Disclaimer: Not mine.

This is my second attempt at writing this story. If you've read the first draft of it, you'll notice that a lot of the story is the same, but I have added more detail that sort of explains a little more about my interpretation of Paine.

Also, some of the past reviewers wanted more action from the supporting characters. I will try to add more interaction between Paine, Yuna, and Rikku.

So, once again, here's the first chapter. Enjoy!

May She Rest in Peace – Chapter One – May She Rest in Peace


Bikanel: One of my least favorite traveling spots. All I usually ever get from coming here is a bad sunburn and sand in my boots. Not to mention the heat that beats down at all hours of the day, and then the frigid temperatures at night. I'm hoping the outcome isn't the same as usual, though. I could do without sunburn.

We were lucky this time; we had only been traveling for a small stretch of time across the tanned expanse before we spotted the hover that was parked a little ways away from the main digging site. Apparently some Al Bhed were in the middle of an expedition. Ever since Vegnagun was defeated, the fiends had lessoned, so the diggers were safe to salvage any old machina parts without more than the threat of sandstorms. Excavated machina parts were becoming more and more valuable because of the sudden swell of machina used throughout Spira, namely in Bikanel, where Home was being rebuilt.

I remember coming here back when we were still on the adventure to save the world. That adventure's been over for some time now, though. It's been almost two months…I almost admit that I've missed all the thrill of fighting fiends and traveling abroad on the airship. At least I get to remember these times and relive them, if only for a few minutes.

I had decided to settle down in Kilika. It seemed like a good spot, especially when compared to the normal place for sphere hunters: Guadosalam, which was now nothing more than a haven for the otherwise homeless travelers. Kilika wasn't as out of the way as Besaid, but it also wasn't as bustling as Luca or Bevelle. I found it to be quite a nice spot to stay, and I managed to rent out a room in the house of an old friend of mine from the Crusaders. It was great to have a break for the first couple of weeks, but it was hard to suddenly go from the thrill of trying to solve mysteries and fighting the bad guys to having the highlight of the day being a clear, blue sky and crystalline waters. Don't get me wrong; it's not bad at all, but it's not what I'm used to.

So, due to my boredom, I ended up joining the Kilika faction of the Youth League, and once Nooj had found out, he had me running around like some sort of human transport, doing odd errands for him, usually dealing with going to and from the temple with mail for the guards and other trivial things like that. It was nothing near what I was used to. It seemed, as far as I could tell, that my adventure was over, and I was supposed to become just like everyone else, with the exception of the fact that everyone knew me because of my aid in the defeat of Vegnagun.

Rikku, in all her "infinite" wisdom, seemed to have read my mind about wanting to go on another adventure, and she found her sphere that Shinra had set up so the Gullwings could keep in constant contact. Rikku had been very vague about the details of this new mission, and I was wary about agreeing to join. She seemed so excited about it when she contacted me, though, so I decided to meet with her in Luca the next day.

Originally, Yuna was going to stay out of this adventure, mainly because she was tied up with other things, or people, as it were. Somehow, she found out about this "adventure" and was hurt that she wasn't invited. So, we changed our minds, and she came along for the ride as well.

So, after a reunion of the complete Gullwings group, we all boarded the Celsius and headed to Bikanel at Rikku's request. Despite the fact that we had been to Bikanel many times, and we usually could find the small settlement of diggers in the desert, the wind had picked up in the area, and we couldn't land. So, Brother and Buddy agreed that we should land near the oasis and find the way to our destination ourselves.

Let me just say that this reminds me of another journey through these sands not too long ago.

Yuna and Rikku were dragging behind due to the heat. I still don't understand how they can be bothered so much by the heat; they wear less than I do. I looked back at them briefly and shook my head upon spotting the hover a short distance away. I broke into a slow jog and made a beeline for the hovercraft.

I didn't slow down for the two girls behind me, though I probably should have, if just to tell them to hurry up. After briefly conversing with the driver, I easily found a spot on the empty hover, clasping my hands around one of the rods that held up the large fan-like structure used to propel the transport, and pulling myself to sit on a small platform near the back.

It didn't take long to travel across the sands to our destination. The vehicle's driver was very familiar with Bikanel. He had been explaining to Rikku how he had just made a trip to Home not too long ago, and that the rebuilding was nearly complete. Rikku kept periodically shooting glances in my direction when she thought I wasn't looking. It was annoying, but before I could tell her off, the hover stopped.

I acknowledged the masked driver, now standing next to the hover, and he nodded back to me, the lenses of his goggles catching a ray of the sun and almost blinding me. I blinked a few times to get rid of the blurry spots blocking my usually unobstructed view of the tanned sands. After taking in my surroundings, I noticed him sit down at the small cockpit in the front of the hover. He shifted his gaze back to Yuna and Rikku, and, after talking briefly with the two girls, nodded his head slowly. They both looked over at me, a nervous look on their faces, namely Rikku's.

"Just wait here, Paine. We'll be back in a sec!" Rikku said as she waved to the driver, then grabbed Yuna by the wrist and led her away from the hover. I leaned against the hover and watched their figures get smaller and smaller. It was now late in the day, and the sun was at its most uncomfortable temperature. The humidity was making my hair stick to the sides of my face, and I could feel droplets of sweat trailing down my forehead.

