It was late in the afternoon in Kilika. The enormous blue sky stretched over the small fishing village as Paine & Baralai were playing catch with an old blitzball. Baralai then proceeded to perform a Spin Ball, thus knocking Paine over. He doubled over with laughter.
"Owch! That hurt, Baralai!" Paine cried.
"You look like an octopus, all sprawled out like that!" he laughed.
"C'mon, help me up."
Baralai grabbed Paine's hand and began to pull her up, until he accidentally backed up into a short bald priest in a long yellow robe. The priest toppled over.
"Oh, sorry Kinoc." Baralai said.
"Call me 'sir', Baralai." Kinoc disciplined. "I must speak to Paine alone now. Go, I'll only be a minute." Baralai ran off.
"So why'd you wanna talk to me, Sir?" Paine flopped down onto the wooden dock and absentmindedly began playing with a stick.
"Paine, I'm not quite sure how to put this, seeing as I've never had children…but, Paine, your father has…disappeared." Kinoc told her sympathetically.
Paine stopped.
"What?"
"After the Calm began, your father was going home…but he went back to Zanarkand. He came out again near death. A young Ronso found him crawling down Mt. Gagazet, bleeding. He told a wandering group of Al Bhed that a young man was in dire need of medical attention, and they did the best they could to help him. But the next day, he was just gone. There is…a good chance that the fiends got him. Truly, I am sorry." His voice dwindled in volume until it was almost a whisper.
Paine said nothing. But the tears streaming down her face were enough to give her thoughts away.
"Will you be all right, Paine? It's clear you're very distressed." Kinoc asked.
Again, Paine said nothing. She stood up.
"Paine?"
Paine hugged Kinoc. She wasn't just silently crying now, she was sobbing openly. Kinoc patted her on the back.
"Now, now. You'll be okay. Your father asked me before he left to watch over you, if anything should happen to him. Remember?"
Paine nodded. Her tears slowed a bit.
"I can't believe he's gone…he promised me when he returned that he would take me to Luca to see…a blitzball game…" she said quietly.
"Perhaps after you've calmed down, I could bring you to one. What team is your favorite?"
"Guado Glories." Paine said in a happier tone.
"Ah, like your mother. I shall bring you to one of their games, then."
"Sir?"
"Yes?"
"My father told me that I was to practice the sword…do you know anyone who would teach me?"
"I do. There is a Ronso I know named Kelk. He is skilled with many weapons, including the sword. I can arrange some lessons for you." Kinoc told Paine.
"Thank you, Sir." Paine walked away, to the very hilltop she sat on a month before, watching the sunrise with Baralai only a week after her father had left for Zanarkand. She laid down on the soft incline. Baralai then came up behind her and tackled her. She screamed and wrestled with Baralai, finally throwing him down next to her.
"Aw, you always beat me in wrestling!" Baralai cried.
"It's cause you're afraid to hurt a girl! You gotta attack with your full power if you wanna win."
"So, what did Kinoc talk to you about? Did he find out that you were the one who slipped a Thunder Flan in his bed?" Baralai said teasingly.
"Sshtttt! He'll hear you!" Paine whispered. "It wasn't that, anyways. My dad…he's disappeared. Kinoc says that the fiends may have killed him."
"He's…dead?"
"No…no, he can't be dead."
"Why not?" Baralai questioned.
"I was all he really had left…he wouldn't leave me behind. Remember when Kinoc told us about the Farplane? He said that some people don't become a fiend or a spirit in the Farplane. Sometimes, they have too much to do…and they can't continue on to death.
The unsents. Maybe my dad…is an unsent now. Maybe my dad…will come back." Paine said.
Baralai sat up.
"Let's sing the Hymn of The Fayth."
"How come?" Paine asked.
"Well, it's a prayer for the dead, isn't it? If your father is an unsent, then we're praying for him to come home. And…well, I like it when you sing." Baralai blushed a little.
"Okay, we will!" Paine took a deep breath, as did Baralai.
"I e yu i
No bo me no
Re n mi ri
Yo jyu yo go
Ha sa te ka na e
Ku ta ma e"
A/N: Sorry this chapter was so long. We're hurting for reviews over here, so any contributions are greatly appreciated. I want to know your opinions!
