Chapter Text
Yuna awoke to an immense weight pushing down on her chest. Her eyes shot open, and she belted out a suffocated cry. Before her mind could fully enter a conscious state, it realized the horror she would have to face again in order to set things right. In her dream, Lenne's revelation of Seymour's return shook Yuna to her core. Adding Shuyin's maniacal possession on top of Seymour's nihilistic worldview created what Yuna feared to be an unstoppable force of destruction.
Loosely clenching her right hand into a fist, she placed it on her chest. She closed her eyes and controlled her breathing. The pangs of Lenne's own anxiety folded in with her own. If not for Yuna's newfound consciousness of it, the wave of emotions might have overwhelmed her. Not this time, she told herself. She would control both of their emotions in order to face this last nightmare.
She listened to hear for anyone else in the cabin but only heard unnerving silence. Yuna left her bed and peered downstairs. With Barkeep nowhere to be found, she left the cabin in search of her friends. She needed to ask the rest of the Gullwings how to approach finding and attacking Shuyin's new host. With her fear dissipating, determination flooded in to replace it.
On the bridge, Rikku and Paine huddled together next to Buddy's console, watching something on the sphere broadcast. Yuna glanced around, unable to locate Brother, Buddy, or Shinra anywhere on deck. She wrinkled her nose and walked over to join them at Buddy's console. Catching a glimpse of Rikku's bewildered expression, her stomach quickly felt unsettled.
"What's wrong, Rikku?" she asked.
Rikku perked up. "Hey, Yunie! You're up kinda early. How are you feeling?"
Yuna took a better look out the cockpit windows. The sky formed a beautiful gradient of pink, purple, and orange. The sun had yet to fully crest the horizon of the ocean. She assumed Brother hadn't moved the ship from Iutycyr's island.
"I'm feeling alright," Yuna replied. "But your face worries me."
Paine smirked. "Shouldn't it always?"
"Hey! Now is not the time to make jokes," said Rikku.
Yuna frowned. "Now I know something is wrong."
Rikku crossed her arms tight against her chest. "Terrible things are happening in Bevelle. We were watching Shelinda report that Sey—"
"Seymour, or rather, Shuyin has Vegnagun in the city," Yuna interjected.
"How did you know?"
Paine gave Yuna a knowing glance before running a hand through her hair. "She's still with you, huh?"
Yuna nodded. "Yes. Lenne shared enough with me to know that Shuyin possessed Seymour when he returned. He's here to finish what he started two years ago."
"Geez, why won't he just give up."
"Someone as crazy as Shuyin will never give up," said Paine.
Rikku looked away from Yuna. "So, what do we do? He must be . . . destroyed, right?"
Yuna gave a stern expression. "Vegnagun needs to be destroyed. I will still take Lenne's feelings to Shuyin."
Paine scoffed. "Yuna, what if there's nothing left of him. Even you said yourself before, Shuyin is just a shadow now."
"I have to try. For Lenne," whispered Yuna.
The harsh expression on Paine's face softened. "I know you do. If anyone in this world besides you deserves to find love, it's Lenne."
A tiny spurt of happiness sprung up inside Yuna. "Thank you, Paine. I appreciate that."
"What do we do then?" asked Rikku.
Yuna looked at both of them thoughtfully. "Well, that's what I was coming up to discuss. Now that I know Shuyin and Vegnagun are in Bevelle, it's simple."
"According to Shelinda on the broadcast, they were unable to fight Vegnagun off from entering the inner part of the city," explained Paine.
Rikku added, "Yeah, it's total chaos."
For a moment, Yuna's thoughts turned to Baralai. She knew he wouldn't have the capability to defend against Vegnagun, especially with Seymour's power behind Shuyin. Her worry for his safety grew sharply.
Yuna rushed over to the CommSphere. "Then it's settled. We must fly to Bevelle as quickly as possible. Baralai is in trouble!"
"That's right, save him and smooch him!" yelled Rikku.
While she shared in Rikku's sentiment, Yuna lacked the degree of conviction her cousin exuded. She wanted to save Baralai, and desired to see him, but a piece of her still couldn't let go of Tidus. Locking gazes with Paine, Yuna quickly set aside those feelings.
"Is this really going to be it?" Paine poised the question on Yuna's mind out loud.
Yuna nodded hesitantly. "Yeah, this is the last time."
"Then I'll get Brother to set course."
