New Home, Zanarkand

Disclaimers: Final Fantasy belongs to their respective owners at Square Enix. So I wish, but no way. Hehehehe, at least enjoy the story.

Story starts from Chapter Three of the Game at Djose Temple. This and a few other scenes from the game will be in the story, but then after that it'll be purely just story.

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Chapter One – Confession

The girls of sphere hunters had made their way over to Djose Temple after the announcement of fiends coming from all the temples in Spira. The three young women quickly made their way over to all of the temples to help stop the fiend problems. However they were greeted by the eighteen year old blonde Al Bhed, leader of the Machine Faction - Gippal.

The former Summoner and yet to the world she was still the High Summoner that saved the world from the number one world public enemy, Sin. Yuna had rid the world of Sin and yet here she was again saving the world, but not with her original team. Yuna, now nineteen, still had her Al Bhed cousin, Rikku, by her side. Rikku was still bubbly personality at the age of seventeen.

Along with Rikku, she now had Paine. She was a mystery and still a close friend, eighteen and already seemed as if she had troubles of the world already on her shoulders which might cause her serious personality. Rikku and Yuna both wished to know more about the warrior member of their group, but it would take some time.

Of course on the Celsius, the airship that they all traveled on was Buddy and Brother from their first adventure two years ago. So they were part of the old team and there was Shinra, their youngest member was an Al Bhed wiz kid. He had a huge amount of data to keep him busy a long with inventions always coming up in his head. Of course there was Barkeep, he was a sweet hypello that tended the bar and the cabin aboard ship.

The three girls stood there as Gippal turned around to face the three girls. However Gippal only had an eye for on certain Blonde Al Bhed Princess. Sure he teased her constantly but it didn't mean there wasn't an underline tone that was being missed. Mostly it was being missed by the young Al Bhed Princess.

"Hey, it's Cid's little girl!" Gippal said in excitement as he played with her hair.

"I have a name," Rikku pouted she fixed her hair.

"You seem close," Yuna said with a smile.

Of course being Gippal he had to add his two cents, "We made quite the couple."

"Oh?" Yuna looked at the two of Al Bhed.

Rikku pushed him quickly and muttered in Al Bhed, "What are you saying?"

"Rikku is always good for a laugh," Gippal said with a chuckle. "If you're here about digging, this isn't the best time."

"Well, there were fiends here too, right? Want us to clean up for yea?" Rikku asked with a wink and Gippal just smiled.

"Fiend hunting," Gippal raised an eyebrow. "What, you guys give up the sphere gig?"

"Temporarily. Right now we're helping people out," Yuna said with a smile. "Maybe…you'd like to hire us?"

"Nope," Gippal turned away from the group. "You already took care of Sin. We can't go running to you every time we get into trouble. I watch my own back."

"HMPH! Show off," Rikku pointed her finger at Gippal who just smirked.

"Well, be careful," Yuna advised.

"You too," Gippal said simply in return.

"Right," Yuna nodded.

"Come on," Paine said as she began walking away. Yuna was to follow quickly after Paine but Gippal grabbed Rikku's arm. Rikku turned to look at him in surprise and the two other girls looked over in surprise as what was going on between the two Al Bhed. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," Yuna replied as she and Paine watched intently.

"You stay safe," Gippal said worriedly and it confused Rikku. The last time she saw him like this was at Bikenel Island when Home was still standing.

"You too, don't do nothing stupid." Rikku said in response but as she tried to start walking again she found herself in Gippal's arms and his lips on her own. The other Al Bhed turned their heads away from the scene, most of them already knew the possible history and Yuna and Paine looked in surprise.

Paine then caught something, she noticed Gippal placing an object into Rikku's pouch that rested at her side. Paine arched an eyebrow and wondered what he was slipping into her pouch and Yuna happened to see it as well. She looked over at Paine, "Did you see that?"

"I wonder what it is," Paine said simply. "So those two were quite the couple?"

"I guess so," Yuna responded as the two watched the scene before them.

Gippal pulled away from a flushed Rikku, "Don't get yourself killed."

Rikku nodded meekly and rushed off. Gippal looked at the girl with longing eyes, he knew that he took a big risk by doing what he just did but to him it was worth it. He truly hoped that she stayed safe as he watched his once flame leave with a former comrade and former summoner.

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"So, Rikku, is there something between you and Gippal?" Yuna asked with a curious tone as her cousin just gave her a glare which made her laugh. "Come on, you can tell us!"

"There is nothing to tell," Rikku stated flatly as well as on the defensive and Paine just smirked. As she noticed that in her waist pouch was a sphere. "The stupid jerk was being a big MEAINE!" Rikku hugged and the two girls looked at each other with a shrug.

"Then explain what is this doing in your pouch?" Paine asked as she pulled it out of Rikku's side pouch. Rikku looked at with curious eyes and was not sure how to respond to the question. "I think Gippal placed it in there, I think we should watch it!"

