Warning: Contains Slash/Shounen-ai/MalexMale. Pick one. Don't know what it is? Don't read. Don't like it? DON'T READ. Not running yet? On with the Gippalai-ness!

Disclaimer: All characters (c) Square-Enix, et al. This is written for entertainment purposes only and no profit is made.

Note:

{speech}- Al Bhed

[speech] – CommSphere conversation

Anything in italics depicts flashbacks

Blue eyes blinked repeatedly as the little boy moved cautiously closer. He reached out his hand, only to quickly retreat, unsure of what to do. He looked behind his shoulder, meeting his mother's soft smile.

"Go on, it won't hurt you." She said soothingly.

He bit his lip but moved forward, clinging to his mother's words to protect him. The sphere was half-buried in the sand, scratches marking once smooth surface. Small hands dug into the sand surrounding it, loosening the ground's hold on its precious memories.

Memories left from a machina city a thousand of years ago, buried in the sand on the beach of a small island. The weather was perfect, as Besaid weather goes. Tiny hands, unsure of its purpose, pressed the button that released a memory.

A small gasp, the sound of the sphere being dropped on the sand and the sound of a child's hurried steps as he ran away, rushing through the apparition of a woman who should have been sent long ago.

The sphere remained in the sand for a few moments, the waves caressing it for brief moments. But as whatever divine powers would have it, the secret remains in the open for one moment longer, before one great wave washed it away and tucked it in the sands once more.

It beeped once, twice and then faded into nothing. But not before its signal was detected by an airship not too far away.

Zephyr

Mission 2 – Besaid

Water Mirror

Blue eye blinked blearily at the ceiling, all attempts of recollection was lost somewhere in the potion-induced fog that was once his mind. He tried to sit up, groaning as muscles screeched in pain. Apparently his pain threshold has diminished, because there was no way bed rest would reduce him into a cringing mass of...

Damn. His mind was really not cooperating.

"Gippal?" A tentative voice spoke up from the doorway. He winced slightly as he struggled to a sitting position, barely able to croak out a feeble "thanks" when Baralai helped him.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like a herd of Shoopuf used me as their dance floor." He managed, groaning slightly when his joints made noises they shouldn't be making each time he moved. There was a soft chuckle, before a familiar hand reached out to brush away the curtain of blond hair that was impeding his sight.

The touch was soft, light and he unconsciously leaned closer to it, a barely suppressed sigh escaping his lips. If his mind had been clearer, it would have caused him to blush and smile sheepishly. But in his current state of mind, he wasn't aware of his actions.

He didn't even understand the look of disbelief on Baralai's face at his actions, but it was quickly replaced by a fond smile.

"You've been out for days." His friend said quietly, worry tinged his voice and Gippal failed to realize why. "I...We were worried."

"Huh?" A chuckle followed his confused look and Baralai shook his head, his smile brighter.

"Never mind. Are you hungry?"

"Do you have to ask?" Came the automated reply. Gippal was infamous for his healthy appetite, known to never decline food offerings. Baralai and the others later learned this was due to how he grew up and where he lived. There really wasn't much to eat in the desert, unless you're willing to venture out and capture some fiends. Although some might be appetizing, others tend to be poisonous.

Beggars can't be choosers, right?

"Paine made soup for breakfast. We need to re-supply." Baralai said, rising from his seat to head to the kitchen. Gippal was quiet for a moment, reality sinking in slowly but surely. He grimaced suddenly, realizing that his stomach probably wouldn't be able to handle solid food.

"Gips?" Baralai saw the look and immediately his worries returned, barely noting the nickname slipping out. Gippal, however, was lucid enough to catch the nickname and he blinked.

"Gips?"

"Ah." Baralai cursed silently, face warming up, as he dropped his gaze down to the floor. "I-I'll get your food." He said, quickly making his escape.

"Hey! Baralai!" But already the platinum-haired one was out the door, swifter than a peregrine. The blond currently occupying the bed growled low in his throat, nearly succumbing to his desire to pout.

Shit.He swore instead, dropping his head back down on his pillow. You're not making it easy on me, Lai-babe.He muttered to himself, smirking and feeling slightly better at the newfound nickname. His blue eye twinkled with mischief, as an idea came to mind, one that would make Baralai stick to the nickname and blush at the same time.

"Two can play that game."

