Chapter 8: The Lost Sphere

Father led me down a corridor where all the Psychs were practicing, then we down a stairwell. At the bottom was a small room with a bed. "I know it's not much, but I hope it will do," Father said.

"It looks fine," I nodded. "It looks very comfortable." I sat down, took off my shoes and the tails on the back of my shirt, and rested my head on the pillow.

Father tucked me in. He didn't have to do that, but it felt very nice. "Nacd famm, tayn." (Rest well) "I'll lock the door so you won't be disturbed, and I'll let you know when we find Yuna."

"Dryhg oui, Vydran. Kuuthekrd." (Goodnight)

"Kuuthekrd." Father turned off the light and closed the door.

I nestled down under the covers and closed my eyes. The mattress was hard, and the blankets were kinda scratchy, but it felt so good to be laying down. I was really tired. I think I was just about at that place between being awake and being asleep when–

"Rikku."

I gasped and sat up straight in the bed. Standing by my bedside was none other than–

"Auron?" I stuttered for a while as I was trying to figured out what was going on. I finally manage to get out, "I thought the door was locked!"

"My apologies," he replied. "I have something for you."

"For me?"

"It is rather personal, so I was waiting for you to be apart from the group."

"Well, that doesn't explain how you–"

But as I was talking, he was pulling something out of his cloak. He handed it to me with his good arm. "I found this on Bikanel Island, just outside your Home."

He was holding a movie sphere. I took it from his hand and looked closely at the design. It looked a little more worn than other spheres I've seen. One side was even cracked. "Isn't this one of Jecht's spheres? I thought you wanted Tidus to find these."

"This one will benefit you more than it will him. It's the eleventh sphere."

"I thought you said there were only ten."

"The other ten were placed strategically around Spira. This one was lost. Frankly, I thought it was destroyed."

"Why?"

"You'll see. Play it."

So, I turned it on. As it flickered, the first image it showed was a pan of the Sanubia Desert. I heard Jecht's voice say, "So, this is where your wife is from?"

"That's right," Braska's voice answered.

"Man, what a dump," Jecht muttered.

"Excuse me?"

"Uh, I mean it's not my cup of tea. I like my sand with a little bit of ocean, thank you very much." Suddenly the image zoomed in on Qactuar hopping up and laughing. "Ooh! A Qactuar! Auron, getitgetitgetitgetitgetit!" Young Auron started chasing it with his sword in the air, but the little fiend got away. "Ha ha! Too slow, Joe!" Jecht laughed.

"Well, I didn't see you going after it!" Auron yelled at him.

"Hey, I learned my lesson last time." The images flickered a little bit, and then it settled into a picture of Home, the way it used to be. Parts of it still looked under construction, though. I felt a lump in my throat. "So, this is where she grew up?"

"About half of her life, yeah," Braska answered. "The Al Bhed call it Rusa, which simply means, 'Home.'"

"I like that. Rusa, it's kinda pretty."

"I'm telling you, Braska, this is a waste of time!" The camera turned to young Auron facing Braska with a face full of anger. "There's nothing here! No temples, no maesters, no Chambers of the Fayth! Just some sand and a big, unfinished house. Do you realize that we could have gotten to Bevelle two days sooner without this little detour?"

"AURON!" Braska shouted over him. "There may not be anything pertinent to our pilgrimage, but stopping here to see my wife's Home is just as important to me as visiting Bevelle or any temple. Hey, it's just as important to me as going to Zanarkand."

"Yeah, man, have a heart!" Jecht said.

"Well, why can't it wait until after Bevelle?" Auron asked.

"It's very important that I try to make amends before I turn my face to Zanarkand," Braska answered. "You don't know the Al Bhed as well as I do. They may seem like terrorists, but they are actually–"

"BRASKA, LOOK OUT!" Jecht screamed. The images focused just beyond Braska's shoulder at an Al Bhed soldier with a mask running toward him. Braska quickly ducked down, but the Al Bhed grabbed him and started shouting phrases I couldn't make out. Auron quickly drew his sword. The images scrambled again and faded out.

