Hey, everyone! I'm doing yet another fic! -gasp- This one's a little different, though. It's done in parts. It follows Gippal, really. This first part is about Gippal wanting to join the Crusaders at age fifteen and how he lost his eye. I shall not tell you what the other parts are about because that would spoil it!

This is going to be fun! I love doing Baralai/Gippal! Because it's so logical! Haven't you noticed how in the game, when you collect the Crimson Spheres, in just about every scene Baralai and Gippal are together? Now...I like Baralai as the dominant one. Gippal's an Al Bhed! Just knowing that alone gives you so many plots with him as an uke!

So, anyway. I do leave comments for all reviews. So, if you are confused or have a question, ask! I'll reply! I always do! Enjoy after the disclaimer, loves!

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy X-2.

Part 1

Chapter one: Crusade

It had been nine years since Lord Braska had brought the age of the Calm to Spira and the people were taking a break of peace and joy for the last year until Sin would be reborn yet again. However, for some, the Calm did not bring the peace that they so longed for. For ten years they did not have to worry about Sin, but the constant feud between those of Yevon and the Al Bhed had quite a few on their toes. It was for the third time that a fifteen-year-old Al Bhed had tried to join the Crusaders, wanting to help defeat Sin once and for all when it did return the following year. But alas, his wants went unmet as he continued to be turned down for not being eligible because he was an Al Bhed.

Yet, he figured if he persisted enough, eventually they would take him. Since he was little he wanted to be a Crusader and on his fifteenth birthday he became old enough to enlist. The next day, Gippal returned back to the agency in Luca to try his hand yet again at getting a chance to join. When the recruiter saw him, he scoffed and leaned back to look at his ally who sat looking through papers of new recruits.

"Guess who's back?" he said as the other turned to face him.

He rolled his eyes. "Not that Al Bhed kid again." The other only smirked and nodded, causing the other recruiter to groan. "The kid's really starting to get on my nerves. How many times we have to turn him away for him to get the hint?" The guy shrugged.

"Maybe four's our lucky number."

"I wouldn't bet on it."

The man turned back as Gippal approached the station.

"Can I get a form?" the Al Bhed asked as he leaned on the counter with his forearms. The man filing paperwork turned back to his work while his coworker crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair. "Any day now, folks."

The recruiter only raised a brow. "How many times you gonna come up here asking for a form?" He gave the blond a cold stare, which Gippal only shrugged off.

"Depends. As long as it takes to get one." He leaned further on the counter to where almost his entire upper body was in the small station. He looked at the empty forms sitting next to the recruiter and eyed them before looking back to the man who continued to stare at him. "Wouldn't take much, ya know? All you have to do is just—" he reached his hand over the counter towards the forms, "—give me one."

The man sitting behind the counter put his hand on the stack of forms.

"Retrieve your hand before I cut it off."

Gippal pulled his hand back and pouted slightly, allowing his forearm to rest back on the counter. "Come on," he said, ignoring the look he continually received. "What's it matter who's fighting Sin? As long as it's defeated—"

"You're not enlisting and that's set," the man said as he leaned forward, causing Gippal to pull back a bit. "And if you keep this up, I'll have you arrested and thrown in prison." He leaned closer to where his face was mere centimeters away from the Al Bhed's. "How's that sound? You comprehend?"

Gippal narrowed his eyes before scoffing and pulling back, hands only now lying on the counter.

"Doesn't sound too good if you ask me, oui ekhunyhd pycdynt," he said the last part of the sentence in the thickness of the Al Bhed language. When the man's eyes narrowed, Gippal smirked. "How's that sound? You comprehend?" He took a step back from the counter. "I'll see you tomorrow. Give you time to rethink giving me a form. Kuutpoa," he said as he waved and turned on his heel, walking away from the station.

The man watched the Al Bhed until he was out of sight. It was then that his coworker commented.

"That damn Al Bhed's on the last of my nerves. Find some reason to have him moved, because I'm tired of listening to his consistent whining every day."

The other leaned back in his chair again, hands behind his head. "Hmph. I have a feeling we won't be seeing him around for a while." He pushed back his chair and stood, walking and exiting the small station in Luca Square. The other only raised a brow before turning back to his work.

Outside the station, the man called over to two guards who had seemed to be watching the very same Al Bhed make his exit. They turned their attention to the recruiter who walked up to them.

"Would either one of you be interested in doing the Crusaders a favour?"

--

Gippal was pacing back and fourth across the second dock in Luca, hands shoved in his pockets as he kicked the ground with his black boot. The wind began picking up around the area, causing minimal movement in his hair and he could not help but stop for a moment and advert his green eyes up to the sun that was slowly being covered by gray clouds. He shook his head and gazed out into the sea.

