A/N: Ack! Midterms coming, so this will probably be my last post for a week or two. Maybe three. After all, I need to study, study, study! I know the plot is slow. I will try, try to get it going soon. Oh, and do not fear—so Gippal Rikku fluffiness will hopefully worm its way into this chapter!

End of Mi'hen Highroad, Where They Used to Lease Chocobo's

--I'm not good at describing--

Rikku let out a strangled yawn, realizing her face was dug into something hard and rocky. Blurry flashbacks of waking up beside Gippal whirled through her mind, and she quickly sat up, spitting out grass.

Wait.

Grass?

Rikku rubbed at her eyes, forcing the blackness surrounding them to disappear. Being able to see clearly now, Rikku realized she wasn't in an inn or anything like she had hoped. She was sitting outside. Underneath a tree. Dirt and bits of dead grass were clinging to her skin. She felt dirt on her tongue and eyelids. Shaking her golden tresses, Rikku hoped they weren't destroyed either. No one knew how long it took to pick out leaves and unknot knots. Slowly she stood up, hands clinging to the bark of the large tree.

Where am I? She thought. What had she been doing the day before? The words piggyback ride, danger, and Gippal reminded her of her present situation.

"I'm glad to see you up, Lady Rikku."

Rikku heard a female, eerily calm voice utter those words from behind her. Usually being called Lady symbolized the person wasn't evil in any way, but her hands drifted to the blades resting on her hips as she turned around slowly to see who it was.

A girl. Probably around her age, maybe even a bit older. She watched Rikku with a curious gaze and a small smile playing at her lips. She looked like a cute innocent girl. Just the type Gippal was into.

Crap.

If Gippal decided to run off with this pretty bird…

"Who're you?" Rikku snapped, eyes narrowed. Her fingers stroked the round, yet deeply cut handles of her blades. Oooh, she just wanted to have a go at her…

"I'm Athilda, messenger of Praetor Baralai himself."

Ah. Baralai. She relaxed. After all, Baralai was her friend!

"What're you doin' here? Where's Gippal? Why didn't Baralai just let me go on my own, he knows me—"

"Rikku!" A voice cut in on Rikku's desperate attempt at getting as many answers as she could. She whirled around to see Gippal walking in from the Mi'hen Highroad. He gave her a small wave and a cocky smile, and Rikku felt her heart flutter.

Since when had she felt like this?

"Gippal!" She cried, running over to him with a huge smile plastered on her face. Gippal looked at her a bit nervously when she latched herself onto his arm, but she could see he let it slide. This time.

"So…have you met Athilda?" Gippal asked, pointing at the girl who was still sitting on that stump, annoyingly silent and elegant looking.

"Yes." Rikku mumbled, glaring at the girl. But she didn't seem to notice, for she had just stood up and was packing a number of items into a small bag.

"Gippal, why is she here? With us?" Rikku pouted, dragging Gippal into a corner near a grove of trees. She crossed her arms and forced her bottom lip to quiver somewhat. Rikku would never admit it, but she had been hoping this would be her and Gippal's little adventure on their own. You know, without other girls. Other guys would be okay…but not girls.

"Well—you see…" Gippal scratched at the back of his head, a nervous habit. "She says she's a messenger for Baralai. She gave me a note that says people have gone missing all over Spira. And I guess since I'm part of the "three" as they like to call it, I have to go to this stupid meeting in a week or something like that."

Gippal muttered all this very quickly, and Rikku noticed his eyes darting like he was looking for an escape. Rikku leaned over and looked up at his face with a curious gaze.

"Who was taken, Gippal?"

Silence.

Uh-oh…silence is never a good sign…. She thought, feeling her stomach tighten. Could it be someone close to her? Brother? Cid? Tidus? Maybe even…no, no, that's ridiculous…

"Who was taken, Gippal?" Rikku asked again with a bit more force. She couldn't believe she was ordering around the man who constantly teased her and looked all higher than everyone all the time—but now he was just a scared, nervous little boy who didn't want to feel the wrath of Rikku.

