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

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Thanks to all my reviewers! (I'm being lazy…sorry?)

THIS STORY IS FINISHED AND I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT:

HOWEVER BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THE SEQUEL

'A NEW PURPOSE'

ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS EVER REVIEWED THIS STORY!

Pieces of Pain

Chapter 15

Paine

Paine rolled over onto her side and sighed loudly, it had been three months since she had returned to the real world and while everything was going great she couldn't help but notice the giant hole in her heart.

Before it had been filled with the vengeance, self-hatred, hate in general, and the pain of her past but once she had returned it had been washed away leaving an empty hole behind. Her entire life had been about fighting, now when they wasn't anything left to fight her life had no purpose.

She sat up and tossed her blankets aside and began pacing her room. She had discovered her real problem when Rikku announced her pregnancy.

Everyone she had ever known and loved was moving on, unlike her their lives had purpose, they held meaning.

In her heart she knew that she couldn't continue to live around them until she had found her own purpose, her own reason for living and as much as she loved her family and friends, they just didn't hold that purpose for her.

Yuna

Yuna watched her cousin walk away for what must have been the hundredth time and sighed. She was happy for Rikku, really she was but the pain she felt at not having a child of her own was becoming deeper and more profound as time went by.

She had been married to Tidus for over seven years and despite their desperation to have kids they had failed over and over again.

She feared that her life as a Summoner and the many battles she fought and the many injuries she had sustained had made it to where she could never have kids.

"Yuna?" Tidus called from inside the house. He had fallen asleep for a short time after training the Besaid Aurochs for four hours straight.

"I'm out here." she called back. He came over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"You ok?" he asked quietly gazing around his home and at his friends and family.

"I'm fine." Yuna said with false brightness. Tidus however had become quite adept at seeing through her false smiles.

"Tell the truth." he said in a singsong voice.

Yuna flushed, "It's just…I wish…" she didn't need to continue because Tidus understood immediately and he froze.

"I…I'm sorry." he whispered, it had always been his fear that he would prove not worthy of Yuna and being unable to provide for her the thing she wanted most hurt him more then anyone would ever know.

"Oh no! It's not your fault! Maybe I'm just not meant to have children; maybe something was damaged during my life as a Summoner. You can't blame yourself!" Yuna said her voice heated and emotional as she tried to make him understand that she could never blame him and therefore he shouldn't either.

Tidus nodded slightly and looked away, words could not erase guilt, he thought sadly. Yuna was thinking the exact same thing as she watched her cousin laughing with her lover.

Paine

Paine left the temple and entered the bright sunlight; Yuna and Tidus were standing together in front of their house watching the kids chase each other around the center of the village with soft smiles on their faces.

Auron had just pulled Rikku into the darkness of their home and Lulu was just entering the village from a long walk.

Wakka was tossing a blitz ball around with a few of the Aurochs and everything seemed peaceful but Paine felt anything but peace.

She moved towards Yuna and stood a few feet from them in silence. Finally she spoke, "Yuna, could I speak with you a moment?" she asked glancing at Tidus who had looked away.

"Sure." Yuna answered moving towards her.

"Let's go for a walk." Paine said quickly motioning in the direction of the beach. Yuna hesitated but then nodded and followed Paine out of the village.

A few minutes later Paine stopped and turned to face the ex-summoner. "I'm leaving Besaid for a while." she said quietly turning to look out over the ocean.

Yuna gaped, "What? But why?"

Paine smirked, "I have no purpose Yuna, no meaning for my existence. My life has been at a complete stand still ever since I got back. I can't keep going like this, I won't keep going like this."

Yuna looked stunned, "No purpose…meaning…how can you say that?" she demanded shocked. "You have a purpose to us, you have a meaning."

Paine smiled at her for the first time in a long time. "I have no meaning for myself. Being meaningful to you all is important to me but there is something missing, something I have to find before I can ever find peace. Do you understand?" Paine asked looking at her hopefully.

Yuna blanched slightly but she nodded, "I do…there's something missing for me too." she said her voice barely above a whisper.

Paine nodded her eyes sad, "It will come Yuna, and don't worry. You gave everything to save Spira; it's not possible for you to never have children. It just wouldn't be fair."

Yuna laughed decisively, "When has life ever been fair to us?"

Paine nodded, "True but I have learned that often times we only see the unfair things in live and take for granted the fair. You'll have kids, don't worry." Paine said finding it weird that she was lecturing Yuna on having faith and hope.

Yuna smiled at her obviously thinking the same thing. "Okay but you have to tell the kids and Lulu." she said smugly.