"Owch! That hurt, Baralai!" Paine cried.
"You look like an octopus, all sprawled out like that!" he laughed.
"C'mon, help me up."
Baralai grabbed Paine's hand and began to pull her up, until he accidentally backed up into a short bald priest in a long yellow robe. The priest toppled over.
"Oh, sorry Kinoc." Baralai said.
"Call me 'sir', Baralai." Kinoc disciplined. "I must speak to Paine alone now. Go, I'll only be a minute." Baralai ran off.
"So why'd you wanna talk to me, Sir?" Paine flopped down onto the wooden dock and absentmindedly began playing with a stick.
"Paine, I'm not quite sure how to put this, seeing as I've never had children…but, Paine, your father has…disappeared." Kinoc told her sympathetically.
Paine stopped.
"What?"
"After the Calm began, your father was going home…but he went back to Zanarkand. He came out again near death. A young Ronso found him crawling down Mt. Gagazet, bleeding. He told a wandering group of Al Bhed that a young man was in dire need of medical attention, and they did the best they could to help him. But the next day, he was just gone. There is…a good chance that the fiends got him. Truly, I am sorry." His voice dwindled in volume until it was almost a whisper.
Paine said nothing. But the tears streaming down her face were enough to give her thoughts away.
"Will you be all right, Paine? It's clear you're very distressed." Kinoc asked.
Again, Paine said nothing. She stood up.
"Paine?"
Paine hugged Kinoc. She wasn't just silently crying now, she was sobbing openly. Kinoc patted her on the back.
"Now, now. You'll be okay. Your father asked me before he left to watch over you, if anything should happen to him. Remember?"
Paine nodded. Her tears slowed a bit.
"I can't believe he's gone…he promised me when he returned that he would take me to Luca to see…a blitzball game…" she said quietly.
"Perhaps after you've calmed down, I could bring you to one. What team is your favorite?"
"Guado Glories." Paine said in a happier tone.
"Ah, like your mother. I shall bring you to one of their games, then."
"Sir?"
"Yes?"
"My father told me that I was to practice the sword…do you know anyone who would teach me?"
"I do. There is a Ronso I know named Kelk. He is skilled with many weapons, including the sword. I can arrange some lessons for you." Kinoc told Paine.
"Thank you, Sir." Paine walked away, to the very hilltop she sat on a month before, watching the sunrise with Baralai only a week after her father had left for Zanarkand. She laid down on the soft incline. Baralai then came up behind her and tackled her. She screamed and wrestled with Baralai, finally throwing him down next to her.
"Aw, you always beat me in wrestling!" Baralai cried.
"It's cause you're afraid to hurt a girl! You gotta attack with your full power if you wanna win."
"So, what did Kinoc talk to you about? Did he find out that you were the one who slipped a Thunder Flan in his bed?" Baralai said teasingly.
"Sshtttt! He'll hear you!" Paine whispered. "It wasn't that, anyways. My dad…he's disappeared. Kinoc says that the fiends may have killed him."
"He's…dead?"
"No…no, he can't be dead."
"Why not?" Baralai questioned.
"I was all he really had left…he wouldn't leave me behind. Remember when Kinoc told us about the Farplane? He said that some people don't become a fiend or a spirit in the Farplane. Sometimes, they have too much to do…and they can't continue on to death.
The unsents. Maybe my dad…is an unsent now. Maybe my dad…will come back." Paine said.
Baralai sat up.
"Let's sing the Hymn of The Fayth."
"How come?" Paine asked.
"Well, it's a prayer for the dead, isn't it? If your father is an unsent, then we're praying for him to come home. And…well, I like it when you sing." Baralai blushed a little.
"Okay, we will!" Paine took a deep breath, as did Baralai.
"I e yu i
No bo me no
Re n mi ri
Yo jyu yo go
Ha sa te ka na e
Ku ta ma e"
A/N: Sorry this chapter was so long. We're hurting for reviews over here, so any contributions are greatly appreciated. I want to know your opinions!