Chapter 54 – Start of a New Beginning

It feels so amazing to have new material out after 16 years! This second part of the story will probably be considerably different than the first part, but I have much more to tell. Yuna continues to be my muse, even in a post-FFX2 world. As always, thanks for reading!


Opening a small, red suitcase on the bed, Yuna carefully packed her folded garments inside. The fresh smell of salt water from the sea surrounding Besaid tickled her nose. Amongst her clothing, she tucked away her rings and necklace. Never one to collect many personal items for herself, she soon realized the items she had gathered were already neatly packed away. Only a small journal remained half-covered by her wrinkly bed sheets.

She picked up the journal, its pink bookmark ribbon swaying out from the bottom. With a solemn smile, Yuna slipped it back into place, just a few blank pages from the back. With so many words scribed inside, the past two years gave her ample time for reflection.

The journey ahead provided her with the perfect opportunity to close this part of her life for good. Perhaps by the time she arrived at her new destination, she would buy a new journal to chronicle the next stage in her life. Resting the journal on top of her clothes, she had nothing left to add. Just like that, Yuna was packed and ready to leave. The fact her life fit inside such a small container distressed her.

Shaking her head to bring herself back into the present, Yuna walked over to a black kettle sitting atop an open flame. A trickle of white steam lifted the smell of fresh pineapple and vegetables across her nose. Sweet and savory, her two favorite scents, tickled at her nose. Picking up a tiny jar of herbs, she pinched some of the green clumps with her fingertips and sprinkled them into the stew.

Watching the flame beneath stand tall until it parted against the kettle's base, her nose picked out hints of flowers from the bubbling liquid. She wasn't quite sure why it reminded her of the blooming flowers in the Farplane, but she couldn't deny the similarity. Glancing down at the herb bottle, a hint of a tear formed in the corner of her blue eye, just as it did every time she used these herbs.

On the side of the bottle, the words "Lenne's Blend" were written in her handwriting. Peeking at the journal still resting on top of her folded clothing, her mind raced through the many hours of writing about Lenne in her journal. As therapeutic as scribing the past was for Yuna, it still hadn't closed all the wounds she carried from the past two years.

A knock at the entrance of her hut startled her. "Who is it?"

Stepping inside, Lulu greeted her with a warm smile. "I wanted to check in and see how your packing is going. Need any help?"

Yuna shook her head. "No, I actually just finished."

Lulu glanced down at the small suitcase resting on her unmade bed. "Is that all you're taking? Will that be enough?"

"Oh, you know me. I don't need much," Yuna replied.

"That smells wonderful!" exclaimed Lulu after inhaling deeply. "Why are you cooking now before you have to leave?"

Yuna chuckled. "Well, I wanted to make one last meal for you and Wakka before I left."

"You didn't have to go through all this trouble."

"I wanted to," Yuna retorted. "And it's no trouble at all."

Sitting down on the bed beside the suitcase, Lulu patted the unkempt bed sheets, inviting Yuna to sit beside her. She finished stirring the stew and complied, looking into Lulu's deep red eyes.

"Have you thought about what you'll do once you arrive in Luca?" Lulu asked.

"Watch lots of blitzball," Yuna replied with a chuckle.

Lulu rolled her eyes, nudging Yuna on the arm. "Besides that."

"I'm not entirely sure yet, to be honest," answered Yuna in a softer voice. "I'd like to explore the city more than I have in the past. Drink lots of tea at sunset. Maybe I'll run into Nooj or Baralai."

"It's been a while since I've heard their names," stated Lulu.

Yuna leaned forward, her eyes brightening. "I know! My hope is they'll be there when the blitzball season starts. I haven't seen either of them in two years."

Lulu laughed softly to herself. "That's because you've been a hermit."

"I know I have," said Yuna, sighing sharply. "But the quiet has been nice."

"Well, I'm just glad you've decided to go out and brave the world again. You deserve to live your life."

"Thanks, Lulu. I still must figure out what that means for me."

"You will," comforted Lulu. "Give it time. Maybe you can find Rikku and Paine at some point."

Folding her hands together in her lap, Yuna bowed her head. Rikku had last visited her in Besaid six months ago. She had been so busy focused on combing Bikanel's desert for buried treasures that Yuna hadn't had the chance to connect with her via CommSphere since then. It had been nearly two years since Yuna last spoke with Paine, not long after their last adventure together scaling Iutycyr Tower. Besides still writing a book on the Gullwings' adventures, Yuna knew nothing about Paine's current life.

Yuna finally answered, "I'd like for that to happen, but they have their own lives. I'm not going to intrude on them for my own sake."

Lulu stood up from the bed. "I haven't broken the news to Wakka yet. I was hoping you wouldn't make me the bad guy."

