A\N: I know it's been a very long time, but I hope you are all still with me. I'm very sorry it took me so long, but I was so busy with school (I know, I've said this before) I promise to update faster.

Alright, before this chapter begins, I want to thank Rikku the bluefirevixon for betta-reading this chapter. If you're reading this, I owe you a lot! I can't believe how many grammar mistakes I made in this chapter! Luckily she searched them out for me, and I'm really very grateful. If I could, I'd send you a present :)

Now, let's begin chapter 8!


The present

Dheali smiled as she watched the two boys, Cary and Kyran, bicker with each other once again. She didn't understand a word they were saying, but she knew it was probably something unimportant. Tylian had been telling her stories about her brother and Cary. They were friends, but they couldn't pass a day without bickering or arguing with each other.

"I'm telling you man, the Luca Goers are way better then the Besaid Auchors!" Kyran exclaimed, trying to make a point by holding his hands up in the air.

Cary shook his head. "Oh come on! Besaid totally kicked their butt last week! You saw it on sphere screen yourself."

Kyran smirked. "Yeah well, that was just a mistake. Besides! You're just cheering for Besaid because your dad used to play for them." he pointed an accusing finger at his brown haired friend.

Tylian rolled her eyes and looked from the boys to Dheali, who was watching the conversation with a confused look on her face.

"Tuh'd funno ypuid dras. Ed'c zicd puo dymg, drao tu drec ymm dra desa." ((Don't worry about them. It's just boy talk, they do this all the time.)) Tylian explained to her.

Dheali giggled.

The giggle made Kyran look around to see what the cause was, giving his sister a look. "You're not talking about us, now are you?"

Tylian smiled at her brother innocently. "No, what made you say that?" she said in a sweet voice, and blinked her eyes at him.

Kyran shook his head, annoyed. "Whatever."

The was walking back towards Djose temple. They had just come from the Travellers agency down the Moonflow. They had taken a hover ride down there, because Tylian had wanted to go see the pyreflies. And Apparently Dheali had never seen them either, since she had been staring at them with an open mouth. Tylian had asked her if she had been to the Moonflow, but Dheali had just shaken her head.

"Cu, ruf't oui mega dra Moonflow?" ((So, how'd you like the Moonflow?)) Tylian asked the Al bhed girl who walked beside her.

Dheali grinned widely at her and nodded her head. "E mujat ed." ((I loved it)) she responded.

Tylian smiled at the blonde. She was looking so cheerful now. This trip to the Moonflow really did her good.

Upon arriving at Djose temple they were greeted by Baralai. He was sitting on the ground, resting his back against the outdoor wall. "Hey guys, where have you been?" he asked, smiling at all of them. His eyes lingered on Dheali a bit longer, his smile fading a bit. This confused Dheali, and she frowned at the grey haired man.

"We're fine, we just went down to the Moonflow." Kyran replied in a bored voice. He walked up to his father and sat him, one leg pulled up and one arm resting on his knee.

"Really…" Baralai said, his voice trailing off, he seemed to be in thought.

"Yeah dad, now if you don't mind, we're going inside." Tylian said with a quick smile she took Dheali's hand and dragged her into the temple.

Baralai watched them leave and turned back to the boys. Cary was now leaning against the open door.

"So…the Moonflow huh?"

--

Tylian and Dheali walked into the large hall and up the stairs, but were stopped by Gippal who called the young Al bhed girl from the doorway of his office. "Dheali!"

Both Dheali and Tylian stopped dead in her tracks and turned to one another. "E fuhtan fryd ra fyhdc." ((I wonder what he wants)) Tylian mumbled to Dheali, who nodded and narrowed her eyes at the Faction leader.

Dheali walked over to where Gippal was standing but stopped halfway when she saw someone standing behind him.

Gippal took a step aside and let the man pass, so the man came fully into view.

Upon seeing Kahem, Dheali's eyes widened, and she took a step backwards.

"Hello Dheali." he said with a smirk. He had an evil kind of glint in his eyes as he looked at the blonde girl.

Dheali looked from Kahem to Gippal and bit her lip, but didn't say anything.

"What's the matter Dheali, cat got your tongue?" Kahem asked sarcastically, approaching her. Dheali slowly shook her head and stepped backwards again, trying to widen the space between them.

"C...cdyo yfyo." ((S…stay away)) she said with a trembling voice. Her eyes scanned the room for a way to escape. Dheali gave a pleading look to Tylian who was looking back and forth between Kahem and Dheali with confusion.

Gippal narrowed his eyes at Dheali's actions, although he kind of suspected that this would happen. Kahem didn't look like a nice guy. Gippal narrowed his eyes. He had expected something like this to happen, but that didn't make him any more comfortable with the situation.

