A/N: Chapter 13, already. Wooo.
Okay, before I begin, I would like to take this time to answer several questions that I've been asked, regarding the current situation/characters in the story so far.
First of all, the question about Sasuno's eyes. Yes, they're chestnut/deep brown colored because he wears contacts. That's right. He has contacts on because he doesn't want to have green eyes like his brother, Serru, does. (I love Sasuno). You'll all find out the reason for everything later, and I'm actually surprised someone beat me to this question. I meant to explain it all in this chapter, but don't worry. I am still going to explain it here.
Second, yes. Sasuno's name spells out the word, "Memory" in English. It is related to the name of the story, "Waiting Between Memories." =)
Third, yes, Sasuno IS SINGLE. =p Hehe, just thought I'd emphasize that. There have been a lot more Sasuno fans than I thought there would.
Fourth. Now this is a good question someone asked me. The reason why Rikku didn't just take the gun out and shoot Serru right then is because of several reasons. The first is that it would be too easy, and I don't plan on doing that for this particular story. . Secondly, I'm leaving Gippal with that job. =p Third, there is a more dramatic way I plan on describing the upcoming "battle scenes." And the main reason, one that I didn't plan on mentioning until Chapter 14, is that the gun wasn't loaded! Yup, that's right. It ain't loaded.
Sasuno would have never taken a loaded gun with him. .
Hehe, well at least you guys were quick to point out the little mysteries that were evident in my newest chapters. Darn, and I wanted to explain them without you guys asking. =p Still, thanks for all the support you've given me, and I'm glad you were able to recognize the plot holes that I planned on explaining later.
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{{ Chapter 13: Truth and Reconnaissance }}
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"You there! Stop at once!"
"Don't look back, Yuna! Just keep running!" Paine exclaimed frantically, trailing right behind her.
The two continued to sprint, footsteps pounding against the metal flooring of the underground dungeon. Behind them, Yuna could hear the frantic shouts of the guards as they chased after them both. Her breath came out in short gasps as she continued to lead the way. Nothing but the silver color from the surrounding walls blazed by her vision, and it seemed as if the hallway would never end.
Gunshots suddenly pierced the air.
"Damn!! They're firing!" Paine yelled, thrashing her body from side to side as she trailed at Yuna's heals, hoping against all odds to dodge the gunfire.
Yuna continued to run, no longer able to hear Paine clearly. Her vision was fixed at a single point in the hallway, something catching her attention. Her lungs were beginning to burn from a lack of oxygen, her blood pumping wildly. She blinked before looking up once more. There it was again. A flash of yellow on the far right side of the hall...
Paine picked up her speed, sprinting to catch up with Yuna. The air whipped the warrior's bangs wildly, as she turned to look at Yuna. Her friend stared straight ahead, the gunfire seeming to cease for the moment. She was about to open her mouth to exclaim that they needed to get out of the hall, when she suddenly saw Yuna's face light up.
"Tidus! Isaaru!"
Paine turned her attention from Yuna to look at the endless stretch of hallway. She began to feel lightheaded from the relief of seeing the other two men.
"This way! Hurry!" Isaaru exclaimed wildly, as he and Tidus pressed themselves against the wall, anticipating the gunfire. Yuna dived into the opening of the hallway, landing hard on her shoulder. She scrambled up and watched Paine coming towards them as well.
Paine felt her legs slowing down, but her mind pushed for her to continue. So close...
"Paine!! Watch out!!" Yuna's voice shrieked from where the other men stood. She had reached the safety in the opening of the hall, yet her friend was...! Paine glanced behind her, seeing an Al Bhed soldier dart out from the left side of the hall and raising a gun. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as the sickening sound of the gunfire echoed down the hall.
It was all too familiar. The blast from the gun. Being shot from behind. The way time seemed to slow down in this single moment. Paine knew that she escaped being shot once. There was no way she would make it out of this one.
She felt a single tear slide down her face and squeezed her eyes shut, still continuing to run blindly.
"YUNA!! NO!!!" Tidus voice echoed.
Paine's eyes shot open as the air was quickly knocked out of her. She landed hard on the cold metal ground, seeing Yuna sprawled on top of her. Her head spun as she tried to realize what had just happened. She groaned from the pain in her side. But they were safely in the hallway's side opening.
Isaaru quickly shut the door behind them, hoping that the Al Bhed soldiers would simply run by the room they were in. The doors were all too similar, so they were safe for now.
