The bridge was lit in red lights, heading a warning something wrong was going on. The gals all made it back as quickly as they could.
"We got trouble and I mean big time," Buddy stated after getting up to meet up with the gals. "Fiends are pouring out of the temples!"
"Which ones," Rikku asked.
"Only all of them!" Brother looked to be in panic mode. "What is going on? What should we do!?"
Yuna looked unsure as to what to do. She hesitated on responding.
"Is it Gullwing time," Brother asked.
"It's not exactly sphere hunting work," Shinra pointed out.
"Everyone seeing Yuna again may help them calm a bit," Buddy stated. "Sphere hunting or not, something has to be done."
"With that said, they will expect Yuna to do all the dirty work," Paine addressed.
"Not alone," Melanie butted in. "I been trying to paint us as a good picture on things. Too many sphere hunters have been greedy."
"That adds to my idea," Rikku said while jumping happily. "We can be your friendly neighborhood Gullwings!"
Yuna perked up to that. "That's a great idea!"
"And get a donation on the side," Melanie stated. "If we will be doing all the work for the temple, I say we get paid in whatever they have to offer, even food."
Rikku bounced again. "There you go!"
"Then where to," Brother asked.
"We got other reports first," Buddy jumped in. He was at the console. "It seems Nooj and Baralai are both missing from their groups. No one has seen them in a while. Also we got a help request put in for the desert!"
"So we drop off the Gullwings first and then we go to the desert to dig," Shinra spoke out.
"But we could use Melanie's help," Rikku stepped in.
"She doesn't have a dressphere or a weapon," Shinra reminded her.
"Then make her one," Rikku almost shouted, stomping one foot.
"What do you think I'm doing?"
"Oh..." Rikku scratched her chin with one finger.
"I think for now, we should drop them off and then head to Besaid," Yuna ordered.
"Just make sure she hasn't given birth yet," Melanie told her. "I did say I was gonna be there for her big day. I don't wanna break that."
Yuna smiled and giggled slightly. "No promises."
Melanie and Shinra were dropped off at the desert and the gals were dropped off at Besaid. Melanie went to talk to the one in charge and both of them got put to work. Nearly an hour passed and Shinra bounced in joy of what was found. The other parts were loaded onto the carrier. They returned with what they found and gained their pay for it. Shinra bargained for the piece needed to make Melanie's dressphere.
"This is only one of the pieces I need to make the ruined surprise," Shinra spoke.
"Don't blame yourself or Rikku for that. No one knew," Melanie told him.
Shinra watched the ship arrive and both of them got onboard. Yuna, Rikku and Paine were waiting at the bridge.
"What's going on," Melanie asked them all. "I thought you were going to a temple."
"We met with Wakka," Yuna started. "He told us it was strange for fiends to be coming from the temples, but they had it under control. If they need us, they can contact our ship."
"So, I guess things are not so bad... yet." Melanie shook her head. "We still should find out what is going on ourselves."
"In due time." Yuna nodded.
"Oh, hey!" Buddy waved them over. "Sphere break is happening today!"
"I didn't practice enough!" Melanie felt her anger peak. "I don't want to deal with that guy!"
"You can do it," Shinra told her. "I taught you the basics and the tricks needed. You will do just fine."
"I want to believe that..."
"Then let's go," Shinra addressed. "And all of us should enter for a better chance at the coin."
"But it's just for me to win," Melanie muttered.
"Don't worry," Yuna assured. "Maybe we can all take a vote on losing to you."
"I play to win," Shinra spoke out. "How will you learn if you aren't pushed to your limits?"
"I don't think I want to lose, either," Rikku jumped in, sounding a little guilty. "It shouldn't just be your burden anyway! We can all pitch in together! Come on, what do you say? We are like family!"
"But I wanna be selfish," Melanie pointed out sounding down and yet sounding a little like Tidus she did notice. "Or I should say, I don't think Rin will allow anyone else to win it. I think he put that upon my responsibility alone which makes it harder."
"Then I will demand for it if I win," Paine told her.
This shocked everyone. She never joined in on anything they ever done for fun. Down in the Calm lands, she mostly just kept to herself, chilling in the center of it all, watching everyone else play the games that were available.
