Author's Note: Wow, it's been a while since I've updated! Thank you for all of your reviews, everyone, and I'm going to keep trying to complete this story!! Oh, side note: Baralai's going to have a little fun in these few chapters…don't think Gippal and Nooj are going to be happy about that.
Paine: This is insane…I feel like I'm on a reality show.
Gippal: Reality show? That's when they try to find someone's soul mate! Everyone knows, Paine, that I'm your soul mate!
Baralai: You are NOT!
Gippal: I am TOO!
Baralai: NOT!
Gippal: TOO!
Baralai: NOT!
Gippal: TOO!
Baralai: I showed more affection than you did!
Gippal: I am sexier than you!
Baralai: I'm a nicer person than you!
Gippal: GRR! *tackles Baralai* She's MINE!
Baralai: No, MINE!
Nooj: *watches the two make idiots out of themselves and takes advantage of the opportunity* …Hey, Paine, let's get out of here.
Paine: …
Chapter 7:
Falling out of Heaven
I'm grateful you're here today.
Austere. Stark. Completely unworthy of Nooj's exposed passion.
Even if it was aforementioned honestly and without regret.
Still, it didn't feel...enough.
After Nooj had dissected his body and revealed his soul for an ephemeral moment...those were the only words procurable. My disposed courage allowed only those words to be said. It's not that I could say more on the account, but more that it was an avowedly hassle to reveal more.
That's all I could tell him.
...just grateful you're here today.
I shook my head, allowing the image in my head to become liquescent and be absorbed into a much more ignored psyche.
[out of Paine's POV]
~ ~ ~
Inside Celsius' bridge, Brother was mumbling Al Bhed curses as his eyes narrowed at the skyline. The trio of women had come back from Mount Gagazet and retrieved the last LeBlanc uniform. Excitedly, all three had rushed down to the cabin to change into their uniforms and work on their disguises. Meanwhile, Shinra was typing away at his Dossier and Bestiary dictionary after Yuna had given him some data, as Buddy was typing away and observing the results of the treasure ocillo. Brother was the only unhappy camper out of the male trio of the Gullwings.
"A little dip," Brother mumbled to himself at the pilot seat, throwing daggers at Buddy in five-minute intervals. "A little dip!"
"Oh, quit your whining," Buddy barked at him as his fingers found the right keys for input. Brother was seethingly angry at Buddy's decision to whack him over the head when he was going to jump ship to see Yuna in a bathing suite. He had been so close seeing the High Summoner in almost all her glory. "Let the girls have time to themselves."
"GRAAAGGH!!" Brother screamed. "Do you have any idea what they were doing?" He whined more. "A little dip! In bathing suites! They were in bathing suites! Something that even a dressphere couldn't give you!" He stomped immaturely at the pedals as his arms swung around. He continued to complain as the ship began to swerve.
"Watch where you're driving!" Shinra yelled at Brother when some of his computer discs fell. Brother mumbled something in Al Bhed under his breath as he took to the wheel and steadied the airship. He turned to Buddy again, still not done attempting to anger Buddy. "It was babe central down there!" He paused as an evil smile curled Brother's lips as he pinned a weak spot. "You could have seen my sister in a bathing suite."
"Shut up," Buddy snapped right after Brother had finished his sentence. His deeply tanned cheeks began to grow hot and red. He had kept his silence trying to concentrate and focus on the green screen ahead of him, instead of the scrambled-brained leader next to him. His typing grew louder, trying to take out his anger on hitting the computer keys harder.
"...A little dip!"
Buddy sighed. When it came to girls, Brother's personality always gave a 360. He went from a carefree silly goofball, to some one-tracked mind moron. Gradually Brother was making Buddy irritated enough to whack him on the head again and put the ship in autopilot for the time being. "Are girls all you ever think about?"
Back in the cabin, Rikku sat laid on the bed, her eye staring at the ceiling. Her scarf was ruffled a bit and dirty, as well as her knees and arms.
"Wow, talk about needing a break," Rikku breathed heavily, almost looking like she was about to fall over. "All that climbing and kicking Ormi's tooshie again can really take it outta' a person." Rikku gave another exhale and flipped a braid out of her face. Her tanned cheeks flushed with red as she panted. Her body appeared weak from all of the rigorous climbing.
"Well, if you hadn't run up every crevice and cave, Rikku, perhaps you wouldn't be as exhausted," Paine had sarcastically answered. She stood with her arms crossed looking out in the window, memorized by the beautiful sunlight that washed over the white landscape. Her peachy face had turned to the mellow blonde and gave a self-satisfying smirk. She had seem unfazed by the climb; then again, Paine was always used to vigorous training.
