I wanna start by saying THANKS to my two reviewers, and for Josie, I hope this chapter clarifies some of the out of character-ness. I apologize for it. Sometimes the way things sound in my head don't look the same written down. Also, I've introduced the idea of Al Bhed housing in this chapter. I mean, they gotta all be living somewhere! Think of it as the Shumi Tribe in Final Fantasy VIII, but not as much vegetation. Bring on the fiction!

You said you'd light a candle
And you'd say a prayer for me
Well I feel the light has dimmed and gone
And half the world is begging
While the other half steals
Oh where did everything go wrong?

Gippal awoke with a new lightness in his step. Just knowing that Rikku cared enough to stop by during the night gave him a new hope. Even his assistant, Shinra, had to admit that the meuh was overwhelmingly chipper. Gippal strolled into his office ready for his first official day as leader. Shinra was already inside, waiting patiently by his boss' desk with a large stack of papers waiting for his approval. "How's it going, sand rat?" Gippal joked. It wasn't a name Shinra particularly favored, but Shinra could never convince his friend that he had indeed grown since his days as a Gullwing.

"Sir," Shinra started, trying to keep up a professional demeanor for the sake of his position as meuh's assistant, "you've got these bills to glance over and Praetor Baralai and President Terryn are here to see you."

Gippal plopped down onto his suede chair in front of a large stack of papers. He had never come face to face with bureaucracy until now. Sure, the Machine Faction had book keeping and had to stay within certain building codes and occasionally a few laws of physics, Gippal had people to work on that for him. What made him the best was his extensive knowledge of machina and his experience in battle, not because he could impress a bunch of bigwigs. "Baralai and who?"

"That's Praetor Baralai and President Terryn, as in President of Luca, as in, an important machina merchant." Shinra rubbed his temples in distress. It was the perfect time to use his 'just a kid' excuse. "I know it's your first day, but these guys are gonna need you to impress them. Because if they do, they by our workers and our machines which translates to money for things like better roads and social programs."

The meuh was lost in his own thoughts. Gippal tossed his glass paperweight amongst himself, fading in and out of the conversation he was having. "I can't wait to tell Baralai about last night."

"Praetor Baralai," he reiterated, "is going to expect you to be professional. He will act as Praetor Baralai and you will act as Meuh Gippal. Got it?" Gippal thrust out his bottom lip like a crying child and nodded. "All right. They're in the conference room."

"Conference room? You mean that stuffy, windowless room?"

Shinra groaned again, "Would you rather me set you all up with a tour of the desert?"

"Chop, chop, sand rat."

Some days I can't believe
Others I'm on my knees
Trying to be heard

Rikku had flown the whole night, trying to get the image of Gippal out of her mind. And after a quick trip from shore to shore, she found herself parked outside of her dune wondering what to do next. Every now and again…

her mind…

would…

wander…

The way his muscled chest would rise and fall in the night air, every breath was a tiny little gift to her. "Oh, lusa uh, Rikku (Oh, come on, Rikku)," she cursed to herself. Her mind would bounce back and forth between being ecstatic about seeing him again and being ecstatic about seeing his gorgeous figure again. Rikku hated that even after a 19 year existence, she still reverted to childish ways. Her thoughts had become a harlequin romance over night, thinking about rippling muscles and brooding lips. He's the same grease monkey you've known since you were born, Rikku screamed in her head.

Pacing back and forth, having an angry conversation with herself, Rikku could hardly believe she had gotten herself so worked up, and over Gippal of all people. "You cannot go back there tonight!" she commanded. The tiny airship rocked side to side with every angry step. Due to the petite stature of her ship, The Rift, Rikku found herself ranting in her small kitchen one second and raving in her bathroom the next. She should have been more grateful to Gippal after coming up with the idea for a personal airship. The Machine Faction had been working on personal airships for years, but the components for the engine required large areas to necessitate the engine's size. It was Gippal who found that with the engine of a standard hover fused together with a second engine and injected with the same diesel hybrid fuel used to power the hoses that filled Blitz stadiums, he could manufacture a more compact airship engine. It was also Gippal who had been tight with his gil and not hired enough security to protect it, leaving it wide open for Rikku to highjack.

