi-p...pal..." she uttered hoarsely. He turned around to face her.
"Rikku...ah, damn," Gippal coughed as well. He struggled to see through the thick smoke that encircled them. He could see Rikku's yellow scarf as she stood past the smoke before he heard a thud.
"Rikku! Hey!" Gippal exclaimed upon hearing the sound. His eyes darted frantically between Rikku's collapsed body and the villagers screaming from behind the gates. Flames danced wildly about the huts, swallowing the fragile foundations easily.
Hand shaking, Gippal remembered the communication device that was hanging on his waist. He pressed hard on the button, struggling to find his voice.
"Kad du dra vnuhd uv dra vunacd huf! Drana'c y vena rana, yht dra kydac fuh'd ubah! Fa ryja uha bancuh fru'c tufh!"he yelled into the mouthpiece.
Without wasting another moment, he quickly ran over to Rikku's body and picked her up. Running quickly to the other side of the bridge, he set her down on the grass softly before sprinting back to the gate. Wiping away the perspiration from his brow, Gippal reached behind him and grabbed a small dagger that he kept with him. He struck the metal lock with one blow. No good.
"Please hurry!" the villagers screamed behind the gate.
"Trying to..." his weak voice spoke.
"Gippal!! We're here!!" voices shouted. Footsteps stampeded across the bridge. Gippal was having a hard time keeping his mind clear as he tried to give orders to his men.
He struggled to turn around, the smoke clouding his vision and his lungs. Gippal watched as his men approached with the freezing machines.
A bang snapped Gippal out of his haziness for a moment as the villagers rushed past him and towards the forest. The gate was finally open. Villagers spilled out from behind it, running about wildly.
"Everyone hurry! Run into the forest! We're going to freeze this fire!!!" Gippal heard one of his men shout. Screams of terror and the endless footsteps echoed across the bridge.
Gippal stood there, lightheaded.
One of his other men approached him, goggles covering his eyes. "Boss! Get out of here! We can handle this...you need to-"
And his vision went black.
***
"Mmm..."
"Are you awake now...?" a male voice whispered softly.
"Mmmfhh...ah," Rikku managed to utter as she tried to move her body. All her limbs ached. She could smell smoke. The thought immediately caused her to sit up in shock.
"The fire?! What happened?" she demanded, eyes wide open.
"It's been taken care of. All the villagers were safely evacuated and they're inside the temple getting treatment now," Gippal answered quietly. He was sitting in a chair next to the bed that she was laying on.
Rikku maintained her position, trying to sit up. But it was no use. Dizziness washed over her mind again and she found herself dropping back down, her eyes not focusing.
"Whoa! You alright?" Gippal exclaimed, immediately standing up and rushing to her side.
She opened her eyes and stared up at him with half-lidded eyes. His face had traces of soot from the fire as his bright eyes regarded her worriedly.
"Just a little dizzy. Nothing I can't handle," she told him, trying to offer a smile.
He said nothing. She watched as his eyes quickly scanned her face once more before he moved away and sat down in the chair again. His face remained stern as he moved his gaze away from her.
"They told me it was the Guado who did it," Gippal spoke after a while.
Rikku's eyes widened. "The Guado? B-But why?"
"I don't know. But my men found a sphere after the smoke cleared. One recognized a small Guado insignia that was almost hidden. They tried playing it...but nothing happened," Gippal explained. He sat with his arms crossed.
"A sphere...? Again?" Rikku whispered. She slowly forced herself to sit up more so she could see him.
"What do you mean 'again'"? Gippal asked quietly. He turned his eyes to her this time.
Rikku sighed. "It's just that my last mission with Yunie and Paine started when a sphere was found too. The uh...the one with Shuyin..."
"Oh."
Gippal said nothing after that and Rikku noticed for the first time that they were inside an airship. She was on a bed with deep red sheets and the walls of the room had various drawings and designs of machina Rikku recognized. A solitary window was to the right of the bed, rays of sunlight providing a bit of light for the room.
