Chapter 58 – A Gentle Push Forward

Tapping on the swirly blue sphere, Yuna grumbled to herself. She had tried to get the CommSphere Shinra gave her after defeating Vegnagun two years ago to work, but it refused to obey her commands all morning. She wished to call Rikku, hoping to finally have a chance to talk with her cousin after so long.

Picking up the sphere, she walked to her kitchen counter. She didn't believe a new location would help, yet desperation consumed her. Continuing to fiddle with the device, she clicked on every button she could locate. With a grunt, she slammed it on her countertop.

A flicker of light emitted from the sphere, and a soft whirring noise sounded throughout her kitchen. The CommSphere's sudden activation startled her enough to cause Yuna to yelp. With a relieved grin on her face, she attempted to connect with Rikku.

Tapping her finger against the counter, she impatiently waited for an answer. The sphere whizzed and whined for an eternity of seconds before it buzzed. Appearing in the sphere, Rikku's bright face smiled at Yuna.

"Hiya, Yunie!" Rikku greeted. "I think this thing is working."

Yuna nodded. "Yes, I can hear and see you. Where are you?"

"Sorry, I'm out in the middle of the desert again. The signal doesn't always come through that well out here."

"Out helping Gippal dig up mysteries?" she asked her cousin.

"Yeah, you could say that," said Rikku after a sigh. "This heat is almost unbearable."

Yuna stifled a laugh. "I still remember digging on those hot days. It was awful, and I lived on a tropical island."

"I'm one hundred percent Al Bhed, so I can take the heat better than you," replied Rikku, sticking her tongue out.

"Have you found anything interesting?" questioned Yuna.

Rikku tapped her finger against her lips. "Eh, well, not too much yet. A small cache of old coins. We'll sell them to Rin I suppose."

"That will make Nhadala happy!"

Rikku laughed. "Sure will! Man, she still talks about all those coins you found two years ago. Half the time she still calls you Lenne. Gippal and I stopped correcting her months ago."

"I suppose that is my fault," murmured Yuna while blushing.

"Hey, I don't have too long. We'll be moving out of this location soon. How're things going in Luca?"

Yuna shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, not too bad. I'm still working at the sphere theater."

Rikku's expression turned from friendly to coy. "And how did your date with Baralai go?"

"How do you know about that?" gasped Yuna.

Rikku shoved her goofy grin right up into her CommSphere. "I have my sources."

Yuna smirked. "It was Gippal, wasn't it?"

"That's right! He and Baralai had a chance to chat a few days ago," Rikku replied, giving her cousin a thumbs up.

"Just for your information, it went fine."

"Fine? That's it?"

Yuna folded her arms together. "Okay, it went better than fine. He treated me to amazing seats at the blitzball tournament. Even though the Aurochs came in second place, it was still so exciting!"

"That's a bummer for the Aurochs, but cool for you!" her cousin exclaimed.

"He took me to a wonderful dinner afterward," Yuna continued. "And we had a nice walk around Luca that night."

"I heard there was some smoochy time in the end," Rikku teased while puckering her lips.

Yuna's face turned beet red. "Wait, how'd you hear about that?"

"I overheard Gippal prodding Baralai about it."

Averting her eyes, Yuna responded, "Yes, we did kiss at the end of the night."

Rikku clapped her hands. "I was right! Way to go, Yunie!"

Yuna rolled her eyes. "It wasn't that big of a deal."

"Oh, come on. It is! Are you reconsidering going to Bevelle with him?"

"Maybe," Yuna answered after hesitating. "I'm not sure though."

"Why not? If you guys had a spark, why not follow your heart?"

Yuna's tone softened. "I guess I'm not ready for any commitment. I told him maybe in the future."

Rikku shot out a groan. "I thought the whole point of moving was to get yourself in a position to commit. You know, do something with yourself. We talked about this."

"Yeah, I know," moaned Yuna with a frown. "I'll get there, but I'm enjoying my time alone in Luca right now."

Rikku paused, continuing to stare at Yuna in silence through the CommSphere. Yuna bit her lip, recognizing that judgmental glare her cousin gave her. Her eyes averted gazing at Rikku again.

"You're still hung up on the past," Rikku expressed, breaking the awkward silence.

Yuna sighed. "Yes, I am."

