Chapter 42 – One Ends and Another Begins
Beads of sweat poured down from Rikku's forehead along the sides of her nose. Her breath weighed burdened with resentment and fear compressing down on her chest. The man she loved glared right at her, possessed by the demonic spirit of Shuyin. She gazed with a wrenching mix of bitterness and anguish into his pale eyes. His eyes no longer held the usual capricious warmth.
"You weren't here two years ago," the lips of Gippal said, although the words were not his. "I won't let an interloper interfere with my plans."
She gritted her teeth together. "Fat chance! You don't even remember what it is to be alive anymore!"
"Perhaps I don't," he whispered, his eyes still sneering into hers. "But I will not go until I've finished what I started long ago."
Rikku shook her head violently in contention. "What could you possibly want in destroying Spira now? It won't bring her back."
"Yes, it will! Spira deserves to burn!" suddenly he roared, jolting Rikku back in shock. "Not only was my love stripped away from me right before my eyes, but these pyreflies have imprisoned me to relive my suffering eternally."
"There must be some way to break free."
Shuyin shook his head through Gippal's body. "I will reunite myself with my love. As we speak, she wanders in the desert. Vegnagun will create for us a new paradise in which we can live happily together forever."
Tears trickled down Rikku's cheeks. She realized how lingering in the past and not moving on could rot a person from the inside out. Even after a thousand solitary years, Shuyin still grappled with his loss. The original sorrow metamorphized into unspeakable wickedness. She witnessed this same issue grapple Yuna, looming over her like a creeping shadow. It's why a part of Rikku wished her cousin would have let go of her search for Tidus.
"Once Vegnagun rises," he continued, now cracking a rigid smile. "None of this will matter anymore."
Rikku squeezed her hands together, poised to unleash the burning rage swelling inside of her. Only the fear of harming Gippal prevented Rikku from lunging at Shuyin's spirit. Then a glimpse of a memory crept into her mind. She recalled back to when she, Paine, and Yuna had entered the ancient arena in Zanarkand. Rikku had stumbled upon an old blitzball uniform baring the name of Shuyin. She wondered, is this Shuyin the same person?
Her fury dwindled when she realized that this spirit, even in all his madness and turmoil, had been human. At one time, he only desired to live with the woman he loved. He didn't seek destruction, but he pursued passion. Rikku could barely understand how someone could grow consumed with hate. To be driven to the brink of insanity such as Shuyin had didn't seem possible.
She conceded that it truly would take an unworldly amount of grief and anxiety to bury a human into the bottommost depths of despair. Only then did she see it in his eyes. Behind the daunting, frigid gaze on Gippal's face hid the tattered, lonely soul of a man who had been through a hell far greater than he deserved.
She certainly desired not for Shuyin to retain control of Gippal as he had done with Nooj and Baralai. Sensing what she must do, she grasped her twin blades. She bent her knees and readied for battle. She would free Gippal from Shuyin's control, even if she had to hurt him in the process.
Gippal sprinted at her. With a tight fist, he swung at Rikku. Ducking under him, she swept for his legs but he leaped over counterattack. She rolled backward on the ground before popping up. Without pause, they simultaneously darted again for each other. Rikku twirled herself away from the outstretched fist that brushed through the tips of her hair.
Shuyin continued his assault by stringing together a series of sharp jabs and quick kicks. Rikku managed to dodge the first punch and block the second. His third landed in her gut, and his kick nailed her dead in the ribs with the sole of his boot. She shrieked, stumbling backward, the breath knocked out of her.
A feral evil emerged from Gippal's face. His skin wrinkled all around his eyes, his expression filled with a wild fury more insane than he previously held. In only a moment, he transformed into an uncontrolled, unwitting beast. The true black soul of Shuyin materialized. With a flurry of fists, the unrelenting attack battered her back. She fell hard to the ground, spitting up blood from her mouth. Shuyin merely stood beside her, hunched over.
His face showed the mark of an execrable man. Bulging out of their sockets, his reddened eyes glowed with a sinister frenzy. Through his gaping mouth, he breathed heavily. Leaning down to the ground, he picked up a large rock. In a daze from his punches, Rikku rolled onto her side and tried to piece together the hazy image of Gippal looming beside her, his arm raised in the air.
"No one," he growled. "No one shall stop me from my—"
Suddenly a loud thud shuttered Rikku, who squinted to see the figure standing behind Gippal. The Al Bhed man had crumbled to the ground, knocked unconscious. A silvery cane jabbed itself on the ground before tapping the side of Gippal's body three times.
"Nooj? Is that you?" Rikku asked, wobbling to her feet.
"Yes, it's me. That was far too close again."
Looking down at Gippal's unmoving body, she spotted a red welt forming on the back of his head. A whirling wind blew around them. She could see the swirling soul of Shuyin fly around the cave. He still carried the horrifying expression on his face, but said nothing and disappeared without a trace.
