A/N: So sorry for the late update! ; It's been a rough few weeks with
school and all, but I am glad that I didn't forget all my ideas for the
story. =p Well, I guess that's all. Thanks everyone for sticking with me
with this. You're all so great! =)
EDIT: It seems as if FF.net isn't noticing my breaks in between dialogues. Please let me know if they do show up.
=====
{{ Chapter 10: Timeless }}
=====
A sharp beep suddenly cut through the air, startling them. Gippal paused, looking from Rikku to the communication device that hung on his hip. A faint blue light glowed from the small monitor of the device as the beeping continued. Rikku's eyes widened as she watched Gippal swiftly unhook it and quickly shot her a glance. They both knew who it was.
"It's me," Gippal's voice spoke as he clicked the button to receive the message. A voice spoke back, the sound almost muffled by some kind of commotion that was in the background.
"Sir?! Sir! Is that you, Gippal?" Rikku could hear the voice shout from the device. She watched as Gippal frowned in concern, wondering why it seemed like something was wrong. He brought the device to his lips, his finger on the button.
"Yeah, what's up? You guys find anything in Kilika? It's been a while, and you guys never called! What happened?" Gippal spoke into the glowing monitor. Rikku couldn't help but feel dread building up in her stomach. She watched Gippal's face in worry. He awaited the response from the other line.
A loud, hissing noise from the device caused Gippal to suddenly hold it away from him. He frowned again, but brought the piece back to his ear as the Al Bhed spoke back.
"We found evidence, Sir. At first we almost missed it...but we got it, Gippal," the Al Bhed responded, his voice sounding much more calm than before. The background noise had also cleared up.
Gippal felt his pulse race faster. "What did you find? Did you get evidence on the Guado for what they did?" he asked into the device. Rikku clasped her gloved hands in front of her, feeling more confident that they would finally catch who had been setting the fires. Her green eyes flickered up to Gippal and the device in his hand. He met her gaze, sharing her thoughts as well. A hissing noise from the device caused them both to look at it again.
"Sir..." the man's voice began. A hiss and what sounded like a loud click came from the device, as if he had been holding it too close to his mouth. "...we didn't get anything on the Guado..."
Gippal raised his eyebrows, feeling his anger beginning to build up. "What the hell do you mean? You just said that you found evidence on—"
The voice on the device interrupted him.
"Gippal, the Guado weren't the ones who did it, but we did find some other evidence on—"
A gunshot rang out from the speaker, before the line went dead.
========
Cid felt that his mouth was dry, at a loss for words. He didn't know what angered him more--the fact that Serru had bluntly said Rikku was in a relationship, or the fact that his daughter may have been involved with someone. Cid couldn't quite place his finger on it, but he knew that he was indeed angry. His brown eyes raised to meet Serru's green ones.
"What are you sayin' boy?" Cid finally asked. He saw the other young man refuse to meet his gaze.
Serru shifted on one foot, the gravel beneath him crunching from his weight. He tried to keep his face completely neutral. He knew that he had to play this conversation out properly.
"Well, Sir...as you know, I spent some time with Rikku and Gippal before I went to Zanarkand to rescue the others..." Serru began. He saw Cid's hard eyes on him and decided to stop speaking, as if Cid wanted to cut in with something of his own to say.
"Time with them? And where exactly were you kids?" Cid demanded gruffly. He had his large arms crossed in front of him as he waited for Serru to respond.
"Ah, well it was a few days ago near the Moonflow banks. Gippal and Rikku stayed behind while the others went to investigate Kilika after the fire and..."
"What exactly has been going on here?! That daughter of mine! She's off doing crazy things again, and I don't even know!" Cid exclaimed suddenly. He was facing Serru fully this time.
Serru blinked, not realizing that this was the reaction he was going to get from the older man. Cid looked at him again.
"Tell me everything, Serru."
