Kinoc gasped.
"Auron! Where have you been?"
Auron chuckled. It was amazing how many people had asked him that today.
"Hello, Kinoc. I've been fulfilling a promise for a friend. From Zanarkand. I don't wish to explain it right now, but I thought I'd walk Paine back to the mansion."
Paine peeked out from behind Auron and waved to Kinoc.
"I apologize for her lateness. She ran into me, and we were talking."
Kinoc stuttered.
"Well - of course – but I did want her to meet the Maester's son – she has been very trouble-making lately."
"What's to stop her from meeting him now?"
As Auron said this, a very tall man walked down the staircase. He had blue hair, with prongs of it extruding from his head. He wore the long robe of a Bevelle priest.
Kinoc stood up to introduce him. "Paine, this is the Maester's son, Seymour. I'm sure you and he will get along famously. You do both have Guado blood, after all."
Paine rolled her eyes. When did similar bloodlines equal a perfect relationship?
Seymour approached Paine.
"I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Paine." He knelt down and kissed her hand. Paine tried not to gag.
"It's...ah...nice to meet you too?" Paine noticed that Auron was becoming visibly angry, and that Seymour was lingering a little too long.
"Uh..." Paine pulled her hand away. "Yeah..."
Auron pulled Kinoc aside. "I need to speak with you." He pulled him into another room.
Paine ran to the door and pressed her ear against it. She heard Auron speaking angrily to Kinoc.
"WHY did you arrange for Paine to meet this man?"
"Well, I assumed she'd like to meet one of her own kind..."
"That is no excuse! Paine is more human than Guado! You're just using her to become a Maester!"
"I assure you, Auron, that was not my motive! If you haven't heard, she was dating an Al Bhed boy! A heathen! Don't you want the best for her?"
"Do you really think that matters to me? I dated Abigail! I loved Abigail! If she hadn't been killed by those damn warrior monks, just because she had Guado blood, we would have gotten married! Paine would have had a mother!" Auron's voice broke.
"Auron...I'm sorry...truly, I am."
Paine stepped away from the door. She was shocked. Warrior monks? WARRIOR MONKS?
She had lost her mother to the people her life revolved around. Because she was a Guado. Paine's face was contorted with anger, sadness, and shock.
Auron walked out of the room. He saw Paine, turned away from him.
"Paine...you were listening, weren't you?"
She nodded. Auron came up, and gave her a hug from behind.
"I'm sorry I never told you. But...if I told you...you'd never trust Kinoc. You'd never trust anybody again. You were at such an impressionable age...and I knew I had to go on a pilgrimage. You wouldn't be safe if I had left you with Kinoc and you didn't listen to him. He...might not be the best at showing it, but he does want you to be safe. He has nothing but your best interests at heart. He cares about you as much as I do."
Paine was quiet. Seymour coughed a little, and then decided it was best to leave. He walked back up the stairs.
"This whole time...I've been trying to be that which killed my mother...No...I DID kill my mother...if I wasn't born, she'd be alive! She'd still be with you! This is my fault!"
Auron shook his head.
"No...it's not your fault. It was never your fault. I should have listened to the priest that day, instead of being selfish and refusing to marry the priest's daughter. I should have kept you safe, instead of fulfilling my selfish desire to marry your mother."
"You should have...you should have married her."
"We can't change the past. Never be ashamed of what has happened before your time."
"It's hard not to..."
"I know it is. But you have to try. And no matter what Kinoc says...don't spend any time with Seymour. He wants to use you, I can tell."
"Daddy...I'll miss you when you leave again..."
"I know, little Paine-bringer. But I do have to fulfill that promise. It was his last wish. Maybe...someday you'll meet him."
"I hope so."
Auron let go of Paine, and walked out.
"I love you, Dad."
"I love you too, Paine."
A/N: Booya. I have a couple words to say to my reviewers.
Sweet Cherry Kisses: Sorry, but this fic is strictly Auron/Abigail. It wouldn't make sense for the story to be Auron/Rikku, simply because this is Paine's story, and it wouldn't make sense. After all, when Paine first meets Rikku, Auron has been sent to the Farplane. The only possible context for Auron/Rikku to happen would be on his next pilgrimage, Yuna's pilgrimage. Which Paine doesn't know about until Sin is defeated. Sorry. But I do support Aurikku!
GNB: Paine didn't appear in FFX, so it wouldn't make sense for her to appear in my fic. If I have my facts straight, Paine was in the Akagi Squad during that time. I'm trying to keep this from being an alternate-universe fic. It was a good idea, though!
Li: Thank you for your warm words of encouragement! Reviewers like you make me feel all warm inside. :)
"Auron! Where have you been?"
