Storm Before the Calm
The airship was completely packed by the time I had gotten on it. Honestly... that was great and not so great. The Gullwings didn't discriminate about who they picked up: New Yevon, Youth League, Machine Faction, indifferent, all were allowed. The hostilities packed the place as much as the people. I was eyeing the crowds as I paced through the cabins. Everyone was glaring at everyone else, not concealing their hatred in the slightest.
"What you staring at?" One guy sneered at someone eventually.
"Just surprised that the High Summoner would allow fanatics like you here after what Yevon did," another man returned.
"After what we did? Look at the Youth League tearing up Spira every chance they get!"
"Better than clinging on to a load of lies!"
I turned towards the voices and pushed past people to get to them. I could see the two men getting in each other's faces as the crowd looked on.
"Loads of lies? Look at you Youth League dogs! "Fighting for the future of Spira"? How much more of a lie can you get?"
"Enough!" I yelled, getting between the two men and pushing them at arm's length. I looked back and forth between them and didn't move. "How about you stop fighting for more than five seconds?"
"Move on, kid, this ain't got nothin' to do with you," the man from the Youth League said. I turned to him and folded my arms.
"Nothing to do with me? Spira is falling apart, as far as I'm aware that has everything to do with me," I responded. "You're both in the wrong here. Yuna's trying to bring everyone here for a reason and that reason isn't to fucking start tossing insults and throwing punches." I turned around to the New Yevon supporter now. "Blaming each other is not helping the situation. It's fucking scary that your leaders are gone, I know, but do you really honestly think that the fighting, the blaming, the hate towards one another is solving anything? I didn't help Yuna stop Sin for you all to devolve into... into this!" The crowds started murmuring a little and the two men had the realisation of my identity.
"That's one of Yuna's Guardians?" I heard someone say. I ignored it and went onto the steps, people moving out the way and all looking at me.
"We are the brink of a civil war here. I'm not sure if everyone really knows what that means," I continued. "A thousand years ago Bevelle fought Zanarkand and do you know what that accomplished? Hundreds on both sides dead and Sin. When Bevelle and Zanarkand fought each other there were so many that felt its effects and those effects rippled across the centuries right up to two years ago. The Al Bhed were cast aside as though they were nothing, hated for no rational reason. Even now the Guado are in Macalania Woods, ready to die because of the actions of one man, and that one man was hated because he was half-man and half-Guado. It doesn't justify actions taken but all of it was stemmed from hate. Hate that we're not even sure where it came from. That's what I'm seeing now: hate... and I don't know why. Different beliefs? Sure, that happens, but it's... no one seems to have learned anything from the past. All the hate is just directed towards something different, like it can't just be let go, like that's all we know. It's terrifying right now; no one knows where our leaders have gone and there's nothing we can do to find them. But I am not going to just stand aside and watch as theses groups continue to go at each other's throat and destroy everything that Yuna, myself, and all her Guardians fought to save. Fighting is not the reason Yuna has brought us here so, please, respect her wishes in that regard at least."
I walked down the steps and headed out into the hallway for a moment. I wasn't sure if I should have stayed inside but I wanted a breather. Hopefully they'd keep civil for now.
"Chris?" I looked over to the person who had followed me out. We smiled at one another and hugged. I was actually a bit surprised she was here.
"Andra, I didn't think you'd be here," I said. Andra brushed hair behind her ear.
"The ship came to Besaid to pick people up for the concert... that was a while ago," she started and put her hands behind her back. "I've been hanging around in case you were about. Should have known you'd be on the last flight."
"I've been keeping busy," I said. "How's Besaid doing?"
"Things have calmed down now that fiends aren't appearing," Andra nodded. "Beclem's been called back to Youth League headquarters, too. Wakka and Lulu aren't coming to the concert though; I think Lulu's about to have the kid." I hope so. Now that I think about it, her due date was a few days ago. "But nothing too exciting for the island, I guess. What about you and the Machine Faction?"
"Quiet without the fiends but that's better than before, believe me," I said. Andra gave another nod and swayed a little, looking over to the door and back at me.
"Nice speech you had there."
"I'm embarrassed, really, I didn't expect to go on like that. I just... I didn't want a fight to start."
"Now don't I remember you saying something like, oh I don't know... not having the sway or influence because you're a kid?" Andra smiled widely, pushing her hair behind her ear again. I laughed in response and looked away. "You say you don't want to get involved but that's a lie, isn't it?"
"Shut up, you sound like Gippal," I said.
"Nothing wrong with wanting to help. Just be careful; when you grow up someone might ask you to be their successor," Andra teased.
"Yeah because on big speech means I'm capable."
"You're doing it again; selling yourself short," Andra sighed. "You don't know what will happen in the future. Well, right now that's not what we're worried about. If this concert works then all will be fine and dandy until the world leaders get back. Either way, I'm glad there's even a concert at all... I... I really like music."
"You're the arty type," I nodded.
"Music always has this way of bringing people together. There's the song, but that song can carry so much underneath it," Andra continued. "You can send out this powerful message to so many people all at once; it's hard not be moved by music. I get why Lady Yuna chose a concert; music brought everyone together before, right? So it should work again." The Hymn of the Fayth two years ago, I remember. "What was it like? For you, I mean... when that happened."
