A/N: Okay, I'm thinking that this should be around the second or third last chapter of my story. –clings to story- I love it so much. Sniff. I'll be so sad to see it go. AND YOU BETTER BE TOO. Heehee.
PS: Did I get it right that they needed to go to the South Moonflow? Djose by the South Moonflow, right? Wait. Oh, it's probably the North, I just know it…
Bandit's Hideout, Moonflow Pass
"So…" the thing hissed, half covered by the shadows of the entryway of Rikku's crevice. She took a revolted step back, making sure to keep her expression neutral.
"You're a little too pretty to be used as such a tool," it murmured, taking one more step in. Rikku couldn't help it. She gasped.
Now that he was in the full light, Rikku was faced with the same ugliness Gippal was before. The scaly, scabby skin, the sunken in eyes, dry, hacking voice, six foot tall figure…he was draped in a green, ragged cloak, saving Rikku the pain to see anything past it. But seeing his burnt skin with the long, inching fingers gave away enough information.
"Saleed," she said, saying it as a statement, not a question.
"Ah. So Little Gippal has informed you about me, has he?" Rikku didn't answer his mocking tones. Her eyes flickered past Saleed to see a shadowy figure of Sunny standing in the doorway, too scared to come any closer.
"Sir, see? We got her, after the first time and all. Sir, aren't you happy? We did—"
"Yes, yes," Saleed snapped, cutting Sunny off abruptly. "But I don't care for your useless chatter. Go get it ready."
"Already? I mean, don't you want to rest or something, perhaps?"
"NOW," Saleed hissed sternly, and Rikku saw Sunny's form flee a nanosecond later. At least he didn't want Rikku to die quite yet. After all, who could give up on a friendship like they had so fast? Not Sunny, that's for sure.
"Now…Rikku is it?"
"You should know," she snapped, acting braver than she felt. Saleed lifted his head an inch or so, just so Rikku could see something – something terrible. She saw round, empty, black eyes, like holes waiting to be filled up with something. No emotion could be traced – nothing but emptiness and anger.
"I don't appreciate you taking that tone with me," he whispered, his hoarse voice coming out like a croak.
"I don't appreciate you taking me hostage," Rikku shot back instantly, immediately wishing she hadn't. There was a difference between bravery and stupidity. She had just crossed that line.
Saleed took two swift steps towards her. "You listen to me, girl! You're not as great as you think you are! All your life, all your childhood, I controlled. I am the one who brought you and Gippal together, and I am the one who split you apart. I can do much, much more than that."
Rikku had backed up until her spine had crunched against the stonewall, but she didn't care. So Saleed admitted it. He had controlled everything she had ever done with Gippal. "Why?" she finally managed. "Why did you want Gippal to get close to me and feed you information? I – I was told that one thing he had told you made you happy, and that's when you told him to split us up…" Rikku's voice drifted off as Saleed turned around, saving Rikku of having to look at his face.
"So…he told you the story, hmm? No matter. After all, I'm not some idiot bad guy who'll tell his whole plan to the damsel in distress. Because you aren't a damsel in distress. No, you're too strong to be in distress. So I do think my plan that has involved you over the number of years is safe with me, correct? I just don't trust it with an excitable girl like yourself."
"No," Rikku muttered before thinking. Then she clapped a hand over her mouth. There was a tense, eerie silence in Rikku's stone room. She was scared he would burst into flame and morph into some sort of monster…but he didn't. Instead, he just strode swiftly out of the crevice.
"I will come back to retrieve you for the process this evening, Rikku."
"Process?" she whispered meekly.
"Oh yes. I do say it will be quite – interesting." And then he was gone.
"Interesting?" moaned Rikku. "Why can't it ever be fun?"
………
"Do you think it'll work?"
"I don't know, that's why I asked you," Gippal snapped back. Athilda and Gippal were sitting, hidden in the little tent behind the Shoopuf Docks, trying to discuss and figure out a plan.
