I'm glad to see so many positive reactions so far...Makes me proud of my work D
Well, as promised, the next installment! Hope you enjoy D
Part VI: Changes
Ages: Rikku-15, Gippal-16, Paine-16, Baralai-18, Nooj-19, Yuna-17
It had been two years since he saw her last and though he hated to admit it...He missed her. Everything around him somehow reminded him of her...in fact, as he looked at the sandwich he was about to eat, he couldn't bring himself to take a bite because the lettuce was the same shade as her eyes. He frowned and tossed the sandwich over the side of the boat, crossing his arms in front of his chest. If he went on like this for the rest of his time in the Crimson Squad, he really would get himself killed. He shook his head, getting up.
"I'm goin' to the bunk room, lemme know if ya need me," he declared, shutting the door behind him. His comrades watched him go, the girl standing up and following with a smirk.
"I think I know what his problem is, but I'll find out anyway." The silver-haired boy who sat next to her smiled.
"Paine, you're so kind...always watching after him when he has moments like this." The girl, Paine, snorted.
"Kind? I just don't want our mission screwed up because of him." She opened the door to the bunk room and closed it behind her, the silver-haired boy frowning slightly.
"Baralai, you're going about this all wrong." Baralai, the silver-haired boy turned to his brown-haired companion, a puzzled look on his face.
"What do you mean, Nooj? And how did you know...?" Nooj smirked.
"Let's just say...it's a little more than painfully obvious." With that, he proceeded to give him a few tips on how to "win the girl over."
"You're thinking about your girl back home again, aren't you?" Gippal didn't have to look up to know who it was that was intruding his personal space. He simply shrugged, staring at a photo he'd taken of her one day when she was looking up at the stars. It was their favorite spot to go to with each other, ever since that night on her 6th birthday. He admired the way the stars enhanced the natural glow her bronze skin gave off, the way they made her eyes look like the finest of emeralds, and her hair look like pure, spun gold. He felt a small smile grace his lips.
"Even if I was, Doctor P...You're not one for going after Lover Boy out there, when you and I both know you like him just as much as he likes you." Paine frowned and sat next to him on his bunk, lightly smacking the back of his head with her palm.
"Minus ten respect points, Gippal." He pouted and whined but she simply shook her head.
"But now I'm like..." he counted on his fingers. "...45 points in the hole! Can't you give some back? Please?" She shook her head and he slouched, giving her the puppy dog look, but she didn't notice. She did, however, notice the picture in his hands and swiped it to take a look. He protested but she didn't give in.
"So this is your mystery girl, huh? What was her name again...Mikku?" Gippal took the picture back, ignoring her grin.
"It's Rikku, first off. Secondly, don't just go grabbin' stuff outta my hands like that." He put the picture back under his pillow and she lightly placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Look, Gippal, I know you miss her, but really...You have to toughen up and focus on our mission. There are people going crazy over Yevon-knows-what..." he frowned at the mention of Yevon and she apologized before continuing. "...and so you need to focus on surviving, so that your girl has someone to welcome home when the time comes." Gippal looked at her and nodded. She was right. He had to keep his promise that he'd made to Rikku.
And if that meant shoving all thoughts of her out of his head...So be it.
"Oh poopie! Pops, you can't be serious!" Cid frowned at his daughter and crossed his arms, a vein popping out of his head.
"Well Rikku, it's either that, or sit here and do nothin' while you wait for your lover boy to come runnin' back to ya." Just then, a worker came running towards them, bent over to regain his breath upon reaching them.
"Sir, you might want to take a look at this." He handed Cid a letter and saluted him before running back to his work station. Cid looked the paper over before growling in rage and yelling out a few choice words. Rikku picked up the paper he'd dropped in his fit of rage and gasped.
My dearest Uncle Cid,
I'm writing this letter to inform you that I've chosen to follow in my departed father's footsteps and become a summoner. I wish to fight Sin and bring back The Calm once more, as my father would have liked me to do. Please do not panic, I have Lulu, Wakka, and Kihmari to guard me as I make this pilgrimage. Send my love to Rikku and Brother for me, if you would be so kind.
