Chapter 2 – Surrounded by Secrets
The Gullwings marched their way down the plank of the Celsius. Workers unloaded boxes of building supplies destined for the new Youth League base. Others loaded crates of goods bound for various parts of Spira. The clunking of barrels and crates reverberated off the huts. Beyond the docks, Yuna enjoyed the sight of children playing among the homes along the river. A home nearby had food cooking by the window, spreading the sweet smell of pineapple into the air.
"So, how long is it going to take us to get to this tiny island?" Rikku inquired.
Brother threw his arms up into the air. "Don't be antsy, Rikku! It'll take you just a few minutes to row there by boat, right Buddy?"
"Uh, well, it might take a lot longer if they row," Shinra corrected, shaking his head.
Brother folded his arms. "Oh, well, you better get going then."
"How about this—we'll rent one of those airboats they have over there. That should make the trip fairly short," Buddy interjected.
Paine nodded in agreement. " I like Buddy's idea. I'm not rowing all the way to that island."
Brother snorted and began to sulk away. "Alright, alright. I'll go find us a lodge to stay in for the night. You'll suck us dry of gil!"
"Hey, I've got a question." Buddy put his hand on his hips, his voice turning stern. "Why are we paying for a room when the Celsius is right here?"
"Because," Yuna calmly explained. "It's more fun."
"Yeah! Who wants to be cooped up on the Celsius when we can stay in a cool room here in Kilika," Rikku added.
"Give it up. You lost this argument the first time. What makes you think you can win it now?" Paine smugly said, poking fun at Buddy.
"Yeah, yeah, but remember I'm not made out of gil," he grumbled.
Buddy led the three over to an airboat salesman and rented an airboat for the day. Something like "I'm not a gillionaire" sputtered from his lips in Al Bhed. Rikku immediately hopped on the boat and gave it a rev. Then Buddy yelled something to the effect of "that's not insured" in Al Bhed while jumping up and down. The three laughed and waved goodbye to Buddy, who sulked away in a Brother-like fashion.
"Poor Buddy, we're gonna drive him to drink," Rikku giggled.
Yuna added a chuckle of her own. "Okay guys, it's time to focus on our mission."
"That's the first serious thing I've heard all morning," Paine replied while sighing.
"So, what kind of cool things do you think are on this island?" Rikku asked while strutting.
"I don't know. No one has really explored this island. We're probably the first people to come here in decades," Yuna answered.
"Great, just what I love—surprises," grumbled Paine.
The airboat roared across the waves, leaving a bright trail of white film behind them. A strong wind whipped across their faces with exhilarating intensity. Yuna enjoyed the freedom of the open sea; she inhaled the cool wind into her lungs and exhaled with tranquility. She pushed aside the hair in her eyes and watched a seagull fly away into the distance.
After about thirty minutes, the Gullwings reached the beachhead of the mystery island. The sand reached for a few yards, then blurred into grass and trees. No paths or roads cut through the ground and no indication of civilization presented itself anywhere in sight. Coming well-prepared, Paine pulled out a large machete. Cutting the tall grass blockading their path, Paine led her friends to wander into the jungle.
"Hey, did Shinra tell us where the sphere signal was coming from?" Rikku asked in puzzlement.
Paine and Yuna looked at each other and shrugged. Then they both let out a burly grunt of frustration.
"Great, so where are we supposed to look? I don't want to saunter aimlessly around all day," Paine bellyached, pulling out her CommSphere.
To her dismay, nobody replied to her many transmissions, and she mumbled something foul and put away the CommSphere. "Typical. I guess they aren't back yet.
"It's okay, Paine. Let's see if we can find it ourselves first, then we'll give Brother a call," Yuna said, putting her hand on Paine's shoulder.
Paine let out a long sigh and went along with Yuna, who exchanged rolls and led the three around the island. For a while, they came upon nothing exciting. Thick brush impeded their trek, with thick clumps of tall, yellowish-green stalks protruding out of the ground. So much plant life surrounded them, that it made Rikku sneeze herself senseless. Yuna and Paine laughed while watching their friend fumble for something to blow her nose with. Rikku blew into a handkerchief like a blaring trumpet.
"Hey! Don't make fun of an Al Bhed's sensitive nose!" she yelled in her defense.
"You always have to make a lot of noise. One way or another," Paine joked, patting Rikku on the head.
Rikku pouted, blew her nose once again, and threw the handkerchief in Paine's direction. Paine swayed her head, barely dodging Rikku's booger-green snot rag. She grabbed for her machete and began chasing Rikku around some trees.
"Hey, I'm sorry Paine! I was just kidding around!" Rikku pleaded.
"Yeah well, I'm not. I'm gonna cut you down like a weed!"
"Hey, you're a meanie!"
Rikku ran behind Yuna, using her as a human shield. Yuna winked at Paine, her mouth curving into a devious smile. In one swift motion, she pranced behind Rikku and held her by the arms.
"Come get her, Paine! You know the spot!" she yelled in a laugh.