"PAINE!" Rikku shouted as Paine raced up to the bridge followed by Yuna, Rikku quickly picked up her pace and go after the two women. She shouted for them to stop but by the time she reached the bridge Shinra was analyzing it.

"Looks like there is a pass code on the sphere," Shinra announced and Rikku walked over to the group. Buddy and Brother were looking over to see what was going on, "Rikku, do you know what the pass code could be?"

Rikku wondered what Gippal would have given her with a pass code, "Did you try Gippal?"

"It didn't work," Yuna said with a sheepish grin.

"Neither did Al Bhed, Girls, Sex, and a few other things," Buddy shouted from his station. Rikku fumed as she tried to think of a few other words that could unlock the sphere. Then it dawned on her, If it is a sphere just for me, he would have thought of something else. He wouldn't have, would he?

"Cid's Girl," Rikku said softly and the Sphere activated itself. Everyone turned to look over at the screen as an image of Gippal appeared before them.

"Interesting," Paine said simply. "It looks like a recent recording."

"Hey Cid's Girl!" Gippal chuckled, "You're probably yelling that I'm a meanie. So anyway, Hey Ri."

Rikku smiled, he had used his old nickname from when they were younger. She smiled for it had brought back some sweeter memories before her days of being a guardian for Yuna. It brought back a bittersweet memory of two years ago.

Gippal rubbed the back of his head, "Well I just wanted to say for sorry for breaking up with you two years ago. I know that I never explained to you why, so here is the reason." Gippal paused and looked away from the sphere, "I joined something called the Crimson Squad that was going to be an elite fighting group against Sin. And I thought it would be my way of protecting Spira and a way of proving myself to Cid's girl."

"You never had to," Rikku whispered but it wasn't missed by Paine or Yuna.

"Anyway, and there was a chance that I would not make it back to see you and I was hurt that you were going off too, so it was kind of a way of my pay back for you not waiting at Home. I know stupid, Gippal." He let out a chuckle and turned to look back at the sphere. He took off his eye patch to reveal his other emerald eye, but it was a slightly different shade. But it was functional eye but because of the slightly different tone he didn't show it off. "Ri, I never stopped caring about you. I think I ended up missing you more than anything, after the fall out of the crimson squad I had to go in hiding, which caused me to be away from you longer."

Paine didn't show an outward emotion but she too had a feeling deep within about the fall out. She could tell that Gippal was not too happy about the whole ordeal but it was alright for the most part. However Paine turned her attention to the blonde girl as she watched with intent of what the blonde leader was saying.

"So Rikku, I guess is what I am saying is…" Gippal paused as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I still love you, alright! I know that Brother is going to kill me after he finds out about this…"

"You bet I AM!" Brother shouted and was hushed by everyone. He just pouted as he continued to listen to the context of the sphere.

"I know there is a chance that you hate me or might not feel the same, but the moment I saw you again after two years…I had the feeling again. Rikku, please be alright as your going off on your adventure. I hope maybe you can forgive this jackass for never telling you the proper way two years ago. And waiting till now to tell you, oh well. Be safe…"

"So there was HISTORY!" Yuna shouted as Rikku turned bright red.

"Spill," Paine said with a smirk.

"We dated when we were younger, from about the age of thirteen till I was fifteen. We knew each other much like any of the Al Bhed, we lived at Home. We grew up together, he teased me all the time much like you saw our first time in Djose and this previous time." Rikku paused and paced a little bit. "I was surprised at first when he asked me to Gippal's girl instead of just being Cid's girl."

"So you two were 'quite the couple'," Yuna said slyly. As she looked at Rikku, "Do you want to go back and see him?"

Rikku looked up bewildered but Brother answered for her, "No way! We have a job to do and that's what we are going to do."

"Oh boy," Buddy sighed and Shinra just shook his head.

"Not right now, we'll talk to him later." Rikku said simply.

"Do you feel the same?" Paine asked.

"The night he broke up with me, he gave me this," Rikku pulled out a silver ring. "I gave it to him as a birthday gift, and he said that if I did ever forgive him to return it to him. Of course when the time was right he said we would be together again."

"Rikku, you still love him?" Yuna asked with a curious eyes.

"I don't think I ever did really stop, Pops actually thought well of him when we were younger." Rikku perked up and everyone smiled knowing Rikku was still Rikku. "But right now isn't the time, we have a job to do for the rest of Spira."

"So when we do our job you are going to see him right?" Paine asked and Rikku gave her famous smile.

"Are you going to tell me about your past?" Rikku raised her eyebrow as Paine just rolled her eyes. "That's what I thought. I'll talk to him when the time comes, that's all."

"Good for you Rikku," Yuna said with a smile as she hugged her cousin. "So let us go finish our JOB!"

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This is my first final fantasy story, so please be kind. I know it's not much right now, but I promise try to get it better as I go.

I'll update soon…take care.