You Don't Know The Real Me – Chapter 14
I Believe My Heart
Baralai led everyone back to his office and explained the last concert to both of the girls.
"What? You guys are done?" Rikku asked, looking at Gippal.
He nodded, "Baralai pointed out that he can't leave all the time, especially since he's engaged to Paine."
"And I can't exactly bring her along on all of the tours either. She's going to be the wife of the praetor, not the wife of an Al Bhed singer." Baralai added.
Paine nodded her understanding, and Rikku smiled sadly. "So… that's it then?"
"Pretty much." Gippal replied.
"Well, not exactly," Paine corrected. "You guys can give concerts as yourselves you know. Spira may be upset for a few days, but I think that most of the people would find this funny. I know that Yuna, Tidus, Nooj and Leblanc would find it hysterical."
"Maybe, but lets deal with that when it comes along. Now, we've all ready called Alvis and he's setting up the concert details in Luca. Our last concert staring two of the Gullwings."
"You guys sing one, we'll sing one, and then all four of us sing the finale." Gippal finished.
Rikku grinned, but Paine looked at the two men. "But when are you going to show everyone?"
"As soon as we finish singing our song, then we'll sing the last one with you two as ourselves." Baralai answered, and Gippal nodded.
"Sounds like a plan!" Rikku said happily. "Come on Paine, we need to figure out what song we're singing!"
Paine was pinning her hair up when Rikku bounced into the dressing room in her Songstress dressphere.
"Almost ready Paine? They guys are getting antsy. Well, just Baralai really. He wants to see your look."
She smiled to herself, pinning up yet another lock of hair. "I'll be out in a few seconds." Rikku nodded, then bounced back out of the room. Paine finished pinning up her hair, and looked at her reflection in the mirror.
Her silver hair was pinned up in an elaborate design that no one would ever see again, seeing as it took forever to do. Paine's face glowed with the makeup the makeup artist applied. 'I've never seen such beautiful eyes…' she would say. She wore black pants that looked like a skirt when you stood still with a glittering charcoal top. The sleeves hung off her shoulders, which Rikku said suited her. It felt nice to Paine; it reminded her of her Warrior outfit. Black high-heeled boots clicked against the floor as she walked out of the dressing room. The other three were waiting for her by the stage entrance, dressed to match.
Gippal wore his hair how he usually did. But instead of his Yevonish clothes, he wore brown boots, dark jeans, and a black undershirt with a sleeveless gold coat. He didn't look like a conservative Yevonite, but then again Baralai didn't look like an Al Bhed either.
He wore his pale blond hair back in a half ponytail, his green eyes dancing from the ceiling lights. Paine marveled at how well his sphere hid his snow-white hair and chocolate eyes. He wore black boots and pants wjith a long sleeved, buttoned up charcoal jacket. It had a tall collar, reflecting his robes, which he tugged down.
Baralai held out a hand to her, which she took. "Let's go." He whispered. The four of them walked onto the stage to a deafening roar.
"Well, if it isn't Luca!" Amon cried, "Yes, you might notice that Blythe and I may have swapped wardrobes… but it was intentional, we promise."
"As you can tell, the wonderful ladies, Paine and Rikku, are back with us tonight-" Blythe began, but was cut off by the crowd's cheers. He covered his ears from the salvo of noise, and slowly lowered his hands. "Okay… I'm getting the feeling that you guys don't mind much…"
Amon smiled, "Well, ladies first!"
The music began immediately, and Paine began singing. She winked discreetly at Blythe as she sang the first line. ((Paine - bold / Rikku - italicized))
Why does the color of my coffee match your eyes
Why do I see you when a stranger passes by
I swear I hear you in the whisper of the wind
I feel you when the sun is dancin' on my skin
And when it's raining
You won't find me complainin' cause
Blythe smiled when he heard his love's voice ring out through the stadium. He caught the wink she sent him, and he winked back. 'She says she hears me on the wind… but she won't get out of my head.' He thought, trying not to grin. He closed his eyes, and let her voice wash over him. 'That's it, she has to sing more often, even if we never do concerts again.'
