Chapter 39
Back to Bevelle
I sat up and picked up the bottle I'd left on the floor. I took a deep breath before going to the bridge to tell Shinra. However, when I got there, Leblanc and her boys were there too. I narrowed my eyes and ran forward. I drew my sword but Yuna stopped me.
"Amahy stop! She's here to help us."
I looked at my sister.
"Come again?!" I asked.
She nodded.
"She had the other half of the sphere. That's why she took it. So she could show Nooj."
"That's right. I'd do anything for my Noojie!"
I slowly lowered my sword and gave her a confused look.
"Noojie?" I asked.
She stuck up her nose and turned away.
"First things first! We are going to Bevelle! Full speed ahead!" she said.
I smirked and waited.
Three, two, one….
"You just wait blondie! Yuna what next?" asked Brother.
"She's off to save Spira of course." Leblanc said.
"Right!" Yuna agreed.
"Yunie, Yunie..."
"Always getting dragged into other problems."
"We're going to Bevelle. There's bound to be spheres there, so why don't we hunt for them on the side."
"Uhhuh."
None of is believed her.
"Face it love, you're a goody-goody." said Leblanc.
I glared at her and she for some reason smirked at me.
"Been having a little fun?"
I arched my brow.
"Uh... Amahy... your neck again."
I sighed but then couldn't help but laugh a bit.
"Shinra, your formula needs tweaked."
He peered at me from over his chair.
"Why?"
"He couldn't pick it up."
"Maybe he had a hard day." Ormi said.
I turned and kicked him in the face.
"You will NOT disrespect my husband! When I get him back I'll make sure he knows about you."
"Get him back?"
I sighed.
"My husband died. He's gone but I can connect with him in my dreams. Somehow... he's alive there. And I may have found a way to bring him back for good."
Logos started to chuckle and Leblanc actually yelled at him.
"There's nothing funny about love! Leave her alone!" she ordered.
"Yes boss." they said.
I looked at her a little surprised. I nodded in thanks and she winked. We rode to Bevelle and approached from the woods.
"So how we gonna do this?" Rikku asked.
"Um…."
"It's obvious! We nab the head honcho." Leblanc said.
Paine stiffened and I looked at her.
"Then we make him lead us to Vegnagun and….checkmate!"
"Not bad." Yuna said.
Ormi walked forward.
"I got no problem with this. Our target is the New Yevon praetor, Baralai!"
Paine turned her hands to fists. Now Logos came forward.
"A girly man like that doesn't stand a chance without his escort!" he said.
Paine took a deep breath.
"He's much stronger than he looks." she said.
Several Bevelle guards walked towards us.
"Company." Paine said.
"Who goes there?" one asked.
I put my hand on my sword.
"Hmph! Its those Youth League spies! We won't have you defile this place like you did Kilika!"
They loaded their guns and pointed at us. Leblanc of course ran off. I laughed and drew my sword.
"If you think you can handle it, come and get me." I taunted.
They did their best but they had terrible aim. Although I did get burned by the Yevon Defender. I glared at him.
"You want to play with fire!? Let's play!"
I cast a powerful fire spell Lulu had once taught me and he fell to the ground. I nodded in satisfaction. We stood on the Highbridge and I held out Auron's sword.
"Breaking through Bevelle never gets old." I said.
Paine smirked. We fought our way into the palace and found a way to override the lift.
"Geez this place really is a mess huh?"
Yuna turned away.
"Yeah."
We went down and found fiends.
"Wait! What are fiends doing in the temple?" Rikku asked.
"The temples reek of secrets. Don't let a couple of fiends throw you off." Paine said.
I nodded and we fought through some pretty nasty fiends. We came to the chamber of the fayth and found a hole. We jumped down and I was shocked by what we found. Not only were there more machina, but the underground was bigger than I thought. An alarm started to go off. Yuna looked at Leblanc.
"Watch the exit!"
"I don't take orders."
