Disclaimer: FFX, FFX-2 – neither of them belong to me, I'm just a poor, starving fan : )
A/N: Hoorah – just a little over a week since the last update : ) I think I've hit a patch of inspiration, though it could end at any time so be warned.
Another 'yay' – as I'm home at the moment I have time to reply to reviews again! Check the bottom of this chapter for individual responses.
Oh and I do have one request to make: is there anyone out there who would be interested in beta-reading for me? I'm looking for someone who has quite good knowledge of the Final Fantasy X-2 universe, who would be willing to bounce ideas back and forth and who would have time to proof-read a chapter within a couple of days. If you're interested, let me know in your review or email me : )
One final thing: HAPPY CHRISTMAS (for Saturday!) Hope everyone has a great, present-filled day : )
Well, nothing much left to say except that this chapter is dedicated to fairview for a truly useful review. Thanks for not being scared to criticise!
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Rikku's StoryBy: JoeyStar
Timeframe: Set a month or so after the 'perfect' ending of FFX-2
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Chapter 16The closer we crept to Bevelle, the more I began to wonder whether I had overestimated my breaking-and-entering abilities.
It wasn't that I had over exaggerated or anything. I was still the only person who had a hope of pulling off Gippal's rescue but what I'd forgotten to consider – or simply refused to let register with me – was the fact that I knew Bevelle was still on high alert from the recent bombings.
Which meant the city was swarming with guards. On any other occasion, the fact that New Yevonites and former members of the Youth League were working peacefully alongside one another to protect Bevelle would have delighted me. It certainly showed that Yunie's peace efforts weren't falling on deaf ears. Unfortunately, it pushed the status of my job from 'hard' to 'practically impossible'. I could have done with a little dissention in the ranks at that particular moment in time and inwardly, I cursed my cousin's clever tongue and her earnest, do-gooding nature.
Trekking through the Macalania woods was harder than I had expected and by the time we reach the path to Bevelle, I was puffing for breath.
Elhandra drew level with me and gave me a pitiful look. "Do you need us to rest for a bit?" Her tone was sickly sweet and her look of fake concern made me feel slightly nauseous. I don't know why she'd even bothered to ask; she knew that I was going to deny her words. There was no way I was going to let Elhandra get the upper hand in this situation. I was the leader here. She had to follow my every command. But equally, I couldn't allow myself to appear weak in front of her.
I drew myself up, slowing my breathing rapidly and fixing a look of cool disinterest on my face. I knew that this, more than anything, would infuriate Elhandra. And even better: there was nothing she could do about it.
"I was just making sure that the path up ahead is unguarded. You wouldn't want us to walk into a trap would you? Not after coming so far?"
Without waiting for an answer, I walked confidently around the corner, praying to whoever was listening that my first impression had be right and that the path was clear. The last thing I needed was to walk straight into the first pair of guards we encountered. Elhandra would never let me live it down and I'd be forced to hurt the guards … I'd already decided that this mission would be as blood-free as possible.
For once, luck was with me. The path was clear and silent, so silent in fact that I heard Elhandra's snort of disbelief at my fortune and allowed a secret smile of pleasure to ghost over my face.
It was strange, being on this path again. It brought back strong memories of Yunie's pilgrimage – and not all of them were pleasant. I had to confess that up until recently, the time I had spent in Bevelle had been rather tinged with disaster. Rescuing Yunie from her marriage to the disgusting Seymour – eugh! – being arrested for crimes against Yevon, and more recently, trawling through miles and miles of underground corridors to confront the withered old Trema.
In fact, if I was honestly to think about it, this was the first time that I was actually walking into Bevelle on my accord, for my own reasons.
Of course, things had changed since the pilgrimage. Things had even changed since my time in the Gullwings, which had only been months ago. The beautiful, ancient woods of Macalania were dying; the twinkling starlight that had suffused the trees for so long was finally leaving them. Great sections of the area were devoid of life now and I could see the effects of the decay all around me. It was all to do with the disappearance of the Fayth, I supposed, but that didn't stop it from being desperately sad. Soon there would be nothing of the woods left and their former beauty would be nothing but a memory.
"It's such a shame."
Elhandra's unexpected words stirred me out of my reverie and I turned back to see that she had followed my train of thought and was standing by one of the dying trees, her hand resting on it's blackened bark. Her eyes were focused on the once-leafy bough, now knarled and naked.