Paine grinned evilly and put away her machete. With fire in her eyes, she tickled Rikku's stomach mercilessly. Unable to stifle her reaction, she belted out a hysterical laugh. It roiled throughout the jungle, echoing off the tall trees and chunky rocks. By the time Paine finished, Rikku gasped for breath while a trail of green snot slid down her nose. Yuna cackled uncontrollably at the sight.
"Hey, Yunie, that was rude!" Rikku snarled, wiping snot from her face.
"Sorry, Rikku, it was just too good of an opportunity to pass up," Yuna giggled.
"Aww, we're sorry snot face. That's so disgusting! Wipe that on a leaf or something," Paine snickered, patting Rikku on the head.
While never saying outright, Yuna enjoyed her cousin's vibrant personality. Although she could be cheeky to be around at times, her hijinks easily made up for that. She reignited a spark within Yuna that had faded since Tidus faded away into the Farplane years ago. Rikku finished blowing her brains out onto another handkerchief. Paine took a large step to the side, holding back a gag.
The grumbling sound of Brother's voice suddenly blasted out of Paine's CommSphere. "Yuna, how are things going on the island?"
Yuna paused for a moment and winked at Rikku and Paine before proceeding to shout, "Ahh! Help us, we're dying!"
"What? Hold on, Yuna! I'm coming to save you!" he bellowed over the CommSphere.
He then paused in confusion at the sound of intense laughter, and not screaming, that came across from the CommSphere.
"Yuna? Yuna! What is happening?"
"It's okay, Brother. I was just kidding," she replied.
He growled. "What! Vun dra muja uv Home! Don't scare me like that! I could have had a heart attack!"
"Serves you right, " Rikku interrupted. "You didn't tell us where to go."
The CommSphere buzzed out a few fuzzy pulses, and the sound of Shinra's voice crackled forth. "Sorry about that guys. I remembered after you left that I didn't give you the coordinates. I apologize for the error. Anyway, the ruins and the sphere you're looking for are in the center of the island. If you haven't been wandering too much, it shouldn't be far away."
"Alright Shinra, thanks. I think we can handle things from here," Yuna replied.
"Give me that, " Brother's voice rumbled. "Are you sure, Yuna?"
"Yes, I'm quite sure."
"Roger that. Over and out!"
Yuna looked over at the other girls, who shook their heads empathically. She winked at both of them and signaled for the girls to follow her. Yuna led them once again into the endless brush of the jungle. Sounds of birds fluttering and monkeys swinging above them echoed throughout. In a few minutes, they came across their first ruin—a small, stone statue of a Tonberry. The girls stood for a moment, looking peculiarly at the stone turtle-like thing. In its right hand, it held a strange curved blade. Shrugging it off, they proceeded on without paying it much thought.
After clearing a line of trees, they came upon a gigantic stone structure. A dozen moss-covered steps led up to an entranceway. Rikku suggested they should explore inside. Paine disagreed with her idea, but Rikku argued that the sphere might be inside. Not to be caught in the conflict, Yuna went inside the shrine, leaving Rikku and Paine to catch up. Inside the foyer, cobwebs hung from the ceiling. Each step she took kicked up a dry cloud of dust. She waved her hand in front of her, desperately holding back a cough.
There were three rooms apparent inside the structure, one to the left, one to the right, and one in the middle raised above ground level. In the middle of the room stood a circle of five more Tonberry statues. Unlike the statue that greeted them at the entrance, these Tonberries were giant-sized, towering three times as tall as the Yuna. At first glance, the statues all appeared the same to her
"Well girls, let's try door number one," Rikku suggested, pointing to the door on the left.
Shrugging her shoulders, Yuna walked up to the ancient wooden door, with part of its bottom rotted away. A line of symbols ran across the top of the door, just a bit above eye level. None of them knew what these symbols meant, but Rikku determined that none of them looked too scary. Yuna carefully shifted her weight against her hands and pushed open the door. Beyond lay the remains of hundreds of broken lanterns. On the opposite side of the room, a hefty pile of tattered robes littered the floor. Rikku picked one up.
"Huh? These things are so small, and they smell kinda funny," she said, throwing the robe down abruptly.
"These are some odd things to be finding in an old temple, wouldn't you say, Yuna?" Paine asked, looking bewilderedly at the mess.
Yuna thought for a moment, examining everything for herself. She tapped her finger against her lips. Then she spotted a small glass orb sitting on a shelf in the far back of the room. Tiptoeing around the broken lanterns, she approached the orb. At first glance, it appeared to be a sphere, but in actuality, it looked more like a key. Remnants of broken glass clustered around on either side of the orb. She brushed the shards aside with her hand and a line of grime stuck to the side of her palm. Using both of her hands, she grasped the orb. It felt worn and tacky to the touch. A layer of film clung to its translucent surface.l
"What do you think this is for?" she asked, holding it up.
"Who knows," answered Rikku. "Maybe there really is secret treasure here."
Paine sighed. "Rikku, where are a bunch of Tonberrys going to get treasure?"
"Well, you never know."
Yuna interjected. "How about we go look into the other rooms?"
Excited to leave the stinky robes, Rikku grabbed Paine by the arm and jerked her out of the room. Rikku led her over to the other room on the right. Once again, the musty door had a line of symbols carved into it.
