Author's Note: I do not own Final Fantasy or anything affiliated with it. The rights to it belong solely to their respective owners.

Ch.37 A Plan to Unite Spira

With Shinra's warning about Spira falling apart in mind, we activated the CommSphere on Besaid to see just how bad things were. The image resolved into that of Wakka. "Hey, Yuna. How you been, huh?" he asked. Yuna smiled. "Well, not too bad. How are things in Besaid, Wakka?" she asked. Wakka shrugged. "It's okay. It's been pretty quiet, ya? No more fiends in the temple," he reported.

Now that was a surprise, and I showed on our faces when Rikku asked "Really?" Wakka nodded. "That's what Beclem says, and he patrols the place every day," he said. I grunted. "Well, he certainly gets points for dedication," I said, giving the stern instructor that much. Wakka frowned. "Yeah, but he's gonna be leaving the island pretty soon. Youth League's having some trouble or something, so they called him back to headquarters."

"On top of that, word around here is the New Yevon praetor's gone missing. Not sure what it all means, but things don't look good, ya?" he asked. Yuna sighed. "Yeah, it's a bit crazy all over," she admitted. Wakka frowned. "Listen, I don't know about the rest of Spira, but Besaids's in good shape. I got this place covered. That, or Lu will let me have it; you know what I'm saying?" he said. That brought rhe smile back, and Yuna said "Thanks, Wakka."

With that, we cut the connection, and Rikku said "Well, that wasn't so bad." Shinra shook his head. "Maybe there, but keep going," he advised, and activated the CommSphere on Kilika Island. It showed an image of Dona's bedroom, with the former summoner sitting right in front of it. Outside of the house, we could hear various voices shouting, prompting Paine to ask, "Something wrong?"

Dona sighed. "Well, that's Kilika Port for you. From the moment Nooj disappeared, everyone's been running around in circles. Just look at them. No one knows what to without someone barking orders. They've already started looking for a new leader. In fact, they even asked me. Figured a former summoner would make a perfect leader for the town," she explained. "Is that so? Why don't you?" I asked.

"Too busy looking after myself, dear. Of course I'll do what I can to keep things from getting too far out of hand, but until Nooj gets back, things aren't going to be the same," she said gravely. It was she who cut the link, and Shinra immediately tuned us in to the Mushroom Rock Road. Yaibal appeared in the scene, who stopped and smiled at us. "Lady Yuna!" he called. "More fiends?" Yuna asked, seeing his rushed state.

"Actually, we've received some unconfirmed reports of trouble brewing in Bevelle. It seems a unit of New Yevon's troops have been gearing up for a raid. With Nooj gone, they're hoping to strike quickly and catch us off guard. But don't worry about us! We won't be so easily trapped! We're planning to launch a preemptive strike before they can attack. As soon as our preparations are complete, we move on Bevelle!" Yaibal told us.

Paine grimaced. "But you're not even sur they're planning an attack, are you?" she asked. "In war, victory favors the bold! I must be off! Farewell!" Yaibal told her, and shut off the sphere. "Fools also rush in to where death is certain," I muttered, making the others frown at the grim truth of the saying. Yuna checked the last CommSphere, which was positioned just outide of the Bevelle gates.

Maroda was there and saw our faces. "What are you doing?" Yuna asked. "For one, I'm running reconnaissance on New Yevon. The praetor's gone, fiends are on the loose-New Yevon is upside down. It's the point that even outsders like me can just waltz right in. In fact, I overheard some priests talking a little while ago. They said, 'In times like these, we have no choice but to seek the high summoner's aid,'" he told us.

Yuna looked down. "But what do you think I can do?" she questioned aloud. "Well, I'm sure we'd be saying the same thing. This is just between you and me, but the Youth League fell to pieces the moment Nooj disappeared. Both groups are getting what they deserve for relying too much on their leaders," Maroda said. Just then we heard the voice of a New Yevon guard, yelling "You there. What are you doing?!"