"All of this beauty, just fading away." She sighed, and I don't think she was even aware that I was still standing there. "And there's nothing we can do to stop it."
It was strange to see this far more human side of Elhandra. Strange and almost humbling. It reminded me that although I would never like her, there was far more to the other Al Bhed than I gave her credit for. My initial impression of a superficial, lazy, woman who was only interested in her own appearance was rapidly dissolving.
"I suppose everything has to change in the end. The woods have been here for a very long time."
She stiffened at my words and removed her hand from the tree trunk as if she had been stung. Spinning back around to face me, I saw that her mask of disdain was firmly back in place. "What would you know about it?"
More than you could imagine, I thought, but didn't tell her that. I needed Elhandra's cooperation at the moment and the last thing I wanted to do was spark off another argument.
"We're almost there," I settled on instead, once more advancing along the path. "Tread carefully. Just because we haven't met any guards yet doesn't mean there aren't any out there."
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I slumped down next to Elhandra. "Well … there's Bevelle."
She barely spared me a glance. "Seems you were right about the guards."
"I wish I'd been wrong."
"We've got to get past them. I expect you've got some kind of insane plan that's almost certainly going to get us killed."
"Wow – I really have gone up in your estimation, haven't I?"
"Don't flatter yourself," she said disdainfully. "I'm only here because of Gippal."
"And you think I'm not? Besides, I have more claim to him than you do."
"My aren't we possessive now? Don't you like a little healthy competition?"
I bit my tongue with difficulty. "This is getting us nowhere."
Elhandra looked as if she wanted to add something more, but then she shrugged and sat back on her heels, folding her arms across her chest. "I'm waiting."
I'd like to say that I'd planned ahead for this moment, but to be honest, I've always been more of a think-on-your-feet kind of person. A spur-of-the-moment kind of girl, you know? I didn't go in for detailed plans and although I'd had plenty of time to come up with a fool-proof one during our trip through the woods, I'd spent the time alternating between cursing that Elhandra, of all people had to be my companion, and exalting because I was finally going to see Gippal again.
With hindsight, maybe I should have thought more about how I was actually going to get Gippal out of Bevelle …
"Urm …" My brain went into overdrive and in those few seconds I came up with, and discarded, a million different ideas.
The problem I kept coming up against was the fact that Elhandra and I were Al Bhed, and undeniably so. Even if we had disguised our trademark clothes, our eyes would still have acted as a clear beacon to the guards. And considering that Gippal was being blamed for the bombing, I was under no illusions how a pair of Al Bhed would be received by the Bevelle guards.
But maybe … maybe we could use that to our advantage. A thought came to me and I looked at Elhandra thoughtfully. She noticed my gaze and her expression became pinched. "What is it?"
"How well can you act like you hate me?"
She looked me up and down. "Shouldn't be too hard."
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"Kad ouin ryhtc uvv sa! E lyh fymg oui ghuf." (Get your hands off me! I can walk you know.)
"Shut up you filthy machine-lover!"
"Fro tet E ryja du tu drec? E ghuf yc Ym Prat'c ku oui'na yd dra puddus uv dra lryeh pid cinamo oui lyh cbayg dra myhkiyka?" (Why did I have to do this? I know as Al Bhed's go you're at the bottom of the chain but surely you can speak the language?)
"Stop babbling at me and get moving!"
The guards gaped at us as we drew closer to the entrance of Bevelle. We certainly presented an extraordinary picture; Elhandra was protesting loudly in Al Bhed while I pushed her along with the hilt of my knife. Her hands were bound in front of her with a length of material which had once been one of the bows on my sleeves and several of her impossibly neat braids had been pulled undone and were hanging loose around her face.
"H – Halt!" One of the guards spoke, almost choking on the word. "What is your business in Bevelle?"
I gave Elhandra a hard, callous shove, which sent her sprawling to her knees before the guard. In my defence, it was a necessary action considering I was supposed to be a horrible Al Bhed hater. I derived absolutely no pleasure from it at all … yeah right!
"E'mm kad oui vun dryd!" (I'll get you for that!) Elhandra hissed venomously.
