The girls finally boarded the airship and Paine sat in the main cabin with her head down on a table the music from her headphones was hard rock that she had loud enough for only her to hear. Rikku and Yuna walked in and a slight blush now sat on Rikku's cheeks. Yuna giggled. "You know if you keep doing that you'll give her a complex."
Rikku looked at Yuna and giggled. "Sorry Yunie."
"Don't be sorry Rikku." Yuna put her cousin in a playful head-lock.
"Paine must have showed you that move." Rikku laughed as she struggled to free herself from her cousins grasp.
Just as the two cousins sat down by Paine, Gippal called them to the bridge. Yuna nudged Paine and motioned to her they had to go. Paine nodded and took her headphones off and tossed her cd player in her cabin on the way to the elevator to the bridge. Yuna smiled softly. "What is it?"
Buddy smiled. "You girls got yourself sphear waves deep in the forest of Kilaka Port."
The girls nodded and went and quickly changed out of their beach wear and into their normal attire. The girls walked off the airship and started through the port heading for the woods. As the group of girls approched the stairs to the temple a large black cat jumped down out of a tree and stood infront the five girls and hissed loudly. Yuna, Rikku, Raven and Synde all readied their weapons. Paine looked at the large black cat closely. "Yuna no!"
Yuna looked at Paine. "What?"
"You heard me, put you weapons away its not a feind."
"What?"
"Trust me Yuna its not a feind its a black panther, a rather large one, but its a panther."
Yuna lowered her weapon. "What do we do?"
Paine stepped forward. "I'll take care of it go to the temple."
"But...
"No but's Yuna go." Paine whistled and the panther turned its attention on her.
Yuna and the others made it safely to the temple and once they arrived there Yuna refused to go any farther till Paine was with them. Raven smiled softly and placed a hand on Yuna's shoulder. "She'll be ok Yuna Paine's always had a way with animals."
Yuna looked at Raven. "Are you sure? I mean that was a pretty big cat."
Raven nodded. "Yes I'm sure. I know my daughter she'll be fine."
Yuna nodded and turned her attention back to the stairs. After a while Paine got to the top of the stairs with the panther at her side. Yuna's eyes got wide. "Paine you're ok, and you brought the panther with you?" Yuna raised her left eyebrow.
Paine chuckled. "I have a way with animals, especially big cats." Paine ran a gloved hand down the panthers back. "Lets go get that sphear huh."
The group walked past the temple into the deep woods and after a long walk they finally came to a clearing. The panther hisses then growled and Paine put her hand on its back. "Its close Yuna, very close."
Yuna stopped dead in her tracks as something wet fell on her shoulder. "What the..." Before Yuna could finish her sentance Paine had tackled her out of the way of the a falling Boris. Yuna slowly opened her eyes and saw the ground but felt the weight of someone on her. "Paine..."
Paine moaned softly. "You ok Yuna?"
"Yea are you?"
Paine stood slowly and helped Yuna to her feet. "Yea, I'm fine."
Yuna smiled then turned her attention to were the boris was. To her suprise it was dead and Rikku, Raven, and Synde were frozen in the corner and the panther was dragging the boris away. "What happend?"
Rikku looked at Yuna and Paine. "Paine's kitty killed the feind."
"My kitty?"
"Yea it seems to really like you look down."
Paine looked down and the panther was sitting at her feet. Yuna saw the panther and looked at Paine. "I think it was protecting you Paine."
Raven looked at Paine. "We can worry about the panther later don't you guys have a sphear to claim?"
"Raven's right lets go." Yuna started to walk off towards the wooded area behind the temple, the others followed her wewapons in hand. The panther walked between Paine and Yuna glancing up at the two every now and then. The group finally made it to where the sphear lay in the soft grass. Yuna slowly moved towards it the panther next to her and Paine walking backwards behind her. Rikku, Raven, and Synde gladly brought up the rear watching both the panther and Yuna. Yuna finally reached the sphear and picked it up slowly. "Ok got it, lets get out of here." The group quickly made their way back to the airship, once on board Paine disappeared into her room the black panther right next to her. Yuna looked at the others and sighed. "What's with that panther?"
Raven shook her head. "Paine has always been able to do that. She can tame a wild animal in the time it takes you to blink." Raven smiled. "She's probably decking it out in some kind of armor."
Rikku looked at Raven with her hand on her chin. "How can she do that?"
Raven smiled. "I'd tell you but then I'd have to kill you."
"Raven that threat is old stop it. Rikku might actually believe you." Paine looked at Rikku. "It was something Raven taught me when I was young." The panther walked over to Yuna and sat down and nosed her hand. "Looks like she likes you Yuna."
Yuna smiled softly and ran her fingers over the top of the panther's head. "She's so soft." Paine smiled a little as Yuna pet the panther's head. "So Paine have you thought of a name for her yet?"
"I'm leaning towards the name Ahriman."
Rikku smiled. "Thats a cool name I'd name her that."
Paine nodded. "Then its settled Ahriman it is."
The pather nuzzled Yuna's hand once again then walked over and nosed Rikku in the butt just under her skirt. Rikku's eyes got wide. "Ok cold kitty nose on my ass not cool not cool."
Paine chuckled. "I think she wants you to pet her."
Rikku looked back and smiled nervously at the panther before petting it shyly. "Nice kitty?"