Chapter 68 – In Search of Mysteries
The sunlight shining on Yuna's face warmed her skin in contrast to the cool breeze fluttering through her hair. Bevelle stirred mixed emotions within as it always did. Though she was born here, she never felt a deep connection to the city. Her heart would skip a beat every time she entered its domain. The tragic events of the past she encountered here had never fully been unpacked, though today the past didn't concern her.
She stood at the edge of the balcony to the old temple's entrance, staring off into the distance. A hazy line of grey and white clouds hovered over the horizon, masking the afternoon sun. A gradient of blues colored the ocean water, going from dark to light as her gaze drew closer to the edge of the water. The same breeze flitting her hair around coursed over the ocean, creating rippling waves in its wake.
The narrow waterfalls trickling off the balcony drew her eyes to the clusters of homes and shops far below her. Squinting her eyes, she watched people bustle in the streets. At this height, they looked like ants to her. The city held remarkable people who survived many calamities in recent years.
She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, filling her lungs with cool air. Opening her eyes again, she took in the majestic view around her. Though Bevelle had many dark corners and contained foul secrets in its shadows, she enjoyed this view nearly as much as the beautiful beach line of her home in Besaid. Yuna hardly had the opportunity to indulge herself with this view, especially alone, and she allowed herself to just live in the moment.
She knew the moment would be fleeting. Although happy to allow herself and her friends a relaxing time in the city, she knew Bevelle held more secrets within its walls. She hoped to uncover more about the time-traveling spheres and the mysterious inventor who forged them.
Grasping her arms together behind her, she patiently waited for Baralai to become free for the day. Truly excited to see him, a part of Yuna felt guilty. Baralai would naturally have access to secrets from Yevon, but she didn't want to use him. She preferred to find them herself if she could.
Wrapping her arms around herself, she reflected on Shuyin and Lenne's memories. Such an untamed mixture they formed inside her, she thought. At times, having so many memories from other people in her felt like it pushed out her own self. The idea of time travel seemed utterly ridiculous to her—an impossible feat relegated to children's stories. Only a desperate soul like Shuyin would become so enraptured by the idea that he would see the world burn to achieve it.
Then again, when she closed her eyes, she imagined Tidus standing beside her. She played with the idea that she could alter just a tiny fragment of history, and he would still be alive. That hole in her heart, left in the wake of his vanishing into the Farplane four years ago from atop the Fahrenheit, still bled. She told herself many times since that day that he ultimately saved the world by not shunning his fate. The possibility of reversing his fate and having him back tugged at her morality.
Footsteps sounding behind her brushed away the tempting notion from her mind. Yuna turned around to see Rikku and Paine waving at her. They had gone into the city proper for a while when she felt like being alone. Rikku scurried up to her cousin and playfully nudged her on the arm.
"Is tall, dark, and handsome still keeping you waiting?" she asked.
Yuna smiled. "Yes, he is still busy. It's okay though. I've been enjoying the ocean."
"Don't get too caught up in it. There are better things here to check out," said Rikku while giving Yuna a wink.
"Oh, stop it," Yuna said. "Hey, how was walking through the city, Paine?"
Paine had been watching the clouds drift across the sky with her arms tightly folded against her body. She didn't seem to register Yuna's words at first.
"Oh, um, yeah . . . it was fun. You'd hardly know blocks of the city were torn apart two years ago," she finally answered.
"Let me tell you, Paine isn't much for shopping," Rikku growled. "I couldn't even get her to look at all the cool clothing in the store windows."
Paine rolled her eyes. "Like I'm going to take all day to try things on."
Rikku shrugged. "Anyway, I got you a little present while we were out, Yunie."
"A present for me? Rikku, you didn't need to do that."
Rikku pulled a glass bottle from her pouch. A devilish smile crept across her face. Yuna peered curiously at the small bottle's contents—a somewhat transparent, rosy-colored liquid. Without warning, Rikku shoved the bottle up to Yuna's face and pressed down on the metal topper. A squirt of odious liquid sprayed out onto her. She reeled back and started to cough.
"Hey, careful!"
Yanking the bottle back, Rikku grinned anxiously. "Oops, sorry."
Yuna waved her hand in front of her face. "What's in there?"
"Perfume!" Rikku declared. "I thought you better smell nice when you go meet Baralai. I found this hibiscus perfume for you."
