A/N-Here's the final chapter you guys…Ooh the suspense! XD After this the epilogue will be coming shortly as I have already finished it. I just want you guys to tell me what you think of this chapter and within a week the epilogue shall be up along with the end notes and bloopers :) Oh yeah…when you're reading the stuff in italics, imagine the Epilogue Reunion song playing…so pretty XD.

♥Every Heart♥

Chapter Twenty: Every Heart

As the heat approached me, time seemed to slow down. For a moment everything stopped and I was taken back to a few years ago…back when Home was still intact and all my friends were still alive. Why I was thinking of Home at a time like this I didn't know why…

The wind breezed in through the open window, the transparent white curtains billowing gently. It was spring, the season of new beginnings, and Rikku's favorite season. Said Al Bhed was sitting in front of her mirror, dressed in a white spaghetti strap dress that flowed majestically down to her knees. A gardenia was placed in her left ear and she smiled at her reflection. Today would be the last day here at Home for a long time. Tomorrow would mark the beginning of a new journey, when she'd leave with some Al Bhed to teach Spira the good of machina. Today would be a wonderful day when she'd celebrate and say farewell to her friends.

"Rikku!" Brother's voice hollered from downstairs. "Rinno ib!"(Hurry up!)

Checking herself once last time the fifteen-year-old ran out the door and down the stairs. Brother was standing in the doorframe, patiently waiting for her with his arms crossed. She ran up to him and he lowered his arms as she hugged him fiercely, a surprised "Oomph!" vibrating from his throat before he returned it just as strongly.

"E'mm secc oui, zang," (I'll miss you, jerk.) Rikku whispered. Brother chuckled.

"Just be sure to come back safe and well, ok, Rikk?" Brother replied, using her childhood nickname. She nodded and the two made their way to the party, walking in a comfortable silence. As soon as they arrived Rikku's girlfriends rushed over to her, some weeping, some wishing they could go on the journey too.

"Geez, you're so lucky, Rikku!" Raena exclaimed, yearning in her eyes and a wistful sigh escaping her lips. Rikku giggled and nodded.

"Yeah, I know! I'll bring souvenirs for everyone when I get back, promise!" The girls cheered around her and continued with their animated chatter. Little did anyone know that'd be the last time Rikku would see any of them alive. Ignorance was bliss, and as the party continued on and the sun set, Rikku left her group of friends to search for the one she wanted to spend time with most.

The young Al Bhed found her boyfriend leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, head turned up to the evening sky. He seemed in a daze, his good eye clouded over in deep thought. She grinned and tiptoed over, clasping her slender hands behind her back as she approached him.

"What's up?" Gippel flinched, a shocked expression on his face before he recognized it was

"Rikku…" he greeted, usual smirk in place. Said girl leaned against the wall to his left, placing her hands behind her back. "Nothing really…just…thinking."

"Oh? What about?" she prodded, staring up at the sky as well. There was a pause. Concerned, Rikku glanced sideways at him as he seemed to fight with himself over whether or not he should tell her. "Gippel?"

"…It's nothing," he decided, fully facing her with an unconvincing smile. She was about to tell him she'd get it out of him when he interrupted her. "This is your last night with everyone. Let's enjoy ourselves."

Gippel…something's on your mind, I can tell. But…

Gippel gently grasped her hand and led her back to where everyone was, joining the group of people on the dance floor.

I'll let it pass…

He pulled her close to him, wrapping a strong arm around her waist as their other hands joined together and they began dancing awkwardly, their friends laughing good-naturedly at them as Gippel laughed out loud. Rikku's eyes softened.

….for now.

The evening progressed as everyone continued to dance and wish Rikku good luck on her journey. Soon it was only a matter of minutes until midnight, ending the celebration. Then Rikku would have to rest up so she could leave early the next morning with a few comrades.