=========
Yuna stirred, the foggy remnants of a dream quickly dissipating under the morning sunlight. She was lying down. Warm blankets covered her, and she slowly realized that she was in a room, the only light coming from a nearby window.
"Where...am I?" she heard herself whisper, one hand coming up to brush the hair away from her face.
"Yuna? You awake?" came a voice from the other side of her.
She turned her head and saw a flash of black, familiar ruby eyes staring back at her from the other bed that was in the room.
"Paine? What happened?" Yuna asked. She still felt a little dizzy.
"You passed out right when we arrived here. We didn't expect you to, but I guess you did. I guess you inhaled too much smoke back there..." Paine added with a light chuckle.
Yuna couldn't help but smile at her friend's words. A thought came to her.
"The others? Are they alright?" she asked, sitting up on her elbows.
Paine sat up from her bed, pulling the curtains from the nearby window open.
"They're fine. Sleeping right in the next room."
Yuna sighed in relief, beginning to lay back into the pillow again. "It's good to hear that."
=========
"Damn it!"
Rikku watched Gippal grit his teeth in frustration, quickly attaching the device at his hip. He looked up at her, a hint of unease present in his good eye.
"There's nothing we can do here now. We've gotta get back to Kilika," Gippal said simply, voice surprisingly even despite his earlier frustration. Rikku nodded silently, her gaze drifting over to the campsite around them. He seemed to read her mind at that moment.
"We'll have to leave everything. There's no time, and that last transmission is really getting to me..." he trailed off, bending down to search for his bag. Rikku bent down next to him, deciding that it was time to gather her stuff as well. She paused for a moment and looked at him. He wasn't looking at her, but suddenly stopped moving and met her eyes.
"Yeah, I know, Rikku. I'm worried about them too..." Gippal said softly, looking up into the sky.
=====
"So that's what's been goin' on here, hm?" Cid muttered in disbelief. He began to walk out towards the docks, with the other young man right behind him.
"Yes, that's how it's been, Sir," Serru replied finally, catching up to Cid.
Serru had just finished explaining the recent week to Cid, as he listened in stunned silence. He never expected to hear such a story about his daughter, let alone so soon. Rikku had spent several days and nights with Gippal. Cid knew and actually met the leader of the Machine Faction, but...it was still difficult to accept the fact that his daughter wasn't a little girl anymore. Okay, so he wasn't being completely honest with himself.
Cid knew that she would eventually leave and settle down with a life and family of her own. He had known that from the moment she was born. Rikku carried that youthful spark with her, cheerful, but all the same wise as well. How could any man not fall for her? He sighed.
He assumed that it was the price of being a father. It was difficult for him to let go. She was his only daughter, and youngest child. He shook his head and stopped walking, a sudden realization dawning over him.
Serru paused and looked at Cid. The older man was looking at the ground.
"I-Is something the matter, Sir?" Serru decided to ask after some time had passed.
Cid looked up, eyes narrowing suddenly at Serru's voice. "I've changed my mind."
"What? What do you mean, Cid?" Serru asked, startled by the other man's change of attitude. They were now standing at the docks, the early morning sea breeze a refreshing change to the hot sun.
"Forget what I said earlier," Cid continued to say. He looked out into the clear waters. Serru stepped up next to him, his gaze still on Cid.
"You mean—"
"Yeah," Cid interrupted. He turned around and faced Serru fully. The younger Al Bhed met Cid's brown eyes. "I'll let Rikku decide her own future...including who she wants to be with."
=====
"So, how exactly are we gonna get back to Kilika?" Rikku asked, the sight of the Moonflow banks making her realize that they were stranded. Gippal came up and stood next to her.
"Don't think it's over yet, Rikku," Gippal replied with a crooked smile. She raised an eyebrow and looked at him, the confidence in his voice hard to believe.
"You have a plan?" she asked incredulously.