"Yuna!" Paine heard Tidus shout. She saw him appear, and quickly scrambled to where Yuna and Paine were, his blue eyes clouded with fear.
They all froze suddenly, hearing footsteps approach the door. Tidus looked up, expecting the metal door to be thrown open, but the footsteps began to fade. Isaaru sighed in relief. The guards had passed them by. They still had a chance.
"Argh...Paine...are you...alright?" Yuna began to ask quietly. She gingerly climbed off her friend, her face contorting with pain as she winced.
"Yuna, you are bleeding!" Isaaru gasped, seeing the drops of blood from Yuna's left arm. He quickly moved from the door and knelt down to inspect it.
Paine struggled to stand as well, reaching over to support her friend. She eyed Yuna's arm, relief washing over her. "It's alright. The bullet just grazed it but..." Paine fell silent as she saw the trail of blood on the floor. She gasped at the sight.
"Yes...we must stop the bleeding," Isaaru spoke quickly, ripping off a piece of his robes and beginning to tie up Yuna's arm. "This cut is quite deep."
Yuna whimpered as she tried to lift her arm. "I-I'll be fine...Don't worry too much about it..." she said gingerly, trying to keep her arm still.
Tidus reached into his pocket and pulled out a Hi-Potion. "I hope this stops the pain for while, Yuna," he said gently, removing the bottle's cap and offering it to Yuna to drink. She smiled gratefully at him before turning to the rest of the group.
"Th-Thank you, everyone..." she said, her eyes drifting over to Paine as her friend suddenly stood up. "How about you, Paine? Are you alright...?" Yuna asked.
Paine had her back to them all, her mind unconsciously reliving what had just happened. The blast from the shotgun still echoed in her mind, and try as she might, the sound would not go away. She could still hear Tidus' pain-filled voice as he screamed Yuna's name. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned to face them once more.
"Yuna, why...did you have to do that?!" Paine exclaimed suddenly, a voice she didn't recognize as her own coming out.
Yuna stared at her friend in silence. She looked down at the ground as Tidus moved to support her arm in his. She turned her gaze up to look at Paine.
"I wanted to save you, Paine. We're friends...I...only did what anyone would do..." Yuna replied in a choked whisper, her eyes growing shiny with tears.
Paine stood for another moment, her ruby eyes growing misty. She turned away.
"...Thank you, Yuna."
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"B-Brother...?!" Rikku gasped. Her eyes flew to Sasuno. He wasn't looking at her.
"So the secret is finally out," Serru chuckled, taking a step towards the doorway where his brother stood frozen. Rikku watched as Sasuno held his ground, keeping his dark eyes on the other man. "Perfect timing by the way, Sasuno. Who knows what would have happened if you hadn't arrived," Serru continued with a smirk.
Sasuno said nothing, fighting his fist from swinging up. He turned his head away with his eyes shut.
"I expect you to come up to see me later," Serru spoke again, already out the door.
They could still hear his laughter down the hall as Sasuno shut the door quietly, refusing to look up. Rikku sat on the bed, too stunned to move. She knew that he was reluctant to speak because now the truth was finally out in the air. It was as if Rikku was in the room with a complete stranger – as if she was just meeting him for the first time. So Sasuno had been lying to her the entire time they had been together...?
"I don't expect you to forgive me, Rikku," he finally spoke up, shattering their heavy silence. He seemed to know what she had been thinking. She raised her gaze in time to meet his. Rikku couldn't tell the difference in his expression. It seemed as if he was both angry and confused at the same time.
She couldn't help but look down at the ground. There were a few things she was confused about as well. The two of them were brothers, yet what else was there behind that? She glanced up at him. He still had his eyes on her.
"I think I want to know the truth now, Sasuno."
He paused, then sighed, finally moving himself so that he was standing near where Rikku was. She sat up so that her legs dangled off the large bed. She saw him take a deep breath, pushing away strands of unruly hair away from his eyes. He seemed really tense about this.
"Listen, you don't have to tell me right now if it's—"
"No, you deserve to know the truth, Rikku," Sasuno interrupted gently. Rikku fell quiet, looking down at the bed. He began to speak again.
"All of this began a long time ago...and—" he seemed to stall with his words.
"And...what?" Rikku questioned, sensing his reluctance to continue. She leaned towards him, trying to look into his face. "What is it?"
Sasuno turned to face her again. "When you mentioned the name Gippal, I knew it was the same one from a long time ago."
Rikku stared at him in shock, letting the words sink in. Sasuno's voice rang in her ears. She tried to make sense of what he had just said.
