Yes, yes, I haven't updated in a while. But I had a good reason!. My internet connection died on me a while ago, and therefore I haven't been able to post. ugh. It's horrible. If you're reading this right now, then I've probably posted. Yay. I have also solemnly swore to try and improve my grammar. I've read the past chapters and was absolutely horrified to find out the extent of my bad grammar. I will make a conscious effort to rectify that. (I know how annoying it gets when stories have bad grammar).

Anyway. I apologize again for not having this up sooner. Read and enjoy.

Oh, and the whole italics on the last chapter was completely another fluke. I think the uploading system hates me.

Dream A little Dream

Chapter 20: Much Ado about Nothing.

It was getting later and later, and the townspeople of Kilika, full from their dinners had settled down in content to watch the last rays of sunlight fade into the horizon. The night was breezy, a calm, soothing contrast on the ports of the vibrant city. Content radiated off in waves as families got comfortable in their houses, one again saying prayers to Yevon, or to the Fayth, whichever the people believed to have more of an influence to their now peaceful world.

Yes the night was beautiful, and everyone was content.

Except for the rapidly ticking time bomb that was known as Gippal.

The Machine Faction leader stormed out of the Inn, his Mortar slung over his shoulders with every intent of blowing those responsible for taking Rikku away from him into oblivion. He moved like a serpent, gliding into the evening without detection.

He was angry. More angry then he had ever remembered being.

No, that wasn't true, the last time he had been this angry was when Cid sent Rikku out into the harsh world of Spira with the mission of saving her cousin's life.

He had gone into a blind rage, accusing Cid of sending his only daughter to her death. He had been out for blood then.

Ruefully he admitted that he was out for blood now. Only it wasn't Cid's blood in danger of being spilt. It was those idiots who thought that he would give up peacefully just because Rikku had been taken away from him. If anything it fueled his rage, not honestly knowing why he felt so strongly at her being taken away from him.

He just knew that no one would be allowed to do it. No-one.

He vowed that those men were dead men walking. All of them.

Rikku frowned at the dim light in the temple. Looking around curiously, she tried to spot the arrogant Faction leader, since it was he who had called her here in the first place. She closed her eyes, sighing out in frustration. If she had missed that wonderful Kilikan prime Rib just because Gippal had tried to play a prank on her. Ooooh, she would kill him.

Until he was very dead and couldn't move anymore.

Idly, she wondered why, even though she loved him, she still pictured him dying painfully in some tragic way whenever she got upset over something that he had done; sometimes it didn't really have anything to do with him, she just pictured him at the end of her wrath, and instantly she would feel better about the situation.

Maybe it was because she loved him so much that she thought of him suffering like that. Rikku shook her head. 'No. That would make me into some sort of masochist or something'.

She shivered at the thought. "Ew."

She smiled, and walked closer to the center of the temple, her eyes flickered to the shifting light of the fires. Something didn't feel right.

She stopped. A rustle had her spinning around. "Gippal...?"

"This isn't funny, you jerk. Come out already"

Rikku began to get nervous. Something definitely didn't feel right. She fingered the tips of her guns, unconsciously, hopefully nothing bad would happen that she had to use them.

Shadows began looming over her. This was really beginning to make her nervous.

He's never going to love you, you know. Something whispered in the back of her mind. Rikku stiffened. Get away from him, you're only going to cause him harm.

Another rustle.

She spun around, and all she saw was a man in a green hat before everything became a blur.

Gippal walked to the entrance of the temple. Listening closely as he heard the scolding voice of someone who sounded remarkably like Rikku.

He stormed in, ready to have his guns blazing at any given moment, then stopped. Shock, amusement, relief and slight anger flooded his system as he saw Rikku glaring and scolding the people who were supposedly her captors.

All of them were stuck in slimy, sticky purple goo. All of them fighting fruitlessly against the sticky substance. Rikku, looking very much like Brother at the moment with her frantic waving finger.

"You should all be ashamed of yourselves!" She snapped, still not noticing his presence. "All of you!"

"How dare you think you can kidnap me like that! You should have consulted me first. You're all just big...big...meanies! Yes you! and you, and you!" Gippal thought it would have been a little pointless to state that kidnapping doesn't usually happen with the victim's permission.

"Now Probably all the Kilikan barbeque is all gone. I won't have dinner. And then I won't be able to sleep because I'm so hungry, and then because I'm so hungry and no sleep I won't be able to save the stupid world. Again!"

