Chapter 62 – Reunited
Note: As mentioned in the chapter, Cassius is a minor OC I created way back in chapter 14.
Standing outside of the Farplane entrance, Yuna leaned her back against the wall. She pressed her hand against her chest, desperately trying to calm her racing heart. It felt like it would burst out of her chest at any moment. Each frantic beat echoed in her ears.
How could Shuyin still be alive? How could he have found out about the mysterious spheres that allow time travel? These questions rushed through her mind, and she had no answers to them. No matter how Shuyin survived Vegnagun's destruction, she couldn't let him continue. Everything she and Lenne sacrificed two years ago could not go in vain.
Devising a way to track him, Yuna remembered Leblanc had a Sphere Oscillio-finder underneath her mansion. Peeking a look at the magenta sphere still safely tucked away in her pouch, she hoped she could use the sphere in her possession to track the one in Shuyin's clutches.
Though a torrent of emotions swirled inside of her, Yuna walked back to Leblanc's keep with a calm and collected expression on her face. The same two Fem-Goons still stood watch by the front entrance. The two women stopped Yuna to chat with her, something that still unnerved her regardless of the current situation haunting her. Mustering as much cheer as she could, she made small talk with the two women, all the while her new mission burned in her brain.
Finally, the two Fem-Goons relented and allowed Yuna to enter the château. More Goons milled about the main hall but paid no attention to her. Remaining placid, she continued to the backroom and activated the switch opening the way to the underground complex. She extended her ear to listen for voices or footsteps but heard nothing to her relief.
She jogged to the room housing the Sphere Oscillio-finder. Its cool blue and violet light washed over her. Biting her lip, she removed the magenta sphere from her pouch and whispered a prayer. For several minutes, she entered any information from the sphere she could think of to help her locate Shuyin. With each error, she growled with a little more ferocity at the device.
After nearly an hour of meddling with the machina, Yuna discovered a way for the device to scan for spheres like one input into it. In the palm of her hand, she held the ancient sphere up to the Sphere Oscillio-finder. Her eyes danced between the enchanting magenta glow of her sphere and the computations the Sphere Oscillio-finder sputtered out.
The device beeped loudly, startling her enough to cause her to bobble the sphere in her hand. Yuna stared in surprise at the device's results. A tiny red diamond flickered on a map of Spira, hovering just above Zanarkand. Her eyes widened when she saw the ruined city highlighted on the translucent globe.
"There are still more spheres hidden in Zanarkand?" she whispered to herself. "Why do you believe that Shuyin?"
Wishing she had more time to ponder this question, Yuna shook her head and shut down the Sphere Oscillio-finder. If she were to beat Shuyin to the sphere, she had to act immediately. Though the impulsiveness ran counter to her personality, the grave sense of danger boiling within her pushed her to disregard planning.
She grabbed what little belongings she had and marched to the hall of Leblanc's mansion. Realizing the vast distance from Guadosalam to Zanarkand, her stomach cramped up. She needed to get to Zanarkand and fast. Then she remembered Leblanc still had Rin's small airship in her possession.
Rushing out of the front doors, Yuna crashed into someone entering at the same time. She looked up to find Leblanc standing before her, rubbing the side of her head with her fan.
"Ow! What's the rush, love?" she said.
Yuna stumbled to form a response. "I, well, I have to go."
"What do you mean? Go where?"
"I don't want to burden you. It's Shuyin. He's still alive!"
Leblanc tapped Yuna on the shoulder with her fan. "Maybe you hit your head harder than you thought the other day. Are you sure you're not just imagining things?"
Though Yuna could hardly believe the whole ordeal herself, she took the time to try to explain the situation to Leblanc. Her boss' expression switched between disbelief and exasperation. Yuna continued to implore her need to leave for Zanarkand.
Leblanc stared at her silently before saying, "You've fought this battle before. I won't stop you now if you feel that strongly."
"I do." Yuna nodded.
"Why don't I get you some help to go along with you."
