A/N: -sigh- The end is near...and it makes me sad...

I've almost beat my game already. Oo

So yea...thanks for all the reviews guys, no one would understand JUST how happy they make me! I'm going to miss them.

The weather that day was the complete opposite of my mood-the sun was shining brightly and puffy white clouds floated by, making me wish I could fly...hey! That rhymed!

Er-anyway—as I was saying-complete opposite. My heart was lead, and my stomach felt like it wasn't even there anymore—the breakfast that morning didn't really taste like much, even though Gippal had prepared it especially for me. I mean, this is what I had wanted for two long years-to see Gippal again and be together with him...but this whole me leaving thing was NOT part of the plan!

"Rikku?" She was happy to hear his voice, yet dreary at the same time. Was that even possible? Well, right now it was...Everytime she heard him talk it would remind her that he was going to be gone...for who knows how long?

"Yea?" She choked up, coughing slightly to get rid of the lump in her throat. She felt his arms wrap around her waist. He rested his chin on her shoulder and sighed loudly, right into her ear.

"Gipp! That tickles!" She cried, giggling slightly despite the circumstances.

"Sorry." He apologized, though she could tell he wasn't sorry at all. She sighed too and let her head drop back onto his shoulder. It was a funny picture, if you looked at it.

"Do I have to leave?" She mumbled, rubbing at her eyes.

"No." Gippal answered immediately. Rikku just grinned.

"That was a stupid question to ask."

"Yep."

The wind blew past her gently, ruffling her hair and causing it to fly into Gippal's face. He struggled to keep it away, and ended up having to take his arms off of Rikku and wipe it away, spitting at the air.

"Yevon, where did all of that hair come from?"

"I grew it out, silly!"

"Hmm..." Gippal suddenly turned her around and clasped her shoulders, squinting his eye at her. Rikku gulped nervously. Was she being scrutinized?

"You look...different." Gippal finally stated, nodding his head. Rikku snorted.

"Well of course! It's BEEN two years!"

"Yea, but—I dunno—your whole face and hair, and clothing choices—" He raised an eyebrow playfully, and Rikku slapped his arms away.

"Get off!" She yelled. He just chuckled.

"But seriously, even your demeanor has changed A LOT."

"Well—well—" Rikku stuttered, looking around. "You've changed a lot too! I mean, your hair, and that snazzy new eye patch, and your clothes, and YOUR attitude is TOTALLY different..."

Gippal just lazily threw his arm over her shoulder. "Ah well. We'll learn to accept it, right?" Rikku nodded.

"Yep!"

A loud horn blared from in the temple. Gippal glanced back at the door, and when his face came back into view of Rikku, she could see it lined with sadness.

"Uh-oh...work time?"

Gippal nodded.

"And that means-that means-"He struggled to say it—he didn't WANT to say it.

"I have to go." Rikku whispered meekly, burying her face into his arm. "I have to go." She repeated. Gippal sighed.

"I know, I on, I'll walk you."

The two had their hands clasped between them, Rikku swinging their two arms slightly as they walked—rather slowly, in fact.

"Gonna miss me?"
"Nope."

Rikku just rolled her eyes. "The feeling's mutual."

Gippal grinned, his eye glinting. "Glad to see I taught you something."

Rikku just giggled. She would accept his remarks right now. "You know I'm letting you off easy because I'm leaving-but when I come back I'm gonna get you back!"

Gippal nodded. "I accept that."

All too soon they were starting through the path that led to the Moonflow. A random Al Bhed lady stood to the side, and bandits hid all around the forest. But none attacked—they knew Gippal, and what he could do.

"You're sure Yuna and Paine aren't here anywhere?" She asked, glancing around. Gippal nodded.

"One of those guys would have told me." He pointed his thumb over at a not-so-discreetly-hidden bandit.

"I'm gonna miss you." Rikku said for about the billionth time, resting her head on his shoulder. "Even if you DO wear pink and purple."

"Those colors are VERY fashionable." He said with a pouty face. Rikku smirked.

"Suuure they are."

"Better than boring old browns and greens-that stands for Home, and Home's no longer around, so I decided a change was in order."

"Not too much of a change!"

"Nope."

The two stopped to sit down later on, at the base of the mountain. As Rikku took a sip from her canteen, Gippal lazily played with one of her braids, twisting it around and gently flicking it forward and backwards. Rikku just ignored it and took another drink of her canteen.

"Bored?"

"I can never be bored with you." He answered with a sly grin. Rikku just smiled, too happy to say anything.

Rikku yawned and stretched her arms, which, in mid-stretch were grabbed by Gippal. She gave a little shriek as Gippal pulled her into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her neck. "Did I scare you?"