Rikku began pacing.

"Do you know how hard it was to beat Sin? do you? And then there is this, this thing called Vegnagun, which by the way you Yevonites are responsible for. And Now There's this other thing that I have to take care of. And I didn't even get my Kilikan Barbeque!"

Gippal frowned. What other thing?

"And you!" She snapped, rounding on the man with the Green hat. "What is it with you and that hat?" she snatched it off his head.

"Good gracious! You're bald!" Rikku slammed the hat back on the man's head. "But you should consider getting a different color, you look positively white with that stupid hat."

"And what is it with you and the temple thingy? You have the Other temple's to worry about, and not very many people are visiting them anymore because there's nothing to pray from. And besides, Gippal's making good use for the temple. Which is more then I can say for you!" There went her finger, waving like a sword.

"Sometimes you can't get everything you want. Right?" she looked at them, and frowned, forgetting that they couldn't answer with the goo on their mouths. "Right. You know what they say, when life gives you lemons, you clone those lemons and make super lemons!"

Gippal grinned. "I don't think that's how it goes."

Rikku spun around and glared at him. "You! This is all Your fault! I missed my barbecue because you and your stupid Yevon adversaries had to go and kidnap me and you had to try and play hero and how long have you been standing there?"

She was on a roll. "Why? Why does this happen to me? huh? Why! What did I ever do to you? You owe me a barbecue, you jerk!" she snapped, in one breath.

Her hand lashed out ad slapped him across the face. She stared at him, horrified at what she had done. The Yevonites stared at him in shock, glancing back at Rikku. Gippal's head was snapped to one side, he cheek red. Rikku burst out crying, flinging herself in his arms. "It's their fault, they made me do it"

"I thought you wouldn't come" She whispered, hugging him tightly.

"What are you talking about?" Gippal asked, confused, automatically wrapping his arms around the sobbing girl.

"They keep saying that I shouldn't see you anymore. That I should get away from you as fast as I can." Rikku sobbed.

Gippal's eye narrowed at the people currently encased in purple. "Them?" he asked, motioning to them.

"No, no. Not them..." Rikku whispered shakily. "It started when I got into the temple. Gippal, I think I might be going crazy. They-they say that I shouldn't be here. That I don't belong here."

"Who?" He asked, feeling slightly nervous about the dazed look in her swirling green eyes.

"I can't tell you." she muttered, tapping her finger to her skull. "But they say I should go. It's dangerous for you to be around me Gippal."

"What are you talking about. Everyone here is stuck in that slime of yours, they aren't a threat. Good going, by the way." He grinned, attempting to make her smile.

She just stared at the people captive to the slime, as if seeing them for the first time. "I don't remember how they got like that Gippal." she whimpered in a small voice.

She sounded so much like a little girl that he glanced down worriedly at her. She began to shake. "I-I've been having nightmares lately, I haven't told anyone. I hear people talking to me in my sleep Gippal. Asking me things. Things that I know but don't know how I know. Sometimes I start to black out, and wake up in a different place."

"C'mon" Gippal whispered soothingly. "It's probably because you're tired. We'll get these guys to the authorities and get some rest. You'll be better off tomorrow." He rubbed her back and lead her outside.

If only it were that simple.

I wish I knew what was going on. It's true that I've been hearing voices, and the fact that I black out and wake up in different places. It's starting to scare me.

I think it's the whole dream mission thing that I'm doing. After every temple I've closed, I've been dreaming more. Not all of them are good dreams too.

The Crystal I found in D'jose? You remember that right? It's gone. I know for a fact that I didn't take it out of my belt.

Am I supposed to go insane before I re-seal all the gates? Because that would suck.

...What is it like to lose your mind? To know that you're losing it? I'm starting to see flashes of things now. Things from the past. How Kilika used to be. The summoners who gave their lives to save us. If only for a short time.

I know all of them. By name. By place. General Roycon of Kilika, he gave himself up for the calm. Lady Sienna, from Baaj temple. I know all of them that gave their lives for the calm.

It freaks me out. Because I'm not supposed to know these things.

Maybe that's why I'm not as happy as I used to be. Gippal says I'll be better in the morning. I don't think so.

It's around 2:00 in the morning. I'm not in Kilika anymore.

I'm in Bevelle.

I don't know how I got here. I woke up. In the middle of the night. And...my feet just started moving. I have my sword. I'm sealing the temple.

