Words left unspoken
Sorry I'm late again, I've had lots of work plus this chapter was being awkward. But I've made up for the lateness by the length, this is nice and long so I hope you enjoy!
Angel Taisha: Glad you like! Well, this is a long chapter, lol, so you will see. And I read your update, so cute!
Kariyuna14:Yeah school work is so evil, they should ban it...well, at least at weekends anyway. Cute? Yay! I achieved my goal! I love making cute stories and I love yours! Hope you like the fluff in this chapter too.
Naith: lol, sorry this was a while, I'm so nasty to you all. Glad you like it though! This chapter contains some sweetness too...maybe. Lol.
Cute-Kitty: lol, I agree definitely the best couple out there! I know; it's evil that there aren't many gip/rik stories. Although there are pretty good ones out there at least. There's one called Dream a Little Dream by BlurredFate which is awesome. Its written in Rikku's point of view and it sounds dead like her. Really really good story.
Shakai: lol, yeah Paine is being a little strange, I can't seem to write her very well. I just wanted to show she's happier now she's with Baralai but...I think I made her too happy and talkative, lol. I still am saying nothing about the Gaudo thing. You just have to find out, lol.
Back of Beyond: lol, glad you think so!
Violet121: lol, glad you like. Update here! Hope you like it.
Taggerung0254: lol, thanks. Can I just say how much I love your story? It's so good! You're an amazing writer.
AmayaSaria: Thanks! Here's the update (kinda late, sorry)
TheCalligrapher: lol, glad you liked that part; I just couldn't resist trying to show Gippal getting control but failing. I'll be adding some more truths soon.
Spudley: Thanks, I feel fine now. Glad you liked the interrogation, lol, I couldn't resist showing that side of Rikku. Here's the next chapter! Lol, I'm putting it up only a short while after I got this review.
The long way round
You were definitely a lot calmer than I thought you would be, considering you are Cid's daughter. I guess it means you really have grown up and are ready for this relationship. Man, you don't know how happy you've made me!
Girlfriend. You are my actual girlfriend again! I never thought I'd be able to say that after the break up. Man I feel so...I can't even begin to describe it. Happy, yes. Shocked, yes. Complete?...yeah, I do. It's weird, I've never felt it this strongly before in my whole life. Just knowing I'm with you for good has made all the loneliness vanish even when the past is still so near. You make my fear go away, you make me strong enough to face anything.
Boyfriend. Cool. I haven't been a boyfriend to anyone since you. Sure, I had a few snog sessions with girls I can't remember, but I was never a boyfriend to them. Back then I didn't want to be. But you...you make me want to be different. You make me want to spend the rest of my life doing the same boring thing everyday, just as long as you're there with me.
For so long I've been living for just the moment, trying not to think of the future. Soon the Machine Faction won't be needed as much and my career will be over. But I don't mind that. It's a stupid idea to rely on machina too much, it will just get us killed. That design I did can only be done now while people still have the ability to fight. Otherwise if it fails the people of Spira would be helpless. But if it did work, after all the fiends are hopefully gone, machina won't be needed as much anymore. Well...not unless they rebuild the machina city Zanarkand, which would e a very bad, stupid idea.
Us Al bhed use machina a lot, we relied on them during the time of Sin in order to survive. But that was for survival. To overuse machina again like they did so long ago would end in disaster, maybe even another Sin being born.
So if this plan works I'll be out of a job in a few years, but with enough money to never have to work again. If it doesn't...well, I guess I'll retire anyway. That machina is the only plan I have that could even remotely help Spira out.
Either way in a few years time my career will end and I'll have you there. You're all that really matters to me, I would quit now if you wanted me to! But a few more years would do two thing: secure the future safety of Spira for us to be able to settle down in properly (maybe with a few dozen kids, ha, like you weren't thinking it!) and enable us to have enough money for the chance to have a nice peaceful life (again with the children, they cost money after all).