"Do you even know how to play," Shinra asked her.
"Won't you be surprised," was all she told Shinra.
"Then we are going to Luca," Buddy agreed.
Luca was packed and everyone was waiting to play. Rin was on the bridge to the high road. He looked down to everyone and greeted them all. After a short speech, he wished everyone good luck. He held out the coin and looked at Melanie, letting her know that way, he has it and if she makes it, it's all hers. To her, she thought he would have made it public to embarrass her. She nodded in response and watched him take his leave along with his flock of girls.
"This battle is not yours alone," Yuna reassured Melanie. "You are a Gullwing and we always help each other out."
"Split up and gain your wins," Rikku shouted happily. "We only need to get a few wins and make sure you don't lose up to three times or you are out! I think... I forget."
"A few wins," Melanie asked.
"And you get to face a champion to claim that prize!" Rikku smiled. "Good luck!"
Melanie watched her skip on ahead. Everyone else went their separate ways in hopes to gain their wins. Melanie took a breath before taking a step forward to find an opponent. As time went by, some were starting to walk on out after gaining their total losses. Buddy left due to losing a bit quicker than what he had hoped for. Yuna was standing still looking a bit scared. Rikku was on the ground. She looked very bummed out.
"I almost won," she mumbled. "I was so close, too!"
"Better luck next time," Paine told her. "I haven't lost one yet."
"I don't think we should be battling each other," Yuna pointed out, sounding a little worried.
Shinra went up to the girls. "As much as I hate to admit it, but we seem to be the best right now. We have no choice. I'm next."
"Bring it, shorty," Paine challenged.
Yuna watched. She had two losses and three wins. If it meant only them up against each other, their chances of getting the coin for Melanie was a sure thing. She tried telling herself this to calm down. It doesn't matter now. It doesn't matter... She then watched Shinra win.
"You do know your stuff," Shinra told Paine. "You surprise me."
Paine nodded. "Get that coin. Good luck."
Shinra gave her a thumbs up. "Melanie," Shinra called over. "I see you... Did you make it this far?"
Melanie nodded. "I have only one loss."
"I taught you well. Show me what you got!"
Melanie hesitated on going up to Shinra to challenge. She worked up the nerve and did as told. Yuna kept a close eye on the battle between the two. She saw how Melanie hesitated on selections, she watched Shinra choose the numbers to mess with her. It was a close win, too. Melanie ended up in the same position as Rikku; on the floor and looking defeated, bummed out.
"If I had an extra turn left, you would have won that one," Shinra told her.
"Coins kept getting taken away... What was I to do?"
"I'm not easy." Shinra looked to Yuna. "Are you next?"
Yuna jumped lightly to that. She was not ready either. She nodded and went up to Shinra. "I think I'm ready."
"It's elementary when you understand the jist of it. I don't plan on losing. Prepare to get your butt kicked by a kid."
Yuna hesitated as soon as the match began. It was a battle with numbers, some being tricky while only a few would give you some coins back. She remembered one coin she kept on her she was glad to add in the mix. In her mind, it was like he was there, helping her along the way, giving her that extra boost she needed. Before Shinra knew it, only half the turns taken and all the quotas were met.
"No way." Shinra looked up at Yuna.
"Way!" Yuna bounced a little with glee.
"My goggles... steamed up..." Shinra walked away from her.
Rin came on down from the bridge to meet with Yuna. "Congratulations," he told her in Al Bhed. "I do believe this dressphere is now yours for the taking." He held it out.
Yuna did not look pleased and she refused to take it. "Why not something else?"
"Oh?" He seemed confused on her request. "This is first prize to the winner after all. I don't understand. If you don't wish to take it, I can offer ten grand!"
"Money is good, but I want the gold coin."
"I see... No, I cannot offer it to you or to anyone else. It is for Melanie to only win and she knew this, did she not?"
Yuna held up her Tidus coin to him. "Then take this one back! It wasn't right of you to give this to me to begin with and I know it was to mock her for it! Even if this one did help me win... She waited for two years!"