"Where are we?" Rikku decided to ask. Gippal looked up at her.
"Oh, we're in my airship. This's my bedroom..." he seemed to trail off before picking up again. "You uh, didn't wake up for a while, so I carried you here. Hope you don't mind-" Gippal continued.
"Oh no! It's totally okay. I mean, you helped me and all so I..." Rikku began but paused as Gippal returned her gaze. She struggled to find her words again but managed to after a while.
"I...um. Thank you."
Gippal seemed to smile. "No problem."
A sudden knock interrupted them.
"It's open," Gippal answered in the direction of the door.
Rikku watched as a rather nervous Al Bhed entered the room. She saw his eyes linger on her for a moment before Gippal's voice spoke up.
"Well? What's the situation?" Gippal asked him.
The other man seemed to jump slightly at the sound of his voice. "Oh! Sir! The uh, the sphere! We found new information about it! It uh, seems to have been recorded somewhere on the Thunder Plains!" the Al Bhed responded rather loudly.
Rikku saw that Gippal was trying to hold back his laughter. This young man stood very stiffly, spoke in an unusually loud tone, and seemed very nervous. Rikku guessed this guy was a rookie.
"Alright. Tell the others I'm on it," Gippal began as he stood up and walked towards the man.
The young Al Bhed began to salute but paused, realizing he didn't know how to salute. He simply bowed quickly before heading towards the door again. Rikku felt a smile tugging at her lips as she watched them.
"Oh, and don't worry," Gippal spoke. The other man froze in his steps and turned to face Gippal with a rather frightened expression on his face.
"Don't worry," Gippal repeated again. "We don't do salutes around here anyway," he laughed.
Rikku laughed softly as well.
The young man looked back and forth between Gippal and Rikku before deciding that it really was a joke and that it was fine for him to laugh with them.
"YES SIR!" the man spoke again before finally heading out the door. Gippal shut it behind him and turned to face Rikku. He scratched the back of his head, smiling.
"That's the kind of stuff I gotta deal with sometimes," Gippal spoke. He sat down in the chair again, his gaze drifting over to Rikku.
"He seemed really nervous or something," Rikku replied. She smiled. "But he was pretty funny."
Gippal couldn't help but smile as well. He watched as Rikku moved so that her legs were dangling off the bed.
"So um...what's the plan?" Rikku asked after a while.
He stood up and moved over to the mirror that was hanging on the other side of the wall. Rikku saw him wipe the soot off his face before turning to face her.
"Rikku, it's not safe here," Gippal replied seriously.
She stood up. "That sphere...if I can somehow figure out how it plays, maybe I can get a clue to who did this to Kilika..." Rikku began.
"Just you?"
"Huh?"
Gippal chuckled softly and flopped down on the couch on the other side of the room. He regarded her through one lazy eye.
"Pretty tough goin' out there on your own, aren't ya?" he asked with a sideways grin.
Rikku frowned at him. "Hey, what do you mean by that?"
He sighed. "I'm just sayin. If you plan to go out there and catch these guys, you don't wanna go alone. It's really dangerous out there if you wanna go solo," Gippal explained quietly, one hand brushing through his hair.
"You can't go alone," he stated.
She sat down, realizing he was right. Since Yuna and Paine were gone, there was nobody there to help her. Rikku paused at the thought. Their hut. If Rikku hadn't left the hut that morning to help Gippal, she could have been trapped in that fire with the villagers. No one would have helped them open the gate since there would have been no reason for Gippal to go out into the forest.
She realized that Gippal's invitation to meet him that morning was responsible that she was still alive at that moment. Her green eyes rose to meet his.
"So who can help me now?" Rikku whispered quietly. She let her eyes drift down and away from his. No matter what, she needed to go out there and discover who did this to Kilika. The village had already been wiped out once and it pained her that the fire destroyed part of the village again.
