A/N: I'm back (officially), which means more of this story. I'm so happy that I can work on this.

Sdreamz: yeah, Mark Twain wrote stuff, like books…any ways I did use both games but that was just for reference to get things right. Enjoy chapter six!

Celsie: Thank you for noticing, that was exactly what I was trying to do in that chapter. You rock!

Embrace-the-darkness: I know who you are! Thanks for the compliment though but make sure that I'm logged off when you're using the computer. You didn't have to review, but thanks anyway.

Disclaimer: Don't own, so don't sue. Simple enough?

Chapter Six: Forlorn

The usual fiend infested plain was eerily silent. I walked with my staff in hand ready to attack any thing with magic. But nothing happened. It was like all the fiends were erased from their existence. I picked up my pace. The atmosphere the silence was providing was not comforting me. I felt like it warned me of something great.

It was hard to tell what time it was in the Thunder Plains. But if I had to guess it would have been late after noon. I saw the travel agency from a distance and let a sigh of relief. I looked around once more. Still no fiends. The thought made me shiver. I ran to the agency and went inside.

The bright room was different from the gray hollow darkness of the outside. Everything seemed well in order. No one was at the desk. I walked in and let my bag drop on the blue tile floor. I looked around the brightly colored room. My eyes traced the books o n the shelf. Most of them were Al Bhed primers for travelers who were curious of our language. I saw the purple silk curtains open and reveal a familiar Al Bhed clothing and a certain tanned faced. My mouth broke into a smile.

"Uncle Rin?"

"Ahh Rikku! How is your journey so far?" he asked.

"It's great. But what brings you here to the Thunder Plains? I thought you would be at Mi'ihen road"

"I've decided to open up the Inns again. It would be better for travelers who wish to rest a little longer after a long and tedious journey."

A sonic boom erupted from the outside. By body jumped in shock. My heart rate suddenly increased. In the process of my fear I almost tripped backwards on my bag. I heard Rin's laughter fill the room.

"Rikku you never fail to humor me"

He walked up to me and helped me gather myself up a bit. "That was the sound of a big storm. I suggest you stay and leave in the morning" he said

"Is that why hardly any fiends were around? Because of the big storm?"

"This is the Thunder plains Rikku, storm or no storm, its steady supply of fiends never cease to exist. Why do you ask such a question? Do you feel as if something might be wrong?"

I looked into his green orbs. They expressed curiosity and worry. Something was wrong. But what was wrong I did not know. I couldn't make an assumption now. What If I was wrong? Regardless it was just a feeling. Nothing that I should be worried about. Traveling alone tends to do that a lot.

"No, I just found it a little weird" I said

He slowly nodded his head as if trying to believe me. He pointed to the door frame that was covered by a thin satin curtain.

"Pick any room you'd like"

I took my bag and walked passed him. I moved the curtain to the side and walked right into the brightly lid hallway.

I chose the first room and started to unpack. The room looked the same as it did three years ago. The lavender walls were still decorated with intricate embosses of gold. The turquoise rug took up half the floor while the small twin bed occupied the other. There was an oak glossy desk with some stationary and pens, a nightstand with a simple lamp and a bed well adorned with colorful fabric that seemed from Bevelle.

I took out my journal and a pen. A knock on the door prevented me from opening it.

I opened the nightstand drawer and put my journal in it. I answered the door. Rin stood on the other side.

"Rikku, would you do me the honor of joining me for dinner"

"I'd love too" I said and closed the door behind me.

We headed to the dinning room. Another Al Bhed was there waiting for us. He smiled at the site of me.

The guy looked like every other albhed. Tanned skin from working in the hot desert for long hours. Blond spiky hair and spiral green eyes. I wasn't impressed, if anything I was disappointed. My history with Al Bhed men was not pretty.

"Rikku, I would like you to meet Kappa. He's quite the machina whiz like you"

"Nice to meet you" he said giving me a bright white smile.

"Ditto" I said and we shook hands.

We sat down and were served. If anything could go wrong on a blind date then it did on mine. And what was so embarrassing was that my uncle was there to witness it all. Kappa took dull and boring to whole another level. All he talked about was the progress so machina and the physics of it. The man was a talking in equations. The only time he took a pause was to drink some water and that would just let him talk even more.

"It was nice meeting you" I stared at the human chatter box.

"Maybe we can have dinner alone next time"

The last thing I needed was another date with him where my ears could bleed.

"As much fun as I had hearing about the physics of machina, I don't think I can go out with you again"

"What?" he asked now confused.

"There's someone else, but pops doesn't know"

"What do you mean?"

If I played my cards right I could ditch him and any other guy pops would send my way. Of course I would have to put my life and reputation on the line.

I got close to him. My lips lightly brushed his ear. I felt him shiver a little, then I slowly whispered "Let's just say me and Paine are more than bosom buddies"

I stood back and saw is jaw drop. I was biting my cheeks, trying to keep myself from laughing.

"Y-you are?" His voice almost squeaked.

"Yup. And she gets really jealous and possessive if someone even looks at me."

If Paine was here I would have burst into flames, came back to life and combust seven more times just from her death glare alone.

He paled. The look of fear on his face was priceless.

"Let's keep this our little secret"

He nodded his head but he made no indication of moving. He w as still in shock.

I cleared my throat. "Excuse me I'm kind of tired" I said closing the door in his face. I head his foot steps grow smaller and smaller.

