Thanks people! I was completely surprised by the amount of nice reviews I got. I LOVE YOU ALL! Now, I'll continue the story 'cause ya'll have been waiting so long. Sorry!

Disclaimer: The usual. I own positively nothing. Way to make me feel better about my great moneyless situation. )

Chapter 3 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Rikku felt empty again.

As she was getting ready (at six in the morning, mind you. Damn you Gippal!) she realized Gippal was right, and her hair looked horrid. And to add to the horribly horrid look of the hair, it was completely and utterly dysfunctional.

Don't be confused though, because her hair isn't what made Rikku feel that dreadful empty feeling. It was the fact that when her hair was like this (surprisingly often…) she would ask her cousin -and best friend- to help he fix it. Right now, she needed all the female help in the world and Gippal surely wouldn't be able to provide it.

I have a feeling this is going to happen very often in the future. She thought bitterly.

Rikku hated herself again, for about the billionth time in the last few days. She knew it was all her fault but she couldn't help but feel sorry for herself, and for that, she hated herself even more. She lost Yunie, Paine, and Tidus whom she loved.

Who am I kidding? Loving Tidus? Bullshit. He didn't give a damn about me.

And this was true.

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"Gippal, I'm sure I'll regret this, but can you help me?" Rikku asked desperately. She knew this was low. Asking a guy (one with grease stains on his hands, no less) for help with her hair. She inwardly grimaced when he turned around with a smirk.

"Well, you have the clothes on now, not that I minded them off, but your hair only got worse," he acknowledged her.

He'll get a kick out of this…

"Yeah, I know. That's what I need help with. My hair," she said lamely.

Well the words seemed right in my head.

"You want me to help you with your hair?" He asked incredulously. "Me?"

"Oh Yevon! Never mind!" she stalked off. Slamming the door to her cabin, she collapsed on the ground next to it. She cried against her own will.

Why am I such a screw up!

The door suddenly flung open, pushing Rikku facedown on the floor and snapping her out of her thoughts. She gasped and tried to dry her tears.

"Were you crying again, Princess?" Gippal asked when she didn't face him.

"Of course not, why would you say that?" Rikku retorted quickly, trying not to act suspicious.

"You're not facing me. When you cry, you don't want people to know," he stated simply.

"Don't act like you know me! You know nothing about me!" she yelled and turned around. The outburst was sudden, and made Gippal step back almost immediately.

Who am I kidding? Gippal knows almost every aspect of my life.

"Are you drunk?" he asked slowly, as if he were afraid to ask.

"No, no. Can you just leave?" She asked. He looked skeptical, but went on anyway.

"I know you more than Cid does, Princess, and you know it. Now wash your face, and get to the faction." Rikku could almost sense the hurt in his voice, but he hid it well.

"Yeah, well if you know me so damn well, use my name!" She shouted as he slammed the door.

"Fuck you, Rikku."

There was no hiding the hurt now.

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Though her hair wasn't in its natural beauty, it looked much better than it did during her earlier conflict with Gippal, or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named as her childish side decided to call him. (No relations with any Harry Potter names, mind you…)

She walked out of his airship and sighed. It wasn't six AM anymore, obviously, but seven thirty was still much to early for her.

But not too early for the faction.

Everyone was already working, tinkering, off digging, and taking orders from a shouting Gippal.

Rikku walked up to him reluctantly, but before she could say anything, he started.

"Talk to Nhadala, you're working for her now."

She rolled her eyes and huffed.

"Nhadala is in Bikanel," she said.

"Go to Nhadala."

Now I have even him against me.

"No, I'm not going all the way to Bikanel. I work for you."

"Are you deaf? I said go to Nhadala, or you'll end up right back in Besaid," and with that, he turned around and started barking orders.

"Never mind Gippal, I'm not working for you or Nhadala," she said quietly.

"Then leave."

"Gippal, come on, why are you being like this?" She felt like breaking the dam of tears again at the thought of returning to Besaid.

"I'm not going to stand here and tell you everything. I have to work."

"Come on, I don't want to have to beg you."

"It's to late, Princess."

"You wanna know why I was crying?" She asked with a hopeful face.

If it's the only way…

"No not really."

"Good-bye, Gippal," Rikku said and turned around, but not before she ran into someone.

"Oh hey Rikku! I was looking for you. The hover's about to leave."

"Nhadala?" Rikku asked, astonished.

Oh, so she was here the whole time…

"...Yes…"

"What are you doing here?" she asked, and it came out rather mean, surprising Nhadala.

"Gippal told me you were working for me and to pick you up on the hover." Nhadala explained carefully, like she thought Rikku was crazy.

"He could have told me that!" and with that, Rikku stomped over to the hover.

Once Nhadala got over to the hover, Rikku pouted.

"Cid's going to be there. He said he wanted to talk to you," Nhadala told her while climbing onto the hover.

"Oh, what for this time?" Rikku asked angrily. Her father always wanted useless things from her.

"He wouldn't tell me. It's most likely private, and you know how Cid gets."

The hover ride took awhile, but it was comforting for Rikku to be able to see her home again. I've been gone from here way to long. I should have come back awhile ago. And though this was true, she was going to be thinking much different thoughts when she went to tlak to her dear father.