I walked towards her.
"But….I'll make an exception this time. Leave it to us loves."
We grinded down a chain and deactivated the security system. Then the big fiend came. I remembered it well. Yunalesca had once used it as a gate guardian.
"I thought Auron already killed this thing!" I said.
"Help him finish it Amahy!" Paine said.
I looked back at the fiend and nodded. I took Auron's sword and ran forward. Yuna gave me some cover fire and Paine and Rikku got its arms. I jumped up and climbed to its head. I drove the sword through it and then jumped off. It erupted into pyreflies and I nodded.
"Well then, lets go." I said.
Rikku and Yuna jumped down but I held Paine back.
"It's Baralai."
It wasn't a question. She sighed and then nodded.
"Yeah." She whispered.
"You know we might have to…."
"I know. But I would rather be the one who does it. He loved me too, and it's because I still love him that I have to be the one." she said.
I closed my eyes.
"Are you sure?" I asked.
She nodded.
"Hey you guys come on!" Rikku called.
We jumped down after them and made our way through the underground. We came to what looked like a prison. There were cages in the air held up by machines.
"Hey!"
Rikku ran forward then turned.
"Yunie! That sphere with you-know-who in it. Wasn't it recorded here?" she asked.
My eyes widened. It was recorded here. Though I still didn't think it was Tidus. Leblanc and her boys came.
"Get your head out of the clouds and move it!"
I snapped.
"Hey!" she looked at me. "You don't who she's looking for! What if it were Nooj you were looking for so desperately."
She looked a little ashamed then she just walked off. We started to walk away but Yuna lingered. I looked back and took her hand.
"Come on." I whispered.
We kept going until we walked around one corner. Baralai came around it and I looked at Paine.
"The Gullwings, I was wondering who was there."
He walked forward and Yuna gave him a look. He sighed.
"You don't have to tell me. I know why you've come. You're here to destroy the weapon that threatens all Spira: Vegnagun. Am I right?"
I nodded.
"If it could be destroyed we would have done so long ago. But Vegnagun must not be touched. Neither you nor Nooj seem to understand that."
"You talked to Nooj?" Paine asked.
"He…cannot be trusted." Baralai said.
"And you can be?" Rikku asked.
I looked at her.
"Rikku."
She looked at me and I shook my head.
"Touché. Yes, I suppose Yevon has brought that distrust upon itself. At any rate you need not interfere. Leave Vegnagun to me." he said.
I looked at him carefully.
"What are you planning to do?" Yuna asked.
"The only thing I can do. Keep those who would seek to harm Vegnagun away. Please leave."
In wasn't going anywhere. Paine walked forward with her sword drawn.
"Yuna, Rikku, Amahy…..I'm going."
"Paine!" Baralai said.
She ran forward and fought him on her own. I would not let Yuna and Rikku interfere.
"This is her fight." I told them.
The way Baralai fought only confirmed my suspicion. He didn't want to hurt her. She defeated him and he fell to the ground unconscious.
"Yuna, Rikku go ahead."
"Fill us in later okay?"
"Much later." I said.
They went on and I knelt down next to Paine.
"He'll be alright." she said.
"Paine you said he still loved you. How can you tell?"
"Because of the way he said my name before."
I nodded.
"I think you're right. The way he fought….he was trying to protect you. Maybe there's a reason he was trying to keep us away."
She thought for a moment then looked at me.
"I noticed it too. Lets go."
I nodded and we went after Yuna and Rikku. When we found them they were where Vegnagun should've been. Instead there was just a very, very large hole. That was when an all too familiar Aeon appeared.
"Bahamut." I gasped.
"No way!" Rikku said.
"What is it?" Paine asked.
"It's an aeon!" Rikku said.
"An aeon…."
Yuna walked forward and held out her arms.
"You must stop!" she said.
I ran forward and grabbed her.
"You wanna get killed? We have no choice!" Paine said.
I didn't want to, but Paine was right.