Gippal stood up and Rikku raised her gaze at him again as he stopped in front of her.
"Me."
***
Translations: "Kad du dra vnuhd uv dra vunacd huf! Drana'c y vena rana, yht dra kydac fuh'd ubah! Fa ryja uha bancuh fru'c tufh!" - ("Get to the front of the forest now! There's a fire here, and the gates won't open! We have one person who's down!")
A/N: This chapter was fun. ^^ Sorry it took a while to get up. I was busy with school so my schedule was rather busy. I'll try to get Chapter 4 up sooner, ok?
Thanks again for the wonderful reviews and support from you all! =)
****
"Hey! Wait up!"
Gippal turned, seeing Rikku running up to him, panting. He had one hand resting on his hip as she came up.
"Told you to hurry," he simply replied, beginning to walk again. A small smile tugged at his lips.
"No you...didn't..." Rikku gasped, panting. She shoved him lightly. "What about your men back there, hm? Do they get a break too?"
Gippal seemed to chuckle at this. He raised an eyebrow in the direction they had just come from. "They already had their break."
"Ohhhh. Okay. If you say so," Rikku said. He didn't respond after this, but the two began to walk down the steps heading out towards the forest again.
She and Gippal walked side by side, a significant amount of space between them. A moment of silence remained for a while before he started speaking again.
"So...uh..." Gippal began.
Rikku turned her head so she was looking at him. He was staring straight ahead but from her angle she couldn't see his good eye. Presently, the black patch greeted her.
"What's up?" Rikku offered. She couldn't help but sense that something was bothering him.
He suddenly stopped walking, prompting her to stop as well. Gippal scratched the back of his head. Rikku paused as she watched his facial expression. He seemed tense about something.
"Know any place to eat around here?" he finally asked.
Rikku felt her mouth drop open. "That's all you have to say?" she asked incredulously.
"What did you want me to say?" Gippal asked defensively. He paced around a bit before turning to face her again. "You know, for Cid's girl, you can be a little strange sometimes."
Rikku was fuming. "Oohh! Don't go bringing that up now! I have a name y'know!"
Gippal laughed, pushing her back lightly in a playful manner. Rikku pouted up at him and crossed her arms, turning away.
"Mad?" he asked, trying to look into her face. Rikku turned away some more as he continued to edge closer to her.
"Shut up."
A moment of quiet passed before Rikku suddenly heard him laughing loudly. She turned on her heel and faced him, one eyebrow raised in annoyance.
"Well as much as I get a laugh from you, I really am starving," Gippal declared, rubbing his stomach thoughtfully. Beginning to walk down the steps, Rikku watched him pause and say something more. "So are you coming?"
Rikku stood with her arms at her sides as she stood gaping at him. She didn't know what it was, but Gippal was currently annoying her at that moment. He wasn't so bad back at the temple, and his behavior during their little "race" even started to look questionable. The Al Bhed felt her eyes drifting towards him again. Gippal stood with one leg on the top step and another at the step below that one. He stood in that characteristic way that Rikku was starting to grow used to. She even thought it was a bit...cute. Her eyes widened at the thought. Shaking her head from the unwanted thoughts, Rikku forced herself to answer him.
"Aha...uh. Y-Yeah, I'm coming!" she exclaimed and jogged over to him.
Gippal smiled as she approached him. Rikku could only smile back in an awkward manner. He didn't seem to notice it.
Holy chocobos. What the hell was wrong with her? Rikku could hardly believe that the wayward thought concerning the other Al Bhed who was presently walking next to her had just crossed her mind. Rikku could only guess that it was because she was feeling lonely since Paine and Yuna had left. But presently, she didn't know what she was thinking.
"Hey, are you okay?"
Rikku blinked as Gippal's voice suddenly cut through her thoughts.
"Huh? What?"
