Final Fantasy X –

Tell Me What The Rain Knows

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. They rightfully belong to Squaresoft. The fiction was made for your entertainment only with no profits whatsoever. Please don't sue.

Pairing: Gippal/Rikku

Genre: Romance /Drama

Author: FireMistress

A/N: Hi everyone, thank you for your reviews. I hope that you like chapter two. Sorry for taking a while to update, college life is not easy let me tell you. From this chapter forward, I'm going to write it on Rikku's POV unless otherwise told. Well, thank you for your patience and here's chapter two of Tell Me What The Rain Knows. Arigatou!

Chapter 2: Taunted Dreams

"Blurry and stirring the truth and the lies,

So I don't know what's real and what's not,

Always confusing the thoughts in my head,

So I can't trust myself anymore…"

-EvaneScence; Going Under.

For once, I wish that I could understand what goes through Cid's head. Even if it is for a split of second, like for example just a few moments ago when I was given the order to go to Macalania Woods with no one other than Gippal. Gippal! Of all the atrocious and obnoxious fighter that my father possessed, he had to team me up with that jerk! If he thought that I was stupid enough to believe that that priest had sent for us two, he was a fool. Does he really believe me to still be that innocent, young girl who knew nothing of the outside world? No. Even though I don't really get along with him, I know Cid was not the type to still judge me as childish. There was something he was hiding, something that he was planning that I just couldn't put my fingers on.

What are you thinking of, old man?

As I came closer to the Celsius, my step became more determine, and so did my mind. There was no way I was letting that cocky, imprudent jerk to enter my ship. If Cid had been so pleasant and friendly with that bastard, then let him borrow one of his airships and travel alone. Not on my Celsius and definitely not with me.

Now, you guys might be thinking that I'm over exaggerating with this, but I'm serious to whoever created us that that guy was the biggest pain in the butt you can ever encounter in your life. He was like the devil reincarnated. He was an impulsive, cold-blooded animal with no feelings or remorse for anyone else but him. He was the king of ice. His heart could have frozen even the deepest pit in hell just with a simple glance. How could such creature be allowed to still roam this world so freely? And you still wonder why I don't believe in Yevon?

An angry snarl escaped my lips involuntarily, as my eyes caught sight of the person who's name repulsed every fiber of my entire body. What on Yevon's name was he doing in my ship? What liberty does he believe he possess to be commanding my crew at his will? What nerve!

"Gippal!" I screamed, annoyed. Hoping that my voice could make him realize that he has done something that he shouldn't have, and that he was going to pay dearly for it.

He didn't move an inch. Instead, he kept commanding my crew like if he was some sort of lord or something. Yevon, how I wish to get my tiny hands on his throat.

"Gippal!" I repeated, this time angrier and more agitated. He looked at me then, no signs of emotions shown on his face. But what did I expect? He was always expressionless, like a defaulted doll.

"I want you to get your sorry ass out of the Celsius immediately." He didn't respond, instead he just kept looking at me with his icy-cold stare. Anyone else would of falter at just his mere sight, but I wasn't intimated by it. It took so much more to get me humiliated and he didn't have what it took. Auron on the other hand…

"Have I not made myself clear? Or do you prefer for me to use force?"

"Cdub yldehk mega y lremt (stop acting like a child)."

He would have been in front of me at the moment, and I would have slapped him. How dare him call me a child? What right did he have? He barely knew me to insult me like such. It's true we were childhood friends, so he did know a bit about me, but nonetheless that was a long time ago. The Rikku he knew had long changed, and she would never be back.

"Step out of the Celsius, unless you want that pathetic face of yours shredded into pieces," I warned dangerously. If he listened to what I had said, he obviously paid no heed to it, for he kept loading his stuff as if I was just a ghost; someone who wasn't even supposed to be there that just came to haunt and disturb him.

…Yevon, how I despise him…

"Didn't you just…"

"Will you stop blabbering your nonsense and get ready to part?" came the interruption. Gippal took one of the handbags that were on the floor and swiftly placed it on his broad shoulders, "You know the last person I want to be next to it's you, so stop complaining."

"The feeling is mutual, bastard," I added acidly.

"Good, we both understand each other. Now get ready and stop stretching this argument, because it's over."

Oh no my dear. It was far from over.

"Whoever told you that you were going? As far as I'm concerned, I haven't allowed you to enter and pest my ship."

He stopped midway, turning around only to glance at me with those bitter, bottomless green eyes of his.

"Cid's little girl has no authority over the matter. So just drop that captain façade and get with the program."

"The only one who obviously needs to get with the program is you, boy," I could have sworn that I saw his lips twitched just a bit, but the bastard was quick to hide it. That's good. It means that I was getting him annoyed. Whoever said that revenge was sweet, has obviously tasted it many times, and Yevon knows how right they were. For some reason, it felt good to get him angry. Probably because I knew that like that he was at least capable of showing some kind of emotion.