"No, thank you. I don't want to put anyone else in danger because of what I've done in the past," replied Yuna.
Leblanc sighed. "Very well. Please be careful with Rin's airship. It's expensive."
"I promise I will."
Yuna's moment of light-hearted chuckling passed, and she rushed off for the airship. In a clearing just outside Guadosalam, Rin's airship waited for her arrival. She stopped after entering the cockpit, taking a few breaths to collect herself before sitting in the pilot's chair. The rumbling of its engines shook her hands grasping onto the controls. The ship wobbled in the air as it rose from the ground until Yuna steadied its ascent.
Thankful for clear skies to fly through, her thoughts drifted to Zanarkand. Over and over, she contemplated where an ancient inventor's sphere could be hidden in the ruined city. She recalled the many newly formed sphere hunting groups that scoured its remnants two years ago. Her mind then drifted to Cassius, reminding her that the old city still held long-forgotten mysteries.
Before Yuna realized it, she had passed over Mt. Gagazet, and Zanarkand came into view. The sun had all but set, with only a sliver of orange fire peeking over the horizon. Taking a pass over the city, she had trouble locating a suitable landing spot. With fallen buildings all over, she hadn't the skill to risk touching down in the city proper.
She took another pass over Zanarkand before locating a large enough flat area not cluttered with debris: the old campsite where she and her guardians rested before entering the city at the end of her pilgrimage. She kept the sting of old memories at bay long enough to land safely.
Emerging from the airship, she walked over to the rocky outcropping by the water where the campfire had burned. She pictured Tidus standing up on the little hill, gazing off into the ruins of his home. Climbing up the hill, she stood in the spot he did four years ago. Night had fallen, but the clear sky let the moon illuminate the land below and the celestial body of stars twinkle freely. Pyreflies swarming around the city added enough illumination for Yuna to see far into the distance.
She seemed to always find herself in the city at nighttime, though she never planned it that way. As far as she could see, nobody but herself populated the old city. No more guardians, tourists, or sphere hunters traipsed their way over this sacred land. Unlike her previous trips, Yuna found herself alone.
Wrapping her arms around herself, she lowered her mind's defenses and allowed all the emotions of the past to flood over her. The reality of her endeavor revealed its terrible self. The foolish idea of marching through Zanarkand chasing a thousand-year-old ghost by herself hit her over the head. While she didn't want to endanger anyone, it shouldn't have come to this—why had everyone abandoned her?
Overcome with grief, Yuna curled up into a ball and sobbed. For the first time since Vegnagun's defeat, she allowed herself to be honest with her feelings. She had no guardians and no Gullwings, yet she couldn't let Shuyin go. For a long time, she remained on top of the hill, buried by the past.
Once she collected herself, she rose and stepped down from the outcropping. She inhaled deeply, watching the pyreflies skirt over the vestiges of the city, before slowly breathing out. In amongst the shadows of the past, she strode. She heard only her footsteps while she walked the road through the ruins.
Not to be caught off guard, for she knew fiends still lurked in amongst the recesses of the city, she kept a hand close to her holstered pistol. A light breeze tickled her hair and cooled her cheeks. Every so often, she stopped to admire the tranquil setting surrounding her. To either side of her, the remnants of ttoppled-overbuildings protruded out of the water, their bell-shaped tops worn from a millennium of grime and decay.
She hopped from the cracked road to one of the buildings. Carefully she stepped around the roof, searching for a hole or an entrance. She peered inside when she came to a long crack on the side. Yuna discovered little with no source of light. A little moonlight shined through the breaks in the walls, revealing the hint of water flooding the inside below. Though she couldn't make out what, she swore something swam in the water.
Satisfied that nothing of value could be uncovered by her exploring inside, she continued up the broken road. The temperature continued to drop with the sun gone for the night; she rubbed her arms often, trying to rid herself of the cold goosebumps forming on her skin. Her pace slowed the closer to the dome she approached.
