Though it may seem Yuna being pregnant is trouble, that is not the main plot trouble for this story. The relic in the ocean does have importance though. Spira's real trouble will come soon enough. Hey, there's already a disturbance in this chapter.
Enjoy, and shout outs at the bottom :)
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy X-2 is propery of Square-Enix and is not mine.
Chapter IV
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Wow, and I thought I knew airships pretty well. Gippal's ride easily outmatched Pops' airship and the Celsius. The outside was a sleek black, with scattered bits of royal purple and deep blue. The airship's structure resembled the Celsius, with the deck in front and the four thrusters attached toward the bottom. Size was a whole different story though. So far, I'd only been to the main cabin, and it'd taken at least five minutes to reach. Plus, Gippal and I have already been walking through this thing for almost ten minutes. If Gippal hadn't been leading me, I think I would've got lost. Funny though, Gippal seems to know the airship inside and out even though it's not his. I suppose anything that powerful and large would attract his utmost attention. Now that I think of it, I wonder how many times Gippal has been inside this thing. I still hadn't asked what the airship's name is, something that'd been on my mind since I'd seen it coming from Besaid.
I finally asked when we reached the Bridge. "So, what's the airship's name Gippal?" I tried sounding mildly interested, though on the inside I really felt extremely giddy inside the sophisticated flying vehicle.
"Well, that's up to me." He answered, folding his arms behind his head as we continued through another electronic door. I jogged up to his side to see him smirking. "Since it's my airship, thanks to Youth Yevon, I can decide to name it anything. Like, Cid's Little Princess or The Funky Rikku."
I knew he was joking and trying to get a rise out of me, but I had to flatter the idea about an airship named after me. "Really Gippal, you'd name it after me?"
He ignored the sweetness in my voice and shook his head. "Nah, I couldn't name it after you."
I kept my pace with him and frowned. "Why not then?"
"Cause you'd get jealous. This baby's faster, stronger, smarter, and prettier." Gippal remarked longingly, rubbing his hand along the wall as we walked.
"Hey! I don't think so! It's just an airship, Gippal." I spat loudly, offended that he preferred machina over me. Then again, machina is his life. Gippal wrapped an arm around me and squeezed me tightly against the side of his torso.
"Don't worry, Cid's girl, I think you'll have a better chance in a couple of years."
I pushed his hand away and stopped walking. "What is that supposed to mean?" I asked edgily, crossing my arms across my chest.
"Whatever you want it to mean," he remarked lamely, leaving me to watch his broad back as he continued through the halls. I rolled me eyes and chased after him, my feet making clanking noises. Once I got close enough, I leapt onto his back and wrapped one hand over his shoulder and the other around his chest. "Oh, I see what you want. Too tired to keep walking, eh Cid's girl? Hang on tight then."
I quickly snuggled harder against Gippal's back so I could wrap my arms around him tighter, and then rested my chin on his shoulder. He started jogging at first, then he increased to a run, and before I knew it me were whizzing through the halls and doorways. I was surprised by Gippal's speed with me weighing him down on his back, but he's a strong guy, you know. What would've probably taken us fifteen minutes, we reached the Bridge in only five. Both of us were breathing heavily, I from the exhilaration and Gippal from all the running. He faked a fall and we tumbled to the floor, laughing are heads off.
We used to have fun like this, years ago. Before I became worked up in stopping Yuna from sacrificing her life to defeat Sin, and before Gippal became obsessed with tinkering machina. I remembered all the mean teasing he did to me, and all the names I called him, but the happy memories shined brighter than the rest. Though Spira's calmed down since those times, both Gippal and I have responsibilities and choices to make instead of having a little fun.
"We should do this more often," Gippal panted, lying on his back. I nodded eagerly and laid my head on his chest. "Though I think we should wait until you get a little lighter, Rikku."
