Chapter Four: Sometimes Your Best Isn't Enough
"How are you going to do that? He's busy all the time, you know with the wedding plans and such." Yuna said.
"There's a wedding rehearsal next week. I could talk to him then." Paine replied.
"What are you going to say?" Yuna asked.
"I'll just ask him why all of a sudden he's getting married to Dona and if it doesn't work, I'll tell him I love him." Paine said.
"It could work." Yuna said.
"It will work." Paine said. "Because I love him."
"Great. You're believing in yourself!" Yuna said. "I'll go tell the others."
"Wait!" Paine cried. "Don't! Another secret you have to keep. Not a word to anyone, this is private and top secret. Do you understand?"
"Okay then, I guess so." Yuna said.
"Paine! Desa du ku!" Brother called.
"Well, I have to go. See you at the rehearsal." Paine said.
"Bye and good luck." Yuna said.
"I don't need any luck. With love, anything's possible." Paine said as she left.
The day of the rehearsal came and everyone was in their best clothes. Everyone was invited, even the Aurochs. Wakka and Lulu were there with their daughter Vidina. Yuna greeted them with Rikku and Paine.
"Lulu!" Yuna exclaimed.
"Yuna!" Lulu replied as she gave her a hug. "How are you doing?"
"Pregnant and about to be married, and you?" Yuna announced.
"Congratulations!" Lulu said.
Yuna laughed as she excused herself from Lulu and Wakka, heading to Paine. Paine was looking for Baralai. "Have you seen him yet?" Paine shook her head.
"No, I haven't." Paine replied as the room hushed. Dona and Baralai entered the room. Dona had their arms ringed together as the walked down the hall.
"It's time to eat. Please take a seat." Baralai said as everyone found a spot. Only Tidus, Yuna, Rikku, Paine, Nooj and Gippal ate at the same table as Baralai and Dona. Everyone else had to sit somewhere else.
"Now, bring in the food!" Baralai declared as people brought the food in and placed it on their tables. Everyone started to eat and talk.
Tidus started telling jokes as they all laughed and ate. Gippal and Rikku flirted a little as Yuna smiled at their efforts. Dona scowled through the whole thing. Then Paine started to talk. "So Baralai, what's the whole reason that you proposed to Dona?" Paine asked.
The table hushed. "Excuse me?" Dona asked. "I beg your pardon, but is that really a good question to ask?"
"Pretty much. Tell me, why did you propose to her? There must be some reason." Paine said, pressuring Baralai.
"Paine…" Yuna started.
Baralai didn't say a word, he tried to say it. "Oh, so you don't love her?" Paine said with a smirk.
"I beg your pardon, but he does." Dona said.
"Yes, that's right, I love her." Baralai said.
"You're lying." Paine smirked.
"What? He's not lying, you heard him." Dona protested.
"The only way you can tell from a person that their lying is if they're looking down or if they can't look you in the eye. Isn't that right, Baralai?" Paine said as she had a look of assurance at him.
"No, that's not…" Baralai replied.
"Oh come on, Baralai. Stop lying. You taught me that, remember?" Paine said.
"Paine's right, Baralai did teach her that." Nooj said.
"No wonder she could tell if I stole those donuts." Gippal remembered. Rikku slapped him upside the head. "Ow!"
"Will you excuse us for just a moment?" Baralai said as he grabbed Paine's arm and dragged her outside.
"What's wrong with you?" Baralai asked. "You know very well that I married Dona because I love her!"
"Oh, do I?" Paine replied slyly. "I've known you for four years, I know well enough that there's something wrong."
"Do you want me to tell the truth? Fine I will. But you'll have to tell me why you're mad at me." Baralai said, making an offer.
"No way, you go first." Paine said.
"If you don't tell me, I won't tell you." Baralai replied as he turned to leave.
"Oh fine!" Paine said as he grabbed his arm and made him turn around. "I was acting weird because…I love you."
"What?" Baralai said, unable to believe. "Why didn't you tell me your true feelings?"
"Because!" Paine exclaimed as she turned to the big window. She rested her arms on the ledge and looked to the moon. The moonlight hit her face as the shadows covered her. "I was afraid you might not love me back...besides, you're marrying Dona, and I'm too late."
Baralai didn't say anything. "Don't think the deal's over, Baralai. You still have to tell me your side of the marriage."