"Undercover agent Elsrig reporting in." I saluted the guard sharply. "I've completed my mission objective and am returning to Bevelle as prior Praetor Baralai's orders."
The guard exchanged confused glances with his fellow before looking back at me. "You're who?"
I sighed theatrically. "I don't have time for this. Let me through now before I tell Praetor Baralai that you detained me and my Al Bhed prisoner without due cause."
"That's an Al Bhed?" the second guard blurted, staring at Elhandra's bowed head with a mixture of awe and fear.
I nudged her with my boot and her head rose accordingly. "Ruhacdmo, E tuh'd ihtancdyht fryd Gippal caac eh oui." (Honestly, I don't understand what Gippal sees in you.)
At the mention of Gippal's name, the first guard also turned to stare at Elhandra. "She said his name. She knows the traitor!"
I winced inwardly at their name for Gippal but kept my outward expression cool. "Yes. Now can you see why the Praetor will want to see her?"
"Sir, we should send them straight through," the second guard said earnestly.
"Hmm," the first guard still seemed unconvinced. He squinted at me in a piercing fashion.
"Oui'na ynnukyhd, ennedydehk, camv-upcaccat ..." (You're arrogant, irritating, self-obsessed …) Elhandra muttered.
Hearing this from Queen Elhandra was so ironic that I almost burst out laughing. Instead I settled on cuffing her lightly across the head and mussing up her already messy hair. "I told you to be silent."
"Cdippunh, ekhunyhd, ymfyoc luhjehlat dryd oui'na nekrd ..." (Stubborn, ignorant, always convinced that you're right ...)
Seeing that the guard was still wavering, I pressed him further, stepping forward so that our noses were almost touching. "Are you going to let me through or not?"
His eyes widened and he backed away from me, his gaze taking in my clothes and appearance. Before he spoke I realised what he had noticed.
"You're eyes … you're one of them!"
I sighed for a second time and put as much anger into my voice as I could muster. "Of course I'm not, you idiot! But did you really think I could work undercover if I didn't look like an Al Bhed?"
"Ur ra'c naymmo kuehk du pameaja dryd," (Oh, he's really going to believe that,) Elhandra remarked sarcastically, momentarily breaking off from her muttering.
I ignored her. "Now let me through to Praetor Baralai immediately, before I report you!"
Whatever suspicions the guard still harboured were apparently not worth getting reprimanded for because he drew himself up and saluted. The second guard hurriedly followed suite, his eyes not leaving Elhandra's bent frame.
"You may pass."
"Thank you," I said with exaggerated appreciation. I pulled Elhandra roughly to her feet and pushed her across the threshold and into Bevelle.
"Cusa baubma ryja ymm dra milg." (Some people have all the luck.)
We continued our charade all the way down Highbridge and repeated our performance for the guards who were positioned outside the vast doors into the city. Mentioning 'people-of-power', as I liked to call them, worked even better this time and within minutes, the gates were closing behind us.
"Baralai's really instilled some respect in his people," I commented to Elhandra as we moved on into the city, ducking into the first alleyway that afforded us some privacy.
Immediately she sprang away from me and began smoothing her hair, desperately scraping it into some semblance of order.
I allowed her a moment of distraction; after all, she had just given a rather convincing performance, even if it had been at my expense.
And besides, the longer she fussed, the longer I had to come up with our next plan of action.
Getting into the building wouldn't be too much of a problem. I'd worked my way around enough guards in the passed and if need be, I could lie for Spira. However, there were likely to be more guards than I could handle inside and that meant … I needed a distraction.
"Elhandra, I've got a job for you."
"If it has anything to do with bowing down to you then you can forget it."
"No … I just need you to create a rather loud, rather obvious distraction while I sneak in and rescue Gippal." I steeled myself for a protest.
Surprisingly, none came. Elhandra inclined her head slowly, pushing her hair back from her face as she did so. "That actually makes sense. I won't deny that when it comes to breaking the law you're far more adept than I am."
Only Elhandra could make a compliment sound like an insult.
"Well seeing as you're being so receptive, why don't we hammer out a few more details?"
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It had been pretty easy to find out where Gippal was being held. The whole situation was such a public affair that all you had to do was tune into one of the numerous media networks covering the bombing and you could find his location. While this was potentially dangerous situation for Gippal it had certainly made my job easier.
