Chapter 80 – Making New Friend
Sitting with her legs cramped together on the cold seat, Yuna slumped her shoulders as she leaned forward. Iron shackles bound her hands together at the wrist. She glanced around the slender cell inside the airship holding her captive. A singular light on the ceiling tinted the room in a marigold color, breathing some life into an otherwise lifeless, steel-paneled box.
The day before, two Bevelle soldiers had captured her after Shuyin left her behind to pursue whatever ends he sought. The jump into this distant past still muddled her memories and thoughts. She could only recall broken and random instances of Shuyin and herself. Some of them seemed happy, even romantic. The pang in her heart pointed to feeling so disconnected from him because they were lovers. Yuna hated not remembering the truth.
Now under the control of the soldiers, they called for another airship to fetch them from Iutycyr's tower and return them to Bevelle. She didn't know whether to feel anxious or nauseous on returning to her birthplace. She spent much of the trip wondering what the city was like so far in the past, even if that past happened to be her present. It helped pass the time since sleep evaded her from being crammed up in the tiny box of a compartment holding her prisoner.
A weightless sensation startled her out of her seat. She felt the airship start to descend and stood up to walk to the cell door. After another minute, the craft came to a rest. The roar of the engines subsided, and she heard voices approaching her. One of the two soldiers from the tower, who had his rifle strapped to his back, unlocked the cell door, ready to escort her off the ship.
"Where are you taking me?" Yuna asked.
"To figure out what to do with you," he replied.
The dryness of his voice agitated her. "You don't need to have me in cuffs."
He grunted and pointed to the blisters on his neck. "After this, you better believe you're staying in them."
The soldier yanked her hard on the arm, dragging her into the city proper. The sun peeked through a chunky wall of light grey clouds which otherwise blocked out the sky. A drip of rain splashed off her head and trickled down the back of her neck. Her eyes darted around the city streets, mesmerized by the familiar yet strange surroundings. The architecture of the buildings lining the streets looked vaguely like those of her time, yet machina ran abuzz throughout the city. It resembled the Zanarkand of her dreams more than the Bevelle of her youth.
No matter how hard she tried to focus, her memories remained jumbled inside her head. She distrusted her thoughts, unable to know if they were real or her imagination. The pictures of Vegnagun that flashed through her mind could have been from the future as much as they could have been from the present. Questions bubbled up inside of her—which side did she fight for, and were Shuyin and she lovers?
Her mind continued to delve deep into her ponderings while she marched through the streets with a blank expression. Only the faint sound of a high-pitched squeal registered amongst the noisy bustling of the city. As the squeal grew louder, shouts and screams shook her out of her daze. A bright orange streak rocketed into a building nearby, sending debris raining down on the streets. Yuna ducked and covered her head with her cuffed hands. The sting of a thousand tiny fragments of stone and steel bounced off her arms.
The thunderous explosion deafened her momentarily. Once the rain of debris stopped, she stood up and wobbled around. She watched smoke billow from the carcass out of the nearby building. People ran wild, their mouths agape, screaming words she couldn't register. When her senses returned, she shook her head and looked around for the soldier. She kicked a mushy lump with her boot. Glancing down, the soldier lay on the ground in a pool of his own blood. Another streak shot through the air above her, impacting the city a few blocks down from her. Without hesitation, she ran to find cover somewhere.
Bevelle's layout resembled little of what her memories told her. She sprinted in the opposite direction from where the first volley hit out of sheer instinct. Fear gripped her body and her heart raced without end. She ran from building to building, barely anticipating where she should flee to next until she found herself near the edge of the city. The wall separating the section of the city from the outside had been breached.
Flying overhead, a winged aeon soared in the sky, firing a beam of energy from its mouth. It tore apart a set of houses, splitting them into two nearly identical halves with the precision of a scalpel. The shrill hurt her ears until she covered them with her hands. Emerging from the hole broken in the wall, a summoner scaled over the debris. Yuna couldn't make out the details of this person, only that he wore foreign garb that vaguely matched artifacts from Zanarkand. He waved his staff in the air, and a group of soldiers followed behind him.
