A/N: I just want to say thanks again for everyone who's sticking with me and taking the time to review each chapter. I really appreciate it. :)

Chapter 5

There are four main things in this world that really get me down. Or, at least as down as I ever get, which, most days, is not very.

One, is seeing my friends unhappy. I can't stand to see my friends unhappy. It makes me unhappy, and I hate being unhappy.

Two, mean people. Any time I see or hear about something horrible, done by a human in cold blood, I feel all icky inside. It really makes me sad sometimes to think about all the awful things people do, especially to other people.

Three, a problem with absolutely no solutions, like machina I can't fix, or some hurt I can't heal. I get really frustrated, as I believe we've already covered, and then I get angry, and then I get sad.

And four, boredom. I hate to be bored. I hate not having anything to do. I always have so much energy, I hate wasting it just sitting there. It all seems to bottle up inside of me until I think I'll go crazy. I utterly abhor being bored.

It was Saturday, late morning at Djose temple. I was bored.

I had already shipped off my finished (thank goodness!) part to Home first thing that morning, then skipped happily to breakfast. Afterwards, I'd cleaned up our empty workroom and prepared it for Monday when work would resume, then hunted around for anyone else who might need help.

I didn't find many people, and eventually my wandering brought me outside, to the front of the temple. I stood there for a moment, then realized I was bored.

Frantically, I began to search for something-- anything-- to do, but it seemed I was out of luck. The temple was practically empty, most people being gone for the weekend to visit their homes or families or just get away from work. I must have been through the whole place at least twice before I burst out a side entrance and found, to my great surprise, a little secluded glen, complete with a small, clear pond.

Now here was something to do. I thought about just stripping right then and there, but I didn't want anyone to burst in on me whilst I swam in the buff. I didn't know how many other people knew about this place.

With in seconds I was back, now dressed in my cheery yellow bikini and dragging a fluffy green towel and flowered pink hairbrush.

Happily, I jumped into the pond with an utterly ridiculous giggle, making a tremendous splash and snorting water up my nose which only served to make me giggle harder, once I'd stopped spluttering.

I splashed around for a bit, kicking my feet and watching the water sparkle off my red toenail polish. The pond was more of a hole than a pond, and came up to about my shoulders. I entertained myself contentedly for probably half an hour, watching the sun on the water, looking around at the trees, watching the leaves fall, and seeing if it was a bunny I could hear darting around or just a squirrel. I was floating contentedly on my back with my eyes closed when my lighthearted time was cut short, by a voice that said

"Nice day, isn't it?"

With a startled scream, I flailed around, my arms splashing wildly. For a moment, I sunk under the water, then I flung myself up, throwing my hair back and blinking the water from my eyes as I stared at the person who'd startled me.

Ryhcis stood near the pond's edge looking down at me with a smile playing on his lean lips. His hair was pulled back in a small pony tail, the front parts falling free around his face. He was wearing dark blue shorts and no shirt. His chest, as tan as the rest of him (or what rest of him I had seen anyway) was long and lean, yet still had delicately defined muscles. In short, it was very hot.

I blushed, having realized I was staring at his bronzed chest, and raised my eyes to his face instead. He smiled broadly at me, and I found myself smiling back.

Paddling over to the edge of the pool, I pushed myself up and sat on the grass, dangling my legs in the water.

"Sorry for scaring you," Ryhcis lowered himself down next to me, letting his own feet sink into the clear water.

"It's okay," I said, and found myself blushing again. What was up with that? I never blush. "You just caught me off guard. I wasn't paying attention. This place seems so apart and secluded."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Ryhcis looked around the glade fondly. "I discovered it my first week working here, too. It's kind of become a special place for me."

"I'm not intruding, am I?" I asked worriedly.

"Not at all," Ryhcis laughed. "You add to the scenery."

I smile at him, trying very hard not too blush again, and cast around for something else to say. "When did you start working here?" I asked at last, then immediately began telling myself what a stupid question it was.

"Pretty soon after Gippal founded it." Apparently, Ryhcis didn't think it was stupid. "I had left Home-- or what was left of it-- then, and, upon hearing about it, thought it a great opportunity."

