After scouring the city of Luca and coming up fruitless, the group decided to bid Rikku and her young daughter farewell and continue onwards, through the Mi-ihen Highroad, Mushroom Rockroad and the Djoze Highroad until they came to the Temple of Djoze. They would search the area, rest up, and, if necessary, continue onwards towards the Moonflow.
Yuna rubbed her toes together and wiggled her feet. They were sore. She could also feel the muscles in her stomach tighten and stretch. They'd only made it to Luca and already she was feeling the strain. She didn't know how much longer her body could continue. It was her inner will and hope that spurred her on, as well as her undying love for Tidus.
"Good luck, Yunie!" Rikku called, waving at the group as they left the city. Yuna turned and smiled at her best friend. Rikku was always such a positive person. Everything would turn out all right, she'd say.
She's right, Yuna thought. Everything will turn out all right.
Yuna had forgotten just how long the Mi-ihen Highroad was. It seemed that back then everything flew by because she was happy and content, and fulfilling her destiny of becoming a Summoner. But now, hurting and tired, and missing her lover, the road seemed to span forever, never ending and just twisting and turning.
It was still a beautiful place though. Verdant meadows spanned the Highroad, stretching back miles until they reached the glossy blue horizon. Chocobos grazed, sun-bathed and preened themselves in the grass. Birds flew overhead and butterflies flitted past. The sun was high in the sky, its warmth caressing Yuna's head and shoulders.
Travellers walked past the group towards Luca, some whizzing by on Chocobo-back, others strolling and taking their sweet time. Others walked with them, but at different paces. There were some they overtook, and others who overtook them, as if they were on some sort of mission. People were all doing their own things. They were all living their own lives.
She took in the scenery and sighed, dreamily. This really was a beautiful place, and just looking around and taking everything in was making her feel better. Besides, she was with her friends. They were on this journey together.
A cacophony of screams and monstrous roars echoed in the distance; a man and a woman and what sounded like a huge, deadly fiend. Spira was calmer now than it used to be when Sin lurked around every corner, but there were still fiends about. Usually, they'd keep to themselves, just like any wild animal would, but sometimes things got out of hand and they'd attack humans and cities, just like the serpents attacked Kilika.
"HELP US!" the man screamed. In the not-so-far distance, Yuna could see a man and a small woman tearing down the highroad, their mouths forming O shapes as they screamed and their arms flailing in the air. A huge scaly monster with long muscled arms and a gigantic toothy mouth was chasing them, roaring so loud it seemed to vibrate the air.
"Yuna!" cried Lulu. "Move to the side! Wakka, get ready with your Blitzball! I've got a Blizzaga spell ready to unleash on it, too."
With snake-like reflexes, the hulking monster grabbed the unsuspecting and helpless man with one of its muscled arms, opened its mouth and hung its floundering morsel above its gaping maw.
"BOOYA!" Wakka yelled. His Blitzball rocketed through the air, gaining momentum with each millisecond until it was nothing but a blur. It smacked against its target with such force that it sent the monster soaring backwards. The man dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes and rolled across the grass three times before stopping completely, as the fallen beast exploded into Pyreflies behind him.
"Marco!" the woman cried. She ran up to him, dropped to her knees and hugged him. "Are you all right?!"
"I was almost that thing's dinner!" the man wailed. "I can't believe it!" He glanced around. "Thank you so much for saving my life!"
"That's quite all right," Lulu said.
"Yeah, no sweat!" said Wakka, puffing his chest out and carrying his Blitzball under one arm.
"I wish I could have done something," mumbled Yuna from the grassy verge. She was sat on her knees, cradling her bump with both hands.
"Oh, honey," the woman cooed as she glanced towards her swollen tummy. "Don't worry. You're with child. Besides, your friends seemed to have everything under control. Are you feeling well?" She pulled a rucksack off her shoulders and started to untie the laces that bound it together. "You must be very tired. My husband and I are merchants. We specialise in healing items and potions. I think I have just the thing for you."
She pulled out of her heaving rucksack a glittering turquoise potion.
"It's a Healing Spring. Drink it down in one gulp and it'll keep you going for hours. Here are two more for your friends."