Now, at least a half hour has passed, and I'm still waiting for the other two to come back. I'm not sure what they're doing at the moment, probably talking about men. That's really all they ever do now, it seems. They said they would only be a few minutes, but I still see no sign of the bubbly Al Bhed or the slightly less hyperactive summoner. If they don't come in a few minutes, I'm going to drive the hover myself. This heat is killing me.

"Oh! Poopie!" As if on cue, I heard the singsong voice of Rikku. I merely shifted my eyes over to the side toward them, peering at them with my peripheral vision. At the moment, I think that actually turning my head to look at them would be a waste of movement, considering the annoyance that would be the consequence of Rikku knowing that I was actually listening to her. Yuna's mouth was moving, but I couldn't understand what she was saying, as both distance and the wind interfered with my hearing. Not that I really wanted to listen anyway. I simply closed my eyes and shifted uncomfortably in my outfit, the inside lining of the leather slowly becoming an unwanted adhesive. I heard the two girls moving toward the hover, and when the inside of my eyelids shifted from a dull red to black, I slowly opened my eyes and glanced emotionlessly at Rikku.

"Are you two finished yet?" I asked dully as I flicked some hair out of my face. Don't get me wrong, I like Rikku and Yuna, but sometimes, it's just nicer to have peace and quiet. Of course, in my case, my attempts at hinting to Rikku that I want to be alone just result in her prying for information. Sometimes I really wonder what possessed me to start traveling with her. It was probably the airship. What I wouldn't give to be on the air-conditioned Celsius right now…

Rikku sighed, her arms crossing over her chest in an exaggerated manner after she sat back into her spot on the hover.

"I thought it was here," her voice was laced with annoyance, and her swirling eyes darted back up into my direction. "There's only one other spot that could have it…"

My eyebrows arched at Rikku's sudden look of realization. The Al Bhed hurriedly bothered the pilot to get a move on, and he nodded at Rikku, and then waited for Yuna to get onto the hover.

Yuna silently sits down near the front, and then she goes off into her own little world once again. I noticed this because she has seemed to become fascinated with the sand, and I know for a fact that the sand can't possibly be that interesting to watch. Maybe the first time, but she's been here quite a bit for digging sessions.

Sometimes I wish that I could drift off like that, in reveries of my own. And then I remember that all daydreaming is good for is when you need to tune someone out, namely two Al Bhed siblings who I will not name at the moment. I silently sit down, my eyes still watching Yuna. Before I can comment, I am literally jerked out of my thoughts. The back of my head rams into the rod that I'm holding onto. I wince somewhat and grumble. The sooner we get out of this desert, the better.

"So, Paine, what are you going to do, now that everything's over?" I didn't notice that Yuna moved back to sit by me, her legs dangling over the side of the hover as it rushed through the sand like skis on snow. I stopped rubbing the back of my head and I moved my hand onto my lap.

"Why do you ask?" I question as I arch an eyebrow at the summoner. She always seemed to ask these questions at very random times. I still wonder why Yuna still decided to travel with us. The whole point of her journey was to find her love. And he's probably playing blitzball with the Aurochs right now at Besaid. I was almost certain she would want to be with him, but she chose to go on one more mission with us. Buddy saw signs of a sphere, maybe another record of the Crimson Squad. At least, that's what Rikku told me.

Gazing out at these sands almost gives me a sense of dread…I remember the numerous times I was out here recording my group. We did a lot of training in these sands; Baralai, Nooj, Gippal, and I. We know this place too well. Somehow, it never ceases to fascinate me to some extent…How one place can be just sand, and nothing else. It's just an endless sea of oranges and tans continuing on and on for miles. Yuna looks up at the sky, as if she was thinking of an answer to my question.

"I don't know…I've just been wondering. I never heard about where you come from or much about your past. It doesn't seem like you have…. a home to go to," Yuna said, the last part somewhat reluctantly; as if she was scared I might snap at her for asking such a question. I sigh somewhat, then look up at the same patch of sky Yuna was gazing at.

"I am living in Kilika now," I begin, but I knew that wasn't what she meant. "I'm planning on traveling some more, I guess. Maybe I'll continue sphere hunting. I still have many unanswered questions." I wasn't lying, but I decided to avoid talking about my past any more than I have to. I figure that most things concerning me are on a "need-to-know" basis. Frankly, no one needs to know about my past except for me, and I know that Yuna won't pry further if I make it clear I'm not going to say anything more.

I took in another deep breath and my eyes started to droop. As much as I hate this hot weather, I was getting a strange feeling of comfort from it, like the feeling of getting out of a shower with the steam still trapped in the room. Yuna made a slight movement of her head, acknowledging what I said in reply to her question, and then she proceeded to go off into her world again. We passed through an area of high winds, so I turned my head, the sand hitting the back of my neck instead of my eyes. I didn't want to get sand in my eyes. That's happened to me before, with less-than-desirable consequences.