When silence was met I broke it with a burst of laughter. I sat down on my bed and took out my journal. Enough fun and games. It was time to get serious again.

Journal Entry # 5

After the attack we headed home. Pops got what he wanted so it didn't matter to him. I was a different story. I completely shut down. Tidus was gone and it pained my heart to think about him. Why did my heart hurt so badly? It was a different feeling than when I was hurt by Gippal. I lost someone who actually wanted to be my friend.

The days went by and I barely came out of my room. Brother would come in sometimes and try to cheer me up or get me to eat. My cold baths grew more and more frequent. I would take one at least twice a day. Cutting myself was redundant and a waste of time.

Pops was getting sick of behavior. He called me to his office and we had a huge shouting contest. Unfortunately I lost and ran crying to my room. I slammed the metal door as hard as I could. My blood boiled in anger.

"It's not fair!" I screamed and cried.

I took a chair and I slammed it against the wall. It shattered into parts. Pieces of splinters rained on the floor. I punched the wall, which wasn't a good idea because the pain shot up my arm and alerted my brain of pain. I tried not to scream so I bit my bottom lip until I drew blood. Hot streams of salty tears dripped down my face.

I slumped to the floor with my back against the wall, buried my face into my knees and just broke down. If pops would have seen me he would have thought I was a pathetic excuse of a human being. He would have said that I need to stop throwing a fit over some boy and get back to work.

I looked up. My eyes hurt from the crying. I stood up and washed my face. I left my room and decided to explore the ship. I went down to the boiler room.

It was seemed abandoned. The set a depressive tone. The heat was thick and hot. I could taste the smell of burning coals in the back of my throat. I walked in deeper, letting the darkness embrace me. I saw that all but one of the four coal chambers were closed.

I walked up to it. I stood and stared at the black ashen coals that burned inside. They flickered with life on minute and were snuffed out the next. How it reminded me of human life. How sad that a person can be born so full of fire and passion and then be snuffed out suddenly. My body started to itch at the uncomfortable heat.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" I turned around to see an angry gloved worker.

I didn't answer. He came and shoved me aside I almost tripped but I caught myself from falling.

"You aren't allowed down here" he took a shovel that was near by and started doing his work.

"This is a man's job. Go to your room and play with your dolls or something" he shoveled some coal inside the chamber.

I hid behind the door. I silently watch him work. More coals went in. I studied the muscles in his back. How they flexed every time he bent down. More coals went in. I looked at the door. It was huge but it was the type that with one single push it's weight would do the rest of the work and close it self. More coals went in. I placed my hands on the door and didn't realize it would be that hot.

My scream of pain startled him but it was too late. I pushed with all my strength and the door's heavy weight whacked him side the chamber. His screams filled the air. I could hear him banging on the door. I stood there heavily breathing. My hands stung in pain and a waved them hoping the air would make them sting less.

The screams soon stopped. I looked around me. No one was around.

I looked at my hands and saw blisters. They were large and ugly. Some busted open and revealed a clear liquid that made my wounds worse.

I ran up to then surface hiding my hands. When I got to my room I went to the bathroom and filled the tub with ice cold water. I looked in the mirror. I was blotched with black spots and sticky with sweat. I looked at my blistered hands again and saw that the wounds started to bleed.

I walked up to the bathtub and placed them in the water. I bit my lip to keep my self from screaming again. I bit so hard that I reopened the wound I made on it before. I tasted a salty warm substance. Tears showered my face.

After numbing my hands I went inside the tub. My bleeding lip shivered at the cold temperature. It shocked my system. I sank in deeper and submerged my self. I stayed until my lungs demanded air. I gasped for air. My body was getting numb, nothing new to me. My breath was shallow and my eyes drooped with sleep. I rested my cheek against the cold edge of the tub. I closed my eyes. Nothing could change what I've become. Nothing could change what I was meant to be. Death was apart of me, and it was something that I could never wash away.

I stopped writing when I heard a knock on the door. I put my journal away and answered the door.

"Oh hi! Is something wrong?" I said welcoming Rin. He declined and decided to stay standing by the door.

"I would like to apologize for this evening." He stood with his hands behind his back. "Your father is quite impatient about you getting a husband"

I looked down at the floor and let go of the door.

"I don't understand why he can't let Gippal run home" I turned around from his gaze and crossed my arms over my chest

"He knows he can let Gippal do that but his pride is far too great."

"It's just not fair. It's like every thing is all on me and no one else…and I really didn't like the blind date. I mean I don't fall for guys just like that" I turned around to a smiling Rin.

"He was a very sophisticated young man"

"Please! The man talked about the meaning of physics in machina, that's not how you're supposed to get a girl to like you"

"How is Paine?"

That caught me off guard. I smiled. Kappa did tell.

"She's fine uncle Rin, just fine."

He raised an eyebrow to my ambiguous answer.

"Well then I will leave you. Have a pleasant night" he left and I closed the door. I pressed my ear against the door and waited until his footsteps faded away.

Then I just started laughing. I laughed so hard that my stomach started to hurt. I wiped my eyes from thee tears and got myself together.

I changed into my chocobo pajamas and fell on t he bed. A case of the giggles erupted with in me. What would pops think about me and Paine?

A/N: I know, very short. It was supposed to be part of chapter five but I had to break it to make the story flow better. Now that I'm done with my AP exams I can work on this now! See you guys in chapter seven. Remember to review!