"Gippal...?" she uttered.
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"Damn it all!!!!" Cid's voice boomed. The young Al Bhed cowered noticeably, inching away from the older man as he slammed his fist on the table.
"But sir...Gippal requests to see you immediately...! He says that it's urgent and..." the Al Bhed tried to explain, voice shaking as Cid suddenly stared hard at him.
"Yeah?! Doesn't he know that my niece and her friends were just taken hostage?!! Well...?!" Cid demanded loudly, standing from the chair in a rush. The piece of furniture crashed to the ground, startling the young Al Bhed again.
"I uh...Sir, that is, uh..."
"Wait! I don't think Cid wants you to—" voices boomed from outside the door. Cid glanced up, a scowl on his face as he heard the muffled voices from outside the room.
The door opened with a loud bang, and Cid immediately recognized Gippal, the leader of the Machine Faction. The older man had heard about their digs in the desert from Benzo, the little Al Bhed genius...or so he liked to proclaim.
"What are you doing in here, boy?" Cid demanded gruffly, marching towards Gippal. He was expecting the young man to take a step back, but he didn't. Gippal's face was extremely serious. "What's the matter? Can't wait your turn, eh? Just what's so important that you had to come in here like this—"
"Sir, it's about Rikku," Gippal interrupted quickly and without hesitance, not taking his eyes off the older man. Cid stopped in mid- sentence upon hearing his daughter's name.
"What...about her...?" Cid asked hesitantly, crossing his arms. He watched as Gippal's gaze fell to the ground, as if ashamed to look the older man in the face. "You better start talking, boy," he demanded with a low voice.
Gippal mentally slapped himself for losing his courage right then. Slowly, unwillingly, he forced himself to look Cid in the eye. There was no escaping the hole Gippal had jumped into.
He found his voice faltering. "S-She was...kidnapped a few days ago and—" But he couldn't speak anything more. Cid's form had loomed dangerously close to his. Gippal turned his head away, anticipating the possible pain Cid was about to inflict on him. Gippal's muscles tightened, expecting Cid's blows to come to him, but they didn't. He opened his eye.
The other man stared back at him, his old eyes empty, fear imminent, hazy with realization.
"W-What happened...?" Cid could only utter in shock, the force of Gippal's words shaking his entire body, finally ending at his heart, the fear of what could have happened to his daughter welling up inside of him.
"By the time I realized it, it was too late, Cid! I...the airship was just too far, and I couldn't do a damn thing about it!" Gippal found himself exclaiming. The words rushed out of him like a storm driven wild, and he couldn't stop himself. Images of Rikku's face flashed before his eyes, her cheerful voice ringing in his ears. Only this time it wasn't joyful. He felt his heart being torn apart at how he couldn't save her. Gippal squeezed his eye shut, turning away from Cid in shame.
The older man's voice filled the room, his tone collected, despite the news he had just heard.
"Macalania Forest. I want an airship taking me and the kid to there right now," Cid spoke up. His eyes scanned the room. Seeing that none of the other Al Bhed were moving, he spoke again. "Didn't you hear me?! I said move!"
The men flinched at the volume of Cid's voice, and fled the room, mumbling a brief "Yessir."
Gippal turned back to look at Cid. This time the older man had his back turned. He was about to say something, when Cid's voice interrupted him.
"I already know where she might be, if that's what you're wondering, boy."
"But...how?" Gippal whispered, too stunned to move.
"Because it's all my fault, damn it!" Cid cried, spinning around to look at Gippal. His eyes were blazing. "If it weren't for me talking to that damn Serru kid, none of this would have happened!"
Gippal stood, wobbly on his feet at what Cid had just said. His head spun, and it took every ounce of his strength to lower himself shakily on the nearby chair. He raised his good eye to Cid, feeling his fists clenching and unclenching.
"W-What did you just say...?" Gippal asked quietly.
"Yes, dammit. I promised Rikku to that Serru kid, before I realized my mistake. Now he's gone and kidnapped her! Ain't no other person who would do something like this!" Cid explained in a rush, already heading out the door.
But Gippal was quicker. He had already left the office, his legs carrying him to the airship that would take him to Rikku.
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"When Serru and I were young children, we lived in a small village with our family. It was on an island near the old Omega Ruins, and I loved it there..." Sasuno suddenly trailed off, his eyes filling with nostalgia. Rikku saw his smile fade after some time.
She chose not to say anything, but listened as Sasuno began again.