"But we don't know where they are!" Athilda cried out dramatically, burying her face into her hands. "I don't know what we'll be able to do. If you and Lady Rikku had just worked with the plan-"
"Rikku would have died! Oh yes, so much easier, isn't it?" Gippal asked in a fake cheery voice, but it clearly showed his anger through the steeliness of his tone. "Look, we have to hurry, or we might be too late-"
"We ARE too late! They'll know I'm here! If they know I've returned, they'll – they'll…"
Gippal felt something like pity stab at his heart when he looked at Athilda just then. Right there, he realized that she must have had a tough life. No friends, no family, possessed by a strange power, and then her only family taken away to be beaten, and finally having to follow Gippal and Rikku, not the easiest people to get along with, and make them follow an invisible plan.
But then he snapped out of it. "No. No, we have to think of something…"
"We could always…find a bandit and stalk him to the hideout?" Athilda asked, her voice so monotonous it was obvious she was being sarcastic. She was quite a different girl once she dropped the polite act.
Gippal's eye lit up. "Wait – that's it!"
Athilda looked over at him. "You're joking, right?"
Gippal stood up suddenly. "No, it could work! We've just got to…got to set it up somehow, ya know?" He started to pace, one hand on his chin. "We know it's on the Moonflow Pass. One of us could, could hide there or something. Actually, both of us could. First to spot a straggler walker pounces and then we pummel the answer out of them!" Gippal broke into his first smile in days – too bad it was twisted with revenge and wrath.
"I really don't know how you got that out of my suggestion…" Athilda muttered, rubbing at her eyes wearily. "Sir Gippal, please don't take offense, but that's just stupid. First of all, you cannot possibly ask me to fight someone innocent. How do we know they're actually a bandit? They could be an innocent person going on a walk!"
Gippal shook a finger at her face. "No, no, no. See, that's the beauty of it. Bandits are very protective of their land. They like to pop up and try to battle you. If we can just get them to pounce on us, you know, bait 'em, then we can get some answers out of them…"
"I won't fight," Athilda stated stubbornly, crossing her arms. Gippal whirled around on his heel, giving her an exasperated look.
"Athilda, I don't have time for this! Rikku and Karren could be dying for all we know – "
"SHUT UP!" Athilda suddenly screeched, standing up abruptly. The octave of her voice scared Gippal into taking a step back. "My sister is NOT dying!" Her eyes were wide with fury, and something like – like worry. She was hiding her fear.
"Athilda…" Gippal started, his voice deadly grave. He was glad to see his tone caused Athilda to sit down once more, watching him carefully. "Athilda, we need to do all we can. I know you may not be fond of your magic, but if you want to save your sister as much as I want to save Rikku, we've got to work together." Gippal emphasized the last part so much that he thought he saw Athilda wavering.
"Fine," she finally spat; standing up and dusting invisible dirt off of her Yevon robes.
Gippal cracked another one of his successful grins. "Oh, I advise you to take the robe off. It might slow you down."
Athilda hesitated. "But – "
"Athilda," Gippal whispered in a warning tone. Athilda shrugged the robe off onto the floor. Thankfully, she was wearing a plain brown dress underneath.
"All right, all right, just don't strangle my wrist again."
Gippal grabbed her wrist. Athilda frowned. "Hey, I said – "
"I know what you said. But you're too slow. I have to make you run." And with that, Gippal and Athilda ran down the road.
………
Rikku was crouching at the opening of her cave once more, her face turned towards Karren's similar living quarters. She had heard Sunny, Liam, Bilak and Saleed leaving for some room hidden behind a wall – the room they were to bring Rikku to later.
"Karren?" She whispered harshly, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.
"Yes?"
"Are you awake?"
"No, I'm asleep."
"Aww, come on…"
"Of course I'm awake, Lady Rikku. It's not like I ever sleep…"
Rikku hesitated. "Do you mind if I tell you something I wouldn't tell anyone else?" She heard shifting from down the hall, and suddenly realized how odd it was for her to be having a conversation with a girl she had never seen, nor met. All she knew her by was her voice. And truth be told, the voice wasn't very comforting. Hoarse, cracking, and cynical were a few of its characteristics – and yet, Rikku could still hear, deep down, that there was an old voice hidden within filled with laughter and happiness, a voice like Rikku's own.