Paine saw the transmission about half an hour before breakfast. Baralai was away from his station at the time, so she was the only one who saw the sphere oscilofinder blink for a second and then died. She was able to obtain the necessary information and frowned when she saw just where the sphere was located.

"I'll tell them over breakfast I guess." She muttered to herself, heading for elevator. Upon entering the kitchen, however, she stopped mid-step.

"Yo!" Gippal greeted from his seat, waving merrily.

"When did you get up?" She asked incredulously, but she couldn't help the small smile that appeared, after seeing her friend up and about.

"Since last night apparently." Nooj replied, attempting to sound irritated by this and failing badly.

"So how are you feeling?" Paine asked, after she thanked Baralai for handing her a cup of coffee.

"Good. I've got plenty of rest, so I'm ready to go." As if to prove this, he thumped at his chest, hard. The hacking and coughing that followed nearly caused Paine to spray coffee all over the table. Nooj smiled, shaking his head at the blond's antics while Baralai sighed and handed him a glass of water.

"You're being awfully helpful today." Nooj observed quietly. The former Praetor merely smiled, ignoring Nooj's assessment. Paine snickered, quickly hiding it with a cough when Nooj glared at her instead.

"Are you ready for a mission?" Paine asked carefully, waiting for Baralai's reaction. She knew that Gippal would be up for it and he had plenty of time to rest. Gippal bounces back quickly, so she assumed that his condition was 100% at that moment.

"I'm not sure if that's such a good idea." Baralai said sternly, glaring at Gippal before he could protest. "He was in pain when he woke up last night. You and I can go, Paine, but he stays."

"I'm right here you know." Grumbled Gippal as he stabbed his toast violently.

"Nooj?"

"Checked his status. He might have been in pain last night, but he's fine now."

"See?" Gippal said triumphantly, happy to have Nooj backing him for once. Of course, it was mainly due to the fact that Nooj didn't like being idle for too long. If there was a mission, they should be working on it.

"That's good to know." Paine said, smiling. "Because the sphere oscillofinder just detected a sphere by Besaid."

"Yes!" Exclaimed Gippal, punching his fist in the air. "Lets go get it before anyone else does!" Paine's smile widened and she nodded. Gippal's enthusiasm catches on quickly.

"Hold it." Baralai said, his stern tone in place. And they all knew that when Baralai uses that tone, even Nooj sits down and listens. He pointed his finger at Gippal, eyes sharp. "Even if both Paine and Nooj said you're ready, I'm not taking any chances. We're all going down there."

"But Baralai-"

"No buts."

"But-"

"Lai-babe!" Drawled Gippal, knowing that it would draw a reaction out of the serious male. He was surprised to find that Baralai's cheeks were looking quite red, yet he refused to back down. The no-nonsense glare was directed at him and it didn't look like he was going to back down any time soon.

Gippal sighed, knowing it was a lost cause, although he threw a grin at Paine when she tried, unsuccessfully, to smother a giggle at the new nickname.

"Water again?" Whined Gippal, staring at the blue waters of Besaid. He had to admit, the waters looked more welcoming than the waters of Baaj Temple. Besides, he really didn't have a death wish or anything of the sort. The Baaj incident was merely that—an incident.

Unfortunately, Baralai seemed to think otherwise, so he was stuck with two babysitters.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" Nooj said in a calm yet stern voice.

"Make that three." Gippal muttered, rolling his eye, before speaking up. "Where is the sphere anyway?"

"The data showed that it's no further than one hundred meters out from the shore." He paused for a moment, pointing at one direction. "That way."

"Lets go." Paine said quietly, looking down at the chest-deep water she was immersed in and then beginning to swim towards the direction Baralai pointed. Gippal grinned, quickly following her.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Baralai called out, following suit. Nooj stayed far away from the water, his face neutral, not betraying his emotions at all. There was something strange about this sphere and its location, but he didn't think it would be life threatening or anything.

He didn't bother thinking it over, knowing that it would all be answered once they've examined the sphere. Still, there was something gnawing at his mind, a question he should have asked and an answer he seemed to have forgotten.

While Nooj watched the endless blue thoughtfully, his three companions were having some trouble with locating the sphere. Baralai was initially grateful for Gippal's waterproof sphere oscilofinder because it would make their job so much easier. Unfortunately, the question of whether or not the device actually works was being asked silently.