With Love from your niece,
Yuna
"Pops! Don't have a heart attack, geeze." Cid stopped his rant and peered at her. She smiled her usual cheery smile. "After this last machina salvage I have to complete, I'll catch up to her and become her guardian! I won't let her die like that, not when she's the only family we have left." Cid looked like he was about to explode again, but Rikku didn't see because she'd already run to the staircase leading up to her room.
"I promise, Pops! I'll change her mind and make her come back home!" She winked and ran up the stairs, Cid shaking his head.
'Kids these days, thinkin' they gotta go 'n save the world just 'cause their parents did. Rikku, you'd better bring her back alive,' He thought, walking into the kitchen. "A chocobo sandwich sounds good right about now..." he said to himself.
The pyrefly quickly flew up the stairs after Rikku.
Part VII: Reunions
Ages: Rikku- 17, Gippal- 18, Yuna-19
Rikku skimmed through the clothes hanging on the rack, dancing and singing along to the song playing over the store's loudspeakers. Though she didn't know it, guys from every angle of the store were watching her small hips sway, whispering about the various things they wouldn't mind doing to her. Yuna walked up to her, bags and boxes in her hands.
"Ready to leave yet, Rikku?" she asked. The guys who'd been checking Rikku out all groaned simultaneously, as Yuna's boxes and bags distorted their view. They all walked away, but this still went unnoticed by Rikku, who stood up, nodding to show that she was ready, and walking towards the cash register to purchase her clothing. The breeze blowing in through the shop's windows blew Rikku's various braids around, causing the beads to clink together. She handed the cashier her money and together, her and Yuna walked out of the store.
2 years since the defeat of Sin and the loss of Tidus (which took a great toll on poor Yuna...she hadn't slept properly since the loss, nor had she eaten properly), and 4 since she'd seen...Him.
"Something wrong, Rikku? You seem...sad," Yuna said, looking over at her cousin with a worried expression, her eyes tired and nearly lifeless, as usual. Rikku smiled and shook her head, mumbling that she was fine and that Yuna shouldn't worry about her when she had enough on her plate as it was. The pair continued walking in silence until suddenly, Rikku heard something in the alleyway next to them. As the sun had set an hour ago, Rikku saw the situation as potentially dangerous and handed her bags to Yuna, telling her to head on back to the airship. Yuna gave her a puzzled look but did as told anyway, humming a song under her breath. Rikku pulled out a grenade slowly, not turning around until it was fully in her hand.
"Come out, you fiend. I know you're-"She gasped upon seeing the source of the disturbance and before she knew it, her world had gone black.
"Where is she?" Yuna mumbled to herself, watching out the window of the Celsius for any signs of her short, bubbly, blonde cousin. However, all she saw was huts, palm trees, and the docks of Killika, no sign of anyone out and about. Why exactly had she ordered Yuna to come back to the airship alone, anyway? It had been an hour, after all. However, Yuna simply smiled instead of worrying.
"She can take care of herself...She is Rikku, after all."
Something warm and soft was gently touching her cheek, and whatever it was, Rikku loved it. She rolled over, leaning into it, only to have it pull back. Disappointed at the lack of contact, she slowly opened her eyes, a fuzzy and unfocused blonde head welcoming her. She shook her head, slowly sitting up, then tried again. She opened her eyes to be greeted by Gippal's concerned face.
"Are you alright?" he asked, reaching out a hand to brush her hair from her face. Her eyes widened, not sure she believed what she was seeing.
"G-Gippal? You..."She stopped in mid-sentence, suddenly very angry. She turned away from him, crossing her arms over her chest. Gippal dropped his hand, a look of hurt and confusion crossing his face, quickly replaced with a cocky smirk.
"Well, Cid's Girl...If that's the thanks I get for saving your scantily-clad hide, I'll just leave you for dead next time," he said, waiting to see her reaction. She turned to him, glaring heavily.
"First of all..MY NAME IS RIKKU!" She clenched her teeth, emphasizing her name especially hard. Gippal winced a bit but didn't say anything. "Secondly, I have every right to be mad!" Gippal's smirk quickly left his face, a frown and a vein that began to throb madly in its place.