"Oh." I grimaced inwardly a my response, but couldn't think of a better one as I was too preoccupied with wondering if it would be too rude or awkward to ask him why he had left Home. I had just made up my mind to do it when he spoke up again.

"Rikku. . ." Just like the way I loved hearing him speak Al Bhed, I loved the way he said my name. His voice was so rich and soft, like velvet. "Rikku, is there something between you and Gippal?"

I stared at him, having totally not expected that question. He did not seem abashed, however, but met my eyes steadily with his own. I found I couldn't hold that intense gaze for long, and looked away, trying to decide my answer.

"No," I said at last. "We grew up together, as kids, and even dated a little bit when we got older, but it was never anything serious. I'm sort of like a little sister to him, I think." I managed to say the last bit with only a trace of bitterness that I don't think Ryhcis noticed.

"I see." Was all he said. "But. . . you have an older brother, don't you?"

"Yes," I agreed, and couldn't help but giggle. "But you've met him. You know what he's like."

"I know he'd give anything to protect you," Ryhcis replied simply. "As would your father, I'm sure. You're quite a jewel, you know, the Princess of the Al Bhed. Everyone loves you."

I smiled at the compliment. "Thank you," I said. "But I think you're over-exaggerating."

"Maybe." Ryhcis looked down at his feet, kicking them lightly through the water. "Will leadership go to your brother then, once you're father resigns, or, Spira forbid, dies?"

"Well, Pop says he's going to live forever," I laughed. "But I guess so, yeah. Though I'll be a ruler too."

"Of course, and a fine one, I'm sure," Ryhcis said mildly, and I laughed again, splashing my feet like a little child. We sat for a few minutes in companionable silence, then I jumped to my feet.

"It's probably lunchtime, isn't it?" I asked, suddenly aware of my stomach growling, the noise magnified to embarrassing proportions in the silent glade. I reached down and scooped up my brush, beginning to drag it hastily through my long blond hair. "I was worried I'd have no one to sit with, what with this place being so empty. Is it always like this on the weekends?"

"Usually," Ryhcis rose to his feet as well, and my gaze was once again drawn to his slim, yet immensely attractive, physique. "Are you requesting my presence?"

"Please," I said, toweling myself down. "Though, we should probably change first. No girl will be able to eat with you parading around like that." I gestured to his bare chest with a bright smile.

"And no guy would be able to focus on his food if you strolled in there like that." Ryhcis gestured to my bikini, a teasing smile on his own face.

I slipped my arm happily through his as we headed back to the temple, separated into our own rooms to get dressed, then walked together to the mess hall.

There was only one person working there today, and the room was nearly empty, so we found a table by one of the only windows and ate a leisurely lunch, talking and laughing all the while.

Afterwards, he took me for a walk into the small (yet growing) town of Djose that lay beyond the temple. We strolled around for awhile, then he said he had to leave that night and he'd better go and pack. We walked back to the temple and I decided to help him, stuffing things haphazardly into his suitcase and rolling my eyes when he took them back out and folded them neatly before replacing them.

I cajoled him into eating dinner with me (I didn't have to try very hard), then he said he really did have some place to be, and that he'd be back Monday. I pretended to pout, then walked with him to the edge of town. Once there, slightly dazzled perhaps by the beautiful sight of the pinky sunset with it's dusting of stars, I stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek, wishing him good luck, then dashed off to the temple before he barely had time to say thank you.

I lay awake for a very long time that night, suddenly more anxious than ever for it the weekend to be over.
---

Sunday passed slowly and uneventfully. I sat out side in the shade for most of it, reading and drinking lemonade a boy in the kitchen was kind enough to make for me, and watching the arrivals of the squadron members as they trickled back to the temple from wherever they had been over the weekend.

Ryhcis, to my disappointment, didn't arrive at all (not that he had said he would, but one can always hope) and I went to bed eagerly awaiting his return the following day.

I was in the round cave with the rest of the Tilgmehks, all fresh from the weekend, when a petite Al Bhed girl came running in to tell me there was someone out front who wanted to talk to me.