Auron chuckled. It was amazing how many people had asked him that today.
"Hello, Kinoc. I've been fulfilling a promise for a friend. From Zanarkand. I don't wish to explain it right now, but I thought I'd walk Paine back to the mansion."
Paine peeked out from behind Auron and waved to Kinoc.
"I apologize for her lateness. She ran into me, and we were talking."
Kinoc stuttered.
"Well - of course – but I did want her to meet the Maester's son – she has been very trouble-making lately."
"What's to stop her from meeting him now?"
As Auron said this, a very tall man walked down the staircase. He had blue hair, with prongs of it extruding from his head. He wore the long robe of a Bevelle priest.
Kinoc stood up to introduce him. "Paine, this is the Maester's son, Seymour. I'm sure you and he will get along famously. You do both have Guado blood, after all."
Paine rolled her eyes. When did similar bloodlines equal a perfect relationship?
Seymour approached Paine.
"I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Paine." He knelt down and kissed her hand. Paine tried not to gag.
"It's...ah...nice to meet you too?" Paine noticed that Auron was becoming visibly angry, and that Seymour was lingering a little too long.
"Uh..." Paine pulled her hand away. "Yeah..."
Auron pulled Kinoc aside. "I need to speak with you." He pulled him into another room.
Paine ran to the door and pressed her ear against it. She heard Auron speaking angrily to Kinoc.
"WHY did you arrange for Paine to meet this man?"
"Well, I assumed she'd like to meet one of her own kind..."
"That is no excuse! Paine is more human than Guado! You're just using her to become a Maester!"
"I assure you, Auron, that was not my motive! If you haven't heard, she was dating an Al Bhed boy! A heathen! Don't you want the best for her?"
"Do you really think that matters to me? I dated Abigail! I loved Abigail! If she hadn't been killed by those damn warrior monks, just because she had Guado blood, we would have gotten married! Paine would have had a mother!" Auron's voice broke.
"Auron...I'm sorry...truly, I am."
Paine stepped away from the door. She was shocked. Warrior monks? WARRIOR MONKS?
She had lost her mother to the people her life revolved around. Because she was a Guado. Paine's face was contorted with anger, sadness, and shock.
Auron walked out of the room. He saw Paine, turned away from him.
"Paine...you were listening, weren't you?"
She nodded. Auron came up, and gave her a hug from behind.
"I'm sorry I never told you. But...if I told you...you'd never trust Kinoc. You'd never trust anybody again. You were at such an impressionable age...and I knew I had to go on a pilgrimage. You wouldn't be safe if I had left you with Kinoc and you didn't listen to him. He...might not be the best at showing it, but he does want you to be safe. He has nothing but your best interests at heart. He cares about you as much as I do."
Paine was quiet. Seymour coughed a little, and then decided it was best to leave. He walked back up the stairs.
"This whole time...I've been trying to be that which killed my mother...No...I DID kill my mother...if I wasn't born, she'd be alive! She'd still be with you! This is my fault!"
Auron shook his head.
"No...it's not your fault. It was never your fault. I should have listened to the priest that day, instead of being selfish and refusing to marry the priest's daughter. I should have kept you safe, instead of fulfilling my selfish desire to marry your mother."
"You should have...you should have married her."
"We can't change the past. Never be ashamed of what has happened before your time."
"It's hard not to..."
"I know it is. But you have to try. And no matter what Kinoc says...don't spend any time with Seymour. He wants to use you, I can tell."
"Daddy...I'll miss you when you leave again..."
"I know, little Paine-bringer. But I do have to fulfill that promise. It was his last wish. Maybe...someday you'll meet him."
"I hope so."
Auron let go of Paine, and walked out.
"I love you, Dad."
"I love you too, Paine."
A/N: Booya. I have a couple words to say to my reviewers.
Sweet Cherry Kisses: Sorry, but this fic is strictly Auron/Abigail. It wouldn't make sense for the story to be Auron/Rikku, simply because this is Paine's story, and it wouldn't make sense. After all, when Paine first meets Rikku, Auron has been sent to the Farplane. The only possible context for Auron/Rikku to happen would be on his next pilgrimage, Yuna's pilgrimage. Which Paine doesn't know about until Sin is defeated. Sorry. But I do support Aurikku!
GNB: Paine didn't appear in FFX, so it wouldn't make sense for her to appear in my fic. If I have my facts straight, Paine was in the Akagi Squad during that time. I'm trying to keep this from being an alternate-universe fic. It was a good idea, though!
Li: Thank you for your warm words of encouragement! Reviewers like you make me feel all warm inside. :)