Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Final Fantasy X-2 and its characters. They belong to Squeenix. I only own my OC and any other OC's that I make up.

"Hi there!" - talking

*Ugh, why?* - thinking

"Dude, what the hell?" - speaking Al Bhed

My POV:

Before we left the airship, I went to the bathroom again. We decided to head to Bevelle first. We saw Gippal on a roof, then he left. We all went inside the temple and saw Gippal, but he left again! "Was that…..Gippal? What's he doing here?" Rikku asked. I just sighed and we continued our way down. We went to where Vegnagun used to be. I saw Gippal walk up to Nooj and Baralai, so I motioned everyone to hide. We all hid, making sure not to be seen.

"Hey." Gippal greeted.

"You're late." Baralai scolded.

"If you were on time, then I'd really start to worry." Nooj said, a bit teasingly. I smiled.

"So much for being missing." Yuna whispered. We all nodded in agreement.

"Sure you should be here? The Youth League and New Yevon are crumbling without you guys to hold 'em together." Gippal explained.

"You expect too much." Nooj said.

"Learn from us! So why we here?" Gippal asked.

"There's something I needed to be sure of. Vegnagun…..is gone." Baralai stated.

"Listen to you: "Vegnagun is gone." Are you trying to tell us that since that thing left on its own, Yevon's not to blame?" Nooj shouted.

"It's the truth. The thing's more sensitive than its size would lead one to believe. It detects hostility, and in an instant, springs to life! Should one even think of harming it, it awakens like a frightened child." Baralai exclaimed.

"Hah. You did your homework." Nooj said as he scoffed.

"I've had two years." Baralai chuckled and then looked at Gippal. "That guardian girl from another world, you two seem close." Gippal glared at him and clenched his fists.

"You leave Carmina out of this!" Gippal exclaimed angrily. The gang looked at me and I just shrugged. Baralai smirked.

"Of course, you always thought of her like a little sister." Baralai said as he chuckled a little too….dark. Gippal just kept glaring at him.

"Wait, so you're saying that Vegnagun woke up because someone was trying to destroy it? Who?" Gippal asked him, trying to make Baralai forget about Carmina.

"Who indeed. I'm a little confused. You came to claim it for yourself, didn't you? But Vegnagun awoke. Why? Because deep down you hated it. Did you come here to use it or destroy it? Well?" Baralai replied.

"Both. You probably think that's impossible. You've always been too naive to see. I wouldn't expect you to understand." Nooj shot back.

"Then, I hope you don't expect me to trust you, either. I believed in you once— When we were training for the Crimson Squad. I thought I'd never find a better friend. But you betrayed that… …two years ago." Baralai said as he pulled out as his gun and aimed at Nooj. Christian had to hold me back from doing anything rash.

"Baralai!" Gippal called out.

"Why did you shoot? Why did you shoot Gippal and me? We were friends, and you shot us in the back!" Baralai exclaimed angrily. Nooj didn't respond. "Answer me!" Baralai ordered.

"Just calm down! Nooj! Apologize already! That's enough! Don't push me…" Gippal started as he aimed his gun at Baralai. "If this is what it takes." he finished saying. I fought the urge to go between all of them. All of a sudden, Nooj's body started glowing and he dropped his cane.

"This has turned out perfectly, wouldn't you agree? Yes, I shot you." Nooj replied, aiming his gun at Gippal. I silently gasped. Nooj continued on in a really creepy voice, obviously possessed, "You were easy targets. You…and Paine."

"You shot Paine, too?" Gippal asked.

"Why?" Baralai questioned. Nooj laughed evilly. "Answer me!"

Still in a creepy voice, Nooj answered, "I made him do it. He was too weak to resist me."

"Nooj?" Gippal asked cautiously.

"I don't expect you to present any more of a challenge. Not now." Nooj said in that creepy voice. A glowing thing came out of Nooj's body and entered Baralai's. Nooj kneeled to the floor.

"See, I found that the mind that hates and despairs is the easiest to break. Two years ago, it was the same with you. Nooj. Seeking your own death. Now you can have it." Baralai said in that same creepy voice. Christian looked at me and I nodded, confirming it's Shuyin possessing them. Baralai was about to shoot Nooj.

"Wait!" Gippal exclaimed. Paine and I couldn't take it anymore.

"STOP!" Paine and I yelled out.

"Paine/Carmina, get out of here!" Nooj and Gippal exclaimed.

"Carmina! Get back! It's not safe!" Gippal shouted. I just shook my head and motioned for him to go.

"Gippal, be careful!" I shouted as I reached inside my backpack and got out my fans. I looked behind me as I saw Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal. A barrier activated around Nooj, Gippal, and Baralai, then a Marlboro appeared behind us. We readied our weapons and started to attack it. Once we defeated it, we were dead tired.

"Where'd they go?" both Rikku and Christian asked, panting from the battle.

"I saw Baralai escape. Nooj and Gippal probably chased after him." Paine replied.

"So you knew all three of them." Yuna said.

"Yeah, she did, long ago." Christian and I said.

"Yeah, but Nooj, he…." Rikku started.

"Yeah, he shot us. It was an accident. At least that's how I see it." Paine replied.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Rikku asked Paine, Christian, and I.

"You never asked./ We couldn't tell you either way." Paine, Christian, and I responded.

"I'm asking now." Rikku said to Paine. There was a short pause. "You don't wanna tell us." Rikku said.

"Bingo." Paine replied. Rikku got frustrated. "You wanna know." Paine stated.

"Yeah, but… Forcing you to tell isn't any better. We'll wait until you're ready." Yuna said.

"No pressure, huh?" Paine muttered to herself. We all decided to get the hell out of there and get back on the Celsius to head to Djose Temple. I sighed and held Christian's hand tighter. He kissed my cheek.