In the light of dawn, an adolescent girl laid on a hilltop. The 6-year old girl brushed a lock of golden-grey hair out of her red eyes and sighed. Her father was away on a long trip, and he had told her to practice with the sword while he was away. The young girl had been left in the care of an old friend of her father's in Kilika, and she was bored. Her thoughts turned to the rest of her family. The girl's mother had died a very long time ago, only 3 days after she had been born. Her father had been a warrior monk in the temple of Bevelle. She wondered why he was always so emotionless, but suspected it was because he had loved her mother and was still heartbroken. Finally, she thought of her friends, three boys named Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal. She and they were so close-knit; she considered them her brothers. As she thought about them, a small boy with platinum hair and intense green eyes walked out of one of the small straw huts and smiled.
"Hi Paine! You wanna go play with me and Nooj now? Gippal said he'd teach us some more Al Bhed," he said cheerfully.
"Nah. My father told me I had to practice the sword while he's gone."
"Why arencha'?" Baralai inquired.
"Aw, I just wanna watch the sunrise. You wanna watch with me?" Paine asked.
"Okay."
He sat down on the hill next to Paine. They sat like that for a long time, watching the sun slowly emerge from the horizon over the gorgeous bluish green sea. Everything seemed to glow a warm orange color, which washed over the small village of Kilika. Paine looked at Baralai. His hair was even brighter than before, from the rich contrast of his platinum hair and the orange.
"Baralai, do you know why my father left me here?" she asked.
"I think it's cause he's guardin' a summoner on a pilgrimage," he replied.
"Why couldn't I come? I could help guard. My father could teach me how to use the sword, and I wouldn't have to stay with mean ol' Kinoc."
"Well…do you know what happens when a summoner gets to Zanarkand?"
"Yeah, they get the Final Aeon an' beat Sin with it. Why?"
"Well, when they do, the Aeon kills the summoner too. Your dad prolly thought it'd be too much for us kids. But…maybe it's a good thing, y'know? You get to be more independent n' stuff…and you do get to be with us. That's good, isn't it?" Baralai asked.
"Yeah, I suppose it is. But I miss him, y'know? You guys are so cool, but I miss him."
"I know. It's not the same."
The sun was up now, and the orange glow faded, and Paine realized she was clasping Baralai's hand.
A/N: Everybody loves Baraine. It smiles on everyone like somethin' shiny. Yaaay. Expect Paine to age more as the story goes on.
"Hi Paine! You wanna go play with me and Nooj now? Gippal said he'd teach us some more Al Bhed," he said cheerfully.
"Nah. My father told me I had to practice the sword while he's gone."
"Why arencha'?" Baralai inquired.
"Aw, I just wanna watch the sunrise. You wanna watch with me?" Paine asked.
"Okay."
He sat down on the hill next to Paine. They sat like that for a long time, watching the sun slowly emerge from the horizon over the gorgeous bluish green sea. Everything seemed to glow a warm orange color, which washed over the small village of Kilika. Paine looked at Baralai. His hair was even brighter than before, from the rich contrast of his platinum hair and the orange.
"Baralai, do you know why my father left me here?" she asked.
"I think it's cause he's guardin' a summoner on a pilgrimage," he replied.
"Why couldn't I come? I could help guard. My father could teach me how to use the sword, and I wouldn't have to stay with mean ol' Kinoc."
"Well…do you know what happens when a summoner gets to Zanarkand?"
"Yeah, they get the Final Aeon an' beat Sin with it. Why?"
"Well, when they do, the Aeon kills the summoner too. Your dad prolly thought it'd be too much for us kids. But…maybe it's a good thing, y'know? You get to be more independent n' stuff…and you do get to be with us. That's good, isn't it?" Baralai asked.
"Yeah, I suppose it is. But I miss him, y'know? You guys are so cool, but I miss him."
"I know. It's not the same."
The sun was up now, and the orange glow faded, and Paine realized she was clasping Baralai's hand.
A/N: Everybody loves Baraine. It smiles on everyone like somethin' shiny. Yaaay. Expect Paine to age more as the story goes on.