At the end of the road loomed the all too familiar husk of the Zanarkand Dome. Standing before it, with her arms wrapped around herself, Yuna glared at it and frowned. Too many bad memories lingered in the back of her mind from her pilgrimage here. Even after returning two years ago, the idea of this sacred place being reduced to a cheap tourist attraction still angered her.
Her gut told her this wasn't the place a lost sphere would be hiding. She had explored the dome enough to believe that. Ambling around the decrepit former temple, she ventured into another lost section of the city. Unlike the road into Zanarkand, the buildings lining either side of the street stood mostly intact, towering up to the sky. She wondered if those soaring structures had been apartments at one time.
A soft yellow glow reflecting on the ground at the far end of this section attracted her attention. It crept across the tattered walls of a row of buildings. Squinting her eyes, she tried to make out who or what caused the glow. Too far away to see, she tiptoed forward, hiding behind a fallen pillar.
The luminescent outline of a person stopped for a moment, looking around before entering through a large steel door into a gigantic complex. Dull green moss and rust covered the building's façade. Once the light faded, Yuna inched her way to the entrance door. Two ethereal figures appeared in front of her. With a gasp, she tripped and fell to the ground.
"I hope the boss isn't mad we're late," said the one figure, a tall and lanky man with salt and pepper hair.
The second ghostly figure, a short but muscular young man, replied, "Ah, I bet he was late, too. That was some blitzball game. I couldn't fall asleep last night after it was over!"
"You know it! I can't believe we came back to win!"
"Don't doubt the Nomads! It makes all the back-breaking factory work bearable to have such a great team to cheer for."
The two figures vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving behind only the remnants of a few scattered pyreflies. The memories branded into the pyreflies must be strong in this part of the city, Yuna thought. She stood up and dusted her clothing off. Leaning her head through the sliver of space between the partially opened door and its frame, she peered into the enormous structure.
A cavernous room held three long lines of mechanical apparatuses with a conveyor belt connecting the lines. Hanging at various points along the line, bulky machina shaped like arms with pincers on them showed the wear of time. Orangish brown rust coated most of their surface. A hole in the roof let in enough moonlight to cast shadows across the factory floor.
Unholstering her pistol, Yuna ducked by one of the conveyor lines and lurched forward. She couldn't spot the glowing figure from outside. As she crept by a large mechanical claw, another spectral figure burst into sight.
A portly woman, with her hair in a messy bun, pulled a lever on a nearby control box. "Those rats in Bevelle will regret starting a war with us! We build the strongest machina in Spira!"
Like a dream, the collective pyreflies brought memories long-forgotten back to life. The humming conveyor moved a line of half-assembled machina that looked like those that Rin used to guard his properties in the Mi'ihen Highroad. The gigantic arms would attach a part and fasten it into place.
Like the two men outside, the woman and her line of machina soon faded from existence, returning to a forgotten past once more. Yuna lost herself in thought. Her mind scuttled away from her mission to ponder this terrifyingly efficient war factory. With the threat posed to Bevelle on this kind of scale, she could understand why Bevelle created a monster like Vegnagun.
The sound of metal sliding onto the floor snapped her out of her thoughts. Hiding behind the end of a conveyor line, she spied on the glowing figure rummaging through some rusted machina parts left in a giant barrel. Close enough now to make out certain details, she determined the figure to be a man with straight brown hair tied into a short ponytail. Narrowing her eyes, Yuna waited for the figure to turn around.
With an unsatisfied grunt, the man stepped back from the barrel and turned around. Yuna gasped, realizing the glowing figure was Isaaru. The faint yellowish glow still surrounded his body, casting light on the white robe and blue blouse he wore. She thought he returned to Bevelle years ago. Keeping her eyes locked on him, the glowing aura surrounding Isaaru soon revealed the ghostly figure of Shuyin imposed on him.
Yuna's eyes shot open when she realized Shuyin had possession of Isaaru. She gritted her teeth together, a bolt of anger rushing through her veins. Up to his old tricks, and hellbent on exacting his revenge, Shuyin pulled the invisible strings on his newfound puppet. With ever-increasing frustration, he ripped apart the machines and rubble of the factory ruins.