I'm doing it again, thinking too far ahead! It seems I can only function in two ways: either not think of the future at all or start planning it out in way too much detail!
But don't worry Rikku, I think you'll end up planning most of it anyway. I can't imagine you hanging around Djose for a few years with nothing to do. I mean, sure you don't want to fight anymore but I doubt you want to spend all day surrounded by a bunch of sweaty, hard working men.
Well, I hope not anyway...
I guess we'll just have to wait and see. First we have to get through this adventure. Not to mention we have to yet to see if we'll still work out as a couple.
Fayth I hope so, I love you too much to have to let you go now.
Never again. Never ever again.
Nooj sighed as he looked over the machina details he'd received from Djose. This didn't look good.
"Lucil!" He yelled impatiently, immediately the former Crusader entered with her normal salute.
"Yes Meyvn?" Her face was blank and professional, the perfect soldier and leader.
"I need you to send out your squad all over Spira and learn more about this symbol." He told her, holding up the drawn image. "It's extremely important."
"Right away sir." She saluted, taking the drawing and quickly left to gather her troops. Nooj sighed slightly, closing his eyes and leaning back in his chair. At that moment he felt someone massaging his aching shoulders and couldn't help but allow a smile form on his face.
"You alright love? You seem very tense." Leblanc told him softly. Nooj moved his head slightly to face her with a reassuring near-smile.
"I'm fine. I just still haven't been able to contact the headquarters in Kilika. I'm worried they'll do something stupid without waiting for my orders first."
"They're probably just too busy with helping out the Al Bhed to answer." She told him warmly. Leblanc really enjoyed it when they were alone, when his usual moody shell fell away and revealed his more content and slightly more vulnerable side.
"Yeah, but I still want to make sure they won't try and attack Djose when they see this information. That's the last thing we all need."
"I'm sure they wouldn't do that love, not without checking with you first. Besides, with that airship crashing I think they are starting to like the Al Bhed more." Nooj nodded silently, now used to Leblanc's shocking in-depth analysis of people. "They would question the Al Bhed there first; get their side of the story in it all. And I'm pretty sure they would believe them, love."
"Yeah, but I would still like there help with researching this symbol."
"Leave that to me love I'll send Ormi and Logos to tell them. They'll get there quick if I threaten them." Nooj smiled fully then, turning to face her and gave her a long kiss.
"Thank you Leblanc. What would I do without you?"
"Well, you never have to worry about that, my Noojie Woojie!"
"We should have waited for them." Yuna said again for the fourth time since boarding the shoopuf. "What if they hurt each other? Or if they're attacked by another machina?"
"Stop it." Paine demanded. "They can handle themselves. Plus the Machina Faction is close by to them; they'd be able to see if a machina is headed their way. So stop feeling guilty and enjoy the Rikku-free time that you have!" Yuna didn't respond to that, just snuggled up to Tidus with a Rikku style pout. "Besides," Paine continued. "I bet Rikku is having a fun time."
"Put me down! Your stupid armour is hurting me!" Rikku complained loudly. Gippal sighed and dropped her roughly, earning a glare and a sulk from his girlfriend. "Meanie."
"Maybe we should take a break." Gippal suggested to the non-budging Rikku, sitting beside her in the middle of the road. It hadn't been long after they'd gone back to Maddy and Kassy to realise the machinas weren't being fixed any time soon. So now the two drivers had headed back for Djose to get some help while Gippal and Rikku decided to walk to the Shoopuf.
But Rikku wasn't in a good mood with this; she had wanted to get this journey over with as quickly as possible.
"I'm just so tired of all this!" She complained as an apology for earlier on. Gippal had been trying to annoy here further up the road and it had resulted kicking Gippal very hard...you can guess where.
"I know, don't worry about it. Just don't expect any kids soon." Rikku smiled then, trying not to let him see it. "Anyway, we should reach Guadosalam soon. Then it's only the Thunder Plains, Macalania, past Bevelle to the Calm lands, Mount Gagazet and then we're there."
