**Well, another chap! This one is, unfortunately, a tad shorter. Gomen! Lesse...oh, the AIM names in this part are really mine and UA's, so feel free to AIM at least me (I think UA might want some AIMs, too! ^_^) Here's where it starts to get...um...interesting. ::grins:: Please enjoy and if you do comment, constructive criticism only, please! No flaming! And now, on with the story!**


"What? No games for how long?"

"Until you get this silly notion out of your head that you can cast spells!" Paula's mom said, idly reading a newspaper. "Those games have gone to your head."

Paula looked at her mom incredulously. "But I really can--"

"Enough! Now, go outside and play for once." Her father had ended the discussion, and now Paula sat outside, tossing the stone into the air and catching it in her hand.

"I really can cast spells...stupid MP loss. Hopefully it'll come back overnight." She held the blue stone tightly in her hand and closed her eyes. "Now what do I do?" Her hair blew into her eyes and she quickly flung it back to the side of her face. "Stupid." Paula laid back in the grass and stared up at the sky. The sun winked back down at her through some clouds.

"Hm...I've got it!" She jumped up on her feet once again and held the stone high. "I'll summon! But who?" Paula thought for a moment, her hand still high in the air. "Better be Valefore. That's probably easiest."

She took in a deep breath before beginning to twirl around, the stone still in her hand. She threw her hands over her head, dancing like a ballerina. She ended the dance with a deep bow, and stayed in that position for a moment before lifting only her head up to look.

A blur was shooting down from the sky, swirling and doing rolls. Paula watched as Valefore came closer, nearer to the ground. She stood up straight, waiting for it to land.

The ground shook and threw her backwards onto the grass. The stone flew from her hand and hit the ground nearby. She stared up at the sky, her brown eyes wide.

The sky had seemed to split, and from it poured a large cyclone-looking object. As the clouds began to clear from the approaching form, Paula sat in shock as she recognized it.

"No. It...Sin..."

It flew across the sky, towards the coast, being pushed by some unseen force. Paula could only watch as it left, and scattered fiends behind it.

She blinked. She point in the sky where Sin had entered was back to the way it was before, as if nothing had happened. The birds began to chirp again, and the winds blew back at their normal pace.

Paula reached for the stone and picked it up. Its shape had changed to a small sphere with two dolphins surrounding it. It was also much smaller than it had been before.

Paula looked up to see her brother staring at the sky as well. She opened her mouth to say something but was stopped.

"Dinner's ready. And now you've really done it."

*-*-*-*-*

Paula sat at the dinner table, her hands in her lap, as her family ate. Her father had the radio switched on, and was listening to updates on an odd weather phenomenon.

"Its being called a hurricane, but it is moving rather sporadically. Meteorologists cannot explain its illogical path, and all residents on the west coast are advised to evacuate in an orderly fashion or stay in the basement of their homes if that is not possible," the radio announcer droned. "Again, there is a hurricane..."

Paula's mother switched the radio off, and her father dropped his fork on the plate in surprise.

"Why did you--"

"It doesn't concern us. We're far enough in. We shouldn't listen to such depressing things like that while we eat." Her father began to protest again. "We're going to have a nice, quiet dinner." He sighed and picked his fork back out of the rice.

Paula looked up meekly. "May I...may I be excused?" She tried to ignore her brother's accusing stare from across the table.

Paula's mother looked shocked. "But Paula, you haven't even touched your food!"

She looked back down at her lap. "I'm not hungry." She stood up and walked away quietly as her mother continued to stutter.

"Maybe she's sick!" her mother said worriedly. "I should go get the thermometer--"

"She's fine. Just a little tired, I think," her father said, scooping up another forkful of rice. "Let her be."

Paula walked to her room, opened the door, and flung herself on the bed. The newly shaped stone was in her pocket once again. She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling in the dark room.

...or what was supposed to be a dark room.

A blue glow came from the corner of her room. She blinked, trying to take the sight in.

"What the...a save sphere?!?" She jumped up and looked at the large blue orb that now occupied the upper right corner of her room. Paula walked around it, looking for a plug-in or something similar. Satisfied that there wasn't any sort of electricity powering the sphere, she closed her eyes tight and reached out to touch it.

Her hand hit cold glass, and she opened her eyes. The sphere had brought up a pop-up menu with four choices: Teleport Home (which was grayed out), Teleport to Sara's, Teleport to Katie's, and Play Blitzball (also grayed out).

Paula pulled her hand back from the menu. Teleport? she thought. To Sara's and Katie's...?

She backed away from the sphere, and the menu dissolved, leaving just the blue glow of the sphere. Sara, she thought. Sara and...

"Duh!" Paula snuck out of her room Solid Snake style and crept to the computer. She switched it on and connected to the net. "Come on, come on, hurry up..." Signing on to AIM, she quickly checked her buddy list. She silently pumped her fist in the air. "She's on!"

CelestialNymphet: um, hi, Sara!

From across the country, Sara watched as an IM popped up from one of her friends. She typed quickly.

AraLaiKaipi: HIEEEE!!!! How are ya?

Paula let out a breath. "Not as good as one would think..." Paula typed at light speed.

CelestialNymphet: GOod, good.
CelestialNymphet: um, check your room in about five seconds

From Wisconsin, Sara blinked. "Check my..."

AraLaiKaipi: check my room???
AraLaiKaipi: why?

Paula sighed. "Urgh."

CelestialNymphet: please
CelestialNymphet: just do it
AraLaiKaipi: oookaaaay...

Running to her room, Paula dodged her brother and shut her door behind her. She leaped out and touched the sphere. When the menu appeared, she quickly poked at the Teleport to Sara's option.

She closed her eyes as a warm sensation came over her. "I hope this works..."

"Paula, you know mom and dad said--" Her brother's eyes fluttered as he watched Paula disentegrate into the blue sphere in front of her. He rubbed his eyes. Paula wasn't there anymore.

"I'm...going to go to bed..."