"Hey," I snapped, hitting Gippal on the stomach, He started to laugh at his own teasing, while I watched him dumbly with a plain smile plastered on my face. This close to Gippal, I couldn't help but feel the temptation to try something out on him. Extending my arms along his sides, I prodded him with my fingers, and ensued in a tickling fest. Gippal was one of the ticklish people I know, even if it doesn't seem like it, he's always been like that. His laughing ceased, replaced by a wilder and more spastic chuckling. Despite his squirming, I managed to pin him down for the duration of my antics, even getting under his shirt to tickle against his skin.
The electronic door in front of us slid open with a ding, and a Youth Yevon guard walked in on us, me on top of Gippal with my hands up his shirt and Gippal clutching my arms. Both were panting heavily and looking extremely sheepish. Before the guard could even say a word, we separated so fast a Lupine would be proud.
The guard hesitated before addressing Gippal, and I knew he must have been smiling on the inside.
"Sir, we are nearing Kilika Port. Would you like us to transport you to the ground, sir?"
Gippal shook his head. "No thanks, I can jump."
The guard gave a slightly incredulous look, but then nodded and stepped to the side to let us pass. Gippal moved on without another word, but I greeted the guard with a smile. Once I stepped through the doorway, I could hear him laughing in fits.
"Sorry about that, Gippal. I don't want to ruin your reputation or anything." I murmured passively, though sounding genuine. Gippal dismissed my apology with waving his hand.
"There's no reason to apologize. So what if I was caught playing with a hot chick?"
I stopped walking behind Gippal, frowning in confusion. Five minutes ago, Gippal was comparing me to an airship, but now he was calling me a hot chick? I couldn't help but smile at how gratifying Gippal's compliment had just been, but hurried on instead of risking him turning around and seeing me grinning like an idiot.
"You aren't so bad yourself, mister," I regarded Gippal, patting him on the shoulder.
"I'm not so bad at what?" He asked me, eyeing me strangely.
"Looks, you know." Gippal scoffed loudly, smirking smugly.
"Don't kid with me. Ladies fall all over me, Cid's girl. I'm can definitely get a girl's attention when I want to."
It seems the true Gippal resurfaces again. "Yeah, you can, with your big mouth!" I snapped lamely, thinking how silly the comeback was.
"I was thinking more like my rock hard abs," Gippal retorted, lifting up his shirt to show his tanned six-pack. He quickly ducked when I tried swatting him, and dashed into the elevator to the side. I stomped over to share the ride with him, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of how good he really looked to me.
The elevator was a little smaller than I'd expected, and I had to squeeze against Gippal. However, it wasn't too bad, burying my face into his broad back and feeling his body heat against mine. Once the elevator stopped, I followed Gippal out, disappointed that the close encounter was over already.
We exited out of the door next to the elevator, and I quickly felt the warm tropical breeze again, though not as warm as Besaid's breeze. I walked with Gippal along the vast deck of the airship, as Gippal's behemoth ride dropped down closer to Kilika Port. Moving close to the edge, I could see the bustling activity in the beautiful city. Waves of people moved along the decks and small bridges, mingling about and laughing. Kilika Port looked the same as it had during my sphere hunting days, only with a couple more homes along the sides. Gippal walked up behind me, bumping me a little and causing me to jump.
"Watch out, stand too close to the edge and you might fall off." He teased as usual.
"I can swim," I retorted simply, looking down at the brilliant blue waters only a short distance below us. "Are we really going to jump down?" I asked quickly, suddenly feeling a little shaky.
"Don't fret it, Rikku. I'll jump onto that dock there and you can fall into my arms." Gippal suggested, moving a little farther down the Deck and preparing to jump. Before I could protest, he leapt off the side, landing comfortably on the nearby deck he'd intended. I walked awkwardly to the spot where he'd jumped off the Deck, and waved down to him.
"I'll get down in a bit!" I yelled nervously, looking for an easier way to get to the port below then plummet through the air.
"Does Mish Rikku need help on her jump?" A low but slightly squeaky voice asked behind me. I turned to find a smiling Hypello waddling towards me.
"No, no, I don't any help, no thank you," I blurted quickly, backing away from the Hypello. I should have listened to Gippal's advice.