The frustrating red glow emitting from the device was making all three of them nuts, frankly. After all, the device indicated that the sphere should be right in front of them, not even buried in the sand. Yet all they saw was sand and lots of it. If Paine didn't know any better, she would have thought that some sort of divine power was having a good laugh right about then.

Baralai tapped her in the shoulder—at least, it was suppose to be a tap, all he did was touch her shoulder—indicating that they should start digging. Paine made an impatient motion with her hand, showing her anger clearly. Gippal shrugged and jabbed a thumb in Baralai's direction, telling her that he agreed with Baralai.

Paine rolled her eyes, tempted to say that he was following Baralai's orders because he's smitten over their navigator. Fortunately, she did remember that they were underwater and ignored them instead.

While she glanced over to the side, something silver caught her eye. She turned her head back, staring at the sand. She studied it carefully, taken back when she noticed a faint glimmer, as if her vision was fading slightly. She knew that the waves couldn't possibly distort her vision that much.

When the sparkle appeared again, she finally caught sight of it. It was faint, the slight flicker of the illusion, but she could barely make out the shape of the sphere in the sand.

She reached out her hand, touching the illusion carefully. Her hand came in contact with something cold and she pushed her hand through it. It was a strange sensation, like pushing your hand through a cold lump of gel. It made her skin tingle but nothing else.

When she pulled out the sphere, the illusion faded, causing both her companions to stare at the object on the sea floor. The mirror was round, its wooden frame looked strangely new. In fact, the whole thing looked as if untouched by the water.

Paine peered into the mirror, startled to find something other than her reflection staring back at her. The woman looked young, possibly in her late twenties. She was blushing faintly, but she smiled widely at Paine, nodding her head and mouthing her thanks. Paine could only stare in wonder at her for a moment, before a white light engulfed her companions and herself.

Later, when the three swam back to shore and Nooj asked them what was wrong, they shook their head simultaneously but didn't offer an explanation. Their captain did not press for information, but he did note their dazed looks and inability to recall what happened down there.

Five minutes later, they were back to their usual selves, as if they've forgotten about the incident entirely. Nooj didn't bother asking questions, knowing that if he tried, they wouldn't be able to recall and would only think that he's crazy. Not that they didn't think that already, of course.

The water "road" to Besaid village was usually closed to visitors, mainly because of the notorious water fiends. Gippal didn't even know why Paine would choose this road, especially when the other road was open and the fiends there were relatively harmless. One swipe only kind of deal.

"Water again." Groaned Gippal, an echo to his words earlier in the day. Paine didn't even bother hiding her grin when she poked him in the side, causing him to yelp.

"Don't worry, we've got Remedies and Antidotes."

"And High-potions and Elixirs." Baralai added.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Gippal moved away from them. "I know, I know. I'm an idiot."

"You said that, not me."

"Huh. Nobody loves me."

"Oh I wouldn't be so sure." Paine said calmly, looking at Baralai from the corner of her eye. "I know a couple of people who would say otherwise."

"Really? Who?" Gippal asked with interest.

"Some of your fans in Djose, of course." Paine said innocently, causing Baralai to chuckle. Gippal hung his head for a moment and then tossed an indignant look at Paine.

"You're not funny."

"Really? Baralai doesn't agree." The glare was directed at Baralai instead.

"That's not fair, Paine." Baralai chided quietly, though all he had to do was smile at Gippal to make the glare go away.

"Hey, where's Nooj?" Gippal asked, as he peered over the edge of the cliff.

"I think he took the other road."

"What!" Squawked Gippal. "Then why don't we take that road too?" He didn't receive a reply. What he did receive was a swift kick as he fell in to the harmless looking Besaid waters.

"Damn it, Paine!" Laughter answered his angered cry, followed by two big splashes when Paine and Baralai joined him. "Just don't lose the sphere." He growled as they made their way to the village, ignoring the chuckles.

Rikku kept her eyes trained to the road, where she knew Gippal would show up, along with Paine, Baralai and Nooj. It took a lot of time and effort to bully Brother into letting her stay in Besaid for a couple of days. It took even longer for her to convince Brother that no, he didn't need to be there.

The last thing she needed was a ranting Brother when all she wanted to do was confront Gippal. The rumor couldn't possibly be true...But her father never jokes about things like this.