"Of course. The men will be arriving in about twenty minutes to fly us to Kilika," Gippal explained simply, sitting down on the ground. He looked up at her from his position below and couldn't help but smile at the shocked expression on her face.
"Exactly how many airships DO you have, Gippal?" Rikku asked in disbelief, hands on her hips as she moved to stand in front of him.
He looked up to study her fondly. Her figure was just barely blocking the sunlight from the horizon, a gentle wind causing her long hair to blow behind her. She was still awaiting his response, but didn't notice the smirk on his face.
With one swift movement, Gippal had reached out to grab her hands and pulled her down to him. She gasped in surprise, landing on top of him as they both fell backwards onto the ground. His chest was warm, and she stared into his smiling face, rolling her eyes at him.
"Is this the way you answer my question?" Rikku asked with a light giggle, pausing as she felt one of his hands rest on her back.
Gippal smiled innocently. "Hm? What do you mean?" he asked softly. She felt his other hand come around her and began to feel her heart beating faster.
"You know what I mean, Gippal," Rikku said, sticking her tongue out at him. One of his hands came up behind her head, and she could feel his fingers sliding through her hair. He gently pulled her face close to his.
"Well in that case, I guess I'll have to answer you now, right?" Gippal asked again, his voice mischievous. Rikku watched as he leaned her face closer to him, his lips just millimeters below hers. Expecting him to kiss her, she was surprised when he moved his lips near her ear instead.
"Three..." he whispered, breath warm against her skin. She tried to suppress a shiver.
"W-What?" Rikku asked, the sensations Gippal was causing her to feel getting the best of her. He had one hand stroking her hair, while the other rested on the small of her back. She could feel his heartbeat below her, Gippal's warmth enveloping all around.
"...airships," Gippal finished.
======
Serru could not believe his ears. He stared at Cid in shock.
"S-Sir, you cannot possibly mean that you actually approve of Rikku spending so much time with Gippal...?" Serru asked. Cid had his back to him.
"No, son. I didn't say I liked Gippal at all. Hell, I don't even LIKE the kid...but," Cid began, finally turning to face Serru. The blue water caused the younger man's green eyes to be clearer than usual as Cid watched him. He sighed. "I'll let Rikku figure out what she wants. In all my years here, I know for a fact that the best way to learn from something is to actually experience it," Cid explained, his gaze hard on Serru.
The younger Al Bhed chose to remain quiet.
"I guess what I'm trying to say here, son, is that it's up to her. It's her decision now," Cid finished.
Serru paused at that, Cid's words ringing in his ears. He tried to hide a smirk, realizing that this could turn out better than he expected.
=======
Rikku stood on the balcony overlooking the Cabin, her eyes glancing around the elaborate airship, trying to take in everything at once. The new airship had just picked them up a few minutes ago.
For a small ship, the interior was surprisingly detailed. Unlike previous airships she had been in, this one had padded walls that kept in warmth, as well as added a more welcoming feeling. The floors were translucent, blue and yellow lights illuminating the pathways beneath. From her position on the balcony, she could also see a large aquarium on the right side of the wall, little colored fish swimming about here and there.
A pair of arms came around her from behind, startling her for a moment. She gasped.
"Hey, did I scare you?" Gippal's voice asked, turning her around to face him. She shook her head, and smiled at her own silliness.
"No, you didn't," Rikku replied, feeling her cheeks warming up from the closeness of his body to hers. She had her eyes down.
"Hm, I dunno. It looked like I scared you there for a minute..." Gippal continued, a teasing tone in his voice. He backed away for a moment and studied her.
"Argh! Fine!" Rikku exclaimed in defeat, throwing her arms in the air. She looked down again, playing with her boot with her other foot. "I guess I did get scared there for a minute..." she added softly.
Gippal couldn't help but chuckle, taking a step closer to her again. He placed a hand on her shoulder. She was shaking.
