"FOUR DAYS?" She almost shouted. "How was I asleep so long? What time is it?"

"Easy!" He said trying to calm her. "We had to drug you sort of...You needed time to heal...it's 1:00 in the morning.." He looked down slightly almost as if he were ashamed of what he had done. She let it go and decided to ask a

different question. "Where did you find me?"

He looked away out the window for a long moment before answering. Rikku finally started to notice her surroundings. She was in a small room with a medium sized bed covered in a red and gold blanket. A golden light glowed

from the floor through a window that seemed to be made out of stained glass. The walls were covered with shelves of books and maps and letters. A faint sweet smell lingered in the air and clung to the blankets and her

clothes. It was the soft musky sweet smell that she had remembered when Gippal had helped her keep her balance. On the ceiling was a similar colorful glass machina light. A combination of pink orange red and gold gave the

room a warm fire-like glow. Was this his house? Rikku wondered. She had known Gippal almost all of her life. Not now of course, but they had met when she was 7. He had been 10 at the time. He was now 21 years old. Their

parents were good friends. Rikku and Gippal had played together as children until they were old enough to take on responsibilities. Rikku had always admired Gippal's knowledge of machina, however the Yevon teachings had

not allowed her, as guardian of her best friend, to befriend a wielder of extensive machina. Now that the teachings were rarely enforced she supposed there was no crime in their friendship. However, the two of them had

changed and grown so far apart she didn't know him much at all anymore. His familiar blonde hair with soft spikes, his sparkling white teeth in perfect contrast with his tanned skin were all masked behind several new changes.

For one he was much taller than her now. When she stood next to him he must have been at least 9 inches taller. His friendly boyish face had been replaced with a hardened more masculine appearance. His shoulders too

broad, his arms too strong to be the young boy she had once known. A black eye patch now covered his right eye, no doubt from a battle accident. However, even with all these differences that might make him appear to be

intimidating or frightening to other girls, he was really quite attractive she thought to herself.

Finally looking back into her eyes, Gippal tried to find the words to answer her question. He spoke carefully and slowly, frightened she might go into shock with too much stress. "I had been out scavenging for parts in the Bikinel

Desert...I was heading home after a long day of work..I was surprised to find anyone else out that late at night..I knew they must have been up to no good..I found you..at the D'jose pass.." he paused for a few seconds,

looking back out the window before continuing. "I saw them carrying a girl..three men.." His voice sounded pained. "It looked as though they worked for the Youth league...I overheard them say something about tossing the

body into the ravine...I had to stop them..If I had any idea it had been you-" He didn't finish. She noticed out of the corner of her eye that he clenched his fists tightly, the muscles standing out against the tan smooth skin of his

forearm. Rikku gulped, chilled by his intensity. She clasped and unclasped her hands patiently waiting in silence. He looked back at her face, his eyes livid. "If I had known it had been you I..I dont think I would have left them

alive.."

Rikku looked down at her boots unsure of what to say. She had felt a tremendous amount of guilt weighing down her chest for the way she had treated Gippal in the past. They had been close friends until she told him she didn't

want to see him anymore when she was 15..he was 18. She remembered that day clearly...How many times had it replayed in her thoughts? Torturing her through nightmares.

"Please dont go.." Gippal had said.. "If you leave I'm just going to find you..why does it matter what Yevon says? Lets just run away! We can get away from all of this...We don't have to be condemned...Just because we're Al

Bhed! Don't give in like this!" ..Fighting back tears as he pleaded. She spoke the words but her will was not strong. "Gip..." She uttered softly. "Just leave me alone..." The tears began to spill over her cheeks and her throat felt

tight. Her stomach felt sick and her knees weak. "We can't be friends anymore!" She cried out throwing her fists at him in hopes that he would leave. He just grabbed onto her wrists without saying a word. Looking into her

eyes. The last thing he said to her that day had been: "I will leave you be...I'll go ..for you Rikku...Not for Yevon.."