As each moment of his ceaseless rummaging passed, the anger inside Yuna burned hotter. Without thinking, her hand drifted to her pistols. She started to slide them out of the holsters before she caught herself. Shaking her head, she couldn't believe she thought to fire on Isaaru just to dispel Shuyin's spirit. She wrangled with her feelings—without Lenne's heart entwined with hers, did she despise Shuyin enough to want to see him cast into oblivion?
While wrestling with her internal demons, Yuna noticed Isaaru had moved away from her. Carelessly she moved away from her hiding place but stumbled on an unattended toolbox left to rest on the ground. The tools inside spilled out; their clanging echoed throughout the factory floor. Spinning his head around, Isaaru spotted Yuna.
"What are you doing here?" he growled, his voice intermingled with Shuyin's. "I told you before to let me help us both."
She shook her head. "I can't let you bring back Vegnagun. No matter my personal feelings, I won't let you destroy the world."
Issaru's hand balled into a fist. "You won't stop anything. I will have my revenge."
"No, you must let the past go."
A rush of unexpected emotions spiraled inside Yuna the moment those words left her lips. While the world was at stake, who was she to tell Shuyin to let go of the past? For the past four years, she chased the same phantoms of the past. Even now, a slice of her soul yearned to go back to the days of her pilgrimage.
"Ever the hero. Just like those tyrants from Bevelle," said Isaaru before raising his hand "This will rid me of you."
Waves of pyreflies swirled like a vortex in the center of the factory floor. The ground shook with a violent eruption, knocking Yuna off her feet. Burrowing up from the ground, a gigantic fiend leaped into the air and landed in a thunderous crash. A far section of the factory collapsed from the shockwave its landing caused.
"Go, and eliminate her," ordered Isaaru, pointing at Yuna.
Rising to her feet, Yuna pulled out her pistol and instinctively fired a shot at the earthen-colored fiend. It gnashed at her with its sharp yellow teeth. She took a step toward Isaaru to follow his retreat, but the colossal fiend blasted its fist into the ground in front of her, cutting off her path.
Yuna's gaze sharpened on the fiend. "Alright, I'll take care of you first."
She hopped backward while firing three shots into the fiend's scaly chest. Their impacts rippled into the scaly skin of the fiend. The bullet casings seemed to disintegrate on impact. Charging at her, the fiend swung its mighty fist, nearly clipping the top of her head. She tumbled out of its way. The fist impacted an assembly line of half-constructed machina, shattering them into pieces. A hail of debris rained down on Yuna, cutting up her arms and legs.
She winced in pain when she hobbled away from the fiend, slipping on the slick metal fragments littering the floor. Raising her pistol, she fired another shot into the fiend's head to little effect beyond enraging it. It growled at her before darting at her again. Wildly it swung its fists around knocking over everything in its wake.
Yuna retaliated by loading her pistols with the few special bullets she still had remaining with her. She hid behind a crate while watching the menace tear up the factory looking for her. When it neared close enough to her, she sprung up from behind the crate and fired two bullets simultaneously. Each impact crackled with magical energy before exploding into the fiend. A pillar of arcane power blew a hole in the roof above it, plummeting a metal beam on top of the fiend. Toppling over, it fell onto its back, screeching out a tormented yelp.
Thinking the fiend vanquished, Yuna sighed in relief. She began to wipe the trickles of blood from the cuts on her arms when she heard a stirring. Still lying on its back, the fiend animated once more, wiggling its legs around in the air. She felt her hair stand up from the fiend's arcane energy channeling.
Realizing it could cast its own spells, Yuna sprinted for a large stack of boxes. She dove for cover as the fiend unleashed a nova blast of magic at her, exploding in a fiery blast where she just stood. The heat and concussive waves launched her across the factory floor until her body smashed into a wall.