She waited for the summoner and his entourage to march deeper into the city before slinking her way to the opening in the wall. Behind her, she heard the screeching of machina engaging the Zanarkand soldiers in the distance. Echoes of battle reverberated off the remaining buildings, slowly quieting until becoming mere background noise to Yuna.
Confident that the worst of the battle had moved to other parts of the city, she snuck across the gaping wound in the defensive wall. With her hands still bound together, she struggled to maintain her balance. Wobbling over the fractured edges of stone, she slipped out of the city. Her feet splashed into a murky pool of shallow water. Icky mud clung to the bottoms of her wet boots. Looking behind her, she watched towers of black smoke rise into the air before turning to run away.
Yuna ran across the marshy stick of land connecting Bevelle to the Calm Lands until the muscles in her legs burned from overuse. She sat down next to an ovular boulder by a crooked tree. Leaning against its bumpy surface, she wiggled around in a futile attempt to find some comfort for her ailing back. Beads of sweat trickled down her forehead. After regaining her breath, she dashed the cuffs against the stone, hoping to free herself of their bondage. After the seventh strike, she huffed and smacked her fists against her knees.
"You seem to be in a bit of trouble," said a voice.
Yuna immediately scrambled to stand up. "Who's there?"
Turning herself to face behind the boulder, she located the voice's owner. A young man, wearing a green jacket with orange and yellow accents, stood eyeing her up. He bore an expression somewhere between curiosity and bewilderment on his face. Adjusting his glasses, he flashed her a quaint smile.
"My apologies, miss. It was not my attempt to startle you."
Yuna asked, "Are you with Zanarkand or Bevelle?"
"Neither. My pursuits are scholarly, not military," the young man replied.
"I see. Then, maybe you can help me. I've . . . gotten myself lost."
He sighed. "It seems you've gotten into more trouble than just getting lost if the shackles around your wrists tell me anything."
"You're right," said Yuna with a frown. "I'm in over my head."
The man took a hesitant step forward. "Perhaps before I delve into the difficult questions, it would be prudent to introduce ourselves. I've always found the pursuit of knowledge more palatable amongst acquaintances over strangers."
Yuna nodded. "My name is Yuna."
The man chuckled. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Lady Yuna. I am Maechen. I would like to say there is more pageantry behind my station, but I am merely a traveling scholar. Well, on my way to becoming one I suppose is more accurate."
"It can't be!" Yuna gasped.
Maechen's lip quivered. "What are you alarmed about?"
"Oh, sorry. It's nothing. You wouldn't believe me if I told you," she answered.
"There's a great deal many things I may believe if I have adequate knowledge on the subject," he said while rubbing the tiny dots of stubble on his chin. "But I suppose that would come with time and trust. The war has made everyone uneasy, no matter where you're from."
Yuna bowed her head. "It's all a bit confusing. I was born in Bevelle, but a piece of my heart belongs to Zanarkand."
"A birthplace doesn't make a home."
Perking up, Yuna felt a spark course through her body. Maechen's words resonated with her in a way she didn't understand fully, yet they seemed so full of truth.
"At any rate," he continued. "Let me get these cuffs off of you."
He pulled a small pouch out of the pocket in his pale, sandy pants. Carefully untying a tiny brown string around it, he reached in and wiggled his fingers around until he pulled out a tiny strip of black metal. Inserting it into the keyhole of the cuffs, he prodded around with meticulous precision until he heard two clicks. Like magic, the cuffs fell off Yuna's wrists and plopped onto the ground.
He smiled. "There now, I'm sure that feels much more comfortable."
"Thank you," she said.
He peered at her with a brow raised. "Are you hungry? This rock has been a good resting place for me for many years. If you care to join me, I have some food to spare."
"Yes, that sounds wonderful. I am a bit hungry after all the running I've done."
Taking off his leather backpack, he opened it and revealed three parcels wrapped in blue-checkered cloth. Each contained a humble but appetizing food within—bread, jerky, and a mix of dried fruit. He spread each part of the meal out of the cloth enwrapping it and motioned for Yuna to partake. She hesitated at first, not because she didn't trust him, but because he seemed just like her fragmented memories narrated to her. An old man in her time, he still possessed the same calm tendencies, although in a much younger form. Gone were the wrinkles and bushy grey beard.