"Well, Karren, I'm telling you this because I trust you. Probably because we have the same problem, but anyway, I'm – I'm afraid. There. I said it. I know it's probably not a lot to you, but it's a lot to me. I've never been, well, truly afraid. Fighting Sin? Shocking, interesting, new, but not frightening. Fighting Vegnagun? Adrenaline rushing, startling, exciting – but not frightening. Even when Gippal and me were escaping a spirit-infested beach, I wasn't REALLY scared, you know? Gippal was there, and with him there, it felt like there was still hope. There was still hope for us to get free, because he's always protected me." Rikku let out a small, sad chuckle. "Did you know we grew up together? I remember he'd always save me from the littlest fiends that would probably lick you to death, not kill you. I remember how close we were, what great friends we were, and the first time we kis – " Rikku stopped, suddenly feeling sick. "But Saleed planned it all. The life me and Gippal shared was all a sick, twisted idea from some evil guy. It's so weird, because the man I love…I love him because of the relationship we had as children. I love him because of Saleed…but now that Gippal's not here, now that Saleed tricked him into going to Bevelle – it's too late. Even if he does realize it's a trick, it's too late. They're killing me tonight. That's why I'm afraid. Gippal isn't here, thinking up a plan or making a joke to make me feel better. He's not here to hold me tight or stroke my hair…" Rikku let out a small sob and buried her face in her hands. "It just feels like there's this huge load on my shoulders, and I can't get rid of it…not without Gippal. I know the end is near, and yet – and yet I can't help but still hope. Even just a little…"
Rikku let out a relieved sigh, wiping the tears from her eyes. Now she felt a bit better with lifting the load off of her shoulders for another person to listen to.
"Wow Lady Rikku. Are you going to be okay?"
"Okay? Well, I dunno."
"You know, you…well…nah."
"No, tell me!" Rikku cried, bouncing up. "Tell me, tell me!"
"Nah."
"Please?"
"I don't know if you'll like it…"
"Poopie, Karren! Tell me!"
"Well, okay. You know, your story is sad, and it does make sense…but was Gippal there when you fought Sin?"
"No…"
"Was he there when you fought Vegnagun?"
"Well, yea, but not to protect me or anything. In fact, I think he kind of hated me…"
"So why do you need him so badly now? You did fine then, and now, no offense, you sound like one of those poor innocent girls who can't do a thing."
"HEY!" Rikku cried indignantly down the hall. "That's not true! I'm just telling you how much I miss him…"
"And how much you need him to get free. Lady Rikku, I'm not like you. I'm not strong. You can get out of here yourself, I know you can. I've heard so many stories about you, how brave and strong and independent you are. Is this how you want to turn out? You can't live with a man kind of thing?"
Rikku gasped, clapping her hands to her mouth. "Cred…" she muttered in Al Bhed. "Karren, you're right! I have become one of those sappy, I need the guy to live kinda girls!" She started pacing, the chain around her ankle clanking along the ground. "This is terrible! I have to shake it off! I can do this…I can get out of here on my own. Gippal probably doesn't even want to help me. He's probably having a grand old time in Bevelle…" The thought caused some kind of unknown anger to boil inside of Rikku. "You know what? I don't know why I think I need him. He's just a meanie anyway, always teasing me and messing up my hair! Well that's it! I'm getting out!"
"Good job Lady Rikku. I hope you get free…"
"What?" Rikku asked, shocked. "Me? You make it sound like I'm getting out alone! Karren, Karren, Karren…you're coming with me."
………
Gippal sighed, strapping his pistol back into his holster. He kicked the body of a bandit, his face bloody and bruised. His arm seemed to bent at an odd angle too. "How'd it go for you Athilda?" He looked over to see the lady standing there, trembling slightly. The man looked like he had been struck by lightning…fifty times over.