"I said, are you alright? You seem...off..." Gippal replied hesitantly. He stopped walking and faced her. "Is your leg botherin' you or something?"
"Oh! No! No! Nothing like that! Heh..." Rikku responded frantically, waving both hands in front of her. "I uh-I guess I was just thinking..."
"Mind if I ask what of?" Gippal asked casually. Rikku watched as his facial expression turned serious. She was about to reply but paused when he spoke again.
"Hey, do you hear that?" he suddenly whispered, quickly scanning the area.
Rikku looked around them slowly. The wind rustled the bushes that were directly behind them and she watched as a leaf fell next to her boot from a nearby tree up above. She could hear the faint songs of the birds in the trees, calm and soothing. Maybe a noise from a squatter monkey or two but...
"Rikku! Do you see that?!" Gippal interrupted in alarm, pointing to the entrance of Kilika Village.
She quickly turned around and squinted her eyes at the sight. And she felt her breath catch in shock.
The brilliant colors of the reds and oranges of a raging fire greeted her disbelieving eyes. Her green orbs flew to the left and right of the bridge leading back to the village. Flames engulfed either side and Rikku could see frantic villagers hurrying about from behind the gates, their disbelieving shouts echoing across the forest. A thick smoke rose high into the blue morning sky, blocking the bright sunlight and casting an ominous feeling in the village.
And it certainly was ominous sight.
Her heart sank as she turned to Gippal. He was staring back at her with alarm evident on his face. Voice shaking, she forced herself to speak.
"W-Who did this...?" she managed to choke out.
"Rikku...we-" Gippal began.
"NO! You know what? I'm sick of it!!"
He paused and took a step towards her, but her voice interrupted him.
"Our Home was burned once, and now this too? Why?! Tysh ed! This is the last time!!" Rikku exclaimed, her anger overflowing. Gippal could not speak.
Her eyes glistening, he watched as Rikku tore her blazing eyes away from his and began to walk away towards the fire, her scarf trailing behind her.
"Wait."
Rikku paused, her feet kicking up dirt as she turned to face him. Gippal could see tears softly streaming down her cheeks.
He took a step towards her before raising his thumb hesitantly to brush her warm tears away. Through her tears, he saw her eyes widen slightly as his finger touched her face.
"We have to save those villagers, Rikku. There's no time!"
Trying to recompose herself, she nodded, trying to brush away her anger for the time being. Before she could even open her mouth to reply, her heart leaped as Gippal bent down to grasp her hand in his and began to run, causing Rikku to quicken her steps to keep up with him.
The looming fire danced before them as the two approached the village gates. Rikku felt Gippal release her hand.
"Young man! Please help us!! The gate won't open!!!" a voice shouted from behind them.
Gippal's eyes flew to the gate. Seeing an old man's face, he hurried to him. His face was pressed between the small gap in the doorway and Rikku noticed that it was the old man she had seen earlier that morning at the fishing docks.
"There's more of us behind here! Please!!" the man continued to shout. He began to kick the gate, shaking the frames wildly.
Rikku could hear more villagers screaming from behind the gate. Her legs began to feel weak and the smoke from the fire around them drifted through her nose, causing her lungs to burn. She began to cough violently. Her eyes watered from the smoke and the only air she could breathe was the smoke-filled atmosphere around them.
"Gi-p...pal..." she uttered hoarsely. He turned around to face her.
"Rikku...ah, damn," Gippal coughed as well. He struggled to see through the thick smoke that encircled them. He could see Rikku's yellow scarf as she stood past the smoke before he heard a thud.
"Rikku! Hey!" Gippal exclaimed upon hearing the sound. His eyes darted frantically between Rikku's collapsed body and the villagers screaming from behind the gates. Flames danced wildly about the huts, swallowing the fragile foundations easily.
Hand shaking, Gippal remembered the communication device that was hanging on his waist. He pressed hard on the button, struggling to find his voice.