He was being held in a building that was usually given over to ambassadors and important people from other cultures and cities. It appeared to be an unusual choice of building in which to imprison Gippal but I could understand the reasoning behind it. It was an incredibly public location and I knew that Baralai, Yuna and Nooj had all agreed to keep the investigations progress as public as possible, to avoid any further conflict in an already volatile situation. After everything they'd worked for, the last thing they wanted was for the fragile peace to be destroyed.
I snuck easily passed the guards by sticking close to the shadows of the surrounding buildings and it wasn't long before I was walking quickly across the vast lobby and heading towards the stairs that would take me up to the next level.
I'd only been inside the building for a minute or so, and had only just reached the second floor when disaster struck. I rounded a corner and, rather carelessly, ran smack bang into someone.
Elhandra's earlier comment about my luck swam through my mind as I picked myself up off the floor, looked up and recognised Baralai.
My first inclination was to turn and hurry back the way I had come but then I remembered that Baralai knew all about the 'plan' and had in fact, encouraged it. A broad smile crossed my face as he recovered his balance and looked up at me.
"Rikku? What in Spira's name are you doing here?" He seemed harried and his normally level tone was sharpened.
I wondered at his surprise – surely he had expected me? "I'm freeing Gippal of course!"
His eyes widened. "What? Are you mad?!"
I frowned and was about to ask what was wrong when a handful of guards approached us from Baralai's direction.
"All clear sir!" One called as they neared. "Do you want us to do a sweep of the lower levels?"
In that instant, everything became clear to me. My worry at Baralai's reception was immediately dissipated as I realised the significance of the guards. In fact, I almost laughed at my own childish fear that somehow, something had gone wrong.
There was no way that Baralai could have acknowledged our plan in front of others. It would have instantly implicated him in the bombing, you know? And that would have thrown Spira into even further disarray that Gippal's capture had caused. In one foul swoop, my presence here with Baralai could have destroyed everything that he, Gippal, Nooj and Yuna had been working towards since Vegnagun had been defeated.
I blessed Baralai's quick thinking. He must have known that the guards were behind him and had acted accordingly. I had to learn to stop judging by face value – for the second time in an hour, I was forced to readjust my view of a friend.
Baralai turned smoothly, so that he was blocking my view of the guards and therefore their view of me. "Yes," he replied calmly. "I've just received reports of activity from that area."
Now there's a surprise. Elhandra actually did something I asked her to.
The guards bowed. "At once sir." After shooting several more curious looks at me, they hurried back up the corridor.
As soon as they were out of sight and earshot, Baralai grabbed my arm and dragged me over to a shadowy alcove that would easily conceal us if someone else was to walk past. He opened his mouth to speak but I interrupted him before he could.
"I know, I know – I'm sorry I put you in that situation. I didn't think you'd have guards with you; actually, I didn't expect to see you at all. I thought you were still in Guadosalam!"
"Rikku –"
"I'm on my way to get Gippal right now. He's four floors up, yes?" I didn't wait for a reply, my thoughts already making a beeline towards the fact that within the next few minutes I would finally be able to see Gippal. "Thanks Baralai."
He tried to speak again but I leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, grinning brightly. "You won't regret this!" I pulled away from him, pausing only briefly to glance back. "When you set the guards on us, could you give us about a five minute head start? I think that will be enough time." With that said, I began running down the corridor again, my braids streaming out behind me.
"Rikku!" Baralai shouted after me. I wavered, but at that moment the sound of approaching footsteps reached my ears from Baralai's direction. Throwing him a helpless smile, I waved and then disappeared around the corridor.
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Four floors further on and I had finally found the area of the building were Gippal was being held.
Of course, I could have been wrong but something about the presence of four armed guards suggested the room they were standing in front of housed something more than furniture.
The guards hadn't been entirely unexpected but four posed a bit more of a problem than I had first anticipated. I didn't want to hurt them but on the other hand, I couldn't really see any other way of getting past them. It would be the work of moments to dispatch them … and yet still I hung back.
"If only there was some way I could stop them without …" I trailed off, a smile dawning over my face as my own words triggered the solution to my problem.
Feeling buoyant that I had solved the conundrum without hurting anyone, I strolled towards the guards, my steps light and my arms swinging.