When they came back, the first thing I saw was a very closed in close-up of Jecht's face. "Check this out! We're about to kick some Al Bhed keister!" He got up and ran next to Auron, who was already in battle position. There were three Al Bhed, and one of them was Father.

"What have you done with Braska?" Auron demanded.

"Taken him someplace where YOU can't get to him!" Father yelled back.

Jecht ran forward and with a loud battle cry struck down one of the Al Bhed soldiers in one blow. The other Al Bhed shot him with a machina rifle. Jecht groaned and fell down. Auron reached into his cloak. "Rats! Out of Phoenix Downs."

"Surrender?" Father asked.

"Never!" Auron yelled. He quickly struck at the other Al Bhed guard. Then, he turned all of his attention on Father. It was just like the vision I saw after Sin came. Father struck at Auron with his machina, and Auron kept fighting back. Father kept using his machina to block his attacks.

But unlike Sin's vision, Braska suddenly came in. "Auron! AURON! Stay your hand!" Auron looked back at him for a moment, but then he kept fighting. "This is my brother-in-law, Auron! He's the whole reason I came down here!"

"He just captured you! He must pay the ultimate price!" So, Auron continued. Then, just like in the vision, he sliced through Father's weapon. He raised his sword high over his head and said, "Farewell."

"STOP!" Auron suddenly froze. Braska blocked Father with his summoning staff. Then, he stepped in between them and pointed the staff at Auron. "Stop, or I will summon one of my aeons to attack you," he said in the same, cold tone that Auron always uses.

"But Braska–"

"Let me handle this, Auron!" Then he said more gently, "For my wife's sake. For Yuna's sake." Young Auron breathed a very deep, angry sigh, then dropped the sword to his side as the spell wore off.

"Well, that's one exaggeration," I said aloud, and present Auron quickly shushed me.

Braska pointed his staff to Jecht. "Life!" His staff glowed white and surrounded Jecht with an orange glow. Jecht then sat up.

"What's going on? It's the battle over already?" he asked groggily.

"Yes, in a matter of speaking," young Auron answered, annoyed.

Jecht looked up. "Huh? Braska? How'd you get out?"

"I asked the guards to give me a chance to speak to my brother-in-law," Braska answered.

"That's who this guy is? Why didn't you say something?"

"It doesn't matter who he is," Auron answered. "He kidnaped the summoner! It's our responsibility as guardians to make sure he pays!"

"Well, of course it is!"

"Jecht, Auron, you're not helping," Braska said sharply. He closed the door behind him, then came forward and approached Father. "Cid, bmayca ced tufh" (please sit down).

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what's that gibberish?" Jecht said, rising to his feet.

"It's the Al Bhed language. I think he'll be more comfortable if I speak it to him."

Father, who was still standing, said, "Ruf tu oui ghuf Al Bhed?" (How do you know Al Bhed)

"Ouin cecdan dyikrd ed du sa." (Your sister taught it to me.)

Father started to turn purple. "My sister?! Why are you bringing her into this? Why did you marry her? Why did you have a kid with her?"

"Because I love her."

"Ha! You love her? You got a funny way of showing love! You marry her, you have a kid with her, and then you leave the poor girl alone to go to Zanarkand and die? How can that possibly be love?!"

"Cid, why don't you understand? I am going to Zanarkand BECAUSE I love her!"

I gasped. I have never heard an argument like that before.

"Preposterous! What kind of love is that?"

"Cid, I love her so deeply. I love her with every beat of my heart. And it would destroy me, it would break my heart if Sin ever destroyed her. So I am willing to give my heart to Sin so that it won't harm her. Why don't you understand?"

"You're cheating Yuna out of a father!"

"We will meet again on the Farplane one day. She understands. She is looking forward to that day."