"Who is it?" I asked, half my body buried in a new piece of machina. I figured it couldn't be Ryhcis, for he wouldn't bother asking for me outside, he'd just come in. And if it wasn't Ryhcis, I wasn't very interested.

"He wouldn't tell me his name," the girl replied. I snorted.

"Then I'm not coming out," I answered simply, my voice muffled by the machina I was practically climbing into. "Hand me that wrench by your foot."

"He's says he'll find a way to get you out," the girl said as she handed me the requested wrench. "He said he'd ëthink of something'."

I banged my head on the inside of the machina at the emphasis she put on those last words and withdrew hurriedly, rubbing the injured part. "He said that?"

"Yeah, he told me to tell you." She looked at me curiously. "Do you know him?"

"I think so," I said, and handed back the wrench. "Give this to the guy with the shaved head and goggles over there and tell him to take over for me for a moment."

The girl did what I asked without question as I stripped off my borrowed Machine Faction jumpsuit and bolted for the temple entrance.

When I burst out the front door there were a few people standing around, including Gippal who seemed to be discussing a sheaf of papers with an elderly Al Bhed. All my attention was focussed on an entirely different blond guy, however. He was standing a little off the path that led to the temple, one hand nervously toying with his tousled hair as he smiled at me in a crookedly charming way that I knew so well. With a delighted squeal that I'm sure they heard all the way in the Moonflow, I flung myself forward into Tidus' arms.

"It's good to see you too," he said, laughing and swinging me in a big circle. I giggled enthusiastically, tightened my grip around his neck and tugging playfully on a piece of his blond hair.

"We haven't seen you in forever," he said once he'd set me down, pushing me away to take in my appearance. "Lookin' good!"

"Same to you!" I giggled, flinging myself forward for another brief hug. I hadn't realized how much I'd been missing my friends. "I've just been so busy--" I pulled back, giving him a delighted smile. "I'm the leader of my very own squadron now, you know. First Machina Squadron for the reconstruction of Home."

"So Yuna told me," Tidus said with a happy smile of his own. "Sounds important."

"It is," I chirped brightly, linking my arm through his and looking around. "Is Yuna here?"

"No," Tidus said, and there was a note of sadness in his voice. Still bloody inseparable, those two, I thought with an inner smile. It was hard to get annoyed with them though, when they were so sweet. "She couldn't come with me. She was meeting with that one pray guy. . . "

"Baralai," I supplied.

"Right, Baralai."

"What was the meeting about?" I cocked my head to one side questioningly. Poor Yuna barley got a moment's rest. "Not another thing about peace between all the groups, was it?"

"No, it was something about the temples." Tidus shrugged, as if he could care less what it had been about. "But she sent me here with a message. Well, two actually. "

"Really?" I asked interestedly. "For who?"

"One for that kid-- Shinra. And one for you."

"For me?" I asked, even more interested now. "From Yuna? What'd she say?" Of all my friends, I think I missed Yuna the most. She was my cousin, and we had been through so much together, what with Sin and Vegnagun and all.

"She says she's furious with you," Tidus said, smiling at my indignant squawk. "Because you haven't contacted in her in ages and didn't tell her about coming to here to Djose."

"I--"

"And that you haven't come to Besaid in even longer, and if you don't show up soon she'll knock you over the head and drag you off herself."

I laughed at that, being able to hear Yuna's voice saying those exact words in my head. "She would too, wouldn't she?" I laughed again, and Tidus joined in. "Well, I guess I'll have to contact her later tonight on the CommSpheres. What's the message for Shinra?"

"It's actually about the CommSpheres," Tidus said, rummaging in his pant's pockets for a scroll. "Something about extending the network."

"Oh," I said, "Well, I can take you to him right now, if you'd like." I tightened my grip on his arm and steered him into the temple, heading towards our Squadron's room. "Why didn't Yuna just call us on the network?"

"Because I may need to bring something back for her," Tidus said airily. We reached the room and I led Tidus inside. "Is this where you work? Rammu, Brother."