"With the Hymn?" I thought about it. I hadn't ever really thought about it, mostly because of the things that happened afterwards. "I remember when we were on the deck of the airship, just before the doors opened, the Hymn was echoing through the halls. We could hear everyone singing outside and... I don't know, standing outside on the deck and hearing all of Spira singing... it was powerful, how we'd managed to bring everyone together. I can't put it into fancy words or stuff like that." And when I thought about it now it hurt. I went into that fight with so much excitement and energy. If we pulled it off, we could go home, I could see my family again, it would all be over. Then that all fell apart in moments...
"... Looks like we're there," Andra said and hugged me again. "I'm going to actually get off the ship this time. Coming?"
"Yeah, sure," I nodded.
In hindsight I was even gladder that we'd fixed the towers here. Even with the huge amount of people here no one was getting hit by any stray bolts. But the tension was already high here, even worse than when I was on the ship.
"Yuna hurry up..." I mumbled to myself. I was more worried about a riot starting before she could get a word in.
Andra and I had moved to a decent spot near the front of the crowds, close to the airship. We spotted the doors to the deck opening up, people emerging from the inside. I held my breath for a moment, waiting for Yuna to speak.
"One thousand years ago, before the time of Sin," I was still amazed at Yuna's voice; how it could hush crowds with a few words. Two years ago in Luca it was the same. People screaming and cheering to deafening levels all going silent when Yuna opened her mouth. "Spira was torn in two, divided by a terrible war. This was Spira's great mistake. Out of the rift left by this terrible conflict, Sin was born. In only two short years, Spira has shaken off its unhappy past. We have moved on. Now, Spira grows brighter with each passing day. That light is our strength. I don't want to see it fade. Do you? There are so many of us, each with different ideas and different beliefs. Of course we sometimes disagree, and arguments will happen. But our hearts can and should always be one. Believe with me: even if we are torn apart, our feelings will unite us. That is what this song is about."
The whole of the Thunder Plains went silent as Yuna began to sing. What was more amazing was that as she sang the lightning bolts stopped, the rain stopped, everyone was transfixed on Yuna. A sphere screen that she used started to react with her dressphere, pyreflies shot out and burned through the sphere screen... the machina that it showed. I was shocked by it and my eyes darted back to Yuna... only... that wasn't Yuna.
It was a series of images, going by too fast but still some sense could be made from it. There was a man on the sphere with the woman in what looked like a huge hold underground. The guards who followed them were in Bevelle uniforms. The couple gave no resistance and were shot down. The woman and Yuna continued the song, the huge machine towering behind them in the last moments before fading. When the sphere screen shut itself down there was no rain, no thunder, no lightning... only a sunny, if somewhat cloudy, sky.
There was a few moments of silence. I didn't know if anyone wanted to say anything or if they were in too much shock or if they were moved into silence from the song. I walked past Andra and down towards the airship. I had to check on Yuna.
Thankfully Brother and Buddy let me onto the ship and I waited on the bridge. I was surprised at Maechen's appearance here too, but we were just waiting on the girls coming back down. When I saw Yuna come down we exchanged a glance.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"I'm fine, really," Yuna said.
"'Twas a magnificent melody, Lady Yuna. The onlookers were all quite enchanted," Maechen spoke, to which Yuna smiled.
"If it brings Spira together, even a little, then I'm glad."
"Indeed, I believe it shall. As you sang, not a soul could help but realise the folly of their tiresome squabbling. Fists raised in anger became welcoming hands offering solace to a tearful neighbour. I must admit that I, too, shed my share of tears the moment Lenne appeared."
"You know Lenne?" Rikku asked.
"Lenne? You mean... the woman Shuyin mistook you for?" I asked. I felt so out of the loop with this. Yuna gave me a nod. "Then that machina... that was Vegnagun."
"Maechen, please tell us about Lenne," Yuna asked.
"Where to begin?" Maechen mused. "A thousand years ago, Lenne was a popular songstress in Zanarkand. The talk of the town, you might say. In a more peaceful age, she might have lived out her years as a performer. But the times- and her talents- did not allow such a thing to be. You see, Lenne's gift for singing was matched by her genius in the Summoner's arts." So she was a Summoner, too? Just like Yuna. "When the Machina War began, all Summoners were sent to the front lines. Zanarkand was hopelessly outnumbered, and Lenne knew she would not return home alive. Nonetheless, she was prepared to lay down her life to protect her people. Yet there was one person who refused to let Lenne die. Yes, he would do anything to save her. He was... a young man, Lenne's lover."
"Shuyin?" Rikku asked, kind of trying to get confirmation of what we already suspected to be true.
"I... don't know. His name has been lost to history. Whatever his name, the youth endeavoured to steal the enemy's machina and save Lenne. However..."
"They both died before he could use it," I finished, getting a nod from Maechen.
"Indeed, the lover met a truly tragic end. No doubt what we witness were their last moments," he said. "But I must take my leave now, Lady Yuna, farewell."