Having backed up when already on the edge of the Bridge, I lost my balanced and fell backwards. Screaming didn't help a bit, only attracting the attention of strangers so they could watch my mishap. Just as Gippal had said, he caught me, plain and simple. He just stretched his arms out a bit, waited for me to almost land on him, and softened me landing my catching me in his strong arms. My screaming ceased, and all I could do was look at him with utter sheepishness.
"You should have listened to me," he whispered as he set me down on my feet. Then he started to walk towards the moving crowds.
I quickly darted after him. "Hey," I grabbed his arm, "thank you."
Gippal smiled casually and nodded. "No problem, Cid's girl."
I gave an annoyed and very irritating sigh, making sure to drag it out like a groan. Gippal walked on, unfazed, leaving me to stand there like an idiot. So, I quickly followed him. The crowd though, had other plans for me. As much as I tried, I still could not push through the mass of people to follow Gippal. Somehow, he seemed to snake right through the commotion, probably because his rank in the hierarchy of Youth Yevon. People seemed to always go out of their way to help someone famous or powerful. Believe me, after months of walking around with my cousin after Sin's defeat; Spira's public was practically at her beckon call despite how she wanted it. So surely these people would not want to hinder Gippal's path through the port. I, however, being the sidekick in everyone else's saving of Spira, only get the reorganization, and sometimes a little respect.
Once Gippal had completely disappeared, I decided to settle for simply letting the crowd's movement take me where it pleased. I was on the lookout for anyone I knew, being in dire need of some catching up with friends. I scanned the upper levels of the port, along the homes, searching for anyone I could recognize.
"Yo, Rikku, up here girl!"
I spun around in a circle, almost knocking over a few nearby people, and found Wakka leaning on the railing above me with a trademark smile. He's one of the only people I know who can hold such an abundance of smiles as me. I'd say he's my rival in cheerfulness. Funny though, since Lulu's his opposite. At least she used to be. I found the black mage turned mother sitting at a table next to Wakka, waving at me. That made me think about how perfect Wakka and Lulu are for each other, just like Tidus and Yunie. One completes the other, and together they form an unbreakable bond. I don't think I could ever have something like that with anyone. Sometimes I wonder if I even have a soulmate waiting to hook up with me. Nevertheless, Tidus and Yuna, Wakka and Lulu, were all both brought together under conflicts. Tidus and Yuna met during Sin's reign, because of Sin, and fell in love during Yuna's pilgrimage. Their love compelled them to reunite after two years of separation anxiety. Wakka and Lulu, well, they've always been friends, and I guess they just hit it off somehow. No doubt Sin, Yuna, or something had to do with the new relationship they started. They even produced a kid, just like Tidus and Yuna are expected to do. All my friends' relationships really put things into perspective, you know.
"Hey!" I shouted back, dashing up the closest set of stairs I could find. Once I reached Wakka and Lulu, Wakka gave me a crushing hug.
"Things goin' good for you, girl?" He asked releasing me from the hug. I nodded briskly and smiled at both of them.
"It's been a while since we've seen you, Rikku." Lulu commented in her calm and collected voice, and then she stood up and hugged me as well.
"Hey, aren't we missing someone?" I asked, referring to the couple's only child.
"He's still at Besaid. We didn't want to bring him into all this fuss and commotion." Lulu answered, waving her hand towards the hordes of people milling about.
I looked around as well. "Gee, this meeting thing must really attract people's attention, you know. What exactly is it about?"
"Since the formation of Youth Yevon, the three leaders have been gathering for weekly meetings to discuss how to handle Spira's future. They debate on introducing new inventions and magic, they converse about any threats, and they plan celebrations and parties. The job is tough, but I have faith in our leaders." Lulu recited, reminding me of old times. I think she really does know everything about Spira.
"Well, don't hold your hopes up, Gippal's a pretty lazy leader," I joked lightly. "So, does that mean the leaders will be planning Yuna's wedding?" I hope Lulu would say no, cause I wanted to do some planning for my cousin's wedding day.
"I'm glad you already know about the wedding, Rikku. Actually, Yuna is deciding to neglect telling the Youth Yevon of her marriage day as well as her pregnancy. As you know, Yuna is someone who always tries to keep something like this under wraps. I respect her decision, and I agree with her. Her friends are much more adequate and suitable to plan her wedding. Which brings me to another point; I heard that I have a helper for planning the baby shower."