"I appreciate it. The perfume does smell wonderful. Just . . . not right in my face."
The door behind them shuttered before opening. A New Yevon attendant, a teenage boy, traipsed out from the temple. He wore robes a size too large for his body, as the sleeves drooped over his hands. He glanced at each of the girls. Yuna wondered why he seemed so unsure of his next action.
"Uh, hey there little guy. What's up?" asked Rikku bluntly.
The boy nearly jumped out of his robes. "Oh! Lady Yuna, the Praetor is ready to see you."
Rikku giggled. "You got the wrong girl, kid. Baralai won't want to see me."
The boy apologized and bowed toward Yuna. "I'm sorry! Please, this way."
"I'll see you guys later," said Yuna, waving to Rikku and Paine.
Rikku beamed. "Go get 'em tiger!"
Rolling her eyes, Yuna followed the boy into the temple and upstairs to a parlor. When the boy opened the door to the room, she saw a man and a woman turning to leave. She caught a glimpse of the yellow armband the woman wore depicting the symbol of the Youth League on it. Baralai let out a huff before spotting Yuna. His face eased into a warm smile.
"Ah, Lady Yu—I mean, Yuna. Sorry to keep you waiting for so long," he said.
"Oh, don't worry about it. I just hope I'm not bothering you."
He walked over and took her hands into his. "Nonsense, you never could bother me. I'm happy to see you again. And your perfume smells lovely."
She felt her cheeks warm. "You're too kind. I apologize for being a little distant as of late. I've been a lot busier than I expected."
"If you would care for a walk," he said while gesturing toward the door. "I would love to hear how the Gullwings got back together."
She explained the circumstances behind the Gullwings' reunion while she followed Baralai through the temple, eventually making their way to the entrance chamber. She felt guilty for removing any reference to Shuyin from her story. Even as much as she wanted to not keep secrets from Baralai, something inside her still hesitated with revealing Shuyin's return.
Unlike the underground, many of the wings and rooms she visited she had not been in since she was a little girl. It swelled up bittersweet memories of simpler times in her. The past didn't sweep her into a foul mood with Baralai's calming presence beside her.
"From Luca, to Leblanc, to the Gullwings. I must say, you've been all over the place recently!" commented Baralai.
Yuna chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I have. It feels like I got swept up by a tornado."
"Never a dull moment for you now."
"Well, maybe for a little bit. I told Rikku and Paine we could spend some time in Bevelle."
Baralai perked up. "Oh, so you'll stay for a while?"
"Yes," she replied, looking into his eyes. "Some downtime will do us some good."
"I'm glad to hear that. When I heard you had rejoined the Gullwings, I feared I wouldn't have the chance to see you much again."
Yuna shuffled her feet. "After our last time . . ."
Baralai touched his hand underneath her chin, raising her head. The softness of his fingers felt like silk caressing her skin. The warmth in his chestnut-colored eyes mesmerized her.
"Since you have some time on your hands, would you care to join me on a picnic?"
Yuna's eyes widened. "A picnic sounds wonderful! When?"
Baralai rubbed his chin. "How about today? After the headaches I dealt with this morning, I would much enjoy spending some time with you."
"Yes, of course!"
His smile radiating, Baralai left to procure a basket and some food. Yuna remained in the entrance chamber to the former temple, patiently standing to the side. She watched three older New Yevon members come up on the lift from below. At first, she hardly gave them any thought until she noticed grim expressions on their faces. They stepped off the lift and began conversing in hushed tones. Curiously grabbed a hold of Yuna, and she crept closer to them, trying to be inconspicuous.
"The Praetor will not like this news," whispered the man in the center while rubbing his bald head.
The woman to his left shook her head as she wrang her wrinkled hands together. "Yes, but this is all very concerning."
"The old machina were one thing, but all these fiends . . . where did they come from?" the man to his left with straggly grey hair around his ears asked.
"It must have something to do with the strange fog that appeared from nowhere," said the woman.
The man in the center sighed. "And we can't even access the information to perhaps find out. Oh, we must find the Praetor."
Rushing by Yuna, the three New Yevon members hastily headed upstairs. Perplexed by the small portion of their conversation, she felt alarmed that they may be having a quiet emergency. She reeled her worry back, not wanting to get in a tizzy over what could amount to nothing, hoping Baralai would bring it up in their conversation later.