We were in silence as Maechen left the airship and we absorbed what we had just been told. I started slowly walking around the bridge in thought about Lenne and Shuyin. He wanted to save her, because he knew the Summoners would die fighting Bevelle's soldiers. He was prepared to do anything to save her.
"So Shuyin was Lenne's lover," Paine spoke up, breaking the silence.
"The whole thing kind of rings a bit close to home, doesn't it?" I said and looked over to Rikku and Yuna.
"Yeah, I mean I understand how he felt, trying so hard to save someone," Rikku agreed and turned to Yuna. "Two years ago, we were the same. Trying to find some way... some way to save you." Yuna smiled at Rikku and myself.
"That was enough. Knowing you were both by my side... I'll always be grateful to you," she said.
"Maybe Lenne felt the same," Paine added. "The man she loved, he struggled to save her. He fought til his very last breath for her. I think Lenne's final words might have been happy ones... "I love you"." That actually made sense, we didn't know too much about Lenne, Shuyin, or their relationship but it seemed like they did really love one another.
"He never heard," Yuna suddenly said. "The one person she wanted to tell... he never heard her words."
The alarms started to go off and the guys scanned for who it was quickly.
"Well what do you know, it's Leblanc's gang," Buddy said. "They want to see Yuna. I'll have them wait in the engine room." Yuna gave a nod and headed down and out of the bridge.
"You still working with them?" I asked Rikku.
"Yup. Nooj and Leblanc are kind of a thing, but we've not really had the chance to tell her since Yunie came back," she nodded. "She's probably been looking for him herself. I'll bet anything that she'll go straight to the Farplane the minute Yunie tells her."
"One thing that bothers me," I began. "Why did Shuyin move Vegnagun to the Farplane in the first place? Why not just fire it off from Bevelle?"
"That's... actually a good question," Rikku put a finger to her lips and pondered it for a while. After a while she shook her head. "I got nothing. Guess that's a mystery for another day, huh?" I nodded and paced around the bridge a little more, not really sure what to think about. Eventually I just asked for a recap on everything the Gullwings had been doing, just to get myself up to speed, and learn about what exactly happened with Yuna's dressphere at the concert.
Yuna came back up from the engine room after a time, Leblanc and two guys following her, I think Rikku said their names were Ormi and Logos. It was weird, but it never actually clicked with me that Leblanc was the same person who stole Yuna's Garment Grid until now. At the same time, Shrina was clacking away at his computer.
"What have we here," he eventually said aloud to himself, catching Yuna's attention. "Looks like a transmission but it's really weak."
"What is it?" Yuna asked.
"I'm getting signals from the commsphere we dropped down the hole in Djose, but I can't seem to get a connection."
"Enough, little boy, stand aside," Leblanc swanned up to the computer and smacked it with her fan, a shock of electricity coming out of it as well. Surprisingly the transmission Shinra was working on cleared up and Leblanc crossed her arms. "See? It connected."
We all went over to see the computer. The image was still filled with static but we were able to make out a figure in a dark area.
"Impressive machina," that voice! I rushed to get closer to the screen and saw Gippal looking up at the commsphere. "An invention like this could change the world. Whoever came up with this is a genius. Heh, guess I'm a genius too for fixing it." Smug idiot as always. He started waving his arms at us. "Hello? Anybody home?"
"Gippal? Gippal can you hear me?" I blurted out before anyone else got a word in. He stopped waving his arms and leant closer to the commsphere. "Gippal it's Christie, are you there?"
"I don't think he can hear us," Shinra said. Well shit.
"No response. Hm," Gippal sighed and shook his head. Shit.
"Some genius," Nooj entered the commsphere's vision and got an audible gasp from Leblanc. "If you're done playing, let's go."
"Hey, chill out."
"Lost your nerve?"
"We're talking about Vegnagun. How in the world do you fight that thing? We can't even walk up to it without freaking it out."
"Or making it mad... but I've got a plan."
"And if it doesn't work?"
"Death will be my apology."
"Whatever man. When a deathseeker dies, that's no apology... what about Leblanc?"
"Well, she-"
And the sphere cut out. I'll be honest, Leblanc wasn't the only one who was disappointed.
"Why did it cut off like that? Just when he was getting to the juicy bits!" She groaned.
"Not my fault," Shinra mumbled.
"Worthless piece of junk. Forget it, I'll go ask him myself!" No one gave any objections to Leblanc's plan; guess Rikku was right.
"That's them decided," I said as they left. "What about the Gullwings?"
"We should help Nooj, but first... I want to try talking to Shuyin," Yuna said. "I have to tell him how Lenne felt. I'm sure he'll understand."
"How? We can't exactly make an appointment," Rikku did bring up a good point.
"Guess we'll just have to jump into one of those holes," Paine shrugged.
"Together, this time," Rikku nodded.
"Then I'm going too," I told them. "I know, it's probably not my fight or my place... but I wouldn't forgive myself for not doing everything I could. So, if it's not too much trouble..." Yuna gave me a bright smile and nodded.
"Great to have you with us."
Great to be here.