Lulu eyed me with a smile, but I tried to look innocent. "I wonder who that could be."
"Ya know, you two will make Yuna proud with your planning!" Wakka exclaimed, squeezing both Lulu and me tightly between his arms. "I'd help too, you know, but this ain't my cup of tea, ya?"
"Right, tubby!" I squealed, patting Wakka's belly like I used to. It wasn't as big as it used to be, which wasn't that big at all, but it wasn't as flat and hard as Gippal's stomach. Huh, wait a minute, Gippal? Why do I even care about Gippal's stomach! That's such a silly thing to think about!
"Hey, takin' care of a kid means less time practicing blitzball! My kid's number one priority! Uh, Rikku, you okay?" Wakka watched me earnestly with a look of worry.
"Huh, what? Oh, sorry Wakka! What'd you say again?" I shook my head to get lose the thoughts of Gippal. Why should I be thinking about that egomaniac anyways? It's not like I'm obsessed or anything, you know.
"You just looked a little confused, that's all. By the way Rikku, a friend of yours, some little guy in a suit, was looking for you." Wakka stated, after giving me another concerned look.
"Oh, right, that's probably Shinra! Thanks, I'll see you two around. Bye Wakka, bye Lulu!"
After bidding a goodbye, I walked back down the steps in search of little Shinra. Wherever he was, it sure wasn't easy searching for him. He's short than just about everyone else here, so spotting him was going to be an interesting task.
I took a few steps through the crowd, and then something slammed into me. Whoever it was, I was going to give them a real scolding, until I found it was Shinra clinging to me in a tight hug around my waist.
"Hey, Rikku!" He blurted after letting go of me.
I waved down at him and smiled. "Hello to you, too, Shinra! How are things going?"
"Really great! I've been working on this new invention for the Youth Yevon. You see, because back when Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal went missing because they'd left for VegnaGun, all of Spira was worried cause they had no idea where their leaders had gone. So, I'm working on a special device that's sort of like a tracker. It has more uses, but the main objective is for the missing person to be located. That way, if anything happens to anyone in the Youth Yevon organization, their comrades will be able to track them down. It's still in its beta stage, but I think it's going to be a hit!" Shinra jumped up and down, then he handed me a flat, circular device. "Wanna try it on?"
"Sure," I answered, holding out my hand. Shinra wrapped some string attached to the device around my wrist, and then stepped back to let me look at it. I felt a prick of pain in my wrist suddenly. "Ouch! I didn't know that it bites!"
Shinra exploded in a fit of laughter, though I had no idea why he should be laughing when his invention is hurting me. I started to tap my foot anxiously.
"Sorry, Rikku," Shinra apologized and regained his composure. "That prick is part of the deal. Now the tracking device knows how you are and how to track you. With this device here," Shinra pulled something out of his pocket and waved it around, "I'll be able to know exactly where in Spira you are. See, that blinking lime-colored dot is you, here in Kilika Port."
"Wow," I whispered, and then noticed the other blinking dots on Shinra's electronic map. "Who do those other dots represent?" Then I noticed how all the dots surrounded mine, in Kilika Port. Besides my lime one, there was a red dot, a gray dot, and an aqua dot.
"The red dot is Nooj, the gray is Baralai, and the aqua is Tidus." Shinra answered quickly.
"Wait, shouldn't Gippal have one if Nooj and Baralai do?"
Shinra shrugged his shoulders. "Says he wants his privacy and doesn't want people knowing his every move."
"Oh please, like Gippal's got something to hide!" I scoffed loudly, shaking my head.
"Well, um, nice to see you again, Rikku. I think someone's calling me, so bye!"
"Hey wait!" I called after the fleeing Shinra, pointing at the tracking device around my wrist. "You forgot your invention!" But he was already gone. At least he'd know where to find me if he ever wanted to talk.
"Hey Cid's girl, what's up?" A male voice from behind me asked.