Kahem narrowed his eyes at Dheali dangerously. "Dheali, oui lusa ujan rana, nekrd huf" ((Dheali, you come over here, right now.)) His voice sounded threatening, and it only made Dheali more scared. She took another step back and shook her head before running out of the main doors.

Kahem growled and clenched his fists. "That girl." he mumbled under his breath and turned to Gippal, his expression quickly changing to a nicer one. "Well, I'll take it from here." he said, giving Gippal a cocky smirk.

Kahem took a step, but Gippal stopped him. "Wait."

Kahem turned around and raised his eyebrows at the one-eyed Al bhed. "What?"

Gippal frowned at the man before him and crossed his arms over his chest. "You're not going after her." he said in a serious voice, one he often used towards his employees.

Kahem raised an eyebrow taking a step towards the Faction leader. "Excuse me?"

Gippal wasn't intimidated by this action; his eye looked darkly at the man who had been kind of rude. "You heard me. I don't know who you are, and if what you said back in there is true, but until I know for sure, you're not allowed within 5 feet near her, as long as she's here." Gippal ordered him, his eye never leaving Kahem's..

Kahem glared at him, clearly losing his temper. His eyes burned holes into Gippal s, but Gippal stood his ground, he had experience with people like this. "You stay here." The Al bhed ordered and he waved to a worker, making him come over.

'Oac Cen?' ((yes Sir?))

"Nikha, stay here and watch over him, make sure he doesn't leave the temple." Gippal told his worker, his eye not leaving Kahem s. The brown haired stranger gave a chuckle and crossed his arms, giving Gippal a smirk.

"What, are you scared I'll run away?" he asked, before leaning in a little closer towards the Al bhed. "Don't worry, I won't."

Tylian watched the whole scene with great confusion. She was torn between running after Dheali and staying here to listen to the conversation. She chose to stay, since she wanted to know more about this man who seemed to scare Dheali so much. Besides, she figured that Dheali wouldn't run away. Plus that Cary, Baralai and Kyran were still outside and they had probably seen her running past them. But it seemed that Gippal and Kahem were done talking, basically because Gippal was now walking towards the main doors. Tylian decided to follow him. With one last glance at the smirking Kahem, she followed Gippal outside.

When Dheali had passed Cary and Kyran just outside the main doors, they had looked at each other with confused looks and silently decided to follow her, leaving Baralai alone at the temple door.

As Gippal passed by Baralai, the gray haired man stood as if expecting some kind of explanation. In a hurry, Gippal looked back to Tylian, who readily offered to explain… or, at least tell her father what she had just witnessed

Gippal left the two behind and picked up a quick pace towards Djose Highroad. He didn't know where Dheali had gone to, but perhaps the people at the hover stop had seen her come run by.

--

Cary and Kyran followed Dheali all the way down to the Moonflow. She jogged the whole way down there and when she finally got to the lake, she sat on the ground under a tree, with her knees pulled up to her chest. She wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her forehead on her knees.

The two boys stood from a safe distance away and looked at the girl in confusion.

Cary looked at Kyran with his eyebrows raised. "She looks upset." he mumbled to Kyran.

"Gee Sherlock, you think?" Kyran retorted.

Cary rolled his eyes, shoving an elbow in his friend's ribs, and made a 'shush' sound. "Not so loud." he whispered.

Kyran shrugged his shoulders and shoved his hands in his pants pockets.

Cary didn't pay him any attention and appeared to be deep in thought while he kept his eyes on Dheali, trying to think of a way to make her feel better.

"Say Kyran…how do you say: 'Are you alright?' in Al bhed?"

Kyran shook his head amused. "You were thinking about that this whole time? You really need to pay better attention in school my friend."

"Yes yes, now what's the translation?" Cary asked impatient.

Kyran chuckled. "How should I know? I'm even worse in that subject then you are, remember?"

"I wish Tylian was here."Cary mumbled and scratched the back of his neck.

'E lyh rayn oui dfu, oui ghuf.' ((I can hear you two, you know.))

Both of the boys looked up startled and stared with wide eyes at the blonde girl who was still sitting in the same position.

"Did she just say something?" yran whispered over to Cary.

'Fuimt oui zicd bmayca ku.' ((Would you just go.) Dheali said, not moving an inch.

Cary frowned as he tried to translate what she had had just said.

"What did she say?" Kyran wanted to know, but Cary was still deep in thought.

"Something about…going…"

Kyran pursed his lips and looked from Dheali to Cary. "Going? Is she going somewhere?"

Cary rolled his eyes and placed a hand on his friends shoulder. "No you nitwit, she wants us to go, come on."

The two boys turned around and walked away in a normal pace, leaving Dheali to sit by herself at the Moonflow.

Dheali sighed, for she was relieved that the boys were gone. She didn't want them to see her this way — upset. She looked up slightly so she could watch the pyreflies from over her arms. They seemed to calm her and made her think of a song, or rather a lullaby, she knew from when she was still little. It didn't take long before she started to mumble the words softly.

