Hi again. I can't believe I'm actually putting this up here. And just so you don't ask: this isn't a FMA crossover, I just couldn't think of anything else ok. And yes it's about Paine (sort of) again…I know typical me, but what'd you expect really.

Baralai and high ranked members of New Yevon were having just a little bit of trouble. There had been a murder, but it wasn't the person that had been killed that concerned them. It was how they had died. The murder weapon was a weapon that could not be found, and the only known person that could have used the illegal type of magic that had practically caused the victims internal organs to explode, was dead.

"Rachel Nock. She was executed ten years ago for using alchemy. There's not much about her in our archives sir. Just her name, her age, how she died, and this picture of her." Baralai stared at the information on the screen. The young woman who stared back was smiling, but it looked a little bit forced. She had long brown hair and dark violet eyes and was very pretty to say the least. There was something familiar about her, had he seen her before? Was it her face, her smile, her hair, or maybe her eyes? Baralai didn't know he simply knew that something about her was so familiar to him but he couldn't figure out what!

"Does she have any children?" He asked his colleague.

"It doesn't say. It does say that she was close friends with a Crystal Meyer." The screen changed to show a woman with short dark yellow hair that ended in orange tips and sky blue eyes. "She's still alive. Age: 36, lives in Kilika, not married and she has no children." Baralai thought she looked rather young for 36 and certainly didn't dress like an islander. More like someone living in Bevelle, her coat had Yevon symbols on the shoulders. She certainly didn't look like someone who'd be best friends with Rachel's 'kind'.

"I think we should pay her a visit."

"-Age: 36, lives in Kilika, not married and she has no children."

"I think we should pay her a visit."

Crystal sat at her desk in her hut in Kilika calmly watching the scene in Bevelle. She was a rather talented hacker and had hacked into the security camera to keep up to date on what was going on 'behind the scenes'. And this was a rather sad development indeed. Crystal stood up, brushing stray bangs out of her face and shuffled around preparing her hut for what she knew would come one day, but had come too soon.

"Woohoo! Another sphere in the bag!" Rikku exclaimed jumping up and down as they walked through Besaid Forest.

"Paine you don't look excited." Yuna pointed out.

"It's just another sphere is all…what's there to be excited about?" The silver haired warrior asked.

"I dunno it's just-" She was cut off by Yuna's little portable comsphere Shinra gave her.

"Hello? Who are-"

"My name is Crys, Crystal Meyer, and you must be Lady Yuna, it's an honor to meet you. You're friend Shinra linked me to you when I contacted your airship."

"O…k…um so is there something I can help you with uh…Mrs.-"

"Please Lady Yuna call me Crys, and yes actually there is something you can help me with. Is there a Paine with you by any chance?" Paine froze as Yuna and Rikku stared at her questioningly.

"What did she say her name was again?" Paine whispered.

"Crys." Yuna answered holding up the comsphere so Paine could she the woman's face. (A/N: It's a two way comsphere ok, pretend.)

"You! No way, I'm not talking to you!"

"Paine this is important." Crystal said in a commanding tone. "But…rather private."

"Whatever you say in front of Painey you can say to us too!" Rikku declared.

"Paine please!" Crystal pleaded. There was a long pause.

"Rikku…I'd rather you leave the two of us alone for a while." Paine said quietly. Crystal sighed in relief.

"Ok then." Yuna tossed the comsphere to Paine who caught it. "We'll be at Lulu's."

"Ok." When they were out of sight Paine turned and began walking quickly in the opposite direction. "What do you want Crys." She asked quietly and harshly.

"Paine please why must you be like this? Sure last time we talked was like 10 years ago and…not on good circumstances but-"

"Get to the point!" Paine growled.

"There's been a murder Paine."

"And I should care because?"

"Because the person was killed by an alchemist." Paine stopped and opened her mouth to answer before closing it again. Finally she looked away from the comsphere.

"Fine…you have my attention."

"Who do you think that Crystal woman is?" Yuna asked Rikku as they walked towards the village.

"I dunno but she knows Paine so I guess she's alright."

"But Paine didn't seem to want to talk to her."

"Maybe something happened between them."

"Yeah maybe."

Back in Kilika, Crystal was talking to Paine who was very unhappy to say the least. "How far are you willing to go Crys?" Paine asked seriously.

"I'd die before I did anything to jeopardize you."

"Like you did for Rachel." The girl said skeptically and Crystal felt a surge of anger.

"Don't you dare go blaming me for that!" She yelled.

"We have to do something! We've got to save her!"

"We can't! You're an 8 year old girl what can you possibly accomplish!"

That was part of the last conversation the two had ten years ago about an hour before Crystal's best friend was killed. "Rachel entrusted me with her greatest secrets. Isn't that enough for you to trust me?" Before Paine answered Crystal heard the creaking of boards outside her hut. There were voices, men's voices, whispering to one another. Rifles clicked as their owners cocked them. "Damnit."

"Wh-"

"Keep quiet!" She stood up and grabbed a rifle of her own from a far corner of her hut. Just as the flap was ripped back she aimed and fired. Glass shattered everywhere, she had destroyed her computer. Paine was safe, now they couldn't trace the connection to find who she was talking too. "Took ya long enough Mr. Praetor." Baralai stared between the shattered modem and the middle aged woman resting a large gun on her shoulder. "What's the matter?"

"You were expecting us?" He asked.

"Of course. I'm not senile Praetor. I am rather good at spying, for lack of a better word, and I knew you were coming to 'talk'. What is it you want to talk about again?"

"You're friend."

"Oh my friend, that really narrows it down. My dead friend? Well if that's what you're hear for I've got two words for you." She twirled her weapon in one hand as if it was a baton. "Look up." Baralai and all the guards that actually fit in the door looked up at her ceiling where a large black box was taped to the ceiling. "Very innovative no? I made it myself. There's also a gas can in that corner over there." She pointed to it. "I shoot that box, it blows, and the fire it starts will spread to the gas can…and boom."

"What is this for!" Baralai demanded while the guards started to panic.

"I have a promise to keep." And she shot it the bomb too. "You have ten seconds!" She screamed over the roaring flames that quickly fell to the floor and spread across her the wood boards.

"You're insane!"

"I know! 9! 8! 7! 6!" The guards fled out the door and ran down the pier as far away from the burning house as possible. Crystal was suddenly gripped by fear and turned towards her 'escape route' aka her window while counting down in her head. 4. The fire blocked her path on its course towards the strategically placed gas can. 3. She wrenched a floorboard up but the hole was too small, she couldn't fit. 2. While grabbing another and tossing it into the flames that consumed her hut she thought of Paine. Paine, Rachel, and Rachel's greatest secret, greatest treasure, the one person she had loved above all else…

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