Kneeling on the ground, Yuna helped herself to his food and soon felt rejuvenated. It surprised her that they ate in silence. She expected Maechen to start pontificating on history or rattle off a long-winded story.
She decided to break the silence. "What made you want to become a scholar, Maechen?"
He glanced up at her. "Oh, that is a good question. I suppose my fixation on knowledge and history was spurred by this infernal war between the two mighty cities of Bevelle and Zanarkand. So much destruction has a cost, even beyond that which is apparent with the eyes."
"Are you hoping to maintain the stories and knowledge before it gets destroyed?"
"Why yes, I would say that is a proper way of framing it," he said with a smile. "I fear that without the retention of knowledge, people in the future will wander their way through life completely lost."
Yuna chuckled. "With that kind of determination, I'm sure you'll be around for a long time to make sure that doesn't happen."
"I appreciate your faith in a stranger," he replied. "I intend to learn and teach for as long as I can."
"I wish you the best in that," she said.
Maechen nodded with a glowing smile before returning to his food in hand. She tried not to watch him so obviously but couldn't help herself from examining his mannerisms. Finding him to be the most recognizable thing from her time, she felt comfort sitting in his presence.
After swallowing a bit of bread, he asked, "Tell me, where is it you seek to go from here?"
"Um, that's a good question," answered Yuna before she paused. "My situation is . . . complicated."
"I can imagine that, given you were in shackles when we met."
She sighed and began to explain her situation to Maechen. Although she left out some key details not on purpose due to the erratic state of her memories, she purposely danced around Shuyin's pursuit of Vegnagun. While listening to her recount her story of time travel, his eyes bulged wide behind his glasses. She could hardly believe the words she spoke after hearing them and expected the young Maechen to think her mad. Upon completing her explanation, she watched silently as he processed the information.
He blew out a quick shot of air from his mouth. "That is quite a tale, Lady Yuna. I've heard quite a few unbelievable stories in my life, but nothing quite like what you've just told me."
"I know it sounds so farfetched, but I'm telling you the truth."
"If it's any comfort, I believe that you believe it. That said, I'm not saying I don't believe you."
She smiled. "Thank you for even giving me a chance."
"I need some time to process all of this," he said. "But regarding the man you separated from, do you have any idea where he may have run off to?"
"I wish I did, but he fled without telling me anything. I honestly doubt he knew where to go."
Maechen rubbed his finger over the stubble on his chin. "Most distressing. Seeing that he was, or is, from Zanarkand, perhaps that would be a good place to start."
"Yes, that's true. However, I'm worried that . . ."
"Worried about what?" he asked.
Her eyes fell to the ground. "I won't be, uh, welcomed in Zanarkand, given that I'm from Bevelle."
He folded his arms together. "Your concern is understandable. Still, nothing about you comes off as obvious from Bevelle. You don't sound like you come from the city, nor does your appearance match that of their fashion. If I'm being honest, I've never met anyone with two different colored eyes."
"Oh, you haven't?" She put her fingers up towards her eyes.
"It's a unique trait that you possess," he said with a smile.
She replied with a smile in kind. "I guess it is."
"If you're looking to head that way, I'm happy to accompany you. I'm going there myself."
Yuna's eyes opened wide. "Really? Are you sure?"
"I'm happy to help someone in need. Perhaps I have some morsel of knowledge or wisdom that may help you reunite with your lover or uncover your purpose here."
"You're most kind. I would appreciate it so much."
Noticing most of the food had been eaten, Maechen packaged the remains up in their respective cloth and placed them inside his backpack. He fixed his glasses and searched around the area. Yuna brushed the dirt off her clothing and awaited his direction.
"One of the drawbacks of being a wanderer is never quite knowing the right direction to go," he said before chuckling.
Yuna looked around. "We need to go to the north, through the Calm Lands and Mt. Gagazet to get to Zanarkand."
"An astute observation, and a correct one I might add. I should have you lead the way."
She laughed. "I wouldn't go that far."
He asked, "Have you traversed much of Spira in your time?"
"Yes, I've been to pretty much everywhere."
"Everywhere? At your age? That sounds even more incredible than your other tales," he commented.
She shrugged. "I think I had to, although I can't exactly remember why right now."
"What is your profession?" Maechen questioned.
Yuna wrinkled her nose. "Well, I'm not sure. Let me think."