When I think about rain, I think about singing
When I think about singing, it's a heavenly tune
When I think about heaven then I think about angels
When I think about angels
I think about you
Paine dropped out and let Rikku have the stage. She smiled during the spotlight, and really played it up for a certain man standing behind her.
The taste of sugar sure reminds me of your kiss
I like the way that they both linger on my lips
Kisses remind me of a field of butterflies
It must be the way the heart is fluttering inside
Beautiful distraction
You make every thought a chain reaction
Amon smiled as he watched Rikku entrance the crowd with more than her voice. She was so beautiful it wasn't even funny. He began to wonder how in Spira he managed to find a woman like her, and thanked everything holy that she found him worthy of her attention. Shiva knows that he doesn't deserve it. 'The taste of sugar sure reminds me of your kiss' he smiled to himself then. 'Your kisses are better than sugar babe.'
When I think about rain, I think about singing
When I think about singing, it's a heavenly tune
When I think about heaven then I think about angels
When I think about angels
I think about you
Anywhere I go
Anything I do
Everything around my baby makes me think of you
When I think about rain, I think about singing
When I think about singing it's a heavenly tune
When I think about heaven then I think about angels
When I think about angels
I think about you
When I think about rain, I think about singing
When I think about singing it's a heavenly tune
When I think about heaven then I think about angels
When I think about angels
I think about you
When I think about rain, I think about singing
When I think about singing it's a heavenly tune
When I think about heaven then I think about angels
When I think about angels
I think about you
As the song came to a close, the entire stadium cheered, even Amon and Blythe. They came forward and congratulated the girls, which they blushed at.
"Amon, we have a problem." Blythe said seriously.
"What is it?"
Blythe looked at him in disbelief, "How are we supposed to top a performance like THAT?"
"Who said we had to? Yeah, I know, that was great girls, nice job." Amon replied smiling, winking at them. He turned back to the crowd and walked over to his friend. "Now, this actually is an old Al Bhed tune. We didn't jazz it up from its original form because it's good just the way it is. So Luca, here's I'm Gonna Be." The Al Bhed in the crowd roared, Rikku right along with them. To the crowd's confusion, Amon started the song. Blythe was the Al Bhed, shouldn't he do it?
((Amon bold / Blythe italicized))
When I wake up yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you
When I go out yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you
If I get drunk well I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who gets drunk next to you
And if I haver yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's havering to you
The singing duo then came together to sing the well-known chorus. Everyone in the crowd began to jump to the beat, or scream out the chorus with them, or even both. The guys just smiled, savoring every moment of their last concert.
But I would walk 500 miles
And I would walk 500 more
Just to be the man who walked 1,000 miles
To fall down at your door
When I'm working yes I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's working hard for you
And when the money comes in for the work I'll do
I'll pass almost every penny on to you
Paine smiled at his charcoal back. How sweet could he be? 'I know that he's devoted, but this is something that I'm not sure if I deserve.' She thought to herself. But as he continued to sing, she realized something. 'He does it because he loves me… he truly does love me, doesn't he?' she smiled at the thought, and relaxed and listened to the song.
When I come home yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who comes back home to you
And if I grow old well I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's growing old with you
Rikku beamed at him, and he winked back at her. 'Yeah, I'll be waiting for him, just like the old days.' Her mood darkened when she thought about them. Why did he leave in the first place? 'It doesn't matter now. Don't let it get to you.' She scolded herself, and paid attention to the song that the guys were singing for her and Paine. But, no matter how hard she tried; the question kept nagging at her.
But I would walk 500 miles
And I would walk 500 more
Just to be the man who walked 1,000 miles
To fall down at your door
Blythe made eye contact with Amon and gestured with his head toward the girls that were standing behind them. Amon nodded, and Blythe grinned as his friend walked over to pull Rikku to the front of the stage. Her face was pink, but she was smiling nonetheless. Amon stood in front of her, holding her hand, singing to her. The crowd roared, and many older couples in the crowd smiled.