"Whoa, what's the matter? You're shaking..." Gippal asked with concern, trying to look into her eyes. She didn't look up to meet his gaze. "It's because of the others...right?" he whispered. As soon as the words left his mouth, he mentally hit himself. Of course that's what was bothering her.
"Yeah, we haven't gotten any word from them at all..." Rikku said softly. She turned up to look at him. "Do you think they're okay?"
Gippal looked down, the hurt expression on her face unbearable to see. He was about to answer, when Rikku suddenly threw her arms around him, burying her face into his chest. Startled, but not too surprised, he put his arms around her as well, stroking her back comfortingly.
"It's not over yet, Rikku. Everything will be alright in the end, I promise."
======
"The doctor will be moving you two out shortly."
Paine sat up from the bed, squinting at the form that stood at the doorway. "What? Where are we going?" she asked, tossing her bangs away from her face.
The nurse took a step into the room, and Paine finally saw her face, a sense of fear evident on her features. Something was not right here.
"Paine...what's going on?" Yuna asked from her bed, sitting up to look at the doorway.
"Yuna, I'm not sure but—" Paine began but froze when another figure entered the room, a bright gleam catching the warrior's eye. Her eyes narrowed at the expression on his face.
"Serru...what the hell is going on here?" Paine asked, the situation deeply bothering her. Before she could open her mouth again, she saw that the gleam was from a knife that the Al Bhed was holding. She looked up into Serru's face, realizing that he knew that she knew what was happening.
He smirked. "Gather your things, ladies. You're coming with me."
=========
"Sir, where is the next destination?" a man asked from the right side of the stairs. He paused shortly at the sight of the girl in Gippal's arms.
Gippal looked over Rikku's head at the man. He pulled back a bit and motioned with one hand. "Direct the ship towards Kilika. We'll need to meet up with the others," he said, not noticing the embarrassment on the other Al Bhed's face.
"Y-Yessir," the man replied shortly before turning to walk quickly down the short flight of stairs towards the elevator.
"Rikku, I'll need to head down toward the bridge for a bit. To make sure things are running right..." Gippal said, stepping back from her. "Are you okay?" he asked when she didn't reply.
Rikku nodded, quickly composing herself. "Yeah...um, sorry about this," she apologized.
Gippal bent down to kiss her cheek. "Hey, don't worry about it. You don't need to apologize."
She nodded again. "Thanks, Gippal."
He smiled, glad that she was fine again. "I'll be back here in a few. You goin' to be staying up here?" Gippal asked, motioning towards the Cabin below the balcony.
Rikku giggled, feeling much better. "Nah, I think I'll take a look around the airship," she replied with a wink.
Gippal laughed, beginning to head down the stairs. "Alright then. I'll see you later," he waved.
"Okay," she replied with a smile.
Looking around, Rikku noticed that she really didn't know where to start exploring. The airship was small, but there were so many pathways and rooms that led to one another. Deciding to head down the left side of the stairs, she left the balcony to find the elevator.
Her eyes were on the floor, the brightly colored lights a nice feature to the cheerful interior of the airship. Humming a soft tune that Yuna had taught her a few weeks before, she rounded a corner and finally saw the metallic doors of the elevator.
"Ah, finally," Rikku said softly to herself.
She had barely taken a step towards the hall when she was suddenly pulled into a dark corner, rough hands closing around her arms forcefully. She couldn't scream, a hand around her mouth. A warm breath whispered darkly into her ear as she was pressed into the wall.
"Finally indeed," a male voice spoke softly.
=======
A/N: Had to end it there! Heh, this is a bit reminiscent to my other fic when each chapter ended at a cliffhanger. =p
Well I hope you guys liked that one. It's been a while since I've given you all an update, so I hope you enjoyed it. Promise I'll work on Chapter 11 soon so I can get it up quickly as well.
Oh, have you guys ever seen the music video (PV) of Ayumi Hamasaki's "Real me" song? If you have, then take a look at the colored floors during the dance scene of her music video. That's exactly the look I meant when I described this airship's colored floors.