"I guess you could have called it a "lost village," since not many people knew about it. The people there were very kind, always trying to invent new ways to tweak machina this way and that." Sasuno suddenly laughed. "I remember that my father had figured out a way to make a machina go from one side of the village, through the river, past the rocky valleys, and to our doorstep...all to deliver an apple!"
Rikku smiled at that.
"Serru and I were the best of friends. Sometimes when strangers would meet us for the first time, they thought we were friends instead of brothers. But they knew we had to be brothers because of the way our eyes were."
Rikku paused, a thought suddenly occurring to her. "Sasuno...your eyes. They're not green anymore, are they?" she asked him. He sighed.
"No, they're not. I decided that I didn't want to look so similar to Serru. I didn't want anything to give away that we were brothers. I...was too ashamed after what happened between us."
"I see..." Rikku whispered in understanding. Her heart was being torn apart as she listened to Sasuno's pain-filled voice.
"Yes. We were happy once. But...all that changed. I still remember how warm that day was...the wind was just right – not too fast or too slow. Everyone was happy. The children were playing with a new machina my father had built, the elders sat under the shade and just watched fondly. It was...perfect. A perfect day..." Sasuno trailed off again. Rikku saw him face her. His brown eyes were clouded as he recalled the past. She turned away from him, unable to hold back her own tears at how much pain this was causing him.
"I never spoke about it to anyone, but I knew that Serru was jealous of me. I knew it. And he knew I knew it," Sasuno continued on. "Little things gave it away, but I finally knew that Serru had sensed it as well. He would fight for Father's attention, and it pained me to watch it. One day when we were older he just came up to me and told me that he hated me. I...thought he was just joking around but...I knew the truth."
"Sasuno...I..." Rikku began with a heavy heart. She didn't know what to say.
"That day, I had just stepped into the village square, looking for my father. I was in a hurry because I had awakened too late, and my father had already left without me. You see, we were planning to go down to the beach that morning for a swim. He said that if I didn't wake up on time, then he would just go on without me. Of course my father had just said that as a way for me to get up early but...I was late anyway, and he was gone." Sasuno took a shaky breath. Rikku placed a hand on his in a supportive gesture.
"I went through the village in the direction of the beach. I had just past by a boy around my age who was sitting on the side of the path leading up to the beach. He was crying..."
Rikku froze. "Sasuno...that little boy...it was—"
"Yes, Rikku. It was Gippal..." Sasuno replied in a strained voice.
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"Are you okay...?"
The boy looked up from his position on the ground, his cheeks glistening with tears. He clutched his knees tightly and sniffed.
"I-I...someone over there needs help...!" the boy choked out in sobs, pointing up the pathway towards the beach.
"Okay, I um...I'll go check, ok?"
The boy stood up, wiping his face quickly. "What's your...name?" he asked quietly. The light caught the boy's two bright eyes, his tears quickly disappearing.
"Oh, my name is Sasuno. What's your name?"
The other boy fell silent for a moment. "Sasuno? Wow, that means 'Memory' in Al Bhed, doesn't it?" he asked shyly, strands of blonde hair falling in front of his eyes.
Sasuno smiled at the boy. "Yup. It does."
"It's nice to meet you, Sasuno. My name is Gippal," the boy finally said with a soft smile.
"Well Gippal, where's that person who needed help?" Sasuno asked, suddenly changing the subject. Gippal paused, his young features frowning. He seemed to grow sad again.
"Um, Sasuno, about that, I..."
"SASUNO!!!" a voice called from above the path. Sasuno's gaze flew up to a person standing at the end of the pathway.
"Who's that?" Gippal asked, shielding his eyes from the early sunlight.
"That's my brother..." Sasuno replied slowly, worriedly, watching as Serru made his way over to him. Sasuno was about to greet his brother, when he saw Serru's tear-stained face.
"What's...wrong...?" Sasuno asked, fearing rising within him. He watched as Serru fell down on his knees, wailing as he clutched Sasuno in pain.
Sasuno's eyes landed on Gippal right then, and the other boy's earlier words rang in his ears.
'...Someone over there needs help...'
The world seemed to spin beneath his feet.
No.
Not his father.
It...couldn't be...!
Sasuno looked down at Serru's puffy face, before sprinting up the path blindly, tears flowing from his own eyes. He barely heard his brother calling out his name.
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A/N: I'm so sad. ;; I've already started Chapter 14, since things just go from one event to the next from this moment on, so no need to worry about a late update.
Expect it soon.