"But that hot spring was absolutely wonderful," Yuna cheerfully added, despite it had nothing to do with Rikku's lack of when to stop. She had clasped her hands together sweetly and looked to both the breathless Rikku and the suave Paine. Her emerald and azure eyes holding back girlish excitement of their clandestine doing on Ronso sacred ground. Her smile innocent and proud, totally contradicting how she should of theoretically felt.
"Yeah!" Rikku jumped up, her aches and soreness disappearing miraculously. Orange-red scarf swayed a bit as she jumped up and down, remembering their fun back at the hot spring. Even if their life was one big adventure, Rikku had favored their hot spring memory the most. Probably because she had finally seen Paine in something a little more girlish than what she usually wears. And also, teasing Yuna and Paine had been a funny sight. "A great place to kick back, huh? We should go back sometime!"
"I don't think so," Paine glanced over to Yuna and Rikku with a shake of her head.
"Why not?" Rikku ran to Paine, eagerness overcoming her. Rikku bobbed hyperly right next to Paine, her emerald eyes prying her own barred ones and her fingers daringly poking. Paine sighed annoyingly and rolled her eyes. She stepped away from Rikku to save herself from the insistent prodding but Rikku stepped right after her, not ceasing her poking.
"Come on! What was so wrong with it? I thought it was relaxing! And you were relaxing too!" Paine's face was turned to the left trying to silently fend off Rikku. Rikku soon changed her position from Paine's right to her left, her poking now at Paine's left side. Paine's eyebrow began to twitch as her garnet eyes were hidden by pale eyelids. Finally, she snapped after the Al Bhed's 300th poke.
"Not after my first trip," she hissed, her eyes narrowing on the golden-haired teenager. "As if I feel naked enough without my sword, you just made matters worse."
"Eheheh..." Rikku chuckled nervously. Slowly inching away from the dark-garbed woman like an elusive monkey. She could almost feel the violent vibes coming from her...and, well, Rikku didn't want another round of thwacking from Paine.
Yuna giggled watching the two inverse personalities battle it out. Rikku had gone out of Paine's path of wrath; though Paine wasn't readily satisfied. She walked towards Yuna while passing Rikku. With the twist of her wrist, Paine had flicked one of Rikku's braids before fully passing her. Rikku gave a muffled squeak and cringed, hoping that would be all of Paine's release of irritation. "So, what's our next move?" Yuna asked, glancing over at Paine.
"Our next move?" Rikku plopped down thoughtfully on the metal floor of Celsius. "...Hrm. Well, I'm too darned pooped to actually go and bust up Leblanc's Cheatu, so...let's just kick back a while, huh?"
"Great. I guess that only leaves us to scout around Spira for opportunities for the friendly Gullwings to help out?" Paine growled.
"Wonderful idea, Paine!" Yuna clasped her hands together, looking at her and Rikku. Rikku clapped her hands together, energized and ready to go after a three-minute rest. It had got to be her record. The two girls jumped up and down together, asking themselves where they would drop by first.
"...I didn't suggest it, I was kidding," Paine mumbled, shaking her head at the two.
~ ~ ~
"Why don't we go on the Pilgrimage road again? You know, start at Besaid Island and end the journey at Zanarkand?"
The ages had obviously changed: what had been a yearlong Pilgrimage towards the Final Aeon, was a short road trip that could be made in less than a few weeks. Rikku always loved going down the Pilgrimage road; memories would flood inside her head of their journey together. Despite it had been a gloomy and solemn mission it had always been filled with laughter. Laughter, self-discovering, supporting journey with friends.
Yuna rubbed her chin thoughtfully as Brother tentatively stood in front of her, an ADD-like syndrome overtaking him and being like a jitterbug.
"I don't know," Yuna said finally. "I really don't. I mean, is there any specific place you would like to go?" Yuna turned to Rikku, herself out of ideas on where to go and what to do.
"No, not really," Rikku responded, bored. "I really don't know where we could have some fun. I'm thinking about going to Luca and playing some Sphere Break, but I think I'm all out of coins...Since a certain someone won't let me practice with them!" She glared at Paine and stuck her tongue out.
"I'm not a board game player," Paine coolly responded.
"Just watch," Rikku tilted her head back and forth, her foot tapping in sync with her head. "I bet she'd be the best player of them all because she's not too into the game."