When I'm lonely well I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man whose lonely without you
When I'm dreaming well I know I'm gonna dream
I'm gonna dream about the time when I'm with you
Rikku's doubts and questions about why he left just vanished. 'Was he lonely while he was in the Squad? Did he really dream about me?' she asked to herself. She didn't give an answer because she didn't have one. But, she had a hope that those statements were true.
Blythe had to practically drag Paine to the front of the stage to sing to her. He stood behind her with an arm around her waist, while his other was holding his mic. He rested his chin over her shoulder, giving him the ability to still sing. He sang softly into his mic, and into her ear.
When I go out yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you
When I come home yes I know I'm gonna be,
I'm gonna, be the man who comes back home with you
I'm gonna be the man who's coming home with you
To Paine's disappointment, Blythe pulled away. The two guys sang the well-known chorus together, the crowd joining in once again.
But I would walk 500 miles
And I would walk 500 more
Just to be the man who walked 1,000 miles
To fall down at your door
((Yuna's POV))
The crowd was jumping and screaming the chorus while I watched from the top box at the Luca Stadium. The both of us had been shocked when we saw Rikku and Paine onstage with the singers, but we found the situation somewhat funny and sweet. I had told Tidus who Amon and Blythe were, and he found it pretty darn funny. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders as the chorus was sung for the last time.
And I would walk 500 miles
And I would walk 500 more
Just to be the man who walked 1,000 miles
To fall down at your door
Amon wrapped an arm around Rikku's waist, and Blythe around Paine's. Paine leaned up and kissed Blythe, or rather Baralai, swiftly on the cheek. He blushed up to his hairline, which made me smile. Paine definitely was telling the truth, not that I doubted her or anything, but Blythe really was Baralai. I mean, who would blush from a peck on the cheek... well, besides me.
Amon, or Gippal, spoke. "All right, we were planning on singing one song as group, but me and Blythe need to tell all of you something first, or rather show you something."
"You see, we're not exactly who you think we are." Baralai went on, releasing his hold on Paine. "As a matter of fact, you guys see two men that aren't even real. We're not Amon and Blythe… these men aren't real."
Two bright flashes of light latter, the crowd gasped and starred at the stage in amazement. Paine and Rikku were still there, but Amon and Blythe weren't. In their place stood Gippal and Baralai.
"Eh heh… hello?" Gippal said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.
"We know that this isn't exactly what you had in mind, and we're sorry for lying to all of you for so long."
I realized that the crowd wasn't exactly happy about this, and I quickly spherechanged into the Songstress dressphere. I raised my mic and addressed the two men.
"Well. For the record, I find this highly amusing." The crowd turned to me, and I explained my reasoning. Basically, these men that we knew as Amon and Blythe were given a life and personality thanks to Gippal and Baralai. That means those men are really inside them because they couldn't act like their complete opposites for more than three months without that character rubbing off on them. Then I said how much they had changed, and how it was for the better. Think about it. Baralai would never flirt with a strange woman, yet as Blythe he nearly does it every concert! And Gippal's learned how to be the perfect gentleman, holding up doors and everything.
By the end of my speech, the crowd was laughing at me examples of how they had changed, and no longer looked like they wanted to tear their throats out. Once everything became smoother, I spherechanged back into my Gunner dress and sat down.
"Good job Yuna." Tidus whispered as the song began to play.
((End POV))
The guys couldn't thank Yuna enough for what she had done. They were smiling as the music began to play. This was a somewhat short song, yet it would impact just as much as Yuna's 1000 Words did. Not to mention it fit the situation perfectly. No one sang a solo, but sang in pairs. ((Guys - bold / Girls - italicized))
Whenever I see your face, the world disappears
All in a single glance so revealing
You smile and I feel as though I've known you for years
How do I know to trust what I'm feeling?
I believe my heart
What else can I do?
When every part of every thought leads me straight to you
I believe my heart
There's no other choice
For now whenever my heart speaks
I can only hear your voice
The lights dimmed on the guys, and rose on the girls. They looked up at the crowd and sang their piece.
The lifetime before we met has faded away
How did I live a moment without you
You don't have to speak at all
I know what you'd say
And I know every secret about you
I believe my heart
It believes in you
It's telling me that what I see is completely true
I believe my heart
How can it be wrong?