These upcoming events are about to be my favorite parts in the whole story. sniff
Okay, before I begin, I would like to take this time to answer several questions that I've been asked, regarding the current situation/characters in the story so far.
First of all, the question about Sasuno's eyes. Yes, they're chestnut/deep brown colored because he wears contacts. That's right. He has contacts on because he doesn't want to have green eyes like his brother, Serru, does. (I love Sasuno). You'll all find out the reason for everything later, and I'm actually surprised someone beat me to this question. I meant to explain it all in this chapter, but don't worry. I am still going to explain it here.
Second, yes. Sasuno's name spells out the word, "Memory" in English. It is related to the name of the story, "Waiting Between Memories." =)
Third, yes, Sasuno IS SINGLE. =p Hehe, just thought I'd emphasize that. There have been a lot more Sasuno fans than I thought there would.
Fourth. Now this is a good question someone asked me. The reason why Rikku didn't just take the gun out and shoot Serru right then is because of several reasons. The first is that it would be too easy, and I don't plan on doing that for this particular story. . Secondly, I'm leaving Gippal with that job. =p Third, there is a more dramatic way I plan on describing the upcoming "battle scenes." And the main reason, one that I didn't plan on mentioning until Chapter 14, is that the gun wasn't loaded! Yup, that's right. It ain't loaded.
Sasuno would have never taken a loaded gun with him. .
Hehe, well at least you guys were quick to point out the little mysteries that were evident in my newest chapters. Darn, and I wanted to explain them without you guys asking. =p Still, thanks for all the support you've given me, and I'm glad you were able to recognize the plot holes that I planned on explaining later.
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{{ Chapter 13: Truth and Reconnaissance }}
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"You there! Stop at once!"
"Don't look back, Yuna! Just keep running!" Paine exclaimed frantically, trailing right behind her.
The two continued to sprint, footsteps pounding against the metal flooring of the underground dungeon. Behind them, Yuna could hear the frantic shouts of the guards as they chased after them both. Her breath came out in short gasps as she continued to lead the way. Nothing but the silver color from the surrounding walls blazed by her vision, and it seemed as if the hallway would never end.
Gunshots suddenly pierced the air.
"Damn!! They're firing!" Paine yelled, thrashing her body from side to side as she trailed at Yuna's heals, hoping against all odds to dodge the gunfire.
Yuna continued to run, no longer able to hear Paine clearly. Her vision was fixed at a single point in the hallway, something catching her attention. Her lungs were beginning to burn from a lack of oxygen, her blood pumping wildly. She blinked before looking up once more. There it was again. A flash of yellow on the far right side of the hall...
Paine picked up her speed, sprinting to catch up with Yuna. The air whipped the warrior's bangs wildly, as she turned to look at Yuna. Her friend stared straight ahead, the gunfire seeming to cease for the moment. She was about to open her mouth to exclaim that they needed to get out of the hall, when she suddenly saw Yuna's face light up.
"Tidus! Isaaru!"
Paine turned her attention from Yuna to look at the endless stretch of hallway. She began to feel lightheaded from the relief of seeing the other two men.
"This way! Hurry!" Isaaru exclaimed wildly, as he and Tidus pressed themselves against the wall, anticipating the gunfire. Yuna dived into the opening of the hallway, landing hard on her shoulder. She scrambled up and watched Paine coming towards them as well.
Paine felt her legs slowing down, but her mind pushed for her to continue. So close...
"Paine!! Watch out!!" Yuna's voice shrieked from where the other men stood. She had reached the safety in the opening of the hall, yet her friend was...! Paine glanced behind her, seeing an Al Bhed soldier dart out from the left side of the hall and raising a gun. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as the sickening sound of the gunfire echoed down the hall.
It was all too familiar. The blast from the gun. Being shot from behind. The way time seemed to slow down in this single moment. Paine knew that she escaped being shot once. There was no way she would make it out of this one.
She felt a single tear slide down her face and squeezed her eyes shut, still continuing to run blindly.
"YUNA!! NO!!!" Tidus voice echoed.
Paine's eyes shot open as the air was quickly knocked out of her. She landed hard on the cold metal ground, seeing Yuna sprawled on top of her. Her head spun as she tried to realize what had just happened. She groaned from the pain in her side. But they were safely in the hallway's side opening.
Isaaru quickly shut the door behind them, hoping that the Al Bhed soldiers would simply run by the room they were in. The doors were all too similar, so they were safe for now.
"Yuna!" Paine heard Tidus shout. She saw him appear, and quickly scrambled to where Yuna and Paine were, his blue eyes clouded with fear.