"Thank you, um…"
"Call me Malvina."
"Thank you, Malvina."
"Hey," interjected Wakka. "If you specialise in potions and stuff, do you think you could give us some information about a potion some traveller gave us?"
"Of course," Yuna interjected. "The potion. We still have no idea what it really is."
"Well, pass it over and I'll have a look," Malvina said.
Yuna passed the potion over. Malvina had only handled the potion for one second before her expression changed from indifference to complete shock.
"How on Spira did you get your hands on this?!"
"What do you mean? Is it bad?" Wakka asked.
"Not bad." Malvina turned it in her hands very carefully. "Powerful. Extremely rare. I need to ask you something." She looked at Yuna.
"Go on," Yuna urged.
"Has someone close to you died recently?"
"I-I'm not sure," she stammered. "I'm looking for someone. I don't know whether he is dead or alive. He's just… gone."
"I do not mean to be rude, Malvina," said Lulu, "but could you please get to the point? My friend is hurting. She does not want to be messed around."
"My apologies. I asked you that question because this potion is called a Miracle Mana. If you were to drink this, you would live forever, but pour it into the mouth of someone who has died recently and they'll come back to life, providing that their spirit has not yet crossed over to the Farplane and their body is still in tact."
"For real?" Wakka asked, his eyes wide.
"For real," Malvina replied.
"If you don't mind me saying," Marco piped up, "but where did you get it?"
"A kind lady gave it to me in the Kilika jungle. I don't think she knew what it was, though. She told me it gave hope to anyone that drank it."
"That's called a Wish Potion," he said. They look almost identical. Same colour, same shaped bottle."
"Forgive me for asking," said Lulu. "How do you know that this is a Miracle Mana and not a Wish Potion?"
"A Wish Potion has barely any substance to it, but this one is heavy, like a stack of books. I'm quite surprised you could carry it."
She handed the potion back to Yuna.
"I could feel it weighing down my backpack, but my baby is heavy too. I guess I just got used to carrying heavy things." She giggled, for what felt like the first time in ages. She looked at Malvina and then to her husband. "I trust you both. If my boyfriend has died, I can still bring him back."
Her heart suddenly felt as heavy as the potion.
"Unless he's been sent…" she finished with a deep sigh.
"Well, there is a way we can know for sure," Lulu said. "The Farplane. If he's there, his spirit will come to you."
"That's right," said Yuna, a small smile painting her face. "Things are beginning to fall into place now. I just…" - she looked up into the sky, wringing her hands - …I hope he's not there…"
"And if he isn't there, we'll have to hope that he's somewhere safe and that his body hasn't been ravaged," said Wakka.
"Tact!" boomed Lulu, cutting him a glare. "You have none!"
"What? I was just saying…"
"Think before you open your mouth, Wakka," snapped Lulu.
"It's fine," said Yuna. "He's right. There are still a lot of obstacles to overcome. But I'm hopeful that this will have a happy ending."
"You're full of spirit," said Malvina. "I like that. Who needs a Wish Potion when you have all the hope you ever need right there in your heart?"
Yuna smiled at Malvina.
"Oh," Marco said. "Take all the potions you can carry. You saved my life."
"That is a lovely gesture," Lulu told him, "But we cannot accept your offer. You have a business to run."
"Hey!" Wakka yelled. "You're mad, ya!"
Lulu whipped her head around and glared at her boyfriend, her dark eyes forming slits.
"S-s-sorry…"
Malvina approached Lulu and handed her three X-Potions that were all wrapped up in a little basket.
"At least take these with you then."
"Okay. Thank you very much. We'll buy twelve Hi-Potions too, please. My boyfriend can hang on to those."
Wakka shook his head and sighed. He was sure in her bad books…
"Be careful," said Malvina as they parted ways.
"Look out for each other," Marco said. "Stay safe. And thank you again for saving my life."
"And good luck!" Malvina yelled as the gap between the merchants and Yuna, Lulu and Wakka grew bigger. "You'll find him! You'll bring him back!"
Yuna smiled as she looked into the crystalline depths of the Miracle Mana. Malvina was right; she would find him.