Chapter 3
The city of Bevelle was calm that day. Bright and noble as usual, but no air ships hovered the sky, no glorious music echoed from the temples. No priests or masters walked the streets, only soldiers guarding the doors. Yuna tiptoed nervously with the Gullwings off the airship parked in front of the long walk way to the temple. She slipped her fingers through Tidus's hand. "Something seems off," Paine said scanning the city. "It's to quiet." "Yevon's up to something, as usual," Tidus raised an eyebrow. "Actually, it's New Yevon now," Rikku corrected. "Oh, right...." He shook his head. "It's just a meeting," Yuna said to calm everyone down, although her voice was timid. "All of Spira's important leaders are suppose to be here." "So I guess being the high summoner..." Rikku explained. "Right. I'm a leader of Spira too." "But why didn't they allow all of us?" "I don't know, Paine." Yuna rested her head in her hand. What could be so big that they needed to gather so many people? Or so few people? After all that has happened, would she be able to handle it? Alone? She turned and caught Tidus's eye. She wasn't alone anymore. "Hey," he pointed ahead, "Here comes one of Spira's 'great important leaders' now." Gippal came strutting up the walkway. A smile beamed across his face. "Hey there," he said. "Gippal, what are you doing here?" Rikku asked.
"I've come to escort the lady Yuna safely inside the temple. She has some business with the other leaders of Spira." He motioned for her to follow him.
"I have to go now," She turned toward Tidus. "Wait for me?"
"You know it." He gave her hand a squeeze, then dropped it.
"Come on," Gippal ordered, "Those measters aren't getting any younger."
"Hey," Rikku demaned, "Why weren't the rest of us invited? Did New Yevon forget who beat Sin and Vegnagun?"
"Sorry," Gippal said. "No kids allowed." With that, he and Yuna headed toward the temple.
"Hey Yuna!" Tidus yelled when they were to far away to see their eyes.
"Yeah?!"
"If you need anything, just whistle!"
Gippal lead her through Bevelle underground to a room far beneath the surface. Two guards stood at an enormous door, Riffles in their arms ready to shoot away anyone who wasn't suppose to be there. A shiver ran through her chest. It was just a dream, she reassured herself. One of the guards stepped forward, glaring at her and Gippal, studying their every feature.
"Go ahead," he said, and the other guard opened the door.
As soon as she walked in, voices of conversation ceased. In the massive room, few lights were visible. Shadows covered fimiliar faces. Rows of seats circled the walls. Baralai was right. A lot of Spira's leaders were there. Filling the seats were priests, maesters, from all the temples and even Ronso. Yuna recognized Elma and Lucil of the Youth Leauge, Dona, and Issaru. There was also Nhadala, and Rin, from the Highroad and even some kindergaurdians. They all seemed happy to see her. The seats closest to the floor were occupied by Nooj, Gippal, and Baralai.
But in the center of the room, there was one lone seat for the high summoner. As Yuna sat down, she desperately tried to shut out the memories of her trial for being a "traitor of Yevon."
"Greetings, Lady Yuna. We are all glad you could make it." Baralai spoke in a calm voice.
"Let's just get to the point," Nooj said. He looked tiered and frusterated.
"Right. Lady Yuna..." Baralai began.
"What is ta-king so long!!!!" Brother slammed his fist down on the counter of the cabin. With Yuna gone away, all by herself, he was left to worry and panic until her safe return. Barkeep slid him another drink.
"Relax," Paine said, slouching into the sofa. "She left the airship only an hour ago."
"Yeah," Rikku said spinning herself on one of the bar stools. "and you know how Baralai can just go on and on sometimes."
Tidus paced around the cabin until finally he reached the sat down on the stairs. He leaned back, propping his elbow up on one of the stairs above him. This airship was one of the coolest things he had ever seen. Yuna must have had some awesome adventures on this thing be for he came along. He wondered if him being here now would change that. He hoped not.
It was even better than the one they flew to defeat Sin. That airship didn't have any of Shina's neat gadgets that that one had. But wouldn't defeating Sin make him and the Gullwings just as important as any other of Spira's leaders?
