Lie In The Sound
Chapter 2: Holding My Breath


I stared solemnly at the stack of papers on my desk. Work had seemed to become a chore to me lately… I was distracted, and I didn't understand why. My eyes wandered to a photo of the two of us when we still lived out in the desert, and I smiled sadly. I missed my Rikku.

But I was angry at her, as well. She'd walked out on me, leaving nothing behind, no note, no explanation… no evidence that she'd ever been here at all. Sometimes I hoped that I'd been imagining the days we'd spent together, but I knew that I wasn't. The memory of her in my arms was much too strong to be a waking dream.

The stack of papers had come to be in this exact manner. I would, being me, get distracted almost instantaneously, leaving the papers for a time when I was more subdued. Said distraction was usually in the form of that very picture, a little piece of our long history, that sat in the only clean portion of my desk. With a heavy sigh, I tore my gaze away for what seemed like the millionth time that hour, and began to read over the multiple documents that awaited my attention.

One of the workers entered my office just moments later, looking a bit out of breath. "What do you need?" I snapped, watching as he bent to catch his breath.

"Sir, the High Summoner is on the CommSphere… she says she needs to speak with you, and that it's urgent." I sighed and stared at the worker for a split second, before I turned away and walked to the CommSphere that was kept (safely away from the part stealers) downstairs. If Yuna said it was urgent… it was urgent.

I looked into the little blue sphere with surprise, noting the dark circles around Yuna's eyes. She sighed with apparent relief. "Thank goodness, they found you quicker than I'd hoped…"

"Uh…what do you need that's so very urgent, Yuna?" She frowned at my question.

"I need you to come to Luca. Now, if possible. And if it isn't possible… then I don't care."

I gave her a confused look, shocked at the very un-Yuna like statement of "I don't care". "I can try, but… why am I needed in Luca, now?"

Yuna sighed. "I can't explain everything in full detail until you are here, but… Rikku is in trouble. She needs you. She needs you more than she would ever admit."

That shocked me as well. From what Yuna had been saying these last months, Rikku was fine, independent… strong. I'd taken the impression that Rikku no longer needed or wanted me around, and so I hadn't chased after her to Besaid. Why force the girl to deal with me if she didn't need me? "In trouble? What kind of trouble?"

Yuna looked off to the side. "She's… she's been in the hospital here for two days, and things seem to be getting worse, and all of us need you to be here…just in case…"

A strange crushing feeling began to form in my chest. "Is she sick? What's going on? Just in case of what!"

Yuna stared at me, her mismatched eyes unnerving me as a strange ferocity entered them. "Djose is only four hours away by hover. I expect you to be out on the Luca Bridge by noon. I'll answer you then. See you soon, Gippal." Her end of the connection shut down as I stared in silence at blue sphere.


Yuna held Rikku's hand as the little blonde began to cry. "Why would you do that, Yuna? Why? I asked you not to tell him!"

"I didn't tell him yet, but you need him to be here! You've needed him since the moment you left."

Rikku shook her head, her matted hair sticking to her forehead. "I can't let him know that I lied to him, Yuna." She took a deep breath and looked out the window towards the sunny streets of Luca. "Why is this happening? Why didn't I listen?"

Yuna's eyes softened as she squeezed Rikku's hand. "You never listen."

Rikku laughed softly. "I know… but I always mess everything up, in one way or another."

"No, you don't. You're going to be fine, the baby will be fine… and Gippal will be fine."

"Yunie, no. You promised not to tell him." Rikku pleaded with her eyes. Yuna shook her head and gave her a reassuring hug.

"You can thank me later." Rikku nodded and leaned back, closing her eyes. "Rest until I come back, alright? Then you two will be able to talk." Rikku simply sighed in response, staring out the window once more.


I stepped off of the hover at noon, and looked out over the grand staircase towards the busy city of Luca. I'd let my second take charge of the Faction for an indefinite amount of time, and I'd sent messages by CommSphere to Mushroom Rock and Bevelle to inform Nooj and Baralai of my whereabouts.

A woman walked up the stairs toward me. "Gippal. You came."

I nodded to her and met her halfway down the stairway. "Of course I came. Where is she, and what the hell is going on? I've been worried sick all morning, Yuna!"

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you by CommSphere. It's too important to be told like that..."

I shook my head and walked slowly down the rest of the staircase. The two of us leaned against the railing of the city overlook for a long moment, silence spanning between us. I took a deep breath, and stared down at my feet. "I'm really, really scared right now, Yuna. She left me, I have no idea why… and now, months later, you contact me to tell me that she's in the hospital and that she needs me? What is going on?"

"You might want to sit."

I shook my head, my voice rising. "I don't need to sit, Yuna; I need to know!"

"Suit yourself." Yuna stared out over the city. "She made me promise not to tell you when she first came to Besaid, and I kept that promise, but… I can't just stay quiet any longer." She looked at me, her eyes filled with tears.

"Made you promise not to tell me what?" I said slowly.

"She left you because she found out that she was pregnant. I don't know what happened with you two, but… she came to Besaid when she left your place. She asked everyone not to tell you."

I gripped the railing tightly. I knew now why she'd left. "I should have followed her. I knew something was going on, and I just let her leave." I stared at Yuna, who was watching me critically. "Why would she keep something like this from me?"

"I don't know, Gippal. I… I don't know." She took a step toward me with concern. A tear rolled down my cheek as I struggled to wipe it away. But the High Summoner was observant, and she pulled my hand away from my eyes. "Don't, Gippal. It's okay to cry." She wrapped her arms around me, and I rested my head on her shoulder, crying quietly, trying to control the sudden plethora of emotions that had hit me harder than a brick wall.

After a long while, I pulled away. "How far along is she?" I rubbed my tear trails away, starting to walk towards the town, my mind in a haze.

"Eight months. Gippal… wait a second." Yuna looked slightly uncomfortable now. "She's in labor, and… she's having a lot of complications. The doctors have been able to stop the progression for the past two days, but the contractions are getting stronger again, and she's already exhausted."

I whipped around and began walking faster. I needed to see Rikku, and I needed to see her now.


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