She wanted answers out of Gippal. She wanted to know what he was planning with this sphere hunting scheme of his, especially after she heard about--No, don't even think about that now. She bit her lip, unwilling to think about it for one more moment.

Fortunately, her thoughts were preoccupied when a memory came to mind. Unfortunately, it wasn't exactly one of her happier memories.

"Hey Rikku, lets stay friends, OK?" There was a sharp intake of breath from the blonde girl, gaze shifting towards the man sitting beside her. She knew what he wanted to say—what he should have said but couldn't.

It hurt, deep down, it was tearing her apart. But if she cried now, she wouldn't be Rikku now, would she? So of course, she pasted on that bright smile and held it firmly.

"Of course!" She exclaimed, forcing down the bitterness rising in her throat. She hated lying, but this was different. This was Gippal. So of course, she'd lie for him.

She didn't realize that she was crying until on drop fell on her arm. She didn't realize she was holding herself either. The young Al Bhed woman shook her head, forcing a laugh.

"Stupid." She whispered softly. "There are others." She closed her eyes for a moment, gathering every ounce of strength left in her body. There was no way she was going to show weakness in front of her cousin. Yuna had enough things to worry about than a younger cousin who can't take care of herself.

"Plenty of fish in the sea." She managed, voice perking up slightly, but the smile fell all the same. "Yeah. Plenty."

"Ugh!" She shook her head vehemently. "Get a grip!" She exclaimed. "When you see him later, kick his butt! He deserves it!" With renewed vigor, her sadness was forgotten. If she focused on violence, at least, her thoughts wouldn't linger on her wants and needs. This way, she'd be able to forget about her tears, even for a while.

All thoughts of violence melted away, however, the moment she caught sight of him.

"Hey Rikku!" Gippal called, grinning widely. "What are you doing here?" He asked, jogging over to her side. That familiar hand reached out to tousle her hair, patting her head for good measure. He sat down beside her, bumping his shoulder to hers. The smile faltered when he realized she wasn't grinning back. "Rik-"

{Idiot!} She screeched, whacking him over the head.

"Hey!" He exclaimed, trying to dodge those small punches that rained on his body. {Rikku, what gives?}

{You could have told me about this stupid idea of yours! I didn't have to hear it from other people!} She shouted, punching him relentlessly. In truth, she had to act this way or he would start to suspect something. And even if Gippal deserved it, Rikku never wants to see him sad. It was kind of ironic that she didn't realize that Gippal didn't want to see her sad either.

"We'll leave you two lovebirds alone shall we?" Paine remarked, smirking at the sight of the two friends. The punching stopped immediately.

"It's not what it looks like!" Protested Rikku, standing up and rushing over to Paine's side. "He's an idiot for not telling me what he's up to!"

"I was going to tell you, you know." Gippal said in defense.

"Huh. Sure." Huffed Rikku, sticking out her tongue.

"That's so juvenile." Scoffed Gippal.

"I'm sure that's why you two get along admirably." Nooj said, deadpanned.

"Yo! Noojster, that isn't funny!"

"Yeah, you big meanie!"

"Way to convince him you're not immature, Rikku." Gippal rolled his eye, only to cry out in pain when Rikku kicked him in the shin. {Shit! Dammit, Rikku, that hurt!}

"Where's Baralai?" Rikku asked Paine, ignoring Gippal's complaints.

"Right here." An amused voice spoke up, chuckling quietly at the exchange. In truth, he was quiet unsettled by the apparent closeness between the two Al Bhed. But Gippal had pointed out before that the two were childhood friends. Still, it didn't mean that he had to be happy about the exchange. Although the sight of a pouting and sulking Gippal was adorable.

"You forgot the sphere." Baralai said, holding it up before Gippal could open his mouth and ask why he was behind.

"Eheh. Oops."

"Oops indeed." Nooj said, glare trained on Gippal.

"Sure, sure. Blame it on the guy who screwed up the first mission." Gippal said with a dramatic sigh.

"Come on, Yuna and Tidus are waiting." Rikku said, pulling Paine towards the village.

"How's the Lady Yuna?"

"She's alright, a little angry at Tidus' fans though." Rikku said, giggling.

"Fans?" Paine raised an eyebrow when Rikku grinned and nodded.

"Yup! Tidus is playing for the Besaid Aurochs, you know! He wasn't kidding about the whole Blitzball ace thing, he's good a horde of girls following him around all the time."