Maroda smirked. "Took them long enough. So long!" he said, and ran off with the guards behind him. That ended the last of the CommSpheres, and Buddy spoke up. "Looks like Nooj and Baralai still haven't come back. And now Gippal's vanished, too. Spira's three leading big shots have all gone AWOL. If I was one of their followers, I'd be pretty worried-and scared," he said.

Shinra nodded. "Tension between the two groups is getting volatile. It won't be long before things get very ugly," he said. "And let's not forget that Vegnagun's on the loose. I'll bet you anything that Shuyin's the only controlling it," I added. Rikku frowned. "I wonder if Gippal and the others are trying to destroy it," she thought aloud. "Probably," Paine told her. That caused the blonde to frown, and she waved her hands in the air.

"Ooh, nothing makes sense anymore! I mean, just what the heck are we supposed to do?!" she shouted. I thought about that for a second, before it hit me. "Yuna, didn't Nooj speak to in the Farplane?" I asked. The brunette nodded. "He told me to take care of things topside. As if it were the simplest thing to do, really. And everything was going so well," she told us. We all hung our heads at that. True enough, things had been so much simpler even a short time ago. But now it was like the Eternal Calm had never started.

Then Yuna looked back up, eyes fierce with determination. "I made up my mind. I want to do something. Nooj asked me to help and that's what I'll do," she declared. Brother whopped and pumped a fist in the air. "Oac, drec ec dra Yuna dry E ghuf!" he called. (Yes, this is the Yuna that I know.) "Alrighty! Let's smash that action figure! We'll risk our lives and protect Spira from Vegnagun!" Brother said. I frowned. "I don't think that will work. Unlike with Sin, this isn't something that can be taken care of with fighting," I pointed out.

Yuna nodded. "Sofia's right. We have to look for another way," she said. Paine raised an eyebrow, asking "Like what?" Yuna crossed her arms, thinking. "With its leaders gone, Spira's falling apart. Maybe we can bring people back together," she suggested. Rikku nodded. "Yeah. Yeah! Great idea there, Yunie! So like, what are we going to do? Huh?" she questioned.

There was a short pause at that, no one having any answer for the hyperactive blonde. Just for kicks, Paine said "Sing campfire songs?" Unfortunately, Brother managed to pull a 'great' idea from that, and said "Oooh! That is it! All of Spira will be the captive of Yuna's singing and dancing!" he declared. We knew the idea was even worse when Rikku agreed with her sibling, saying "Great idea!" "I can handle the techie stuff," Shinra added.

Thoroughly flustered at the idea of another concert-and this time in front of the all of Spira-Yuna said "H-Hang on!" Rikku grinned. "I know! I know! I bet Tobli would help!" she said. "Okay. Where is he now?" he asked. "Probably the Moonflow," Paine replied. Buddy nodded. "Gullwings..." he began, and Brother finished "Move out!"

With that, everyone scattered while Buddy set the coordinates for the Moonflow into the navigation. As we flew there, I retired to the bedroom above the bar and pulled the two Crimson Spheres from the Farplane. Starting the one engraved with a number 2, the image resolved into Nooj, Baralai and Gippal in what appeared to be the Cactuar Nation. However, the three of them were fighting, and releasing a lot of bullets at the enemy.

Baralai grunted and called "Ammo!" But Gippal replied "I'm out!" while Nooj shook his head. "This is it," he said. But Baralai called "Don't give up!" The three of them moved to where their backs were against each other, forming a triangle as they were surrounded by fiends. "Now what?" Gippal asked, and Baralai told him "After you!" The Al Bhed smirked, saying "Scared? BANG!" True enough, Baralai jumped slightly, before shooting him a glare.

At the same time, Nooj quietly walked forward, standing in front of a (Insert fiend name here) fiend and simply staring at him. The fiend growled and was about to leap when the sound of a gunshot rang out, and the camera also swung around wildly. Whoever was holding it had made the shot. The fiend fell over and began dissolving into pyreflies, while Nooj whipped around and glared at her. "How dare you..." he said.

