The Adjacency of Ones

Inside the Ring

Years pass away like leaves from a tree; each one blooming from a bud into full spread and then to die and fall away, if only to give room for the next. They all seemed to unfurl when the new wind was blowing light over serene meadows and even the most brazen of men took the time to run his fingers over the tall grass. In the waning days of a year, the wind began to bite at the skin, forcing all to seal away for the death and rebirth or to embrace a lonely lover for the long lapse of sleep. It was so easy for people to sit back and write poetry of days long past and journeys not yet taken.

"Watch what you're doing! If you scuff that machina I'm going to feed you to it!"

Gippal was never much on poetry. The days never went by like a dream teetering on a memory wishing on a star. The last time he caught one of his workers writing poetry when she was supposed to be working, Gippal assigned the woman the task of cleaning all of the joints and gears on every machina at Djose temple and the Highroad. It took her three weeks.

It hardly seemed like more than a year had passed since his little excursion into the bowels of the temple with Rikku. Then again, he rarely had enough time to think about anything aside from all of the machina now moving through Djose. Bikanel was almost excavated and most of his work force was now finishing reproduction of machina and maintenance to all units rebuilt and sold. Rin alone used a quarter of his faction for all of the machina and related equipment he purchased from Gippal. Every road in Spira was now as safe as Bevelle. Even Baralai had a few machina here and there. Djose was becoming more and more empty, a sanctuary now to young Al Bhed who wanted to learn how to modify and even create machina.

Gippal was now looked upon as one of the great teachers of the Al Bhed.

Arduously, he avoided anyone who thought of him that way. His dream of restoring the Al Bhed's prestige by proving once again that machina could serve all of Spira was at hand. With the last of the machina being finished, polished or shipped, he felt a big step was finally over. With a heaving sigh, he wiped his brow with the back of his glove.

"Tired already? When I was your age, I only slept two hours each night so I could get all of my work done!" said a very gruff voice from behind him.

Gippal's back automatically straightened as he turned, setting his hands on his hips in his usual cocky demeanor. "I do only sleep two hours a night, old man. Most of the time I'm working in my dreams too," he replied, watching Cid stroll up to him with that great grin of his. Cid had arrived to watch Gippal's mighty Machine Faction finish the task Cid had once spurned as a waste of time. He always believed that when the Al Bhed had gathered in enough force, they would reclaim Home and rebuild. His outlook had changed within the past few years.

Cid laughed a few deep chuckles and clapped Gippal on the shoulder. "Then, my boy, you're on your way to becoming a decent mechanic."

Gippal smirked, but was actually a bit surprised that Cid was being this civil. He could remember the

day when Cid had come to Djose after learning Rikku was in love with him. The old man was fuming and cursing and Gippal nearly had to employ some of his own machina to calm the geezer down. Cid was a bit imposing when he was in a tirade. However, things now were nearly cordial between the two. In fact, the reason Cid had become docile about the idea soon came running past the two of them, chasing a small machina as it crawled along the ground.

"Tau! Come back here! I'm not going to use you for spare parts! It was a joke!" Rikku hollered as she tried once more to grab the little machina. Tau, however, was faster than Rikku. The chase proceeded all around the entrance area of Djose temple and under the watch of Cid and Gippal.

Cid's face lost that prevalent scowl as he watched her and soon shifted his eyes to Gippal. It was easy to see on his face that he cared about her just as much as he did and Cid let out another round of chuckles at the scene. "Does she know yet?"

"I haven't the chance to tell her. I'm hoping once Nhadala comes from Bikanel, I'll have a chance."

"Nhadala is a good choice, my boy. I still can't see why you're going to hand over the reins when you've just gotten to the easy part but it's your faction. What are you going to do with all the free time?"

Gippal watched Rikku a while longer, his face not showing much of any kind of expression. It would be a big change to let Nhadala run the Machine Faction and take a break from all of the stress and problems associated with it. However, since he hadn't even had time to see Rikku in the past three months, he was looking forward to a long, extended vacation. With that thought, he smiled a bit and looked over at Cid. "I was thinking about finally doing it. I think it's time."

