Paine stumbled away from the Mi'ihen Travel Agency. What had just happened? There was a pounding feeling in her head, and a sharp pain in her chest. Her memory was fuzzy. Nooj? Was that Nooj? And a gun?
Had Nooj shot her? Was that what happened?
Paine sunk to her knees. The last things she saw before she blacked out were the crumpled forms of Gippal and Baralai.
An older man, who had heard the gunshots, ran from the exit to the Newroad. He was a guardian to one of the summoners that had been passing through.
He was also Paine's father.
Auron ran to his daughter. She was bleeding at the chest, sprawled out on the ground. It was eerily similar to when Abigail had died, 16 years ago. There was only one difference. He could save her now.
Meanwhile, a different scenario was taking place deep within Paine's mind. She was walking around in a dark, dark void. Paine could see absolutely nothing. Suddenly, a glowing, floating figure appeared in front of her. The figure began to take shape and sharpen. Soon, Paine could see a very tall woman in front of her. She had long, grey-gold hair, like hers use to be. There was something vaguely familiar about her...
And suddenly, she knew.
"...Mom?"
The woman smiled.
"Hello, Paine."
Paine ran to Abigail. She tried to hug her, but couldn't feel her. Her arms just went through her.
"You can't touch me, honey. I'm nothing but a ghost now."
Paine stepped away.
"You're almost dead. Nooj shot you."
Paine was startled.
"How did you know that?"
"Honey, I know everything that has happened to you. When I died, I asked your father to watch over you. He has done as good as a job as he can. But I know that watching a child, caring for it, protecting it...takes a lot more than just one person. So...after I had died, bits of my pyreflies joined with your body. My soul and yours live in the same body. All your life, I've protected you where your father could not. When you were in that cave with the Crimson Squad, and the pyreflies tried to invade your body, I repelled them. Now, this is the last time I can protect you."
"What are you going to do?" Paine asked.
"I am going to use the last of my soul power to heal your body. After I save you, I will leave for the Farplane. I can help you no more."
Paine spoke again. "But...I need you."
"You don't need me, Paine. The only time you really needed my help was in that cave. Everything else you have done was YOU. Not me."
Abgail's figure began to fade away.
"You're waking up. Tell Auron that I love him, and that it's up to him now."
"Wait! Don't go!"
"Goodbye."
The black void vanished so quickly Paine gasped. Auron was bent over her, mending the place where Nooj shot her. He looked up, and saw that she had awakened.
"Paine! You're alive!"
Pyreflies flew out of her body when Auron spoke. She was rather tired, but told her father, "I saw Mom."
"You did?"
"Yeah. She said that her job is done, and that she loves you."
It occurred to Paine that Baralai and Gippal were also near death.
"We have to help them!" Paine pointed towards where she thought the 2 men laid.
Gippal pokes his head out from behind her. "Already been helped, but thanks for noticing!"
Baralai was behind Auron, with a worried expression on his face.
"Paine, are you okay?"
Paine nodded. She felt strangely less emotional.
There was a definite absence in her body.
A/N: d00d, loose ends are lyk, so totally unkewl. So, lyk, I totally tied them up! *explodes*
Had Nooj shot her? Was that what happened?
Paine sunk to her knees. The last things she saw before she blacked out were the crumpled forms of Gippal and Baralai.
An older man, who had heard the gunshots, ran from the exit to the Newroad. He was a guardian to one of the summoners that had been passing through.
He was also Paine's father.
Auron ran to his daughter. She was bleeding at the chest, sprawled out on the ground. It was eerily similar to when Abigail had died, 16 years ago. There was only one difference. He could save her now.
Meanwhile, a different scenario was taking place deep within Paine's mind. She was walking around in a dark, dark void. Paine could see absolutely nothing. Suddenly, a glowing, floating figure appeared in front of her. The figure began to take shape and sharpen. Soon, Paine could see a very tall woman in front of her. She had long, grey-gold hair, like hers use to be. There was something vaguely familiar about her...
And suddenly, she knew.
"...Mom?"
The woman smiled.
"Hello, Paine."
Paine ran to Abigail. She tried to hug her, but couldn't feel her. Her arms just went through her.
"You can't touch me, honey. I'm nothing but a ghost now."
Paine stepped away.
"You're almost dead. Nooj shot you."
Paine was startled.
"How did you know that?"
"Honey, I know everything that has happened to you. When I died, I asked your father to watch over you. He has done as good as a job as he can. But I know that watching a child, caring for it, protecting it...takes a lot more than just one person. So...after I had died, bits of my pyreflies joined with your body. My soul and yours live in the same body. All your life, I've protected you where your father could not. When you were in that cave with the Crimson Squad, and the pyreflies tried to invade your body, I repelled them. Now, this is the last time I can protect you."
"What are you going to do?" Paine asked.
"I am going to use the last of my soul power to heal your body. After I save you, I will leave for the Farplane. I can help you no more."
Paine spoke again. "But...I need you."
"You don't need me, Paine. The only time you really needed my help was in that cave. Everything else you have done was YOU. Not me."
Abgail's figure began to fade away.
"You're waking up. Tell Auron that I love him, and that it's up to him now."
"Wait! Don't go!"
"Goodbye."
The black void vanished so quickly Paine gasped. Auron was bent over her, mending the place where Nooj shot her. He looked up, and saw that she had awakened.
"Paine! You're alive!"
Pyreflies flew out of her body when Auron spoke. She was rather tired, but told her father, "I saw Mom."
"You did?"
"Yeah. She said that her job is done, and that she loves you."
It occurred to Paine that Baralai and Gippal were also near death.
"We have to help them!" Paine pointed towards where she thought the 2 men laid.
Gippal pokes his head out from behind her. "Already been helped, but thanks for noticing!"
Baralai was behind Auron, with a worried expression on his face.
"Paine, are you okay?"
Paine nodded. She felt strangely less emotional.
There was a definite absence in her body.
A/N: d00d, loose ends are lyk, so totally unkewl. So, lyk, I totally tied them up! *explodes*