Author's Notes: WOOHOO!! I'm going to actually write my first FFX-2 romance!!! Actually, the idea for this fanfic came from an accessory found in FFX-2 called "Bloodlust". I equipped it with Paine and it's really something. I wrote its stats below and it can be found in the last mission of Chapter 2: Infiltrate Bevelle! I'll try to keep this story as accurate to the game story as possible! I kinda hope that most of you readers play the game so I won't be too detail in describing the scenes of familiar places. And I KNOW that they got bloodlust AFTER the scene my fic opens up, but the bloodlust Paine has she got before this fic. And please tell me if I did any OOCness!!! Anyway, I hope you enjoy the fic! :)

Bloodlust: HP (- 40%); MP (- 40); Strength ( 60); Magic (-50); Magic Defense (-50); generates a constant berserk and poison status on character.

Disclaimer: I do not own FFX-2 but I do, however, own this story so please do not distribute without my permission!!

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Chapter 1: Where It All Began

" . . .the only thing I can do: keep those who seek to harm Vegnagun away," Baralai answered Yuna swiftly as he stood in front of the three angered sphere hunters and got in a battle stance. "Please leave".

Paine felt a jolt through her body. Her blood started pumping. She had been struck by lightning before but this jolt was different. It boiled her blood to the point where her vision started blurring. Maybe . . .I shouldn't have been so eager to try out this new accessory. Paine's vision and body continued to go haywire. Half of her did not want to start a battle with her former comrade. However, Yevon had kept enough of its secrets away from the public long enough. Baralai is now one of them, a Yevonite. We may have fought side by side once, but times have changed. The line must be drawn somewhere. This never-ending weave of secrets ends now.

"Yuna. Rikku. I'm going, " Paine told her surprised comrades as she stepped in front of them and before Baralai, in her battle stance.

"Paine!" The last thing Paine heard was Baralai's stunned shout before she started attacking him. Rikku and Yuna quickly followed suit. Rikku used her dressphere and transformed into a black mage and began powering up for a strong magic spell. Yuna quickly transformed into a white mage and began healing her companions by using her pray technique. Paine was loosing most of her Hp because Baralai was mostly aiming his attacks at her and she was also under a non-stop poison status.

"Paine! Why are you doing this!? Vegnagun doesn't concern you!" Baralai shouted at her as he quickly blocked her enormous sword with his staff. Baralai's magic abilities were strong enough to knock down any foe, but Paine didn't give him enough time to charge for any major spells. Baralai had to make do with simple spells such as making his entire staff electrically charged and then hit Paine with it.

"Since when does an enormous threat to Spira not concern its citizens?! Sin was an enormous threat to Spira yet even Sin's powers, and almost everything that concerned Sin, were hidden from all of Spira! And you remember how that turned out? Look at Yevon now, Baralai! Is this present what you want?!" Paine answered him as she jumped back for a short breath.

Just then, Rikku's firaga spell had finally charged and it hit Baralai full force, leaving him startled for a few seconds. Paine used his delay to her advantage and charged Baralai with her sword. She hit her target straight on and caused an enormous slash from the left side of the bottom of Baralai's stomach and over to the top of his right shoulder. Baralai staggered back, his staff in front of him. Paine's sword caught in the staff before she unlatched it.

"N-no, the present may not be how I wanted things to turn out but . . .Yevon exists and will exist! There is no sense in trying to get rid of it, Paine! " Baralai shouted to Paine as he rammed the top of his pointed staff into her shoulder. A cluster of electrical bolts went through the staff and into Paine's body. Paine screamed with both rage and anguish. So many things flowed through her blood stream it was almost insane: adrenaline, wanting to kill Baralai, not wanting to hurt Baralai, the strange effect of Bloodlust and now the electrical bolts. Paine collapsed on one knee, a strong grip on her sword as she continued to breathe heavily and her eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. Baralai cringed at Paine's hurt. I never wanted to fight you, Paine. But I cannot allow you . . .to go near Vegnagun. I need to protect it.

"On no! Paine! You big meanie!" Rikku shouted at Baralai as she directed her thunderga spell toward him. Baralai cast simultaneous shell and reflect spells. Shell kept the thunderga spell from even touching him and the reflect spell helped the thunderga spell not to be wasted, for it was directed back towards Rikku. Rikku screeched as soon as the spell hit and crumpled into an electrified heap.