Again, thanks for all your support, everyone!
EDIT: It seems as if FF.net isn't noticing my breaks in between dialogues. Please let me know if they do show up.
=====
{{ Chapter 10: Timeless }}
=====
A sharp beep suddenly cut through the air, startling them. Gippal paused, looking from Rikku to the communication device that hung on his hip. A faint blue light glowed from the small monitor of the device as the beeping continued. Rikku's eyes widened as she watched Gippal swiftly unhook it and quickly shot her a glance. They both knew who it was.
"It's me," Gippal's voice spoke as he clicked the button to receive the message. A voice spoke back, the sound almost muffled by some kind of commotion that was in the background.
"Sir?! Sir! Is that you, Gippal?" Rikku could hear the voice shout from the device. She watched as Gippal frowned in concern, wondering why it seemed like something was wrong. He brought the device to his lips, his finger on the button.
"Yeah, what's up? You guys find anything in Kilika? It's been a while, and you guys never called! What happened?" Gippal spoke into the glowing monitor. Rikku couldn't help but feel dread building up in her stomach. She watched Gippal's face in worry. He awaited the response from the other line.
A loud, hissing noise from the device caused Gippal to suddenly hold it away from him. He frowned again, but brought the piece back to his ear as the Al Bhed spoke back.
"We found evidence, Sir. At first we almost missed it...but we got it, Gippal," the Al Bhed responded, his voice sounding much more calm than before. The background noise had also cleared up.
Gippal felt his pulse race faster. "What did you find? Did you get evidence on the Guado for what they did?" he asked into the device. Rikku clasped her gloved hands in front of her, feeling more confident that they would finally catch who had been setting the fires. Her green eyes flickered up to Gippal and the device in his hand. He met her gaze, sharing her thoughts as well. A hissing noise from the device caused them both to look at it again.
"Sir..." the man's voice began. A hiss and what sounded like a loud click came from the device, as if he had been holding it too close to his mouth. "...we didn't get anything on the Guado..."
Gippal raised his eyebrows, feeling his anger beginning to build up. "What the hell do you mean? You just said that you found evidence on—"
The voice on the device interrupted him.
"Gippal, the Guado weren't the ones who did it, but we did find some other evidence on—"
A gunshot rang out from the speaker, before the line went dead.
========
Cid felt that his mouth was dry, at a loss for words. He didn't know what angered him more--the fact that Serru had bluntly said Rikku was in a relationship, or the fact that his daughter may have been involved with someone. Cid couldn't quite place his finger on it, but he knew that he was indeed angry. His brown eyes raised to meet Serru's green ones.
"What are you sayin' boy?" Cid finally asked. He saw the other young man refuse to meet his gaze.
Serru shifted on one foot, the gravel beneath him crunching from his weight. He tried to keep his face completely neutral. He knew that he had to play this conversation out properly.
"Well, Sir...as you know, I spent some time with Rikku and Gippal before I went to Zanarkand to rescue the others..." Serru began. He saw Cid's hard eyes on him and decided to stop speaking, as if Cid wanted to cut in with something of his own to say.
"Time with them? And where exactly were you kids?" Cid demanded gruffly. He had his large arms crossed in front of him as he waited for Serru to respond.
"Ah, well it was a few days ago near the Moonflow banks. Gippal and Rikku stayed behind while the others went to investigate Kilika after the fire and..."
"What exactly has been going on here?! That daughter of mine! She's off doing crazy things again, and I don't even know!" Cid exclaimed suddenly. He was facing Serru fully this time.
Serru blinked, not realizing that this was the reaction he was going to get from the older man. Cid looked at him again.
"Tell me everything, Serru."
=========
Yuna stirred, the foggy remnants of a dream quickly dissipating under the morning sunlight. She was lying down. Warm blankets covered her, and she slowly realized that she was in a room, the only light coming from a nearby window.