"Why in Spira should you be mad at me? It's the first time in four years that we're anywhere near each other, and instead of the hug, or even kiss that I was expecting, maybe even a "I missed you, Gippal!" thrown in there, I get nothing but anger from you. Why? What did I do to you to make you so mad?!" He exclaimed, clenching one hand into a fist. Tears slid down her cheeks, though she didn't care. She was too angry to even think straight so she just said what came to mind.
"Four years is exactly right! Not so much as a letter to say 'hey Rikku, I miss you! Oh, and by the way, I'm still alive!' NOTHING! Instead, I'm left with thoughts that you died somewhere, never to be able to see you again, to hold you...NOTHING!" Her words cut right through to his soul, guilt causing his stomach to drop. Sobs were breaking her words but she continued anyway. "For all I knew, a fiend had gotten to you, a Yevonite, or even Sin! You never visited, never dropped in just to say hi, didn't bother to at least send a messenger of some sort! And you expect me, the girl you promised you'd come home to when this is all over, to be happy?! Gippal, when you left..." she'd calmed a bit by now, looking him straight in the eyes. Gippal couldn't look away, still entranced by her eyes years later. "...you may not realize this, but you took my heart with you. If word would have come back that you'd..." Gippal stood up, knocking the chair that he'd been sitting in on its side. Rikku flinched, knowing she'd crossed the line. He got close to her face, his eye swimming with emotions...so many, in fact, that she couldn't pinpoint any one at a time to know how he was feeling.
"Do you honestly want to know why I didn't write or visit?" She gulped, didn't move, didn't speak. It was his turn to talk now and she knew that an interruption meant trouble. "I didn't write or visit because every second, I was near death. All of our men were going crazy, shooting each other...My squad leader had the same thing happen. At one point, he even held the gun to my forehead, threatening to end my life." He laughed bitterly. "MY BEST FRIEND HELD ME AT GUNPOINT! And you wonder why I didn't take the time to write..." he laughed, a hollow and cold laugh. Shivers ran down Rikku's spine, her mouth wide open in shock. "For an entire year, after you helped Yuna defeat Sin, I was running from people that I should have been running with. Every day was a dangerous gamble, people getting shot down everywhere we turned. No one person was safe from it all...Either you lived or you died." He began to shake, turning to face Rikku. "DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?! I WANTED TO WRITE YOU, I WANTED TO VISIT! HELL, I NEARLY JUMPED IN THE SQUAD BOAT SO I COULD ROW MYSELF BACK TO HOME!" He was yelling, and Rikku was scared. She whimpered, shrinking back from him. "TYSHED, RIKKU! TUH'D OUI GHUF RUF RYNT ED FYC, MEJEHK TYO PO TYO, HUD GHUFEHK EV E'T AJAH RYJA DRA LRYHLA DU FYGA IB DRA HAQD TYO, HUD GHUFEHK EV E'T PA YPMA DU RUMT OUI UN AJAH GECC OUI AJAN YKYEH?! OUI RYJA HU ETAY RUF PYTMO E SECCAT OUI, RUF E MUHKAT VUN OUI...CRED, RIKKU, E HAAT OUI! FEDRUID OUI, E'S HUDREHK!" Rikku could do nothing but look at him in shock, so he took his window of opportunity. He pressed his lips hungrily to hers, four years of unspoken and unshared feelings flowing instantly from him to her, and vice-versa. Once she recovered from the shock she kissed him back just as intensely, grabbing his face in her hands. He nibbled at her bottom lip, earning a moan in reply, encouraging him to deepen the kiss. He pulled away from her, both panting for air. Her eyes had darkened, her hair was rumpled, and her cheeks were flushed, creating a siren-like enchantment about her that only made Gippal want to go even further...with her permission of course. However, he had no chance to ask, as she'd wrapped her legs around his waist and was kissing him passionately, grinding herself against his hardness. He growled, grabbed a fistful of her hair, and bit at her neck softly at first, getting rougher the more moans he earned from her. After leaving several love bites on the delicious curve of her slender neck, he looked deep into her eyes, which were darkened with lust.