"Oooh, Gippal, I'm going to shove my foot in your mouth if you don't stop calling me that!" I screamed, storming towards the voice and intent on giving him a smack.
"Whoa, sorry, Rikku! If your pet name is a pet peeve of yours then I promise to not call you that anymore."
Standing in front of me with his palms up in defense was Tidus. I squealed and threw myself on him, wrapping my arms around his neck in delight.
"So, how's going, being the head of Youth Yevon's team of fighters?" I asked Tidus, once I let go of him. After his return, he'd joined Youth Yevon to become head of Spira's main defense. He looked pretty much the same, tall, tanned, and strong, but his eyes showed signs of stress. I could tell, I'm a master of deciphering people through their gateways to the soul. Having ditched his blitzball uniform, Tidus stood in front of me clad in tight sleeveless shirt with a black cloth wrapped around his torso. Baggy black pants covered his legs and bracers adorned his arms. I found his chain necklace hanging along his chest, half hidden in the cloth. I ruffled his spiky, dirty blonde hair energetically, gripping him by his broad shoulders.
I tried to meet his gaze. "Too much stress, huh?"
Tidus shook his head and sighed, but he did opt a small smile. "Yeah, it is, but it's nothing I can't handle. It's just; I'm worried about Yuna. Everything is happening so fast and if anybody not one of her close friends finds out about her being pregnant and the wedding, I don't know if she'll be able to handle all the fuss."
Typical Tidus to be worried for Yuna's sake. I loved how genuinely concerned he always was for her, and his friends, unlike some other guy I know. "Cheer up, Tidus." I said, feeling a little down myself because of his absence of usual charisma. "Yunie's strong, and with your help she'll only get stronger. And don't worry, I'm not going to tell anyone!"
Tidus ruffled my hair, smiling a little brighter now. "Thanks Rikku, you're a good convincer. Come on, I think the meeting's about to start."
I followed Tidus through the rest of the port and through the surrounding forest. Once we came upon the temple steps, I found my gaze locked on the beautiful structure standing just a little ways from the temple, resting on near the edge of the ground.
Since the uniting of New Yevon and the Youth League, much work has been done throughout Spira. One task they'd completed here was building a meeting hall. The building glimmered in the sunlight, standing tall and strong. Made of mostly stone, it extended upwards a few stories, with a smaller area of pillars and statues extending outside and all the way to the edge of the cliff. Standing in the same spot where I'd fought a Sinspawn two years ago and a YSLS-Zero two months ago, it felt good to be free of battles. I hope I'm not getting lazy for battle, but it's nice to know that there's not a fiend ready to beat me down.
Standing still, I noticed Tidus giving me a concerned look like Wakka had done before. "I'm fine, I blurted, and walked past Tidus. Something caught my eye though, so I stopped next to him. "Hey, so this is where your tracking device is!" I exclaimed while inspecting Shinra's device wrapped around Tidus' bicep muscle.
"Yeah, I guess he told you about it." I nodded and we continued on into the meeting hall. The inside of the building had small halls but vast rooms with extremely high ceilings. Openings in the walls and ceilings allowed rays of sunlight to pour through, negating any need for inside lights.
After walking through only to halls, Tidus was swept away by a crowd of people demanding his attention. "You can find your way, right?" He asked me in a loud voice over the commotion, but he was gone before I could reply. Well, I guess moving through this place seemed simple enough. I could do it, right?"
Wrong, as it turned out. I'd walked up to steps of stairs and moved through five halls, but I still have yet to find the meeting room. Maybe I should have looked for signs or something. As I moved through another large doorways, I squealed happily. Finally, the meeting room! But, as it ended up, I found myself gazing down at the meeting. Ending up on the balcony must be something. I felt disappointed, not being able to actually find the right route to the meeting room. The balcony was too high up for me to hear much of anything, and looked deserted.
"Oh well, I guess I'll just have to listen hard," I whispered to myself, leaning on the railing to get a better view. Below me, I found Wakka and Lulu sitting together, Yuna moving through the room, Tidus chatting with another soldier, and Gippal lounging in a large chair with his feet propped up. Nooj and Baralai next to him sat straight and stoic, looking very disciplined and serious. Gippal looked like he was either bored or amused. Just like him to not take such a big responsibility serious.