Rikku looked around fearfully. "Huh? Where'd he go?"
Nooj put his arm on her should. "He's gone. We're alright now."
Rikku sighed and wiped the last bit of blood from the corner of her lips. She knelt down to examine Gippal. Aside from the large lump on his head, he seemed otherwise unharmed. Shuyin controlled his mind and body no more to her relief. Nooj also bent down to examine the damage he had done.
"It's a good thing he doesn't use his head much," Nooj joked.
Rikku still let out a tiny giggle. The two of them lifted Gippal to his feet. Rikku noticed he began to regain consciousness. He shook his head around and squinted his eyes to look around the cave.
"Man, what the hell happened to me?" he asked groggily.
Rikku smiled at him. "Well, you were possessed, and Nooj had to exorcise you."
"Gee thanks, Nooj," he whined, wincing as he touched the back of his head. "You could've been a little more gentle."
They laughed as they started to leave the cave, but Rikku noticed a tiny, glowing object in the far corner from where they stood. She ran to get it, realizing it was a sphere. Examining the tangerine sphere carefully, she could tell age had worn the sphere. Blowing a sticky layer of dust from it, she tried to see if it still worked. Nooj and Gippal walked over to see what she had uncovered.
"A sphere?" Nooj questioned, leaning his head closer to the sphere. "What would a sphere be doing lost in here?"
Gippal smirked. "Perhaps this is what we've been looking for."
After a little tinkering, Rikku managed to activate the sphere. It flickered for a second, its watery innards brought back to life after so many centuries. A clearer picture finally appeared to them, casting a rather unusual scene—although one Rikku recognized instantly.
Sand dunes of a desert dominated the picture. Swirling gusts could be witnessed in the distance. From the skyline, the day appeared cloudless, with a bright sun beating down upon the desert floor. The person holding the sphere stood next to another traveler, his face wrapped tightly to shield himself.
"This desert is a horrible place," he spoke, his voice deep and rough. "How do you possibly live and thrive here?"
The man holding the camera keenly replied, "This is our home, where else could be better than this?"
After some time, the men journeyed to a large temple complex. Partially entrenched in the sand, a majority of this unknown structure still rose above the desert. The closer they came, the more detailed the symbols on the structure became. The muscular man, dressed in a gold jumpsuit and a burgundy jacket, who accompanied the sphere-holder pointed out that they looked as if they were from Bevelle. The truth mattered little to either of them. Through an enormous, stone archway they walked. Pushing the doors open, they entered, and the camera fizzled out.
After a few seconds of blankness, the picture came back into focus. The men wandered inside the temple interior, pacing down a dark corridor. Approaching the end, a gigantic glowing force floated before them. Both men gasped in revelation.
"Incredible!" stuttered the camera wielder. "This must be the enormous spirit that was caged away by Bevelle."
His companion nodded. "Yes, this is the ultimate secret of their weapon. This is the second soul of Vegnagun. The last key to controlling that monster."
"Hiding it out here during the war, leagues away from Zanarkand . . . I have to give them credit, it was genius."
"Indeed it is," the companion agreed. "The only thing smarter was for Yevon to continue to keep it sequestered here, out of sight and out of mind so Sin can continue forever."
The sphere's glow faded and shut itself off with a single click. Rikku stood, mouth agape, peering at her two companions, not knowing how to react to what she just saw.
"Is that what Shuyin seeks, the second soul of Vegnagun?" Nooj asked, breaking the silence. "I've never heard of such a thing."
"No record Shinra had uncovered mentioned anything about a second soul thingy," Rikku added.
Pocketing the sphere, Rikku followed Gippal and Nooj out of the cave. When the doors resealed, Nooj dropped all ten Crimson Spheres to the ground. With a violent lashing, he shattered each one of them with the end of his cane. For a long moment, he lingers over the shattered remains of the spheres before spitting on them.
"No one shall endure this horror anymore," he whispered, then limped away.
Gippal and Rikku looked at each other. After what had transpired only minutes before, Rikku silently agreed with Nooj's decision. The pyreflies could relive Shuyin's nightmare by themselves for the rest of eternity.
Throwing his arms around Rikku, Gippal kissed her on the cheek. "I owe ya one, kid."
"That was a little close, huh?" she chuckled lightly to him, her eyes dancing with his.
He winked at her. "Yeah, yeah it was. Hey, in the end, we made it."
"So where do we go from here?" Rikku asked.
"I think there's only one place need to go from here," Nooj replied. "And that's Bikanel."
Gippal nodded. "After what we just saw, it's the only place that Vegnagun's soul could be. Lucky for us, I have just the person to ask for help."