Rikku folded her arms together tightly against her chest. "I get it, it'll take time. But Yunie, he's been gone for four years now. You can't just live your whole life standing still."

"I'm not just standing still," barked Yuna. "Maybe I'm not making as much progress as you'd like, but I am making progress."

Rikku's expression tempered. "Sorry, I know you're trying your best. I worry about you. You didn't want to come to Bikanel with me, you didn't stay with the Gullwings, and you don't want to join Baralai in Bevelle. Venturing to Luca is a good start, but you're better than just living a boring life."

"Don't you think I've lived enough excitement for one lifetime?"

Rikku threw her arms up in the air. "Yeah, I guess. I just see so much more in you, Yunie. So did Paine."

"Paine is doing just fine without me. She published her book about us."

Rikku's eyes bulged open. "Wait, really?"

"Yeah, she did," Yuna said, holding up her copy of Paine's book to show her cousin.

"No kiddin'! She told me she was close to finishing not long ago."

Yuna tilted her head slightly. "You talked to her lately?"

"Yeah, she made a stop by the digging camp and stayed for a few days. It was nice to see her again."

Yuna felt a pang rush up from her stomach and through her chest. Paine made time to visit Rikku out in Bikanel, but not with Yuna in Besaid. A momentary burst of anger swelled inside Yuna, quickly diffused with the truth that she had done nothing to earn a continued friendship with Paine. By now, she must hate me, Yuna thought.

"I'm glad she visited," said Yuna with a faint smile. "How's she been?"

"Seemed to be doing fine. She sure has traveled a lot in the last two years."

The CommSphere buzzed momentarily as Rikku looked at someone to her left away from Yuna's view. "Rumt ouin yencrebc, Kebbym! E's ymsucd tuha."

"Is everything alright?" Yuna asked.

"Yeah, but I have to go. We're leaving now."

Yuna nodded. "Oh, okay. It was great to see you again."

"Same here. I hope you figure some stuff out, Yunie," Rikku replied with dejection in her voice.

Before Yuna could reply, the CommSphere clicked off. With her cousin gone from view, Yuna let out a long sigh. She had known her choices pained Rikku. Unlike two years ago at Iutycyr Tower, Rikku didn't grumble and curse with conviction. She no longer pressed Yuna to do something with her life as she had in the past.

Her cousin's apparent disappointment demotivated Yuna, which only led to Rikku becoming more disappointed in her. Shaking her head, Yuna traipsed into the bathroom to brush her hair. She had to work soon, and a day at the sphere theater would be a welcome distraction for her.

A week removed from the blitzball tournament, life had returned to relative normalcy in Luca. The streets were no longer packed to the brim with people. Life in Luca always had a certain jive to it, simply for the fact that the city stood as a populous center in Spira. Yuna had also picked up over time when the streets were the busiest.

Marlinda tended to a short line of customers waiting to enter the theater. Walking around the people, Yuna greeted her boss.

"Hey, there you are," Marlinda said. "How's your morning been?"

"Oh, pretty good," replied Yuna with a half-truth. "I see we're busy already."

"Busy enough. Can you tend the front desk while I do some work in the back?"

"Of course!"

Yuna took over Marlinda's post and bowed to greet the next guests waiting in line. She repeated her routine throughout the morning and afternoon. Although she constantly felt anxious when she first started her job at the theater, now the work comforted her. She relished the routine.

By late afternoon, the stream of customers had tapered off. Yuna took the free time to keep busy and opened up Paine's book. Partway through the third chapter, Paine elaborated on the mysterious dressphere Yuna came into possession of.

She mentioned the day the three of them retrieved it from Leblanc. Yuna chuckled at the mention of the uncontrolled dance she performed in the middle of Luca's docks. Paine noted a shift in Yuna's demeanor and moods started at this time.

She elaborated on this sudden shift by recalling Yuna's outburst after performing atop the Celsius—who the heck is Lenne? Those words stuck in Paine's mind for a long time. Even that early in their saga together, Paine had her suspicions that Lenne had to be more than just a ghost in a sphere.

The clanking of a hand on the counter to the front desk jolted Yuna out of her book. Hastily she replaced the bookmark and closed the book.

"Sorry, I'll be with you in just a moment," she said while placing the book underneath the desk.

"I can't believe those two were really telling me the truth," stated a familiar feminine voice.