"Gee, that shouldn't take long." Rikku mumbled, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Then there's always the possibility that we might not actually find anything at all there."
"We will, trust me. I know this guy and he'll want to show himself and brag about his achievements just before he releases the big one." Rikku glanced at Gippal's face and instantly her anger and annoyance vanished. She sighed and slithered closer to him, hugging him tightly.
"So you really think it's him? That guy from your past?"
"That symbol is his. No one else would use it, or know how to build machina so well."
"...Is he an Al Bhed?"
"He hates the Al Bhed."
"That's not what I asked," Rikku said in a sing song voice, causing Gippal to smirk. He returned her hug and pulled back to give her a soft kiss.
"Wanna know a secret?"
"Is it about the man?"
"No, it's about when I first met you." Rikku smiled warmly at the memory but frowned slightly when she recalled how he had looked that day...
He looked so scared and so, so tired. Even then he seemed weighed down by something, although he quickly learnt how to hide it. His oversized clothes were ripped and bloody causing most eyes to remain on him. His hair was uneven where parts had been hacked off with a blunt knife. Parts of it went down as far as his shoulders while others only came a few inches out of his scalp. The people had stopped the singing and instead gazed attentively at the stranger.
Even then he did not lower his head or turn his gaze away from the questioning people. He merely stared at them with experienced looking eyes, ones filled with such sadness and a mysterious knowledge. He had no smile, but then seeing his present state Rikku didn't expect him to have one. Instead the moment she saw those soulful eyes linger on her she smiled warmly at the older boy and waved happily. To her surprise a laugh escaped his chapped lips and an honest smile was placed on them. He waved back just before he was ushered away out of the room and towards her father's office by Lance.
"Fru fyc dryd?" (Who was that?) Brother asked beside her.
It wasn't until the next day just after dinner was over that her father, Lance and her mother finally emerged from the tent. Her mother had visited them after breakfast and exited last with the small Al Bhed protectively in her grasp. Rikku, Brother and Buddy stood waiting outside and the two latters smiled nervously at the boy. Rikku grinned happily feeling totally at ease, she pointed at his new hair style with a smile of approval. Her mother had cut it all short and washed the dirt from it leaving its natural spiky effect.
"Hela muug" (Nice look) She told him with another giggle. He gently patted his own head with a proud smile.
"Yours is better." He told her running a strand of her hair through his fingers.
"Thank you." She said turning red.
"Rikku! Fryd tet ra cyo?" (Rikku! What did he say?) Brother whined beside her who she expertly ignored.
"I'm Rikku." She told him still smiling while Brother began glaring at the boy. He shook her outstretched hand without hesitation.
"Gippal."
"Welcome to Home Gippal! I'm sure you'll like it here."
"Yeah, I think I will..."
"You looked so fragile." Rikku mumbled as she muzzled her face into his chest. "Now you're so..."
"Muscular?" He asked hopefully.
"A little, but I was gonna say alive." Gippal smiled at that and ruffled up her hair.
"Thanks Cid's girl, I thought I was unsent for a moment then."
"You know what I mean! Anyway what was the secret you were going to tell me?"
"I wasn't." Gippal smirked as she growled.
"Tell me you meanie!" She yelled, pulling her hair away from him which he's been absently stroking.
"Give me something first."
"I'll give you something alright..." Rikku began, but stopped when she heard a rumbling. "What's that?"
Gippal listened too and cursed, dragging her up to her feet.
"It's the machina drivers heading back for Djose. Move!" Rikku gulped and ran to the grassy edge, away from the threat of being run over. She was almost there to safety when, fate being its normal nice self for her, decided to introduce a rock for her to trip over...
The man looked around the woods one last time before smiling happily. Everything was moved and now all he had to do was head to Zanarkand and finish his real masterpiece off. He still had a few other machinas ready to keep the boy and his friends away, all ready in position for when he passed by them...