"Rikku!" Yuna yelled worriedly as she rushed to her cousin's aid and started to perform curaga, a spell that could instantly heal anyone's Hp back to normal.

"You'll regret that!" Paine shouted up at Baralai as she finally got back on her two feet, simultaneously swinging her rather large sword over her shoulders and directing all her energy into making a last blow. Baralai put his staff in front of him. However, as Paine charged, she directed her blow at a different angle. The end result being that it went through Baralai's left side. In a way this was lucky for Baralai, this blow may have cut through his skin and broken about two or so ribs, but it missed his heart and any of his vital organs. Baralai's eyes widened as he fell on both knees.

"P-Paine. . ." Baralai muttered as his staff clattered against the stone floor. Paine glared at him before she drew her sword out of them. Rikku was finally back on her feet.

"Sorry. I'm going on ahead, "Paine told Yuna and Rikku as they saw Baralai weakly reach for his staff and then lean on it, making it the only thing that kept him up and maybe even conscious.

"You have your reasons," Yuna calmly told Paine as Paine nodded and got ready to run off.

"Fill us in later 'kay?" Rikku quickly added.

"Much later," Paine told her before she started to dart off.

"Wait up!" Rikku shouted after her as both she and Yuna began running after Paine. Paine continued to speed towards the next room of the enormous maze of Bevelle's underground.

I can't look back. I can't look back. Not at him. Paine's thoughts continued to race through her head. A part of her heart cringed at the sight of Baralai with blood practically pouring down his neat garments and the only thing supporting him was that feeble staff of his. A part of her heart thought he was pathetic. Paine noticed that some times HE had the upper hand, yet he never used it to his advantage and didn't even bother to cast one of his painfully strong spells at her. Paine stopped running as soon as she knew she was ahead of both Yuna and Rikku. She wanted to be alone. She didn't want to hear any questions or comments from anyone. Her head hurt too much. Meanwhile Yuna was slowing down for Rikku.

"So, Rikku, are you . . .alright? I mean, you did get hit by that thunderga spell and I know how much you hate lightning," Yuna asked worriedly.

"Yeah! I'm fine! Come on, Yuna! I told you I spent a whole WEEK camping out in the Thunder Plains! I'm over my fear of lightning!" Rikku answered enthusiastically as she put her hands on her hips and stood up proudly.

"Of course. I remember your telling me that," Yuna answered skeptically. Her cousin had been afraid of lightning ever since they were little girls. She was even afraid when she became one of Yuna's guardians during the pilgrimage to destroy Sin. Somehow Yuna doubted that Rikku would ever get over her fear. Last time they were in the Thunder Plains, Yuna caught Rikku shuddering and biting her lip in worry.

"Ohhh! Where's Paine running off to? I want to see Vegnagun as bad as she does!" Rikku huffed. She then started to gain speed and started running after Paine with Yuna hot on her heels. Paine was already in the next room.

"Wow! That's huge!" Rikku said as she stopped a few feet short of bumping into Paine. She looked up at the big machine. It looked like a metallic octopus. Some of its arms were moving up while other were moving down.

"How are we supposed to do anything with that?" Paine asked as she looked at Yuna. Yuna bit her lip in thought and looked around.

"Aha!" Yuna exclaimed as she pointed to a colorful floor pattern. "We probably need to use that in order to move it!"

"Yeah! Let's try it!" Rikku exclaimed as she ran ahead.

"Be careful Rik—"

Yuna wasn't able to finish her sentence because Rikku already ran to the imprint on the floor and jumped on it. It glowed bright pink and purple before the machine stopped moving.

"I got it!" Rikku yelled triumphantly as Yuna sighed in relief and Paine rolled her eyes. "So, now what do we do?"

"We climb it, " Paine answered simply before she went up to the machinery and got on top of one of the chandelier-like metal arms. "Coming, Yuna?"

"Of course!" Yuna exclaimed as she quickly ran up and got on the arm as Paine did. Paine and Yuna looked around and noted the positions of the other arms.

"I'll take the left," Paine said before she went off.