He came closer to me, then. Each firmed step he made only made his presence all the more known. He wanted people to be intimidated. He wanted them to surrender to him like puppies without its mom. He wanted to be the authority and the absolute power that could possibly exist. He wanted people to fear him. But he was wrong if he expected this from me. I've had faced so much worst that his act could not affect me, maybe the others around him, but certainly not me. If Gippal had a twin star, someone who could equal him in boldness, stubbornness, mental strength, and power it was most without doubt me.

He stopped mere inches from my face. His warmed breathe intoxicated me like nothing before, but I stood my ground. To lose against him, was like losing my soul…like losing to Sin.

"What did you just said?" he muttered slowly, but deeply. I raised my chin in defiance, focusing my gaze into his burning eyes. Do you hate me now, Gippal?

"You heard me, you…"

I wish I knew what happened, for before I was able to complete that sentence, the world around me turned into a pitch black. I looked around my surroundings trying to see anything that might have been familiar, but found nothing but an endless vacuum of nothingness. Confused at the current event, I decided to walk around; hoping to find someone to tell me what was going on.

"Is anyone there?" my voice was rasped, almost as if I have been screaming for a long period of time. My question, however, was responded with absolute silence. I kept walking then, still in hopes on finding answers to all my questions. What have happened to me? How have only I ended up here? As far as I remembered, I was Home near my Celsius arguing with Gippal. How did this happen? And why does it stink like…blood…?

A bright flash of light blinding me, as I covered my eyes as best as I could to stop the intrusion from causing my eyes any damage. When I opened my eyes, however, a small gasp escaped my lips and I found myself crying against my own will. The sight before me could have been taken out from a horror movie. It was the Macalania Wood, covered in fire, blood painted on the untouched house's wall like paint. I could still hear the screams of dying children, taunting me, hunting me, whispering something that I could not understand. What do they mean by guilty? Have I really done such horrendous thing? Have I really been the cause for these innocent people to loose their lives? No…it can't be! I'm innocent! I'm not guilty! I'm innocent!

"Guilty…" it kept repeating like an old, broken record. I hated the way it mock me. As if it wanted to drive me to insanity. The scary thing was though, that if that was its purpose, it was damn close to achieving it.

"Leave me alone!" I screamed with a strength that I had not found within me for a while. I covered my ears, wanting to stop the unwelcome voices that were so freely flowing in my head. And that's when I heard it, the soft, yet unmistakable sound of a groan. I scanned the area around me, trying to find the source of what I considered a miracle.

The sound that I heard came from a man. His clothes were drench in blood, making it seem as if red were its original color. I moved towards him, turning him ever so cautiously to cause him the less pain possible. I can't believe that someone has made it alive out of such chaos. It just had to a miracle. I will ask this person who did this and I'll get my revenge. I promise on all those unsent souls.

What I saw though, was something I didn't expect…

"Gi…Gippal…" I somehow managed to muster. Who has done this to Gippal? Certainly it must have been someone extremely powerful to damage Gippal like this. I didn't get along with him, but this fact never blinded me of the truth. Gippal was a really strong fighter, and to fall this easily…who could have done something like this?

"Gippal…you have to tell me. Who did this to you?" he didn't answer me. Instead, he looked at me with wide eyes. And for the first time I saw a feeling that I thought I would never see in him…

…Fear…

"You murderer," was his last words as he closed his eyes and took his last breath in my arms. I shook him slightly, trying to hold back the tears that began to fall like rain. He had called me a murderer. He had feared me.

I whispered his name weakly, at receiving no response I made it stronger. But he never opened his eyes. His body remained cold and limp. The strong warrior I had known since childhood had perished…because of me. I was the one responsible for such calamity after all. I felt like my soul was suffocating inside of me. Like my heart was about to burst in any moment. I had to let out of the frustration and the guilt that was slowly, but surely poisoning me inside. I had to let it go in the only way I knew…

…I screamed…

"Rikku, wake up!"

I felt the sudden shaking of my body, and my mind focused on the person in front of me. It was Gippal, grasping my arms like if I was about to faint. I heard my breathing becoming shallower, and my heart burned like fire. I looked around my surroundings and found myself back Home, outside the Celsius. The entire crew was looking at me; some with mild curiosity and some with mix feelings between that and fear. Gippal himself was between those with mix feelings, even though he tried not to show it.

"What do you mean when you said that you were not guilty?"

AN: If you haven't noticed, I posted a chapter two last night. I just thought of a better idea for it so I decided to erase it and re-write it, mostly the ending part. Thank you very much for taking your time to read this, and I hope to see you again in my next chapter, "Silent Guardian." Until then, Ya ne!