"Finally after so long I will be able to rid the world of those cursed Al bheds! I alone will accomplish what all others have tried for a thousand years... And now Acacia isn't here to prevent me, only the boy remains. But I will make sure to deal with him very soon; he will be the first desert rat to die." The man grinned happily and turned with a slight skip in his step, heading out of the fading woods and towards his ultimate goal.
"You okay?" Gippal asked as Rikku's eyelids fluttered open, helping her into a sitting position. "You tripped and hit your head, but thankfully you where out of the machina's way." Rikku just smiled dazedly and it made him frown in concern.
"I'm fine, I just tripped on some stupid rock or something." Gippal frowned even deeper but then turned away with a sigh.
"You really had me worried there kid." Rikku gazed at his serious face and suddenly felt a warm shiver run through her. She smiled and made him turn his head to her, kissing him. She had intended it to be a quick peck, but ending up making it longer, deeper. She felt his arms wrap around her waist and another moment of warmth shot through her. She grinned through the kiss, feeling him return it feverishly. He tasted so good...
They broke apart both at once, alarmed by how much...passion they were feeling. Gippal laughed nervously, pulling her into a safe hug, just sitting and enjoying the fact she was there with him, being with him.
Oh fayth I love you so much Rikku At first Gippal wasn't sure whether he'd said it out loud or not, but Rikku just seemed to cuddle up to him a bit more. Gippal sighed again, he'd been longing to tell her those words for so long...but he guessed he'd have to wait a little longer, it was much too soon. "I guess we better start moving again Cid's girl."
"Don't call me that." Rikku muttered as she climbed to her feet. Gippal grimaced slightly at that, knowing it was his fault she no longer wanted to be associated with Cid anymore.
"What am I suppose to call you then?" Gippal asked with a grin in place. He grabbed hold of her right hand and started walking.
"How about by my actual name?"
"Nah, that's too easy."
"Sayhea." (Meanie)
"Oui'na famlusa." (You're welcome)
"Gippal I swear if you give me another ridiculous nickname then I will call you Gippy for the rest of your life!"
"Now that is mean."
"I don't care." Gippal just laughed at the serious look on her face, deciding to think of something nice before they reached the shoopuf.
The young Gippal sat up reluctantly, still able to feel the sting of the whip wounds on his back despite the two weeks that had past. He knew his mother and the man would be sleeping on, having snuck into Djose temple the night before, leaving Gippal behind due to his slowness. Plus Gippal knew full well they had spent last night 'together', his mother had made that pretty obvious.
"Gippal don't bother me tonight." Acacia had said to him when she had returned from Djose temple. "I want to spend some time with your father alone."
"He's not my father." Gippal had grumbled at her, gazing cautiously around to make sure the man wasn't near enough to hear.
"Don't be silly! Of course he is!"
"My dad was kind, he treated you right. This man will be nothing compared to what he was!"
"How dare you! You didn't even know what type of man he was back then! You never even met him!"
"Anyone is better than this thing!" A hard slap had been given to him for that, and even now, hours later, he could still feel its sting. His mother would never understand, never be able to really see what this man was like. Too long she been clouded with her own judgment of him, seeing only the fantasy of Gippal's father and not the man that she was with now.
The young boy gazed about the Moonflow shoopuf station, looking for any mislaid food that may be about. Always he had to eat scraps; always he had to look after himself.
"I can't do this anymore." Gippal told himself as he wandered about the bank, gazing up at the shoopuf and watching a bunch of hysterical hypellos. "But I can't run away again, it would destroy her. Why won't she just let me save her!" He screamed out, causing the blue creatures to look over at him strangely. Gippal smiled nervously, almost dying from fear when they started to come near him. He'd never seen one up close before, didn't know what they were like. And there were four of them coming towards him...
"What ish wrong whittle wone?" A female sounding one asked, waving her arms about in the air. "You seem very upsetable?" Gippal lasted three whole seconds before he started laughing, these creatures were funny.
"Nothing, I'm okay thanks. But you guys seemed stressed before, what's up?" Gippal asked slowly in Spiran.