Rin slowly took the coin. "I'm sorry you feel this way."
"You should be sorry, but not for me..."
"I will give you both the money and the sphere for an apology. Maybe next year you both could win for them back."
"you just lost a valuable player," Shinra shouted to Rin. "I won't compete next year! These two will!"
"If I or Melanie win then next year, both coins should be given as a prize," Yuna told Rin. "Only fair since you keep playing with her emotions."
Before Rin spoke a word, a man ran down the bridge from the high road calling out for Yuna.
"We have problems on the road," he told her. "The machina just went nuts out of nowhere!"
"We can take care of that," Rikku shouted. "This will be easy!"
Shinra took Melanie's hand. "Let's go back to the airship. Don't be so down... I can get you ready for next year. Hey, I lost to Yuna. I was really embarrassed."
Melanie looked at him without muttering a word.
"And I am the best! I can make you that dressphere now and you can go on missions with the Gullwings as it was intended to begin with."
Both of them went to the ship while Yuna, Rikku and Paine took care of the machina that went berserk on the high road. Shinra returned back down below to set up the very first commsphere. Shinra walked down along the path, passed the inn to set up another one.
"How does it look on the monitor," Shinra asked Melanie.
"It looks clear and I can hear things pretty well. Did you get the idea of the goggles you did earlier?"
"Yeah. I wanna put them everywhere. Is Yuna on the ship yet?"
"I think they moved on foot to see if they can do anything else in other areas," Melanie answered.
"Hmm... Did the prizes make it at least?"
"Brother took them from Rin. He called him a meanie as well."
"I'm returning to the ship now..."
Shinra addressed to the others that he wanted to put commspheres all around as soon as possible. Yuna had told the others no one really needed any help at the temples since it was very little the fiends came out. So far, everyone seemed to be doing alright. Once they reached Gudadosalam, Melanie joined Shinra as he set up the commsphere. Melanie went into the chateau. She could hear talking. She recognized it as Ormi and Logos. She moved closer to listen in.
Ormi cleared his throat. He changed the tone in his voice. "Leblanc, there's nothing to worry about."
"That doesn't sound anything like him," Logos scolded.
"Ok, let's hear you give it a try!" Ormi crossed his arms in a fit of anger.
Logos cleared his throat and changed his tone. "Leblanc, there's nothing to worry about."
Melanie giggled and it caught their attention. "Oh, I'm sorry... I don't think he sounds like he tightens his throat to sound like a strange creature from another world!"
"That bad, was it," Logos asked in disappointment of himself.
"What's going on," she asked them both.
"The boss is really down," Ormi began. "Ever since we been back here, she had her time to relax and hearing that Nooj is missing got her all sad like!"
"And you think sounding like Nooj will help her?" She couldn't help but giggle again which got both of them to bow their heads in shame. "Hey, sorry I cannot help in that department! Voice acting is really hard to do when trying to sound like someone else. Maybe there is something else that could cheer her up?"
"That sphere you gave her, she won't stop looking at it," Logos told Melanie. "Wait, we do have something we believe!"
"Yes?" Melanie smiled.
"In the back rooms, we left our recordings in one of them... It's best to just show you. Follow me."
Logos lead the way to one of the rooms where two other spheres were located. One made by him and one made by Ormi. He was a little confused on which one had what on it, so he let one be analyzed for viewing on the monitor. The image shot was terrible. The recorder they were using might be pretty old. At least the images were easy to tell where they were pointing, but Melanie furrowed her brow at one of the scenes. One of them likes Yuna's behind and legs. Then it panned over to Paine's rear end. Melanie cracked her knuckles once she saw her own in shot.
"Seems someone likes ass... Someone wanting to get theirs kicked," Melanie muttered loudly through her teeth.
"Ormi shot this one," Logos said quickly in fear.
Once Ormi came into frame, Logos removed that sphere quickly and put in the other one. Melanie shot over a glare at him. His body tensed and tried his best to pay attention to what was going on in this sphere. He paused it and enhanced the view, zooming in to where he thought something was spotted and he was right. It was Nooj walking into a doorway.
"He has to be tough to get down that far all by himself... But why do it alone," Melanie asked.