Then the recorder spoke, and I recognized the voice as Paine's. "Nooj... Word has it that you're searching for a place to die," she said. I stared. So it had been Paine making the Crimson Spheres all along. I had been suspecting as much, with everything she told us, but now I had confirmation. Refocusing on the sphere, Gippal and Baralai looked back at Nooj. "Seriously?" Gippal asked. Nooj simply looked at them. "It's harden than it sounds," he replied.

Gippal stared, muttering "Ra'c caneuic..." (He's serious.) Paine continued, saying "You were ready to end it back there. Ready to die." Nooj gave her a fake smile, saying "Very perceptive. You'll be a legend amongst recorders." "You're a legend too. The crusaders won't forget 'Nooj the Undying' anytime soon. So why?" Paine countered. Nooj frowned. "It's my life to throw away," he told her, and walked off. "Nooj!" Baralai called, and Gippal said "Hey!" The followed after him, and the recording ended.

I sat back. This version of Nooj was a lot more cynical than the one we knew. What had hanged him? At least now I knew exactly what part of the group Paine had filled the role of- the sphere recorder. That only further piqued my curiosity about the third Crimson Sphere, and so I pulled it out and played it back. The first thing that hit me was the sound of waves, and when the image resolved it showed Baralai and Gippal sitting next to each other on the observation deck of the S.S. Winno.

"What do you make of this 'Operation Mi'ihen'?" he asked. Gippal shrugged. "With a weapon that powerful, it's got to work, right?" he supposed. Baralai raised an eyebrow. "It's that powerful? A machina that can topple Sin... Wow... that's a little scary," he admitted. Gippal shrugged. "Machina this, machina that. There's nothing to worry about if you use them right," he said, and I found myself nodding in agreement.

The scene went dark and I thought it was over, before resolving again into the same setting. "So, once we get Sin, the Calm'll come. Got anything exciting planned?" Gippal asked. Baralai chuckled lightly. "Hadn't really thought about it," he admitted. Nooj, who was standing behind them and looking out at the sea, said "It sounds dull." Both of them laughed and stood up to face him. "First he wants to drop dead, and now he's look for excitement," Baralai commented.

"Guess we'd better find something to keep Nooj entertained, eh?" Gippal suggested, smirking. Nooj couldn't help but crack a smile, muttering "Brats." Everyone heard it though, and they all began laughing. Even Paine. I smiled at the scene. These four really were good friends. Eventually the laughter died down though, and Baralai asked "Why don't you come join us?" Before I could hear a response though, the sphere ended.

I out it away and laid back. Paine's retelling was lining up perfectly with the vents of the spheres. All four of the, prospective members of the Crimson Squad, and over time they bonded as good friends. Up until the last exercise, where something happened that forced them to get away, which Ormi and Logos recorded noticing. Then once they were away, Shuyin possessed Nooj and had him shoot them all in the back. And Nooj, after over two years, Shuyin had moved to make Baralai his host, and bring about Spira's end.

The whole plot was bleak and saddening, and the worst part was that it wasn't over yet. And if we didn't stop Shuyin and Vegnagun, this story would be one of the ones with a tragic ending.

I put away both Crimson Spheres, mentally making note of all the ones we had gotten so far. 1 through 4, 7, 9, and 10. That only left Crimson Spheres 5, 6 and 8 before we had them all. And when we did, the gate to the Den of Woe would open. I wondered exactly what we would find inside the Den, and whether or not we would enjoy what we found. Probably not, but we still needed to know the truth.

Once we reached the Moonflow, we dropped off a short while away. Thus, we had to take little stroll. Along the way we were stopped by a trio of Al Bhed though, who were asking "Hey, you! You haven't seen Tobli anywhere around here, have you?" When we shook our heads, the second one cursed. "We heard word that he's somewhere nearby," he said. I frowned, and noticed that Tobli was standing near the end of the road.