Yuna continued to wait for over a half-hour before Baralai emerged back into the entrance chamber. She instantly noticed a more tired expression on his face, even though he lit up some upon seeing her. He let out a sharp sigh before nodding to her.
"Sorry for making you wait," he said.
Yuna brushed off his terse explanation. "No need to apologize. You're a very important person. I know you'll be busy just like I find myself."
"You're too kind," he said before holding up a basket. "Let me treat you to lunch."
The clouds from the morning had mostly departed, clearing the way for the bright, blue sky. She walked beside Baralai, her heart fluttering with each step she took. His bronzed skin glowed under the sunlight of the afternoon. His fingers danced closer to hers about every block they walked together, although never quite made contact. She found his coyness adorable.
After a short walk from the temple, they arrived at Baralai's destination. Yuna didn't recall a park being in this part of the city. She gazed around at the vibrant grove of green grass and colorful flowers tucked away inside Bevelle. Baralai pointed out a shady tree nearby—a perfect location for a picnic.
He tapped his palm against his forehead. "Ah, I forgot to bring a blanket."
"It's alright. The grass is dry and as soft as can be," said Yuna, plopping herself down under the tree.
She looked up at the lofty heights of the apartment buildings just on the edges of the park. A young couple stood on a balcony at the top of the nearest apartment, both resting their hands on a wrought iron guardrail. They laughed together at something the woman said.
Baralai began removing the food he prepared from the basket. The smell immediately overtook the scent of the turquoise and violet flowers next to Yuna. He pulled out a small container of blueberries, then a box of crackers and jam, and finally a wrapped-up platter of bread and cheese.
"This spot is so beautiful. I don't remember it from when I lived here as a kid," commented Yuna.
Baralai smiled. "I'm glad to hear it. This didn't exist when you were a child."
"It didn't?"
"Yes, after Maester Kinoc let fiends rampage through the city, the neighborhood decided to repair this section by making it a park."
"What a lovely idea!"
"With the guidance of New Yevon, we've been able to rectify the damage Kinoc did to the city in a short amount of time."
Plucking a handful of blueberries into her hand, her eyes wandered around the newly established park. A cluster of children played together on the other side of the pathway, taking turns kicking a ball at each other. Two old women sat on a bench, glancing over at Baralai and herself every so often. Yuna couldn't help but snicker when they whispered into each other's ears.
Sharing some bread and cheese he sliced, Baralai started to chat about some of the other recent projects around Bevelle New Yevon had been involved with. A far cry from the dogmatic rhetoric spouted by the Yevon clergy, Yuna admired the new direction he had been able to navigate in the few years since he took over as leader of the faction.
The course of their conversation together led them through a myriad of subjects, with all of them light-hearted. Yuna kept her eyes fixated on Baralai not because of infatuation, but because she tried to read what he thought underneath the surface. Something worrisome occurred beneath the temple and she wanted to determine if Baralai hid concern over it or if she imagined a situation worse than reality.
His dismay seemed to deflate the more they conversed under the shade of the tall tree. Brushing aside her concern, she melted into the conversation and allowed herself to just enjoy his company. She hadn't let herself disconnect from her worry to enjoy the company of another since she floated in the Macalania spring with Tidus under the starlight many years ago.
Glancing up at the afternoon sun hanging in the sky, Baralai emitted a short sigh. Yuna finished eating her berries and gave him a curious glance.
"What's the matter?" she asked.
Baralai rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, just a lot on my mind. I need to head back soon."
"Anything you want to talk about?"
Baralai hesitated before answering, "Oh no, nothing I'd want to trouble you over. There are always matters of politics to deal with."
"It's not easy being a leader."
"No, certainly not," he said before chuckling. "But I gladly deal with the headaches to see my people prosper."
Baralai and Yuna cleaned up the remnants of their picnic and began walking back to the temple. The worry from before manifested itself on his face every so often. Still, he blocked her attempts to perceive what exactly troubled him.
"Oh, hey, I have a favor to ask you."
Baralai glanced over at her. "Of course. What is it?"
"Are the old books and records still in the temple?" she asked.
"Yes, for the most part, everything is still intact from the days of Yevon."