Yuna smirked. "He still thinks I'm going away on a short trip, huh?"

"That's what he's convinced himself of," answered Lulu, placing her hand against her forehead. "You know how he is."

Bursting in from the outside, a small child staggered into the hut. His chubby legs trotted toward Lulu, a big grin spread on his face. A mix of sand and drool stuck to his cheeks.

"Mommy's baby Vidina is here!" Lulu declared, picking him up in her arms.

Watching Lulu dote on her son warmed Yuna's heart. Stern as Lulu could be, and often was when scolding Vidina, Yuna cherished the little glimpses into the motherly love Lulu exuded. She giggled at the trickle of saliva seeping from the corner of his mouth.

"Oh, let me get something to wipe that up with," Lulu said, handing the toddler over to Yuna.

With his mother having rushed out of the hut, Vidina looked up at Yuna. "Auntie, auntie!"

Embracing the little boy, Yuna rubbed her cheek against his, his sticky drool smearing against her skin. She bopped him on the nose twice, squinting her eyes and puckering her lips. Laughing hysterically, Vidina wiggled his way out of her grasp and slid down her body. From a pocket, he pulled out a folded piece of paper.

Trotting toward the doorway, he waved the paper around in his meaty hand. A big, partially toothy grin spread across his face. Yuna shoved her hands into her pockets, quickly realizing that she had been robbed.

"Hey, come back here with that!" she called to Vidina. "I haven't read all of Baralai's letter yet."

As the boy attempted to escape the hut, Yuna snatched him up off the ground. She tossed him into the air. He let out a joyous giggle, releasing his grip on the letter. It swayed back and forth in the air, floating to rest next to Yuna's foot. Switching Vidina to her left arm, she bent down and carefully used her other hand to repocket the letter. She then grasped the handle of her suitcase.

Carrying the chubby young child out of the hut with her belongings, a drop of rain greeted Yuna outside. Squinting her blue eye, another drop splashed on her forehead. High above, a veil of dusky, grey rain clouds started to sprinkle their contents down upon Besaid.

"We better find your mommy and daddy before it starts to rain," she said to Vidina.

Popping her head into Lulu and Wakka's hut, she discovered Lulu in the middle of scolding her husband. Between her narrowly focused red eyes and rigid cheek line, Yuna had witnessed this scene more times over the years than she could count.

"Dada!" belted Vidina, wiggling himself to lean toward Wakka.

"There's my big boy!" Wakka belted in return, walking over to Yuna to take his son. "Come to save me, ya?"

Lulu sighed, folding her arms together. "Sorry, Yuna. I got a little wrapped up and forgot to come back for him."

Yuna closed her eyes and smiled back at Lulu. "Oh, it's okay. I wanted to spend a little time with him anyway."

"Maybe you can finish explaining the situation to a certain someone here," requested Lulu, her eyes shooting daggers at Wakka. "The Aurochs will be setting off before you know it."

"I hope you're not upset with me," spoke Yuna, the smile washing away from her face. "I wasn't trying to hide my intentions."

Wakka rubbed the back of his head. "No, I ain't mad. Just, I thought you were going on a trip. Not leaving us for good."

"Wakka!" yelled Lulu.

"It's not like you won't ever see me again," replied Yuna. "I'll visit plenty. And we have the CommSphere, too."

"Ya, I know. It's just, things finally settled down over the last two years. And Vidina, he's become so attached to you—"

"Enough Wakka," Lulu interjected, her hands squarely on her hips. "Yuna deserves to live her life however she chooses."

Wakka sighed and dipped his head. "Yeah, you do, Yuna. Probably more than anyone else. We're gonna miss you."

Giving Wakka a great, big hug, Yuna smiled at him. "I'm going to miss you, too."

"Just remember you got a home here, anytime you need it."

Yuna nodded. "How could I forget my family here?"

Her eyes shot open in surprise, recalling that she left the stew boiling along in her hut. Trotting swiftly back to her little home, Yuna arrived just in time to prevent the stew from boiling over the kettle. Snuffing out the flame, she moved it to the ground to cool off. Rubbing her forehead in relief, she sat down on her bed. Picking up the journal next to her, she fished a pen out of her suitcase.

She jotted down a few quicks sentences about Vindina and his drooly face; she wrote a few more lines about his father. With the smell of herbs and pineapple still invading her senses, her mood fell somber. Transitioning from the joyful atmosphere of Besaid, her mind returned to the depths of the Farplane. She never divulged any details on what transpired right before Vegnagun fell into the abyss. Even when pressed, Yuna kept her answers short as to what happened to Lenne. Like a beast of burden, the guilt from losing Lenne's sphere like a fool weighed immensely on her, even to this day.