"Yes!" Rikku replied, still shaking a wee bit. "I thought it was one of the bandits—"

"Oh, don't worry, they won't touch you when I'm here."

"How come?"

Gippal shrugged, clearly not wanting to let out some information. Rikku just gave up on it and decided to find out something else.

"So what did the girls say this morning?"

Gippal was silent for a brief moment. "They were a little ticked, but amazingly, Paine was the one who let you stay."

Rikku raised an eyebrow. "Any specific thing she said?"

Gippal looked at her cautiously. "Nooo...why?"

Rikku just shrugged. "I thought I heard something, but I COULD be hallucinating."

"Heard?" Gippal asked in a nervous voice. "Hear what?"

"Oh, you know, something about not telling ME something, or along those lines..."

"You were awake?!"
"Well, kinda..okay. I was. BUT I had the right to lie since you did too. You DO know Paine, don't you?"

Gippal sighed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Wha-? Oh come ON Gippal, I KNOW something was there!"

Gippal just stood up and patted her on the head. "This heat is causing you to lose your mind. Come on."

Rikku just sighed and stomped her feet as she got up. "Just you wait, I'll find out something!"

"Now, now, this isn't about Paine and I, it's about YOU, and ME." Gippal said, grabbing for her hand again as they began to walk. Rikku smiled, immediately forgetting all the stuff about Paine. The only thing that mattered right then was Gippal.

It all ended too soon. By "it", she means the walk, their talking, seeing Gippal every morning, having late nights with him, and, perhaps, even their all around relationship. The two were near the Moonflow—in the exact spot where Rikku remembered saying "I love you" to him after her frightening experience at the Moonflow.

She sighed and turned around so she face Gippal. This was the worst part—she knew her and Gippal would both break into tears sooner or later...it was still too hard to imagine in less than an hour she'd be apart from him.

Gippal touched her face fondly, causing Rikku to smile sadly. She couldn't help the small tear that escaped from her eye.

"Hey, hey, don't cry." Gippal said in a soothing voice, wiping the tear away. She sniffed.

"I'm sorry, it's just that I can't imagine leaving you again...these past few days have been my best in AGES, and I don't want to leave everything we have again behind..." A small hiccup rose from her throat, and she covered her mouth. Gippal just grinned and brushed her bangs away from her eyes.

"Oui sayh ajanodrehk du sa...E'mm hajan pa ypma du vunkad oui, hu syddan fryd. Cu tuh'd vnad, palyica uin muja femm gaab ic dukadranyht drec ec uha drehk oui lyh dnicd sa uh." Gippal murmured softly, bringing Rikku closer into a hug.

Translation—(You mean everything to me...I'll never be able to forget you, no matter what. So don't fret, because our love will keep us together--and this is one thing you can trust me on.

Rikku felt her tears flow freely now—Gippal didn't usually say things that deep and meaningful-now she knew this really meant something.

"You mean everything to me too." She sobbed into his chest, too exasperated and emotional to speak in the Al Bhed language. She could almost hear Gippal smile sadly.

"I'm glad to hear that."

Rikku shook her head vigorously. "I'm not! I wish I didn't have to say it right now, because than I wouldn't be LEAVING! I'd be staying with you, and we'd be living happily and you'd cook me breakfast every morning because I can't cook worth nickels, and-and-and-"Gippal rubbed her back soothingly.

"It's okay—calm down. We can do all that stuff when you come back."

"Stop it Gippal!" She cried, separating from him. "You know just as well as I do that even if I DO come back, things might be totally different again. Just how long will THIS journey of mine take me? I don't know—but I do know that things WILL be different, and when I see you again I won't feel the same, and I'll want to, I'll try and FORCE myself to, but I just-I just-"She hiccupped again and rubbed at her eyes. "I just wish life were easier and that this stupid love didn't hurt so much."

She looked up to see Gippal giving her one of those smiles that's forced just so they won't cry—even though she could see the tear stains on his cheeks from crying already.

"Rikku—" He sighed, his head hanging low. "I knew you would think that. Just because in these past years we've changed, doesn't mean it wasn't for the better, right? I'm sure if we had been the exact same you would have gotten bored, knowing you—but you changed. So see? It's good that we have..." He rubbed at his eye. "I'm not making any sense, am I?"

Rikku just grinned. "Nope. But that's why I love you." She wrapped her arms around his neck, her cheek pressed against his chest, and he hugged her back, his face dug into her shoulder.

"Oh, wait-I've got the perfect thing to say!" Gippal cried, springing back. Rikku looked at him questioningly as he dug around in one of his pockets. "Ah, here it is."

He unfolded a piece of folded paper, cleared his throat, glanced at Rikku, and read,

"'I miss you like the earth misses the sun!'

and

'Miss you till Spira explodes!'"