"Right! I'll go right!" Yuna exclaimed before she went off in her direction. Both girls found a crane that was high up and they climbed up the slope-like arm and went across the chandelier portion of it before they went to the ledge. Once the girls got on the ledge they started to look around.

"I found a chest!" Yuna said excitedly as she went toward it. "It's locked . . ."She mumbled before an idea went into her head. Yuna reached for her guns and started firing at the chest's lock. It finally broke and Yuna opened the chest. "Yes! I found Wring accessory!! Rikku, it's perfect for your black mage dressphere!" Yuna yelled down to her cousin. Paine used her sword to quickly and silently open the chest she found. She brushed aside the rubble, and her eyes widened slightly at what she found.

"Perfect. Another Bloodlust. This just couldn't get any better can it?" Paine mumbled to herself, out of earshot of anyone else.

Baralai used his staff to finally get himself to his feet. I Mustn't let them near Vegnagun. Baralai's thoughts rang strong but his body was weak and he collapsed onto the floor of underground Bevelle. Vegnagun is . . .too powerful . . .to be messed with . . . As Baralai drifted into unconsciousness, the last thing that kept replaying before his eyes was the glare Paine had given him before she had run off. Her cold crimson eyes looked . . .empty and bottomless. They reminded him of a wild animal's. They were confused, betrayed, and . . .lonely?

"Paine, did you find anything?" Yuna asked as she tried to look around – she had no idea where Paine was.

"No, I found nothing. The chest I found was empty, " Paine yelled down as she put the bloodlust accessory in her pocket. Yuna looked up at where she thought Paine as.

"Ok then, looks like there's nothing left for us to take. Let's head back." Yuna said as she jumped back on the machine and both she and Paine found the earlier part of it they were on and they used it to get back on the ground. All three girls started walking to the only corridor that was available. After a few minutes of walking, encountering and beating fiends and escaping some traps. The girls found themselves face to face with Vegnagun. And . . .Bahamut?

"We have to fight it, Yuna!!" Paine yelled at her companion as she stepped in front of Yuna, with her sword drawn. Yuna just stared up at Bahamut. In front of her was a darker version of one of the aeons that had accompanied her on her pilgrimage and had helped her defeat Sin. How could she now fight him? How could they be on different side? Paine looked at Yuna. I understand. You have trouble fighting Bahamut just as much as I had mixed feeling about fighting Baralai.

"Rikku! We must rely on us two to beat Bahamut! Dressphere into Dark Knight so that we can defeat him by physical force!" Paine shouted over to Rikku.

"But . . ." Rikku stammered as she looked at her cousin in worry.

"Rikku! Hurry up!" Paine angrily yelled at her friend.

"Right!" Rikku yelled as she activated her dressphere and changed into Black Knight. Both Paine and Rikku started o attack Bahamut, occasionally getting blown back or blown over by its superior physical attacks.

Bahamut . . .you remind me of so much we've been through . . .How is that now I have to fight you? But . . .I cannot let you kill my friends. I will not call you my enemy, you helped me too much. But now . . .I must defeat you. I'm sorry . . .

Yuna closed her eyes momentarily, unwilling to let her unshed tears spill out. After she had gathered her thoughts Yuna dressphered into White Mage and cast curaga on the dying Paine and Rikku.

"Yunie!" Rikku shouted happily.

"I must fight Bahamut. For now . . ." Yuna told them as she prepared to cast a protect spell for the three of them. Paine nodded at Yuna. Paine and Rikku helped deliver the decisive blows to Bahamut while Yuna continued to heal the three of them through the battle. Bahamut lurched back and started to burst into an array of pyreflies before disappearing onto the farplane.

"Yes! We defeated him! I mean . . .ooops . . ." Rikku stopped herself by covering her mouth with her hand while Paine glared at her. Before anything else could be said, Buddy and Brother came through on the communicator.

"Yuna! Rikku! Paine! We need to back on the Celsius pronto!"

"What's wrong?" Rikku asked.

"I'll tell you when you come on! Hurry!!! Over and out!!" The three Gullwings looked at each other before out of the room, the temple and into the courtyard where the Celsius was waiting for them.

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Yes! Finished!! Please tell me what you think!! I really tried hard to make this a good chapter for a FFX-2 fic!! :) Please tell me all your comments and suggestions!! I hope to get the next chapter up soon!!! Till then! Ja ne!!