"Hey! We're almost there, guys!" Rikku yelled at the top of her lungs as she clumsily stood up on the still-moving hover and she pointed toward a small cluster of what looked like rocks, but upon closer observation, I saw machina littered in the sands. This machina was part of the ruins of the old Home, now two years old. The new site for the Al Bhed settlement was being built a short distance away, but the ruins were frequently searched for parts.

I noticed Yuna snap out of her reverie at Rikku's voice, and then she turned her head. I'm still not sure why the three of us agreed to go here, or if we're supposed to accomplish anything from visiting the ruins. Maybe Rikku thinks she can try to enlist us in the plan for rebuilding Home. Of course, if Yuna and Rikku agree, I would feel it's my duty as a friend to join them as well. Life was so much more bearable when I traveled by myself. That was so long ago, though, even before I joined the Crusaders.

So much has changed.

I've changed.

Even from the short time between the Crimson Squad and the Gullwings, my whole attitude toward everything transformed into what it is now. I noticed this from the spheres that we uncovered. I used to be more open; I used to enjoy being around other people. I guess…some things we experience change our outlook on life forever, for better or worse. I don't know if this change I've gone through is good or bad yet, but I'll probably find out soon. For right now, I'll just take each day one by one. Who knows? Maybe I will change again. After all, a new sun rises each day with new possibilities to discover and new challenges to face. Perhaps there's hope for me yet. I grin slightly as I step off the hover, which has now stopped in front of the ruins.

Perhaps there's still hope.

"Paine! Hello! Anyone home?" I'm pulled away from my thoughts once again by Rikku, who has resorted to jumping around me in order to get my attention. Sometimes, it's hard to believe she's only a year younger than me. She sure doesn't act 17. I looked away from the bouncing girl and cross my arms, ignoring the fact that my hands were burning from within my gloves.

"What is it, Rikku?" I asked, a tone of annoyance escaping. She really gets on my nerves, the way she always is hyperactive and bouncing around while wearing next to nothing. I can't stand it sometimes. I'm going to make her change to her Trainer dressphere one of these days…

"Don't you remember? It's why I wanted you to come here in the first place," explained Rikku, her excitement making the tone of her voice rise until she sounded similar to a mouse. I rolled my eyes and tried to hide more annoyance from showing in my face. I can't believe they dragged me out here to show me something. I uncrossed my arms and looked at both Rikku and Yuna. They both looked at me with pleading eyes. I grumbled. Why do they always do this to me?

"This better be good," I replied as I pushed some hair out of my face again. Rikku let out a high-pitched squeal as she suddenly sprinted off toward the ruins, Yuna jogging behind her. I decided that the sooner we see this thing, the sooner I can get back on the Celsius and get some rest, so I broke into a half-jog and caught up with Yuna, then sped up some more to meet with Rikku, who was already digging near a small structure sticking out of the sea of sand. She glanced over at me when she found what she was looking for: A small silver door to the structure.

I arched an eyebrow in slight interest as I cautiously moved closer, then I stopped when I was behind Rikku, looking over her shoulder at the discovery. I grumbled slightly. It was a door. There was nothing else, unless it was a very clever optical illusion. Actually, that sounds like something that the Al Bhed would do, now that I think about it.

"You wanted to show me a door?" I asked rather dully. Seriously, this better be good. I'm getting really hot standing out here in the shadeless desert. Yuna shuffled in front of me, looking at me from over her shoulder. She didn't say a word; she just looked at me with concern on her face. I didn't think much of it that second, but I was soon going to find out why she would be worried about my reaction.

"No…Not a door," began Rikku as she managed to pry open the door and disappear into the small space. I heard a muffled thump as Rikku emerged with a small box in her hand. "This! I found it last week!" Rikku explained as she opened it up and handed it to me. I peered into the box, and saw a small blank piece of paper, and some old jewelry, not to mention a bed of sand in the bottom. I carefully took the box and pulled out the slip of paper. I saw some writing on the back, but I didn't focus on that for the moment. Instead, I turned it around and saw a picture.

It was a young girl of about 11 years of age. Her clothing didn't seem recognizable. It looked different from anything worn by the people of Spira now. She had long, peculiarly-colored hair—it was a light brown, but in the lighting of the picture, it looked almost gray—pulled back out of her face by a decorative headband. The girl was smiling somewhat, as though she knew she was getting her picture taken, but she didn't want to have it taken. One thing that made my breath catch in my throat for a moment was her eyes. They were a piercing red. I quickly looked up from the picture, shaking my head. Yuna and Rikku just stood still, their eyes searching mine curiously.

No. It's not possible. A wave of realization came over me as I returned my gaze to the picture. There was no mistaking it. There weren't many people with that combination of hair and eye color.

Even though I didn't want to recognize this person, I knew, deep down inside, exactly who this was. Instead of dwelling on it, I looked back up at Yuna and Rikku, and then I slowly turned the photo to the other side and focused on the writing. I could read the scribbled words, and I did so aloud, so the other two could hear.

"May she rest in peace."


There you go. Tell me what you think. Depending on how much time I have, I may post the second chapter on Friday. Also, if you have any questions regarding the story, and they won't spoil anything, I'll answer them at the beginning of next chapter.

CC