"Where...am I?" she heard herself whisper, one hand coming up to brush the hair away from her face.
"Yuna? You awake?" came a voice from the other side of her.
She turned her head and saw a flash of black, familiar ruby eyes staring back at her from the other bed that was in the room.
"Paine? What happened?" Yuna asked. She still felt a little dizzy.
"You passed out right when we arrived here. We didn't expect you to, but I guess you did. I guess you inhaled too much smoke back there..." Paine added with a light chuckle.
Yuna couldn't help but smile at her friend's words. A thought came to her.
"The others? Are they alright?" she asked, sitting up on her elbows.
Paine sat up from her bed, pulling the curtains from the nearby window open.
"They're fine. Sleeping right in the next room."
Yuna sighed in relief, beginning to lay back into the pillow again. "It's good to hear that."
=========
"Damn it!"
Rikku watched Gippal grit his teeth in frustration, quickly attaching the device at his hip. He looked up at her, a hint of unease present in his good eye.
"There's nothing we can do here now. We've gotta get back to Kilika," Gippal said simply, voice surprisingly even despite his earlier frustration. Rikku nodded silently, her gaze drifting over to the campsite around them. He seemed to read her mind at that moment.
"We'll have to leave everything. There's no time, and that last transmission is really getting to me..." he trailed off, bending down to search for his bag. Rikku bent down next to him, deciding that it was time to gather her stuff as well. She paused for a moment and looked at him. He wasn't looking at her, but suddenly stopped moving and met her eyes.
"Yeah, I know, Rikku. I'm worried about them too..." Gippal said softly, looking up into the sky.
=====
"So that's what's been goin' on here, hm?" Cid muttered in disbelief. He began to walk out towards the docks, with the other young man right behind him.
"Yes, that's how it's been, Sir," Serru replied finally, catching up to Cid.
Serru had just finished explaining the recent week to Cid, as he listened in stunned silence. He never expected to hear such a story about his daughter, let alone so soon. Rikku had spent several days and nights with Gippal. Cid knew and actually met the leader of the Machine Faction, but...it was still difficult to accept the fact that his daughter wasn't a little girl anymore. Okay, so he wasn't being completely honest with himself.
Cid knew that she would eventually leave and settle down with a life and family of her own. He had known that from the moment she was born. Rikku carried that youthful spark with her, cheerful, but all the same wise as well. How could any man not fall for her? He sighed.
He assumed that it was the price of being a father. It was difficult for him to let go. She was his only daughter, and youngest child. He shook his head and stopped walking, a sudden realization dawning over him.
Serru paused and looked at Cid. The older man was looking at the ground.
"I-Is something the matter, Sir?" Serru decided to ask after some time had passed.
Cid looked up, eyes narrowing suddenly at Serru's voice. "I've changed my mind."
"What? What do you mean, Cid?" Serru asked, startled by the other man's change of attitude. They were now standing at the docks, the early morning sea breeze a refreshing change to the hot sun.
"Forget what I said earlier," Cid continued to say. He looked out into the clear waters. Serru stepped up next to him, his gaze still on Cid.
"You mean—"
"Yeah," Cid interrupted. He turned around and faced Serru fully. The younger Al Bhed met Cid's brown eyes. "I'll let Rikku decide her own future...including who she wants to be with."
=====
"So, how exactly are we gonna get back to Kilika?" Rikku asked, the sight of the Moonflow banks making her realize that they were stranded. Gippal came up and stood next to her.
"Don't think it's over yet, Rikku," Gippal replied with a crooked smile. She raised an eyebrow and looked at him, the confidence in his voice hard to believe.
"You have a plan?" she asked incredulously.
"Of course. The men will be arriving in about twenty minutes to fly us to Kilika," Gippal explained simply, sitting down on the ground. He looked up at her from his position below and couldn't help but smile at the shocked expression on her face.
