Chapter 38 – Shadows Behind the Curtain
Bustling feet traipsed along the dockside. Numerous people were already preparing their ships to sail. From tiny fishing rafts to large freighters carrying goods destined for the greater parts of Spira, Kilika existed in a more robust state than it did just two years ago. Back then, the townspeople were devastated by Sin. Most of the seafront city was demolished at the hands of Sin – their homes and businesses torn to shreds. Fear ran rampant back in those days. Knowing that life grasped onto what seemed to be a very thin string, the townspeople held on to whatever they had to cherish. That fear did not deter them from rebuilding, as the Kilika that existed currently in Spira was grander than the one of before.
But the old torrents from before still lingered in the town. It manifested itself into a different, yet equally abrasive form. Ever since Sin's destruction, Spira had fractured into numerous political factions. Each held their own set of beliefs. And as anything both public and political, a great tension formed between the many groups. No place in Spira better displayed this friction than Kilika. For months, New Yevon and the Youth League had been dividing their territories here, and entrenching themselves in for a long conflict. Such clunky squabbles had been tearing the town apart from the inside. Neighbors, who were once close friends, now argued constantly over their ideals.
This tension was somewhat quelled by the Gullwings before. Through their heroic and selfless battle in the temple to save Kilika from an invasion of fiends, the townspeople put aside their differences for a while. And again, although in a much more tragic way, because of Yuna's death did the citizens of Kilika come together as a whole. Yet neither events could completely diminish the split. New Yevon distrusted the Youth League, and the Youth League distrusted New Yevon. This feeling of suspect spilled into the heart of the populous, and continued the separation. Yuna once told Rikku that this was apparent in a microcosm, although that was a big word for Rikku, she partially understood the explanation.
Dona and Barthello, whom belonged separately to each of the groups, let their differences in opinion estranged them from one another. While it was easily seen that they cared for each other immensely, they remained at arms length merely for what amounted to petty differences in ideas.
Rikku's eyes began to twitch as the early morning sunlight beamed down upon the small boat she was riding on. Peeking her right eye open, she blurrily examined her surroundings. Another boat passed by them, and she noticed a dock close by. She sat up, and yawned.
"Hey kid, you finally awake?" Gippal suavely asked.
Rikku turned to look at him while rubbing her sleepy eyes, "Huh...yeah."
He chuckled, "Heh, you went out like a light last night. You better hurry and wake up. Nooj will be waiting for us...impatiently probably."
Rikku glanced back at the docks, and spotted a man wearing a large mask in the distance, standing with arms folded and tapping his foot. She couldn't miss his stern yet cool expression, although she wondered over his Al Bhed impersonation.
"Is that Nooj? What's with the funky getup?" she asked Gippal, who was also putting on a mask.
"Simple kid, we have to remain anonymous."
She laughed to herself, and was content to be a little confused. Perhaps now that Nooj was here, she could get some answers, at least to her question as to what they needed her for. Still, interested in the back of her head was the question pertaining to her and Gippal. The last they met, she ended up locking lips with him, with a mutual confession of love. Then he vanished from the camp at Djose, and she hadn't seen him since until last night. For that long stretch of time, she wondered what could become of the two.
Even though she had ample time, in private no less, while on the boat, she embarrassedly remembered fading off to sleep shortly after snaking away. However, she figured things would fall into place when they would. At least, she giggled in her head, they would be close together.
The day quickly became dank, as the sky clouded up not long after sunrise. The gray skyline did little to put a romantic spin on their mission, or Rikku's mood. She always felt uneasy about these ominous days. Threat of rain, along with a bleak horizon, was cold on her heart. They reminded her of Yuna, and the day she died.
"Hey, over here man!" shouted Gippal across the docks.
Nooj caught his call, and nodded. He followed them over to a pier on the left side of Kilika. Gippal hopped off first, and helped Rikku get off. She gratefully held his head as he helped her up. She smiled at his wink. He quickly put on his serious face as Nooj neared. He was limping over with stride; his expression as concise and grim as to be expected of him.
"I see you've found somebody who can help us." he spoke approvingly.