They all froze suddenly, hearing footsteps approach the door. Tidus looked up, expecting the metal door to be thrown open, but the footsteps began to fade. Isaaru sighed in relief. The guards had passed them by. They still had a chance.
"Argh...Paine...are you...alright?" Yuna began to ask quietly. She gingerly climbed off her friend, her face contorting with pain as she winced.
"Yuna, you are bleeding!" Isaaru gasped, seeing the drops of blood from Yuna's left arm. He quickly moved from the door and knelt down to inspect it.
Paine struggled to stand as well, reaching over to support her friend. She eyed Yuna's arm, relief washing over her. "It's alright. The bullet just grazed it but..." Paine fell silent as she saw the trail of blood on the floor. She gasped at the sight.
"Yes...we must stop the bleeding," Isaaru spoke quickly, ripping off a piece of his robes and beginning to tie up Yuna's arm. "This cut is quite deep."
Yuna whimpered as she tried to lift her arm. "I-I'll be fine...Don't worry too much about it..." she said gingerly, trying to keep her arm still.
Tidus reached into his pocket and pulled out a Hi-Potion. "I hope this stops the pain for while, Yuna," he said gently, removing the bottle's cap and offering it to Yuna to drink. She smiled gratefully at him before turning to the rest of the group.
"Th-Thank you, everyone..." she said, her eyes drifting over to Paine as her friend suddenly stood up. "How about you, Paine? Are you alright...?" Yuna asked.
Paine had her back to them all, her mind unconsciously reliving what had just happened. The blast from the shotgun still echoed in her mind, and try as she might, the sound would not go away. She could still hear Tidus' pain-filled voice as he screamed Yuna's name. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned to face them once more.
"Yuna, why...did you have to do that?!" Paine exclaimed suddenly, a voice she didn't recognize as her own coming out.
Yuna stared at her friend in silence. She looked down at the ground as Tidus moved to support her arm in his. She turned her gaze up to look at Paine.
"I wanted to save you, Paine. We're friends...I...only did what anyone would do..." Yuna replied in a choked whisper, her eyes growing shiny with tears.
Paine stood for another moment, her ruby eyes growing misty. She turned away.
"...Thank you, Yuna."
=====
"B-Brother...?!" Rikku gasped. Her eyes flew to Sasuno. He wasn't looking at her.
"So the secret is finally out," Serru chuckled, taking a step towards the doorway where his brother stood frozen. Rikku watched as Sasuno held his ground, keeping his dark eyes on the other man. "Perfect timing by the way, Sasuno. Who knows what would have happened if you hadn't arrived," Serru continued with a smirk.
Sasuno said nothing, fighting his fist from swinging up. He turned his head away with his eyes shut.
"I expect you to come up to see me later," Serru spoke again, already out the door.
They could still hear his laughter down the hall as Sasuno shut the door quietly, refusing to look up. Rikku sat on the bed, too stunned to move. She knew that he was reluctant to speak because now the truth was finally out in the air. It was as if Rikku was in the room with a complete stranger – as if she was just meeting him for the first time. So Sasuno had been lying to her the entire time they had been together...?
"I don't expect you to forgive me, Rikku," he finally spoke up, shattering their heavy silence. He seemed to know what she had been thinking. She raised her gaze in time to meet his. Rikku couldn't tell the difference in his expression. It seemed as if he was both angry and confused at the same time.
She couldn't help but look down at the ground. There were a few things she was confused about as well. The two of them were brothers, yet what else was there behind that? She glanced up at him. He still had his eyes on her.
"I think I want to know the truth now, Sasuno."
He paused, then sighed, finally moving himself so that he was standing near where Rikku was. She sat up so that her legs dangled off the large bed. She saw him take a deep breath, pushing away strands of unruly hair away from his eyes. He seemed really tense about this.
"Listen, you don't have to tell me right now if it's—"
"No, you deserve to know the truth, Rikku," Sasuno interrupted gently. Rikku fell quiet, looking down at the bed. He began to speak again.
"All of this began a long time ago...and—" he seemed to stall with his words.
"And...what?" Rikku questioned, sensing his reluctance to continue. She leaned towards him, trying to look into his face. "What is it?"
Sasuno turned to face her again. "When you mentioned the name Gippal, I knew it was the same one from a long time ago."
Rikku stared at him in shock, letting the words sink in. Sasuno's voice rang in her ears. She tried to make sense of what he had just said.