"We figured it was him... Please don't tell the boss," Logos begged.
"About the ass shots or Nooj?" Melanie crossed her arms.
"Thing is, if she found out about this, she won't stop until she finds him herself," Ormi stepped in.
"And that is a bad thing, how?" Melanie tilted her head.
"We don't want her getting hurt," Ormi answered. "Or worse..."
"Maybe I can talk to her then... See if I can try to get her to be happy in some way. How does that sound then instead?"
"She trusts you," Ormi pointed out.
"One more question... Did any of you see or record anything in the piston looking place where things were just moving up and down," she asked.
"We didn't happen across anything else if that's what you are asking... Why? Did you see something," Logos asked her.
"It's fine." Melanie took the orb from Logos, watching him flinch. She crushed it in front of his face. "Maybe ask a pretty girl out instead of taking images of her body, hm? If Auron saw this, he would make sure this would go down your throat and out the smallest hole you have... It won't be your ass..." She turned to Ormi and bowed lightly. "Thank you for your kind help." She left on out of the room.
"I don't feel so good," was all Logos could get out feeling terrified.
Ormi laughed. Melanie made it to Leblanc's room. She spotted Leblanc sitting on the bed with her head low.
"Need a few words of encouragement," Melanie asked her kindly. She never got a response. Melanie walked right up to her. "How about a song instead?"
"Look... I'm not really in the mood," was all Leblanc could tell her calmly.
"Well for what I was told, the song I was taught has a healing nature to it. Hence the name: the song of healing. I don't know what it does or why but it has some magic to it. I'm not trying to fool you. Or I would be more of a larger fool for believing in Auron who told this to me."
"Alright." Leblanc looked up. "Give it a shot, I guess..."
Melanie brought out the ocarina. Leblanc looked at it in question. She never seen anything like it before anywhere on Spira. Melanie fiddled around with the holes, trying to remember how each went by watching her hands. Once she felt comfortable, she finally played the 11 notes twice softly. Melanie then looked at the instrument and wondered if she did it right. She put it away and looked at Leblanc who had her eyes closed. Melanie gave her a moment. It was like the melody was in her mind, almost as if she could hear the full song.
"Sorry if it didn't work..." Melanie shrugged.
Leblanc opened her eyes slowly. "I'm not as depressed as I was earlier."
"If... it helps... You know Nooj's plan. You know what he is doing, where he is going and I am sure he is doing this alone when he shouldn't be."
Leblanc stood. "You are right. Oh but I need to plan!"
"Then I will leave you to it. Don't rush. Plan carefully and let your heart guide you."
Melanie took her leave. Shinra was still there by the commsphere, waiting for Melanie. They returned to the ship together. Shinra continued his sphere setting in all areas. Some time had passed and the trio returned to the ship. Yuna had one sphere in her hand thanks to one of the Ronso finding it and offered it to her. Everyone tried to get in what rest they could before the console started beeping for Buddy to look at. He didn't mind leaning back and catching a snooze if he wanted to without leaving his work station, but to be woken up abruptly by that monitor was a bit startling.
Buddy hit the comms button to report to everyone. "Not sure if you are all sleeping but its time to wake up! Besaid is asking for help now."
"What's going on," Melanie asked, the first one to show up on the bridge.
Buddy turned around to face the group that was now there. "Someone wants to burn the temple to stop the fiends. I guess they got out of hand."
"They can't burn stone," Melanie pointed out. "They would have to blow it up instead."
"Either way, I won't let that happen," Yuna jumped in. "We take out the source!"
Buddy nodded and took them directly to Besaid. Once there, Melanie took off her goggles and handed them over to Rikku. She took them, confused as to why.
"I want to see what you see," Melanie answered her, knowing of her quiet question. "If I can't join you, I can get the gist of what's going on for future preparations."
Rikku nodded and set them on her head. She followed Yuna and Paine on down below to tackle the situation at hand. Melanie took Shinra's seat at the monitor. Let the kid sleep and spectate! That kid did a lot of running around, she thought. In that suit, it had to be really hot, even if he was used to it. It would still be exhausting. Something else was on her mind.