To all of my lovely reviewers:
Chapter One Reviews:
RenFan33: I know. Paine is awesome. But I guess that's how things turned out. :'(
Chapter 2 Reviews:
DragonGirl323: Thanks! I'm glad you like it. I have no idea where this is going thoughAnonimos: hehe sure! I don't get it either.
xSarizar: zombie eyes show "yes, master"
JimmysWorld: you already attacked me.
coldhardPaine85: I'm glad! And I definitely will update. (that's what I'm doing now.)
Chapter 3 Reviews:
dial666: Sorry. Long writer's block break. Hehe?
anonimos: Well, 15-year-old boys are scary. And I know a 34-C cup girl who's 12, (and she's not fat), so I'm not sure you could call them "children." Anyways, I'm definitely going to continue this!
xSarizar: Yes, Baralai is sexy! I just wish that I had some posters of him
DarkenedPetals: Hehe, I agree. Thanks! I really like where this is going, but I'm having a hard time deciding exactly what to say.
DragonGirl323: Danke! I'm glad you like it. And I'm glad I didn't go overboard with this.
Chapter 4 Reviews:
Kairi: Well, actually, I was feeling angsty and was wondering how Paine actually would like to die. So this is what came out. It was supposed to be a one-shot, but it seemed too short.
DragonGirl323: WAAAAH! I just don't know where to go with this story. It's five years 'til Crimson Squad so that's going to be a few chapters. At this rate, tho, it could take decades.
LustWhen Baralai saw Paine run away, it stung him. The subtle remembrance of how he acted when Shaene was mentioned, shortly after he died was painful. But, following an instinct, Baralai went after her. After about an hour of swimming and searching, he found Paine sleeping on a beach. It was both a beautiful and haunting sight to behold. The dress had been cast off from its heaviness and lay next to her on the shore. Paine's slender body shivered in the dusk coolness, and her hair was stuck to her face. Unlike most, who when they sleep, look at peace, she looked worried, with a frown trembling on her lips. Baralai slowly picked up the sleeping girl, and looked around. He spotted a soft-looking area and set her down. Lying down across from her, Baralai studied Paine. Her high cheekbones looked hollow from stress. Her skin looked deathly pale, even compared to the white Besaid sand in the middle of the summer. He absentmindedly reached over and stroked her cheek. The skin was so soft, but had a hardness to it, as if the bones were just under the surface. Rolling over Paine so that her back was pressed against his chest, Baralai stroked her stomach and pressed his face to the back of her head, breathing in her scent.
He realized that he had just met Paine two or three days ago. But she was beautiful. Baralai cursed himself. Yevon had taught him not to lust, but to love. He couldn't say he was in love, because the only things Paine had said didn't really give a window into her personality. He had an idea she didn't even know who she was. Yet a strange feeling came over when he held her like that. It felt like Paine belonged in his grip. But she was only twelve. He didn't really care though. The loss of her family just a few days ago seemed to give her a wise view of how cruel the world really was. Still, twelve years old is pretty young. All of this thinking was too stressful, and Baralai drifted off to sleep with Paine in his arms.
Baralai woke up to crimson. Her eyes seemed to be staring right into his soul. Their gazes met. Paine smiled for the first time.
"Morning, sunshine," laughed Baralai. Paine nodded.
"Look who's talking," she said, gesturing towards his tousled hair.
"Where are we?" groaned Baralai tiredly, stretching.
"In my front yard. There's my ho-" Paine cut herself off as she looked up. Her eyes widened in horror. There, on the plain, was the only house left standing after Sin's attack. Almost in a trance, she stood up and walked through the door. Everything was in order. The house looked exactly the way it was when Meva and Taydr had gone out to play. Against her will, Paine pulled herself towards a door with a tapestry that read E vemm ymvyoc muja oui. Cmaab mega pypac, E vemm ymvyoc bnudald oui (I will always love you. Sleep like babes, I will always protect you.) It had been woven by Elan for her daughters when she was pregnant. Paine pushed open the door. A cold wind hit her. Sitting on the bed, was Taydr. Or rather, the fiend that used to be Taydr.
"You should have sent me when you had the chance," hissed the dead
"I-I-I couldn't," stammered Paine.
"You left me to rot in this place, and promised you'd never return," spat Taydr. She grinned, "Well look who's back."
"You aren't Taydr," a tear rolled down Paine's face, "my sister always loved me and forgave me for anything."
"Ha! Foolish child," the ghost whispered with venom, "You only knew half of Taydr. I am Vengeance, the rage she locked away."
"You aren't my sister. She would have locked you away for her whole life if she was still alive," glared Paine, her eyes blurred with tears.
"Yes, after her death, I was unlocked," seethed Vengeance, "but you left me to die in this dump. Come on, why don't you be a dear and send me, Meva." The name was spat out like the poison.
"Meva's dead," wept the living girl bitterly, "she died right along with you."
"Then you shall die too!" screamed the pure rage kept under wraps for so long.