"Alright. I can see you have good intentions. But we both know that no matter what you do, Sin is going to come back. Is that really worth dying for?"

"It'll be gone long enough for Yuna to grow up to be a healthy young woman. I say, yes. It is definitely worth dying for."

"Why does it have to be this way? Why do you have to die just to make Spira happy?"

"You know the teachings, Cid. A summoner who dies for love does not need a sending. Such a summoner will never return to Spira as a fiend because that soul could not bear to hurt another." Braska started crying. "I'm not just doing this for Yuna, you know. I'm doing it for you, for your wife and children, for Auron and Jecht, for the Al Bhed, the Ronso, the Guado, for everyone in Spira! Because I can't bear for any of them to be hurt by Sin. I know in this one continent, there are thousands of fathers who feel the same way."

"Ha! You see them jumping up to go die in Zanarkand? No, they just let you be their scapegoat."

"They may not be 'jumping up.' Maybe some of them are afraid or proud. But you'd be surprised how many would do it in a heartbeat. I want to lift the veil of sorrow off of this continent. We need peace and unity. If my death, my sacrifice, can serve as an example to the people of Spira that they may obtain these, so be it. Think about it, Cid. If you could give your life so that your children can live in a world where they won't be hated because of the pattern in their eyes, wouldn't you?"

Father didn't answer, and I couldn't blame him. I have never heard it put that way. I started to appreciate what Yuna was trying to do. It didn't seem selfish or foolish or wrong, the way I'd been taught all my life. It still wasn't good. I didn't want Yunie to die, but to know that heart beat in her, that she's willing to do that for me, for everyone, made me cry bittersweet tears.

"Over the years," Braska said, "I think we as a people have forgotten the meaning of the Yevon prayer. Do you know it?"

Father shook his head. "I'm not really interested, Bras–"

"Please, brother-in-law. This is why I've come here. I've come to pray for you." He stepped back and raised his arms in a circle. "May Yevon bless you and all your household." Then he cupped his hands and bowed. "And may Yevon forgive you of all of your sins," and he stood up and up his cupped hands and finished, "so that one day, we will see Sin no more." It impressed me that he recited that whole prayer completely in Al Bhed. He must have really cared about us.

Father sighed. "Get out of my sight."

"So, you are going to let me continue my pilgrimage?"

"GET OUT OF MY SIGHT! I MEAN IT, BRASKA, I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!"

Just then, the door opened, and a little girl came in. It was me. "Daddy?"

"Rikku? Why aren't you in bed?"

"I can't sleep."

Braska approached me. "That was my fault. I'm sorry."

But I looked at Father. "No, it was Brother. He's making those noises again!"

Braska came closer to me. "Let me take you to bed, little Rikku."

"Braska," Auron said harshly.

"It's alright, Auron. I know what I'm doing."

"You are summoner Braska?" I asked.

"Yes, I am Yuna's father." He came closer and picked me up, put me on his shoulder.

"Let her go! Put her down!" Father demanded, pounding on his desk.

"Please don't be mad, brother-in-law," Braska answered. "I know a good lullaby that will put her right to sleep." He looked at me. "Say goodnight."

I waved. "Goodnight, Daddy."

Braska looked at Father with deep, legitimate concern. "Take care of her." Then, he walked out with me in his arms and closed the door.

Father looked at guardians and said in human language, "Both of you, get out of here! Go to Zanarkand and never come back!"

"We better go," young Auron said to Jecht. He started walking out.

"Yeah, I heard." Jecht stood up, swung his arms for a moment, then headed for the door. But before he walked out, he turned to Father and said, "Cute kid. Makes me wish I had a daughter."

Father just growled, and Jecht exited. Then Father looked toward the movie sphere, walked over, and kicked it. Everything faded to white, and it shut off.

Auron looked at me. "That's when I grew."

"You understood what they were saying?"

"I learned Al Bhed a long time ago. I find it's easier to understand everyone."

"Why don't you ever speak it?"