It says that what I feel for you
I will feel my whole life long
Then the four sang as a group. The guys stepped up behind the ladies, and stood in the window that they left open. The sound of their voices intertwined together to create a sound so pure and strong, no one could speak. There were even a few tears from some hard-core fans.
I believe my heart
It believes in you
It's telling me that what I see is completely true
And with all my soul
I believe my heart
The portrait that it paints of you
Is a perfect work of art
The song died away, and the four were greeted with a stunned silence. Then, one person began to clap. A domino effect occurred, and soon everyone in the entire stadium was cheering, clapping, and screaming.
"Okay, just one more surprise tonight!" Baralai said happily, and Gippal smiled. The girls looked at each other in confusion, then back at Baralai. "Now, surely you guys have heard that I have to get married before I turn 23 right? Well, I'm not married sadly, and my birthday is in a week. Now, the priests are allowing me to be engaged, and get married before my 24th birthday instead. So… that means I have to find a fiancé in a week. Well, it's actually not that hard, seeing as I all ready have one."
Surprised murmurs ran through the crowd, and Baralai smiled. "Yes, I know. But, I wanted to keep it quiet so I could have a few weeks of peace before the sphere cameras were all over Bevelle. But, thing is… I haven't given her the ring yet. So, I'm going to need some encouragement-"
"You don't need any damn encouragement Baralai, just do it all ready!" Gippal cried, beaming.
"Oh fine…" the praetor replied, and turned to Paine. He turned off his mic, and handed it to Rikku. He knelt down on one knee, and pulled a small black box out of his pocket. The crowd erupted in joy, but was unable to hear what was going on without the mic.
Baralai looked up into Paine's face. "I've been a really bad fiancé, not giving you your ring yet."
She laughed. "This makes up for it!"
He smiled, and took the ring out of its box. "Okay, but I still have to ask you the question-"
"YES! Now put it on all ready!" Paine cried, her eyes getting watery.
Baralai stood up, and placed it on her finger. Gippal gave a whoop of joy. Then an evil grin spread across his face. "Hey Baralai… now would be a great time to kiss her…" he said into his mic, and the crowd screamed in response. Baralai blushed, and used Paine's mic for his reply.
"In front of you? I think not!"
Paine laughed, and kissed him on the cheek. "Party pooper."
He looked at her with a stunned look on his face. "What did you just call me?"
"I called you a party pooper, get over-" Paine began, but was… interrupted due to the fact that Baralai had dipped her back for a kiss. Gippal and Rikku cheered, right along with the rest of the stadium. When Paine was upright again, she was as red as her eyes. She hid her face in Baralai's shoulder, and he hugged her tight.
"So Gippal… let's see you sweep Rikku off her feet, shall we?"
Paine's head shot up. "Oh no! We'll NEVER get them to stop!"
"Hey!" Gippal and Rikku cried. Baralai and Paine just laughed, and walked off stage, with two highly embarrassed Al Bheds behind them.
- : - Fin - : -
A/N: And that's it. Don't worry, the PxB sequel should be coming out soon, followed by the RxG one. I know that the story probably might be stretched out, but I can assure you that there won't be anymore concerts. Sorry, it's just too many songs to find.
((Paine/Rikku duet)) When I Think About Angels - Jamie O'Neal
((Baralai/Gippal duet)) I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) - The Proclaimers
((Everyone/Quartet)) I Believe My Heart - Duncan James and Keedie
I would like to thank the following people...
marajade963
for always x
mushimars
Flame of Bevelle
Lady Ari
Paine jnr
Paine3
Kitsu Kurasei
Without you guys, writing this fic wouldn't have been fun at all. I hope that I'll hear from you guys soon!
-Vincent's Angel of Chaos-
Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this entire fic, but I do own...
Alvis
Blythe
and
Amon
((Well, the idea and looks of Amon and Blythe are mine. Since they really are Baralai and Gippal, they aren't FULLY mine... are they? Eh, doesn't matter. I'm not getting paid anyway. ))