A/n: Sorry it took me so long to get this up. I've been really busy with schoolwork and my stupid teachers decided to give me a whole lot of projects over spring break. I mean, hello, it's called spring break for a reason. Whatever. I'd like to thank my two reviewers, Cute-Kitty and AndreaRoberts. Hope you like this chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy X-2 and of course, sadly, never will.

Chapter 4

So I marched over to Gippal and smacked him right in the face.

"Ow! What the hell was that for Rikku?" He yelled in pain. I can't really blame him for yelling though. The whole left side of his face was red. Y'know, I really didn't know I could hit that hard. But I really can't let him know, now can I?

"That was for scaring me to death! You could have been killed, but you don't seem to care though." I stopped for a second and realized that he had no idea what I was talking about. I could see the confusion in his eye. "You don't know what happened, do you?" He shook his head no. I sighed and told him about the attacks.

"That must have happened after I left, because I didn't hear anything about it. Y'know, you didn't have to hit me like that. You hit way to hard for a girl." He said, rubbing his cheek. Big baby.

"Whatever, I came for the parts Pops ordered, so hurry up and get them so I can get out of here." I all but ordered him. I really needed to get going so I could figure out exactly what was going on.

He just stared at me for a while. Then he slowly shook his head and started walking towards the temple.

"What?" I whined, wanting to know just what the look was for.

"Come on, let's go." He called, already in side the temple.

When I finally caught up with him, we went into his room. I forgot how messy it was in there. He's got more machina in there than there is in the rest of the temple.

"So, what exactly did you need?" He asked, looking at all of the machina.

I handed him a piece of paper with the orders on it. He looked over it, turned around, and started rummaging through the machina. He was mumbling to himself, but I couldn't hear what he was saying.

He turned back around finally and said, "Most of this stuff you need won't be here until tomorrow. It was supposed to be here today, but obviously, some people can't handle delivering parts. So, it looks like you have two options. You can either stay here for the night, or go back to Cid and tell him that you couldn't get the parts. Then you'd have to come back tomorrow and get them."

I'd have to WHAT! There is no way that I am staying here. But, it probably wouldn't go well with Pops if I told him I couldn't get everything. That man loves his machina. He would probably think Gippal's trying to cheat him out of his parts. He just might come over here and try to kill him, and we just can't have that now, can we?

I mean, I really wouldn't have a problem with it, but the Machine Faction would probably crumble. Those people are like little kids that need to be told exactly what to do, and be watched 24/7 or the just might blow the place up.

Man, I have to stay, but I'm going to make it hell on him, just because I'm saving his ass.

I looked at him. "It doesn't really look like I have much of a choice, does it? You know Pops will probably kill you if I come back empty handed, so I'm only staying here to save your life. You had better be thankful, because I could have just as easily gone Home and it wouldn't have bothered me in the least. So, anyways, where will I be staying?" I finished happily.

"Well, since all of the other rooms are taken by my workers, it looks like you will be staying in here. I'll go room with one of my workers." He replied.

To tell you the truth, I was really surprised by his answer. I had expected him to give me some old, run-down, dirty room. But his room? Now that's a shocker. Why is he being so nice to me anyways? Something's definitely up and I don't like it.

"Unless, of course, you want me to stay with you. I know you do." He said, with that stupid smirk of his. Man, I just wanted to slap it right off his face.

"Yeah right, you jerk." I said as I walked out of the temple. He just had to say that, didn't he? He just can't resist it sometimes.

So I was walking around the outside of the temple. There really wasn't anyone around. Then something occurred to me: what happened to Zafram? It's like he just disappeared. Hmm…I'll have to ask Gippal about him later.

While I was thinking, I had reached the back of the temple. I wasn't really paying attention, but then I heard some strange noises. I looked around and saw about 20 fiends. Why on Earth would fiends be hanging around back here? There's never any around the temple, save the time when it was infested with them, but that was different.

I was getting ready to attack them when they suddenly disappeared. I was shocked. How was that even possible? I started walking over to where the fiends had previously been, when someone suddenly grabbed me from behind, and put their hand over my mouth.

I struggled but it was no use. Their grip was just too strong.

"Don't you dare interfere with my plans, princess, or I just might have to destroy your precious Al Bhed before I destroy the rest of Spira."

The voice was obviously a man's, but I didn't recognize it at all.

"Pretty soon, there's not goin' to be anything left here, and you're goin' with it." The man said.

I don't get scared very often, but I am now. I can't remember the last time I was this scared. I had no idea how I was going to get away from him, and I was really starting to panic.

I already tried to bite his hand, but he had it positioned so I couldn't. Then I tried kicking him, but still no luck. He must have shins of steel. What the hell does he want with me anyways?

"You're not gettin' away from me princess."

Can't he call me anything else besides "princess"? He's as bad as Gippal with the name-calling.

"Hey, Cid's girl! Where are you? I need to talk to you."

YES! I've never been so happy to hear that voice. Now, only if he would come back here, this guy would really get it.

The guy holding me must have known who was coming because he started dragging me to a crevice in the rock wall. There was no way I was going in there. Just then, Gippal came around the corner.

"What the- RIKKU!"

The guy holding me heard him, dropped me, and took off running. Gippal ran up to me.

"Are you alright Rikku? Who was that?" Like I knew!

"I'm fine, but I have no idea who that was. He said I wasn't to interfere with some plan of his, or he would destroy the Al Bhed before the rest of Spira. Then he said that this place was going to be gone, and I was going with it."

"Oh, shit." Gippal said, looking past me.

"What?" I said as I looked over my shoulder.

Uh-oh. We were in BIG trouble. There must have been 30-40 fiends there, and we're not talking small, wimpy ones. Oh no, we're talking Omegas, Humbabas, Zalamanders, and Ultima Weapons. Maybe this is what that gut meant. The two of us, against all of them. We were going to die. Gippal was right. Oh, shit.

A/N: So? How was it? I've been seriously considering giving up on this fic. I don't know if anyone, besides my two reviewers, is reading this. So, I really don't like writing something if no one likes it. If you're reading this, and haven't reviewed, please do, and tell me whether or not I should continue. Thanks.