Am I the only one who's noticed how short my chapter actually are? I think I'll write a longer one soon... Oh, yeah, just to warn you, this chapter is also completely pointless fluff because my main character is unconsious, so don't kill me...

Tales of an Al Bhed Princess

Chapter 6: Where to Go

It took all of ten minutes for Gippal to realize he had no idea where he was going. There were so many different paths to choose from. Or maybe there was just one. He couldn't say for sure. He hadn't ever been to Mt. Gagazet. Not that he remembered, anyway. Plus, just looking down at all the twisting was giving him a headache. He was totally lost.

'I wish Cid's Girl would wake up,' he thought impatiently as he paced back and forth near the edge of a cliff. That sounds totally safe, now, doesn't it?

He had already tried to find a Phoenix Down, but Rikku didn't have any in her pouch. He didn't really feel like checking anywhere else she might hide items, afraid she'd wake up and throw him off the edge of a cliff. He didn't have any, either. He didn't see the need. He was almost never fighting, and when he was, he figured other people would have plenty of items.

'Guess she thinks the same way…' he thought as he checked yet again if Rikku was breathing. 'Of course she is,' he thought as she took another breath. That didn't stop him from being paranoid. If she died, who would he make fun of? Besides, her dad had quite a few reasons to run him over already, but if his daughter died…

Gippal sighed. In a weird way, he reminded himself of Paine just then. He was sitting there, trying to be strong and not let anyone see past his act. The only difference (besides gender) was that Paine was only hiding her past. Gippal was hiding everything.

"Well, Cid's Girl, which way should we go?" he mainly asked himself, but somehow found it more helpful to ask Rikku.

She stirred a little, causing her face to seem to be looking at the path in front of them. 'So further up the mountain…' he thought as he looked at the steep, climbing path. Gippal wanted to go with his gut instinct and head to the Calm Lands, but he resisted. That was where the attackers were headed. It was best not to run into them again…

"Well, then, up we go…" Gippal said un-enthusiastically. After about thirty steps he already hated himself for agreeing with someone who wasn't even awake. How crazy was he? 'I'm completely insane…' he thought to himself as he kept climbing. 'Didn't I learn my lesson about listening to her already? Even when she is awake, the girl's completely out of it!' he thought. After all, listening to her had cost him an eye…

"You sure this is a good idea, Rikku?" 10-year-old Gippal yelled as he stared skeptically at the Cactuar ahead of him.

"C'mon, you said you wanted one, so I found you one. Plus, this is a dare, so you have no choice. If you're gonna be too chicken to take it…"

Gippal glared at Rikku. She knew not to challenge him. He couldn't turn down a challenge. He couldn't turn her down, either.

"If it's so safe then why are you waiting over there?" he asked. He answered challenge with a challenge.

"I dare you to take it!" Rikku exclaimed. Gippal stared in awe at the 9-year-old in font of him. She was just too much to handle sometimes… That's probably why they were friends. He could be difficult, too.

"I dare you to help me, then," he shouted. She gasped playfully, not at all surprised by his action. He laughed at her.

"What took you so long to ask, Gip?" she asked. She immediately ran to help her friend. Her two long braids trailed behind her. Her eyes grew brighter with excitement. When she reached him, she twirled around in her short, pleated, red dress and struck a pose.

"You're so weird, Rixie Stik," he commented, shaking his head and staring at the ground.

"Do you want my help?" Rikku asked, hands on hips.

"Well, if you don't help me, you're chicken…"

She smiled. "Fine Gip, you win. Just stop calling me Rixie Stik. It's so nerdy…"

Gippal stared at her. "You always did say that," he said.

"It was always true… now c'mon! Let's hunt some Cactuar!"

Gippal nodded, and then ran forward. Apparently, Cactuars don't feel safe when you do this.

"Gip, look out!" Rikku screamed as the Cactuar hurled a load of needles at him. Most of them missed, and the others were just minor scratches, but the one in his eye was a different story.

He didn't fall over. Instead, he grabbed the Cactuar by the arms and called Rikku over. She ran toward him, potion in hand.

"Gip, I'm so—"

"Hey, Rikku," Gippal interrupted, covering her mouth with his hand, "Truth or Dare…"

"You never did answer me, Cid's Girl, but I always will know what you picked," Gippal said out of the blue. He stared at the path ahead. "I promised myself I'd never listen to you again, and here I am, eight years later, doing what you tell me, even though you're knocked out…"

He looked at her still sleeping body again. There was a smile on her lips. A smile that he hadn't seen in a long time. This was his smile, the one that only he had ever caused. Gippal couldn't help it, seeing that face, he felt himself smile too.