Brother acknowledged Tidus' greeting with a short nod, intent on the machina he was attacking vigorously with a wrench. I looked across the room, checking to see that Buddy was giving instructions and working on the machina properly before turning back to Tidus to find him grinning at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing," he said, but the smug little smile remained. "It's just. . . you've changed, you know."

"No I haven't!" I declared, indignant again.

"Yes, you have," Tidus persisted, adding hurriedly "Not in a bad way. You've just, grown up a bit I guess."

"A bit," I repeated, then giggled. "Well, I guess it was inevitable. Oh, here's Shinra."

As Tidus turned to greet the youngest Gullwing and relay his message, I turned back to the room, checking my squadron's progress. I had gently reproved a young man for attempting to take short cuts with his wiring, donned my jump suit once more in order to help a tough Al Bhed with a particularly obstinate oil valve, and broken a screwdriver by the time Tidus sought me out again.

"Are you leaving?" I asked, my face falling. "I barely got to see you at all."

"I'm staying the night," Tidus said with yet another grin. "And leaving for Besaid tomorrow morning. That is, if you have a space for me in your room."

"Of course I do!" I punched him on the arm, beaming. "You're not implying that anything, are you? Like that fact that I might be already sharing my room with someone else? Because I'm not, you jerk."

"I wasn't implying anything," Tidus said airily, but I could tell he was laughing at me. I hit him again, but I was laughing too. He responded to my blow with a mock-sneer, then turned around. "Do you want to tell her?"

I peered around him questioningly to see Shinra standing there, looking uncomfortable-- something I'd never seen him look before.

"I'm leaving with Tidus," he said quietly in Al Bhed. "For a bit, anyway. They need my help with the new CommSpheres, as I am am the only one gifted enough to understand them fully. They were my invention in the first place, anyway."

"Yes they were," I said, catching Tidus' eye and grinning. No doubt he'd used flattery to sway my engineer to his cause. "You should probably pack tonight. Tidus isn't really a morning person, but you'll still probably be leaving pretty early."

"You're not mad?" Shinra looked up at me, surprised.

"Not at all." I smiled down at him. "Just disappointed. Without my best engineer, I guess I'll just have to do all the building myself. Finish up with the mechanism's shell construction, and then you can go. Just come back soon okay?"

"Sure!" Shinra cried happily, and reached forward to give me an impulsive hug before dashing off.

I smiled after him, watching as he nearly knocked over a group of technicians to get back to his mechanism, attacking it with more enthusiasm than even, then I turned once more to Tidus.

"I gotta finish up here," I said. "You can hang around if you want, or go explore the temple. Dinner's in just a few hours."

"I'll stay," Tidus offered cheerfully. "Maybe I can be of some help. Are we diving into any underwater ruins?"

"Not quite," I laughed, and took him over to the machina I had been working on when I'd been interrupted by his arrival. I shoved Brother, who was rather irked at me and told me that I couldn't just stop working anytime I wanted, especially since I was the leader, aside, replying that I could too stop working anytime I wanted, because I was the leader. He then threw a wrench at me, and I kicked him in the shin, then got back to work.

Tidus, while fairly ignorant about machina, did help out by holding wires, fetching tools, and listening attentively as I happily explained everything I was doing, delighted to have an audience to listen to my chatter. And, thanks to his help, I was able to finish what I had planned for that day shortly after dinner, dismissing my squadron and leaving the rest of my evening free to spend with Tidus.

I hunted around for the Djose CommSphere, and was able to get a hold of Yuna. She was pretty busy, but I managed to talk to her for a bit with a promise to call her again soon. Then Tidus seized the sphere to say a few words (despite my mock-annoyed wail of "You'll see her tomorrow!) and we said good-bye.

Tidus and I walked to the bridge in front of the temple, me swinging myself up to sit on the railing despite Tidus' worried admonitions. The stars were just beginning to come out in the rapidly darkening sky when I broke the companionable silence that had fallen once our conversation lagged.

"Tidus?" I asked softly. He responded with an equally soft "Hmmm?" which I took to mean he was listening. "What's love like?"