"Fru cyoc E tuh'd?" (Who says I don't?)

I laughed a little. "But Jecht didn't understand, did he?"

"No. Braska had to explain it to him. I think that's when it started to sink in for him, too. But now do you understand why I had to fight your father?"

"Yes, I do."

"And do you understand why Yuna must do what she must do?"

"I do, but I still don't understand why it has to be this way. I don't want Yunie to die!"

"No one does."

"But now, I feel guilty for feeling that way, like it's selfish."

"Maybe it is."

"Why didn't my Father ever tell me the truth about this?"

"Because he is proud. He does not want to admit that he was humiliated by love. He does not want to admit that he would have done the same as Braska."

"I wish Spira could appreciate that level of love that Braska and Yunie have."

"Not all summoners have it. Dona, the other female summoner, seems her only wish is to defeat Sin for fame. Isaaru, the young man, is evidently journeying for his own confidence's sake and to make brothers proud. It's not required in the teachings for summoners to love Spira that much, but it is usually the summoners who love that make it to Zanarkand."

"But Yunie–?"

"Oh yes."

"Why is it that Yevon wants those kind of summoners? Why is it he demands for their blood? Wouldn't it be better for such people to be alive? They can be an example to everyone in Spira. Staying true to Yevon might not have anything to do with whether or not you use forbidden machina. If we all learn to love each other the way that Braska and Yunie love Spira, maybe then we will atone ourselves, and Sin will disappear. The only trouble is . . . we keep hating each other."

"That's . . . part of it."

"Why does Yevon do this to us? Does he love us? Does he care?"

"Sometimes, I find myself asking the same questions."

"Maybe you still do have some growing to do."

"Perhaps." I thought I saw him smile.

Just then, the radio crackled, and I heard Father's voice. "Rikku! Rikku! Yna oui yfyga?" (Are you awake)

"Oac, Vydran," I answered

"Lusa xielgmo, fa vuiht Yuna!" (Come quickly, we found Yuna!)

"Lusehk!" (Coming) I looked at Auron. "Let's go!"

--

When we got to the bridge, Brother was showing Father a visual of Yuna. She looked beautiful. He hair was up, and she was in a lovely white dress and carrying a bouquet of red roses.

And at her side was Seymour.

"Where was that?" Tidus asked.

"The Palace of St. Bevelle, Heart of Yevon," Lulu explained.

Father was reluctant, but Tidus encouraged him to set course for Bevelle. Meanwhile, I was just thinking over everything Auron and I had talked about and seeing Seymour there. So I asked Auron, "What's Seymour doing alive? Didn't we take care of him in Macalania?"

"He is dead," he answered, "as dead as Jyscal was. His attachment to this world kept him from the next."

"Whoa, scary!"

"Yuna must be trying to send him."

"Wonder if that will work?"

"Perhaps he won't be expecting it."

"Do you think that maybe the same will be true for the kind of summoners we talked about? I mean, if they really loved this world, maybe they will be attached to it."

Auron shrugged. "It could happen."

"So, there maybe hope for Yunie?"

"I said it could happen. That doesn't mean it will happen."

That didn't really answer my question. Perhaps that was Auron's way of saying he didn't know.

"So tayn," Father said, "tet oui cmaab famm?" (Did you sleep well)

"No, not really. At least, I don't think I did." I left a possibility that what I just saw was a dream.

"We're going to face a tough battle soon. Are you going to be alright?"

"Yes, Father. I do feel better."

Suddenly, the ship shook. Rin ran into the bridge. "We are being attacked from within. Some of the Guado that attacked Home must have snuck on board."

"You're awfully calm about it!" Father grumbled.

"I am calm about most things," Rin answered.

I started to wonder why the fiends waited until now to attack. We've been on the ship for about an hour now.