The first one to see me was a man with short dark hair. He frowned as I approached and stepped smartly forward. "Halt! What are you doing here?"
I affected a foolish laugh. "Who me? Oh I'm just a tourist. Just having a look around …" My words faltered as the man shook his head.
"Nice try, but this place has been closed to tourists for weeks. Now are you going to tell me who you are and what you're really doing here?"
I smiled up at him and batted my eyelashes. "Just one question first. Are you guarding that man … you know, the traitor who bombed all those people?"
His eyes ran over my form and I fought the urge to punch him in the face. There was nothing more degrading than having to use my er … assets to get what I wanted.
"You're very well-informed," he said finally. "But you'll get no information out of me, no matter how pretty you are."
"You've just told me everything I needed to know," I informed him sweetly, patting him on the cheek.
The guard looked confused and then he face froze in that expression as I released my magic in a burst of silver light. Once the glare had died down, I stepped back and surveyed my handiwork.
The guards were all frozen, their moment in time preserve forever by the Stop spell that I had just cast over them. Content that they wouldn't be moving any time soon, I allowed my eyes drift past them to the door they had been guarding.
This must be it.
With shaking hands, I stepped through the statues and tried the door handle. It wasn't with a great deal of surprise that I found it to be locked. A feral smile crossed my face; did they honestly think something as simple as a door lock would keep me out? For Spira's sake, even Yuna could have picked this lock, you know?
Reaching down into my right, low boot, I withdrew a needle-thin dirk that had a tiny green stone in the pommel. It had been a present from my late mother – something that hadn't gone down too well with Pops, who had been very set on me being a 'proper young lady'. In his eyes, a weapon had hardly been an appropriate birthday gift for his darling daughter and he had tried to confiscate it – which had led to it's current hiding place, inside my boot, where it had remained to this day.
It had certainly come in handy more than once in the past and now was no exception. Frowning with concentration, I slid the dirk into the keyhole and jiggled it around experimentally. After a few moments, I was rewarded with a soft click and I sat back on my heels, wearing a satisfied grin.
I kissed the pommel-stone of the dirk and then returned it to my boot before standing and trying the handle again. This time, the door swung easily open and I was confronted with a tastefully decorated suite.
I remembered what Gippal had told me during our CommSphere conversation but somehow I was still surprise by how … how nice his accommodation was. The opulence of the chamber took my breath away; it was almost as nice as the guest bedrooms we had enjoyed during the numerous 'peace-parties'. And the ease with which I had entered proved Gippal right about the lack of security as well. Unless … maybe this was something Baralai and Nooj had organised after Baralai had agreed to the escape attempt? It didn't really matter to me; what was more important was that I was finally here. I was finally about to rescue Gippal!
Feeling confident and happy for the first time since Gippal had been arrested, I strode into the suite, quietly closing the door behind me. I passed through a small corridor, off which a number of doors sprung, before emerging into a large living area that looked strangely familiar. It took me a moment to realise that this was what I had seen through the CommSphere, when Gippal had been sitting … there.
My gaze located the chair Gippal had been sitting in during our conversation and my breathing quickened as I realised that, just as back then, it wasn't empty.
"Is it feedin' time already?" an achingly familiar voice enquired from the chair. "Oh goody."
It was strange but now that I was here, standing barely five metres away from Gippal, I felt horribly tense. I opened my mouth to speak only to find that I had nothing to say. All my confidence had drained away and was left standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, staring at the back of Gippal's head.
"Vratha? Is that you?"
Still I couldn't move. It felt like some little imp had come along and glued my feet to the floor – oh and on the way out had glued my lips shut as well. It was kinda inconvenient considering the situation, you know?
"Vratha? Spira, what does a man have to do to get somethin' to eat 'round here?"
With that disparaging comment, the chair spun around, revealing Gippal immersed in its blue depths. He was in the process of stretching but he froze when his eyes locked with mine.
There was an endless moment of intense silence in which we stared at one another, a million thoughts spinning through our minds.
"Rikku."
That single spoken word broke through my paralysis as easily as a knife slides through butter. I flew across the room towards him and threw my arms around his neck. "I can't believe you're here and you're okay. I just – I can't believe it!"
Instead of hugging me back as I had expected, his hands came up and gripped my shoulders, pushing me away from him. "I can't believe you're here. Rikku – what's goin' on?"
