A/N: Have I done one of those disclaimer things yet? Cause I kind of feel like I should. Cause. . . you know. Well, anyway, I don't own any of this (well I suppose I own some of it, like Ryhcis and the plot and stuff. Heh, I own Ryhcis. . .) and Sqauresoft etc. does. There. I feel better now. :)
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Chapter 7

"Hey," I slid into into the breakfast table between Brother and Ryhcis, shooting the latter a small smile. "Morning guys."

"Morning." Ryhcis returned my smile. He reached for the juice. "What's on the agenda today?"

"We're finally installing the mechanism." My face lit up with delighted anticipation. Ryhcis had spent all yesterday afternoon working on it, and I had spent all yesterday afternoon trying not to hover over his shoulders and see what he was doing. He had finished shortly after dinner, but it had been too late to install it that night. . . "I can't wait."

Ryhcis smiled again, and his hand found mine under the table. "I'm glad you're so excited. Unfortunately, I can't be there today."

"Why not?" I could feel my face falling, my happiness evaporating.

"A hover crashed yesterday on the Highroad, so they need all hands today." Ryhcis shrugged ruefully. "In fact, I'd better get going." He stood up, put a hand on my shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze, then moved out of the mess hall.

I watched him go with what I guess was a pretty dazed expression because Brother reached forward and pinched me on the arm. Hard.

"What?" I asking angrily, jerking away from him.

"That's what I want to ask you," Brother said in menacing Al Bhed. "What exactly in going on between you and Ryhcis?"

"Oh, that." I turned back to my breakfast, but couldn't repress a little smirk.

"Don't oh that' me." Brother and I may have argued a lot, but he could get pretty damn protective when he felt the occasion warranted it. "Obviously, there's something between you, and you're going to tell me what it is, right now." He leaned towards me, raising his hand again to go for my arm. "Spill."

"All right!" Again I jerked away, wanting to keep my arms from becoming black and blue. "We just kissed, you know?"

"When?" Apparently, he wasn't backing off.

"Yesterday," I made to stand up. "We should really get to work--" Brother jerked me back down.

"What are his intentions?"

"His intentions?" Despite being slightly annoyed, I laughed. "I haven't asked him. What would like him to say? A ring? Marriage?" I shook my head. "I would have never thought you'd be as old fashioned as Pops--"

"I'm not being old fashioned, Rikku." He reached out and seized my wrist in a rather tight grip that made me let out a little squeak. "I just don't want you to be hurt."

"I'll be fine." I pried his fingers off. "It's sweet of you to worry, but really, I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."

"You're not a big girl," I heard Brother mumble, dropping the Al Bhed as if that would make me suddenly unable to understand him. "You're actually a very little girl. . ."

I whacked him in the back of the head, then danced away blithely towards our room. After Ryhcis had gone to bed last night (and after I'd managed to sneak a quick good night kiss) I had demanded of Brother that he tell me how to install the mechanism. Now that Ryhcis had fixed it, I wanted to install it myself. Brother had told me how, and now I was going to go see if I could figure it out.

I was prevented from getting there right away, however, by Gippal.

He stepped in front of me so suddenly that I swear he came out of the wall. I stepped backwards with a little gasp, nearly tripping over the hems of my long jeans.

"Hi," I said, looking up at him with my brightest smile. "Can I help you?"

Gippal didn't answer right away, but glowered down at me, his eye narrowed with an emotion I couldn't figure out. Then, without warning, he seized my arm and hauled me off down the hallway.

"Hey!" I squawked in Al Bhed, trying to pull away from his hold. "What are you doing?"

He didn't answer once again, but dragged me into his office, practically throwing me into a chair before slamming the door shut.

"What were you thinking?" He rounded on me, fury written in every line of his face. I found myself recoiling slightly in the big leather chair, feeling suddenly very small and young.

"Gippal, what--"

"You know what!" I had never seen Gippal this angry. His cheeks blazed with color, his eye glittered dangerously, his body was rigid and tense. "I told you to be careful around him, and instead you go and kiss him?"

