Chapter 8

Gippal walked back towards the cave, leaving Yuna still surprised by what just happened.

Y: Well, I did say he could kiss me, but he was so quick and cool about it. What a pain he is. Still - his smell and his look, he is cute and not a bad kisser, I can see why Rikku likes him.

She shrugged and followed him towards the cave.

Maybe I can finally get some answers to this mess.

Inside Tidus was sitting with the two Al Bhed boys and he appeared to be fully recovered.

Shinra was telling Tidus about the Farplane and an interesting energy.

Gippal walked over to them and Yuna followed.

G: "Well, Shinra, mind telling us what that machina was?" He crossed his arms as he spoke.

Shinra: "It could be a long story." His muffled voice came from behind his mask.

S: "You should sit down."

Yuna sat down next to Tidus and Gippal sat next to the boys, and they all waited for Shinra to speak.

--(A/N) You have no idea how hard it was not to put I'm just a kid here. Back to the story. Hehe.--

Shinra: "When the Gullwings visited the Farplane, I found some data that indicated enormous amounts of energy from that area. I thought if I could harness that energy into a machina, I could prove that the energy was controlable. Then everyone could use the energy." He looked around and the continued.

"But I was scared to go into the Farplane alone."

"So I came to Bikanel to find Benzo, and see if he would go with me."

Benzo: "We were friends back when Home was still here, and now that Marnela is small, it's been quiet here at the Cactuar Nation. I was ready for a new adventure."

Shinra: "After Benzo agreed to go with me to the Farplane, we headed for the halls of Bevelle. With only the Kindaguardians in our way, it was easy to slip by. We found the hole and jumped in. We came to a field of flowers and were suddenly over come with pyreflies.

They were everywhere and swarming us, but I figured - that's what I need.

I opened up my glass jar and caught a few pyreflies. When I closed the lid to that jar - fiends starting coming towards us. I'm not sure where they came from, but they were coming fast, there were too many for just the two of us.

I started thinking that if someone else was here, it would be a much better situation.

They were coming closer - there were dragons, weapons, malboros - I wanted you to be with us in that moment, I called your name."

Benzo: "Yuna." When he called it a light appeared before us and destroyed all of the fiends - Every last one of them. We were shocked. As the light faded, we could see a small boy, no bigger than us, he was wearing a cloak and a hood hid his face, there were markings on his back. He turned to us and said:

"You have awakened him, Again.
But because you are Yuna's friends, I have helped you. When you see Yuna, tell her what has happened here."

"He then pointed at us and a light came from his fingers, I thought he may want to kill us,
but I wasn't sure. It was so bright and when it cleared up, we were in Djose."

Shinra: "It was strange, but I was pretty certain that I had gotten what I needed.

When the Al Bhed fell asleep that night I decided to borrow a machina from the temple."

"If my theory were to work - I could provide enough energy to light up all of Spira.
A place that never sleeps."

Y: "Even after the fiends had attacked you, that wasn't clue enough, that this was a
dangerous idea?"

Shinra looked up at Yuna from under his mask and answered her, "I'm just a kid."

Benzo looked down as if in guilt, "We weren't sure what had caused the fiends, and I still wanted to see if Shinra's energy would really work. However, we were still concerned about any possible damage. So we decided to try it out where few people are around. I mentioned this place, because no one comes here, anymore."

Shinra: "We took pieces from the machina that I had borrowed and placed it on the west side of the cactuar nation. We borrowed more pieces from the diggers and started attaching the machina pieces to create a large machine. It had arms and swirled around when pushed, and a compartment on top, and we attempted to put an engine in it." "We decided to use the pyreflies to try and power it, and of course test my idea."

"Yesterday, I took my jar and placed it just inside the machina, I unscrewed the lid to the jar, and closed the lid as I ran away from it. I wasn't sure what was going to happen.

It starting swirling, slow at first but then gained speed, as if it something inside wanted to be freed from my invention."

Benzo, "At this point we were sure something was wrong, we tried to get near it, but it was just too scary. Then I started worrying about the cactus being here too. I was scared they would be hurt, and had Picket call for help."

Then the lid flew off of the machina, the sandstorm began, we couldn't see anything, then fiends starting coming from everywhere, and then ya'll came."

Shinra: "I'm sorry Yuna."

Y: "Did you see anything when the compartment flew open?"

Benzo: "The sandstorm had started, it was impossible to see."

G: "So, what your saying is, you Stole a machina from the temple at Djose, and then stole more pieces from the diggers here?"

Shinra. "We only borrowed them; we were going to return them after the experiment."

Gippal stood up and crossed his arms, he looked very serious, and that patch almost made him look evil. "Shinra, Benzo, You Cannot return what has been destroyed."

Yuna stood up and pointed at Gippal, "Well, If you hadn't destroyed it, it wouldn't be gone." She smiled.

He smirked at her, "You were thanking me earlier."

Y: Smiling, she placed an arm to her side, "That was before I knew the pieces were meant to be returned. This is all your fault."

Gippal looked at Yuna, she's teasing - right? "Well, they are the one's that Stole the parts." He attempted to defend himself, not really sure where she was going with this. "I didn't steal anything."

Y: "No - you just blew up the thing without thinking." This is getting to him, Good! At least I got a little pay back, for that kiss.

G: "You're the one that was dying out there, I was just protecting You!"

Y: "Protecting Me?" "How did you even know I was out there?"

G: "Picket, how else, the D.I.D. call."

Yuna smile widened when she realized something, "Gippal, please tell me that doesn't stand for damsel in distress."

G: Yep, she's teasing, and I don't like it. "I'll be going now." He walked towards the exit,

Y: "Gippal," He paused, "Thanks."

G: "See ya later, Yuna, be sure to tell Rikku I said Hi."