"He – he got really angry and rushed at me, and the adrenaline got too high – "
"That's okay. We just need to wake one up and get some information. Good job on baiting them."
"Yea, dropping my purse and leaving the money on the road seemed like a good idea, didn't it?"
"It sure worked."
"I guess. But now I don't have my money."
"Just take it back!" Gippal cried like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"But that's like stealing."
"Athilda…"
"All right, all right!"
As the girl dug around the belt of the one bandit, Gippal kicked his in the ribs. He groaned, rolling onto his side. Gippal kicked him again. "Wake up!" he yelled, surprising himself at the hatred in his voice. "Wake up, I have some questions for you!"
"Sa?" The man asked, his speech slurred. Gippal could see why. Blood still clotted the man's mouth.
"Sir Gippal, you should at least give him a potion…"
"Fine, fine…but it's wasted gil then." Gippal rummaged around in his pocket and pulled one out, pouring it into the bandit's mouth. After a few moments he sputtered, his eyelids flickering. When his eyes finally opened and focused, he let out a shriek.
"It's you! You!" He scrambled back, retrieving his sword from the ground. But he didn't stand a chance. Gippal was already on his back, digging his knee into his spine, his arm wrapped tightly around the man's neck.
"I have some questions for you," Gippal hissed quietly into his ear. He could feel the weak man shivering. "You're going to answer them, understand?"
The man let out a ragged choke. "Yes – yes, just please…please don't kill me…"
Gippal let go of his grip on the neck, though he kept his knee on his back.
"Where's the hideout?"
The man couldn't help but snort. "The hideout? I can't tell you that, anything but th—"
Gippal took out his pistol lazily, flicking the safety off and pointing it into the back of his head. "Are you willing to risk your life on that promise?" Gippal asked calmly. The man started to shake feverishly.
"I – I – "
"Look, we're only going in once. I promise not to hurt anyone. Promise. We just need to retrieve a – tool that was taken from us."
The cold metal of the pistol must have scared the man senseless. "B-B-Behind the machina! There! Behind the trees! There's a – a little alcove, you'll see a blue machina. Code in the buttons is…is two nine five…please, please let me go."
Gippal relaxed, standing up off of the man and grabbing his sword. He chucked it into the forest, too far away for the sickly bandit to get it. Gippal watched him carefully, seeing the shocked expression on his face. "Don't worry," Gippal started, "this'll be our little secret." He gave a menacing smile and then turned around to the forest spoken by the bandit. Athilda followed him timidly.
"Sir Gippal?"
"Yes?"
"That was – scary."
"Yea, but it worked."
"There are going to be guards and many other obstacles in the hideout."
"We can take them. Those bandits were nothing."
"But what if it becomes too easy for my? My adrenaline might go down…"
"Don't worry. You'll be so scared your magic'll probably be popping out of your eyeballs."
"What a pleasant picture," Athilda said dryly. Gippal only grinned as the two reached the blue machina. He quickly pressed in the three number code, watching what had seemed like the side of the mountain slide open. He cracked his knuckles, a fire in his eye not normally seen by living people.
"Let's go kick some bandit ass."
………
Rikku continued to tug at the peg stuck in the rocky wall. She sighed, wiping the sweat off of her brow. Time had been wasted and time had gone by. Saleed and his henchmen would be coming to take her to the mystery room soon. Maybe she could escape then. Maybe…
"Karren?"
"Yes?"
"You're sure there's nothing in your cave we could use?"
"Unless you call a stick useful…"
Rikku sighed, rubbing at her eyes wearily. She glanced down at the metal ring around her ankle. She slipped off her boots, seeing if it would magically slide down her ankle. But it was new Al Bhed technology – it molded to the size of the ankle. "Hey…Karren! In your metal anklet chain thing, is there a key hole like there is in mine?"
Karren looked down in hers. "No…I wonder why…"
Rikku scurried to the opening of her cave, brain whirring and clicking. It was so obvious…SO obvious.