"Kad du dra vnuhd uv dra vunacd huf! Drana'c y vena rana, yht dra kydac fuh'd ubah! Fa ryja uha bancuh fru'c tufh!"he yelled into the mouthpiece.
Without wasting another moment, he quickly ran over to Rikku's body and picked her up. Running quickly to the other side of the bridge, he set her down on the grass softly before sprinting back to the gate. Wiping away the perspiration from his brow, Gippal reached behind him and grabbed a small dagger that he kept with him. He struck the metal lock with one blow. No good.
"Please hurry!" the villagers screamed behind the gate.
"Trying to..." his weak voice spoke.
"Gippal!! We're here!!" voices shouted. Footsteps stampeded across the bridge. Gippal was having a hard time keeping his mind clear as he tried to give orders to his men.
He struggled to turn around, the smoke clouding his vision and his lungs. Gippal watched as his men approached with the freezing machines.
A bang snapped Gippal out of his haziness for a moment as the villagers rushed past him and towards the forest. The gate was finally open. Villagers spilled out from behind it, running about wildly.
"Everyone hurry! Run into the forest! We're going to freeze this fire!!!" Gippal heard one of his men shout. Screams of terror and the endless footsteps echoed across the bridge.
Gippal stood there, lightheaded.
One of his other men approached him, goggles covering his eyes. "Boss! Get out of here! We can handle this...you need to-"
And his vision went black.
***
"Mmm..."
"Are you awake now...?" a male voice whispered softly.
"Mmmfhh...ah," Rikku managed to utter as she tried to move her body. All her limbs ached. She could smell smoke. The thought immediately caused her to sit up in shock.
"The fire?! What happened?" she demanded, eyes wide open.
"It's been taken care of. All the villagers were safely evacuated and they're inside the temple getting treatment now," Gippal answered quietly. He was sitting in a chair next to the bed that she was laying on.
Rikku maintained her position, trying to sit up. But it was no use. Dizziness washed over her mind again and she found herself dropping back down, her eyes not focusing.
"Whoa! You alright?" Gippal exclaimed, immediately standing up and rushing to her side.
She opened her eyes and stared up at him with half-lidded eyes. His face had traces of soot from the fire as his bright eyes regarded her worriedly.
"Just a little dizzy. Nothing I can't handle," she told him, trying to offer a smile.
He said nothing. She watched as his eyes quickly scanned her face once more before he moved away and sat down in the chair again. His face remained stern as he moved his gaze away from her.
"They told me it was the Guado who did it," Gippal spoke after a while.
Rikku's eyes widened. "The Guado? B-But why?"
"I don't know. But my men found a sphere after the smoke cleared. One recognized a small Guado insignia that was almost hidden. They tried playing it...but nothing happened," Gippal explained. He sat with his arms crossed.
"A sphere...? Again?" Rikku whispered. She slowly forced herself to sit up more so she could see him.
"What do you mean 'again'"? Gippal asked quietly. He turned his eyes to her this time.
Rikku sighed. "It's just that my last mission with Yunie and Paine started when a sphere was found too. The uh...the one with Shuyin..."
"Oh."
Gippal said nothing after that and Rikku noticed for the first time that they were inside an airship. She was on a bed with deep red sheets and the walls of the room had various drawings and designs of machina Rikku recognized. A solitary window was to the right of the bed, rays of sunlight providing a bit of light for the room.
"Where are we?" Rikku decided to ask. Gippal looked up at her.
"Oh, we're in my airship. This's my bedroom..." he seemed to trail off before picking up again. "You uh, didn't wake up for a while, so I carried you here. Hope you don't mind-" Gippal continued.
"Oh no! It's totally okay. I mean, you helped me and all so I..." Rikku began but paused as Gippal returned her gaze. She struggled to find her words again but managed to after a while.
"I...um. Thank you."
Gippal seemed to smile. "No problem."
A sudden knock interrupted them.
"It's open," Gippal answered in the direction of the door.