I smiled at him. "Silly, I'm here to rescue you!"
His eyes searched mine. "Rikku … what have you done?" his voice, normally so good natured and light, was heavy with dread.
The lukewarm reception I was receiving set alarm bells off inside my mind. What was wrong with Gippal? Why did he look as if he'd just been told that Sin had returned?
I tried to reassure him. "I'm just following the plan. Didn't Baralai tell you?"
"What does Baralai have to do with any of this?" Without warning, Gippal spun away from me and ran his hands through his short hair, pulling it up into wild spikes. "Dammit it Rikku. You bein' here, it ruins everythin'! How could you be so stupid?"
I was so taken aback by his outburst that I stared at him, my mouth hanging open. "I thought you'd be pleased to see me," I said in a small voice, feeling as lost and confused as I sounded.
He sighed and turned back to face me. "Of course I'm pleased. But you promised you wouldn't come here. I thought you understood that I couldn't have anythin' to do with the investigation!"
I hated that he kept shouting at me. I had pictured our reunion so many times in my mind and nothing was turning out as I had imagined it. I felt my own temper, always so close to the surface, rising.
"I know that. But Baralai's plan changed everything. You can't tell me he didn't let you know what was going on!"
Gippal shook his head slowly. "I haven't spoken to Baralai in days."
A seed of doubt wriggled its way into my mind but I pushed it aside impatiently. "That doesn't matter. What matters is I'm here to get you out and –" The sound of a door smashing open cut me off and we both spun around in time to see first Baralai and then Nooj run into the suite, followed by a mixture of New Yevon and Youth League guards.
Upon seeing me with Gippal, Baralai held up his hand to halt the guards and then took a step forward himself. By his side, Nooj remained silent.
"Gippal, Rikku … don't do anything stupid."
I was impressed by his performance. And the way Nooj was scowling at us was so convincing that I'm not sure whether Baralai had told him about the plan or not.
"What's going on here?"
"Gippal and I are leaving," I told them, sounding as confident as I could manage.
Nooj cleared his throat and spoke levelly. "We can't let you do that Rikku. Gippal's under arrest. He has to stay here until this situation has been resolved."
"Things have changed."
"What things?" Baralai demanded, taking another step forward.
"Everything!" I said expansively, not wanting to say something that would cause the guards to suspect Baralai.
Nooj shook his head in disgust. "I thought we could depend on you to act maturely for once, Rikku. Obviously I was wrong. And as for you Gippal –"
Gippal held up his hands. "Hey, don't start on me. I have no idea what's goin' on here."
"I think it's very clear what's going on," Baralai muttered.
"Yeah. You're trying to escape!" one of the guards accused, earning himself a hard look from Nooj.
"No – "
"Yes," I interrupted Gippal. Reaching down, I took his hand in mind and began backing away towards the large window that dominated the left hand side of the room. "And it was all going brilliantly until you guys showed up. All I needed was a bit more time." I stressed the words, looking straight at Baralai as I said them.
All the guards had lifted their weapons as I had started moving backwards. I gulped as I realised they were all trained on me.
"Rikku – stand still," Nooj ordered.
I shook my head and continued to walk towards the window, drawing Gippal with me. My eyes didn't leave the guns that were pointing at me.
"Stop Rikku!"
"I'm sorry guys." A questing hand showed that we had reached the wall. I continued to feel around for my target, all the while continuing to watch the guards.
Gippal tried to pull away from me. "Rikku, what are you –?"
"Rikku, if you don't stop now I will be forced to shoot you!" Nooj shouted.
"No – you can't shoot them!" Baralai argued.
"We can't let them leave!"
"For Spira's sake Nooj, this is Gippal and Rikku we're talking about!"
My hand finally located the window catch and with one humungous tug, I forced the window open.
"Stop letting your personal feelings get in the way!" Nooj snapped at Baralai but his friend ignored him, intent on Gippal and I. He walked towards us across the room and stopped next to Gippal's blue chair. Behind him, the guards still had their weapons poised and ready to fire.
"This isn't wise you know. You're just going to make everything worse."
I edged back a little further, pulling Gippal with me. The open window was now right behind us and the breeze that was rushing in drew so my hair over my face that I almost missed the subtle movement of Baralai's hand as it slid inside his robe.
