I know I said that I'd update the next part within 24, but my computer was acting up. Still, here's the next part.
Rikku braced herself to fall, closing her eyes tightly. There was one moment of absolute falling, where her stomach jumped up into her throat. Just as she fell, someone grabbed a hold of her hand. She cracked an eye open and looked up. Gippal was lying right on the edge, his arm extended over the side while his other held on.
Tightly, his fingers were wrapped around her hand, hers holding on the same way. She looked up with wide eyes. He caught her, he actually caught her. A wave of relief washed over her and she let out her breath, that she'd subconsciously been holding.
"I got you," he said, breathlessly, looking down to her with a smile. "Don't let go, okay?"
Rikku smiled more or less as well, nodding up at him. He pulled her up, then clasped her wrist and to help lift her up. Halfway up, he took a hold of her waist and held her to him. She sighed when she finally felt something beneath herself. Gippal took a hold of the underside of her upper arms, pulling her into his lap, as he sat back.
She finally broke down and hugged him tightly. "That was so scary," she whispered, a whimper in her voice. Her eyes closed tightly, as if she was trying to forget.
For a moment, the machine leader didn't do anything. He seemed torn between what to do. Then he hugged her in return tenderly, resting his head on her shoulder. For a bit, that was how it was, each holding each other.
Then, he pulled her away. He held her at arm's length. Gippal looked her up and down almost like as if he was inspecting a machine, touching her forehead with his thumb. "You're bleeding," he said, showing her the blood.
She blushed and he stood, helping her up a little. He took out a cloth and put it to the cut. "It doesn't look too big," he said. "I don't think it'll even scar."
Rikku nodded with a smile. "Thanks," she said, as he handed the cloth to her.
Minaki came over. "Is the princess well?" she asked.
"What about the fiend?" she asked, looking around.
"Gone," Gippal said. "Just finished it off before I grabbed you."
"That fiend is one of the reasons Elder call for the princess," Minaki said, looking at her. "Lately, large fiends like that have been roaming around the mountain."
"Oh," Rikku said in reply. "What does he want to talk to me for?"
"Elder...did not say," she said. "He told me to bring you here."
She nodded and sighed. "Well, we'll find out soon," Gippal said, turning to her. "Can you walk?"
"I'll manage," she said. "It's my arms that are tired."
Minaki started in their first destination. Gippal did as well, but she stopped him. "Gippal?"
He turned, looking back to her with curiosity. "Yeah?" he asked.
Rikku looked to the ground, rubbing her arm with her opposite hand. "Thank you."
He blinked. "For what? Saving you?" She nodded silently. He laughed and a grin cracked onto his lips. "Don't you think you've gotten used to it by now. What are old friends for?"
She looked up and gave him a look. Instead of getting an answer to what he meant, he came over and took her hand. "Come on, we're lagging behind."
Gippal simply led her that way, holding her hand. She looked at their linked hands with a blush, but then she remembered something. For some reason, she had the strangest feeling of déjà vu.
"You're gonna get lost," an eleven year old Gippal told her. "Especially if you go alone."
"No I won't, you just want an excuse to come along," a ten year old Rikku pouted, hands on her hips.
He grinned smugly. "It's working."
The two were walking through the desert. It was about midday and Rikku was leading the way. That day, her father allowed her to go to the oasis. Only when she started for it, Gippal had to come to her, following her the entire way out the door. She knew he only wanted to come along.
Like usual, Rikku wore her usual shorts and tank-top. She adopted her claw as a weapon, and wore a shorter pair of shorts. Her hair was still in pig-tails, since she liked it that way. Gippal was wearing a tank as well, and a pair of pants with boots. Both his eyes were uncovered as he waited for her answer. With him, he carried a gun. He'd grown to like them instead of a knife. All Al Bhed carried a weapon to protect themselves, even children above the age of eight.
"I don't think so," she replied. "You're getting me annoyed, that's what. And admitting that you do want to come along is a making a big mistake, you know."
"So, why would I want to lie to you anyway? You'd get mad." Gippal came up to walk next to her with a grin. "Besides, Cid told me I had to come."
With surprise, she gapped at him. "He did not!"
"Did too," he said. "Brother even said he'd hurt me, too."
She made a face, and continued walking. "Like I care."
Rikku wasn't really watching where she was going, and then tripped. She let out a scream and went went summer-salting down the dune.
"Rikku!" she heard shout behind her.