"What?" He tilted his head to look at me, perched as I was on the railing next to him.

"What's love like?" I repeated.

"Why?" Even by the dim light, I could tell he was smirking. "Do you have someone in mind?"

My thoughts suddenly jumped to Ryhcis, all white blond hair and intense eyes and bronze muscles. Then, without warning, I thought of spiky straw colored hair, and a single eye, crinkling with a smile. We made quite the couple.

"No!" I said with a bit more force than I had meant to. "I'm just. . . wondering. You and Yuna obviously have it," I noted the smile that softened his features with an odd sort of pang. "And I never have. I don't think. That's just the thing," I turned to meet his gaze with mine. "How am I supposed to know?"

"You'll know," Tidus said confidently. "If you're in love, you'll know. Oh, maybe not at first." His gaze returned to off the bridge. "But eventually, you realize it. You know the saying ëfalling in love'? Well, it's kind of like that. It's like falling, but not a short fall off a step or something. True love. . . true love is like falling off a cliff. It's a free fall, one without harnesses or spells to guarantee yourself safety. You just have to shut your eyes and throw yourself into the air and hope that someone will be there to catch you at the bottom."

"What if they're not?" I asked quietly, sounding stupid and childish even to my own ears. "What if no one's there, and you just shatter to pieces on the rocks?"

Tidus turned to me with a wry smile. "That is what they call a broken heart."

I was silent for a moment, thinking over what he'd said. "So, falling in love with Yuna," I said at last. "Was like falling off a cliff?"

"Yeah," Tidus said. "By the time I'd noticed I was slipping, I had gone too far to go back. I can't pinpoint the exact moment I fell in love with her, the exact moment I started to fall. All I know was that she was there, after a few bumps and bruises, waiting for me, at the bottom, and it was the most wonderful experience of my life. It still is."

I nodded, my throat oddly too tight for speaking all of a sudden. I hastily turned back to the moon, telling myself that the pricking feeling in the corners of my eyes was just from the night air. After a few moments I was able to turn back to Tidus and punch him lightly on the arm.

"Hey!" I said, managing my normal bright tone. "When did you get so smart? You didn't use to make speeches like that!"

Tidus laughed. "No, I guess I didn't."

"Maybe you're growing up too," I taunted, making a face.

Tidus smiled at me, something unreadable in his eyes. "Maybe I am," he said. Looking at him, I sighed, then turned back to the moon once more.

We sat outside a little longer, then decided to call it a night. I took Tidus back to my room and helped him set up a cot, upon which he almost instantly fell asleep.

I crawled into my own bed and lay there for quite some time, listening to my friend's even breaths. In my mind, I went over what he said once more. True love is like falling off a cliff. . . You just have to shut your eyes and throw yourself into the air and hope that someone will be there to catch you at the bottom. . . That's what they call a broken heart.

Once, I had thought myself in love with Gippal, but it hadn't been like falling off a cliff. At least, I don't think it was. I think it had been more like a controlled fall, one with a harness and a support system, not a free fall. I had hit the bottom rather harder than I had meant to, but I had gotten up again and walked off fairly unscathed.

I had never truly been in love then, if it really was like Tidus had described. Suddenly, I felt a great surge of envy for my cousin, to have someone who cared about her so much, to have experienced this ëfree fall' that Tidus described. What I wouldn't give to experience something like that, just once. . .

Thoughts drifting pleasantly, flitting about my brain and conjuring confused images of white blond hair and black eye patches and slow smiles and arrogant laughter, I fell into a deep sleep.

--
-
A/N: What is with every chapter ending with Rikku falling asleep? It just provides a good opportunity for her thoughts, I guess. At the end there, she is supposed to be thinking about both Ryhcis and Gippal, like the two are sort of becoming one in her mind, which sets up for coming chapters. . . .
Anyway, thanks again to all my reviewers, hopefully you'll be as kind with this chapter as you have been with all the others. It's rather long, but cutting off right after the Ryhcis thing was too short. . . Oh, and no worries. Gippal will return soon. I'm actually going to instill a plot in this thing, can you believe it:)