Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not FFX-2, not Veggie Tales… Uh? Huh? Oh crap, I don't watch that, I uh, it's my little cousin Noah… x.x; .

Thank you over and over and over and over and a million, trillion times over again for all of your lovely reviews. And stuff.

Yeah. … -has song lyrics stuck in her head..-

Please don't cry Barbara,

You're a nice Manatee,

You've been so good to me,

But I must go into the world and do noble things for the good of all!

And you can't come because you don't speak French.

……………………………

"Oh look… More buildings…"

Bevelle. Enormous buildings, awed tourists, and snobby monks – the whole enchilada.

"I know, aren't they beautiful?" Rikku sighed ecstatically, either ignoring or not catching Tidus's obvious sarcasm.

According to Baralai, today was their Grand Tour. It was mandatory for everyone to attend, or else risk offending Baralai – something you really didn't want to do. Only Yuna was exempt from going, who's health wasn't at it's best, and Gippal, who had conspicuously disappeared as soon as Baralai made the announcement.

Overall, everyone was in a fair enough mood, Rikku's being the best. Of course, she told herself, it had nothing to do with being able to torture Gippal. Tidus was obviously bored – that was nothing new, Baralai was as professional as ever, and Leije stayed quiet – lost in his own thoughts.

"No… Blitzball," Tidus continued miserably. "My life is barren…"

Paine's head snapped in Tidus's direction. "Would you stop complaining?"

At this comment, Baralai leaned towards Paine's ear and whispered loudly, "I think that Rikku and Tidus may have been twins separated at birth, eh?"

Rikku let the conversation flow in one ear and out the other, eagerly looking at all of the interesting people around her. So different, and yet so similar…

Tidus's indignant voice sounded out. "He-ey! I-"

Suddenly, Rikku's hearing was turned abruptly off. Everything became dim and unclear, all because of one face.

The man must have been in his late forties, if not older. His hair was going grey, dirty and matted, his face and features elongated, his eyes shrewd. Malicious.

How Rikku remembered that face was unclear; it was as if memories – if not hers, then someone else's – flooded back to her, nearly causing the Al Bhed to black out.

That face.

That fire.

She lost control. Was this someone else's fury?

"Oui-oui pycdynt!" ('You-you bastard!') A passionate war cry escaped her lips as she flung herself at the man, taking him by surprise and tackling him to the ground. Blood was rushing to her head, her heart was beating so fast – her emotions had gone haywire. Rikku let out another mumbled Al Bhed curse as she began to beat the man with her fists in fury.

"Rikku?" Paine eyed her worriedly, trying to pull the girl off.

"What're you doing, Ri?" Tidus stood there, unmoved, baffled, while Baralai's eyes darted around at the nearby spectators.

Leije did not move.

His eyes were locked on the man.

"I-I-I d-don't know!" Rikku's own voice sounded terrified as it rose to a shriek near the last word, "Help!"

As the Bevellian man Rikku had so rudely tackled began to regain his senses, he grabbed her oncoming hand at the wrist with ease.

"..Rikku.. Is it..?" The man breathed heavily.

He twisted.

The crack seemed to echo in her own ears, her nerves fearfully awaiting the pain. As it came, her whole body jerked back; she instinctively closed her eyes and nurtured her now broken wrist.

"Sir, get back here!" Baralai's voice sounded far away. Footsteps echoed near, then distant, and finally vanished completely.

Rikku slowly opened one of her eyes – the man was long gone.

And so was Leije.

………………………………

"So, Rikku. You said you didn't know that man?" Yuna asked with concern, her hands meekly wrapping a gauze bandage around the Al Bhed's wrist.

"..N-no.. I-I didn't," Rikku's voice sounded small to her own ears. Why was she lying? Or was she telling the truth? She couldn't tell anymore-

"A-anyway, have you found Leije yet?" Rikku attempted to casually change the subject – even so, she genuinely did want to know of his whereabouts.

Yuna seemed to catch that Rikku was attempting to change the subject again, but she played along anyhow. "Baralai found him loitering in the gardens. He won't talk to anyone, though," she sighed thoughtfully.

Almost immediately, Rikku rose to leave. Yuna attempted to hold her back by catching onto her wrist, which ended up in Rikku cringing and Yuna apologizing profusely.

"I'll be back soon, all right Yunie? There's just something I have to ask him, that's all." Rikku gave her cousin one last reassuring smile as she rose and left the room, softly closing the door behind her.

As soon as she stepped outside, Rikku instantly noticed the lazy shadow of a figure abruptly to her right. She turned to lock eyes with another pair of green ones.

"Where you goin'?" Gippal questioned, his arms crossed and his eyes lingering on her broken and bandaged wrist.

Rikku was reluctant to answer him. "I.. There's someone I have to speak with. Excuse me-"

As she tried to brush past him, he grabbed her arm and held on with a vice-like grip. "Leije, right?" He almost sounded defeated. Almost.

"…Well. Yeah."

There was an uncomfortable silence before Gippal let go of her arm and strutted back inside, acting for all the world like he didn't care. Rikku just shrugged it off – she didn't have time to play mind games with Gippal. She'd just have to deal with him later.

…………………………………….

Gippal's CommSphere screen was static as it tried again and again to connect. Perspire dripped from his brow as he waited.

This was the first time in, well, a long ass time he'd been nervous. And that was saying something.

He didn't know what the hell he was doing. This was probably just some big mistake waiting to happen – he'd probably say no, she'd probably hate him (if she didn't already, that is)… No, worse: She would think he was a coward – going behind her back…

"Hey-llo?" Cid's voice rang out, the static screen finally dissolving into picture.

Well, you can't be brave all of the time.

"Hey, Cid," Gippal greeted uneasily.

"Meh. What do you want, boy?" Cid scowled. "Still in Bevelle?"

"Yes, I am, and no, I don't want anything," he lied, scratching the back of his head nervously. "Well, actually, I… have a proposition to make."

Cid looked up at him skeptically. "Well?"

Gippal took a deep breath, preparing himself. "Well…" Pause. "It's Rikku! He let it all out. "She's been running around (sure) with this Leije guy (and Yuna) acting like a lovesick puppy (bullshit) and he's not even Al Bhed (half, actually)!" Gippal let out the last words with an extra emphasis.

"…So?" Cid folded his arms and rose an eyebrow. "I'm not her mother," he snickered.

"Gippal gawked at him. "Well.. I- I just thought that you could, might – I mean – intervene," He gulped nervously, "And uh, maybe marry her off-"

"To who?" Cid interrupted gruffly.

"…Me," Whoa, was that his tiny sounding voice? Gippal cleared his throat.

"Boy?" Cid called out, sounding concerned.

"Huh?"

"Are you drunk?"

…………………………….

Au revoir!

But if you leave Bill, who will take me to the ball?

Who's going to take me to the ball, Bill?

I just bought a new dress and shoes

And some new Manatee lipstick

Who will take me to the ball?

I'll take you to the ball Barbara Manatee!