"I don't know," Yuna sighed. "I need some time to think about this."
"Of coarse," said Nooj.
"I don't even know how the rest of Spira will feel. I can't make such a big decision without counseling them and my friend's first." With her eyes down, she made a fist and brought it to her chest.
"That's alright," Baralai explained. "No one except those of us here know about the proposition. Once word gets out, just go around and talk to people. Listen to their feelings."
"It's your decision Yuna," Nooj spoke, and every one in the audiotorium cheered and applauded.
"You're right."
"What's so important that we all couldn't go with her?" Tidus asked. Another hour had gone by. "What ever it is, it's big, and I sense that more things are going to change around here," Paine glared at him.
"You mean our sphere hunting days are over?" Rikku asked with a whimper.
"Never!" Brother shouted.
"Maybe," Paine she glanced at the blonde Al-Beds, "but not if I can help it."
Rikku smiled.
"You guys." They all turned to the door to see Yuna, flushed and exausted. It reminded Tidus of the first time he met her, when she first became a summoner. He got up and walked to her. He would comfort her if she needed it.
"What was the meeting about?" was the first thing everyone asked.
For a long moment Yuna was silent. Another crossroad. She had one when she became a summoner, when she defeated Sin, and when she became a sphere hunter. But never did she ever have to make a decision that affected so many people.
She took a deep breath.
"They said that since the calm, Spira has been breaking apart. With all of the different groups, people have been forced to separate and chose sides. The leaders of these groups want Spira to become one again, but still be able to keep everyone's belifes." Everyone stared wide-eyed at Yuna.
She continued, "They want some one to watch over all the different groups and all of Spira, to protect it and keep order."
She took another deep breath.
"They want to name me Emporess of all Spira."
Brother's mug slipped quietly out of his hand and crashed to the floor, sending broken glass shooting through the cabin. The bitter liquid that was contained in it splashed and seeped through the wooden floor.
Well, that's chapter 3. Chapter four is still in the works...
The city of Bevelle was calm that day. Bright and noble as usual, but no air ships hovered the sky, no glorious music echoed from the temples. No priests or masters walked the streets, only soldiers guarding the doors. Yuna tiptoed nervously with the Gullwings off the airship parked in front of the long walk way to the temple. She slipped her fingers through Tidus's hand. "Something seems off," Paine said scanning the city. "It's to quiet." "Yevon's up to something, as usual," Tidus raised an eyebrow. "Actually, it's New Yevon now," Rikku corrected. "Oh, right...." He shook his head. "It's just a meeting," Yuna said to calm everyone down, although her voice was timid. "All of Spira's important leaders are suppose to be here." "So I guess being the high summoner..." Rikku explained. "Right. I'm a leader of Spira too." "But why didn't they allow all of us?" "I don't know, Paine." Yuna rested her head in her hand. What could be so big that they needed to gather so many people? Or so few people? After all that has happened, would she be able to handle it? Alone? She turned and caught Tidus's eye. She wasn't alone anymore. "Hey," he pointed ahead, "Here comes one of Spira's 'great important leaders' now." Gippal came strutting up the walkway. A smile beamed across his face. "Hey there," he said. "Gippal, what are you doing here?" Rikku asked.
"I've come to escort the lady Yuna safely inside the temple. She has some business with the other leaders of Spira." He motioned for her to follow him.
"I have to go now," She turned toward Tidus. "Wait for me?"
"You know it." He gave her hand a squeeze, then dropped it.
"Come on," Gippal ordered, "Those measters aren't getting any younger."
"Hey," Rikku demaned, "Why weren't the rest of us invited? Did New Yevon forget who beat Sin and Vegnagun?"
"Sorry," Gippal said. "No kids allowed." With that, he and Yuna headed toward the temple.
"Hey Yuna!" Tidus yelled when they were to far away to see their eyes.
"Yeah?!"
"If you need anything, just whistle!"