"Rikku, could you come to our secret place with me?" The blonde girl nodded eagerly and followed Gippel down the hidden path to their secret place. As expected the pyreflies were dreamily dancing about the area and the breeze felt nice.

"Did you want to talk about something?"

"Yeah…but first, I wanna give you this."

"Huh?" He opened up her palm and dropped a thin silver chain onto it before scratching his head, a faint blush on his cheeks. Rikku studied the necklace carefully. It was a locket, with a circular pendant and a pretty design in the middle.

"It's something you can remember me by while you're away. If you ever lose your way or anything…"

"Thank you."

"Eh? O-Oh, no problem," he stuttered, wanting to smack himself in the face.

"Put it on me?"

"Sure." Rikku turned her back to him, lifting up her sunny hair and exposing her smooth neck to him. He took the locket and shakily fastened the clasp on, admiring the way the light from the pyreflies reflected off of the chain.

"How's it look?" Rikku chirped, turning around to face him.

"It's a gift from me, right? Of course it looks perfect!" he boasted, earning a playful kick from Rikku. "But really, Rikku…Gaab ed fedr oui." (Keep it with you.) Rikku noted the look in his eyes and nodded back, fingering the locket.

"Don't worry, I won't take it off." He smiled and drew her into his embrace. They stood like that for a few minutes. He buried his face into her neck and sighed before pulling away.

"Rikku….truth is, I have something that's been on my mind…and I need to tell you before you leave." Their arms fell to their sides as a confused look appeared on Rikku's face.

"Gippel…what is it?"

Why isn't he looking at me?

"Rikku, you're gonna be gone for a long time…I mean, you don't even know when you'll be coming back."

"Yeah, that sucks, doesn't it?" she replied, offering a timid smile.

"Yeah, it does." At this, he looked her straight in the eyes, making her eyes widen. "Which is why I think that…"

Wait…what's he getting at? It couldn't be that…could it?

"…Maybe we should take a break….I mean…I-I still want us to be friends because I care about you a lot, Rikku. It's just that…we'll be far from each other and I don't know if our relationship could stand it so…" he trailed off, nervously scratching his head.

Rikku started breathing heavily, clutching the locket tighter. This? This is why he brought me here? She stared past him, at a loss for words.

"Rikku?" Gippel took a step forward, reaching a hand to touch her shoulder. She flinched and backed away, oblivious to the hurt look on his face.

"…Why?" she whispered, feeling her heart start to break. Why is this happening?

"Rikku, don't you understand? I don't want our relationship to break apart because you'll be gone—"

"No! Gippel, nothing's going to happen! We don't need to take a break!" she exclaimed. She could feel the tears in the corners of her eyes, but she forced them back.

No…if we break up now…there's no chance that we'll ever get back together again…ever…And I don't want that…

"RIKKU!" his scream fell on deaf ears as Rikku turned around and began running blindly out of their secret place, refusing to believe his words.

No…I don't want that…I refuse to believe that…

She ignored Brother's worried look as she stormed into the house, ignored Cid's yell as she climbed up the stairs and slammed the door shut to her room. She ignored everything as she landed on her bed and cried into her pillow, feeling cold and empty inside.

…Because I don't want to lose you.

After a few minutes she sat up, walking over to her mirror where she snatched a picture of her and Gippel from the corner of the frame where it had previously been snuggled in. She ripped it to shreds, feeling a pang in her heart. Maybe it'd be best if she forgot and started anew. It was spring…the season of new beginnings…maybe this was a sign that she needed to move on.

She clutched the locket, fingers tracing the design on the cover. Closing her eyes, she fiercely yanked it off, hearing it hit the floor with a soft thud. The circular pendant fell open and she glanced warily at it before kneeling down and peering inside. The inside of the locket had a picture of her and Gippel from a few months ago when they'd gone swimming with a few friends. It had been a warm and sunny day…the exact opposite feeling in her heart right now. Etched on the opposite inside were the words "Hajan muca ruba."