For a moment Yuna blacked out. Her head throbbed when she started to regain consciousness. She could feel the entire back of her head sting from striking the wall. Her legs ached and her shoulder had a shard of metal dug into it. When she tried to get to her feet, the fiend leaped next to her.
It drove its giant hand onto her, clutching her in its grasp. Lifting her up, the fiend peered at her with its black eyes. Yuna tried to point her gun at it to shoot, but the fiend squeezed its hand tighter around her. She let out a cry, feeling her whole torso compressing from the strength of its grasp. Trying to kick her way out of its clutches, she started to faint from lack of air. Her vision blurred and her mind faded away.
"Let her go you creep!" yelled a voice from behind.
Yuna couldn't see who barked at the fiend. Before it had a chance to react, two small, shiny objects clanked off its exterior before detonating in a blast of watery and electrical magic. Caught off guard, it dropped Yuna out of its hand and stomped backward. Still woozy, Yuna wobbled as she rose to her feet. With one hand still holding her forehead, she watched the fiend rear back to thrust its fist at her.
A scream from above bellowed into the room. Zipping down from above, a shadowy figure lunged a large sword straight into the fist of the fiend. Like a whirling dervish, the sword twirled in the air before impacting the fiend again with a deafening strike. A bright orange and yellow explosion sent the fiend hurdling back into the remains of the assembly line. This time, it fidgeted no more.
Yuna continued to rub her forehead, her vision still hazy. "Oh, thank you whoever you are."
Feeling weakness take hold of her, her legs gave out when she tried to step forward. Before she fell to the floor, arms wrapped around her preventing her tumble.
"Hey, careful! You look like you took a beating, Yunie."
Yuna's eyes popped open. "Rikku?"
Glancing up, the cheerful grin of her beloved cousin sharpened into view. Her heart swelled with joy, and she embraced Rikku. Footsteps approached the hugging cousins.
"Yeah, you do look like you got run over," said the shadowy figure, a dry tone to her voice.
Emerging into the moonlight allowed by the voluminous hole in the roof, Paine reluctantly looked at Yuna. Her body language showed off her hesitation to want to be seen. Her mouth hanging open, Yuna could hardly believe what she saw.
She gasped. "Paine! You came too?"
"Well, yeah. We heard you were in trouble," Paine replied, flashing a shy smile.
Stepping out of her embrace with Rikku, Yuna ran over to Paine and fell into her arms. The firmness of her clothing proved to her that what she saw was real. Tears of joy trickled from her eyes. Paine patted her head.
"It's good to see you again," whispered Paine.
Yuna looked up and smiled. "So much so!"
For a few minutes, the girls shared hugs and smiles. Rikku started to bandage Yuna's wounds after they emerged from the vestiges of the ancient factory. Wisps of smoke from the various explosions still trickled out from the holes in the rooftop. Many questions and emotions danced around in Yuna's head.
"How did you find me?" she asked.
Paine shrugged. "The big explosions from this building kind of tipped us off."
"No, I mean how did you know I was in Zanarkand?"
Rikku chuckled. "That's easy. Leblanc told us."
"She did?"
Rikku nodded. "Yeah! When you got all crazy and ran off, she was worried. So, she called my brother who contacted all of us."
"Brother?" Yuna murmured. "He did?"
"Yep. He's still got a soft spot for you I guess," replied Rikku before giggling.
Yuna looked down at her feet. "Hey, I, um . . . I want to say sorry."
"Don't sweat it. It's not like we haven't come to your rescue before."
"No, I mean. I'm sorry for not staying in touch better."
Rikku's grin washed away. She looked over to Paine, who retreated into herself, an expression of misgiving on her face. Yuna glanced at both of her friends and frowned. Guilt hung heavy in her heart, and her chest tightened from its burden.
Paine suddenly stepped closer. "You don't need to apologize. If anyone should, it's me."
"Why do you say that?" Yuna questioned.
Wrapping her arms around herself, Paine sighed. "I got lost whenever the Gullwings broke up. I thought venturing off on my own for a while would be a good idea. Problem is, I lost touch with almost everybody which makes me a lousy friend."