The first guy must have noticed it to, because he yelled "Huh? Aha! There you are!" Tobli jumped and started running. The three Al Bhed ran after him, but quickly lost sight of him. "Where'd he go?!" the third man yelled. But then we caught sight of him again, twice as far down the road as he had been before. "Ah! That obnoxious midget! Found him!" the first man called.

They ran again and I looked back at the others. "How much you want to bet that those three aren't looking for a pleasant conversation with Tobli?" I asked. "Probably. Either way, we need to speak to Tobli as well. We should follow," Paine said. We nodded and were just about to do so, when we heard a feral growl coming from both in front and behind us. We turned around and saw a pair of Archaeothyris, while in front of us was a Bandit and a Balivarha.

I grimaced. "Great. One fiend for each of us," I muttered. As it was, we each drew our weapons and got ready, Yuna shifting to her Lady Luck garb while I became a Samurai, and Paine became a Dark Knight. Rikku stayed in her Thief outfit though, and charged at the Bandit. Quickly she stole a Budget Grenade from him, and also dealt a small cut to just above his knee. The Bandit cried out in pain and pulled out a Potion, while the Balivarha tried to hit us with Fire Breath.

I held up my blade to block the heat while the others avoided it. Once it was done Yuna cast Four Dice, with the results coming as a One, Three, and a pair of Fives. The dice dissolved into fourteen streams of light, all of which fired a one of Archaeothyris. It hissed and ell back from the barrage,m where Paine was waiting to use Armor Break. However, it managed to dodge and retaliated with Poison Fang, biting Paine in the leg.

She groaned and used Darkness, sacrificing a fraction of her stamina for the power to pull the fiend's mouth off of her leg and throw it high in the sky. The Archaeothyris flailed around as it fell right to where I was, and I hit it with Sparkler. Several small fireworks shot upwards and blasted it, burning the fiend to crisp before it even hit the ground. The other one charged at me to avenge its brethren, while the Bandit charged at Rikku.

The blonde giggled before freezing the Bandit with Borrowed Time. Even immobile, he was still able to glare at her, and did so with every bit of anger he could muster. All of it was for naught though, as Riku quickly used Pilfer Gil to take every scent he had on him, before she knocked him out with the blunt end of her dagger to the temple. I used Dismissal to halt the other Archaeothyris from using Stone Fang on me, before jumping away, Paine was there to cast Demi and Drain, cutting its health by a quarter before draining it.

Yuna used Magic Reels and the slot appeared in front of her. As they stopped, she received a Hat, another Hat, and a Skull. While not getting all three, Yuna was able to cast Thundara and blast the Balivarha with lightning, causing it snarl in pain. It charged at Yuna in an attempt to skewer her on on of its horns, but I stopped it with Mirror of Equity, dealing damage equal to my own loss of strength. Paine finished off the Archaeothyris with Break, turning it into a stone statue that she instantly shattered.

Then Rikku used Mug on the Balivarha to both deal a small cut and take a pair of Red Gems. It was about to use Fire Breath when Paine cast Drain, making it pause as its health was cut down. Then Yuna used Four Dice again and rolled a pair of Sixes and a pair of Threes. Eighteen shots total flew forward and battered the fiend, and I added Sparkler to the end of the combo to ensure that it dealt massive damage.

The Balivarha gave one last roar as it fell over, fading away. Quickly we put away our weapons. "Well, that wasn't so hard," Rikku commented. "Maybe. But now we need to catch up and find Tobli," Paine pointed out. We nodded and started running, hoping to find the vertically challenged man and get his help with the concert.

And that ends this chapter! The plans for the concert are underway, but can the Gullwings pull it off? What trouble will they run into along the way? Stay on board to see!

Please review! If you flame Bruce Lee will smash you with his nunchaku. (I'm just kidding... or am I?)