Rikku froze, staring at the words. "Never lose hope…" she repeated. Shakily she grasped the locket and tears sprang to her eyes. Oh Gippel…

Never lose hope.

An unexplainable power surged through my veins and I screamed at the top of my lungs, managing to dodge the attack just as Talaed's fire orb struck the ground. I couldn't stop now…I needed to save Gippel…Because I don't want to lose you.

I swiped Talaed's legs from under him, and as he gave a cry of surprise, the Hammer of Light flew out of his grasp, rolling over a few feet behind him. Good, now all I had to do was jump over his body and make it to the weapon before he regained his composure. A burst of adrenaline spread throughout my body and I began to run, leaping over Talaed. He chose that moment to reach out and grab my ankle, and I yelled as the ground broke my fall, feeling the wind knocked out of me.

"No!" I shrieked, twisting my body around. I began clawing at his hand, but that only resulted in him tightening his grip on me. With a grunt he threw me in the air and I cried out as my back hit the sharp rocks on the wall. The pain was intense, and I held back tears of agony as I touched the back of my head and felt a sticky liquid begin to hit the ground slowly. Dammit, why didn't I have any spells on me? Everything was beginning to grow dimmer, and I could just make out Gippel's body reaching for the Hammer of Light.

I shakily stood up and staggered forward. Reaching inside my pockets, I sighed with relief when I found a Frag Grenade. With whatever strength I had left, I threw the grenade toward my target, shielding my face as a bright light filled the area and an explosion was heard soon after.

As debris hit the ground, I raced through blindly, ignoring the pounding in my head and the blood dripping onto the floor. Frantically I felt around the area where I thought the Hammer of Light had fallen, wincing as the smoke refused to clear. My hand knocked into something hard and I grinned in triumph as I closed my hand around it, lifting the object into the air.

"You bitch! "

Something punched me in the stomach…hard. I bit back a scream and clenched my fists as I stumbled backward, quickly losing my stamina. The fog finally gave way and I could make out Gippel's form charging at me. Eyes widening, I held the weapon in front of me shakily, hoping against all odds something would save me from the next blow.

"…legendary item that's existence was uncertain…."

"Your…secret? What is it?"

"Our special place."

"Yeah…beautiful."

"You just made me the happiest girl in Spira. Thank you…"

"…Maybe we should take a break…."

"…Song of Eos if the wielder had a pure heart…"

"RIKKU!"

"Never lose hope."

As those words echoed in my mind, tears flew from my eyes as Talaed raised a fist, sinister smile in place. My conscious was quickly slipping and as Talaed brought down his fist to strike, I did the same with the Hammer of Light, closing my eyes as my voice thrust out three words.

"Song of Eos!"

There was a blinding light as pyreflies flew from the Hammer of Light, lighting up the Den of Woe. They danced around me, pure and transparent. I felt oddly at peace and the pain seemed to numb for that moment. A surprised expression was visible upon Talaed's face as the pyreflies invaded his body, bringing out the fiend's soul. As it rose into the air there was a loud hiss and then Talaed's soul was dilapidated. Gippel's body collapsed onto the floor, lifeless.

I fell to my knees, eyes still wide, breathing hard. Seeing Gippel's unmoving body, the rod dropped from my hands. With my last ounce of strength I crawled over to Gippel's body. He couldn't be…

I cradled his face in my lap, brushing back a few stray blonde hairs. Gently I slapped his cheek, urging him to wake up. Panicking just a little, I checked the pulse on his wrist and felt my heart stop when I couldn't get a reading.

"No…"

I started to wildly shake his body, and upon receiving no response I shook even harder, refusing to believe that…

"NO!" Sobbing, I buried my face into the crook of his still warm neck. "Please…don't go…I…don't want to lose you again…" Silence. I sniffled, feeling incredibly empty inside. Raising my face from his neck I stared down at his face. His eye was closed and his mouth was parted slightly with no sign of breathing. I grasped a gloved hand and squeezed gently, breathing in shakily.