All she could muster to write was a simple apology to Lenne—an apology Lenne would never be able to read. Had Yuna been smarter, she never would have tried to lure Shuyin to his senses so recklessly as to offer Lenne's sphere to him. In her mind, Yuna still pictured Shuyin swatting away the sphere. Sometimes in her dreams at night, she helplessly watched it roll away into black nothingness, never to be seen again.

Tears trickled down Yuna's cheeks. Lenne deserved better, and so did Tidus, she wrote. Clapping her journal shut, she stood up with it still in hand. Using her other hand to wipe away her tears, she stammered to release the swell of anger boiling inside of her. For a moment, she closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Then with a sudden bellow, she slammed her journal onto the bed.

Clenching both her hands into fists, she felt her chest tighten like a vice squeezing it together. After a long pause, her emotions cleared enough for the floral smell to return to her senses. Peeking open her eyes, she noticed the stew had cooled enough to stop bubbling. With a long, heartbroken sigh, she collected containers and bowls to ready the meal to share with her friends.

Conveying no hint of her recent trepidation, Yuna carried her homecooked meal over to Lulu's hut. The grey clouds above still trickled raindrops below. Entering with a glimmering smile, she shared a final meal with all those she loved. After their supper, leading Yuna to the docks, Lulu, Wakka, and Vidina met up with the Aurochs. The blitzball team carried the last of their equipment onto the ship awaiting to sail them to Luca. The first to notice Yuna's arrival, Letty placed down the box he carried.

"Hey everyone, our mascot is here!" he joked.

Yuna laughed and bowed. "I don't know how much good luck I'll bring you guys."

Keepa walked down the ship's boarding plank and took Yuna's suitcase from her. "The last time you traveled with us, we won it all."

Datto raised his fist into the air. "That's right! Champions of Spira!"

He received a hearty cheer from his teammates and Yuna. She hoped she would bring them luck, regardless of the unlikeliness of that becoming true. It had been two years since the Aurochs last competed. This time around, Wakka and Tidus wouldn't be a part of their team. Yet the team's morale soared high.

Yuna shared her final goodbyes with Lulu and Wakka, and a few other villagers who came out to send off the Aurochs before boarding the ship. Cracks in the cloud cover above revealed splotches of blue sky. The wind blew strong, tossing her hair around her face. She stood at the edge of the deck, waving goodbye to her friends and family. Little Vidina stumbled his way across the beach, waving his arms until his feet touched the water.

She watched on while the ship sailed farther out to sea, calling out one final farewell. A solemn tear swelled in her green eye, but Yuna wiped it away before it could fall. With her home moving further and further away in the distance, she relegated herself to the bow of the ship. The Aurochs wasted no time finding a blitzball to kick around to each other.

Much like the last two years, Yuna desired to remain secluded. Socializing wasn't in the cards, at least for today. Looking out to the horizon, the vast ocean met the endless skyline. Biting her lip, her gaze fell to her lap. She recalled often during her adventures with the Gullwings, she felt as open and unending as the horizon. Now she felt small.

From inside her suitcase, she pulled out her journal and a pen. Closing her eyes, she pictured herself with Rikku and Paine climbing the mysterious Iutycyr Tower. Resting the journal against her leg, she began to jot down the words jostling around in her mind. A tinge of remorse washed over her. During her adventure up to the tower's top, Rikku accused Yuna of wasting her life. She remembered defending against her cousin's claim by saying she wanted to go on walks and cook meals.

For a time, that held true. Placing her pen down in between the pages of the journal, Yuna shook her head. Though she had not intended to, Yuna lied to Rikku. A quiet, peaceful life covered up the holes she felt in herself. Like broken glass, pieces were missing. Lenne, Tidus—these shards could not simply be put back into place. Glancing out at the ocean, she admitted to herself it would never make her whole, no matter how many hours she spent staring at it.

She inhaled deeply, feeling her chest expand. Blowing out a long sigh, Yuna picked up her pen and continued writing. Upon Baralai's advice, she had taken up journaling. To heal her wounds, she should put her pain into words, he wrote to her not long after she vanquished Vegnagun. She embraced his advice, and poured her emotions, both light and dark, into clumsy words. Although it took nearly two years, it helped her heal enough to finally brave the world once more. Though grand adventure didn't await her this time around, Yuna knew she needed to leave her quiet hut in Besaid behind.

Closing her journal, she sat it down next to her. From her pocket, she pulled out the letter from Baralai, his most recent. He urged her to settle in Bevelle. She understood his reasoning behind the suggestion. The city remained the heart of Spira, rife with opportunity. He even offered to let Yuna stay with him. She recognized his kind gesture had some personal reasoning behind it, not that she minded. For a time, she came close to taking Baralai up on his offer. A part of her wished to explore a deeper relationship with him. Ultimately, something inside her dissuaded her from pursuing him in Bevelle, at least for the time being.