Oh. I understood what this was about now. I felt anger boiling up inside me as well and sat forward a little.

"Look, Gippal, I don't think it's any of your business--"

"You don't know him!" Gippal's voice was almost a roar. "You don't know anything about him! He could be a spy, or a murderer, or--"

"Gippal!" I stood up, glaring at the older Al Bhed. "It is none of your concern who I kiss or don't kiss!"

"Yes it is!" Gippal put a hand on my shoulder and pushed, knocking me back down into the leather chair.

"No, it isn't!" My voice had risen to nearly the volume of Gippal's. "I told you before it is not your place to be worried about me. Besides, I don't see what's got you so upset--"

Gippal made an odd noise that was half between a snort and a huff. He put his hands firmly on the arms of the chair and leaned towards me, his face inches from my own. "It's Ryhcis, Rikku. I told you what I'd overheard, and you've only known him for a for a little while, and--"

He stopped as I suddenly drew in a low breath, my eyes going wide. "Oh," I whispered. "I get it. I get what this is all about." Putting my hands on Gippal's shoulders, I gave him a hard shove, sending him stumbling backwards. "You're jealous!"

Gippal stared at me furiously for a moment, spluttering. "I-- you-- I'm not--"

"You're jealous!" My whisper had become a hiss. "You're jealous!" I sprang to my feet, glaring at Gippal, hands clenched at my sides. "How dare you!"

"What?" My last shriek seemed to have caught Gippal off guard.

"How dare you be jealous of Ryhcis!" My face had twisted into a scowl. Gippal seemed even more bemused. "How dare you be jealous of anyone I'm involved with!"

"Why?" Gippal seemed to have gotten his voice back. He moved forward, taking a hold of my arm. "Why can't I be? After all, we used to go out--"

"You rejected me!" I wrenched my arm from his grip. "You told me I was nothing more to you than Cid's little girl!"

Gippal mouthed soundlessly a bit, seeming at a loss for words once more. "But. . ." he said at last. "I. . . I didn't reject you!" His anger returned. "I don't remember you being offered!"

"Oh, don't be stupid," I hissed. "You made it perfectly clear after our kiss that I wasn't good enough for you. That I wasn't slutty enough or big boobed enough, or whatever is wrong with me. You rejected me, and gave up any right then for jealousy."

"Come on," Gippal sneered. "Don't be so immature, Rikku. I may have acted like a fool then, but that doesn't mean--"

"What?" I demanded. "That doesn't mean that you still wouldn't mind playing tonsil hockey with me on occasion?"

"Rikku--"

"This isn't fair, Gippal!" I was shrieking again. "You can't casually brush me aside one day, then decide you want me the next, simply because you've found out someone else likes me too, and is actually willing to admit it. I'm not some plaything of yours. You don't own me Gippal!"

His eye was narrowed again and he approached me, reaching for my arm once more. "I never said anything--"

"No," I cut him off, and was surprised at how flat and emotionless my voice had become. "You never did. And now it's too late."

I extracted my arm from his grasp and walked past him silently, avoiding his gaze. I pulled open to door of his office and left without another word, shutting it softly behind me.

My first thought was to go to my room, throw myself down on my bed, and cry my eyes out. Then I remembered that I still had work to do. The mechanism still needed installing, and I would be damned of I let Brother do it instead of me.

I headed for the Tilgmehks room, as I originally planned before Gippal had intercepted me. Gippal. . . I found my hands clenching again and forced myself to relax, to put Gippal from my mind. He couldn't do this to me, just decide that yeah, actually he was kind of interested after all. Well it was too late. I had told him so, and I meant it. But ugh, did it make me mad. . .

I emerged into our room, my face apparently still set in a scowl because the mechanic crouching near to doorway nearly dropped the sphere he was holding in surprise.

"Lady Rikku?" I loved these guys. They always called me lady'. "Is something wrong?" And they were so sweet. Could you find better people to work with? No, I didn't think so.