Something squeezed painfully in my chest and I placed a fist over it, gasping. It really hurt. Was my heart…crying? My grip on his hand tightened and the pain increased when he didn't return the gesture like he usually would. This was really happening…What would everyone say when I came back? I continued to gaze at his face, wondering what life would be like without his smart remarks, without hearing his voice or seeing his smirk anymore. I didn't think I could bare it. I was right there…and I couldn't manage to save the one I…loved most. As I thought these things, fresh tears sprang to my eyes. It really was too late…my tears wouldn't be able to bring him back.

I sighed brokenly as I removed my gaze from his face to the pyreflies still floating about. Seeing them reminded me of all our memories together in our secret place. Times spent out at night when we both should've been in bed, or when either of us needed someone to confide in or just enjoy the silence together. Somehow, we'd always understand each other and things could be left unsaid. Those memories would truly be left memories now. I don't know how long I continued to be mesmerized by the pyreflies, nor did I really care. There was no denying it…Gippel was probably in the Farplane by now…

I don't really know what happened next…if it was because I was starting to go crazy or if it really was the pyreflies…I heard singing. Beautiful yet saturnine singing; it sounded like a million soft voices, yet it was too synchronized to be more than three voices.

Shimmering so bright.

Guiding light, divine.

Flow along the sea of fading stardust.

Reminisce the touch over the hands you still clutch.

We'll belong, lost in the past, left to emancipate.

We pray among the clouds, in the pitch-blackness of night.

Our voices ascend to the stars.

This will to overcome; they'll always tumble and flow.

In this serenity...

Eternity...

As the sad melody continued to play, the pyreflies seemed to grow brighter. They surrounded us, their pure souls cooling my feverish sobs. My tears dried, staining my cheeks as I watched them enter Gippel's body once more. Did they…were they…saving Gippel with their souls? Gippel's body started to glow and I held onto him tighter, unsure of what to do. The singing suddenly stopped as the pyreflies disappeared and I gasped as Gippel's chest started to rise up and down, puffs of air escaping his lips.

I clutched his body tightly, crying out of relief this time. He stirred, blinking out of his good eye slowly. A sea of emerald was directed at me, and I swore to myself I'd never take that eye for granted again.

"…Rikku? What…happened?" Tears sprang from my eyes and I squealed with joy as a confused expression formed on his face. You really didn't know how much someone meant to you until you almost lost them.

"I'm so glad…" I whispered. I suddenly felt extremely worn out. My hand slipped from his and I started to sway slightly. My vision started dimming and I could hear Gippel murmuring something, his hand supporting my back. I fell forward, welcoming oblivion. The last thing I heard was Gippel calling my name.

SIX DAYS LATER…

Light streamed in through the blinds, dust particles dancing in and out of the bright beams. Muffled voices could be heard outside, laughter ringing throughout the temple. Everyone was hard at work as usual. Every now and then a shadow would pass by the parted door, a reminder that the day was slowly going by. The moogle clock on the table ticked away, the bright yellow antennae lazily swinging to and fro. The atmosphere was quiet inside the room, though. A figure lay under the thin sheets of the bed, breathing steadily.

Suddenly the clock struck five and the moogle seemed to spring to life. "Five o' clock, kupo kupo! Five o' clock, kupo!" The figure in the bed suddenly sat up in shock, blonde bangs plastered to her forehead. She breathed heavily before blinking rapidly, taking in her surroundings.

At that moment a brunette in a slighter shorter ponytail entered the room, carrying a wet towel and some gauze. When their gazes met, the items fell from her arms, forgotten. "Rikku!" Yuna screamed, stopping herself from attacking her cousin. "You're finally awake! Oh, I was beginning to think that you'd never wake up!"