"Exactly how many airships DO you have, Gippal?" Rikku asked in disbelief, hands on her hips as she moved to stand in front of him.
He looked up to study her fondly. Her figure was just barely blocking the sunlight from the horizon, a gentle wind causing her long hair to blow behind her. She was still awaiting his response, but didn't notice the smirk on his face.
With one swift movement, Gippal had reached out to grab her hands and pulled her down to him. She gasped in surprise, landing on top of him as they both fell backwards onto the ground. His chest was warm, and she stared into his smiling face, rolling her eyes at him.
"Is this the way you answer my question?" Rikku asked with a light giggle, pausing as she felt one of his hands rest on her back.
Gippal smiled innocently. "Hm? What do you mean?" he asked softly. She felt his other hand come around her and began to feel her heart beating faster.
"You know what I mean, Gippal," Rikku said, sticking her tongue out at him. One of his hands came up behind her head, and she could feel his fingers sliding through her hair. He gently pulled her face close to his.
"Well in that case, I guess I'll have to answer you now, right?" Gippal asked again, his voice mischievous. Rikku watched as he leaned her face closer to him, his lips just millimeters below hers. Expecting him to kiss her, she was surprised when he moved his lips near her ear instead.
"Three..." he whispered, breath warm against her skin. She tried to suppress a shiver.
"W-What?" Rikku asked, the sensations Gippal was causing her to feel getting the best of her. He had one hand stroking her hair, while the other rested on the small of her back. She could feel his heartbeat below her, Gippal's warmth enveloping all around.
"...airships," Gippal finished.
======
Serru could not believe his ears. He stared at Cid in shock.
"S-Sir, you cannot possibly mean that you actually approve of Rikku spending so much time with Gippal...?" Serru asked. Cid had his back to him.
"No, son. I didn't say I liked Gippal at all. Hell, I don't even LIKE the kid...but," Cid began, finally turning to face Serru. The blue water caused the younger man's green eyes to be clearer than usual as Cid watched him. He sighed. "I'll let Rikku figure out what she wants. In all my years here, I know for a fact that the best way to learn from something is to actually experience it," Cid explained, his gaze hard on Serru.
The younger Al Bhed chose to remain quiet.
"I guess what I'm trying to say here, son, is that it's up to her. It's her decision now," Cid finished.
Serru paused at that, Cid's words ringing in his ears. He tried to hide a smirk, realizing that this could turn out better than he expected.
=======
Rikku stood on the balcony overlooking the Cabin, her eyes glancing around the elaborate airship, trying to take in everything at once. The new airship had just picked them up a few minutes ago.
For a small ship, the interior was surprisingly detailed. Unlike previous airships she had been in, this one had padded walls that kept in warmth, as well as added a more welcoming feeling. The floors were translucent, blue and yellow lights illuminating the pathways beneath. From her position on the balcony, she could also see a large aquarium on the right side of the wall, little colored fish swimming about here and there.
A pair of arms came around her from behind, startling her for a moment. She gasped.
"Hey, did I scare you?" Gippal's voice asked, turning her around to face him. She shook her head, and smiled at her own silliness.
"No, you didn't," Rikku replied, feeling her cheeks warming up from the closeness of his body to hers. She had her eyes down.
"Hm, I dunno. It looked like I scared you there for a minute..." Gippal continued, a teasing tone in his voice. He backed away for a moment and studied her.
"Argh! Fine!" Rikku exclaimed in defeat, throwing her arms in the air. She looked down again, playing with her boot with her other foot. "I guess I did get scared there for a minute..." she added softly.
Gippal couldn't help but chuckle, taking a step closer to her again. He placed a hand on her shoulder. She was shaking.
"Whoa, what's the matter? You're shaking..." Gippal asked with concern, trying to look into her eyes. She didn't look up to meet his gaze. "It's because of the others...right?" he whispered. As soon as the words left his mouth, he mentally hit himself. Of course that's what was bothering her.