"Our ober Shoopuf is expectinging?" The same one said again. "But we are snot strong enough to help pulls tee baby out? We need helpable!" Gippal laughed again as they started running madly about. Already he felt his earlier troubles fade in his mind.
"I can help! My hands are strong and they don't have weird sucker things on end like yours." All four stopped, blinking down at him.
"Thankables whittle wone!" The girl one called out, grabbing Gippal's arm gently and leading him a little way into the surrounding forest. "Comes quickly?"
"Okay." Gippal said laughing, letting himself be dragged there. "I'm Gippal by the way."
"I ish Darling?" The hypello replied before finally stopping. "Here she ish?"
Gippal looked down at the large shoopuf laid out in the wood clearing, moaning in pain quietly. Gippal walked around her to the back end and grimaced slightly.
"That's disgusting! Do all babies come out that way?" Gippal asked faintly. Darling nodded, obviously still frantic. It was at that moment Gippal was truly grateful men weren't the ones who got pregnant. "I'm just supposed to pull, won't that hurt the baby?"
"Mober can't push anymore? Needs help. We aren't strong enough?" Darling said pleadingly. Gippal nodded, gulping slightly as he uncertainly grabbed hold of the legs already half out. Thank the fayth Shoopuf babies where the size of a five year old child otherwise Gippal wouldn't be able to do anything. It was already going to be a struggle; he was a pretty weedy six year old. Gippal took a deep breath and pulled as hard as he could, hearing the mother moan again but luckily she didn't attempt to kick him. He heard Darling and the others cheer when the baby came out up to the front legs. Gippal fell on the floor feeling drained, his scars still hurt and he hadn't got much rest. He was in no condition to help a shoopuf that was as big as him be born.
"I can't do it." He sobbed, feeling tears in his eyes. He couldn't do anything right, he couldn't help the shoopuf, his mother, not even himself anymore...
"Yesh you can?" Darling protested. "Mother ish helping too! She starting pushing again! Just one more pull?" Gippal wiped his cheeks with new determination. Maybe if the mother tried to help, even when she was feeling she couldn't any longer, the baby would have a chance at a decent life. A beautiful life.
"Okay." Gippal sniffed, standing up again and wrapping his arms tightly around the body.
"On the count of three?" Darling began. "Ones, twos, three!" Gippal pulled as hard as he could, putting all his determination and desperation for a beautiful life into it. He had to help this baby, had to help the mother...
"Whoa!" He yelled as he fell on the floor, a shoopuf on top of him. He heard Darling yell out in shock, but not in a good way. "Darling? What's wrong?" Gippal asked absently while he sat up and smiled at the life on him. Maybe it was possible to have a beautiful life still, just like this one...
"Watch out!" Darling cried just as Gippal saw a flash of a knife and then an inhuman cry. He looked up at the man as he cut the baby shoopuf's throat and threw it on the forest floor. Gippal looked at it in silent shock, sobbing silently. Darling was wailing, drawing the man's attention away from Gippal and the shoopuf.
"Hu!" (No!) Gippal screamed, jumping to his feet and standing in front of Darling, in front of the man's knife. "I won't let you hurt her!"
"Get out of the way! How dare you defy me! You would have been dead long ago without me, now move and let me kill this...thing!" Gippal glared up at him, his arms crossed, his cheeks flooded with tears, but with a new look of determination on his face. He wanted to have a beautiful life, even if was to be as short as the shoopuf's was. He wanted to live.
"If you want to kill her than you have to kill me! You hate me anyway, shouldn't be hard." The man glared at him, glanced down at the other dead hypellos he'd dispatched of. "All you have to do is give mum up first, because if you kill me she will leave you forever." Darling was shaking behind him and the man was glaring with such hatred that Gippal's determination almost wavered...almost. The man sighed and lowered his knife, Gippal smiled back at darling as a silent goodbye before she ran off to the safety of the station. He never saw her again.
"One day your mother won't want you anymore, and when that day comes I will kill you myself. I can promise you that."