"Huh? What happened? How long was I out?" Rikku asked, examining the cuts on her body with mild concern. Yuna sat on the edge of the bed and picked up the towel and gauze. She gently pushed Rikku back down and placed the towel on her forehead. "I'm waiting, here!"

"You mean you really don't remember?" Rikku shook her head. A slight frown appeared on the ex-summoner's face as she rolled out the gauze and began to wrap it around Rikku's left arm. "For starters, you've been out for six days." At this the Al Bhed girl winced.

"Six days, huh? Were my wounds really that bad?"

"I guess so, but it was probably also because your body was extremely tired out and you seemed to be exhausted mentally more than physically…Anyway, from what Gippel told us, you saved his life somehow when he was possessed by Talaed. He doesn't remember anything between, and since you don't remember, I guess no one can fill in the blanks for us." Rikku remained silent for a moment as her cousin continued to dress her wounds.

"How's Gippel?"

"Hmm? Oh, he's just fine. He was the one who carried you back to Djose, you know. Everyone was worried sick about you and Gippel when Leblanc returned with me unconscious." Rikku nodded, relaxing a little. "There! I'm done. How's it feel?" The blonde girl looked at her arm and back at Yuna before managing a weak smile.

"It's fine, but why can't you just use a Curaga on me?" Yuna returned the smile, standing up.

"Well, I was unconscious when you came back and Paine wasn't here so we couldn't use our White Mage dresspheres, and apparently no one around here knows white magic. When I was finally awake the doctor here said that I shouldn't overexert myself mentally or physically so I still couldn't use white magic, and your wounds were healing already so regular medical attention was all that was needed."

"Oh, I see. How are you, anyway?"

"Well all I needed was a quick rest and water and then I was A-OK!" Yuna winked at Rikku who giggled. "Ok, then! I'll go tell everyone you're awake. Paine's here, too. She fully recovered two days ago, but she has to use a wheelchair for a while." Grasping her cousins hand and squeezing it reassuringly, Yuna gave her one last glance before exiting the room in search for the others.

While she was by herself, Rikku gazed about the room calmly, wondering exactly what she'd missed. It felt good to be back in her bed and awake after being out for so long.

"RIKKU!" Her ponderings were cut short when Brother burst in through the door, literally breaking off a hinge of the door in his excitement. Rikku started as he glomped her, mumbling things in Al Bhed and kissing her forehead over and over again.

"B-Brother! Kad uvv uv sa!" (Get off of me!) Rikku sighed as he rocked her back and forth. Suddenly he drew back and waggled his right index finger in her face, jutting out his lower lip.

"Oui luimt'ja paah gemmat, Rikku! Haqd desa, tuh'd pa cu nycr un E fuh'd vunkeja oui!" (You could've been killed, Rikku! Next time, don't be so rash or I won't forgive you!) Rikku numbly nodded, wincing as he hugged her tight once more.

"Brother, I think you're going to kill her if you don't give her some room." Rikku looked past her sibling's shoulder to see another familiar face. Ruby greeted emerald, a faint smile on the older woman's face.

"Paine! I'm glad you're finally out of the hospital! I see you're wearing your normal clothes again! How do you feel?" Rikku squealed, throwing Brother off of her who landed on the floor unceremoniously, pouting. Paine wheeled over to Rikku's side, running over Brother-who cried out and twitched-obliviously before stopping and crossing her gloved hands.

"I'm alright. So, this is what happens when I'm away." Paine shook her head distastefully as Rikku pouted cutely.

"Hey, I'm alive aren't I?" To emphasize her point the Al Bhed girl brandished her arms violently and wiggled her fingers in front of the warrior's face before a wave of dizziness washed over her and she fell back onto her pillows, groaning.

"Nice, Rikku."

"Oh, quiet you!"

"Hmm…that's another eleven respect points. I guess that means you're finally down to zero."

"WHAT!"

"Hey, looks like she's finally up." Buddy and Shinra entered the scene, stomping over Brother and stopping next to Paine. Buddy placed a hand on his hip casually as Shinra kneeled on the ground and placed his elbows on the bedside.