He shrugged. "Just some…Al Bhed, people from Luca…" He paused, and then said the next word very quickly. "Bevelle, Kilika, you know, insignificant people."

"But not Besaid?" Rikku asked, prodding his arm. "Not Besaid?"

"Why do you care about Besaid?"

"Because that's where Yunie is!"

"No she's not!" Gippal cried, and then covered his mouth with wide eyes. "Er—yes. Yes she is. In Besaid…yes…"

And with that he walked away, muttering to himself.

Great. Now I have to go to Bevelle with Gippal and some strange lady who's really creepy. We have to save who's gone missing; well actually, he does, but no duh! Of course I'm gonna help him. And then I hafta to escape this man who seems to be stalking Gippal and I and wants to cut my head off and probably eat my other body parts or something like that…huh. This will be one interesting trip. And Gippal was really nervous about that Besaid thing…

"Rikku!"

The girl whirled around to see Gippal waving her over. "I just went out to check Mi'hen Highroad. An Al Bhed buddy of mine said that it's all clear."

Rikku flapped a hand at him as she caught up. "Please, it doesn't need to be clear. I wanna fight! I wanna beat the living snot out of anything that comes in our way…"

Gippal just chuckled and ruffled her hair, causing Rikku to let out an indignant "hey!"

"Come on you two, we have to get to the Moonflow." Athilda's voice rang out from a ways ahead of them. Rikku, who was just about to punch Gippal in the arm, stopping mid-movement at her words.

"Moonflow?" She whispered, looking up into Gippal's eye. "Moonflow?"

Gippal looked at her nervously out of the corner of his eye. "Er—yea."

"Gippal!" Rikku hissed. "I don't want to die! What makes you think I suddenly decided to give up my life? We rampaged across spirits just to go back to the place where we've been trying to get away from?!"

Gippal just coughed nervously into his fist. "Look, I know that and all, but it's Baralai. And I wanna help him. And someone that was tak—"

He stopped there. Rikku glared at him, back bent, and hands on her hips. "I cannot believe you're trusting a total stranger, Gippal! I thought you wanted to protect me."

His eye flashed with anger, and Rikku immediately felt sorry for saying that. "I-I'm sorry…"

He shrugged. "I know. Look, I dunno…it's just that this could be real. I don't want to leave Baralai there by himself. And, ya know…"

Rikku just sighed, throwing her gloved hands into the air. "Fine! FINE. Whatever."

Gippal suddenly smirked, and this annoyed Rikku. "What?" She snapped.

"Hurry up!" Athilda called from ahead. That is getting SOOO annoying. Rikku thought.

The two started to slowly walk down the Highroad, Rikku walking backwards in front of Gippal, swinging her arms. "What're you smirking about?"

"You're just jealous 'cause it's a girl, right?"

Rikku let her mouth drop open and her eyes widen. WHAT?

"Er-no." She said quickly, though she knew she had given it away by her blushing face and hesitance. Gippal let out a loud guffaw, and Rikku ran at him, hoping to beat him to a pulp.

But in one swift movement he had grabbed her around the waist and lifted her onto his shoulder, so her legs were in front of him and her head was looking at his back. His hand was still gripping onto her waist, causing shivers to run up her spine.

"GIPPAL!" She shrieked, pounding her small fists on his back. "LEMME GO! GIPPAL!"

"No way!" He said, laughing. Rikku only spun around and reached for his spiked hair, digging her fingers into it to yank at—hard.

But something stopped her. Instead, her hands were kind of glued to his hair. She wanted to rip them away so badly, but the locks were so silky…the kind of silky Rikku had always wanted her hair to have.

Gippal suddenly stopped running. Instead, he just stood there, and Rikku realized this was a bit awkward for both of them. Finally ripping her hands away, she kept them tucked under her chin.

I'm so STUPID. Stupid, stupid, stupid…

And before she knew what was happening. Gippal lifted her small body back onto the ground in front of him. Rikku continued to keep her hands clamped together underneath her chin, and her eyes glued to her shoes. They were actually a pretty color. A nice…well, white…

"Rikku?"