Rikku sighed in frustration, trying to listen to the calm water lapping against the shoopuf. She had to resist the urge to knock Gippal in it. She must not push him in and laugh at him...
"How about desert princess? Lady of the sands?" Rikku glared at him, sitting as far away as possible. He'd been acting this annoying since the near miss of being run over by the machina...but, deep down she didn't really mind much. He was distracting her from morbid thoughts about the never ending journey they were on after all.
"Why can't you choose a normal nickname?" She whined, earning a cute smile from her unofficial boyfriend.
"And what would that be?" He was slowly moving closer now, making his way down the seats towards her.
"I don't know! Something like honey or cupcake or sugar." He was sat next to her now, one finger delicately tracking across her lips. They both remained silent for a moment before Gippal whispered.
"They're all food Rikku; I don't want to eat you." He smirked, giving her a quick kiss. "I want to date you."
"I thought we are already." Rikku pointed out shakily, linking her arms around his neck.
"Yeah, but we haven't actually said it out loud." He was using his right hand to trace her face while the other moved over her lower back.
"So why don't you ask me out already?" She teased, kissing his nose lightly.
"Fine. Rikku will you..." A sudden halt of the shoopuf stopped his train of thought, instead Rikku found herself on the floor on top of her almost official boyfriend.
"Shorry!" The driver wailed as they climbed to their feet, faces bright red. "Shum minor fiends ares in the way?"
"Oh!" Rikku complained, stamping one foot. "Ed fuimt rybbah huf!" (It would happen now!)
"You still wearing that bracelet?" Rikku held up her arm with a grin, showing where her bracelet resided on her wrist. "Well they can't attack us then, we can just wait for them to leave."
"But that could be ages." She mumbled darkly earning a chuckle from Gippal and a kiss on the cheek.
"Tell you what, I'll take care of them using my new Gun Mage dressphere. I can start scanning them already." It was Rikku's turn to laugh.
"You're gonna fight them in a skirt?"
"Nope, I copied yours and altered it while we were waiting to board." Rikku looked doubtfully at him; they had only been waiting for half an hour. "Don't worry, I'm a genius remember? You stay here and I'll take care of them." Rikku sighed as she watched him jump in the water all too aware he had no breathing equipment and would drown within minutes.
"Fro tu E ryja du pa cu cdippunh? Ra luimt kad rind huf!" (Why do I have to be so stubborn? He could get hurt now!) Rikku yelled loudly, guilt overwhelming her. If anything happened to him...
Oh fayth, I love you so much Rikku. She had heard him say those words, heard him admit what she'd been longing to hear for years, yet at the time she hadn't been able to respond. Love...it was a whole new adventure, but was she ready for it?
"Ramm oayr!" (Hell yeah!) She replied without even having to think about it. Gippal may be annoying, arrogant, connected to a murderer, maybe even used to be a player...but he was Gippal. And she loved him, she always had. Right now he was the only one here for her, the one listening to her and just knowing what she needed. He was fighting alone for her, like he had so long ago...
"What are we doing out here Ree? It's a long way from Home."
"Don't tell me Gippy is scared?" The seven year old teased.
"No, just concerned for our safety, there are monsters out here!"
"Well, seen as you shot my baby Malboro I need another pet." Rikku told him, sticking her tongue out and getting a gust of sand on it.
"It was about to bite you! It could have poisoned you stupid!"
"I'm not stupid!" Rikku pouted. "You're just mean, you and pops." The mention of her father caused Gippal to grow crimson and Rikku still couldn't understand why he did this every time.
"What did your mum say about it?" Gippal asked, having no choice but to follow her.
"Pops hasn't told her yet, he'll be doing it now and I want a pet when I get back so I can show her!" Gippal sighed but followed on, growing scared when he realised where they were headed.
"Rikku...we're not going to the west part are we? That place is guarded by the Zuus!"