"Fiends!" Father yelled. "There's nothing to do but–"

I knew what he was going to say, so I said it for him, "–but destroy the ship and all go down together!" I shook my head and laughed a little to myself. I wonder if Father started to see how lame that plan of action is. "You gotta learn a little restraint, Pop. If you crash the ship, we can't go rescue Yunie! Leave the fiends to us professionals!"

As we were leaving the bridge, Rin stopped me and said encouragingly, "Rikku, you've made some very good friends, I think. Good luck."

"Dryhg, oui, Mr. Rin!"

From there, we just pushed through every corridor, fighting fiends. We were kinda used to this by now, so it didn't seem too hard. As we got to the end of the ship, we looked out the window and saw a huge dragon-like fiend. Lulu said it was Bevelle's protector, Evrae. Father came on the intercom. "Rikku, you read me?" he said in human language. "We're gonna fight that thing! Get on deck and show 'em what you got!"

I shook my head. He's still gotta be gung-ho. "There he goes again."

"The ferryman asks a high price," Auron said in an ironic tone. I guess that was his idea of a joke.

We got on the deck. Father informed us to give commands of whether or not to move the ship farther away. I gave the commands to him in Al Bhed, and Tidus gave them in his language. We basically learned when the monster was going into its special attack, and that's when we ordered to pull away. The monster was kinda crafty, though. Sometimes when we pulled away, he made a flying attack to fly close to us again. We brought it down, eventually though.

The ship was starting to lose power, and we were crashing. We infiltrated Bevelle by skidding on wires from the ship. That was kinda fun. The moment we got off, we were confronted with tough machina and soldiers with machina guns. It didn't take long, though, before we came to the front.

Yuna, in her lovely wedding dress, suddenly held off a summoning staff. Seymour smirked. "You would play at marriage just for a chance to send me? Your resolve is admirable, all the more fitting to be my lovely wife."

"Stop!" Maester Mika, who was also standing with them, ordered. "Do you not value your friends' lives? Your actions determine their fate. Protect them, or throw them away. The choice is yours."

I couldn't believe those words came from the leader of all Spira. Why doesn't he love Spira the way that she does? Why won't he care for his citizens? But then I saw a demonstration of Yuna's love for us. She dropped the staff.

"You are wise," Seymour said. Then, he put his hands on her shoulders, came nearer and nearer, and then he kissed her. There was something about that kiss that did not seem real. It was frightening, in a way. Yuna knew it too; I saw her clench her fist. Then Seymour released himself from her, and he looked as us and said in an offhand way, "Kill them."

Maesters and monks surrounded us with guns. Then, there was another demonstration of love from Yuna, one I believe was rewarded. "No!" she yelled in a threatening voice. "Throw down your weapons! Let them go, or else!" She took a few steps back to the very edge of the platform. Then, she urged us to leave.

"You're coming with us!" Tidus yelled.

"Don't worry, go!" she instructed.

"This is foolish!" Seymour sneered. "If you fall, you'll die!"

Yuna angrily wiped his cold kiss from her lips. Then she looked at us and whispered, "Don't worry. I can fly. Believe."

Without really knowing why, I found myself mouthing, "I believe, Yunie."

She stepped back and fell, and though she didn't have her summoning staff, she summoned Valefor to catch her. The only thing I can think of that did this was that Yevon blessed her for her love for us and for our faith in her. Why did he do it now? Why won't he spare her in the Final Summoning, but he will now?

There wasn't much time to think about it. "Cover your eyes!" I ordered my friends and threw a flash bomb. We used it to escape Seymour and our attackers.

I never told anybody, but I remember thinking that there was one thing that Seymour said was true, "To defeat Sin, it took an unbreakable bond of love—the kind that binds two hearts for eternity." The weird thing was he didn't love Yuna. I don't believe he did. I don't know how Yuna felt about him, but she loved Spira and all its people. It was that unbreakable bond of love that could conquer Sin. I will always be grateful for Yuna's love for Spira and for all of her guardians. My experience in Bevelle taught me how precious and rare such a love is.