Paine sighed and rolled her eyes.
"I know!" Yuna said excitedly. "There's one place on Spira that I have to visit often. And I think now would be a good time to spend some time there! And, if we get bored, we could always go to the Calm Lands and play some games."
Rikku smirks, already catching onto Yuna's idea. "I like it! A nice little walk and then we race wolves!"
~ ~ ~
Soft footfalls were heard in this silent festival of opalescent light. Chatoyant, resplendent crystals grew on reflective blue tree-trunks. Macalania was still an exquisite location even if its luster was waning. The absence of the Fayth began to take on a poisonous effect on the crystalline forest. Baralai glanced around him aesthetically, taking in the quiet majesty of the forest itself.
Thoughts rambled through his head; thoughts that were not of his own, thoughts that were of his own. Yevon headquarters had become a little bit suffocating for him lately. He needed a little breather from all of those bald priests breathing down his neck. Some kind of respite before he lost his mind in a melding of distrustful colleagues and misguided holy men.
As he walked, Baralai felt that only half of himself was present in his body. This feeling had stayed with him a long time and troubled him. He felt something strange an alien in his own essence...it's not like half of himself was gone, but asleep somewhere. Submissive to this other strange force that resided inside of his flesh. He didn't know really who to tell without sounding completely inane while doing so. Surely, telling the Yevonites would have them fall apart almost immediately. He couldn't tell a stranger, being almost a celebrity among Spira. He no longer had any close friends because of this unsaid code of betrayal when he joined New Yevon...
Why did he join New Yevon?
Why was he in Bevelle?
The stranger inside of him gave him mysterious, silent answers. Words and reasons never came out, but a strong resolve for Vegnagun that stayed. Baralai could feel himself tremble; not physically, but his soul was shaking out of fear of this unseen control.
Baralai continued to walk through the naturally chiseled vitreous silica of Macalania, following the lazuline route that would lead him farther into the woods. A twining road that would lead him deeper into his thoughts.
The buzz in the back of his mind seemed to grow louder. His thoughts drowning out into the fuzz of a sapphire haze.
Where am I?
The voice called out into his head. Baralai blinked, feeling his conscience fade out yet his body standing firm. Baralai let out a sharp cry before his other psyche drowned him out. In the silence of the mystical Macalania, Shuyin had put Baralai to sleep within his own mind.
When Baralai lifted his head, hints of blue streaks were visible in his optics. What had been a beautiful honey-topaz had turned into ice-cold koroit opals. Shuyin gazed at all that was around him.
Macalania...
The sight was breathtaking; back in his own time, the forest had barely even begun to grow and develop to be the lucid glory it had matured at this point. The azure canopies filtered light, at the cyan sky was tasteless compared to this carnival of oceanic colors. His wide, wondrous eyes took drank all of this cerulean paradise.
I wish Lenne were here.
He sighed some, his heart aching at the faint memory of Lenne. Even in death, the effects of life also daunted him in this new plane of existence. It had been 1,000 years he had seen Lenne and all she had been reduced to was a beautiful face and a promise of rapture for eternity. He wished more than anything that her voice would be by him now, her face, just to see it instead of centuries giving himself artificial images. His heart ached of the lonesomeness of his existence and the bliss he had once felt when he was very young.
Through this sentimentalism, it further hardened his goal to activate Vegnagun and vanquish Bevelle. No - and even bigger bounty - Spira itself!
A smile of lunacy spread on Baralai's gentle features. A face no one would of imagined would be expressed in Baralai.
Of course! Why not? This world had failed him. This disgusting, pitiful world had taken the dearest thing from him. And look at it now. It hasn't changed, has it? It's still fighting over petty little things. Losing lives left and right as if they were meaningless. Their perception hadn't grown at all. And the Youth League and New Yevon were full proof of this. What was the world to him, anyway? He'll take it all. He will show all the Spirans.
During his insane plot to destroy the world, he heard soft footsteps that echoed in the crystalline wonders. Voices distant except for a silent determined walk. Shuyin's body tensed as it neared. With a warrior's speed, he took out his sharp javelin and narrowed his eyes at a sapphire trunk, knowing that whatever was coming would come just around the corner. His robes muffled any sound of his javelin and barely made any sounds at all. He was at an advantage...and he was determined to kill whatever came around that corner. He couldn't afford suspicion or opposition so that seemed to be the only logical solution.
As the figure walked nearer, Baralai coiled himself in a fighting stance ready to leap.
"Baralai!"