"And I'll get Buddy and Shinra to keep an eye on the sphere broadcasts," said Rikku.
Yuna watched her two friends race out of the cabin, leaving her alone. Never truly alone, not with Lenne's spirit within her, she tried to bridge the gap between her feelings and those Lenne harbored. Closing her eyes, Yuna blew out a long, pained sigh. She turned to face the bridge windows, watching the sun rise out of the orange glow of the horizon.
A solitary tear spilled out of her blue eye, gently rolling down her cheek. She neglected to brush it away. Her heart ached for two, cascading over the litany of other dark emotions swelling up inside of her. She fought them all down. There would only be one chance to end the calamity between Lenne and Shuyin, and one last chance to bring her feelings to him. Yuna couldn't succumb to either her or Lenne's darkness.
Yuna instead focused on the rising sun, admiring the array of gorgeous colors painting the sky. A lone bird, flying just above the sun, caught her eye. Unlike herself, she wished for clear skies ahead for the bird. Wherever it flew to, she hoped for its safe journey. As the rest of the Gullwings entered the bridge, she stood in silence, continuing to watch the bird fade off into the distance.
The scenery soon changed once Brother launched the airship into flight. Blue sky overtook the morning hues. Feeling her mind begin to wander, Yuna paced around the bridge. She hated the empty time traveling and forced herself not to dwell on old memories.
Nearing Bevelle, the blue sky intermixed with ashen clouds. Flashes of lightning jumped out from the dark pockets in the clouds. Distant rumblings of thunder rapidly surged in volume. Brother steered around the storm front, splitting the storm lines to the best of his ability, but the harsh weather swarmed around the Celsius. The airship jittered from the turbulence.
In the middle of the bridge, Yuna stood firmly in place with arms crossed, undeterred by the torrent. She stared out the windows, unfazed because she had faced preverbal storms her entire life. A real storm now was nothing. She just needed to get on the ground.
Buddy waved his hand around. "Hey, Yuna! Come look at this!"
She snapped out of her stare, following Rikku and Paine to join Buddy by his console. He pointed to the screen. In the blustering storm, Shelinda reported that Seymour hovered Vegnagun near the entrance to the New Yevon headquarters.
"What's he trying to do?" asked Rikku.
Buddy shrugged. "No clue. It doesn't seem like he's done too much damage yet."
"Well, whatever the hell he's trying to accomplish won't be good," barked Paine.
Yuna grimaced. "I think I know."
She pointed to the gathering of New Yevon acolytes populating the balcony in front of the former temple. From a distance, they appeared to be watching or waiting for something. A bolt of lightning illuminated Seymour standing atop Vegnagun, speaking to the crowd.
"He's trying to turn everyone in New Yevon against themselves. Preying on their previous relations with Seymour and Yevon."
Rikku gasped. "That's nuts! No way they'd do that . . . right?"
Paine folded her arms. "We shouldn't wait around to find out."
Yuna agreed and led them down the lift. In her mind, she ran through all the possible scenarios Shuyin could try to play out. Whatever in the old temple he sought, she couldn't let him have it. She hoped Baralai could counter Shuyin's attempt to turn his own people against New Yevon.
A heavy rain poured down on Yuna the moment she stepped off the Celsius. Lightning intermittently cast light on the situation, quickly followed by loud blasts of rumbling thunder. By the time she reached the balcony area, Baralai had entered the fray. He stood with arms outstretched, pleading with his people.
"Don't listen to this monster!" he shouted. "Remember the harm he caused all of Spira."
Yuna rushed in next to Baralai. "Listen to him! Don't be fooled by who you think is speaking to you!"
"Yuna? You've returned?" Baralai stared at her in awe.
Yuna smiled. "I'll explain later. For now, just trust me."
He nodded at her and stepped aside. Yuna turned to face Seymour, who glared at her from the top of Vegnagun. The enormous machina hovered in the air just a few feet away from the edge of the balcony. Sheets of rain bounced off the metallic exterior of the monster. The glow of its turquoise eyes penetrated the thick rain, glaring at Yuna with the same intensity as its master.
"Do not be fooled by lies any longer," stated Shinra through Seymour's body. "You were once powerful and proud under Yevon. Let me give you that status again!"
Yuna countered. "That false façade will bring you nothing but misery!"
He cackled. "Rise up and take your rightful place as the leaders of Spira!"