"Yuna can't be too happy about that." Remarked Paine, smiling along with Rikku. The two girls remembered one instance where an envious and angered Yuna demanded "Who the heck is Lenne?" to no one in particular.

"Paine!" Yuna greeted her friend straight away, throwing her arms around the younger girl and hugging her fiercely.

"How are you doing, Yuna?" Paine winced slightly into the hug, but didn't pull away until Yuna let go of her.

"I'm well. How are you?" Blue and green eyes were shining with excitement. "You've brought Nooj, Baralai and Gippal too!"

"Lady Yuna. I trust that you are well?" Yuna nodded, blushing slightly at the smile that Baralai gave her.

"Hey Yuna, what are-" Tidus' voice trailed off as he saw their visitors. He spotted Paine first, the only face familiar to him. "Hey Paine."

"Oh, Tidus, this is Nooj, he's the Meyvn of the Youth League." Tidus shook Nooj's hand, noting that the older man was assessing him.

"I've heard a lot about you."

"Likewise."

"Lucil thinks the world of you." Tidus said with a wide grin, noting the rueful smile on Nooj's face.

"She'll never forgive me for handing over the Youth League to her." They all laughed, as most of them have heard the story of Captain Lucil—now the Youth League's Meyvn—and her moment of terrifying anger. The normally calm woman apparently lost her temper when Nooj dropped the bomb. There were rumors of Nooj fleeing the headquarters with a fuming Lucil right behind him. Whether or not they are truly rumors could not be determined because Nooj refused to acquiesce or deny them.

"This is Gippal, by the way." Yuna, pointing at the chuckling blond.

"Yo." Gippal said, grinning as he shook the older blond's hand. There was a pause as the assessed each other, as if testing their strengths for a moment, yet the handshake remained neutral. Yuna noted the slight change in Tidus' face, but the smile on her face never faltered. It widened when the two blonds finally smiled at each other, 'approving' the other apparently.

"And this is Baralai, he's the New Yevon Praetor."

"Former New Yevon Praetor." Baralai corrected, as he shook hands with Tidus, trying to hide his anxiety. If Tidus noted Baralai's cold and clammy hands, he didn't show it on his face and Baralai was grateful. Though he knew that the man before him wasn't Shuyin, he couldn't prevent the memories from slamming back, full force.

He even tried to remind himself that Tidus actually looked different from Shuyin and the wide smile he had on his face was proof. Unfortunately, his fears told him otherwise. Unfortunately, when Tidus released his hand, he didn't release Baralai from his gaze.

No one but Nooj saw him falter slightly, as Yuna noted the sphere and Paine began to play the sphere, everyone's attention drawn to it.

"You can barely see anything." Paine muttered, tilting her head to the side as she watched the sphere. Yuna, standing next to her, moved forward a little. Slowly, the image began to focus and she gasped at the sight of Zanarkand, the city of a thousand years ago.

"Yunie! Isn't that-" Rikku didn't finish her sentence when she pointed at the sphere, surprised to see a man they knew existed in a world 1,000 years after the one in the sphere to be walking around. In the past.

"Sir Auron?"

"Whoa, really?" Exclaimed Tidus, attention diverted to the sphere instead of the platinum-haired man who was still eyeing him wearily. Baralai was thankful for the diversion, trying to get a grip in the meanwhile. It didn't go unnoticed by Gippal, who placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, squeezing reassuringly.

"Wait outside, I'll call you later." He said under his breath, hand lingering a moment longer before he moved closer to the group. There was a look of wonder on Baralai's face for a brief moment, quickly replaced by a grateful smile. He walked out of the hut, thankful for the sun's ray and clear blue skies.

It wasn't much, but at least he didn't have to look at Tidus' familiar-yet-not-so-familiar face that reminded him too much of sleepless nights and faceless voices.

More on the next chapter. Yes, there are hints of GippalxRikku, but don't worry. This IS a GippalxBaralai. It'll be more blatant in later chapters once we reveal Gippal's little secret. The significance of the sphere and of the boy featured in the beginning of this chapter will be explained in the next chapter.

Next Chapter:

"So you're the famous Tidus, huh?"

"And you're Gippal."

"Yup."

"Yuna mentioned that you were flirting with her the first time you met."

{Oh shit.}