"You feeling better?" Buddy questioned, scratching his fuzzy blonde hair. Rikku grinned and nodded.

"Yup! In fact, I think I can get up right now!"

"Oh no you don't. You're still weak, haha!" Shinra pointed out, poking Rikku's side. He was rewarded with a whack to the head. As the boy was nursing his poor head and everyone was laughing, Yuna re-entered the room with Tidus and Gippel. Rikku smiled at Gippel cheerfully as he sauntered over, walking over Brother in process, Tidus following suit. Yuna hopped over to join the others, bouncing off of Brother's back and stumbling forward.

"Oh, Brother! I didn't see you there!" the gunner gasped while Brother continued to twitch and groan before drawing her attention back to Rikku. Everyone began talking at once, filling Rikku in on what she'd missed (which wasn't much). They were slightly disappointed upon hearing she had no memory of the incident six days ago, but maybe it was best if no one knew. After talking and being together for a few hours, a comfortable silence hung in the room.

There was a stifled grunt from Gippel as everyone seemed to push him forward. He stumbled to Rikku's side, who glanced at him curiously, heart beating rapidly. Feeling nervous, he scratched the back of his head, chuckling.

"Huh? What's going on? Why's everyone backing away?" Rikku asked, ever the naïve one. The Machine Faction Leader suddenly kneeled on one knee, making Rikku's eyes widen dramatically. She clutched the blankets tightly, fingers shaking as Gippel produced a black velvet box. Upon opening it Rikku's eyes were greeted with a silver band with a shimmering diamond inside, cut into the shape of a magnificent heart and framed with silver arcs. She breathed in, feeling lightheaded. Everyone behind Gippel leaned forward tensely, crazy grins on all their faces. If Brother was still conscious, his smile would've won first place. Only Paine managed to keep her smile from looking maniacal.

"Rikku." Said girl jumped slightly, a blush beginning to descend upon her pretty face.

"Y-Yes?"

"Will you marry me?" Silence. Everyone waited, leaning forward even more until they were almost next to Gippel. At that moment Brother regained consciousness and jumped up suddenly, startling everyone. Gippel let go of a yell and the velvet box flew up into the air, rising high above the commotion below. As Buddy and Shinra started kicking Brother for ruining "THE moment" and Yuna clapped a hand over her face in dismay as Tidus consoled her, Rikku's eyes were trained solely on the falling box.

She stretched out both hands, mouth parted as the box landed softly into her palms. Everyone stopped their bickering as the Al Bhed girl took out the ring and slid it smoothly onto her engagement finger, smiling with tears running down the sides of her face. Yuna clapped her hands together, jumping up and down as Paine blinked owlishly along with everyone else. This was what she always wanted, for her knight in shining armor to propose in front of the people she held closest to her heart. Today was truly the happiest day of her life.

"Yes."

A/N-So, tell me…how many of you guys seriously believed that I would let Gippel die? Did any of you cry? Heh heh heh…probably not since that part was like crap, right? And now all that's left is the epilogue…Well anyway, do any of you guys watch Prince of Tennis (PoT), Fullmetal Alchemist (fma), or play Ragnarok Online? For those who watch fma, don't you think Tsuisou is such a pretty song? Man Spring Break is almost over and I haven't started on my homework! Me is dead. Wow, this story is over a year old o.O We've finally reached the end…it's been a long journey you guys and I'd like to thank those who've been here since the very beginning and those who have just joined in as well. And wow the B-word was used in this chapter O.o That's like the only cuss word I used in the whole story…Haha. Oh wait, there was that time when Gippel went crazy on Leblanc…Man I'm rambling again! Oh yeah the lyrics are from Xenosaga: The Animation and the song is In This Serenity…such a pretty song! Anyway, please review! The epilogue shall be up next week along with the End Notes. See you then!

Moshi Moshi Mai