"Hush, meddma pypo, tuh'd oui lno. Mysy fuh'd ku yfyo." she began to sing, her voice ringing with a sweet melody the words sounding sweet and melodic. 'Yht frah dra suuh femm reta dutyo, sysy ec rana du cdyo.' ((Hush, little baby, don't you cry. Mama won't go away. And when the moon will hide today, mama is here to stay))

Dheali didn't know that Gippal was standing only a few feet away, listening to the song. He stood stock still, emotion gathering in his expression— he knew this song all too well.

--

Flashback:

"Gippal!" a man who was growing bald called out to a young boy around the age of 14 whom was tinkering on a hover in one of Home's many garages.

The young boy looked up and saw the man standing in the doorway. He looked lost and upset. This made Gippal frown; he had never seen him that way before. "What's wrong, Sir?"

"Save the formalitie boy." the man said. He was looking around him, like he was searching for something important. "I have a problem."

Gippal gave him a confused look, urging him to continue.

"I lost my daughter."

Gippal raised his eyebrows at him and shook his head. "You lost her? She's not an object, you know. She's probably at the oasis or something. That's where she always is when she's not working." Gippal knew the man's daughter very well, for she was his best friend.

But the man shook his head, there was something else, he had yet to tell him. "It's serious this time Gippal. Do you happen to know what date it is…?" he said, looking at Gippal with raised eyebrows, as if he'd realize something.

Gippal frowned and thought for a moment. He didn't really know what date it was because he never really cared. Then realization hit him and he looked at the man with wide, shocked eyes. "ou mean…"

"Yes." the man nodded. "It's that time of the year again."

Gippal placed everything on the ground and made a run for the door."I'll find her!' he yelled back to the old man just before disappearing into the dessert.

There was a cave somewhere in the Eastern Expanse of the desert that only Gippal and she knew of. It was their cave; they had found it together and when they were little they had always gone there to explore. Nowadays it was just a place to escape to. Gippal had a strong feeling she was in there somewhere.

He stepped into the cave, immediately feeling the cold thick air. 'Rammu?!' (Hello?!) Gippal called out, but there was no answer.

He walked in further until he came to a crossing. He sighed because he had no idea which way to go. He knew where both ways went; he just didn't know which way led to her.

Suddenly he stopped and listened. In the damp air of the cave, he thought he could hear someone talking… or rather, singing. It was soft and sad and it made him shiver all over. He listened more closely and realized that the voice came from the left direction, so he took that path and followed the singing voice.

The more he walked, the more clearly he heard the voice. It was not long before he could make out the words completely.

"Hush, meddma pypo, tuh'd oui lno, mysy fuh'd ku yfyo. Yht frah dra suuh femm reta dutyo, sysy ec rana du cdyo."

It was a song, or rather a lullaby, he knew very well. It was her lullaby. Her mother always sang it to her when she was little.

Only two more steps, and she came into view, sitting on one of the large boulders which decorated their surroundings. She was sniffling and singing, clutching an old moogle in her arms.

"Hey." he said when she stopped singing. She looked up, a little startled, most likely because she had not expected anyone to find her here.

"H…hi." she said and sniffled again.

Gippal sighed and walked towards her, and went to sit beside her, wrapping his arms around her small form. She leaned her head on his shoulder and they sat like that for a while. She started to hum the song again and Gippal rubbed her arms to keep her warm because she was only wearing a tank-top and, even though the desert might be a very hot place, it was very cold inside the cave.

After the fifth time, she stopped humming and hugged the moogle a little bit tighter.

"It's her birthday today, you know." she said softly.

Gippal smiled sadly and nodded. 'Yeah…I know.'

--

The letter

I never understood why everyone in Spira always thanked you for getting rid of Sin. While us, the guardians helped too.

It was always 'High Summoner Yuna this' 'High Summoner Yuna that'.

Never the guardians… we put our lives at stake to bring you to where you needed to go, it was never 'Thank you guardians of Yuna'.

That's probably why no one ever recognized me when I traveled alone — because they didn't care about me or the others.

When I was with you, Yuna…people always seemed to know who I was, even if they only recognized my face but didn't remember my name.

But without you, they didn't remember either.

And that's what I find weird.

Is it wrong of me to feel that way?

Was I supposed to let you have all the credit?

I did, but that's not the point.

I almost died once when we fought that creepy Seymour guy…for like the fourth time or so.

And then again when we fought Yu Yevon.

So is it wrong of me to want a little appreciation?

I'm sorry if it is…I never meant to feel like this, it just happened.

I realize now…that I have a lot to apologize for.


This chapter is the longest I've ever made! Seriously! So I hope you guys like it.

Leave a review, as always