Yuna desperately tried to cut away at Shuyin's lies, but he duped too many of Baralai's followers. Many of those surrounding Baralai raised their fists up into the air, clamoring for the old ways to return. Others resisted Shuyin's temptations, arguing in favor of the current order of things. Baffled by the sudden upheaval, Baralai backed away from the increasingly belligerent crowd.
A voracious blast of thunder shuttered the earth, signaling for the revolt to unleash. The followers of New Yevon clashed with each other in open violence. Baralai tried to get in between his followers to restore some semblance of order, but Yuna pulled him away.
"You can't! You'll be killed!" she cried.
"I can't let this monster ruin all of the good New Yevon has accomplished," retorted Baralai.
He wrestled his way out of Yuna's grip and joined the fray. With rain spraying into her face, she quickly lost sight of him amongst the chaos. Rikku ran up beside her with her curved blades in hand. She glared at her cousin with seething hatred.
"Nothing good comes from Yevon! I will kill them—"
Yuna extended her arm out in front of Rikku. "Stop! We can't help them like this."
"She's right," said Paine, running up beside Rikku. "It's Shuyin we need to target, not them."
"We can't get to him without fighting our way," Rikku said, motioning to the hysteria between herself and Vegnagun.
Yuna scanned over the crowd fighting each other on the balcony. Each lightning strike speeding down from the sky showed her a momentary glimpse of the mayhem. Much to her dismay, Rikku was right. Without a thought, Yuna started plowing through the onslaught. She refused to lethally harm any of the combatants under the spell of Shuyin.
Bowling over an elderly-looking New Yevon acolyte, she spotted Seymour's body still lurking at the top of Vegnagun. He watched the infighting with a devilish grin plastered over his face. Hate and delight burned from his eyes. With too many people in between her and Shuyin, she aimed her pistol at Shuyin up high.
The awkward angle made it frustratingly difficult to line up a proper shot. She fired two shots, both missing their mark. The two bullets ricocheted to the left of him. While her shots missed, she attracted his attention. He conjured a blast of fiery magic and launched it at Yuna. She barely leapt away from its impact point; the heat seared at her skin. A cluster of New Yevon acolytes skirmishing with each other hurdled backwards from the blast's explosion. Yuna watched Shuyin lower himself down from Vegnagun.
"It's too late to stop me. My plan is in motion now," Shuyin said, contorting Seymour's face into a grotesque expression.
Yuna aimed her pistol at his head. "You don't understand. All of this is unnecessary. There are words from Lenne you never—"
"Silence!" shouted Shuyin.
Charging his arcane power, he fired a volley of ice at Yuna. Paine imposed herself between Yuna and the attack, deflecting the magic away from her. Out from behind Paine, Rikku leapt into action, jumping over the bodies of the fallen acolytes until she reached close quarters with Shuyin. She circled around him in a fit of rage, slicing away at his deformed body until her tired arms could no longer swing her blades.
Through the crowd, Yuna spotted four men dragging a large cable from the entrance of the old temple. Its flurry of fighting acolytes gave the men trouble hauling it towards Vegnagun. She lost their position in the crowd. At first, she moved to intercept them, fearing whatever device they brought to Vegnagun had to be dangerous. Shuyin intercepted her, anticipating her movement.
He fired off a streak of lightning, sending scorching electricity inches from her face. Enough heat and spark entered her body to jolt her backwards. She fell to the ground, dazed by the strike. Paine launched her own volley of black magic, sending arcane orbs directly into his abdomen. Rikku yelled out from behind him and tossed a pitch-black object at Shuyin.
Violet tendrils reached out from a vortex of dark energy centered on Shuyin. A core of energy exploded into blinding white electricity, exuding out a flare of superheated air, followed by a deafening crackle of thunder. When the light dimmed and the roar subsided, Shuyin's host toppled. Seymour's body crumbled to the ground in a swarm of unleashed pyreflies, flying up into the malevolent sky.
Yuna believed she had finally defeated Shuyin for a moment, until his spectral form reappeared next to the pyrefly cluster. Unlike in the past, his body, while still translucent, took on a more solidified form. Yuna leaned forward to rush after him until the world trembled.
Unbeknownst to her, the giant cable had been affixed to Vegnagun, and its core absorbed the power running through the cable. Its eyes glowed bright green, washing out the greyness of the world with a muted, emerald tint cast by the light. Shrieking to life, the machina clamped itself to the side of the balcony. Parts of the edge crumbled away, and several New Yevonites fell off into the water far below.