"Um, no, Derrick," I made a point to know and call them all by their names. "Everything is fine. Thanks." I looked around. "My brother hasn't gotten to the mechanism yet, has he? The one Ryhcis repaired for us?"

"No, Lady," Derrick replied. "I think he's still at breakfast."

"Figures," I snorted, smiling fondly. "He eats like a pig, but he's as skinny as a rail."

"Kind of like you?" Derrick asked with a sly smile, blushing a little at his own daring.

I stuck my tongue out him good-naturedly, then skipped happily towards the end of the room where the mechanism lay next to the central compartment of the machina I would be installing it into.

Fifteen minutes later I was sitting, cross legged on the floor a number of tools and devices strewn across my lap, holding the mechanism reverently in my hands.

"I think it's ready," I murmured to myself. "I think it's ready."

I rose to my knees, sending bolts and wrenches and screwdrivers tumbling to the floor with loud clinking noises. Still kneeling, I scooted over to the machina and open it's metal hatch. After some maneuvering and cursing, I got the mechanism in, then bit my lip, trying to remember exactly what Brother had told me.

"There should be three wires on the left," I muttered in Al Bhed, unaware that I was speaking out loud. "Here, a red, a blue-- ouch! Damn, oh and the green. . ."

Mumbling happily, I hooked up the wires, then twisted the the top around. Now according to Brother, I should be able to see a square hole, and two oval ones. However, the square hole was still half covered by the top of the machina, and there was a circular one on the other side of the ovals.

I frowned. I wrenched on the top again, but it didn't move. Maybe Brother was wrong? There was a circle ended cable here, perhaps he meant I should hook this one up. It couldn't hurt to try. At worst, I'd get some sparks or perhaps as small electrical fire-- things easily dealt with.

Smiling once more, I shifted a few things, then seized the round-ended cable. Holding the mechanism in one hand, I plugged the cable in with the other. For a moment, nothing happened, and I wondered if it was the right one after all. Then I discovered it wasn't. I didn't get sparks, or a fire.

I got an explosion.
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"Asankahlo!"

The entire temple seemed to drop what it was doing at those words. Even those who didn't understand Al Bhed (there were some, albeit very few) could tell what it meant by the tone in which it was shouted. Emergency!

I myself dropped the reports I was holding, scattering the files across the floor but not bothering to pick them up as I darted for the door. The hallway was teeming with people, but people moving in such practiced, controlled manner that it might have been a fire drill instead of a real emergency.

Commands were being issued and followed, people were asking questions and others answering, all in a deliberately calm way. My heart swelled with pride at my faction members even as I grabbed the nearest one and demanded in harsh Al Bhed to know what happened.

"A machina malfunction, sir," the young worker replied. "In one of the eastern rooms. Caused a bit of an explosion."

"Which room?" I asked through lips that had gone oddly numb. I knew the answer before he gave it.

"The one the team from Home has been working in," the worker said gravely. "A few of our members were injured, and the lady Rikku--"

I didn't wait for him to finish, but tore off down the hallway, shoving people out of my way as I went. The lady Rikku. . . She couldn't have been killed. Everyone was too calm for a death.

She couldn't have been killed. I repeated this to myself in my head over and over again as I hurtled around the corner and practically threw myself into the First Machina Squadron's room.

People were swarming all around in there and I scanned the room hurriedly for Rikku. At the back I caught a glimpse of unnatural blue swirled with purple. Intricate tattoos spiraling up whipcord arms. Brother.

He was kneeling on the ground, cradling a small body in his lap, golden hair spilling all over his legs and the floor. Rikku.

My heart seemed to stopped, and I was barely aware of charging across the room, practically hurling Buddy aside and dropping the floor next to Brother, snatching Rikku from his arms.

She was quite white and still, her eyes closed, her right temple and some of her hair matted with blood. I shook her gently, whispering her name.

"Rikku. . . oh Spira, Rikku. . ." I looked up at Brother. "Is she. . .?"

