DISCLAIMER: As usual, all these characters do not belong to me. They belong to Square-Enix.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you for your patience. More is revealed now. I might be taking this off fanfiction net soon and putting it in my livejournal. Haven't decided if I should, but for those who are reading it. Thank you for your reviews.

Chapter 4

"Have you found him?" The soft voice asked as the guards looked at one another. They quietly shook their heads. "IMBECILES! NITWITS! You're supposed to be guarding him? How could you allow him to be captured?" Issaru yells as he turns upon the two guards. Just as he was ready to strike them, the door opened and a priest entered the room. The summoner hastily withdrew his blow, his hands withdrawing to the inside of his robes. A smile on his face, Issaru turned towards the priest and made the Yevon prayer bow before asking dulcetly, "Yes, High Priest Maekel?"

The old man looked intently at Issaru before he replies in a slow, deliberate tone, "The Mervyn of the Youth League was just on the Comm Sphere. He just informed me that Youth League would ceased all current activities and concentrate on searching and rescuing the Praetor. Therefore, we would be on our own this time if we want to launch any offensive."

"They can- " Issaru begun before he gritted his teeth and held back, his hands balling into fists as he looked as though he wanted to kill someone, "Yes, but we would still be launching the offensive, wouldn't we? Otherwise, we would not have the element of surprise against the Al-Bhed."

There was silence from the Maekel as he moves from one side of the room to the other side. He paused to look at the display cupboard that was filled with bottles of liquor before he shakes his head and turns towards Issaru, "No. With the Praetor kidnapped, our priority should negotiating for terms to release him and not launching another offensive. I shall give the orders to the men regarding that. I am the next in charge after the Praetor." The old man smirked at Issaru, his eyes still sharp with intelligence as he turned to walk out.

It happened so fast for Issaru. The initial rage and frustration that filled him before his hands came out to weave the spell. Demi sent the old man to his knees and before the priest could react further, Issaru had his boot on his neck, "You will not destroy my plans. I've waited too long… too long for this."

Maekel choked as his face turned a ghastly shade of blue, "You… You… won't … get… away … from … this… The … people… won't… listen… to … you… You … do not hold… any rank in the Temple." His hands were at the boot, attempting to push it away as he speaks.

Issaru laughed, a strange light of insanity filling his eyes as he moved his face close to the Priest and whispered, "They will… because it would be the -only- way that they would be able to ensure that their -children- are safe… It was such a pity that you did not choose to have a family, else you -might- still be alive."

"You- " The words were abruptly halted in the Maekel's throat as Issaru crunched down with his boot.

"No one would be able to stop me."

How many days had it been? His feverish mind could not comprehend. He had snatched small periods of sleep during the night, when his mind was not assaulted by his memories. He could not sense or feel anything. His body felt cold and clammy one moment before becoming hot and feverish the next. He wanted a drink so badly. His mouth was parched and his lips were cracked.

Vaguely, he remembered people coming in and words flitting around, "Alcohol… addiction… cold turkey… " Those were the words that had permeated through the fuzziness of his mind. There was also someone who held a wet cloth to his head. Someone who had forced liquids down his throat. Someone who had held his hand as he thrashed around in agony. Someone. Who was it? He was not aware. He cannot remember.

Baralai did not know how much time had passed when he came to his senses. His body still felt weak, but the thirsting ache for alcohol had abated into a dull hum. He looked around his surroundings. It was still the tent that he had first been placed in. Though now, he was lying on his cot instead of the floor. Lost in his thoughts, he did not hear the small footsteps pattering into his tent. When he did, he looked in the direction to see the small boy from before.

The boy was carrying a bowl in his hands very carefully and he stopped just slightly before the Praetor and stared intently at him. Baralai returned the serious gaze as he spoke, "Is that for me?" His hands and his legs were still bound. It was probably fortunate that they were given the condition that he was in for the previous days. Wordlessly, the boy climbed up the bed and sat down beside him cross-legged.

The bowl was settled into the boy's lap and looking so serious, the boy measures a bit of the gruel in the spoon and scoops it. His hands were trembling slightly, trying hard not to spill any of the gruel as he extends it towards Baralai.

Baralai cannot help the smile curling his lips as he watches the boy's efforts. He suppressed the childish urge to refuse the food as his stomach loudly protests at the thought. He opened his mouth obediently so that the boy was able to spoon the gruel into his mouth. It was plain, but it filled his stomach. He never realized how hungry he was. The boy patiently fed the Praetor until all the gruel was finished before he moved up to wipe the Praetor's mouth with the back of his sleeve.