Luca offered Yuna nearly as much opportunity, or at least the kind of opportunities she sought. There she could stand on her own two feet, even if deep within she still desired to be surrounded by her friends again. Her heart longed to stand on the bridge of the Celsius with the Gullwings, or walk the pilgrimage path with her guardians.

The hardest realization she had to admit to herself was the fact that she felt her smallest when she was alone. Yuna surrounded by her friends and loved ones could move mountains if so provoked. Yuna by herself offered no such value. Those who she cherished the greatest—the two shards missing from her heart—sacrificed themselves so she could play the hero.

If she could take solace in one aspect she would instill in the newest stage of her life: she would no longer be a hero. Maybe a little adventuring here or there, but no heroics.

The call of a seagull startled her out of her plunging thoughts. Swooping just above her head, the seagull floated effortlessly on the salty air. It came to a rest on the railing beside Yuna.

"Why hello there," Yuna greeted the bird.

It turned its head to look at her directly with one eye, leaning down to peck the railing. Though merely inches away from where Yuna sat, the bird seemed to not be intimidated by her proximity.

"Are you all by yourself?" she asked it.

Looking up to the sky and then around the ship, she spotted no other birds in the vicinity. Frowning at the seagull, she slowly crept her hand out towards it.

"Looks like we have something in common," Yuna whispered. "We're both out here by ourselves."

As her fingertips touched the back of the seagull, it squawked and immediately flew up into the air. She jerked her hand back, frightened by the bird's sudden launch. Watching it fly back toward Besaid, the seagull called again before fading out of sight into the distance.

"So much for making new friends," huffed Yuna.

Tired of sitting by herself, Yuna took her suitcase and headed for the lower deck. The journey to Luca would take days to complete; she decided she should make herself at home until the ship reached the city. Down a narrow hallway, the last room on the left, she opened the door to her rather cramped quarters.

Sterile in décor, the room was painted in a dirty-looking lemony color. A simple bed with a champaign-colored comforter rested against the back wall. A round, wooden nightstand stood next to it. On the wall opposite where the bed sat hung a small oil painting of Iutycyr Tower. Yuna stood, admiring the painting for a moment.

Had it truly been almost two years since she paraded atop the tower, she asked herself. Pressing her hand against the painting, she felt the coarse texture of the dried paint against her skin. Closing her eyes, Yuna pictured herself standing high above the world. Beside her, Rikku and Paine gazed off into the distance. Much like the picture, pink and purple painted the sunset sky that day.

"I hope you both are well," Yuna whispered, removing her fingers from the painting.

She clutched her hand over her heart. Down from her green eye ran a single tear, shed for days gone by. Releasing a long, lingering sigh, she felt her emotions unwinding. Though not as forcible as when Lenne cohabited with her, emotions bled out of the shadowy holes in her heart that persisted.

With a sudden grunt, she flicked away the tear from her cheek. She swung open the door to her room and returned to the deck. To her right, Botta and Jassu played around with a blitzball. Both tried to one-up the other with a sillier way to pass the ball back and forth. Attempting to do a spinning back kick to the ball Botta just threw in the air, Jassu slipped. He pelted the ball off the side of his foot, striking Yuna on the side of her head.

Both blitzball players gasped, their faces turning ghostly white. For a moment, Yuna stood too stunned to react. She raised her hand against her flush cheek. A tiny, soft laugh whispered from her lips, crescendoing into a hearty belly laugh. Botta and Jassu joined in her laughter, but not after they both let out a relieved sigh.

Yuna walked over to a stack of crates and picked up the errant blitzball. "Can I play, too?"

"Of course!" yelled Botta.

Giving her two bliztball friends a wink, Yuna bounced the blitzball off her hip toward Jassu. She laughed and carried on until the sun set beneath the rolling ocean waves. By the time she bid Jassu and Botta a good night, Yuna found herself alone on the deck.

The coarse curtain of stone-colored clouds from before had given way to an empty sky. A vast field of stars twinkled in the sky. The thin, waxing moon hardly illuminated the deck around her, nor did it add many glimmers to the sea around the ship. The breeze flew intermittently across her face with a calming coolness.

Glancing toward the sky, she felt much like the moon appeared—too little light shining forth. The past two years gave her time to reflect and process. Maybe even time to heal, perhaps. In secluding herself from the world, she dimmed her own light. Staring out into the north, Yuna felt a rush of impatience swirl inside her. She couldn't wait to arrive in Luca. Her chance at a new life was soon at hand.