"She's alive." Brother's face was also quite white, his blue lined eyes wide and bloodshot. He made to take his sister back but I held onto her tightly. "But why do you care, Gippal?"

Have I mentioned that Brother and I are arch enemies? Because we are. Arch enemies. It's a long story, but let's just say our antagonizing one another grew into something more the day he found me kissing his baby sister.

I didn't favor him with an answer to his question, but focussed my attention back on Rikku. Putting a finger on her slim, pale neck, I felt for her pulse. It was slow, faint.

"Why hasn't anyone given her a potion or something?" I demanded, looking back up at Brother. If I hadn't been holding Rikku, I would have been tempted to hit him. What the hell were they thinking? Here she is bleeding and all they're doing is looking at her--

"Ryhcis just went to get one." It was Buddy, speaking slowly and calmly. Both his voice and his words made me want to strangle somebody.

"Ryhcis?" My voice was shaking. "What the hell was he doing here?'

"He heard of the explosion--" Buddy began to explain.

"What caused it?" I demanded, not liking the picture of Ryhcis running into the messed up room, pulling Rikku from the ruins of the machina she now lay near, having her collapse into his arms. . .

"The mechanism," Brother spoke up, and I was surprised to hear tears in his voice. "She was installing it, and something went wrong--" He bent his head, shoulders shaking.

I started to say something, but at that exact moment Ryhcis showed up, holding a first-aid kit.

"Hey," he said, crouching down. "I got this out of the storeroom. There are Al Bhed potions in--"

His words broke off in a rather strangled noise as I practically picked him up and slammed him into the wall.

"You bastard," I hissed at him, holding him in place with my body, my hand around his neck. "You Goddamn bastard. I should kill you right now."

"Gippal," Somebody's hands were on my arm, but I shrugged them off. "Gippal, calm down."

"What did I do, sir?" Ryhcis asked, and I thought I detected a hint of a sneer in his voice. My hand tightened.

"You know damn well what you did," I spat. "You tampered with the mechanism! You made it explode when Rikku tried to install it! You tried to hurt her!"

"Why would I try to hurt my girlfriend?" Ryhcis choked out. The word girlfriend' nearly made me lose control. My hand tightened again, but the hands, which belonged to some mechanic I knew well but couldn't recognize through the angry red haze that seemed cloud my eyes, hauled me off. Ryhcis dropped to the floor, coughing. Had I actually been holding him up off the ground? The thought struck me rather wildly. Cool.

"Sir." The mechanic was talking to me. "Sir, anyone could have tampered with the mechanism. Ryhcis finished with it early evening yesterday, and the rooms have no doors, so someone could have come in at any time during the night if they wished to mess with it. Besides, Lady Rikku inspected it herself this morning. She most likely would have noticed if anything was wrong--"

"No, she wouldn't have." This was Brother, who was standing a little apart from us, looking on like some sort of spectator. "She is good with machina, but she didn't understand this. Shinra was working on it before he left, and I was going to install it. I told her how, since she was so eager to do it herself. . ." He gave a small cough and turned his head away.

I turned my head back to Ryhcis, who had clamored to his feet, twisting my arms in an attempt to loosen the mechanic's (Derrick, I think it was) hold. "You did it," I growled. "I know you did. That was your assignment from Meyn--"

"I wouldn't hurt Rikku!" Ryhcis shouted, his face draining of all color. I noticed then that his eyes were red rimmed and watery, as though he'd been fighting back tears. "I wouldn't hurt her!" And he leapt forward as though he were going to attack me.

In one swift movement I threw off Derrick's hands and punched Ryhcis square in the face, knocking him to the floor. Someone screamed, and I heard Brother swear softly. Derrick made to restrain me again, but again I shrugged him off, turning on my heel and striding over to Rikku.

Buddy was kneeling next to her, having taken the first aid kit that Ryhcis had dropped when I pinned him to the wall, gently coaxing the clear green liquid of an Al Bhed potion down her throat.