Under a shady palm tree, Paine watched the tranquil environment around her, just as she had done for weeks on end. The sun glistened, as it always did, with a hot and inviting sentiment upon the tropical island of Besaid. A trio of seagulls called to each other in the distance. The crystal blue ocean waves calmly splashed onto the sandy beach, washing away Paine's footprints. She lost Yuna forever and Rikku had run off to who knows where. Two-thirds of the Gullwings, the guys notwithstanding, were gone, leaving only Paine to squander by herself.
Although content to have a slow, solemn time to grieve, Paine felt antsy. Between Brother and Buddy, things were in a state of confusion. Neither of them, nor Paine, had decided what they should do, or where they should go in the future. For only so long could Paine sit around bird-watching or chatting with Lulu and Wakka. This endless idleness agitated her. She had been anticipating some sort of danger or emergency to spring up—anything to call the Gullwings into service.
Whistling to herself, she eventually rose from her post under a palm tree and began walking back to the village. She smelled seasoned meat cooking on a fire, which made her stomach gurgle. Before she reached the village, she spotted Lulu sitting on a large rock, the sound of Besaid Falls echoing in the distance. Though she still didn't know Lulu well, Paine had come to understand the kind of big sister Lulu was to Yuna.
"Hey Lulu, what's up?" she asked, perceiving a frown on Lulu's face.
"Oh, Paine," Lulu muttered, snapping out of her daze. "I was just thinking to myself."
Paine glanced at her funny, wondering what dwelt under the surface. Lulu sighed and gazed up towards the sky. The wind gently tingled against her hair. Breathing in, then pausing to release it, she again faced Paine.
"It's just this spot. It was where I had a talk with Yuna," she explained.
Paine sat down beside her. "Was it an important one?"
Lulu nodded. "Yes. It was the night before she stormed into the temple when it was infested by fiends. She was so unsure of her future."
"Hey, don't do this to yourself. Nothing is your fault," said Paine, placing a hand on Lulu's shoulder.
Lulu sighed and folded her hands together on her lap. "I know, and I'm not. It's just so hard, as every time I pass this rock, I can't help but think of that night."
Paine's eyes looked to the ground. Everywhere Paine looked reminded of Yuna as well. For such an unassuming young woman, she thought, Yuna left a large imprint on the people she encountered. Life seemed so much more barren without her. Even though Paine knew Yuna far less than Lulu, she understood the void the summoner left in her wake.
Lulu jumped up suddenly, catching Paine off guard. "I can't sit here and brood. Let's get something to eat. That aroma smells irresistible."
Paine replied with a vivid smile, and the two left for the village. In the center of the village, the Aurochs prepared a feast in the hopes that Lulu would have a healthy child. It was only less than a month until she was to deliver. Beyond the loss of their beloved summoner, emotions were at their highest in Besaid.
"There ya are Lu," exclaimed Wakka, his hands on his hips. "We can't have this big meal without you."
She laughed at her silly husband and embraced him. He tickled at the plump bulge in her stomach, and quickly got his hand slapped away. Paine laughed while looking on, shaking her head at Wakka's never-ending stupidity. Sitting down, she carved up a savory hunk of meat, along with a wide variety of indigenous fruits and vegetables. After taking her time cleaning her plate, she felt fulfilled. The evening air started to cool as the sun lowered in the sky, bringing night with it.
Turning her head, she noticed Buddy running towards them. She wondered why he ran in such a hurry. Then she saw he held a CommSphere in his hand. Huffing and puffing, he hunched over next to her.
"Whew!" he managed to say in between gasps for air. "We might have something to do now."
Paine chuckled at him. "Okay, okay! Just breathe, then tell me."
Once he caught his breath, he handed her the CommSphere clenched in his hand. "I received a message from Nhadala just a few minutes ago."
Thinking for a moment, Paine couldn't recall anyone with that name. "Do we know someone named Nhadala?"
"Yeah, she was that Al Bhed woman who Yuna dug for in the desert."
"Oh yeah! But what does she want from us? Surely she must know—"
Buddy pointed at the CommSphere. "She wants us to meet her at her camp in Bikanel. Says she's found something really big there, and she needs our help to crack it."
"Big like what?"
"Spheres! She uncovered a whole slew of ancient spheres and can't get them to work. She wants us to take a look at them," he declared with a smug sense of importance.
Paine didn't need to think over her answer. "Sounds great! It's high time the Gullwings get back into action!"
"That's my thoughts exactly!"
While politeness dictated Paine to wait until the next morning to leave, she felt giddy the entire rest of the evening. That night, Paine lay in her cozy bed beneath a bamboo roof. She would miss Besaid and all its gorgeous offerings. Even though the call of adventure rang loud inside of her, she knew now that this was the place where she would eventually settle down when the time was right.
Outside her window, the stars shone with a glimmering brightness that made it easy for her to lull off to sleep. She gathered as much pleasure from this comfortable sleep as she could, just in case things would get rough again in the future. Just like Yuna, Paine's future remained shrouded just out of her sight. Yet because of Yuna, she could conjure the courage to continue forward, in the face of any adversity.