Climbing down from the bed, the boy prepares to leave. "Wait. Boy." Baralai calls out as he looked towards him, "Do you think you could help me find out...how is Rikku?" He asked. The boy turned to stare at him with those solemn eyes before he set the bowl down. He placed his hands together and leans his head onto it. "She's sleeping?" Baralai asks. The boy nods his head before turning to trot out.

Baralai leans back against the bed as he turned his head to look towards the opening. Would anyone else come today?

She was tired. Cred, she was so tired. Her eyes were dry though, she did not cry. They had lost too many people in the last attack. It had taken all of them by surprise. The New Yevon monks that attacked them were merciless in their assault. They had slaughtered everyone. Children and women had not been spared. Her heart was heavy with grief. Yuna had performed the sending before collapsing in bed from sheer exhaustion and sadness. Rikku had not wanted her to be involved in this. Yet, Yuna had offered. That was Yuna.

Rikku looked out at the campsite, watching her people as they prepared for any upcoming battles. They were a mixed bunch of people, not only were there Al-Bheds there, there was some Yevonites as well, people who had believed in the Al-Bheds. It was a strange irony. Rikku smiled sadly.

A warm arm encircled her waist and Rikku was pulled abruptly against a firm chest as the familiar drawl, "Cid's girl. That is not the kind of smile that I like to see and I've been seeing a lot of that lately."

Rikku pushes lightly at his chest as she looked up towards him and makes a face. "Gippal! As I said, I have a name. Isn't it time that you remember it?"

Gippal stubbornly refused to release her as he reaches out to rearrange the braids of her hair, "When I remember your name, I'll tell you about it." He teases her lightly as he looked down at her, liking the way that she makes a face at him. Rikku had always felt so good in his arms. She fits so nicely against him. Fondly he extends a finger to tap her nose, "Hey… don't forget, out here… you have to be strong… you can cry and be sad inside your own tent…and if you want, I can come and help you."

Rikku laughs at his words, stopping her struggles against him as she leans wearily onto him "I know…I have to show the people that I'm brave, don't I? Nobody wants Cid's girl to be sad, do they?" Her eyes closed for a while and her mind drifted.

"There are too many books here!" Rikku huffed as she peers around the area, running in as she looks around, 'How are we going to find the one that we need? Are you sure it would be here?" Rikku asked as she turned back towards him.

Baralai smiled patiently as he replies softly, "The reason why there are so many books here, Lady Rikku, is because it is a library and in library we have library catalogues here to help us search for the books that we want." Baralai calmly walks over towards the cabinets containing the index catalogue. He selects a letter and opens a drawer, pulling out a card from it, "And with this index card, we can find the book that we want. It is on the sixth shelf over there. You would need the ladder." Baralai informed her as he gestures towards the direction.

Rikku makes a face at him and sticks out her tongue childishly, "That is why I have you, Sir Praetor, to show me around!" Rikku runs over towards the shelves that he had indicated, grabbing a ladder by the wall as she does so. Placing it on the shelf, Rikku shimmies up the ladder as fast as she can. "Mmmmm… Ah ha! Here it is!" Rikku takes out the book and wave it happily to Baralai as he moves up to join her.

Rikku bounces in her excitement and ends up losing her balance on the ladder as she falls off. There was a brief look of surprise on Baralai's face before he moves forward, his strong arms reaching out to catch her as they both tumbled backwards ending up in a mess of hands and arms. It was the first time she had felt his strong arms holding her. She felt so warm and so secure and when she looked up towards him, that patient smile was on his face again.

"Are you allright?" Rikku asks anxiously as she flails in his arms, she was worried about him. She was not exactly as light as a feather. "You allright, right? I didn't fall on you too hard, huh? I still got the book though! Why do you have to build- " The book fell with a thud lifelessly to the floor. He had kissed her. His warm lips pressed firmly against hers as her arms wound across his neck. Her heart was beating so fast in her heart as she shyly responded to his kiss.

It was the first time that Rikku had felt this way.

Rikku's eyes opened just as Gippal lifted his lips away from her, "Cid's girl. When are you going to make an honest man out of me?"

"Since when are you ever honest or a man?" Rikku teases him, ignoring the guilty feeling that rose in her. Taking advantage of his surprise, Rikku wrestles her way out of his arms and she winks at him, "Maybe… when you are really honest?" Rikku flings back as she backpedals and darts off gleefully.

Her cheerful laughter filled the campsite that day and lifted the spirits of the people there. She would be the merriest of them.