"Karren!" Rikku nearly screeched. "Karren, look across from your cave onto the wall facing you. Mine just has a door into Sunny's room, but what does yours have?" Rikku's heart was thumping wildly, praying, hoping…
"A peg holding…holding the keys! Lady Rikku, there's a metal ring with keys on it!" Karren's voice now had some of the happiness Rikku had heard deep down. Rikku cracked a grin. "Those could hold the keys to our braces! That's why yours doesn't have a keyhole, because if you could get the keys, it would be useless to you! But not to me!" Rikku laughed nervously. She hadn't felt this smart in ages.
"Karren, throw the stick at the keys."
"But they'll just fall! They'll still be too far away…"
Rikku could feel her heart falling down to her feet. It wasn't going to work, it wasn't…
"How long is the stick Karren?"
"Really long, they – I get it! Lady Rikku, you're a genius!"
Rikku watched nervously, and yet she was excited. She was afraid Saleed or one of the Al Bhed, or any of the bandits she knew inhabited the front rooms would come walking by as Karren started phase one. Rikku soon saw a long, brown, splintered stick appear from Karren's cave. It was a bit shaky, heading slowly for the keys. Rikku didn't dare talk, only waited with baited breath. The whole hall was silent as Karren jiggled the stick around the key ring. The stick flopped to the floor a few times because it was becoming heavy, but Rikku knew it was going to work…she saw the ring coming closer and closer to the edge…
"Lady Rikku! I have them! I have the keys!" Rikku could have burst out crying.
"Karren, you're an angel! Quick, toss them here!" She saw the stick retreating and the jiggling of keys. Soon she saw the metal ring of keys soaring towards her cave. They landed inches away from Rikku's grasp. She grunted as she stretched her slim fingers out to them.
"Come on…come on…" She squinted, thankful that one of the keys had landed lopsidedly closer to her than the rest of the keys. She grabbed for it, pulling the rest of the keys along with it. She let out a joyful laugh. "Karren, I got it! You were right! I didn't need Gippal!"
"We can celebrate later, Lady Rikku! Hurry!"
Rikku did so, fitting in all the keys one at a time into the metal hold. Her hands shook from nervousness and excitement. Finally, a small silver one clicked into place, and Rikku felt air swoop down on the sweaty area of her skin.
"I'm coming Karren!"
Rikku started running out of her crevice, the feeling of walking odd to her sensations. Her legs weren't used to it, she could feel them collapsing…
Inches away from Karren's cave, Rikku fell to the ground, her whole body shaking from the effort. She was so weak! How could she possibly save Karren now?
"Boss! BOSS!" The familiar voice of Liam buzzed in Rikku's ears. Oh Yevon, please not now…
"What?"
"She got out! She got free!"
"Who?"
"Rikku!"
Footsteps were coming towards Rikku.
"Lady Rikku! Hurry! Please don't leave me here, please!" Sobbed Karren. Rikku's heart nearly broke at the sad voice, the voice that was losing hope. Rikku wriggled her way closer, but everything was starting to go black…she wished they had given her water to drink…
"No you don't, Princess." Strong hands wrapped around Rikku's body, lifting her away from Karren's cave. "Karren…" Rikku rasped as she was being lifted. She felt so useless, just like a rag doll.
"Karren, I'm…I'm sorry."
"No!" The voice shrieked, and her sobs were now ringing in Rikku's ears. But she couldn't do anything about it. She had fainted.
………
"Sir Gippal! There's one behind you!" Gippal whirled around in time to punch a bandit in the face, all the anger Gippal had felt over the past few weeks and days coming out in a whir of kicks, punches, bullets, and other ways of murder and hurting. Athilda continued to use her magic, which was getting haphazard and striking at random places. She was having a difficult time controlling it under all the pressure.
"There! We're done here!" Gippal raced ahead, jumping over the limp bodies of bandits. Athilda followed close behind. The two turned around a corner, and were met with a long, dark hallway. Athilda whimpered.
"This is it."