"Gippal...?" she uttered.
=====
"Damn it all!!!!" Cid's voice boomed. The young Al Bhed cowered noticeably, inching away from the older man as he slammed his fist on the table.
"But sir...Gippal requests to see you immediately...! He says that it's urgent and..." the Al Bhed tried to explain, voice shaking as Cid suddenly stared hard at him.
"Yeah?! Doesn't he know that my niece and her friends were just taken hostage?!! Well...?!" Cid demanded loudly, standing from the chair in a rush. The piece of furniture crashed to the ground, startling the young Al Bhed again.
"I uh...Sir, that is, uh..."
"Wait! I don't think Cid wants you to—" voices boomed from outside the door. Cid glanced up, a scowl on his face as he heard the muffled voices from outside the room.
The door opened with a loud bang, and Cid immediately recognized Gippal, the leader of the Machine Faction. The older man had heard about their digs in the desert from Benzo, the little Al Bhed genius...or so he liked to proclaim.
"What are you doing in here, boy?" Cid demanded gruffly, marching towards Gippal. He was expecting the young man to take a step back, but he didn't. Gippal's face was extremely serious. "What's the matter? Can't wait your turn, eh? Just what's so important that you had to come in here like this—"
"Sir, it's about Rikku," Gippal interrupted quickly and without hesitance, not taking his eyes off the older man. Cid stopped in mid- sentence upon hearing his daughter's name.
"What...about her...?" Cid asked hesitantly, crossing his arms. He watched as Gippal's gaze fell to the ground, as if ashamed to look the older man in the face. "You better start talking, boy," he demanded with a low voice.
Gippal mentally slapped himself for losing his courage right then. Slowly, unwillingly, he forced himself to look Cid in the eye. There was no escaping the hole Gippal had jumped into.
He found his voice faltering. "S-She was...kidnapped a few days ago and—" But he couldn't speak anything more. Cid's form had loomed dangerously close to his. Gippal turned his head away, anticipating the possible pain Cid was about to inflict on him. Gippal's muscles tightened, expecting Cid's blows to come to him, but they didn't. He opened his eye.
The other man stared back at him, his old eyes empty, fear imminent, hazy with realization.
"W-What happened...?" Cid could only utter in shock, the force of Gippal's words shaking his entire body, finally ending at his heart, the fear of what could have happened to his daughter welling up inside of him.
"By the time I realized it, it was too late, Cid! I...the airship was just too far, and I couldn't do a damn thing about it!" Gippal found himself exclaiming. The words rushed out of him like a storm driven wild, and he couldn't stop himself. Images of Rikku's face flashed before his eyes, her cheerful voice ringing in his ears. Only this time it wasn't joyful. He felt his heart being torn apart at how he couldn't save her. Gippal squeezed his eye shut, turning away from Cid in shame.
The older man's voice filled the room, his tone collected, despite the news he had just heard.
"Macalania Forest. I want an airship taking me and the kid to there right now," Cid spoke up. His eyes scanned the room. Seeing that none of the other Al Bhed were moving, he spoke again. "Didn't you hear me?! I said move!"
The men flinched at the volume of Cid's voice, and fled the room, mumbling a brief "Yessir."
Gippal turned back to look at Cid. This time the older man had his back turned. He was about to say something, when Cid's voice interrupted him.
"I already know where she might be, if that's what you're wondering, boy."
"But...how?" Gippal whispered, too stunned to move.
"Because it's all my fault, damn it!" Cid cried, spinning around to look at Gippal. His eyes were blazing. "If it weren't for me talking to that damn Serru kid, none of this would have happened!"
Gippal stood, wobbly on his feet at what Cid had just said. His head spun, and it took every ounce of his strength to lower himself shakily on the nearby chair. He raised his good eye to Cid, feeling his fists clenching and unclenching.
"W-What did you just say...?" Gippal asked quietly.
"Yes, dammit. I promised Rikku to that Serru kid, before I realized my mistake. Now he's gone and kidnapped her! Ain't no other person who would do something like this!" Cid explained in a rush, already heading out the door.
But Gippal was quicker. He had already left the office, his legs carrying him to the airship that would take him to Rikku.
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"When Serru and I were young children, we lived in a small village with our family. It was on an island near the old Omega Ruins, and I loved it there..." Sasuno suddenly trailed off, his eyes filling with nostalgia. Rikku saw his smile fade after some time.
She chose not to say anything, but listened as Sasuno began again.