The controls of the prototype were definitely built with Gippal in mind. The helm's handles were stiff and thick, but it gave Rikku a chance to work on her biceps. Some other male based luxuries were the rock solid mattress, the kitchen which contained only a microwave, sink, and a refrigerator, and the bathroom, if it could be called that. The bathroom consisted of a 6' by 6' shower with a curtain encircling it, a toilet with absolutely no privacy, and no sink. Rikku assumed Gippal figured people would only need one sink per mobile home. The Rift was a virtual studio apartment capable of flight. It was severely in need of a woman's touch. Only a foot away from her bed was the open cockpit. Underneath the mattress was a cramped room where the complex engine was kept.

The only thing that brought her back to the desert was her promise to Auron. Rikku would have been content to hang around Spira as she always did. She had acquired a few friends at bars she frequented, seen just about every Blitzball game, played a few rounds of Sphere Break in a couple of alleys, trained in every forest and dungeon to hone her combat skills, and re-adventured in just about every corner of Spira, always finding new treasures she had missed the first two times she toured the planet.

Her first two journeys were on other peoples' schedules. The first one required her to dash through some of the most fascinating places in Spira to get Yuna to Zanarkand as soon as possible. The second trip involved her obsessing over spheres or running from jumbo sized fiends. Digging around Bikanel would have been so much more fun if Yuna hadn't volunteered the Gullwings to fight Angra Mainyu. This round, Rikku was finally able to explore the way she wanted. One of her first adventures was bringing her pet monkey, Ghiki, from her trainer dress sphere, out to Zanarkand and letting him free. Why Yuna took home that damn dress sphere in the first place was beyond Rikku. She had also snuck back into the Chamber of the Fayth in Bevelle to examine the machina that was in use down there, all the while reveling in the hypocrisy.

I was your anger
And you were my fear
And now that it's over
Of course it's so clear
But you were no angel
And I was no sin
Somehow I can't let it go
I can't let it go

Gippal entered the conference room with his shoulders slumped forward. Schmoozing with fellow leaders paled in comparison to being elbow deep in engine oil. He had to fight the urge to call 'what's up' when he saw Baralai. Instead, he offered a handshake and a stern, "Good afternoon," to Baralai and the woman at his side. Terryn was a frightful vision. In her earlier years, she had been a goalie for the Luca Goers, but traded in her ball for a sword and became a Crusader. When Spira finally regained peace, Baralai held a service, reinstating any Crusader who wished to rejoin the Yevon religion, which is how the pair had first met. Terryn had muscles like a Ronso and a voice like one as well, deep and abrupt. She towered over Gippal and Baralai in both height and build. Her hair was wiry, long, and brown. Her eyes were an odd shade of grey. Gippal began to wonder just how justified his suspicions of Ronso heritage were. He shuttered at the thought. The only reason Terryn won the election for president over Rin was because of Luca's fear that Rin would delve the city further into their reputation of being Spira's entertainment capital. Luca's people wanted Spira to know that they were a political force to be reckoned with, and the spread of Sphere Break was bringing in a larger amount of gamblers than Blitz did.

Baralai looked the same as ever. Platinum hair cut down to an immaculate length, not a stitch on his robes was out of place. Baralai's skin still a more chocolatey shade of tan than Gippals, and his eyes a soft brown to accent. Baralai accepted Gippal's handshake and marveled at how mature Gippal had become simply by adding a meuh in front of his name. "Meuh Gippal, I am glad to introduce to you President Terryn," Baralai relayed.

Gippal offered her a handshake as well but was greeted with a brisk jerk from her. He felt his arm being tugged from the socket. "Meuh? Is that an Al Bhed word?"

Gippal nodded and recovered his violated hand from her painful grip. "Yes, it means lion. There have been a few predecessors, most notably Meuh Cid, but the position took a hiatus due to the island's uncertain times." Baralai took note of his buddy's practiced speech. This wasn't the same teenager tinkering with robots in the sand.

Terryn scoffed at Gippal's last statement, "In times of turmoil, leaders are needed most."