"Already? But we've only fought…"
"About one hundred bandits. I'm sure of it. This is it. They blindfolded me and brought me here…this is where Karren is."
"So Rikku must be here?" Gippal asked, his tone hopeful. The two were breathing heavily, sweat and dirt covering their whole bodies.
"Maybe…"
Gippal felt like falling into a bed right then and there. He wanted this all to be over. Many of the bandits had been professional fighters, and had given Gippal quite a fight. His arm was bleeding and his only eye was bruised, but Athilda was in worse shape. Her leg was most likely broken, and her eyes were red and filled with tears. She seemed paler and more fragile than ever, probably because all of her magic had been used up.
"We split up."
"Sir Gippal!"
"You look for Karren, I look for Rikku."
"Well…"
"It's just one hallway. We can't be too far apart."
"All right."
The two walked together for a moment, until Gippal came to the first door. Athilda went on, but Gippal stopped. His loaded his pistol, positioning it in front of him. He slowly opened the door, its hinges soundless. He peeked inside to see an empty room. It was boring with all blue walls, ceiling, and floor with a simple white bed in the middle.
"Sir Gippal! You might want to come see this…"
Gippal left the room, running ahead towards what had looked like a crack in the wall. But he could see Athilda standing on the other side. "Come see…"
Gippal slid through the crack with great difficulty, his shirt ripping in places. "God, this is terrible…" he managed to mutter, feeling his breathing getting cut off. But soon he reached the end, popping into a little cave. He looked around and saw a peg hammered into the rock, along with a chain and an open metal anklet. A ring of keys was lying on the floor, but Athilda had picked them up.
"Over there," she whispered, pointing to the corner. Gippal gazed to the right, his eyes falling on something familiar.
"Her boots," he said hoarsely, picking one up nervously. "These are Rikku's boots…"
"She's been here," Athilda whispered.
"They took her. The bastards took her!" Gippal threw a boot against the wall in anger. "We're too late, Athilda! We're too – "
"Down the hall, at the end. Go Liam, I'll be right there. If Sunny knows what happened with the bandit guards…"
"But him and Saleed are busy with Rikku!"
"Just go in and tell him what happened!"
"Fine, fine!"
Footsteps ran past the crevice. Gippal and Athilda stood stock still, their eyes wide with fear. Gippal hadn't been expecting Sunny, Liam, and Bilak to be here. When I see them I'll kill them on the spot, he thought, anger boiling in his veins. But all was quite moments later.
"At the end of the hall," Gippal whispered. "They've got Rikku at the end. Come on, your sister might be here somewhere still." With great difficulty, the two slid out of the crevice once more into the empty hallway.
That's when they heard the sobs.
"Oh my…" Without an explanation, Athilda went running down the hall. About fifteen feet away was another giant crack. Athilda stuck her head into the crack. "Karren?" She called. Gippal watched her body curiously, seeing her hands wringing each other nervously. The sobbing stopped.
"A-Athilda?"
"KARREN! OH THANK YEVON!" Gippal saw the girl squeeze into the crack, and then she was gone. But Gippal didn't have time for the reunion. He needed to get Rikku. He may already be too late if Saleed was here already…
His heavy combat boots banged against the rock floor as he ran for the door. It was large and metal, but was still open a crack. Silly Liam seemed to have forgotten to close it all the way. Gippal stopped in front of it, listening closely to the murmuring voices. Time to make his entrance.
He kicked the door open, his pistol held in both hands cop style. He gave the three men a cocky smile, who were now looking at the door, stunned into silence. "Hey boys," he said, his eye filled once more with the fire only soon-to-be-dead mean saw.
"Miss me?"
A/N: Tsk, tsk, Gippal got angry earlier on and SWORE. GASP. Well, I like this chapter. Uber long. I kinda had to make Rikku at least save herself once. I mean, she cant' be all clingy and dependant, right? That's just NOT Rikku. She was so close to saving Karren. I'll bring Karren and Athilda up in the next chapter, just to bother you. Hurrah! I'm so excited!