"I'm not stopping, you know," he growled. She merely smirked and stopped her grinding. Pressing her lips softly to his neck, she nipped at his earlobe and whispered softly into his ear:
"Cruf sa fryd oui'ja kud...Pek Puo." He wanted so badly to take her then and there, hard and fast, but a thought suddenly occurred to him, and he slipped two fingers inside of her. She gasped and let out a rather seductive moan, her eyes clenched shut. He met a barrier once he'd gone in as far as he could and smirked down at her, licking his fingers clean.
"Just as I thought...You're still a virgin. Well then..I'm gonna have to do things slow and easy, so I don't hurt you." Rikku panted, recovering from the shock of what he'd just done, and felt tears brimming in her eyes. He gazed down at her, no longer with a look of hunger, but one filled with love and tenderness. She bit back a sob and he simply smiled, stroking her cheek. "You saved yourself for me, all this time...didn't you?" She nodded and his smile widened, still holding the tenderness she held so dear. He gently reached to pull her bikini top off, placing his lips by her ear.
"Rikku, syga cfaad muja fedr sa..." She gasped, smiling as she whispered back her answer.
"Oac, Gippal...mad'c syga cfaad muja ymm hekrd muhk...dukadran."
The next morning, Rikku slowly opened her eyes, realizing it was impossible to try and move. Gippal had her trapped against his chest, his arms around her naked body as he held her to his own. She smiled and gently kissed his cheek, causing his eyes to flutter open slowly.
"Hey Gippal's Girl," he mumbled, smiling down at her with sleepy eyes. She laughed, kissing the tip of his nose. He closed his eyes again to go back to sleep, then snapped them open just as quickly as he'd closed them, jumping up from the bed at the same time. He fumbled around, looking for his clothes on the hotel room floor, tossing Rikku her own clothing while he was at it.
"What's the hurry?" she asked, watching him with a puzzled look. He turned to her as he finished with his belt.
"Two things. First off, Cid just recently assigned me to be the leader of the new Machine Faction, which is located in Djose temple. Secondly, if I remember correctly, he mentioned that you were coming by today to help rebuild...and he said something about not letting you out of the house if you didn't oblige." That was enough to get Rikku dressed as quickly as possible, Gippal grabbing her hand the second they were both finished. He tossed a couple of gill on the check in counter, yelling back for the receptionist to keep the change, and ran off, Rikku trailing not far behind.
A certain pyrefly chased after them.
Three months later, Rikku threw her wrench in the sand, a look of anger in her eyes. Cid had kept her extremely busy ever since she showed up in Djose via hover, without the Celsius and without Yuna. He not-so-kindly reminded Rikku that she had a curfew to follow, and because she didn't, she was forced to follow this schedule:
7 am: wake up, get dressed for work (digging in the Sanubia Desert), eat breakfast
8 am: begin working until lunch, nonstop and under constant supervision to make sure she got her job done in an orderly fashion. Brother being her supervisor.
2 pm: lunch break
3 pm: back to work until dinner time, no breaks. Buddy is her supervisor for this part.
7 pm: dinner, shower, relaxation time
10 pm: bed
As much as she wanted to tell her Pops just how much she hated the schedule and how badly she wished a herd of chocobos would come and stomp some sense into that thick, bald head of his...She almost jumped back in surprise when she felt something smooth and cool under her palm. She dug deeper and deeper, revealing an orange-colored, sphere-shaped...well, sphere. She examined it closely, having never set her sights on something quite like it before. Finding a small switch on the side of it, she decided to take her chances and flip said switch. She gasped when she saw a familiar mop of blonde, messy hair show up in the sphere, yelling something about Lenne and a Vegnagun, or something to that effect. She dropped the sphere in surprise the second time she saw it, as she had a closer look at the person shown in the sphere...The person who'd just gone missing not too much longer before.
"Sorry Pops, but I'm headin' off to Besaid...Digging can wait!" With that she hopped on the Celsius, Brother, Buddy, and another Al-Bhed kid named Shinra following behind as they yelled about her "destroying their baby."
If only she knew what kind of adventure that one single sphere was about to lead her on.