He's going to cast a spell on us! I realised. This was something I hadn't even considered and it – along with the thought of shot by a careless guardsman – hardened my resolve.
It was now or never.
I hope Elhandra's in position, or this could be a fairly painful experience.
"Gippal?"
"What?" he hissed.
My hand tightened around his and I whirled around to face the window, pulling him with me.
"Jump."
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Can anyone guess what happens next?
Wow – a chapter that ends with a cliffie … haven't done one of those in a while! And Gippal's FINALLY back in the story – I feel this is a time for rejoicing : )
Onto the thankyou's:
Raven55: thanks for such a cool review and I'm actually glad I'm confusing you! It means I'm succeeding in what I've set out to do : ) Hope you keep reading!
…: thanks! Hope this chapter lives up to expectations : )
Moshi Moshi Mai: thanks for reviewing each chapter! I love it when readers do that – it really lets me know what you think of the way the story is progressing. And it's cool that you seem to be enjoying it so much : ) Hope you keep on enjoying it!
angelicmayuka: ::stares at review:: okay – you've single-handedly managed to guess one of my next plot points! Which means it's either really obvious or you're clairvoyant : ) I hope it's the second!
Lolo: yup, Gippal is back and back for good. I won't take him away again – promise!
Isis976: course you can join the club! There must be a good twenty members now but we always need more ; ) and I'm glad you like the story!
oOoDancingQueenoOo: hope this update is soon enough for you!
A Nobody: thanks for the p.s … everything's much better now and I've started writing again which is the main thing! As always, thanks for your support and for being one of my most faithful reviewers. You rock!
Taryn: ::gasps:: I could never kill this story! And even if I did, I would let everyone know. I wouldn't just leave you guys hanging! Thanks for your concern – everything's fine with my life now and my writings back on track as well : ) As for all your guesses about the future of this story … I'm keeping quiet as usual! Can't spoil the fun you have guessing, can I?
Cute-Kitty: yeah, I'm sorry about the long wait. I hope this chapter was up in a better amount of time!
missaw: aww poor old Lreav. No one likes him anymore! But again, I'm going to remain silent. I wouldn't want to give anything away : )
Back of Beyond: hehe – what did you think I'd done to Gippal?? Nah – I could never keep him and Rikku separated forever. They're too good together!
dee: yup yup! Sorry you had such a long wait.
Letselina: hehe – you must have a magic favourites list : ) Wish mine worked like that! ::squirms uncomfortably:: sorry bout the lack of Tammy Pierce updating … I will try and get the damn chapter finished soon!
Rikku SWiRLS: Elhandra's not all bad, is she? I'm trying to humanise her, little by little. It's not that she's a monster, she and Rikku just don't like each other so Rikku's view of her is kinda biased : )
kingleby: I love Gippal too! It killed me to keep him out of the story for so long!
Mistress Delavaire: have to say that was probably the strangest review I've ever received : ) : ) But I'm glad to know you're reading (and hopefully enjoying) the story! Please keep on reviewing!!
Sariah Loire-Valentine: hehe – yup, Gippal is back for GOOD!
fairview: wow – thank you for such an honest review. It's a very rare occurrence to get a reviewer who really speaks their mind and the kind of review you gave me are the most useful. I've tried to take on board what you said (you'll hopefully notice a lack of 'you know?' in this chappie!) and please keep on reading and reviewing! I could really use your ongoing advice : )
MaRoNcOoL: hehe – another person picking up on my love of 'you know'. You're advice is noted and I've tried to use it as little as possible in this chapter : ) Thanks for the cool review!
i won't tell: thanks! Hope this chapter is okay : )
killkikyopeople: sorry if you find the 'conversation' chapters a bit boring … I know they can be difficult to get through but they're quite important in terms of plot so you might have to struggle through a few more – sorry! : ) Hope this chapter is more 'action' – it's meant to be!
Phoenix: thanks! I'm glad you like the Lhan/Rikku banter – it's really fun to write ; ) Hope you keep reviewing!
Fanfic-Lover: yup – Gippal's BACK!
me myself and i: okay! I've updated!!!!
As always thanks to everyone who has reviewed and to those who read but don't review, please just let me know what you think. Even if it's criticism. The only way I can improve is by hearing your opinions : )