"I know, they guard the 'hidden treasure' there, but I bet they keep their eggs there too! I've always wanted a birdie!" Gippal stopped then; holding arm tightly.
"You're lying, you've never wanted a bird; you want a monkey. Lidea is the one who likes birds, are you after one because you forgot her birthday last week? Rikku, that's insane! She didn't mind about that, you don't need to get her a present. I think she'd prefer you to be alive instead of having some ugly Zuu!"
"Cdub paehk cu sayh! E lyh muug yvdan socamv!" (Stop being so mean! I can look after myself!) Rikku yelled tearfully, kicking Gippal in the shin as hard as she could before running towards the nearest tower. Rikku could hear Gippal cursing behind her, his eyes glaring into the back of her head.
Rikku ignored her sudden uncomfortable feeling and took out her machina binoculars, focusing on the top of the tower...yes! There was a nest! She could get the prettiest egg for her mum and make her so happy!
"Hey! Lemme go!" Rikku complained as Gippal pulled into the shadow of the tower. He looked about them nervously and checked a gun he was carrying.
"Where did you get that anyway?" Rikku asked wide eyed. Usually they weren't allowed weapons until they were twelve, but obviously Gippal had got it from somewhere. After all, he had used it to shoot her poor little Marlboro.
"I took it when Lance wasn't looking. I knew I'd need it when you got that little monster, and I knew I'd need it when you wanted to come out here." Rikku just shrugged, trying to ignore her growing fear. If Gippal had brought his stolen gun in order to feel safer...this wasn't going to end good. "Can we please go back?"
"I need that egg Gippal." Rikku told him pleadingly. "It will make her so happy." Gippal sighed beside her but eventually nodded.
"Fine, but at least let me get it. I have more experience with danger than you." Rikku nodded, glad he was there with her. She didn't even bother to question him about his comment, it wasn't the time. "Just stay close in the shadows and don't move about. They only attack you if you think you're a threat or you're moving about." Rikku nodded again, gulping. "I'll be back soon." Rikku wanted to open her mouth then, tell him not to bother, that it was too dangerous. But all she could think of was her mother's happy face. She remained silent as she watched him begin to climb, and it was to always remain her biggest regret.
She waited a whole agonizing hour before a sweaty, out of breath Gippal dropped down beside her, holding a large egg. Rikku squealed happily throwing her arms round him and claiming it. She didn't notice how much redder Gippal's face grew.
"Come on let's go before the mother comes back." He said between heavy breaths, grabbing on her arms and dragging her as fast as she could. Neither of them were going to last much longer under the burning sun, and the threat of the egg was heavy on his mind...
But Rikku was still thinking of her mother's reaction, how pleased she would be. She held the egg as they made their way back, not even putting it down when they were ambushed by a few weak fiends. She let Gippal take care of them with his gun, having left her mixing items (something she wasn't really allowed) in her room.
Home was in their sight before it happened; they had been so close to getting away with it...
"Rikku watch out!" Gippal yelled; shoving her out of the way as two huge claws neared her. She fell face down in the sand, breaking the egg against her chest. At first she could only look at it with horror until she heard a deafening, pain filled scream.
"Gippal?" She choked out, seeing him clutching at his right eye and whimpering. Gippal never whimpered...
She saw the blood soaking the sand, running form the gaps in between his fingers. She sobbed, turning away, unable to believe it...Gippal was hurt, maybe even dying and it was her fault, all her fault.
I need that egg Gippal.
Fine, but at least let me get it...
"Gippal." She whispered hoarsely as she saw him climb to his feet. She looked away from him in shame, gazing down at the egg remains...
I need that egg Gippal
...And threw up on them. This couldn't be real! Gippal couldn't really be hurt...
"It's coming back." Gippal managed to say, looking around for the gun he'd dropped. Rikku glanced up; saw the Zuu diving for Gippal again...and got very angry.