Gippal wanted to put her in her place by commenting that Luca had never seen turmoil, but didn't want to cause a global dispute. "I agree," he lied. "Now, if you both will follow me outside, my assistant has provided us with a tour of my land. We can discuss matters along the way."

Gippal lead the pair through the double doors and back into the desert. The embassy was atop a dune and sat with no introduction such as a path leading to it or an entryway. The Al Bhed didn't believe in displacing ancient sand to create roads. The people simply memorized the locations of dunes and which buildings were built into them. Like the grand structure that was once Home, the embassy was deeper than wide, making use of the grand tunnels sand worms had been excavating for centuries. Many of the Al Bhed homes were located in an enormous underground catacomb called dra Luhluinca, for the concourse. It was one of the many tools the Al Bhed used to remain private and protected. People who visited Bikanel often wondered where the Al Bhed stayed because to them it appeared as a giant beach with few structures. But a majority of the Al Bhed population was housed securely underground at dra Luhluinca. Few people lived above ground. Gippal's home was at an airship base called dra Frynv uv dra Zu, which roughly translated to The Zu's Wharf. His quarters had been above ground, but the whole rest of the base was buried. During processions, such as the inauguration, large machina were brought above ground to serve as a stage and the people simply gathered in the sand.

Terryn and Baralai squinted as they stepped into the blinding desert sunlight. Shinra was already patiently waiting at the front of the embassy with a hover and an enclosed cart hitched to the back end. It served as a makeshift limousine to anyone of slight importance that passed through the desert.

The trio gathered into the surprisingly spacious cart and sat at ends from one another in the sphere shaped cart. The conversation began with small talk about many of the Al Bhed marvels, including dra Luhluinca, their irrigation system, the CommSphere network, and their alliance with Cactuar Nation. "I'm glad to hear you people have such a hold on technological advances because the new stadium needs to be at the pinnacle of mechanical genius," Terryn said after they passed by Kas uv dra Tacand.

Gippal didn't care for the way she referred to the Al Bhed as you people. "I thought Luca wasn't interested in entertainment these days?" he jested in his defense.

Terryn stiffened at the blatant attack on her city and Gippal suddenly wished he were dealing with Rin. "The stadium is one of the few things that unite all Spira as a single race. Which brings me to my second proposition. I want a temple put in Luca."

Gippal choked on his tongue at the notion. He shot a glare to Baralai who was pleading with his eyes for compliance. It was then that Gippal realized these were Baralai's intentions for tagging along in the first place. "Wow, wow, wow," Gippal said, breaking his character, "let me point out everything that's wrong with what you just said. First, the temples were built to worship the aeons that lay inside. There is no known aeon in Luca. Secondly, Yevonites and Al Bhed don't really agree on religious matters. I mean, sure Baralai and I are pals, but you don't see us lining up to go to church together. What grounds could you possibly have for asking me to consent to do this? The last thing my insanely patriotic people would want their new meuh to do is become a Yevon sympathizer."

"Think of yourself as an opportunist, you'd be bringing in greatly needed revenue," Terryn said.

Baralai finally spoke up in defense of the idea, "We would be bridging the gap of peace between the nations. The temple will be created to celebrate Yevon. We need you because of the complex design it would entail."

"Keep talking," Gippal prodded.

Baralai continued, "We would allow the Al Bhed into the Bevelle underground to see the machina Chamber of Fayth that once housed Bahamut. This is, needless to say, a very rare and generous offer."

"What's so special about a machina Chamber of Fayth?"

"Don't act like you're not dying to see it," Baralai joked, dropping his character momentarily as well. "We need your builders to see it because they're gonna recreate it."

"Alright, alright, how much ya paying?"

"A gil for every grain of sand in your desert," Terryn answered.

"You don't have that kinda money. Luca's not worth that much."

"You underestimate Spira's love for Blitzball. Are you in or are you out?"