"The only reason that I'm marrying Dona is because…she's pregnant and I'm the father." Baralai said. Paine's eyes were watery and bloodshot. "She said she wouldn't tell anyone if I married her so…there, I had to and she dumped Barthelo."
Paine's tears began to fall as she wiped them away. "Why did you do it?" Paine said, lowering her voice but in a shrill, sharp way. Baralai said nothing. "Tell me now!"
"I don't know, it was a matter of persuasion and I couldn't resist, I-" Baralai said, shaking his head slowly. "Paine, look, I'm sorry. If I had any idea it would come to this, I'd-"
"Save your stupid pity talk for someone who cares. Cause as of right now, I don't." Paine said, walking down the hall and wiping her tears.
"Paine!" Baralai called. "Paine!" The louder he called, the faster she ran as the figure of her body disappeared. Everyone could hear him from the inside.
"Whaddup wid Paine?" Wakka asked.
"Where'd she go?" Yuna asked.
"She left, I tried stopping her from leaving but it didn't work." Baralai said.
"What did you say to her?" Rikku asked.
"Nothing, I tried asking her what's up and she left." Baralai lied.
"You can be so low, you know that?" Gippal said as he ran after Paine. "Paine! Paine!" Yuna, Rikku and Nooj followed as they each gave Baralai a dirty look.
Dona shooed everyone away. "Move along people, the party's over."
Lulu walked over to Dona slowly. "If you had anything to do with this, you'd better watch your back. Cause I don't think no one's gonna catch you if you fall."
"Don't threaten me, Lulu. You're just a former guardian, unemployed, and worthless. I happen to be the praetor's new wife, and no one is gonna stop me. Not even a lowly guardian like you."
"Being a guardian is more than just a job. It's protecting someone at your own cost. It wasn't really my job. It was my duty to protect Yuna. I don't suppose Barthelo really had to protect you from anything. He should've left you for dead on your pilgrimage. You know something, Dona? You take so many things for granted you forget what you really have. Oh, I forgot, you didn't have anything to start with. Don't insult me, Dona. Remember, Yuna brought the Calm, and not you." Lulu said, turning to leave.
"You're only praised as the guardian who protected Yuna through her pilgrimage. And that's all you'll ever be. It wasn't even a job, Lulu. It was a waste of your time, that's all." Dona said, hoping this comeback would send her off.
"And that's what I'll be remembered for. Unfortunately for you, no one will remember you when you die. You're just gonna be those one summoners who wasted their lives trying to become something of this world." Lulu said.
"Well, isn't a good thing someone fell in love with you, hmm?" Dona replied, smirking. "To love someone like you."
"To love someone like you would be some sort of miracle. Poor Barthelo, blinded by you. Well he was. I'm so glad you dumped him. You ended him of his misery." Lulu said, walking to leave.
"He was dreaming. And his dream had ended. What a shame for Paine to see us like this! Happily in love, no tricks in the bag." Dona said.
Lulu rolled her eyes. "You only seduced him to this. I'm sure he's the one just dreaming, not Barthelo." she replied.
"I know Wakka's dreaming. He's dreaming of another woman, better and prettier." Dona said. Lulu froze. She hated it when people say Wakka could've married someone better.
"Say another thing, and you'll get it." Lulu replied.
"Oh sure, Wakka needs a woman who meets his needs. Nice, caring, not crabby, a person totally opposite you." Dona smiled evilly as she laughed her head off.
Lulu did a water spell and sent Dona soaking wet. "Good day, Dona." Lulu said as she smiled and walked away.
"Grr!" Dona said as she clenched her fists, walking to her room. "Ugh! I cannot believe a low-life guardian would disrespect a high woman such as myself. Ugh!"
Paine ran until she lost her breath. Then she sat down and sobbed horribly. The other's caught up to her. "Paine! What did he say?" Yuna asked.
"It didn't work Yuna!" Paine exclaimed. "You said it would work because I love him!"
"Wait a minute, you love Baralai? Why didn't you tell us?" Gippal asked.
"Shut up, you know I never open up to people!" Paine said to Gippal.
"So what's wrong, what did he say?" Rikku asked.
"Tell us, you can trust us." Nooj said.
"Dona's pregnant and Baralai's the father!" Paine said, no longer speaking but just sobbing hardly.
"What!" Rikku and Gippal exclaimed. "That's why?"
Paine nodded. "Dona said that she wouldn't tell anyone only if he married her so he did because he wanted to hide it from everyone especially Barthelo." Paine said.
"I see." Nooj said. "I'm going to have to have a word with him."