Part VIII: Spheres
Ages: The same, except Paine-18
Rikku was beginning to wonder if maybe this whole thing wasn't a wild chocobo chase, but she didn't voice her thoughts. Upon reaching Besaid, Rikku had run to the secret lake, where she knew Yuna would be, and showed her the sphere. Yuna had nearly fallen into the lake from surprise, though Wakka pulled her back up before that happened.
"Rikku...was that...?" Rikku shrugged.
"Honestly, Yunie, I don't know. For all we know, it's just a movie sphere based off of your Pilgrimage, using different names. However, we could just...I dunno, go hunting for more of these to see what we find, or something. Waddya think?" Rikku asked, turning to face Yuna. However, her brunette cousin was one step ahead and therefore, had run off.
"...Yunie?" Rikku called out. Yuna simply gestured for her to follow and together, they had run off to the awaiting Celsius, informing the crew of their plan. Brother had obliged completely, eager to please Yuna, which meant that Buddy and Shinra were in by default. At some point they picked up a wanderer who called herself Paine, and together, they were a force to be reckoned with: The Gullwings. Now here they were, on their way to the Machine Faction to answer a call about spheres. Just thinking about seeing him made her feel all jumpy and giddy inside and though she didn't know it, a certain someone was watching from the other side of the bridge as she scribbled in her chocobo-print diary, smiling to herself at the blonde's reactions.
'So this is your mystery girl, Gippal...Can't wait to see how you react around her,' she thought, a smirk crossing her lips.
"We have arrived in Djose!" Brother announced, causing Rikku to jump in her skin. She blushed at her own jumpiness and slammed her diary shut, hiding it in her pack. YRP made their way off the airship and to the entrance of Djose temple, where several workers were strewn about. Once they noticed Yuna, they all stopped what they were doing and began whispering. Yuna frowned.
"Everyone's staring!" She exclaimed, causing Rikku to have to bite back a laugh.
"Better get used to it, Yunie...You're famous now, you know." Yuna sighed and turned back to face the temple entrance.
"All I want is a bit of peace and quiet," she whined. Just then, hurried footsteps passed by the trio and Yuna turned, her eyes landing on the one person Rikku had been so anxious to see. Rikku ran up to whisper in her ear, trying to hide the tremble in her voice.
"That's Gippal, the leader of the Machine Faction. He can be a bit...annoying, but he's alright." Yuna nodded and Gippal stopped just in front of the doors.
"Okay, let's do some interviews..BRING IT!" He exclaimed with a flourished swipe of his arm. He took one long, appreciative glance at Rikku, communicating to her with his eye something that no one but her saw:
Meet me in my office later...you know where it is. Her eyes twinkled, answering back: Alright, I'll be there.
He smirked, then turned, opening the doors and closing them behind him.
"Yeah, he seems alright," Yuna said, a far-off look in her eyes. Paine was the only one who noticed, as Rikku was still running over the transaction between her and Gippal in her mind. As Paine walked by Yuna, she whispered low enough that only she could hear:
"Remember Tidus. Gippal's spoken for." She walked on, leaving Yuna to blush before following.
"Uha uv oui kioc dyga ujan," Gippal said, turning to run out of the temple. He didn't want to approach all three at once out of fear of saying something he shouldn't in front of the other two...Especially Paine.
"Gippal!" One of the guards he'd just been talking to called out to him. He stopped and turned, only to see the trio he'd been hoping to avoid (well, really, only two of the three..) appear behind him.
"Hello!" Yuna said, keeping a friendly tone. Gippal hid his frustration by flashing a trademark smirk.
"You uh...here for an interview?" he asked. She nodded, confirming his question. He laughed and rose an eyebrow, shifting his weight to one foot and moving closer to confirm that he'd heard right. "The High Summoner wants an interview?!" He mused aloud. She stretched to meet his height.
"Former Summoner," she shot back. He scratched his head and muttered to himself, trying to think of how to handle this. He looked over at Rikku quickly before smiling.