Gippal glanced out the window across the sands down to where Unbryh was. A familiar item was balanced atop the dune. Gippal remembered regretfully The Rift. I was wondering where you went, Gippal thought to himself. He didn't need a detective to tell him it was a certain Al Bhed thief used the stolen airship as a base of operation. Gippal thought about how many more of the ships he could produce if he could get a factory going for them. "Alright, you've got my help." Gippal leaned back against the seat with his palms linked behind his head, "And because we're being so generous with one another, how 'bout a few tickets to tomorrow's match?"

Half the world is sleeping
While the other half dreams
You close your eyes
And then you're gone
And maybe my intentions
Have been misunderstood
I know you feel so beautifully wronged

Rikku awoke several hours later in a daze. She didn't know when she dozed off with sweet betraying thoughts of Gippal, but indeed, she had. Night threatened to cloak the horizon in its shadow. Rikku rubbed the sleep from her eyes, wondering when Auron would appear. She grabbed a light cotton jacket from the captain's chair and went to exit. The inside was dark, but Rikku knew the layout well enough to deny the help of the overhead lights. She fingered along the wall in search of the door's release button. Near the exit, she pressed the device, only to find the door refused to budge. Again, she triggered the device. Rikku slowly grew frustrated, this time wanting the aid of some light.

After flicking the light switch over and over, a voice called from the opposite side of the ship, "You're not the only one who can pick a lock."

Rikku groaned and fell back against the wall. "Mind telling me why the lights are broken?"

Suddenly, the lights came to life and lit up the tiny flying house. "Not broken. Just reprogrammed. The door; however; is broken. You're gonna have to open that sucker manually." Gippal ran his fingers through his hair suavely. "I think I got my wires crossed."

She could tell he was in the mood for a lengthy conversation, "You can say that again."

"Alright, Cid's girl, sit down and let's get this over with."

Rikku obeyed happily for once. She could use a little verbal vengeance. She had only told him off through a letter. With all the pent up aggression still burning inside her, and Gippal at his most vulnerable and ready to apologize until his mouth fell off, Rikku figured now was the perfect time to really let him have it.

Gippal was thinking the same thing. He could tell Rikku was ready to deal out some venom and he was prepared to shoot her down with logic and good ol' fashioned groveling. Gippal decided to let her begin, "Lady's first, kid. Let me have it. The full dose. Let me know every vile, loathsome thing you've been waiting to say to my smug face." Rikku hated the way he stripped everything she was poised to say. "I can't wait."

Rikku stumbled with the wording for a moment, caught off guard by the way he seemed to know exactly what she wanted to say. "Why don't you me why you think I left?"

Gippal cleared his throat before taking a seat on the captain's chair across from where Rikku sat cross-legged atop the mattress. "Alright, you left because you're a damn child like I said you were in that bar." He had to fight off taking in a good look at the woman on the bed. Rikku certainly didn't look like a child. "You didn't want the responsibility of running Bikanel, so you told your dad to shove it because you didn't wanna let him know you were scared. As for what happened with us, well, you simply couldn't take it that I'm the only man in your life that offers up any opposition. But I got news for you, sweetheart, I'm might piss you off and I might break your heart time and time again, but I'm not ever going nowhere."

Rikku felt a tear fight to escape. This was just the kind of motivation she needed to unleash her anguish. "Thanks, Rikku, for destroying Vegnagun," she screamed. "Thanks, Rikku, for saving Yuna. Thanks, Rikku, for digging in the desert. Thanks, Rikku, for denying the offer to rule the desert so I could do what I had been dreaming of doing since I was a child. What do you know about anything, you arrogant bastard?"

"You want a thank you, you winey brat?" he screeched, letting the name calling continue. "Do you know what your dad, Brother, and I all went through? Evrey time someone needed you, you'd run off without so much as a goodbye and a fistful of your dad's gil. You told your pops you wanted the Celcius to do some sphere hunting. Then, a few months later, you come home and tell everyone you've accepted a virtual suicide mission. Dammit, Rikku, I was worried sick about you. We all were!" He calmed down slightly only to gather more momentum, "And don't blame anyone for that mess you got yourself into following Rikku. You put yourself there! Now, no excused, why the hell did you leave?"

Rikku collapsed into her pillow, face down, crying full force. A part of her wanted to continue the act that she had left to be alone, but Gippal always saw through her. She was upset at how her life had turned out and was looking for scapegoat.