"No! Don't! His mind's made up, he's going to marry her and that's it!" Paine said.
"How do you know if he doesn't love you?" Rikku asked.
"I don't know and I don't care just leave me alone!" Paine said as she ran into Macalania forest.
"Oh no, Paine's really hurt. What should we do?" Rikku asked.
"We have to talk to Baralai. Maybe we can get something from him." Nooj said.
"But we already did and it only hurt Paine to know the truth." Gippal said.
"Maybe we can get something out of Dona." Yuna suggested. "I'm sure there's more to this than meets the eye. Come on." They all ran back to the main halls of Bevelle but no one was there.
"We should all just go home. It's gonna do Yuna any good, for her or for her baby." Nooj said as everyone nodded and turned to leave.
"Wait, we should meet up and go somewhere where we can talk about this and make up a plan." Gippal suggested.
"Good idea. Where should we meet?" Yuna asked.
"The Machine Faction HQ. Meet me at Djose temple tomorrow at 10:00." Gippal said as everyone left.
The next day, Yuna, Rikku and Nooj went to Djose temple. They met Gippal inside one of the rooms in the temple and locked the door.
"Okay, so what should we do first?" Gippal asked.
"We should find Paine and try to talk to her. Maybe she can help." Nooj suggested.
"Good idea, then we could talk to her and try to calm her down." Yuna said.
"Then what next?" Rikku asked.
"Then we try to get something from Dona and try to get her to 'fess up." Gippal said.
"Then?" Rikku asked.
"Then we record everything on a comsphere and show it to Baralai and Paine so he'll dump her and try to get it on with Paine." Gippal said.
Rikku elbowed Gippal. "Ow!" he yelled.
"He's not gonna "get it on" with Paine! They're gonna reunite and have a relationship with her and probably get married and have kids!" Rikku dreamed.
"Focus, Rikku." Yuna said. "The main thing is that we have to get Baralai and Paine to see the sphere without Dona knowing and without Paine resisting to know the truth."
"What if there is no truth? What if the baby is really Baralai's?" Gippal wondered.
"Let's just hope that the baby's not his." Yuna said.
"What baby?" a familiar voice said.
"Barthelo? Is that you?" Yuna asked. She unlocked the door, surprised to see Barthelo eavesdropping on the conversation.
"Hey Barthelo! Uh nothing, just a little conversation we're having, hehe." Rikku said, smiling.
"What baby?" Barthelo said sterner.
"Uh, my baby! Yes that's right! I'm pregnant!" Rikku lied.
"No you're not, Yuna is. Word on Kilika that is. Now what baby?" Barthelo asked.
"We're talking about my baby." Yuna said.
"What do you mean you "hope it's not his". Tidus'?" Barthelo asked.
"No, I just-" Yuna said.
"I know you're lying, what baby are you talking about?" Barthelo asked.
"Okay fine it's Dona's." Gippal spilled.
"Gippal!" everyone exclaimed.
"Dona's baby? What did you mean when you said you hoped it wasn't his?" Barthelo asked.
"Uhh nothing just a, hope it wasn't Baralai's?" Gippal said.
"WHAT!" Barthelo yelled. "Baralai slept with my girlfriend?"
"Ex-girfriend." Gippal corrected.
"GIPPAL!" everyone exclaimed.
"Well, yeah he did, because he's getting married to her." Gippal said.
"GIPPAL!" everyone exclaimed again.
"I'm gonna get him so badly, I'll-" Barthelo started.
"Before you get him, sit down first." Yuna said.
"What, I wanna pound that praetor, make it quick." Barthelo said as he sat down and locked the doors.
"Just tell us if the baby's his or not." Nooj said.
"Of course it's not his, you dimwits. It's mine. If you haven't noticed, Dona's stomach is as big as a watermelon and we've done it months ago." Barthelo said.
"Wait, so how is it his?" Rikku asked.
"It's not his, you pea brain, for the last time. When she found out she was pregnant, she slept with him and told him she was pregnant and dumped me to be with him." Barthelo explained.
"So he hid it months ago without telling us?" Nooj said. "But why?"
"Because he's an idiot, that's why." Barthelo said. "Now if you excuse me, I have a praetor to beat up."
"Wait!" Yuna said. "There's a way you can retrieve Dona back and get your revenge without beating him up."
"How?" Barthelo asked.