"Okay...follow me," he replied, turning around and walking out of the temple. YRP followed, ending up at the bridge. He faced away from them, waiting patiently while maintaining his trademark stance. Once they reached him, he turned to face them. "I've never been this close to a celebrity before," he purred, not noticing Rikku's frown. Though she knew he was just acting in order to avoid suspicion, it still...hurt. She was relieved, however, when Yuna backed away from him.
"...That's nice," she squeaked, obviously not comfortable with his actions. He stood so that one foot rested on the side of his leg, the other firmly on the ground. Rikku snorted quietly.
"I could get used to this," he said. Yuna's face scrunched, showing obvious displeasure.
"Let's not," she replied, half wondering if it really had been a good idea to do this. He merely smiled back, then turned to Rikku with a grin.
"Well, if it isn't Cid's Girl! How ya been?" He greeted with a cheery voice, his eye communicating once again.
Sorry, but you know I have to do this. She smiled and blushed, moving to gently punch his shoulder. I know, that's why I'm not complaining. He simply laughed, brushing off what she said. "Brother Doing okay?" I can't wait until I can kiss you again...
"Same as ever! Buddy's around too..." she fluttered her eyelashes at him, forgetting for a minute that the goal was to cover their relationship. I can't wait either, Gippal...I've missed you so much..Gippal laughed, walking away from her reluctantly.
"Same as ever's right." He stopped in front of Paine, deciding now was a good time to announce he knew who she was. "...Y-YOU?!"he stuttered, smirking when he knew Yuna wasn't looking. Paine smirked back but quickly hid it.
"Hey...nice to meet you," she replied smoothly, remaining in her usual stance. Rikku looked at the two with curiosity, the simply shrugged. She'd find out later.
"Ah...huh?" He replied, unsure of himself. She stood a bit firmer.
"We're here for the interview," she said, emphasizing her point.
"Riiiiight...the...interview..." he mumbled, pretending that he'd forgotten. He stood up to his full height. "You sure you wanna dig? 'cause we're talkin' 'bout the desert here, ladies. Not exactly a picnic," he warned, taking on a more professional tone. Yuna nodded.
"Yeah, we're sure!" She said, smiling with joy. Gippal sighed.
"Alright then, you're hired. Welcome!" He said with mock enthusiasm. Rikku rolled her eyes.
"...Huh?" Yuna was clearly confused and Gippal, hiding his obvious frustration at her cluelessness, spelled it out for her.
"You. Are. Hired." He turned his back to her, scratching his chin in thought. "Don't know why a superstar like you would wanna dig in the sand," he half mumbled to himself. He shook his head. "Well, do whatcha gotta do. Anyways, I've done what I can. Dig to your hearts' content." Yuna thought for a moment.
"Umm...thanks," she replied. Gippal walked towards her, handing her a piece of paper.
"Show this letter to a woman named Nhadala, you'll find her in the Bikanel Desert." He began to walk away, yelling "Happy Digging!" over his shoulder as a cue to Rikku.
"Uhmm...I gotta go uh..do something, guys. I'll be back later!" She called, running after Gippal. Yuna turned to Paine, who simply shrugged.
"She's Rikku, there's no way of knowing what she's up to," she said. They turned, walking off to the Celsius.
"Fungan!"Ryhtma yhodrehk dryd lusac ib! E'mm pa eh so uvvela, syga cina hu uha tecdinpc sa ihmacc Ceh nadinhc!" With that Gippal gently grabbed Rikku by the arm and entered what used to be the cloister of trials, turned into an office with attached bedroom for Gippal. He shut the door quickly and locked it before leading her back into his bedroom, shutting the door to his office and locking it. Next thing Rikku knew, she was pinned against the bed, Gippal fumbling with her bikini top.
Ten minutes after they finished, Rikku shared one las passionate kiss with him before she had to redress, then run back out to the Celsius. Gippal, though sad to watch her go, knew they'd be reunited soon. He hugged the pillow her head had rested on just moments before, inhaling the scent of her shampoo.
'Sugar cane and strawberries, eh? Perfect combination, on her anyway.'
A lone pyrefly followed Rikku as she ran out the temple doors, tears falling freely from her eyes. After all...who knew when she'd see him again?