She didn't answer, but instead whirled around and started to walk down the path, swinging her arms and moving her legs like a shoulder, humming very loudly the whole time.

Rikku didn't even hear Gippal calling her the second time. Instead she closed her eyes, (and her ears), and continued along like nothing had just happened.

Baby beluga in the deep blue sea…swims so wild and he swims so freeeee…

She could see Athilda ahead, keeping a steady pace with that stupid little flowery bag of hers. Rikku's eyes narrowed as her humming subsided. So much for her fake-happy mood. She still couldn't believe she was the one who was suspicious. Usually it was Gippal who was always freakin' out…

As if on cue, a hand clamped around her arm and spun her around. Rikku didn't have time to shut her eyes, look down, or start to hum wildly. Instead, her vision was filled with a Gippal who had a curious, sort of triumphant look to him.

Oooh, that burns me up! She thought. Thinking he's got the upper hand with all his hotness, and cuteness…and muscles, and…smile, cute eye patch, awesome…silky…hair…

No! Ew! Stop! He dumped you, remember? Oh wait, to protect you…

Stay calm…stay calm…don't…be…caught…

But Rikku could barely stand it. He was just standing there, a smile on his face and his hand still gripping her arm. Rikku felt shivers run up from the tips of her toes to the end of the hairs on her head, and still he just stood there, smiling.

And she could see something in his eye. This was a game to him! She just knew it. He was testing her, for something. Probably to see if she'd break down and start kissing him all over…

But of course I'd never do that. Of…course… Rikku's thoughts started to drift. She had been trying so hard to stay resolute, to stay away from him. She didn't want him to think he was putting her in danger again, or—or something like that…

And then he leaned in. Oh Yevon, oh Yevon…He was coming closer, a smile still playing at his lips…and then he stopped. Rikku could feel the tip of his nose barely brushing against hers. She was frozen…fighting…trying…

And then she gave up. She stood on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck. Immediately he slid his around her waist, bringing her closer to him. Rikku's hands traveled up to his hair, where she gripped onto it tightly as if for dear life. She didn't know how it had happened, but now she knew he had wanted it just as much…

His hands were traveling up and down her spine, tickling it as they did so. Rikku shivered, but the two stayed glued together, like they had been waiting for so long to do this. It was full of a hard passion, a resolute kind of thing. It was almost as if they were being driven by some unknown force to do this.

I can't believe it. This is Gippal. I should stop, I should stop…

"GIPPAL! LADY RIKKU!"

The shrill voice of Athilda snapped the two apart like a breaking twig. They looked wildly around, seeing Athilda running towards them with a panicked look on her face. "Look out! Look out!" She kept screaming. But as much as the two searched the Highroad, nothing was running at them, slobbering and spitting wildly.

She is SO stup—

"In the air!" Gippal suddenly cried, and Rikku hurriedly glanced up, letting her mouth drop open in surprise.

Coming closer to them was a large, spinning metal disc. On it were beeping lights, which were changing colors every few seconds. Out of the bottom were sharpened, metal knife-like claws. On the top was the same. And suddenly, the edges seemed to slide out, allowing ten more of the same claw-like things to pop out in smaller versions.

"Holy Mother of Spira." Gippal whispered, his eye wide and fearful. Rikku was sure she looked the same. How could they fight it? The claws would just pierce them, AND it could fly. Like, how cheap was this?

"I gotta fight it!" Said Rikku, reaching for her Machina Maw dressphere. (Which Shinra had made its own dressphere before he had left).

But Rikku had a sinking feeling it would do nothing. Metal against metal? No…and she knew it would have a magical shield on it. They were doomed. And what could Athilda possibly do?

And before she could think anymore, the disc was spinning out of control, all twelve claws snapping rapidly in the air like cutting knives. Rikku let out a shrill scream, and a heavy body came overtop hers and took her to the ground. So now, Gippal was lying on top of her, nearly squashing her lungs, as an evil metal U.F.O type thing came hurtling at them. Great. He had just stopped her from getting away.