Drao yna fiends! Not allowing me to become a Crusader only because of race. He stopped pacing and took his hands out of his pockets, moving them to set on his hip. "Just wait. I'll be a Crusader. Drao lyh'd rumt sa uid vunajan!"

"Shut up, you good-for-nothing Al Bhed."

He turned around to be face with two guards, both armed with the average rifle. Gippal crossed his arms and shook his head.

"Can't even vent without being followed. What is Spira coming to?" he asked rhetorically as he shook his head.

"Hear you've been stirring up trouble over at the recruiting station. If I were you, I'd rethink your position," the main guard spoke, voice husky, as he took one step closer to the blond.

Gippal cocked his head to the side. "Stirring up trouble? Me? Hu. Hu, sirs. Quite the contrary. Just trying to get a form to become a Crusader. Nothing wrong with that, is there?"

The guard took a few more steps, now to where he was towering over the fifteen-year-old Al Bhed. "With you? Yes. That does present a problem." Gippal looked up, staring into the man's eyes - or at least, he thought he was. He could not truly tell with them wearing their helmets. "Last time I checked, Al Bhed weren't allowed to be Crusaders."

"Well, maybe they should rethink their policy," Gippal remarked as he stood straight, trying to show that he had no intentions of backing down.

He stumbled backwards when he was poked in the stomach with the bayonet on the rifle. He put his hand to his chest, still not looking away from the man's face.

"That was uncalled for."

He barely had the words out of his mouth when he was hit against the head with the end of the rifle. He fell to the left against a pile of crates along the edge of the dock. His immediate reaction was pulling his hand to his head where he was struck, but no sooner had he done that was the collar of his shirt gripped. The guard released his rifle and unsheathed the small knife he had concealed on his belt. Gippal adverted his eyes to the weapon and practically sneered at it as it was pressed against the corner of his eye. He clamped his eyes shut and tried to move his head away.

"They won't allow you in with a disability," the guard spoke as he pressed the blade of the knife against the blond's right eyelid.

"I rather like my eye!" Gippal shouted as he opened his left eye, staring sideways at the metal that was pressing to the opposite eye.

He shut his eye back as the guard slid the blade across his eyelid. Gippal clenched his jaw, letting out a strained groan.

"Nnnnnnahhhh—!" was all he was able to get out before the guard grabbed his chin with his free hand to keep Gippal from moving his head. "What the hell are you doing?! Stop it!" he shouted, but neither guard paid heed. He felt the blade shift to where only the point was pressed against his lid. "Knock it off!" he shouted, trying to shift from the guard's grasp, but his grip held firm. "Help! Somebody! Hey!!" he began yelling out, hoping someone passing by the dock would have a heart and come to his aid; but that was to no avail and his pleas went unaided.

In one slip, the tip of the knife was pressed into his eye.

Not even Gippal knew he could scream that loud.

The range of the yell was loud enough to drive both guards to freak and bail – but by then, it was too late. The blade was jerked out of his cornea, blood following quickly after it. And as the guards fled, Gippal fell forward to his hands and knees, right hand pulled up to his bleeding eye.

A mixture between choked yells and cries escaped his throat as the blood began coveting his hand and dripped onto the ground. He looked up, body shaking, and tried to gather back to his feet. He stumbled back against the crates once he did gather to his feet before shifting to the circular path that would lead back to the kiosk in front of the blitzball stadium. He was hoping to make it back to Luca Square to the nearest medic or healer that could try and heal him.

He was barely coherent to move one foot in front of the other to walk from the quick amount of blood loss. His vision was blurring and everything seemed to swirl together. Passerby stared at him before shifting back to what they were doing and ignoring his condition and/or muffled phrases of the word 'help.' He had barely reached dock one when he moved against the wall, leaning against it, using it to support his body as he trailed along it.

He did not make it passed the first dock before pressing his back against the wall and sliding down it, hand still covering his eye. People continued to watch him as they passed by, not one bothering to assist him.

"Ramb sa, bmayca. Cusauha. Ramb," he said over and over as his surroundings swirled around him before sending him into darkness.

Time to expand our Al Bhed! --

01. oui ekhunyhd pycdynt: You ignorant bastard.
02. Kuutpoa: Goodbye.
03. Drao yna fiends!: They are fiends!
04. Drao lyh'd rumt sa uid vunajan!: They can't hold me out forever!
05. Hu. Hu, sirs: No. No, sirs.
06. Ramb sa, bmayca. Cusauha. Ramb: Help me, please. Someone. Help.

So! What did you think?! Okay for a first chapter? Boy...I hope so! Do tell me what you think. Reviewing is how us authouresses/authours know you like the story! Do leave some feedback, loves!