"Yeah, well, I grabbed her in the middle of the night. Nobody noticed us, so we're good to go."
Nooj nodded, "Good. That last thing we need is more trouble, even if that's a near-impossible task to do with you around."
"Hey, I didn't goof this time." smiled Gippal, rubbing the back of his head.
Rikku waved her hand in the air, "Hey! Hey! Can someone please explain to me what's going on now?"
"You mean Gippal didn't tell you anything yet?"
Gippal shook his head, "Uh well, she fell asleep right after we ran out. I can't help that."
"Well, no matter," Nooj shrugged, looking disapprovingly at him, "I'll explain everything to you. The situation is vital to Spira's future."
Nooj led them to a small building in Kilika's north end. To keep their privacy, the three went to a private room at the top of it. The two men took off their masks. Gippal knelt down at a chest and took out a drink. Nooj carefully sat down, and cleared his throat.
"There's a lot happening behind the scenes," he began as cheerlessly as he looked, "a lot more than just the chaos which recently transpired."
Rikku sat, actually listening intently to Nooj, "Gotcha. So don't hold out on me, what is it?"
Nooj sighed, sitting back in his chair to stare out the window, "Hmm...where to begin. As you know, Kinoc just tried to take over Spira."
"Yeah, but we stopped him."
"Right, but there was more to it than just that..."
Kinoc had been brooding in the basement of Bevelle's temple for some time – or rather his unsent spirit was. He was stuck down there until Shuyin showed up. I don't know how much you know about him, but he was the lover of a summoner from Zanarkand. A thousand years ago, she went to battle against Bevelle. Because he loved her so much, he risked his life to infiltrate Bevelle.
It was there he planned to capture their secret weapon - Vegnagun. Unlike most convention weapons, Vegnagun was to be an annihilator of cities. Such mass destruction scared those even in Bevelle. Not even the Al Bhed dared to create a beast such as Vegnagun. Yet this was to be their equalizer, as the fear felt by Bevelle was great. What they did not realize was this weapon could not tell friend from enemy. In his attempt to commandeer the weapon, both he and his lover were killed.
Of course, the two were never sent. The temple imprisoned Shuyin's soul someplace near Djose and Mi'hen. A place Gippal and I know all to well. Over the millennium, he conjured the notion to exact his revenge on Spira. Scornful of how he was eternally separated from his love, his hatred has led him to again desire Vegnagun.
He's been using the dark side of people's hearts for centuries now to get what he wants. The madness his memories have created seeps into the souls of the living, and weaves for them a waking hell. For a long time, he stole my body and mind. Now he is in Baralai. That's why Baralai betrayed us...that's why I shot at my friends...
Rikku just stared with a dumbfounded expression at Nooj. She could hardly believe what he was telling her. So unreal were his words that she was blown away by them. If she knew it wasn't true, she probably wouldn't believe him.
"So...tell me something," she quivered to ask, "what happened to the summoner, Lenne?"
"Lenne you say? Was that her name?" questioned Gippal perplexedly.
Nooj added with his own confusion as to her knowledge, "How do you know her name?"
Rikku pondered to herself for a moment, "Well, hmm...I guess it was a long while ago. Not too far from here we went to a tiny island. Ya know, for sphere hunting. The sphere we found had something about a man shouting the name 'Lenne.' We eventually connected the man to her lover, and the woman as Lenne. You really ought to talk with Maechen."
"I guess so, since you know about as much as we know." Gippal laughed, rubbing Rikku's head.
Nooj nodded, although not with the same enthusiasm as Gippal, "Maybe speaking with the old man would do us some good. We've been away from the general populous of Spira for so long...perhaps we should discuss it with Yuna as well."
Rikku's face turned pale immediately from his remark. She looked down, and a glossy tear formed around her eye. She closed her eyes for a moment, thinking they mustn't have heard that Yuna died. She had to explain to them the horrible truth.
"You...you must have been away for a long time, huh?" she asked solemnly.
Gippal raised his brow, caught by Rikku's instantaneous change of mood, "Hey, what's the matter Rikku?"
"Yuna's dead. She died not very long ago."