"Can you hear me?" he asked quietly. He got no response. 'She's not smiling because of me,' he thought to himself. 'She never was. She's smiling at what her weird little brain sees. She's smiling at the imaginary moogles and chocobos and cait siths that live in her crazy little mind. She only saw them when I was there, because she never paid attention… she never could hold still.'

Why should he care if it was him or not? It's not like he liked her. They were barely even friends anymore…

Gippal would never go through that again. All the time spent pretending it was all a dream, washed away with a simple visit from a girl he knew a long time ago. Funniest thing about it was that she hadn't even changed. She still acted like a kid; her hair was still always in braids. She was the same girl he used to love. Now she was just a girl, a girl he loved to hate…

Those smiles, they were never because of him. They were for him. They were Rikku's gift to him. She made sure he never knew. He never would, either, because neither of them would ever change.

In Rikku's eyes, that's the only way she saw it…

"Yuna, how long have we been swimming?" Tidus called. He was surprised that Yuna had managed to stay ahead of him the whole time. He was a strong swimmer from playing Blitzball, but he had no idea where she had gotten it from.

"About an hour… I think. Ugh, I don't know. I'm not even sure where we're headed…" Yuna shouted back. Today was supposed to be a good day for her. Now look at where she was…

"We're headed for Besaid," Tidus called back.

"How do you know that?" Yuna asked. She stopped again to catch her breath.

Tidus swam up beside her. "Well, for one thing, I can see the island…"

Yuna looked up. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me… How could I not see that?" she yelled, staring at the island ahead of her. She slapped her fist against the water in frustration.

"Calm down Yuna. You've had an… off day. Don't stress yourself out even more," Tidus said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

Yuna pecked him on the cheek. "I love you…" she whispered happily. With that, she swam towards the land, back in normal Yuna mood.

"You really didn't see it?" Tidus teased.

Yuna pushed his head under the water and swam away. When he came back up, he could hear her shouting, "I'll beat you to the shore!"

Paine was walking up the beach when, out of nowhere, Brother ran up and hugged her.

"Dryhg Spira oui'na ymnekrd!" he shouted. (Thank Spira you're alright!)

"Get off me!" Paine yelled as she kneed him in the stomach. Brother whimpered in pain before backing off. Paine glared at him. "Since when do you have the right to touch me?"

"I don't. I'm sorry," he said pathetically to keep from being hit again.

Paine rolled her eyes. "Do you know where the others are?" she demanded bitterly.

"Buddy is getting Wakka and Lulu to help organize a search. We still can't find Yuna and Rikku," he informed.

"Where are Gippal and Tidus?" she asked.

"Who cares? No one likes them anyway…"

Paine slapped Brother across the face. "You don't deserve to be one of the safe ones…" she threatened before leaving him standing there alone.

"Being lost isn't hard!" Brother shouted after her. "You just have to know where you are and where you're going…"

Rikku smiled as year after year of her memories flashed through her mind. Even the bad things made her happy. Everything used to be so right, where was the wrong turn? She couldn't quite remember. Things were good now, but she had to build that on her own… It wasn't like it used to be.

Her frozen, unconscious body grew weaker with each moment of pain she brought herself. She didn't know where she was, but she knew one thing. She was driving in reverse, taking a turn to a happier ending…

Sorry, that one took a little longer. I had to go school shopping and go to the dentist... Not anything all that fun, so I didn't really have time to update. That reminds me, I'm starting school again soon, so my updates will be much slower... I'm very sorry. I don't wanna go back at all...

Ria Baalinda: I accidentally forgot you last time! I'm so sorry. Thanx 4 helping me w/ the Al Bhed. I fixed it now. I was spacing out and 4got 2 even change the "c" at all... Glad you caught that. I'm happy you like the story.

Kingleby: I'm so glad you like it! I still didn't review yours... but I will! Anyway, thanx 4 your opinion about the categories. I wasn't sure, due to my current lack of fluff, but now I have some...

Jinx: You think I didn't tell him that? You know, everytime you review, I end up posting another chapter... I don't know why that keeps happening. This time it was an accident. Oh well, I'm very. VERY glad you like it... If you didn't it would be your head. j/k . Of course you like Gippal... He's the coolest!home-made smiley->U

Rayne-Shadow Goddess