Disclaimer: I don't own FFX/X-2, though they pretty much own me. ^_^
A quick thanks to my beta, she is a lifesaver!
The calm... Rikku directed a group of Al Bhed workers towards a newly arrived shipment of machina, her thoughts dwelling on the meaning of those words. Her life had been anything but calm since the defeat of Sin, and then Vegnagun. Being a sphere hunter had never been dull and was often difficult, but her work here never seemed to slow down and the relentless heat of the desert sun just served to make the days longer and more tiring, though. Wiping a drop of sweat off her brow, she retreated to the water tent for a short break.
All around her, a city was growing. Half finished turrets and raised platforms rose from the swirling sands of the desert. Sanubia was alive with the whirring sounds of machina, the clang of metal and the raised voices of her comrades. Home, she thought. It will be nice to have a home again... When her father asked her to help run the project to recreate the lost Al Bhed city, Rikku accepted his offer willingly. After all, there really wasn't any point to remaining a sphere hunter now that they had found what they were looking for. Besides, with Yuna and Tidus revisiting the sites of Yuna's pilgrimage and Paine serving as a liaison between New Yevon and the Youth League... well, there really didn't seem to be any place for her in her friends lives either. So, she'd ended up here, working all day under the desert sun. Though, she smiled as she recognized the small aircraft flying landing just beyond the construction, there are certain advantages being here...
Taking one last swig of water, she ran out towards the craft, waving enthusiastically at the blond man who was now climbing out. He smiled as he recognized her and waved back.
"Rikku! How've you been?"
"Well, I would have been better if you'd had those parts in yesterday, like you promised," she replied playfully, punching him in the arm.
"Hey, I've got other things to do besides play delivery boy."
Rikku gave him an apologetic smile. She knew how busy Gippal had been these past few months. Although the Youth League and New Yevon had agreed to settle their differences and work together for the benefit of all Spira, that didn't mean there weren't people who still insisted the only solution was to have one side dominate the other. Seeing as Gippal and her father were the two leading Al Bhed figures, and her father was rather preoccupied at the moment with the rebuilding of Home, it was Gippal's job to take care of the political side of things. He still acted as jovial as usual around her, but she had noticed a tiredness behind his expressions that hadn't been there before.
She smiled at him. "I know…"
Gippal half returned her smile, then turned back to his aircraft. "Well, it looks like your boys have taken care of the unloading… I guess that means I have to be off again."
"Already?"
"Yeah, well I kinda promised Nooj…"
"It's okay, I understand."
He smiled at her apologetically. "Next time, okay? You can tell me all about the progress you're making here. And hey, you make sure that brother of yours keeps himself away from Djose, y'here? He's been causing a bit of a ruckus lately and I don't have the patience to deal with him."
Rikku laughed, shaking her head in agreement. "I don't think anyone in Spira does, except for maybe Yunie."
Gippal gave her an affectionate pat on the head, and before she could protest, turned to leave.
"Hey, wait a minute!" He paused, looking over his shoulder expectantly. "You know I really appreciate this, right? It really… it really means a lot to me - to all of us - that you take the time to help out."
"Anything for the cause, Rikku." He gave her a brief salute, then climbed briskly into the craft.
She retuned the salute and sighed softly as she returned to her station directing workers.
Anything for the cause...
*****
Winters in Bevelle were colder and stormier than she would have guessed. Sometimes she thought the rain would never end. Gray rain, coating everything in a sad, silvery sheen. She missed him the most when it was raining.
She had agreed to take this job for the sake of Spira, not knowing how taxing it would be. It seemed there would never be an end to the petty disputes and squabbles that still kept Spira unsteady a year after the defeat of Vegnagun. It was true that most of the people in Spira had accepted the peace, had accepted that compromise was necessary, but there were still those who refused to bend. And even amongst those who wanted peace, there was the issue of what compromises should be made. The balance of power in Spira was a delicate thing, and it was her job to make sure no one upset that balance. They called her a liaison, a diplomat, but those titles couldn't completely encompass her work. She was a messenger, a consultant, a mediator, a go-between, a healer of bruised pride . And sometimes, she smiled to herself, a babysitter. True, the constant traveling and arguing were wearing on her, but the outcome would be well worth the price.
"Paine?" A soft voice interrupted her thoughts. She turned away from the window to face the man who was walking towards her. Baralai, the Praetor of New Yevon. He had an earnest look on his face that he was trying to mask with a smile.
"I have an idea to run by you, and I was wondering if you had a minute…" She nodded and smiled at him. That was Baralai for you, ever polite and considerate. It was hard for her to believe the gentle man had been such a threat to Spira less than a year ago.
"As you know, the anniversary of the new peace in Spira is rapidly approaching, and we have yet to really resolve anything." He sighed frustratedly and ran his hands through his hair. "What we need is some sort of meeting between the leaders of the major factions…"
"A summit?"
He nodded, a thoughtful look on his face. "Yes…a summit. Where we can all sit down together and resolve these issues once and for all. All we've been doing these past few months is avoiding the main questions."
Paine frowned, her mind racing. A summit would be the ideal solution, a way to clear up miscommunications and finally make some real progress. However, there were certain risks involved. She looked out the window again, across the grey sea, her eyes troubled.
"You know there are still people who do not support this peace, Baralai. Bringing the leaders of Spira together provides them with the perfect opportunity to strike at the new alliance."
"I know…" He was silent for a moment, his brows knit together in concentration. "Nonetheless, it is something that must be done. Paine-" He placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke again, his voice imploring. "It is a risk we must take. Can I count on your help?"
She sighed softly, an unspoken agreement. "Have you spoken to Nooj yet? He'll want to be part of this from the beginning."
"I tried earlier, but it seems the commsphere is down."
Paine turned back to face him, a slight smile on her lips. "So you want me to go over there and ask him for you."
"If you could."
She nodded, trying to suppress the smile she could feel spreading on her face.
Baralai sighed in relief. "Thank you, Paine." He placed a hand on her shoulder,
looking her straight in the eyes. "I know this hasn't been easy on any of us, but knowing I have you to depend on lightens the burden." He gave her a quick smile, then turned and walked off down the hallway, his shoes making no sound on the lush carpet that covered the floor.
Paine watched as he went for a moment, the turned to look out the window at the rain, across the ocean. Closing her eyes against the gray and the cold, she remembered the warmth of his eyes and allowed her smile to overtake her.