"It wasn't just you," Yuna said with glossy eyes. "I hid in Besaid and barely talked to anyone not on the island. I'm sorry I drifted away, Paine. I swear it wasn't intentional. When you didn't answer my last call, I thought you might hate me now."
Paine put her hands on Yuna's arms and looked directly at her. "No way! I didn't answer because . . . I don't know how to use that stupid contraption Shinra gave me."
For a long moment, the two friends simply stared into each other's eyes before breaking out into laughter. Rikku joined them in their jubilation while giving Paine a smack on the back.
"We're all friends," she said. "And we'll always be friends."
Paine flashed a smile. "That's right."
"So, what're you gonna do now, Yunie?" Rikku asked. "Leblanc told us about Shuyin coming back. Is it true?"
Yuna's expression turned grim. "It is. He took possession of Isaaru and is searching for spheres."
"What the hell does he need spheres for?" Paine tilted her head.
"That's a long story. Just know that I must find them first."
Rikku and Paine exchanged glances before Rikku said, "Sounds like you'll gonna need some help."
Yuna bit her lip. "No, I couldn't. This is all happening because of me. I'm not going to draw you into this."
"You haven't drawn us into anything," Paine replied. "We're here because we want to."
Rikku added, "Yeah, you're our friend, silly. Of course, we want to help!"
"But what about your work with Gippal in Bikanel?"
Rikku waved her hand. "Eh, Gippal can handle it himself. Besides, I get tired of seeing his face every day."
Paine rolled her eyes. "Somehow I don't believe that."
"Oh, shut up," Rikku retorted while giving Paine a playful shove.
Yuna laughed. "Then I'm glad I'll have your help. Unfortunately, we'll need even more help to locate the spheres and Shuyin."
"Oh, don't worry about that." Rikku pointed up to the sky.
The rumbling sound of engines grew louder. Soaring above them, the Celsius emerged from the clouds and descended toward the ruins of Zanarkand. Yuna's eyes grew wide in astonishment.
"Brother is here with you?"
Rikku giggled. "How do you think we got together and made it to Zanarkand so fast?"
A buzzing noise sounded. "Yuna, come in! Is everything okay?"
"Brother!" exclaimed Yuna.
He cheered over the CommSphere. "Ah, I'm so happy to hear your sweet voice again, Yuna!"
"From the look of that smoke, we got here just in the nick of time," added Buddy.
"Oh, Buddy! You're here, too?"
Shinra's voice interjected. "Don't forget about me."
Touching down just outside the city, the Celsius opened its ramp. Brother, Buddy, and Shinra barely had time to exit the airship before Yuna ran up to embrace them. Her heart fluttered with a swell of joy she hadn't felt in years. She explained the circumstances behind Shuyin's return and her trek to Zanarkand to them.
"That is fascinating," commented Shinra. "Spheres allowing time travel sounds incredible. Not to mention dangerous."
"Do you think it's even possible?" Buddy questioned.
Shinra shrugged. "No idea. I'll have to do more research."
Yuna handed her magenta sphere to Shinra. "This is what I found in the Omega Ruins. It's how I tracked Shuyin to Zanarkand."
Prancing like a maniac, Brother led them back onto the Celsius. Yuna paused, hesitating to follow the group. She cupped her hands up to her chest. Even though being together with her friends again gave her immense joy, she knew she didn't deserve them.
"Hey, what's the matter?" asked Paine, turning around to look at Yuna.
"Um, it's just . . ."
Paine smiled and reached for Yuna's hand. "It's okay. Don't beat yourself up about the last two years."
"Sorry, I just can't help feeling guilty."
"Think of it this way. Thanks to you again, the Gullwings are back together."
Looking up with a shocked expression, Yuna locked eyes with Paine. The warm smile on her friend's face brushed away the guilt harbored in her heart. She smiled back at Paine and walked up the ramp with her. Yuna had found where she belonged once again.