It feels odd. To feel like you're watching everything from a sphere.

My feet are moving again. I'm walking around in Bevelle. Baralai's advisors are greeting me. I hear myself talking and greeting them back. Everything is dim, like when the commsphere is on low volume.

I wonder if I'm being mind controlled or something.

All of a sudden, everything's loud again. It's still early. I really don't know how I got here. I'm still in Bevelle.

Hmmm...I wonder why I'm not as freaked out as I should be. Prolonged effect I guess.

...I have a craving for barbeque. Isn't that odd? Somewhere in my brain, it's all jumbled and I'm seeing things again.

Something's telling me that I don't have time anymore. That I have to seal those gates. I don't know who. But it's telling me that he imbalance has started already.

Kuppo isn't with me. Neither is Pau. I'm just by myself. Perhaps it's a sign to say that I'm supposed to end this alone.

What would Gippal think? When I disappear without saying anything? What would my dad say?

My feet have started moving on their own again. The background of Bevelle is starting to blur, like a bleeding canvas. I see Baralai's advisors pointing and whispering about me.

Something about me fading.

Where am I fading? Baaj temple. I'm in Baaj. I'm sealing the gate, I'm fighting fiends.

And I have absolutely no control over my body. Have you ever had that experience before? I'm not freaked out, like I should be.

I don't feel like anything. Something in the back of my brain whispers that I'm becoming less real.

Less real? Was I ever real in the first place?

They say human emotions will start to fade. But I don't want them to fade. Every time I seal a temple, I lose a little piece of myself. I don't feel like...me anymore.

I want to stop. I want to stop! I don't want to save the world. Not if it means losing myself along with it.

Help me.

Please. I don't want to lose myself in a dream. Please.

I can't talk. My voice isn't working.

My story comes with a price. I think Mine is the only one without a happy ending.

Baaj is sealed. And it's starting to blur again. Wow, I'm getting things a done a lot faster then I would if It were just me.

Maybe I should be glad that it's going to be over soon.

Besaid. That's where I am now. On the beach.

And I have control again. Well...as much control as I would have.

I start walking down the beach. I'm shaking. Honestly though, can you blame me? Some fiends stand in the way, but they're really nothing. Not a challenge at all. I Move faster, my attacks are more accurate. I'm becoming less human. Becoming more like the dream I am. I should have asked Tidus how it feels to vanish. But then it would make him suspicious wouldn't it?

I find myself in Besaid Village. At the entrance. Sunrise is coming. Wakka usually does his rounds of the village this time of day. I hope he doesn't see me. I'm afraid of what he'll say.

I'm being pushed into the temple by some invisible force. Either that or my legs have started moving again.

I need a control for this or something. It's kind of annoying not being able to tell which way you're going. It's kind of creepy too. I blacked out after that.

...It's kind of creepy, when I came too, I'm in the temple of Besaid and the hole is sealed. I don't remember doing it, I just have fuzzy memories of things. I walk out of the chamber of the fayth.

Owie...my head really hurts, It's like I've been beaten with a stick. Repeatedly. Something I never want to experience again.

"...Rikku?" I look down, I see Wakka, and Lulu.

It's kind of scary watching your friends look like they're afraid of you. There must be something about me that scares them, cause Wakka steps in front of Lulu.

"Yes." My voice isn't my voice anymore. It's like two voices rolled into one. It's kind of odd.

"Is something wrong?" I find myself asking, half anticipating, half terrified of what they may say. But there's a part of me that didn't care.

...Does that make sense? Great I'm becoming some sort of dream-like being, and I still have a hard time figuring things out. I don't know whether to be insulted or relieved. So I'll be a little of both.

I'm still myself...to some degree. But I'm not...Ok, I'm not making any sense.

"You're see through...or your flickering" Lulu said.

I look at my hands and sure enough, I can see through them to the floor.

Translucent, non-translucent, translucent, non-translucent, translucent...

Heh, I'm having too much fun with that.

I look at them, and suddenly, all the emotions that I haven't been able to feel come rushing back to me. Whooosh! Like that.

And I'm terrified.

"Lulu, Wakka. Help me!" That's all I remember saying before I blacked out.

Sorry I haven't updated in like...forever. But That wasn't entirely my fault. There was, some family problems, then someone got very ill, and then there was a death in the family. So I've been recuperating. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to update, but, I'll try to get the next chapter up sooner rather then later. Hopefully.