Rikku blushed. "Those are from some of my letters from, like, eons ago! You kept that one?"

Gippal patted his pocket fondly. "Every one of them." Rikku smiled widely.

"I can't BELIEVE I'm leaving you to go on this stupid mission!" She jumped at him and hugged him tight. Gippal just chuckled.

"I think Yuna and Paine will come looking for you soon." Rikku's arm fell limp around his neck.

"Oh..yea." She sighed, standing up. "I'm going to miss you. A LOT. You probably don't know how much, but—I didn't have the guts to tell you this way back in Home when you left me for the first time—but I love you, Gippal. And I pray to Yevon that we won't be separated for too long, or that you won't forget me, or me, you, and that when we meet again it'll be like old times, and we can kiss and hug all we want, and-I want so much for us Gippal!"

Gippal just crouched down so he was eye level with Rikku. He slowly put his finger overtop her lips. "I know EXACTLY how you feel, so don't say I don't. I want a million things in the world to happen, but life isn't a perfect plan-we're going to have to wing it." He rustled her hair. "And to start that off, our first test of love is to see if we can stay apart for this stupid trip of yours, okay?"

Rikku sniffed. "All right. But if something goes wrong, I'm blaming YOU!" She poked him in the forehead. Gippal sighed.

"Okay."

The two stopped in mid movement. It sounded like a far-away cry of 'Rikku!'

"Cred." Rikku muttered, pulling at one of her braids. "They wreck everything!"

Gippal nodded slowly. "We better make this quick then." Rikku glanced up. His voice had stumbled...she gasped slightly. He was crying. Downright crying, and he didn't seem to care.

Rikku just sobbed and ran into his open arms. "Gippal, it wasn't supposed to happen like this!" She cried, arm arms wrapped tightly around his neck. "We were supposed to stay together forever!"

"I know, I know..." He lifted her chin up slightly, just so her eyes could lock with his—oh, how sad it looked, full of emotions Rikku couldn't really understand.

The cries of Rikku were coming closer. Rikku's hands gripped at the cloth of his shirt tightly. "I'm not going to let you go again." She cried, gritting her teeth. "I'll run away, I don't care! This is too much, Gippal! I can't stand it! My heart is gonna explode!"

Gippal just looked at her, silent. His hands fell off of her, and a lonely, lost expression took over his face. "I'm sorry, Rikku." He muttered, holding her hands in his tightly. "I'm sorry I ruined everything. If I hadn't left Home, we would still be together, no matter what. I'm sorry that life isn't perfect and that we can't have everything we want. I'm sorry for everything terrible that's happened to you, because it probably all leads back to me anyway." He leaned down and locked his lips with hers. Rikku instantly responded, lost in his kiss. She didn't want to part-no, not from him, not ever.

"RIKKU!" A nearby voice cried.

Gippal broke apart, the tears from both their faces mingled. "I'm sorry, Rikku...I'm sorry...my girl."

Rikku felt her heart thump. Not Goose, not Rikku, and ESPECIALLY not Cid's Girl. He had called her his girl.

She reached for his retracting body. "GIPPAL!" She cried, sobs freely coming from her now. "Gippal you can't do this! I'm sorry too! Gippal!"

He looked once at her again, his eyes lost in hers. "Don't be sorry." He called to her, barely above a whisper. "No matter what, I'll find you. My love for you is stronger than that."

Rikku sobbed, her tears starting to tighten up her skin. "Gippal..."

"I love you Rikku-always remember that!"

"I love you too!"

Her heart was tearing apart, her world flashing around her. No, no, everything was going wrong...it wasn't supposed to end this way.

She looked up to see him running down the path already. She reached out for his body, but she knew it was too late. He was gone.

She slid to the ground, her cries and sobs overtaking her body. She shook with emotion and sadness. Why did this have to happen? Her and Gippal were both feeling the same pain—the same sadness and dread...she knew he felt like this right now too.

So WHY was everything getting in the way?

"Gippal...I miss you already." She said in between hiccups. She heard the yells of Yuna coming closer, and she wished she could just throw them away.

The only thing that could comfort her right now would be Gippal's own voice, his body next to her and whispers in her ear.

She finally unfolded her hands slowly. They had been clenched tightly, her knuckles white. She gasped as something fell out of her left hand. With trembling hands, she picked it up. She couldn't help but smile slightly. Gippal was a genius.

There, he had given her-the earpierce. Now they could talk whenever they wanted.

"Oh Gippal..." She murmured, grasping the earpierce and tucking it safely in her pocket.

"Why does love hurt so much?"

A/N: Aww...what a sad chapter! But don't worry, it's not the last one..there's still ONE more!

And I'm sorry if their leaving wasn't that good, I wasn't thinking when I wrote...but it still made me sad...R&R please!