I left. That's right, I left that stupid bomb shelter house of mine. I needed to go out and help. To fight. I mean, who says girls can't fight, right?

So I blasted my way out the door. (Hey, I was pretty good at making grenades, okay?)

What I saw was terrible—horrifying. I don't even like remembering it...at all.

I ran out to see bodies littering the ground, pools of blood under my feet. Half of the dead people I had probably waved at the day before, ran quick errands for. I could hear crying children and prayers from the bomb shelters where families hid—and yet some families were unsheltered, kneeling beside a lost one, crying and screaming, oblivious to the flying bombs and bullets around them.

It saddens me to this day...

Rikku stood in horror for a number of minutes, her young eyes roving around the area, the smell of blood and death covering her nose. She needed to get out of here. Why had she come in the first place?

The young girl leapt up and ran across the ground, dodging bodies and flying debris. She ran all the way to the gates of Home to find—there were no gates left. The Yevonite Fighter Monks, guns in hand and shooting rapidly, had stormed them down. Numbers of Al Bhed ran into them and around, through the open space that was once the gate and into the huge ocean of Yevonites that lay beyond the door.

Rikku was disgusted at how once a line of Yevonites fell, the next marched up. It was like a drill almost, though it was real battle. And they were using machina as well! She wanted to scream at them, to pummel them with her tiny fists. These backstabbers were destroying her people-her friends and perhaps—family.

This made Rikku choke up. What had happened to Gippal? To Cid and Brother? But she was knocked off her train of thought as a bullet came whizzing by her. She had forgotten she was in plain view, right off to the side of the battlefield!

Rikku wanted to scream at herself. How could she have made a mistake like this? Like lightning she dodged the oncoming bullets and ran behind a pillar, breathing heavily. And yet, she couldn't help but feel a bit triumphant. All her days of training had fooled the Monks.

'You're not here to hide, you're here to FIGHT! And to find Gippal!' A voice reprimanded her sharply. Rikku nodded to herself, breathing heavily. She had a stash of grenades in her small belt pouch, ready for use. Her adrenaline flowed through her veins, heart beating fast. She could feel the sweat mounting on her forehead.

'So this is what it feels like before going to war.' She thought. 'Pure hate for the Yevonites, yet excitement for yourself. Now I know why Gippal wanted to fight. I want to help him.'

With a sharp cry she turned the corner, pulling the pin on one of her grenades and throwing it into the midst of green and silver armor of the Yevonites. Guns continued to shoot bullets, yet there were some smothered screams as the grenade erupted around them, exploding the nearby people into tiny bits. Rikku gagged.

She didn't like this blood thing.

And now she realized, she had no armor. She would die in less then a few seconds. She searched the ground and found the body of a Yevonite. Grinning wickedly she grabbed the helmet and chest vest, strapping it on. For safety she decided to grab the gun too.

"Here I go." She muttered, running back into the throng.

This continued for a while. Rikku continuously dodged behind fellow Al Bhed if she ever feared a bullet had been heading her way. And the good thing was, no one could see she was a girl.

She continued to throw grenades, realizing she was pretty much the only Al Bhed doing so. She also used the gun to shoot down enemies. She felt triumphant; she was giving those bastards what they deserved.

And yet—she hated to kill. It wasn't as fun and intriguing as it had seemed it would be...and she still hadn't found Gippal.

Finally, it had been too long. The Al Bhed number seemed to dwindle slowly but surely, whereas the Yevonites kept coming.

"GIPPAL!" She screamed, knowing her voice would give away her gender. But she no longer cared. What if she found him too late? Her stomach lurched.

"GIPPAL!!!" She shrieked again, throwing down her gun and running through the Al Bhed. Once or twice she was almost hit, but she managed to dodge them steadily while stil screaming out Gippal's name.

A young boy at the back of the crowd twisted his head around as the voice called a name. Rikku's stomach almost flew out of her mouth. It was Gippal!

"GIPPAL!" She cried happily, smiling, now unaware she was still amidst a battle.

Gippal looked at her crazily. "Yevonite?!" He called out, raising his gun. Rikku gasped as she realized she still had the helmet on. She threw it off, hearing its clang against the stone.

"RIKKU?!" He cried again, this time even more shocked. "What are you doing?! I'm trying to fight here!!"

Rikku bowed her head, suddenly realizing her actions had been stupid and rash. She should have left him to battle.

"I'm-I'm sorry. I feel so stupid."

Gippal didn't answer. He looked at her, with a sweaty brow and creased eyebrows. Blood and dirt covered his clothes, and just as he was about to answer her, he gasped.

"Rikku—are you bleeding?!"

Rikku looked down at the arm Gippal had grabbed. There was a large cut which blood was pouring out of.

"Oh—I guess I am." She replied, feeling woozy. Gippal sighed.

"Rikku, why did you even come?"

"Because I wanted to make sure you were okay!" She cried, pulling her arm away. Again.

"Gippal—I don't want you to die! You mean more to me then that!"

Gippal smiled. Not a fake one, but a true happy smile, full of feeling.

"Rikku, I—"But he didn't get to finish that sentence.

A large explosion erupted around the two, throwing them apart. Rikku gave a shrill scream, flying in the air and landing on her back to the stone.

"Ooouch..." She moaned, feeling tears streaming down her face. But she stood up shakily, now feeling doubily woozy. "Gippal?" She shouted weakly. "Gippal?!" She asked again more urgently. No answer over the gun shot.

"Stupid YEVONITES!" She screamed, though knowing her words would barely fly to the Al Bhed next to her. She rushed back to where the two had been standing before, at least 15 feet away. Over the smoke she saw a familiar body laying on the ground, a pool of red surrounding it.

She felt her knees collapse underneath her. It was him.

It was Gippal.