"Yeah, we haven't gotten any word from them at all..." Rikku said softly. She turned up to look at him. "Do you think they're okay?"
Gippal looked down, the hurt expression on her face unbearable to see. He was about to answer, when Rikku suddenly threw her arms around him, burying her face into his chest. Startled, but not too surprised, he put his arms around her as well, stroking her back comfortingly.
"It's not over yet, Rikku. Everything will be alright in the end, I promise."
======
"The doctor will be moving you two out shortly."
Paine sat up from the bed, squinting at the form that stood at the doorway. "What? Where are we going?" she asked, tossing her bangs away from her face.
The nurse took a step into the room, and Paine finally saw her face, a sense of fear evident on her features. Something was not right here.
"Paine...what's going on?" Yuna asked from her bed, sitting up to look at the doorway.
"Yuna, I'm not sure but—" Paine began but froze when another figure entered the room, a bright gleam catching the warrior's eye. Her eyes narrowed at the expression on his face.
"Serru...what the hell is going on here?" Paine asked, the situation deeply bothering her. Before she could open her mouth again, she saw that the gleam was from a knife that the Al Bhed was holding. She looked up into Serru's face, realizing that he knew that she knew what was happening.
He smirked. "Gather your things, ladies. You're coming with me."
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"Sir, where is the next destination?" a man asked from the right side of the stairs. He paused shortly at the sight of the girl in Gippal's arms.
Gippal looked over Rikku's head at the man. He pulled back a bit and motioned with one hand. "Direct the ship towards Kilika. We'll need to meet up with the others," he said, not noticing the embarrassment on the other Al Bhed's face.
"Y-Yessir," the man replied shortly before turning to walk quickly down the short flight of stairs towards the elevator.
"Rikku, I'll need to head down toward the bridge for a bit. To make sure things are running right..." Gippal said, stepping back from her. "Are you okay?" he asked when she didn't reply.
Rikku nodded, quickly composing herself. "Yeah...um, sorry about this," she apologized.
Gippal bent down to kiss her cheek. "Hey, don't worry about it. You don't need to apologize."
She nodded again. "Thanks, Gippal."
He smiled, glad that she was fine again. "I'll be back here in a few. You goin' to be staying up here?" Gippal asked, motioning towards the Cabin below the balcony.
Rikku giggled, feeling much better. "Nah, I think I'll take a look around the airship," she replied with a wink.
Gippal laughed, beginning to head down the stairs. "Alright then. I'll see you later," he waved.
"Okay," she replied with a smile.
Looking around, Rikku noticed that she really didn't know where to start exploring. The airship was small, but there were so many pathways and rooms that led to one another. Deciding to head down the left side of the stairs, she left the balcony to find the elevator.
Her eyes were on the floor, the brightly colored lights a nice feature to the cheerful interior of the airship. Humming a soft tune that Yuna had taught her a few weeks before, she rounded a corner and finally saw the metallic doors of the elevator.
"Ah, finally," Rikku said softly to herself.
She had barely taken a step towards the hall when she was suddenly pulled into a dark corner, rough hands closing around her arms forcefully. She couldn't scream, a hand around her mouth. A warm breath whispered darkly into her ear as she was pressed into the wall.
"Finally indeed," a male voice spoke softly.
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A/N: Had to end it there! Heh, this is a bit reminiscent to my other fic when each chapter ended at a cliffhanger. =p
Well I hope you guys liked that one. It's been a while since I've given you all an update, so I hope you enjoyed it. Promise I'll work on Chapter 11 soon so I can get it up quickly as well.
Oh, have you guys ever seen the music video (PV) of Ayumi Hamasaki's "Real me" song? If you have, then take a look at the colored floors during the dance scene of her music video. That's exactly the look I meant when I described this airship's colored floors.
Again, thanks for all your support, everyone!