With a gasp, Yuna looked up. Standing before her, Leblanc waved her fan at Yuna. With a smug grin on her face, Leblanc leaned in closer to Yuna.

"It's truly you, love. When did you start living in Luca?"

Yuna took a step back. "Oh, hi Leblanc. Uh, just a little bit ago."

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes," Leblanc announced while eyeing up and down Yuna. "And here I thought you'd hide on that island forever. I didn't give you enough credit."

"I just needed some time to myself," said Yuna, feeling herself shrinking from Leblanc's gaze.

Leblanc rubbed her chin. "Since you are out in the world again, would you be interested in some sphere hunting?"

The sudden proposition shocked Yuna. "Sphere hunting? Oh, um, I don't think so."

"No? But you're a Dullwing! I thought that's what you do," retorted Leblanc.

Yuna chuckled. "It's what I used to do. Since the Gullwings have disbanded, I've gotten out of it."

Leblanc took a step back of her own and folded her arms together. "You mean after all the parading you've done through Spira, you're not even the least bit interested in chasing spheres again?"

"I . . . had a specific purpose for sphere hunting before. But that reason has passed now, so I suppose I retired from that life. I take it your sphere hunting has gone well for you the last two years."

"Yes, indeed! My new ventures in Mt. Gagazet and other locales throughout Spira have brought me much fame and fortune," announced Leblanc, giving Yuna a wink.

Yuna relaxed her body. "I'm glad to hear it. What kind of sphere are you looking for now?"

"A very old one," replied Leblanc. "A sphere with some long-forgotten information that a few old friends of yours are quite interested in."

Yuna quickly picked up on the fact that Leblanc attempted to lure her into agreeing to her proposition, but a spark of intrigue ignited inside her, nonetheless. As much as she knew she should dismiss Leblanc and force her to drop the subject, Yuna still wondered which old friends she referred to.

"Is it to help Kimahri?" she asked.

Leblanc shook her head. "Nope, I gotta let him cool off before I go back to see him again. This is to help Rin and Shinra."

"Rin and Shinra?

"That's right, love! I don't understand the specifics, but Shinra has been trying to harness energy from the Farplane . . . or something like that. Anyway, Ormi and Logos got word of a sphere from long ago of someone who attempted to do the same thing he's trying."

Yuna questioned further. "And you know where this sphere is?"

"No, not exactly. That's why I thought I might enlist your help."

Holding her breath for a moment, Yuna felt the pit of her stomach tighten. On one hand, she resisted breaking her calm approach to life, but on the other hand, seeing Rin and Shinra again would make her so happy. The thought of sphere hunting still filled her with grief. Between each blink of her eyes, she pictured Lenne's sphere falling away into the black abyss of the Farplane.

"Thank you for the kind offer, but I don't think I want to be a sphere hunter again," said Yuna softly.

Leblanc sighed. "I understand."

Yuna watched Leblanc, sulking and dejected, turn around and walk to the entrance door. She paused before she exited, shooting Yuna a sidelong glance.

"In case you change your mind, you can find us at Rin's shop in Mi'ihen," Leblanc declared. "Goodbye, love!"

Yuna bit her lip, wondering if she had made the right decision. For the rest of her workday, she dwelled on the subject—and its shadow hung over her as she returned home for the night. Flopping herself onto her oversized sofa and kicking her feet up was the first action she took when she entered her apartment. She emitted a long groan as the second.

She spied Paine's book resting on the countertop in the kitchen, too far away for her to fetch. The motivation didn't exist for Yuna. She closed her eyes and ran through her conversation with Leblanc in her mind. Something inside of her scratched at her, wanting to escape back into the world.

Leblanc teased out enough dormant interest buried deep inside to send Yuna's emotions in flux. Unwittingly, Leblanc brought out the guilt Yuna still held onto for failing Lenne and dooming her to an eternity of solitude, lost in the darkness of the Farplane. The sliver of her being that yearned for change lingered on, forcing its way to the surface.

Though she could never set things right again, she wished to forgive herself. Maybe sphere hunting could offer her a second chance. She wrestled with herself for what seemed like hours until exhaustion set in, and she fell asleep.

Droplets of cold rain drizzled on Yuna's head. She hoped the sheets of dull grey clouds overheard weren't a harbinger of an ill-fated decision. It certainly hadn't made her trek up the Mi'ihen Highroad any more palatable. With each step she took, she second-guessed herself.