Gippal lead her through Bevelle underground to a room far beneath the surface. Two guards stood at an enormous door, Riffles in their arms ready to shoot away anyone who wasn't suppose to be there. A shiver ran through her chest. It was just a dream, she reassured herself. One of the guards stepped forward, glaring at her and Gippal, studying their every feature.
"Go ahead," he said, and the other guard opened the door.
As soon as she walked in, voices of conversation ceased. In the massive room, few lights were visible. Shadows covered fimiliar faces. Rows of seats circled the walls. Baralai was right. A lot of Spira's leaders were there. Filling the seats were priests, maesters, from all the temples and even Ronso. Yuna recognized Elma and Lucil of the Youth Leauge, Dona, and Issaru. There was also Nhadala, and Rin, from the Highroad and even some kindergaurdians. They all seemed happy to see her. The seats closest to the floor were occupied by Nooj, Gippal, and Baralai.
But in the center of the room, there was one lone seat for the high summoner. As Yuna sat down, she desperately tried to shut out the memories of her trial for being a "traitor of Yevon."
"Greetings, Lady Yuna. We are all glad you could make it." Baralai spoke in a calm voice.
"Let's just get to the point," Nooj said. He looked tiered and frusterated.
"Right. Lady Yuna..." Baralai began.
"What is ta-king so long!!!!" Brother slammed his fist down on the counter of the cabin. With Yuna gone away, all by herself, he was left to worry and panic until her safe return. Barkeep slid him another drink.
"Relax," Paine said, slouching into the sofa. "She left the airship only an hour ago."
"Yeah," Rikku said spinning herself on one of the bar stools. "and you know how Baralai can just go on and on sometimes."
Tidus paced around the cabin until finally he reached the sat down on the stairs. He leaned back, propping his elbow up on one of the stairs above him. This airship was one of the coolest things he had ever seen. Yuna must have had some awesome adventures on this thing be for he came along. He wondered if him being here now would change that. He hoped not.
It was even better than the one they flew to defeat Sin. That airship didn't have any of Shina's neat gadgets that that one had. But wouldn't defeating Sin make him and the Gullwings just as important as any other of Spira's leaders?
"I don't know," Yuna sighed. "I need some time to think about this."
"Of coarse," said Nooj.
"I don't even know how the rest of Spira will feel. I can't make such a big decision without counseling them and my friend's first." With her eyes down, she made a fist and brought it to her chest.
"That's alright," Baralai explained. "No one except those of us here know about the proposition. Once word gets out, just go around and talk to people. Listen to their feelings."
"It's your decision Yuna," Nooj spoke, and every one in the audiotorium cheered and applauded.
"You're right."
"What's so important that we all couldn't go with her?" Tidus asked. Another hour had gone by. "What ever it is, it's big, and I sense that more things are going to change around here," Paine glared at him.
"You mean our sphere hunting days are over?" Rikku asked with a whimper.
"Never!" Brother shouted.
"Maybe," Paine she glanced at the blonde Al-Beds, "but not if I can help it."
Rikku smiled.
"You guys." They all turned to the door to see Yuna, flushed and exausted. It reminded Tidus of the first time he met her, when she first became a summoner. He got up and walked to her. He would comfort her if she needed it.
"What was the meeting about?" was the first thing everyone asked.
For a long moment Yuna was silent. Another crossroad. She had one when she became a summoner, when she defeated Sin, and when she became a sphere hunter. But never did she ever have to make a decision that affected so many people.
She took a deep breath.
"They said that since the calm, Spira has been breaking apart. With all of the different groups, people have been forced to separate and chose sides. The leaders of these groups want Spira to become one again, but still be able to keep everyone's belifes." Everyone stared wide-eyed at Yuna.
She continued, "They want some one to watch over all the different groups and all of Spira, to protect it and keep order."
She took another deep breath.
"They want to name me Emporess of all Spira."
Brother's mug slipped quietly out of his hand and crashed to the floor, sending broken glass shooting through the cabin. The bitter liquid that was contained in it splashed and seeped through the wooden floor.
Well, that's chapter 3. Chapter four is still in the works...