The earth quaked when the gears inside Vegnagun fired to life. Continuing its transformation, the massive cannon hidden inside its body extended into the sky. Iridescent blue light coursed up and down the black, steel barrel. The crowd of acolytes, who had been fighting one another, all stopped to marvel at the sight.
Distracted by Vegnagun's transformation, Yuna hadn't realized Shuyin fled towards his weapon. It sensed the distress amongst the crowd before it and lashed out at them. Blasts of magic fired on the balcony, raining destruction on the people beneath its fury. Without an operator, Vegnagun unleashed indiscriminate devastation. The New Yevonites scattered and fled from the area.
Paine noticed Baralai had fallen during the chaos. Yuna wanted to run to him and snatch him away from what could be imminent death until she saw Shuyin scaling Vegnagun. If he reached the head, he would annihilate the entirety of Spira. She yelled for Rikku to go with Paine and save Baralai. Rejecting Rikku's plea, Yuna rushed for Vegnagun. She must finish Shuyin if she wished to show him Lenne's true feelings—this time she wouldn't hesitate.
Her hands slipped on the machina's slick exoskeleton. The unending rain had made climbing its body difficult. Careful with her hand and foot placement, she lifted herself up its leg. Looking up, she saw Shuyin getting closer to its head. The falling rain splattered hard against her face. Her left hand lost its grip, and she hung off Vegnagun's body for a moment.
Yuna glanced down before she realized it and watched Rikku and Paine escorting Baralai inside the temple. What little comfort it provided gave her the courage to push on. She swung her body around and grabbed ahold of the bottom of machine's midsection to resume her ascent.
By the time Yuna neared the head, the rain had nearly subsided. A dissonant melody started blaring from Vegnagun's form. She gasped, realizing Shuyin had begun controlling it again. She felt static electricity bite at her skin as Vegnagun drew power into its cannon. Flashbacks to two years ago suddenly intruded into her mind, shoving away any conscious thoughts of her current plight.
Her mind tormented her with images of Shuyin hammering the keys of Vegnagun's organ, manipulating its grotesque sound to engage its weapon of destruction. White light, filled with world-ending power, consumed her vision before morphing into Lenne's sphere grasped in Yuna's outstretched hand. In impossibly slow motion, Shuyin knocked the sphere from her hand and the sphere hurdled into a void of darkness, engulfed by a black emptiness until it consumed the sphere.
Yuna screamed, rejecting past failure and refusing to let the past repeat itself. She would bring Lenne to Shuyin on this day and nothing could stop her. She finished climbing up onto Vegnagun's head. Shuyin continued to pen a haunting melody on the organ built into the machina.
Taking a deep breath, Yuna readied herself. "No more, Shuyin! It's time you know the truth."
He let a contorted chord ring out before lifting his fingers off the keys. "There are no more truths to know."
"There was one a thousand years ago you never heard," declared Yuna. "I'm here to tell you it now."
Slamming the organ, Shuyin stood up and turned to face her. "Enough! I have agonized for a thousand years. What words do you think you have to ease my torment?"
"I don't have anything to help you," replied Yuna. "But if you'll just listen, I can share Lenne's—"
Shuyin drew his sword and lunged at Yuna before she could complete her sentence. Its cobalt blue blade sliced just in front of her face, the tip of the blade nicking her forehead. She stumbled backwards before catching her balance. A trickle of blood ran down the side of her nose before spilling over her lips. She grimaced at the metallic taste of her blood.
Removing her pistols from her holsters, Yuna prepared herself to do the one thing she hoped to avoid at all costs—kill Shuyin. His spectral form had solidified enough to incur real damage. As desperate as she was to reach Shuyin with Lenne's true feelings, Yuna gave up hope of achieving that connection. Her heart ached to fail at her only goal left in life.
Squeezing the grips of her pistols snuggly, she raised them both up and fired a barrage at Shuyin. He dodged the first two bullets, his nimbleness surprising Yuna. The third shot whizzed over his head, but the fourth shot glanced off his shoulder. He wrinkled his face in pain but brushed it off enough to attack Yuna again. He spun his entire body around with his blade extended, assaulting her like a tornado.
She deflected part of his slicing with her pistols but felt both her arms and legs cut by his blade. Yuna screamed out in pain and fired a haphazard shot. The bullet struck Shuyin and he reeled back. She dropped to a knee, the pain of her injuries burning like fire.