"What?" the men yelled in tandem.
"H-how...when? I can't believe this?" Gippal ranted, completely struck by Rikku's statement.
"There had been a lot of stress going on in her life. Plus the fact that Kinoc was trying to maul us around every corner. She...she killed herself."
Nooj slumped back into his chair. Even for his usual sulky expression, his state of horror mixed with surprise was paramount. Gippal's jaw dropped, and he couldn't even find words for the news.
Finally he spoke softly, "Man...and I remember the last time we saw her."
"I told her...to take care of things topside." Nooj sighed, rubbing his eyes rigidly.
"We needed Yuna and you guys to hold off Kinoc," began to explain Gippal, with a tone of apology embedded within his words, "we we're chasing Shuyin through the Farplane. I...I'd never imagine..."
"I know...but, but we can't let it eat us up." eased Rikku, showing that she was not blaming anyone.
"Those are some strong words, Rikku." gestured Nooj approvingly.
Rikku hinted a sad smile, "Yeah. Without her around, I have to be strong on my own."
Nooj nodded and even cracked a tiny smile of his own. Gippal looked at her, a bit awestruck in his own right from her newfound strength. He then smiled and winked at her, while patting her on the back. The three resumed their discussion on matters pertaining to Shuyin and Vegnagun.
"For everyone's sake, we must defeat Shuyin." stated Nooj firmly.
Gippal finished off his drink, "Yeah...he's liable to strike anytime soon."
"What's he waiting for?" pondered Rikku out loud.
"That's a good question we've asked ourselves." grinned Gippal.
Nooj continued, "In the beginning, he had to work his way to Bevelle and hijack Baralai. We then learned that Vegnagun required some repairs to function as a weapon again."
"So we have to get him before he finishes all that." growled Rikku, smacking her fist onto the table.
"Well girl," Gippal said hesitantly, "that was a while ago. Remember we have been gone a bit. For all we know, he's done all that."
"In fact, we ourselves are surprised he hasn't attacked yet. There must be something else he's waiting for. We just don't know what..."
Rikku shook her head, "But why get me, and not talk to all the Gullwings about all this?"
"Oh yeah, that matter," laughed Gippal, rubbing the back of his neck, "We are trying to keep our cover. You've seen the problems dividing Spira."
"You better believe I have! Why haven't you tried to fix them? You're their leaders!" she shouted angrily at them.
Gippal was about to talk, but Nooj raised his hand, "Spira has to figure things out by itself. Leaders can't solve the differences between people – only people can do that."
Rikku looked shockingly at Nooj, while Gippal snickered at her appearance, "Yeah, Nooj surprised me too the first time he said that. But I have to say...he's right."
Nooj closed his eyes behind his tinted glasses, "The larger concern with Spira is Vegnagun. We as leaders can do Spira a greater service by protecting it from those that wish to slay it."
"So am I to be your pack mule then?" brazenly huffed Rikku.
Nooj shook his head, "No, not a pack mule, but a packman...or packwoman rather."
Anticipating Rikku's confusion, Gippal defined her role more throughly, "Your gonna act as a peddler. We have a connection to give us the last sphere in Bevelle."
"Last sphere? What are you talking about?"
"Let me explain this before you further confuse her." grumbled Nooj to his partner.
Nooj continued to tell Rikku of the Crimson Spheres. Those were the keys to unlock what he called the Den of Woe – the place the Crimson Squad was massacred by Shuyin's insanity incarnate. Nooj believed there would be clues there as to how to stop Shuyin. Surly, he thought, after a thousand years of captivity, there would be something of use to discover.
The reason they needed someone from the Gullwings was because of who they were dealing with. It was the Gullwing's old friend LeBlanc. Rikku tried to explain that the words "friends" and "LeBlanc" were a little strong for one another, but the two men differed in opinion. LeBlanc agreed to give them the final Crimson Sphere she found, but only to someone she could trust. Business was business to her. From her incessant rantings about the Gullwings, Nooj came to the conclusion that they were reputable enough for her.
