A/N: Yeah, it's been awhile since I updated. Sorry. uu;;; This is the second-to-last chapter, with some nice fluff tacked on. All good things must come to an end, sadly.
The golden-orange sphere dipped under the horizon. Everything in the long-ruined city glowed a rusty orange color. There were only two people anywhere near the ruins, watching the famous Zanarkand sunset. One was a girl, the other a man. The girl wore black leather, the man a priest's robes. They sat around the fire, saying little and thinking more.
"How long has it been, now? A year?" he asked.
"Maybe. It doesn't seem so long ago," the girl replied without looking up from the fire.
"What have you been doing?"
She finally looked up. Her eyes were a shocking red.
"Well...mostly, I've been looking for the old spheres of the Crimson Squad...trying to figure out what happened in that cave. But..." The girl paused, considering her follow-up.
"You know that both of my parents are dead, right?" she said. "I've been looking for spheres of them as well. I never met my mother, so I thought she might be in some old spheres. Maybe in Kilika or some place. But I don't know how'd I'd get there in the first place...so I'm a little stuck."
A short pause.
"What about you?"
The man let out a heavy sigh. "I've been in Guadosalam, working for the new maester. Yevon's got all sorts of lovely secrets that we don't know about. Not very fun."
"I suppose it wouldn't be. Was he the one with the...hair?"
"Yes."
The girl broke into a fit of giggling, remembering the maester's scary-looking hair.
"I remember when I first met him. His hair was creepy. What's he like?"
"He's quiet. He only talks to his attendant, Tromell. He's smart not to talk very much...you never know who you can trust." He sniggered a little.
"He's disturbing. I can't believe Kinoc wanted me to marry him."
There was another silence.
"I thought you were going to marry ME."
The girl and the man laughed together for what seemed like forever.
"You know..."
"Hmm?"
"There are these people called 'sphere hunters'. There are groups of them all over Spira. Two in particular are rather interesting...the LeBlanc Syndicate and the Gullwings. Perhaps you should look into them."
"Really? Interesting."
Paine glanced down at Baralai's hand.
"...Baralai, you are aware that I am madly in love with you, right?"
"...Yes."
"Is there any particular reason why you are trying to sneakily grab my hand, as opposed to grabbing it out right and passionately making out with me for all the pyreflies to see?"
"...No."
"Oh, okay."