With my mind thinking mean thoughts about Gippal's behavior, I barely heard a click farther down to my right. Turning, I gasped at what I found.
A sniper.
Someone dressed in blacks and grays with gloves, boots, and a one-piece suit with their face covered by a mask started to aim their gun at the crowd below. I couldn't let whomever it was harm anybody down below us.
"Hey you!!!"
At the last second, my sudden shout diverted the sniper's attention a fraction, but the gun still went off. I hoped my outburst altered the shooter's deadly accuracy, as an uproar of cries, screams, and shouts exploded from the meeting from a moment after the shot rang out. Too scared too check below to see if the sniper missed its target, and too scared to let my gaze leave the sniper, I stood stiffly in one place.
Until the shooter aimed again.
"Drop the gun!!!" I screamed, and dashed madly at the shooter. They looked up, confused for a second, and then trained their weapon on me. I froze, almost falling over, the barrel of the gun aimed straight at me. Yet, the shooter quickly spun around to again aim at the crowd below. Oh no you don't!
I gave a wild war cry and lunged at the sniper. As I slammed into him or her, I heard the gun fire, and then a sickening feeling rammed into my gut once again. I tried pinning the sniper on the ground, but whoever it was smacked me with the back of their fist in the face. After spinning from the blow, I scrambled onto my feet. The shooter started to run, but I wasn't going to let them get away with this!
Leaping forwards, I swept my leg in an arc and knocked the mystery person's feet right out from under them, causing them to slide along the balcony floor.
"Who are you?" I bellowed, and tried to reach the person's mask, but they shoved me into a pillar against the wall, hard. Weakened, I crumbled onto the floor, but twisted my back so I could turn and see what the sniper planned to do next.
Retreat again.
So, I jumped up onto my feet and chased after them, following the shooter into the area without walls and ceilings, the one with all the scattered pillars and statues. It was hard, dodging and evading my road blockers and trying to keep up with the sniper. They turned to fire at me, so I rolled to the side behind a solid balcony rail. The bullet pierced the ground where I'd been standing, and then another bullet chipped the top of the rail inches above me. Waiting only a half second to make sure the shooter had continued running, I gripped the rail and flung my legs over it, landing on the level a few yards below. But the sniper was nowhere in sight.
"Tyssed, mucd 'as!" (Dammit, lost 'em)
I walked all the way to the edge of the platform and gazed along the rocky precipice below me as well as the clear ocean. Surely, the shooter hadn't jumped down, right? They couldn't have climbed cause they'd still be doing it. Leaping into the ocean below could be fatale, and I couldn't see anyone near the ocean surface.
A shadow swam along the ground at my feet. Someone was behind me.
I spun briskly and clenched my fist for a knockout punch, but I was too late. The hilt of a gun slammed into my temple, sending a jolt of pain through me and rendering me into a disoriented state. Before I could black out, I fell against the shooter, purposely, and snagged their mask as I dropped to the floor. Funny, they're wearing a mask under a mask. No, I noticed the difference once I concentrated. A purple cloth covered the sniper's face, a white, heart-shaped insignia stretching along most of the cloth.
Looks...so...familiar...
Then I blacked out, now vulnerable and at the mercy of the unknown shooter.
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Gasp Who could the sniper be? Why are they shooting at people in the meeting? Is anyone shot? Find out in the next chapter.
reviewers:
SpiffyAngel-4: glad you thought that part was funny. And I know what you mean about 8th grade.
JMO: I'm happy you're enjoying this fic so much.
rikkufan: Spira's trouble is not that of Yuna being pregnant, you shall find out, it is much more. I'm glad the translations are helping.
kingleby: glad you liked it.
Tanya Takaishi: yes, you are really getting the Gippal/Rikku relationship. I'm so happy that you're liking their antics toward each other. There's lots more to come from them, and I'm glad you're enjoying the story.
Review, keep reading, and enjoy the fic;)