"Oui cdibet pent, cdyo yfyo vnus res! E pnuga ouin akk! SA!" (You stupid bird, stay away from him! I broke your egg! ME!) She shrieked, louder than she thought possible. With new found adrenaline she picked up a rock and threw it, catching a wing. The next few missed, but when she hit it in one of its eyes it screeched loudly, turning its gaze on her. Rikku just grinned insanely at it. "Yh aoa vun yh aoa! Lusa kad sa ev oui lyh caa sa!" (An eye for an eye! Come get me if you can see me!) She laughed, knowing it was the end for her but glad Gippal had the chance to escape. He could still live on with his wound and curse her forever for what she had cost him. "Goodbye."
A loud bang echoed throughout the desert sand and Rikku opened her eyes that she'd closed in preparation. The Zuu was sinking to the ground, bursting into pyreflies.
"Rikku are you alright?" Gippal asked now beside her. His right hand was over where his eye used to be, his left was holding Lance's gun. Rikku stood there looking at him, faintly aware someone was running towards them before she could bring herself to nod. Gippal gave her a tired smile and sank to the ground, finally unable to stay conscious through the pain. Rikku gulped and looked at her approaching father, then down at Gippal before bursting into tears.
I need that egg Gippal
An eye for an eye...
Rikku shook off the unhappy memory. There was no time for her to dwell on past regrets right now. She just smiled happily as she remembered his words again.
Oh fayth Rikku I love you so much. Rikku laughed slightly before carefully removing the bracelet and pocketing it for her to put back on later. There was no way she was ever going to let Gippal fight alone. No matter what.
As soon as Gippal was in the water he began to change. His top had no sleeves and was a bright purple colour. It was tighter fitting than his other usual one but he was just happy that it wasn't like its original Gun Mage style to care about this. He soon realised, thankfully, that his skirt change had worked too. Instead he was wearing bright blue shorts with the left side reaching up to his mid thigh and the right side went to his ankle. Again like the shirt it was skin tight, but no one was around to care about that anyway.
Gippal grinned and quickly scanned the water creatures, finding they were going to be pretty easy to kill. All he needed was two shots for each one, but already his lungs were starting to burn...
He felt the water being disturbed beside him and turned to see Rikku as a Dark Knight, smiling at him and trying to stop herself being dragged down by her heavy armour. Gippal grinned back, grabbing her arm to steady her while she released Darkness, killing all the fiends in one move. He watched her quickly change back to her thief outfit before they swan to the surface, gasping for air.
"Hoorays?" The hypello driver said as he saw them. Gippal laughed, hypellos were just too funny. He glanced at Rikku who'd now put her bracelet back on and was trying to climb back on the shoopuf, he grinned and pulled her back into the water by her leg, earning a slight yelp before she sunk under.
"I thought you didn't want to fight." Gippal accused as she resurfaced. She was glaring at him but it didn't take long before her smile broke out.
"I remembered the time when you didn't want to fight either, but you did anyway to protect me." She whispered while tracing his eyepatch guiltily, Gippal just smiled shyly. "That's what people in love do for each other. I wanted to show you that." His smile fell slightly then, now in a state of shock.
"Did you just say...?" Gippal trailed off, turning bright red. Rikku grinned evilly at him, a plan forming.
"Yep, but you said it first on the Moonflow road, remember?"
"...I thought it was in my head." He admitted weakly.
"Well it wasn't." Rikku said in a sing-song voice. "And you know what else? Because I just fought out of love now I know you did it back then for the same reason. You've loved me for a very long time." She teased.
"It doesn't have to mean that." Gippal said lamely.
"Yes it does."
"No it doesn't."
"Yes it does."
"No it doesn't!"
"Yes it does, whittle Gippy isn't as tough as he thinks,"
"Liar, I am tough! I can...do stuff. Tough stuff." Rikku just smirked, giving him a soft kiss.
"You know this means I get another point." Gippal just nodded reluctantly. "So we're drawing!" He couldn't help but laugh as Rikku then attempted to perform a victory dance in the water. She was so...perfect.
"You know what Rikku? I've just thought of the perfect name for you..."