Paine's eyes widened, she had forgotten about the kids. "Oh great. I get to be the bad guy." Yuna laughed and turned to head for the village. Paine looked out over the ocean one last time and then headed in as well.

Paine Padryho

"Get back here you little rat!" Paine screamed angrily at her twin brother. Strange though that they looked nothing alike, in fact Paine looked nothing like any of her family except her Aunt Paine whom she adored.

Chappu raced up the hill shrieking in laughter knowing full well that if Paine caught him he was a goner. Valdina turned to face his sister with a sinister look on his face.

"We'll corner him." he whispered. Paine's eyes widened and she nodded her own excitement taking over. Quickly they split up and circled the hill; quickly and quietly they moved up until they had surrounded Chappu who was looking distinctly concerned as his fate loomed overhead.

"Grab him!" Paine yelled diving at her twin Valdina doing the same. They picked the yelling boy up and threw him off the hill and into the water below. Seconds later he came up sputtering angrily his face blood red.

"You're going to pay for that!" he threatened waving a fist in the air. Paine and Valdina had collapsed on the hill in a fit of laughter and found the ensuing threat even more hilarious then tossing the boy into the water.

Chappu climbed out of the water and laid on the beach to dry while silently trying to come up with a plan to get revenge on his siblings. Paine and Valdina walked up behind him and plopped down in the sand still wearing their identical grins of mischief.

Before Chappu could question their motives they slammed identical handfuls of sand into his face. He sat up spitting sand and his eyes stinging from the sand he ran for the water this time throwing himself in.

When he came up the two venomous snakes were gone and he was angry. He entered the village to find his Aunt Paine had called a meeting and had obviously been waiting for him because she watched him with a disappointed and slightly annoyed look in her eyes as he sat down next to his mother who looked disapprovingly at his wet clothing.

"Sorry." he murmured, Lulu rolled her eyes at her youngest son and nodded for Paine to continue. Yuna and Tidus were sitting to the left of Auron and Rikku who were sitting between Chappu and his siblings. Lulu and Wakka were sitting next to Chappu and were waiting intently for Paine to continue.

Paine

Paine looked into their faces with pain clutching at her heart at the thought of leaving them all but she had to for her own sanity.

" I called this meeting tonight to let everyone know that tomorrow morning I'm leaving Besaid for a while." Instantly there was uproar at her words and she raised her hand for quiet but even then it took some time to gain it.

"I don't know how long I'll be gone." Again another uproar at her words and again she waited for their silence.

"Nor do I know where I'm going." This time everyone remained silent and Paine looked surprised at them.

"Okay well that's all I had to say." Then things got loud.

"NO! It's not fair!' Paine Padryho yelled stomping her foot in anger.

"Why? I don't understand!" Lulu said quietly, in truth she had thought the two of them had become very close lately and still Paine hadn't bothered to tell her.

"I know it may be very difficult for you all to understand but I have to find something that's missing in my life. You're all wonderful and I adore you, but there is something out there that I am missing and I need to find it." Paine said her voice quiet and it immediately shut everyone up.

"I will come back sometime though. Don't worry about that." Everyone remained silent as the determination in Paine's voice rolled over them sending a depressing feeling through their hearts.

When everyone continued to remain silent Paine nodded, "Good night." she said turning and entering the temple to get some sleep. The next morning she woke up with the sun and packed her belongings. Then she left the temple her heart heavy but her mind clear as she made her way to the dock.

She arrived and stood in shock at the sight of all her friends and family waiting for her at the dock their eyes sad but understanding. Paine nodded to them all silently but when she reached the dock she turned to hear Paine Padryho yell her name.

"Aunt PAINE!" she cried running up and hugging her around the waist nearly knocking the woman off her feet.

"Please don't go!" she begged crying into her side. Paine's eyes clouded and she gently pried the girl off.

"I have to go little one. I'll be back I promise." she whispered looking into the reflection of her own eyes.

"I want to come with you." the little girl begged again.

Paine shook her head, "You can't you have to stay here and take care of Aunt Rikku's new baby for me okay? When it grows up you have to teach it how to fight like I taught you." Paine Padryho turned her head slightly to look at her Aunt Rikku who was smiling encouragingly at her and then she turned back to Paine.

"Promise you'll come back?" she whispered.

"I promise." Paine said kissing the little girl's forehead and then boarded the boat. She waved energetically towards shore as her boat pulled away until she could no longer see them then she turned to face the horizon and her uncertain future with a firm heart and a clear determination to fill the void in her heart.

((((((((((((((((((((The End))))))))))))))))))))