Yelling something incoherent at Yuna, Shuyin readied to charge at her again when a flurry of black orbs barreled into him. Their impact knocked him on his back. Yuna looked around, finding Paine had just climbed up behind her. Rikku flipped up onto Vegnagun's head a second after. Relieved to have both of her friends beside her, Yuna stood up and straightened herself. She ignored the painful wounds on her arms and legs.
"Will you be okay, Yuna?" Paine asked.
Yuna nodded. "I will be once Shuyin is finished."
"Right on!" exclaimed Rikku.
Wasting no time, Paine engaged Shuyin first. She hacked away at him with her sword. Shuyin flipped and spun away from her attacks, artfully twisting his body to evade Paine landing any blows. He stepped backwards to continue playing the dark song of his sorrow that progressed Vegnagun's programming.
Yuna watched the machina's cannon continue to draw in immense energy. She feared it would soon be able to unleash its destructive power. Instead of firing at him, she charged at him, tackling him to the ground. The horrid notes faded in the wind. Vegnagun's cannon stood ready to fire. The tip of its cannon vibrated with tendrils of white electricity spilling out in all directions.
Rikku climbed on his back and stabbed at him with one of her curved blades. Shuyin squealed in pain before throwing her off his back. Paine smashed him in the chest with the hilt of her sword, causing him to stumble back. He slipped off the edge of Vegnagun's head, falling straight down, tumbling off its slick body.
Yuna ran to the edge and looked down, watching him fall until he grabbed the top of its leg, stopping his descent. He kicked off its leg and landed on the balcony outside the tower. Refusing to let him escape, Yuna followed him by leaping off the top of Vegnagun. She slid down its curvy exterior, her feet gliding against its metallic exterior. She landed in front of him, watching as he leaned over favoring his ribs. He glared at her with only one eye open before he grimaced from pain.
By now, Paine and Rikku had descended from atop Vegnagun. Giving Yuna a look, Paine waited for her approval. With hesitation, Yuna nodded and allowed Paine to unleash a fury of black orbs into Shuyin. She lashed out in agony that the magical attack caused her. Shuyin's shriek quickly overlapped her own. He keeled over and fell onto his knees, still grasping at his ribs.
Yuna's eyes watered while gazing at the tragic sight. For Shuyin, all of this time, and all of these years, were at an end. He suffered in indescribable darkness, weighed down by unfathomable despair, only for Yuna to kill him before he knew the truth. Her heart wrenched at his unjust fate. She hated herself for what she was about to do.
Lifting her pistol, Yuna pointed it directly at Shuyin's head. Her finger wrapped around the trigger. Closing her eyes, she fought the immense guilt rippling around in her soul, resisting her command to shoot. A sudden swell of heat built up inside her. Everything started to blur, and she felt as if her heart would rip itself out of her chest.
A bright, yellow light glowed around her. From deep within, Lenne's spirit emerged. She broke her connection with Yuna and walked out of her body in spectral form. Adorned in her songstress attire, just as she had when she died a thousand years ago, Lenne gazed at Shuyin in silence.
When he looked up, his eyes widened, and he gasped. "Lenne?"
With sadness in her eyes, Lenne approached Shuyin. He reeled back slightly before lashing out at her. Using both of her hands, Lenne grabbed his wrist. The anger and confusion subsided in an instant, and he bowed his head. Shuyin's heavy breathing slowed, and he used his other hand to hold Lenne's.
"Hi there," Lenne said.
Shuyin stumbled to find the words to reply to her. Yuna could hardly breathe from how tight her chest twisted together in knots. His pain, so palpable even from her distance, deeply moved her.
Shuyin looked up at Lenne again. "A thousand years, and this moment is all we get?"
Lenne nodded and brought his hand up to her cheek. "This moment is enough. We've been apart for too long to fret over the past. Just knowing how you feel is enough. Shuyin, let's go home."
"Can we?" he asked.
"We've come too far to look back now. Together, we have a chance to reclaim what we missed a thousand years ago."
Shuyin slumped his head. "But I've done so much wrong . . . caused so much pain."
"I know," she said warmly. "We both have done so much wrong."
"I'm sorry, Lenne." he whimpered. "I lost my mind when I found out you'd left for Zanarkand, and it seems I lost my way trying to get you back. Can you ever forgive me?"
"I can. Shuyin, I've never lost my love for you. Thankfully, there are still kind people in this world."
"I'm sorry," Shuyin whispered.