The plan was to disguise Rikku as a peddler. She would make the trade with LeBlanc in Bevelle. Although that was fine with her, she didn't understand the need to be so discreet. Nooj answered her by revealing the other reason they kept themselves low key. Bevelle had sent out several task forces to investigate the missing Vegnagun, as well as the loss of their leader, Baralai.
These teams wanted Nooj and Gippal – and in a bad way. Neither of the men had trusted Yevon before, and weren't about to try their luck with them now. The Yevonites had been following them throughout Spira. Finally they ditched them before heading to Besaid. If they were going to go to Bevelle to make this trade, they would have to go in hidden from sight.
The next morning they would set off for Bevelle. There was no airships to hoist them away; they would have to go on foot. Rikku was reminded of her pilgrimage with Yuna. It would be a good way to see the progress and regress of Spira in all its places. That night, Rikku and Gippal walked alongside the docks. It was late at night, and all the lights in Kilika were unlit. With only the peaceful waves of calm waters as their witness, the two held hands.
"You've changed since I last saw you." complemented Gippal, his smile partially lit by the half-moon.
"I suppose in some ways I have," she sighed, "and real fast."
"You and Yuna were close, huh?"
She looked up at him sadly and nodded, "Yeah we were. I've been trying to stop, but memories of her and me just pop into my head all the time."
"Don't worry about it so much kid. All this just rammed itself down your throat not too long ago. Mourning takes time...more time than we'd like to offer it. It's best for you to just go one step at a time." he comforted, glimmering his gorgeous green eyes into Rikku's.
She, too, was surprised at how much more mature Gippal had become. Back at Home years ago, she could remember his carefree and reckless attitude. The man holding her hand now, while still retaining much of that goofiness, was more thoughtful and mature. She could only hope that Brother would someday grow up to be like him.
"I guess we've both had our fair share of eye openers on our adventures." she laughed meekly.
He agreed in a muddled tone, "Yeah we have. Going around Spira and seeing all that's exists behind the curtain. Some days, it's just so crazy. And me and Nooj haven't been through half of what you and the Gullwings have."
"But we can't let that hold us in a cage. I promised myself that I wouldn't falter in the hard times. I do that for Yunie." she stated, her voice rising in strength.
Gippal continued to be amazed at her determination. He wondered since he was young whether Cid's daughter would turn out to be anything. And certainly she was answering his question. Without warning, he picked her up and plopped her on one of the dock's posts. She found herself looking straight into his eyes, they staring merely inches apart. She blushed in the tranquil moonlight. Soon their lips locked, and the two shared a passionate kiss.
She enjoyed the soft touch of his hand caressing her face. Although he needed to smooth his face some, the mere fact that they were skin to skin entranced her. For the long gap between their meetings, she yearned for his skin. It seemed as often as she could remember did she wonder if she would ever see him again. But the time apart was gone. Gippal was in front of her, his breath intimate with hers.
They continued to kiss, with passion ever increasing. Now Gippal's other hand was fondling gently the back of her head, pushing her lips ever tighter into his. Their tongues swished gracefully about around each other's. Rikku was in heaven, and didn't feel like leaving. However, they were abruptly interrupted by passing footsteps. Gippal quickly darted to her side, and threw his arms behind his head in an attempt to act cool. Rikku sighed, still sitting up on the post. A man walked by uneventfully.
Gippal chuckled after the man passed, "Lousy bum getting' in the way of our fun."
Rikku only looked at Gippal and stayed silent. Her lips still tingled from the interaction. She could still feel his fingers carefully mingling with her hair. It was the sensations she had before, but even better. She wanted more, but got nothing.
"Time for bed kid. We gotta go early tomorrow." was what she instead received from Gippal's mouth.
While she was angry and disappointed inside, she didn't grumble. Hopping off the post, the two walked back. She immediately clinged to his hand, and smiled wildly at him. For once, she saw a slight blush on his cheeks under the moonlight. While it was ephemeral, it was this kind of love that made her feel better inside.
Next chapter: Off to the trail of Spira they embark. While Rikku may not be on a pilgrimage, she'll be visiting many of the stops she and Yuna ventured to before. It's a long journey, and they also have to worry about dodging Bevelle's forces all the while.