She landed on her stomach, and groaned. Covered with sand, with it in very uncomfortable places, she moved around. Sitting up, she spit out a mixture of sand and blood. She'd bitten her tongue through it all. "Yuck!" she exclaimed.
"Cid's girl, don't move!" Gippal shouted from where he stood, still on top of the dune.
Just as she was about to get up, she saw it. A large Zu was staring at her from the sky.
'Oh, cred,' she thought.
The thing squawked, but then she heard firing. It flinched several times, rippling back with pain as it growled. It suddenly disappeared into pyreflies and she heard footsteps behind her. It had been a weak one, thankfully.
Gippal came over and put a hand on her shoulder, gun in his other. "You alright?"
She nodded and stood up, brushing herself off. "I'll be fine," she said, wiping off her lip with her tongue.
But then he saw the blood and instantly forced her mouth open by pushing on her chin with his thumb, holding the underside of her chin with his fingers. "Come on, stick out your tongue."
"Naw!" she exclaimed, in a failed attempt to say no.
He rolled his eyes. "Come on, you're not helping."
With a sigh, she stuck out her tongue, showing it was covered with blood and sand. He took out a canteen and squirted water inside, then closed her mouth. "Go on, swish it around," he prodded.
She grimaced in disgust. It tasted horribly, but she did so. "And you can spit it out," he informed her. She grinned and Gippal gave her a look. "Not on me."
Pouting, she spit it out on the sand. She did feel a little better. "See? What would you do without me?" he asked.
Rikku didn't reply, but looked away with a pout. "Let's go, we're almost there."
And with that, he took her hand and dragged her away. She blushed, seeing their fingers clasped together. At least he was being helpful.
"Kimahri happy to see Rikku is well," the Elder Ronso said, looking down to her with crossed arms. He didn't smile, as Ronso didn't do that, but he nodded in response.
"It's nice to see you too," she replied.
Uponentering the camp, she was led to Kimahri at once. Gippal looked around warily. He wasn't used to the height of Ronso, or Ronso at all. He didn't dislike them, but they were just foreign, that's all.
"He sees you've brought friend," Kimahri continued, nodding to him.
Gippal looked up suddenly, seeing that he was talking about him. "Oh, hi," he said, smiling weakly.
"This is Gippal, Kimahri," Rikku introduced. He was so jumpy. She hid her grin. "He's the leader of the machine faction."
"Yes, he has seen machine leader before, in Luca," he said. "An honor to meet you."
"You as well," Gippal replied. Well, at least he was trying.
Rikku shook her head at him, before looking up at her friend again. "So, Kimahri, you wanted to talk to me about something?"
He nodded. "Yes, as Minaki has told Kimahri, you had encounter with a fiend. They have been growing in numbers lately. We Ronso are planning an attack party today, to exterminate some of them, so their numbers do not increase."
"That sounds like a good plan," she said, nodding. "What do you need me for?"
"Ronso cannot leave cubs alone," he replied. "Kimahri wish that Rikku watch the cubs in Zanarkand for the day."
Her eyes widened with surprise. "Oh, look after Lian and Ayde?" she asked. "That's no problem."
"Not just Lian and Ayde," he said. "Kimahla you must look after too."
She cocked her head to the side. "Kimahla?"
Minaki walked over, just as she asked. With her were Lian and Ayde, but she was also holding something in her arms, a tiny bundle. Rikku felt her jaw drop. "Oh..." she said.
The female offered her the bundle and she took it. Inside the blankets was a small face of a Ronso baby, opening its eyes to look at her. The baby was small, though, the size of a human baby. She looked up at Rikku curiously and batted her hand at her braids and Rikku laughed. "She's adorable."
Gippal looked over her shoulder, a grin on his face as he nodded in agreement. "Kimahla named after father," Kimahri said, putting a fist to his chest.
Her jaw dropped again. "Oh, congratulations, Kimahri. You must be so proud."
"Minaki and Kimahri both proud, like all other Ronso." Rikku finally drew the conclusion. Minaki was the Ronso equivalent of Kimahri's wife. Kimahla was their daughter. She didn't say anything as her old friend continued. "We needed someone we trusted to care for her," he went on. "Rikku closet person that we trust. It is no burden?"
She shook her head furiously. "No, not at all. I don't mind, really," she said. "It'll be my honor."
"Yeah," Gippal agreed. She looked at him curiously. "We'll be happy to watch her." At this she raised an eyebrow.
"Kimahri and Minaki thankful."