Cid looked back and his face became lucid, for he knew exactly what that meant. "Is that so? What makes you think I'm going to let a punk kid like you anywhere near my daughter?" he replied with a wide grin.

"Huh, still gonna gripe and complain about it?" Gippal quipped.

Cid, amused by the guts of the young Al Bhed, laughed loud enough that echoes filled the cove of rock and arc. With another clap on Gippal's back, Cid looked him straight in the eye with a crooked smile, though he was completely resolute in his words. "Gippal, my boy, there isn't another Al Bhed in Spira that I would want for a son-in-law. Just understand that when you give me a grandson, you have to name him after his old grandpa Cid."

"What, and have him grown up and be like you? Spira barely survived Sin and Vegnagun, old man." Gippal replied. Cid burst out into a hearty laugh once more just as their privacy was interrupted.

Tau scurried along the ground, a small distance in front if its pursuer, and quickly scrambled up Gippal's leg to his shoulder. It was obviously hiding from Rikku as she ran up, out of breath and hunched forward as she leaned on her thighs with her hands. "Tau, you traitor! Gippal won't be able to save you this time!" She had been far too engrossed with chasing the small machina and now, upon seeing Gippal and Cid standing together in idle conversation, she perked up and looked between them. "Okay, what's going on over here? Why aren't you two yelling at each other or something?"

It was Cid who stepped forward and patted his hand on her head heavily, still grinning ear to ear at what was just about to happen to her. He didn't say anything, but just turned and started walking away from the temple. It caused Rikku to nearly keel over. Quickly, she looked to Gippal with a very confused face but found that his expression was also odd. "What's going on, Gippal?" she asked.

"I've given the Machine Faction to Nhadala. With Bikanel almost done, the temple being used as a school and all of our machines in place around Spira, I've done what I wanted to do," he replied. The news was a bit alarming to her at first, but soon she realized the importance of it and squealed, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him wildly. It was a moment of sheer joy for her because she had missed being with him very dearly in the past few months. When Cid had asked her if she wanted to go with him to Djose to see the last machina being finished, she jumped at the chance. Now she found out that she would be able to be with Gippal more. It was something out of a dream for her. Even Yuna and Paine had noticed how depressed she had seemed lately, a reason they both told her to go with him and see Gippal.

In truth, their lives were changing. Yuna was often at Besaid with Wakka, Lulu, their baby and Tidus. Even when they did go out together on the Celsius, Tidus often came and it changed their traveling experience. Rikku adored Tidus just as much as she always had, but seeing them together always made her miss Gippal that much more. Lately, Paine had also been taking regular trips to Bevelle and even to Mushroom Rock. Though Rikku would have adored these breaks and used them to see Gippal, he was often busy or even untouchable. It was times like those when Rikku felt the most alone.

However, now she was beside herself in happiness. Gippal was going to be able to come with her on the Celsius or visit Yuna on Besaid or even find old ties with Nooj and Baralai. The choices made her giddy.

"Rikku..."

The elated spree that had taken her fell away a moment when Gippal spoke her name. It was a serious tone, one that could break someone's heart. Rikku felt a strange feeling of foreboding as she heard it and slowly leaned back from him, looking into his face with all the worry of a young girl in love. Whatever he had to say, it was going to be world-changing for her.

"I have something to ask you," he said, his right hand tucked back behind him, a single object gripped tightly in his fingers, as if he held his entire heart within the grasp of his own hand.

Although Gippal felt that this was the end of one story, Spira was now filled with new stories of love, struggle and victory. He had been part of one of the great stories in Spira, just like the girl that stood before him with bewilderment in her beautiful eyes. The old stories were now alive on the tongues and hands of a new generation of people in Spira. These stories were rocks, walls and water; each whispering tales from beginning to end.

The small ring in Gippal's hand was the beginning of a new story. It was the beginning of Gippal's and Rikku's story.

A/N: This is the end of my story, which is to say it is the beginning of someone else's. I have no impressive moral to say, no underlying philosophy to preach in this story. I am enamored with the story of Rikku and Gippal, and so this is nothing more than a testament to affections that are sparse in reality. This is my ode to the things that should happen to us all, but never do.

Rikku and Gippal,

May your lives be never forgotten;

Or your love taken for granted.

LeGrande Grover