"Now we know the baby's not his, we can get Dona to spit it out and record it on a comsphere so Paine and Baralai can see and dump Dona before they get married." Rikku said. "Dona won't get married and Baralai will feel so idiotic and crushed inside, it'll be revenge for you enough!"
"I wanna pound him instead, thank you." Barthelo replied.
"Don't!" Nooj said. "Look, Baralai is our friend. You can't just pound him. Please, don't do it."
"Alright, but this better work. If it doesn't I get to pound Baralai. If it does, I won't. Deal?" Barthelo said.
"Deal." Gippal said as he shook his hand. "Nice working with you pal!"
"GIPPAL!" everyone exclaimed as they shook their heads in disappointment.
"See you later!" Barthelo said as he left.
"What did you do?" Rikku said.
"I closed the deal." Gippal said. "Is that bad?"
"You could've bargained not to pound Baralai, whether or not it works!" Yuna said. "We're not 100 sure that this will work!"
"Ugh…" Gippal said. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because you don't think ahead!" Nooj said. "Ugh.." Yuna and Nooj left as they closed the doors. Gippal shook his head.
"Hey, don't be sad. Cheer up, okay?" Rikku said.
"How can I if I'm such a major screw up all the time?" Gippal said, standing up and shaking his head in disappointment.
Rikku turned his body to hers gently. "I don't think you screw up all the time." she said. "Not if you don't screw this on up."
"What do you mean?" Gippal asked. Rikku kissed him on the lips and started to make out.
They finally pulled each other off of themselves. "I love you Gippal." Rikku said.
"I love you too, Rikku." Gippal replied as him smiled and held her hand and walked out. Yuna and Nooj stood by the stairs to the Cloister of Trials. He turned back and winked at them, swinging his arm as he walked. Nooj and Yuna giggled as they followed them out he door.
The plan set sail as they took their positions. "I talked to Paine in the woods. She said she'll stay there until she knows the whole truth. She doesn't believe us that Barthelo is the father and not Baralai. She thinks we're lying and we're trying to make her feel better. Anyways, let's start. Ready?" Yuna whispered into the microphone.
"Ready." everyone said as Rikku sneaked up on Dona, just a meter away from her. She was having a conversation with a woman.
"Make sure that no one gets into my room." Dona said. "Tell the guards to guard the stairs to the room and the halls to the room, got it?" The woman nodded as she head to tell the guards.
"Yuna, there's gonna be guards surrounding Dona's room!" Rikku whispered.
"Okay then, time for our disguise. Go to a bathroom and change your clothes. I'll meet you at the stairs southwest Dona's room." Yuna said as she changed her clothes and went to the stairs. Yuna and Rikku walked up the stairs, curtseyed and entered Dona's room.
"Gippal, Nooj, we're in." Yuna said.
"Good, now what?" Gippal replied.
"Go to the stairs we just came in to. Nooj will take the other side. Go!" Yuna said.
"Got it. Meet you in the room." Gippal said. Gippal sneaked up on a guard and beat them up till they were unconscious. Nooj did the same until all the guard have been knocked out.
"We're done. What do we do with them?" Nooj asked.
"Store them in the closet." Yuna said.
"Okay." Nooj replied as they all stored them into the nearby closet.
"We're coming." Nooj said.
"Okay, come quickly, we haven't found anything." Yuna said.
A moment later, Nooj and Gippal came in. "What's up?" Gippal asked.
"There must be something in here!" Rikku exclaimed.
"Put the sphere above the closet and go! There's nothing here." Yuna said as Rikku did as she was told and headed out. Dona entered the room with another woman.
"I told you, Baralai's the father of my child." Dona said.
"There's something you're not telling me. Dona, come on, I'm your best friend, you can trust me." the woman said.
"Fine, but you can't tell anyone." Dona said. "Barthelo's the father, not Baralai. I only wanted to be an important woman, popular and known for being the praetor's wife. That lousy guardian, Lulu, talked some sense into me and taught me I should be more known."
"Hey, what's that over there?" the woman asked, pointing to the sphere.
Dona walked to it. "It's a sphere. Someone put it there." Dona said. "Go find the guards. They aren't here, I want to know who went into my room at once."
Dona walked out of the room along with the other woman. "Oh no! We're doomed!" Rikku said.
"No, not yet. Come on, grab the sphere and go!" Gippal said as they all entered the room and took the sphere. Dona entered the room as they turned around to leave.
"Going somewhere?" Dona said evilly as she grinned. "Guards, to the dungeon."