Paine darted to her corner of the room. Reaching behind the dresser, she found something she never thought would come in handy. "Ha! My axe!" Meva's father had tried to make an axe for Taydr. But whenever she fought with it, she never could kill the fiends. The handle didn't fit her grip, and the blade was too small. But instead of throwing the axe away, Taydr had given it to her sister, seeing her longing looks at the weapon. Meva had still used it sometimes instead of her staff-blade, but with the constant practicing, she found she could not handle the axe as well as the long blade. Still, Paine picked up the weapon.
"You are not my sister," she said through tears, "and I wouldn't have it any other way." Paine lifted up the axe and struck the forgotten demon. It had no effect.
"Ha you think you can hurt me with that piece of scrap metal?" cackled Taydr's rage, grabbing the axe and throwing it to the floor in a thousand pieces as though it were made of glass. She lunged towards Paine and tackled her to the ground. Paine turned quickly, trying to dodge, but ended up falling on the shattered axe. A thousand knives cut into her and a single tear ran down Paine's cheek.
Suddenly, she was turned over, and the rage stared into her eyes mockingly. She reached down to rub the shards into the poor girl's stomach, but when the ghost lowered her hand, she cried out, her hand burnt.
Paine scurried out from under her enemy. She realized that Taydr's love in her blood was too much for the evil being. Throwing herself at the burnt girl, she felt the sting of blood leaving, and blacked out.
She woke up on a rock. Baralai had pulled out all of the metal shards, and was casting cure on her. Sweat lining his brow, he bandaged her wounds and looked at his handiwork. When he saw Paine open her eyes, he smiled.
"You had me scared for a while, there," he cooed, stroking her cheek. Paine smiled with tears in her eyes. Here was someone who cared about her enough to give her shelter, chase her when she ran away, and basically save her life. And she had just met him a few days ago. Paine studied him. A headband held up long snowy white hair. Dark brown eyes were held in a face of copper brown. He looked beautiful in a new way to Paine.
Whether it was lust or love, they would never know, but it was fact that Baralai's mouth came crashing down first. Paine was taken back for a second, but realized that she wanted this and relaxed. But Baralai pulled back.
"I can't," he said, "you're twelve. And I just met you." He cursed his hormones.
"Yes you can," Paine replied, "I didn't say I didn't enjoy it."
Baralai sighed, "The temple would never allow it."
Paine gasped, "Taydr! What happened to the blonde girl in the house?"
"What blonde girl?" Baralai asked confused.
"She faded," realized Paine with a sigh. "Long before my sister died, she locked up her anger. I remember once, we were fighting a fiend. It almost killed me. But I saw rage burning in her eyes as she struck it down. The anger was dangerous and she saw it too. It was forgotten from that point on. Taydr had killed her anger. Or so I thought. It was no longer a part of Taydr's being, although locked in her soul. When she died, the hatred came out." Paine had spoken not from previous knowledge. The words just came out.
"Well, it's over," said Baralai, "let's go back."
"Back to where? I have no home now," said Paine in almost a whisper.
"You can live at the temple with me," burst Baralai, impulsively, "But wait, you're Al Bhed, aren't you?"
"No," said Paine, "My mother was a priestess. But she admired the Al Bhed language. My father was Al Bhed, though. But the culture did not influence us much"
"Your mother was Priestess Elan?" asked Baralai, his eyes wide, "I met her. She was the one who blessed Shaene when he went off to battle Sin."
"Do you remember a child?" Paine asked tentatively.
"I remember two," Baralai chuckled, "One, a blonde girl in concentration. The other, a cheerful little silver-haired girl hugging close to her mother."
Paine closed her eyes and smiled. She remembered the first time she had ever gone to Besaid. The Crusaders were leaving and Elan had come to do a blessing. But they never went back. The priests threw Elan out of the temple once they found out that Atir was Al Bhed.
Paine and Baralai got up and swam back to Besaid in silence. It was dark when they returned to the temple. Paine waited outside while Baralai went inside and requested that Paine stay at the temple.
The priest walked out. "You're Elan's daughter, aren't you?" he asked slowly.
"I am," Paine's voice shook.
"What redeeming quality can there be for an Al Bhed sympathizer? Name one, and I'll let you stay."
"I was training to be a summoner. I was to come obtain Valefor a few days ago, but Sin attacked our island."
"Prove it," sneered the priest.
"How can I? My whole family died," replied Paine in an agitated tone."
"Dance a sending," he challenged.
Baralai led the two to the water and handed Paine his staff. It was longer and lighter, but it would have to do. Paine walked out a good bit into the water and concentrated. She twirled. The familiar steps came to Paine as she danced. She finished. The priest was open-mouthed.
"Well, is that proof enough that she's here to help us?" Baralai smiled.
"Very well," the priest grudgingly agreed, "But we don't have any spare rooms. She'll have to share with you."
"Perfect," said Baralai, both he and Paine hiding smiles, "And I'll teach her everything I know."
"Good," said the priest, "just don't fiddle with black magic. It's dangerous."
"Sure thing," replied the boy, winking at Paine. Paine felt happy. Maybe the world wasn't so cruel.
My long awaited update! Please comment, but don't flame. I don't like flames hehe. Was Paine really too young? I don't think so. I know soooo many people who have their first French kisses at age ten. Yes, it's disgusting.
Toodles,
Elizabeth