Disclaimer: I don't own the Final Fantasy characters, I own baby Chappu and Paine, and any other character's I decide to add.

Review Responses:

SPECIAL THANKS TO: Black Eyed Mistress for being with me through every chapter and giving me reason to continue! YOU'RE WONDERFUL!

sdreamz: Well here's the next chapter!

PLUS AN EXTRA BONUS: a REALLY LONG chapter! Hurrah!

Pieces of Pain

Chapter 9

Yuna

Yuna watched as Paine chased Chappu across the sand and finally caught up to him at the edge of the water.

"Come here you!" Paine yelled. Chappu turned just in time to see her run at him and he landed in the water.

He sat up and Yuna could tell by the look in his eyes his sister was about to be in trouble, and obviously Paine sensed it too because she screamed and ran.

"Paine Padryho, get over here!" Yuna yelled. Paine glanced at her and then at Chappu who was slowly advancing on her.

She must have decided being near her aunt was safer because she bolted for her aunt. When Chappu saw where she was headed he ran, slid through the sand and grabbed his sister by her ankle causing her to fall face first and get a mouthful of sand.

He stood up and dusted himself off laughing at his own cleverness. Paine rose to her feet and ran to the water and threw herself in to get the sand out of her mouth, nose and eyes.

She came up wiping her eyes and glaring. Chappu waltzed over to his aunt and sat down.

"Is there something you needed Aunt Yuna?" Chappu said innocently. Yuna raised her eyebrow at him. She couldn't believe it had been seven years already.

She still remembered how she felt when Paine died, and how she felt when Paine and Chappu were born.

"You two are impossible." she said with a smirk as Paine came and plopped down beside her.

"Impossibly wonderful right?" Paine said with a grin. Yuna couldn't help laughing, Paine was definitely more outgoing then her namesake but there was the same kind of self-assurance in her ways.

"Aunt Yuna tell us a story." Vidina said coming up behind them.

Yuna looked up and smiled, "What story do you want to hear?" knowing full well the battle that was about to ensue at her words.

"Tell us about Aunt Paine!"

"No Uncle Chappu."

"NO I wanna hear about Vegnagun." The last request was Vidina's. He loved hearing about how good over came evil no matter what, and that just made him more endearing to her.

"How about I tell a story about all of them?" Yuna said happily.

Chappu began pouting, "Uncle Chappu had nothing to do with Vegnagun!" he said.

"I know but I don't know very much about your Uncle Chappu, maybe you should ask your father to tell you about him." Yuna said.

Chappu stood up and stomped off to find his father. Yuna watched him go and then turned back to the kids in front of her, "Okay this story takes place on the Moonflow, during a thunderstorm…"

Paine

Paine sighed and looked around she had no idea how long she'd been down here but she knew if she didn't get out soon she'd lose her mind.

"Are you ready to relive the final memory?" the voice asked.

Paine groaned, how she hated and despised that voice and she knew it was just a reflection of her own but still!

"Promise me that once I do I'll get out of this place!" she demanded quietly.

"Yes you will be free." The voice replied.

"One more thing, I want to know how much time has passed since I've been here!" Paine demanded.

"I suppose it can cause no harm, you've been here for seven years in real time but in here it has only been a few days." The voice answered slowly as though unsure what affect the words would have on the distraught warrior.

SEVEN YEARS! You mean to tell me they've thought I was dead for SEVEN YEARS!"

"Yes" the voice replied calmly.

Paine wanted to throw something, attack something, maybe even kill something but there was nothing around her but swirling clouds.

She closed her eyes and calmed herself. She relaxed and sank into a dream-like trance.

"Do you think this will work?" a shadowy figure asked.

"Yes." Another replied.

"Our daughter is brave and strong the fears that have clouded her mind and heart about the Crimson Squad will soon be vanquished and we will finally be free to move on and so will she." A male voice said.

"I miss her terribly." A small boyish voice whispered.

"There, there Zeke, she misses you too but she knows you're at least in a safe place." A motherly person said her voice sounding very much like Paine's.

Paine turned and covered her ears; she was trapped, so much screaming! She didn't know where she was all she did know was she had to find them and then get out of there before they all died.

"Paine?" a loud male voice asked.

"Gippal?" Paine said relief flooding her voice.

"Let's get out of here. We have to find Nooj and Baralai." Paine nodded and held on to his arm as they blindly tried to find their way out of the cave.

"Hey! That hurt!" a boyish voice said harshly.

"Baralai?" Gippal muttered reaching forward into the darkness trying to find his friend.

"I'm right here." Baralai said his voice flooding with panic.

"Where?" Gippal said swinging around with his arm out stretched.

"Well I should have a very obvious mark on my face if we ever get out of here." A calm collected voice said from the darkness.

"Sorry Nooj, Baralai you still there?" Gippal asked still clinging tight to Paine and Nooj.

Suddenly Paine yelped, "Sorry Paine, I didn't know that was your arm." Baralai whispered loosening his murderous grip on his friends arm.

"Okay so we're all attached right?" Nooj asked.

"Yeah" came the resounding answer.

"Then let's get the hell out of here." He said.

Paine held firmly to Baralai and Gippal but kept stumbling over the dead bodies of the other Crimson Squad members who had not been so lucky.

Tears were streaming down her face and she didn't care who saw her cry, all this destruction was just too much for her.

She heard more screams and someone pleading for his life before he was silenced forever and Paine closed her eyes sending a silent prayer to whoever might be listening.

Finally they reached the cave opening and ran out into the light. Paine turned and threw her arms around Gippal and cried, she completely broke down and Gippal was unsure of what to do.

He'd never thought he'd see her cry she was always so strong. He awkwardly patted her shoulder and let her cry her eyes out. Paine finally stopped and stood up shakily.

She turned and saw Baralai nursing a gash on his left leg. Gippal had several cuts and bruises on his face and arms but other then that he seemed all right.

Nooj was standing on the other side of the opening covered in blood and he didn't seem to notice.

"Nooj what happened to you? Are you hurt?" Paine asked.

"No. I tried to save one of them." He answered curtly.

Paine gazed at him and then just sat down, She couldn't stand anymore, she was weak and pathetic and suddenly she passed out.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

(Celsie) Okay the whole baby changing thing had to be out off but it will be explained very soon, and if your confused, Paine Padryho ( which is Bethany in Al bed, I don't know why but I gave her a middle name to distinguish her from the actual Paine) now looks exactly like Paine did at her age, hair, eyes and all. I needed a huge amount of time to pass for the story to continue so I made seven years pass on the outside while it was only a few days where Paine is. Understand? Good! LOVE YA ALL!