Looking off into the distance, the ruins off in the water were obscured by a thin curtain of fog. The hazy white veil hid what normally was a beautiful vista—one she had enjoyed watching many times over the years.

Turning her attention to the circular building in front of her, Yuna inhaled deeply and blew out a steady stream of air. She swallowed hard, feeling her nervous fingers tremble. Balling her hands into fists, she walked toward the building. The overcast environment dampened the normally vibrant colors decorating the travel agency.

She crept toward the entrance until a voice from behind her called out her name. Her arm jerked back from the entrance door in surprise. Spinning herself around, she saw Rin strolling up to her.

"Lady Yuna! What a surprise to see you!" he exclaimed.

She bowed in greetings. "It is good to see you again, Rin."

He took a moment to scan over Yuna, a look of utter surprise on his face. Approaching her, he hugged Yuna.

"The world is a little brighter with you walking in it," Rin said.

She giggled. "You flatter me! But thank you."

"So, tell me, what brings you to my travel agency today?"

"Oh, well, I'm actually here to help you," replied Yuna.

Rin rubbed his chin. "Help me?"

She nodded. "Leblanc visited me yesterday. She said you and Shinra are searching for a special sphere . . . and I'm here to lend my assistance."

"We would be most welcome to have you!" Rin declared with bright eyes. "Last I heard, your days of sphere hunting were behind you."

Yuna dipped her head. "I thought so, too. I guess Leblanc persuaded me to give it another go."

"I'll have to thank her. In the meantime, let me catch you up on what's going on."

Rin led Yuna inside his travel agency, offering her a seat. After his attendant brought them an assortment of light refreshments and snacks, he sat down with her. His joyous expression sharpened, and his eyes focused directly on Yuna.

"Leblanc gave me a few details about what you're looking for. I'm afraid I don't understand how it all fits together," she said.

Rin folded his arms together. "It is complicated. I have my doubts that Leblanc fully understands, but it's not important that she does. This all stemmed from a partnership Shinra and I formed about two years ago."

Yuna smiled. "Rikku mentioned something about that once when we were together last."

"He had the brilliant hypothesis that energy could be extracted from the Farplane," Rin explained. "The first time he went into detail, I got a headache I must admit! Yet I was entirely too captivated by his research's potential to let myself become overwhelmed."

"So, you two have been working on this research together?" Yuna asked.

"I've simply provided the capital. Shinra has been the one doing the research. The science behind it is outside my realm of expertise."

"It sounds fascinating! Has Shinra had luck proving his idea to be true?"

Leaning back in his chair, Rin's posture relaxed. "Unfortunately, not yet. He's run into a dead end recently."

"And that's where this sphere comes into play," said Yuna while wrinkling her nose. "Leblanc mentioned someone else had this idea in the past."

"That's correct. Shinra came across a snippet about a man who researched this very subject long ago—sometime around the great war between Bevelle and Zanarkand a thousand years ago."

A knot formed in Yuna's stomach at the mention of the long-ago war between the two city-states. It reminded her too much of Lenne and Shuyin. She forced those suppressed memories to the back of her mind, not wanting to lose focus on her conversation with Rin.

He continued, "Who this man was, or even his name, apparently has been lost to time. Shinra had no luck finding out further information. He did, however, find a mention of a sphere holding the research this man accomplished."

"Do you think the sphere is somewhere in Mi'ihen?" questioned Yuna.

He shrugged. "From what little Shinra could gather, he thought it might be here somewhere or a place called the Omega Ruins."

"The Omega Ruins!" Yuna shuttered. "Let's hope it's not there."

One of Rin's eyebrows raised at Yuna's reaction. "You know of this place?"

"Once we went there during my pilgrimage. I'd rather not go back."

A thud followed by a crash blast opened the door. Yuna nearly jumped out of her seat at the sight of Leblanc tumbling into the travel agency. Dirt and bruises covered her face and chest. She wheezed for a moment, propping herself up using the doorframe. With a terrified look in her eyes, she limped into the room beside Rin and Yuna.

"My goodness! What happened to you?" Yuna questioned while helping Leblanc sit down in her chair.

Leblanc gasped for air. "I ran here as fast as I could. Ormi and Logos are in big trouble!"