Her mind reached back to earlier in the day, recalling the man scaling the defensive wall in Bevelle. The staff he wielded in his hand looked familiar. She pictured the mighty aeon flying overhead, unleashing its devastating power on the city below. Something in her mind clicked.
She continued, "Now I think I remember. I am a summoner. Yes, I have aeons who fight for me."
The brow above his right eye rose. "A noble profession. One that is greatly sought after because of the war."
"I have no aeons here. I would be no help to anyone."
Raising his finger up to spout off a rebuttal, Maechen retracted himself and let Yuna's comment stand uncontested. He took a moment to contemplate everything she had told him, which worried her. Although he knew and respected her in the future, he possessed no reason to in the past. Yet he never let on to any ill feelings, instead guiding her to the Calm Lands.
By the time their journey reached what Yuna recalled being a sweeping, peaceful valley of green meadows and majestic chocobos, she instead came face to face with machines and men clashing against one another. The remnants of another battle ensued on the opposite end of the expanse. She reactively covered her head when the impact of rockets shuttered the ground beneath her feet. An aeon rushed from the smoke cloud, firing a bolt of lightning into the metal exterior of a group of machina. The smell of burnt metal hung in the air.
"We'd best avoid this conflict," said Maechen while guiding Yuna by the arm. "I have a place of refuge for us."
He led her around a steep incline and to an abandoned mechanical lift. The gears of the machine still had life in them, although nobody attended to its use. The young scholar fiddled frantically with the control panel, attempting to get the lift to raise its platform up for them to use. It had no intention of cooperating with him from what Yuna observed. In a rare showing of frustration, Maechen pounded his fist on the control panel. The gears whirred into action, raising the lift's platform for their access. An explosion echoed, sounding much closer than the shots from before.
She stepped onto the platform, impatiently waiting for Maechen to figure out how to lower it down. "Where are we going?"
"We can find safety in Remiem," he answered while furiously tapping at the controls.
Her ears perked up, but before she could respond, the platform shuttered and descended. Maechen hopped down, nearly slipping off the platform until Yuna caught him by the arm. Once on solid ground again, they rushed through a meandering path before it opened up to a grand collection of towering structures. Chocobo riders rode around a network of platforms below the central building, their riders armed with swords and rifles.
One of the chocobo riders strode up to Maechen and Yuna. "Who are you? We are sealing up the city due to the nearby battle!"
Maechen replied, "We seek refuge from the battle raging in the Calm Lands. Please spare us a little room until the cities have ended their conflict."
The rider looked around with a hard scowl on her face. "Alright, follow me. Hurry!"
Yuna ran behind Maechen and the chocobo rider into the looming structure in the center of the city. It clicked in her mind that this mighty building had to be Remiem Temple from her time. She vaguely recalled entering it during her pilgrimage, where she met another summoner. Upon opening the grand entrance doors, pictures of aeons flashed in her mind.
Unlike her memories, she witnessed no insignias of Yevon inside, nor any statues of past heroes from the old religion stood at the peripherals. The general bones of the structure looked like the temple she knew it to be, but not in this time. Unlike ancient Bevelle, little in the way of machina stood out to her. Men and women wielding various weaponry scurried around the massive main chamber. Two unarmed women shepherded a cluster of children into a back corridor.
"It seems we've entered just at the height of bedlam," said Maechen.
Yuna fumbled around her waist again, searching for phantom pistols she no longer possessed. "I wish I could do something to protect us."
"If you're willing, stranger, take this, but use it carefully," said a man walking up beside her.
The man loomed over Yuna, seemingly stretching up his height. His dark blue tank top and crimson jacket stood in contrast to the mute grey steel helmet adorning his head. She felt unnerved because the helmet shielded his eyes from her. In his right hand, he extended a shoddy pistol out to her. The scratches in its wooden grip matched the dings and dents on its metal barrel.
"Um, thank you," she replied.
"I hope you already know how to use that. I don't have time to give you a training course," he said dryly.
Yuna sharpened her eyes with confidence. "Oh, I do! Now I feel like I can do something. Thank you, uh . . ."
"Good! Then you can help me protect these people." The man stepped forward to rush away before stopping himself. "Oh, and the name's Yojimbo."