She continued, "Can I take a look at them? I need to do some research for, um, hunting for new spheres."
Baralai smiled. "Ever the adventurer. I will have one of my attendants take you to the old library. Feel free to research to your heart's content."
When they arrived at the temple, Baralai called for an attendant to lead Yuna to do her research. He hardly had time to instruct the attendant before others came to whisk him away. Yuna tried to cover up her concern but knew something bad was in motion. The attendant, a young woman barely the same age as Yuna when she began her pilgrimage, bowed at her.
"Please follow me, Lady Yuna," she said.
The young woman led Yuna up to the top floor of the temple and into a grand library. The scene before her dazzled just as it had the first time she entered it as a young girl. She didn't even notice the attendant quietly slip out of the room and close the door behind her.
The simplistic ivory floor and woodwork complimented the turquoise and deep indigo paint of the ceiling. Dozens of tall and lanky bookshelves held hundreds of books and scrolls on their white shelves. Glad to find herself alone, Yuna ambled her way to the back of the library—her favorite spot as a child.
An arched window, splitting two bookshelves apart, showed the sparkling blue ocean down below. A wispy haze hung over the cluster of small islands in the distance. The view hadn't changed since her childhood.
She allowed herself a smile and a few moments of contemplation before beginning her search. She grazed her fingers across the books on the shelf to her right. A line of similar books, all bound in a murky, forest green leather, chronicled the history of Yevon, but only from the past two hundred years.
Continuing to examine the book spines facing her, she saw a plethora of topics at her disposal—antiquated religious texts, letter collections from priests of yesteryear, and mundane supply ledgers. Yuna wrinkled her nose and let out a sigh.
Her search led her around the entire library. Out of the corner of her eye, she spied the sun drifting lower in the sky. The day would soon fade into night.
About to give up on her search, Yuna bumped into one of the bookshelves behind her, accidentally spilling some of the books on the floor. Bending over to pick them up, she noticed a weathered tome covered in a thin film of dust. Brushing away the grime with her hand, she narrowed her eyes to make out the title which had been worn away from age. It read Advancements in Research & Science. While generic, the title intrigued her enough to open the book.
Mindlessly walking to a nearby table, with lions carved into the legs, Yuna sat down and began reading. The opening pages depicted a long-forgotten experimenter who lived during the days of the Machina War. Her eyes widened when the scientist revealed his name—Iutycyr. The same name as the tower she explored two years ago and the same name as the scientist meddling with time travel.
"It must be the same person," she said, not realizing she spoke out loud.
Fixated solely on the book, even as night fell on Spira, she obsessed over its contents. The brass light fixtures hanging from the ceiling automatically lit themselves, filling the darkening room with light. Pouring over the pages, she obsessed over every detail. This man, who started tinkering with machina as a child, tragically turned his knowledge of science into war machines for Bevelle. In part, Iutycyr gave Bevelle the advantage over Zanarkand and their summoners. In the last chapter, he wrote about his ideas on machina being able to detect emotions.
By the end, Yuna realized that this tome only contained the first part of his work. When she walked back to the shelves to retrieve the second volume, she found no such book to exist. The line of books skipped where the missing book should be. A sudden knock on the door startled her.
Looking up, she saw the young attendant poke her head through the door. "I'm sorry, Lady Yuna, but this part of the building closes at night."
"Of course," said Yuna. "May I take this book with me? I promise to return it."
The woman shrugged. "I suppose. You are the Praetor's honored guest."
Yuna stood up and bowed. "Thank you. Oh, one more question."
"What is it?"
"Do you know where I might find the second volume of this?"
The attendant entered the room and approached Yuna. She leaned in to examine the tome in Yuna's possession. Scratching at her cheek, she scanned her eyes over the cover.
"If it's not in here, then it must be in the archives."
Yuna asked, "Archives? Where is that room at?"
"That is below the temple. Right now, it is off limits per order of the Praetor."
"I see," Yuna said, hesitating to press further. "Thank you for your help. I will retire for the night."
"As you wish, Lady Yuna. Please, let me see you out."
Clutching the book in her arms, Yuna followed the young woman out of the temple. If this book lay far beneath the temple, she pondered what other secrets were locked away with it. Wishing not to trouble Baralai or go against his orders, she knew she would need to enlist her friend's help.