Regret finally washed over Gippal for his callousness. However, Rikku really had scared him to death when he heard she was to fight Sin and again when she fought Vegnagun. Rikku was a beloved friend he couldn't imagine living without. He came to his feet and crossed the room to her. His hand hovered above her quivering back, debating whether he should comfort her physically or not. He wasn't even sure if his words would do the trick at that point. "Listen, kid, I'm not mad at you. I'm just so damn frustrated. When I came home from the Crimson Squad, I had all the dreams and plans. I thought maybe we could…we could…" Rikku turned onto her back and beamed up at him. Her eyes were like two rain-soaked cherries, red and wet. Her eyes begged for him to finish that sentence, but Gippal's pride wasn't easily broken, not even in the face of a crying Rikku. "Did you really mean what you said about turning your dad down for me?"

Some days I can't believe
Others I'm on my knees
Hoping I belong

"Kid," Cid began, "it's yours. All of it. I'm too old to take care of it.

Rikku had finally brought the Celcius home in one piece after the big finale with Vegnagun. Her father met her at dra Frynv uv dra Zu to welcome her home, but came with some heavy news. "Pops, I don't want Bikanel. What am I gonna do with a desert?"

"Ya saved the world twice, you're more than qualified to run the joint." Cid overflowed with glee. This had been his dream since his youth, to pass on his legacy and empire to one of his children. Brother had respectfully declined the offer as well the previous year, saying he had a lot of reckless moments to get off his chest before he settled down with anything, let alone an entire country. Cid hoped that Rikku's necessity to save others would inspire her to take the position as meuh.

"I'm flattered. And I'm sure I would make a damn good leader if I put my head to it, but…there's someone who's worked much harder for the position."

"Shinra?" Cid questioned.

"No, you bald goon!" Rikku cried. "I'm talking about Gippal!"

"Grease monkey Gippal?"Cid rubbed his shiny head in confusion. "I don't know. He's a little chauvinistic." Rikku shot him the 'and you and Brother aren't' look. "He's a little young to be leadin' a country." Rikku shot him the 'I'm 17' look. "He ain't my kid! I'll be a chocobo's uncle if the next meuh of this desert isn't one of my own!"

"Then you better get to makin' babies, pops, because I ain't doing it!"

There shouting was disrupting the work of two workers who had been diligently trying to ignore their argument. "You and Brother are all I got left in this world. I wanted to give ya something special."

Rikku felt a little remorseful for raising her voice at the old man, but couldn't see herself dashing her friend's dream to grant her fathers. Not when she knew in her heart of hearts that Gippal was the perfect candidate to run Bikanel. "You're not gonna let this go, are you Pops?" she asked, defeated.

"So long as you're an Al Bhed, this island is yours."

The following week, Rikku sent her father a letter that read the following:

Cid,
I have given up my heritage as an Al Bhed. I don't want to be meuh and frankly, I hardly want to be your daughter. If I had it my way, the entire island, including all the sand monkeys on it, would be burned to a crisp.
Rikku

It was the hardest thing she ever did, but Rikku knew if she didn't break her father's heart, Gippal would never have his chance to prove himself to the people of Bikanel. Rikku also knew her father would eventually forgive her if she gave it time, whereas Gippal would be eternally crushed if the absentminded friend from his youth ruled his people before him.

And I was your anger
And you were my fear
And now that it's over
Of course it's so clear
But you were no angel
And I was no sin
Somehow I can't let it go
I can't let it go

Rikku finished the recounting of her story all while fighting the cascading of tears. Gippal shocked at the idea of her doing something so selfless, could no longer compete with his need to embrace her. He gathered her into his strong arms, letting her drain every last tear into his chest. "You did that even after I said all those mean things about you?" he asked.

She looked up at him, their spirals locked onto one another, "You're my friend. I can never hate you, Gippal." Rikku buried her face back into his chest and mumbled, "It scares me."

"What? What do you mean it scares you?"

Rikku backed away from him leaving an empty space in his arms. "You said terrible things about me. But at the drop of a hat, I turned over an entire country to you."