"These don't look scary either," Rikku babbled. "So it's safe to go in."
"When did you become the expert?" teased Paine.
Rikku stuck her tongue out and ripped open the door. In a painful jolt, she fell on her backside. Yuna gasped and helped her to her feet.
"Stupid door! Fryd y beala uv . . ."
"Don't stir up the dust or you'll liable to start sneezing again," Paine growled, smacking Rikku in the back of the head.
"Hey!" Rikku snapped back before coughing from the dust kicked up into the air.
"Children, children! Can't we all get along?" Yuna said, rolling her eyes at the two. "Let's just locate the sphere."
Smaller than the first room, a dank murkiness hung in the air of the second room. An old fireplace-like structure resided on the left side. Along the right and back walls appeared to be old books untouched for countless years. Most were moldy and nearly destroyed by centuries of deterioration. Yuna examined one which pages were filled with lots of pictures. Thinking it was a cute Tonberry children's book, she flipped through the pages. Rikku slid up next to her cousin to examine the book with her.
On the first page, a picture of a weird turtle-like creature was drawn, or at least that's what Rikku came up with. The second page showed it next to two tiny Tonberries, so the turtle must be huge. The third page had the big turtle again, but this time it was colored silver and had streaks of yellow coming out of it. On the next page were the two tiny Tonberries, each throwing a ball at the big turtle. The next page was missing, crumbled to dust ages ago. Upset by the fact that the rest of her book had disintegrated eons ago, Rikku uttered some Al Bhed curses and threw the book down. Beside where she had just thrown the book lay a round ball. She blew some dust off it, thinking it was a sphere.
"Aw, I thought this was a sphere," Rikku said to herself. "At least I have a souvenir."
"Well, there isn't much here Yuna," sighed Paine, getting tired of swatting away dust from her face.
"I guess your right." Yuna nodded. "I suppose there's nothing left to do but go through door number three."
"Please don't put it like that," Paine said uncomfortably.
The third door was at the top of a rather lofty granite staircase. Paine pushed Rikku to go first, telling her just in case something bad happened because she was expendable. Rikku pouted but was ultimately forced to comply by Paine's machete. Due to Rikku's inattentiveness, she passed by the large turtle-like entity carved on the stone double doors. Gripping the knobs on the doors, Rikku propelled her way into what appeared to be an endless corridor.
"Since we're here, we might as well take a look," said Rikku, although she was less than enthused.
Yuna and Paine agreed but still forced Rikku to go first. Down and down they explored, inhaling what seemed like thousand-year-old air. About halfway down, they found themselves in almost complete darkness. Yuna spotted a small hole in the wall, with the symbol of a torch etched beside it.
"I wonder if that's what this sphere is for?" she murmured, placing the sphere into the hole.
As if by magic, two rows of torches lit up on either side of the corridor, lighting a path for the Gullwings to follow.
"Go Yunie! Now we're in business," Rikku cheered.
With their new-found light, the three continued down the path, which eventually opened up to a wider corridor. Numerous carvings of Tonberries decorated the walls. Yuna stood for a long moment, gazing at the intricate detail of the carvings. Tonberries were always regarded as solemn, mysterious creatures. To see a temple built by them, or at least to them, astounded her. Nearing the end of the wider corridor revealed a gigantic room, lit by many rows of torches.
"Wow! These Tonberrys sure know how to build a temple," Rikku complemented, doing a little prance.
"I hope the sphere we're looking for is in here," Yuna said, not wanting to go home empty-handed.
She walked up to the gigantic statue in the middle of the room. While appearing like an oversized turtle, she knew it wasn't exactly a turtle. For some odd reason, the statue looked constructed, rather than carved. It felt smooth to the touch, feeling more like metal than stone. Surrounding the statue stood three sphere holders, similarly recognizable to the pedestals she was so familiar with in the Yevon temples. They were placed in the shape of a triangle. The two in the back were without a sphere. Much to Yuna's pleasure, the one in the front contained a sphere.
"Hey, guys! I think I found the sphere!" she exclaimed happily.
"Cool, you're on a roll today!" belted Rikku, already celebrating.
"How about we see if it isn't a dud first," suggested Paine.
"Good idea," acknowledged Yuna. "I'll just pull it out."
A thin film of grime covered the sphere, causing Yuna's fingers to slip. She gripped it using both hands, clenching onto the sphere as tightly as possible. Her first yank resulted in the sphere rotating in place. Growling to herself, Yuna gripped it again, yanking violently back with her whole body. The sphere popped off the holder, jolting to the floor with a loud crack.
As soon as the sphere left its snug placement in the pedestal, the room shook violently. Scared half to death that she set off a trap, Yuna quickly picked up and jammed the sphere back into place. It did nothing to quell the raging earthquake. Without warning, the statue that had been majestically resting in front of them animated. Sparks flew off of it as it stepped forward. The floor creaked underneath the shifting of its weight.
"Oh no!" shrieked Rikku. "It can't be!"
Paine gasped "What is it?"
"There's no way, but I think that's a machina!"