Chapter 2
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When I entered the temple, I felt a little bit uneasy and kinda nervous. I headed towards the signup table and was about to sign when the man at the table said " You'll have to come back another day, kid." "They're in a meeting and they wont be able to see anyone at the time being...." I sighed and walked out of Bevelle, watching the people walk by and I decided that maybe I should go do something fun. I headed for the Calm Lands and watched as people bet on Lupine Races and other games that were being held there. I walked around, checking out various events that were going on, seeing the people of Spira smiling, instead of fighting or living in fear. I decided to try my luck with the Lupine race and I looked to my right and saw the most incredible girl, with silver heir and red eyes, smiling at me and she said to me, " Good Luck! " and shook my hand. After the race, I had gotten 4th Place and she got 2nd. She cheered and I congradulated her. I watched her walk off and I sighed and headed towards the nearest rest area to rest for the day.
After resting, the next day, I headed out for Bikanel Desert to go digging and I started talking to Nhadala and we sat down in a tent near the hovers because one of them were about to take off. After explaining my encounter with the girl that I met in the Calm Lands, she told me to make myself useful and go dig at least once and I asked her if I could use a chocobo to dig. She looked at me with a frustrated face and she said I could and she sent me off to the Central Expanse to dig. When I got to the site, I began looking around the desert, looking for slight hints of where treasure might be. After searching for a few minutes, and finding one treasure, I heard a familiar voice and I headed towards the voice. I saw the same girl that I had met in the Calm Lands. "Hi there. Never thought we'd meet again here." she said, covering her mouth, trying to not get sand in it. She was riding a chocobo too. I asked her how many treasures she had gotten and she replied, " Seven." and I smiled and showed that I was impressed. "I believe that I'm a higher rank than you. I'm in the Sand Blaster League and you're in the Beach Comber League, Nhadala showed me my rank and I saw your name in there." I nodded and understood. Suddenly, the machina that monitors us, yelled for us to head back to the hover with our chocobos. Back at the camp, I was emptying my boots that were full of sand and I was about to get onto the air hover that took me back to Bevelle, when she called out my name and I was suprised when I heard her call my name. I walked towards her and she grabs me and pushes me towards her friends. "Rikku, Yuna, this is Alan." Rikku was reading some book that was written in Al Bhed and she seemed to be stuck in it and she just raised her hand as if she was signaling my presence. Yuna smiled at me and she shook my hand and I shook her hand back. Behind her, I saw a slightly taller guy with blonde hair and blue eyes. I nodded at him and he did the same. "Oh, this is Tidus, my boyfriend." Yuna said. I told her that I didn't know her name. I smiled as she became aware of the hint and she apologized and she said. "I'm so sorry! My name is Paine. Sorry about that." she began to blush, embarrassed of her mistake. "It's okay." I said, my face filled with red as well, from chuckling to myself. I walked over to where Rikku was reading her book and she seemed like she was entranced in it. I tapped her on the shoulder and her arm raised up when I shocked her and she smacked me right in the nose."What!?!" she yelled. After realizing she had hit someone and she turned around to see me with a red nose. I was on the floor with a red nose and blood on my hands. I had my hands over my nose until Yuna gave me a towel to cover it in. "Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to. I get really serious when reading something in Al Bhed, especially when it is something that I am interested in." I shake my head while sitting back down in a chair, "It's okay." I say in a muffled voice. "Oooh...that doesn't look too good. You sure hit him good Rikku." Tidus said, frowning at Rikku. "Let's let him take a ride on the airship. We can take a look at then."
When I was outside in the desert, while waiting for their airship to appear, I noticed that everyone was staring at me. "What?" I said. "You know...you remind me of someone...." Tidus said, still thinking while pacing around. "Yeah....I agree with Tidus." Rikku said. The airship arrived and we all got aboard the large vessel. I smiled while making my way up to the Bridge. When we got there, a little boy around the age of 11 or 12, asked Yuna who I was. They introduced me to Brother, Buddy and Shinra. Rikku grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the cabin and introduced me to Barkeep and I was out of breath at that time and Rikku was more careful this time when she told me to go rest up in the beds at the top of the cabin. I walked towards the top and fell on top of the first bed that I saw.
After a few hours, I woke up to Paine sitting down on a bed next to me. I got up as she looked up at me. "Sleep well?" she asked, "Better than usual." I replied with a cheery expression. She laughed a little and asked me where I came from and I told her my usual story that I tell fellow travellers like myself. "Oh, so you're from Bevelle?" she said, slightly frowning. "Yeah, but I can't say I am proud the way Bevelle has been keeping its little secrets..." I reply, reassuring her that I don't really enjoy liiving in Bevelle. " That's why I am a traveller." She nodded and then Brother's voice announced on the Celsius. "Kimmfehkc! Nabund du dra Pnetka! Fa ryja y haf cbrana du veht! " Paine and I ran towards the Bridge. I asked Yuna where we were at and she said "Besaid Island."
When we landed, I asked Yuna if I could be a part of the Gullwings. She was quiet for a moment and Rikku was jumping up and down with excitement. "You....have to ask Brother." I nod and head towards the Bridge again and see that Brother is not there. I walk over to Shinra, and see him working on one of his prototypes. I was abot to ask him where Brother was but he said, "The Cabin" before I could ask. I headed up to the cabin, but before entering the cabin, I heard Brother griping about the bad parts of being single. 'Jeez, I thought I was lonely...' I thought to myself. I entered the room and Brother took a glance over at me and scuffed and I approached him, not knowing if he could have drank a few bottles of some type of alcohol, and asked him slowly, " Brother, may I join the Gullwings?" He looked over at me and paused for a moment, taking a drink of whatever he was swallowing, and then replied, " Alan, I don't know you that well and well, preferably I would say that I need to get to know you better but uh, well, I will let you join on one condition." Brother said, hiccuping while taking another drink. " If you promise to work for only the Gullwings and not for any other lousy, cheating sphere hunters." I nodded and agreed to his promise and proposition and shook his hand. After that, Barkeep took up Brother's drink and told Brother he needed enough sobriety to fly the ship. Brother got up and left the cabin and headed for the bridge, slumming against the walls and hitting the wall first before getting inside the elevator.
I spent the next hour talking with Barkeep and Buddy, getting to know them and finding out more information about Paine. Neither Barkeep nor Buddy knew much about what she was like or what she liked. The Gullwings then came onto the Bridge and Brother called everyone to the Bridge for an announcement. "Ahem...A passenger that Paine met in the Calm Lands asked me for a position on the Gullwings team. I said no but he begged and he begged and he..." Buddy jabbed him in the side and then Brother continued, " anyways...I let him joine finally. Welcome to the Gullwings, Alan! " Everyone cheered as they celebrated for my party of joining. I told them it was necessary but they insisted and Brother was yelling his party call. Rikku walked up to me and apologized and said, "I'm still sorry about hitting your nose, Alan. I know! I'll write you a song!" I nodded and accepted her idea and she ran off to go write it.
Well...what do you think? I hope you like it, although this took me all day to write, the next one ought to be a little longer, depending on how I feel. I hope you guys have alot of patience. Sorry this one took so long...