"I was hammered and I said you had a mind like a fish tank. I'm sure that's grounds for forgiveness."

"Ugh! It wasn't that!"

"Was it the 'great body' part because, sweetie, that's a compliment."

Rikku wanted to be away from him more than ever, but there was nowhere to escape to in the tiny ship. She thought seriously about crawling into the engine room and sealing the door. "Why'd you tell my dad I wasn't marriage material!" she finally released. Rikku kept that burning question in her mouth since the day she left, never acquiring the courage to ask him.

"Wait a minute. I seem to recall telling the boys your father asked me to marry you. I never said what my reply was."

"It's obvious what it was!"

"You really wanna know what I told your dad that day?"

And laughter is my soul's release
But we're not smiling anymore
And can't we try to win this peace
'Cause we're never gonna win
Never gonna win this war

Gippal was dashing from wall to wall in his room gathering clothes and supplies. Cid stood in the doorway with his arms folded over his chest watching the young man frantically pile things into a canvas sack, all the while chanting, "I gotta go find her. I gotta go find her."

"What are ya doing, boy?" Cid at last asked.

Word that Rikku had returned to the desert to tell her father about her upcoming mission spread through the Al Bhed gossip line until it reached Gippal's ears in Djose. "Rikku's going after Vegnagun. I gotta stop her." Gippal stopped packing when he noticed the comment left no effect on her father, Cid. "Aren't you worried in the least bit?"

Cid shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm the meuh around here, I gotta be a duck in the water, calm on top, but my feet are going a mile a minute. Sure I'm worried, boy. But the girl took down Sin, a machina should be no trouble for her."

"It's not just some machina. Vegnagun is a colossal death machine." Gippal could attest to the power the monstrosity that was Vegnagun contained.

"Kid, you better say it right now or you're gonna have no grounds to go and rescue her."

Gippal looked back at the meuh from his dresser where he hysterically grabbed fistfuls of boxers and socks and jammed them into the overflowing bag. "What are you talking about?"

"You can't really be that worried about Rikku getting into with a machina. Now, I know what's really got you all worked up, and if you don't say it out loud-"

"Say what?" Gippal shouted. Cid's weird way of lecturing always came at inopportune times.

"You love the damn girl and we all know it."

Gippal suddenly took on the mannerisms of a twelve year old boy with his first crush. First sweating, then fidgeting, then blushing, then denying completely. "Gramps, I think you've been huffing too much exhaust down her. I do not love Rikku." Cid cocked an eyebrow at him. "I mean sure, she's my dear friend and I love her in that sense, but I'm not in love with Rikku."

"There are thousands of workers who signed up to dig in that stupid hell hole out in Bikanel but you picked Rikku's group. Now are you gonna lie and tell me that it had nothing to do with wanting to be near her?"

"I'm not gonna lie and say that, I'm just gonna say that. I figured the Gullwings could get some publicity going for us and…alright, I spent countless nights in a cramped tent with her sleeping next to me every night she came to dig."

Cid closed the gap between them and put a hard hand on the young man's shoulder. "See. That wasn't so hard."

"I can't lose her, Cid. I spent two years without her, and I'm not going to do it again."

Cid held Gippal at arm's length with one palm on each of his shoulders. "If you mean that, if you mean every word you just said, then you know what you gotta do. I think you'd do good to let her know as soon as possible. Maybe even marry her," he joked. Gippal gave him the 'we're getting ahead of ourselves' look and Cid shot back the 'I want some damn grandkids' look. "Son, the kid's got a good heart and a lotta drive, she just needs your direction."

I was your anger
And you were my fear
Now that it's over
Of course it's so clear
But you were no angel
And I was no sin
Somehow I can't let it go
I can't let it go
-Goo Goo Dolls


Well, that's the end of this feller (sorry, I'm still in Cid mode). Anyways, please, please, please, review and thanks to my other two reviewers. I hope this chapter clarified any character flaws Josie noticed. If not, I suck! Anyways, I gotta hold off on writing the next one because my Trinity Blood fic is lacking. So you'd better review a lot to hold me over until the next chapter. Love you guys!