Lenne rested his head in her chest and wrapped her arms around him. He quietly sobbed, burying himself from the rest of the world. She nuzzled her cheek against his hair.
"Rest, Shuyin," she said. "Rest with me."
With tears in his eyes, Shuyin gazed up at Lenne. His empty, longing eyes, finally finding a source of restoration, started to fill with light. He nodded at Lenne before burying himself in her embrace again.
"Come with me. I have a new song to sing for you," she whispered.
Turning her head to look at Yuna, Lenne smiled. For one final time, they gazed into each other's eyes and shared in one final emotion. Lenne's gratitude lifted Yuna's heart.
"Thank you," Lenne said.
Yuna replied with a slight nod. She had no words that would suffice in conveying what she felt, but she knew Lenne understood. Yuna watched on as a bright flash of light engulfed the lovers. Their spirit forms faded into a cloud of sparkling pyreflies flying up into the sky.
A solemn tear rolled down Yuna's cheek as she watched the pyreflies float high into the sky. They eventually dimmed before fading away from sight. The realization of Yuna's success had not yet dawned on her. She felt neither numb nor overwhelmed. Searching her heart, old holes had been filled, but some parts remained empty. Not all of the shattered glass pieces had been repaired.
"Yeah, way to go Yunie!" yelled Rikku in celebration. "We did it!"
Paine sighed. "I can't believe it, but we really did. After all this time."
Rikku grinned. "No kidding! Somehow it all ended up happy, too."
"You did good, Yuna," said Paine while patting Yuna on the shoulder. "After a thousand years, you were able to bring them back together."
"Yeah, I guess I did," Yuna whispered.
New Yevonites, led by Baralai, emerged from the old temple. They quickly absorbed Paine and Rikku in their victory celebration. Voracious cheering echoed off the balcony to the rest of the city. Not long after, the rest of the Gullwings joined them. Lost in the festivities, Yuna stood by herself, staring up at Vegnagun.
The ancient machina rested lifeless, still attached to the balcony. By now, no more light from Lenne and Shuyin's pyreflies glittered in the sky. Vegnagun's eyes shined no light either. The heat generated by its dormant cannon dissipated, chilled by the cold, rainless wind. A faint wisp of steam tapered out of the cannon's muzzle.
Clasping her hands together in front of her heart, Yuna started to realize what she had accomplished. She reunited Lenne with her love, transcending loss, war, and even time itself to do so. In a way, saving Lenne meant more to her than defeating Sin. Bowing her head, Yuna began to wonder why she didn't feel happier.
Closing her eyes, she pictured Lenne and Shuyin embracing one another. A far cry from the two of them fleeing from Bevelle soldiers a thousand years ago, they received their happy ending. Jealousy tinged her thoughts, and Yuna hated herself for it. Lenne deserved all the joy she had just acquired.
Yuna looked around her. Behind her, her friends celebrated together. She knew people all over Spira would praise her name again. What did any of that matter, because Tidus was not with her. He would never walk with her again.
Through all of her tribulations in the past four years, the only truth she managed to avoid was simply that her reunion would never occur. Tidus was gone forever, and she needed to accept that. Her mind raced to uncover a way for those remaining holes in her heart to find peace with her fate. No answers came to her easily.
She thought back to the very beginning of her pilgrimage and how little she felt at the time. Since then, she rooted out the lies of the Yevon faith, defeated Sin, stopped Spira's annihilation twice, plunged back in time, and reunited lost lovers after a thousand years. Yuna had lived multiple lifetimes worth of adventure and heartache.
Opening her eyes, she looked up at the grey sky behind the dormant machina. With no threats to face and no master to follow, its lifeless form no longer had a purpose. For Spira, it needed to be so. She watched a solitary bird fly above it, circling over its head before landing on one of its giant tusks. The bird pecked at its metal skin a few times before looking down at its surroundings.
When its head cocked to look at Yuna, she waved to the bird. It appeared perplexed for a moment, merely staring at her without giving any sort of reaction. She continued to watch the bird hop up and down the tusk aimlessly, sharing in the bird's unsurety. It then flew off of Vegnagun, lifting itself high up into the sky, on to other places in the far distance. She wished the bird well.
Yuna turned away from Vegnagun, ready to rejoin her friends. Though the celebration would be bittersweet, she still had people who loved her. For that, she would be eternally grateful. Whatever the remainder of her life would entail, she had to move on from the past.
It would be the only way for Yuna to find peace.