Rikku watched as a rather nervous Al Bhed entered the room. She saw his eyes linger on her for a moment before Gippal's voice spoke up.
"Well? What's the situation?" Gippal asked him.
The other man seemed to jump slightly at the sound of his voice. "Oh! Sir! The uh, the sphere! We found new information about it! It uh, seems to have been recorded somewhere on the Thunder Plains!" the Al Bhed responded rather loudly.
Rikku saw that Gippal was trying to hold back his laughter. This young man stood very stiffly, spoke in an unusually loud tone, and seemed very nervous. Rikku guessed this guy was a rookie.
"Alright. Tell the others I'm on it," Gippal began as he stood up and walked towards the man.
The young Al Bhed began to salute but paused, realizing he didn't know how to salute. He simply bowed quickly before heading towards the door again. Rikku felt a smile tugging at her lips as she watched them.
"Oh, and don't worry," Gippal spoke. The other man froze in his steps and turned to face Gippal with a rather frightened expression on his face.
"Don't worry," Gippal repeated again. "We don't do salutes around here anyway," he laughed.
Rikku laughed softly as well.
The young man looked back and forth between Gippal and Rikku before deciding that it really was a joke and that it was fine for him to laugh with them.
"YES SIR!" the man spoke again before finally heading out the door. Gippal shut it behind him and turned to face Rikku. He scratched the back of his head, smiling.
"That's the kind of stuff I gotta deal with sometimes," Gippal spoke. He sat down in the chair again, his gaze drifting over to Rikku.
"He seemed really nervous or something," Rikku replied. She smiled. "But he was pretty funny."
Gippal couldn't help but smile as well. He watched as Rikku moved so that her legs were dangling off the bed.
"So um...what's the plan?" Rikku asked after a while.
He stood up and moved over to the mirror that was hanging on the other side of the wall. Rikku saw him wipe the soot off his face before turning to face her.
"Rikku, it's not safe here," Gippal replied seriously.
She stood up. "That sphere...if I can somehow figure out how it plays, maybe I can get a clue to who did this to Kilika..." Rikku began.
"Just you?"
"Huh?"
Gippal chuckled softly and flopped down on the couch on the other side of the room. He regarded her through one lazy eye.
"Pretty tough goin' out there on your own, aren't ya?" he asked with a sideways grin.
Rikku frowned at him. "Hey, what do you mean by that?"
He sighed. "I'm just sayin. If you plan to go out there and catch these guys, you don't wanna go alone. It's really dangerous out there if you wanna go solo," Gippal explained quietly, one hand brushing through his hair.
"You can't go alone," he stated.
She sat down, realizing he was right. Since Yuna and Paine were gone, there was nobody there to help her. Rikku paused at the thought. Their hut. If Rikku hadn't left the hut that morning to help Gippal, she could have been trapped in that fire with the villagers. No one would have helped them open the gate since there would have been no reason for Gippal to go out into the forest.
She realized that Gippal's invitation to meet him that morning was responsible that she was still alive at that moment. Her green eyes rose to meet his.
"So who can help me now?" Rikku whispered quietly. She let her eyes drift down and away from his. No matter what, she needed to go out there and discover who did this to Kilika. The village had already been wiped out once and it pained her that the fire destroyed part of the village again.
Gippal stood up and Rikku raised her gaze at him again as he stopped in front of her.
"Me."
***
Translations: "Kad du dra vnuhd uv dra vunacd huf! Drana'c y vena rana, yht dra kydac fuh'd ubah! Fa ryja uha bancuh fru'c tufh!" - ("Get to the front of the forest now! There's a fire here, and the gates won't open! We have one person who's down!")
A/N: This chapter was fun. ^^ Sorry it took a while to get up. I was busy with school so my schedule was rather busy. I'll try to get Chapter 4 up sooner, ok?
Thanks again for the wonderful reviews and support from you all! =)