"I guess you could have called it a "lost village," since not many people knew about it. The people there were very kind, always trying to invent new ways to tweak machina this way and that." Sasuno suddenly laughed. "I remember that my father had figured out a way to make a machina go from one side of the village, through the river, past the rocky valleys, and to our doorstep...all to deliver an apple!"
Rikku smiled at that.
"Serru and I were the best of friends. Sometimes when strangers would meet us for the first time, they thought we were friends instead of brothers. But they knew we had to be brothers because of the way our eyes were."
Rikku paused, a thought suddenly occurring to her. "Sasuno...your eyes. They're not green anymore, are they?" she asked him. He sighed.
"No, they're not. I decided that I didn't want to look so similar to Serru. I didn't want anything to give away that we were brothers. I...was too ashamed after what happened between us."
"I see..." Rikku whispered in understanding. Her heart was being torn apart as she listened to Sasuno's pain-filled voice.
"Yes. We were happy once. But...all that changed. I still remember how warm that day was...the wind was just right – not too fast or too slow. Everyone was happy. The children were playing with a new machina my father had built, the elders sat under the shade and just watched fondly. It was...perfect. A perfect day..." Sasuno trailed off again. Rikku saw him face her. His brown eyes were clouded as he recalled the past. She turned away from him, unable to hold back her own tears at how much pain this was causing him.
"I never spoke about it to anyone, but I knew that Serru was jealous of me. I knew it. And he knew I knew it," Sasuno continued on. "Little things gave it away, but I finally knew that Serru had sensed it as well. He would fight for Father's attention, and it pained me to watch it. One day when we were older he just came up to me and told me that he hated me. I...thought he was just joking around but...I knew the truth."
"Sasuno...I..." Rikku began with a heavy heart. She didn't know what to say.
"That day, I had just stepped into the village square, looking for my father. I was in a hurry because I had awakened too late, and my father had already left without me. You see, we were planning to go down to the beach that morning for a swim. He said that if I didn't wake up on time, then he would just go on without me. Of course my father had just said that as a way for me to get up early but...I was late anyway, and he was gone." Sasuno took a shaky breath. Rikku placed a hand on his in a supportive gesture.
"I went through the village in the direction of the beach. I had just past by a boy around my age who was sitting on the side of the path leading up to the beach. He was crying..."
Rikku froze. "Sasuno...that little boy...it was—"
"Yes, Rikku. It was Gippal..." Sasuno replied in a strained voice.
========
"Are you okay...?"
The boy looked up from his position on the ground, his cheeks glistening with tears. He clutched his knees tightly and sniffed.
"I-I...someone over there needs help...!" the boy choked out in sobs, pointing up the pathway towards the beach.
"Okay, I um...I'll go check, ok?"
The boy stood up, wiping his face quickly. "What's your...name?" he asked quietly. The light caught the boy's two bright eyes, his tears quickly disappearing.
"Oh, my name is Sasuno. What's your name?"
The other boy fell silent for a moment. "Sasuno? Wow, that means 'Memory' in Al Bhed, doesn't it?" he asked shyly, strands of blonde hair falling in front of his eyes.
Sasuno smiled at the boy. "Yup. It does."
"It's nice to meet you, Sasuno. My name is Gippal," the boy finally said with a soft smile.
"Well Gippal, where's that person who needed help?" Sasuno asked, suddenly changing the subject. Gippal paused, his young features frowning. He seemed to grow sad again.
"Um, Sasuno, about that, I..."
"SASUNO!!!" a voice called from above the path. Sasuno's gaze flew up to a person standing at the end of the pathway.
"Who's that?" Gippal asked, shielding his eyes from the early sunlight.
"That's my brother..." Sasuno replied slowly, worriedly, watching as Serru made his way over to him. Sasuno was about to greet his brother, when he saw Serru's tear-stained face.
"What's...wrong...?" Sasuno asked, fearing rising within him. He watched as Serru fell down on his knees, wailing as he clutched Sasuno in pain.
Sasuno's eyes landed on Gippal right then, and the other boy's earlier words rang in his ears.
'...Someone over there needs help...'
The world seemed to spin beneath his feet.
No.
Not his father.
It...couldn't be...!
Sasuno looked down at Serru's puffy face, before sprinting up the path blindly, tears flowing from his own eyes. He barely heard his brother calling out his name.
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A/N: I'm so sad. ;; I've already started Chapter 14, since things just go from one event to the next from this moment on, so no need to worry about a late update.
Expect it soon.
These upcoming events are about to be my favorite parts in the whole story. sniff