"WHAT'RE YOU DOING?" She screamed in his face. He frowned and screamed back,

"ATHILDA SAID SHE'D TAKE CARE OF IT!"

"WHAT? YEA RIGH—"

Suddenly Rikku saw a blue circle of flames surround them. She glanced over to see Athilda standing there, her hands glowing blue and clasped together like in prayer. Her head was bowed and her eyes were closed. The blue flames starting roaring, and in a matter of seconds molded together and starting to climb higher and higher into the air, making a dome like shape around the two of them.

The disc just clunked uselessly against the shield type thing, but at the same time, little shocks were being sent up into it, for Rikku could spot blue lightning zap into it.

Something was coming out of the top of the dome. Rikku looked up to see a ball about the size of the disc rising slowly from the top of the shield, spinning and crackling with the same blue lightning. It hovered for a moment, but in a split second it went hurtling towards the machine, taking over it and holding it in place. Everything was silent for a second or so…

And then it exploded.

Rikku gasped and cringed, but Gippal let out a whoop and stood up shakily. "Look Rikku! It's not touching us! The shield stopped it!"

Rikku opened an eye to see flames hurtling towards them, smoke not reaching them and flames not burning them. It was odd to see an explosion coming right at you, and yet not even touching you. Gippal was laughing as if he had just got the best present for his birthday, and Rikku was reminded suddenly of their childhood days.

"What about Athilda?" Rikku finally asked, realizing her voice was high and squeaky from something called 'fright'. "She wasn't in the shield!"

A sinking feeling came into her stomach. Okay, so she didn't like the girl, but she had saved them…she wouldn't sacrifice her life for them, would she?

And then, the smoke cleared. A few spots of grass were burning down to the soil, but Rikku didn't care. The blue shield had evaporated, and now she was looking frantically up and down the path. Athilda had been engulfed in flame. The whole shield had been surrounded, and she had just been standing beside it calmly. Rikku was positive…

"You two are terribly slow! Really!"

Rikku's jaw dropped. There, a few feet ahead of them stood Athilda with that dumb flowery bag in her hands. She wore a smile and her face was only a bit dusty, but other than that, her white robes were perfectly clean.

"Oh my god." She whispered, looking over at Gippal who seemed to be trying to hide the expression Rikku had just had the liberty of showing.

"Gippal! Do you see that?!" Rikku hissed. "She's evil or something. Black magic saved her, or something…I just know it!"

"Rikku!" He cried, looking down at her with an appalled sort of expression. "She just saved our lives!"

"But—but she was covered with fire Gippal, I KNOW it!"

All he did was shrug. "It could be good magic…" He said hesitantly. Rikku snorted.

"Look at her! She's acting like nothing happened! That's suspicious! And you saw what she did…" Rikku stopped talking and twiddled her thumbs a bit before she continued. "It was creepy." She finally whispered, glad she had said it.

Pat on the back.

Gippal just shrugged and scratched at the back of his head. "All right Cid's Girl." Then he winked, a cocky smile plastered on his face. "But I still think you're just jealous." And with that he started walking towards Athilda.

Probably to thank her. Rikku scowled, not really knowing why she was freaking out over this.

Well, we just kissed! I don't want her coming into the picture…

And Rikku ran up so she was beside Gippal. She slipped her fingerless, gloved hand into his own. He looked down at the clasped hands, and Rikku saw a sort of startled look on his face. She squeezed his hand and he gave a small smile.

And he squeezed back, holding her hand tight with his own.

A/N: YES. IT IS LIKE AN UNSPOKEN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THEM THAT THEY ARE –TOGETHER- AGAIN.

I just didn't want you to miss that. Hope you liked it! But what's with Athilda? A little creepy, no? But perhaps it is good all the same. And it's a slow moving plot, but shaddup. I try, and I fail, OKAY?

-oooowweeeeeoooooo-