She stirred after about the third mouthful, but didn't awaken. I bent down and scooped her up into my arms.

"Thanks," I said to Buddy. "I'll take her to her room."

And without waiting for anyone to respond, I left the room and did just that.

Of course, Brother wouldn't dare allow me in his sister's bedroom with his sister alone (even if said sister was unconscious) so he came as well, and between the two of us we got Rikku laid out on her bed, Brother tipping a few more drips of the Al Bhed potion into her mouth while I cleaned the blood off her head.

Then I took up a seat by the side of her bed, Brother took up a seat at the end, and we settled down to wait. I locked the door, not wanting anyone else (namely Ryhcis) to come in.

Brother was asleep within half an hour, his head slumped forward on his chest, his tears of earlier drying on his drawn and tired face. He feels guilty, I thought with sudden insight. He thinks it's his fault she got hurt.

"It's Ryhcis' fault," I whispered venomously, turning back to look at Rikku. Her face was still far too white, dark golden lashes laying on pale cheeks, making her looking very young and vulnerable.

I forced the image of Ryhcis, blanching with tearful eyes at the thought of hurting Rikku, from my mind, trying to summon up my anger of earlier. It wasn't hard. All I had to do was remember my conversation with Rikku, how she had shouted at me, and I had shouted back. . .

You can't casually brush me aside one day, then decide you want me the next, simply because you've found out someone else likes me too, and is actually willing to admit it. I'm not some plaything of yours. You don't own me Gippal!

I never said anything--

No, you never did. And now it's too late.

I hadn't said anything. I had kissed her (oh, Spira had I kissed her) and then I hadn't said anything. I even gone so far as to laugh and--

My head slumped into my hands and I felt like my insides were twisting around themselves in a horrible, burning mess.

I had convinced myself she was nothing more to me than my childhood friend, convinced myself determinedly because I was afraid that she was becoming something more to me than my childhood friend. She was just Rikku, yes, but just Rikku was turning out to be beautiful and fun and sweet and sexy. . .

I think it was then that I realized I couldn't fool myself anymore. It was then that I realized Rikku wasn't just Cid's little girl, and hadn't been since she had stood up and turned to face me with that gorgeous smile her first day here at Djose. And I had been too stupid to realize it. Or rather, I had been too stupid to admit I'd realized it.

And now it was too late, just as Rikku had said. She was with Ryhcis now (I couldn't suppress a sneer, even though no one was around to see it), and she seemed to want to have nothing to do with me. So where did that leave me?

Heartbroken. It was the first word that popped in my head and I actually laughed out loud at the thought, but sobered quickly, afraid of waking Brother. I wasn't heartbroken, but I was hurt.

I laughed again-- a bitter snort. It was my own damn fault after all. I had held Rikku in my arms, even kissed her, and then ruthlessly, selfishly, goddamn fucking stupidly shoved her away.

I raised my head from my hands to look down into Rikku's face once more, remembering how her hair had shone silver in the moonlight, how she had hugged me when I brought her the wires, how she had looked at me so solemnly when I told her about Ryhcis and Meyn, how she had shouted at me, cheeks red and eyes blazing. . .

I realized I was shaking slightly and let out another laugh, ridiculing myself. However, the laugh started sounding rather hysterical and I stifled it quickly.

Reaching out, I took a hold of Rikku's hand, bending the slim, white fingers over my own. She was sleeping now, and I would be there when she woke up.

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A/N: I hope that's not too out of character for Gippal there at the end. I didn't think it was, really. After all, he has been sort of pining after Rikku this whole time, he's just finally starting to admit it to himself, the stupid lummox. Gotta love him though.
Thanks again to my lovely reviewers, you're all so supportive and make me feel like so talented. A lot of your comments make me laugh as well, and I'm totally open to suggestions. Wasn't it nice to see Gippal get a little. . . feisty? I know some of you were waiting for that. :)
Next chapter coming soon, as always. :)