Part IX: Victories
Ages: Same
It was over. Vegnagun was gone, never to return. Shuyin and Lenne had gone to the Farplane in each other's arms, finally able to rest in peace. Tidus had been restored to his normal self and was currently holding Yuna tight in front of the huge campfire in Besaid. Even Paine was off to the side somewhere, Baralai chatting lightly with her. Nooj and LeBlanc had left early, mentioning something about wedding plans. However, as Gippal had urgent duties to attend to back at the Machine Faction, he wasn't going to be at the party, leaving Rikku to kick at the sand on the shoreline, her orange dress trailing behind her. She stopped in front of the dock, kicking off her orange high-heeled shoes, and sitting on the edge of the dock, dipping her feet in the cool waters. It was so lonely, out here by herself, but just for tonight...She could handle it.
"What's a pretty girl like you doin' all by yourself out here?" The voice she'd been longing to hear purred against her ear, a finger brushing a strand of hair from her face. She smiled, leaning back so her head rested on his chest. They sat there like that, enjoying each other, until he gently grabbed her left hand in both of his. "Stand up, wouldja?" He mumbled, kissing her ear. She did as told and he smiled down at her before getting on one knee. A gasp of surprise escaped her lips as he pulled something out of his pocket.
"Rikku...muja uv so meva, mekrd uv so tyo...Kenm fru hajan laycac du ysywa sa, fradran oui'na pnicrehk ouin ryen un tavaydehk Jakhykih...E'ja mujat oui cehla dryd tyo, frah E bnudaldat oui vnus dra Oajuhedac, yht E ghuf oui vamd dra cysa drah yc E tet...E muja oui huf, suna dryh ajan, frelr ec fro E's ycgehk drec fedr luhvetahla...Femm oui synno sa?" Rikku gasped, watching as he held the ring up to her. The stone was Yuavrite, a rare stone that can only be found in the Bikanel Desert, and only when pyreflies have blessed a couple that was meant to be together, forever. "Remember that day, when you were digging in the sand, how I picked something up and then caught up with you? I found this stone laying near where you had been, and I know where it came from." He looked over in the direction of a distant palm tree where a particular pyrefly was, beckoning for it to come forward. "Rikku, the day your mother was sent...One pyrefly has stuck with us since. This particular pyrefly is the one containing your mother's hope, and that's what kept us together, even when I was off in the Crimson Squad," he explained. The pyrefly flew around until she was in front of Rikku's face.
"Mother...you've been with me all along..." She smiled, holding out her hand for the pyrefly to land in, which it did. Rikku turned to him with a smile. "You know what, Gippal...Yes, I will marry you," she replied, smiling broadly at him. He hugged her tight, kissing her feverishly before placing the ring on her finger. It shone brightly, but the couple didn't care, as they were engaged in another passionate kissing fest.
The pyrefly flew away from the couple, allowing them some time alone.
Well, despite the fact that I promised 5 parts per chapter, I think this one's long enough, so..I'll just leave the rest for the next chapter P Hope you enjoyed! R+R and I just may be inspired to write more!
Al Bhed translations:
DAMNIT, RIKKU! DON'T YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT WAS, LIVING DAY BY DAY, NOT KNOWING IF I'D EVEN HAVE THE CHANCE TO WAKE UP THE NEXT DAY, NOT KNOWING IF I'D BE ABLE TO HOLD YOU OR EVEN KISS YOU EVER AGAIN?! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW BADLY I MISSED YOU, HOW I LONGED FOR YOU...SHIT, RIKKU, I NEED YOU! WITHOUT YOU, I'M NOTHING!
"Show me what you've got...Big Boy."
"Rikku, make sweet love with me..."
"Yes, Gippal...let's make sweet love all night long...together."
"One of you guys take over."
"Handle anything that comes up! I'll be in my office, make sure no one disturbs me unless Sin returns!"
"Rikku...love of my life, light of my day...Girl who never ceases to amaze me, whether you're brushing your hair or defeating Vegnagun...I've loved you since that day, when I protected you from the Yevonites, and I know you felt the same then as I did...I love you now, more than ever, which is why I'm asking this with confidence...Will you marry me?"