maybe i just feel down cuz no one is telling me what they think about this story. but...it's nice to see that people are looking at it.

anyways...you have got to listen to the song "Me" and once you have and read this chapter, i swear you'll hear the background music in your head. Cuz it drove me INSANE! LOL. it worked for me, try it!

Chapter 5: Me

It was a beautiful day in the Calm Lands as always. The town was not as busy as the day before, but there still was a sound of whining. Gippal was walking along the town square with three ladies clinging to him and crying.

"It can't be true!" One of the girls cried.

"Say it isn't so!" The second whined.

"I just can't bare it." The other one said. Gippal raised his hand to silence them. They stopped crying immediately.

"Girls! Girls." Gippal said, rather flattered. "I'm just getting married. It's not like it'll change your feelings for me."

"Oh, no." One of them said, smiling.

"No." The other said, batting her eyelashes.

"Never!" The third said, hands on hips.

"And we'll still have our little," he winked at them, "so to say...'ride on the shoopuf' night?"

The three girls squealed and jumped.

"Yes!"

"Of course!"

"Always!"

"Then I guess I better...propose to the bride." Gippal laughed. But that only made the girls whine again. He laughed and waved his hand to make them left. "Run along now, girls."

The three fan girls sighed and cried away as Gippal strode proudly towards Rikku. She was sitting alone on the edge of the water fountian in the center of the town square. She didn't even noticed Gippal approaching as she feed the ducks in the water.

"Hello, Rikku." Gippal said, flexing his muscles.

"Oh. Hello, Gippal." She greeted politely, but she looked like she rather be somewhere else.

"I have a gift for you." He held out a tiny box. "I hope you enjoy it." Rikku looked inside the box.

"A minature portrait...of you." She said, almost matter-of-factly. Gippal just smiled at no one in particular. "Oh, you shouldn't have."

Rikku threw the picture over her shoulder, but Gippal didn't see it.

"I know. But that just a little of what surprises you'll get." He said. "Today's the day when your dreams come true."

"Oh?"

"Any woman would die to be in your shoes." Gippal said, and turned to see the three fan girls were watching. He just beamed at them and turned back to Rikku.

"What can you possibly know of my dreams, Gippal?" Rikku said, her arms crossed.

"Plenty!" He said. "I know you've been dreaming...to be a wife of a man." He said, as if it was a glorious thing.

"Oh really?" She said, rolling her eyes. "To who?"

"Me!" He boasted. He wrapped his thick arm around Rikku. "Picture this: a simple hut, I come home with the latest machina, my little wife massaging my broad shoulders, and our children playing with large hunting dogs. Maybe ten or so."

"Dogs?" She said, almost choking.

"No, Rikku. Strong boys like me. All six foot four." He said. He released her, and strode around the fountain, his idyllic future in his mind.

"Unbelieveable." Rikku moaned.

"We'll be an incredible pair..." He flexed his arms again. "Just like my guns, here."

"This can't be happening." Rikku mumbled, as Gippal wrapped his arm around her neck again.

"So Rikku, is it yes? Or is it...Ooohh, YES!" He said. Rikku was thinking fast.

"I...I just don't deserve you." She said, pretending to flatter him.

"Who does?" He agreed, releasing Rikku. And for some reason, he sang a long note. "Meeee!"

"But thanks for asking." Rikku called, and ran inside a store.

Gippal realized that she was gone while he sang a stupid note out of nowhere. He scratched his head, but the three fan girls strode up to him, their eyelashes fluttering.

"So?" One of them said.

"How did it go?"

"Oh, you know Rikku." Gippal said, trying to play it cool. "Always playing hard to get."

"She turned you down!!" The girls squealed in unison.

"No, no." He said. "I'll make Rikku my wife, make no mistake about that."

"Well, gee. If she turned him down, maybe I still have a chance." One girl said, but the other two stared at her with full jealously.

"Oh, no you don't."

"No, Gippal is mine."

"What makes you think-"

"Girls! Girls!" Gippal said, but he just grabbed two of them, swung them on to his shoulder and walked away. But the girls still had a little fight. The remaining girl pulled out a handkerchief and waved.

"Gippal!!" She called and walked after him.

When all was quiet outside, besides the metal hammering, Rikku looked outside. She checked to make sure that Gippal was gone until she went back to sit by the water fountain.

"I can't believe he asked me to marry him! Ugh." She said, looking at her reflection.

She pulled out the remaining of her bread and threw it nearby the ducks.

"I mean, me? His wife. No way. That's for sure." She said.

She looked back again at her reflection. She couldn't help but pretend that it was another person.

"I want more that just a simple wife life. I want adventure. And maybe...someone to understand me. I want so much more than they're got planned." Rikku said, feeling depressed.

Then, she heard someone humming. She looked up and saw her brother dancing around, humming, and fiddling with a scarf. It looked just like the one she made for Cid. She ran up to him.

"Brother." She called. He just poked her shoulder.

"Hey, Rikku." He laughed. "Have you seen Gippal?"

"You just missed him."

"Oh." He said and started to hop away, but Rikku stopped him.

"Wait. Where did you get that scarf?" She asked, desperately.

"I found it in the mountains. Pretty nice, huh?" He joked, trying to get away from her.

"Where in the mountains?! Think!!" She nearly yelled at him, holding to his arm tightly. He pretended to think hard.

"Somewhere in the mountains?" He said. She jerked on his arm.

"Harder!"

"Near the crossroads, ok? Ow." He moaned, rubbed his arm.

"That means he's lost in there." She said to herself, looking up at the mountains. She grabbed his arm again.

"We have to find him!"

"Not on your life. Father can take care of himself." He said, pushing her off.

"Fine!" She said. "Then I'll find him myself!" And she stomped away. When she was out of ear shot, Brother stuck his tongue out.

"Then I'll find him myself." Brother mimcked her in a girly voice impression.

yes it ends there. next chapter is back at the castle. there isn't much of a song going on in the next chapter, but more chit-chat between auron and wakka. they make a funny pair.

yeah, i made gippal sing one note, but if you heard of the song, then you can understand i can't just leave it out. i find it amuzing (grins)

please tell me what you think!!