Blue Epilogue
Baralai caught up to Rin at the funeral for Rederi - which, typical for Rin and his erys, was a full-blown party complete with a scrimmage Blitzball game. This type of funeral celebration had become the new custom now that Sendings didn’t work anymore. With no more pyreflies since the destruction of the Farplane gate, the people of Spira had taken to burying their dead in small plots of land outside the large cities. The planet still absorbed the bodies, apparently converting them to Farplane energy in some new manner, since the energy source hadn’t diminished even since the disappearance of the pyreflies several years prior.
“Rin,” Baralai said when he had captured Rin’s attention, “I am so sorry to hear about Rederi and the crash,” he said simply.
“Ah, thank you Praetor, but at least he was doing what he loved until the end, yes?” Rin replied, managing to smile even at the funeral for his erys. “And now we shall set higher standards for airship maintenance.”
“Yes, of course,” Baralai replied, seeing Gippal and Aisso approach behind Rin. Gippal was still sporting his eyepatch, which he used more as a fashion accessory now than a paternity cover-up, and Aisso looked beautiful in her long white dress and string of pale pink pearls. Aisso was distractedly watching two boys play in the grass nearby - in fact, Baralai noticed, the boys were Yuna and Tidus’s twins, Braska Junior and Jecht Junior.
“Listen, Rin,” Baralai said, returning to the topic at hand, and giving Rin a small ribbon-wrapped box, “I tried that idea you mentioned. Before Rederi was prepared for burial, I used some of that crystallized Farplane energy residue material. I think it worked - enough to make a sphere of it.”
“Yes, the Funeral Sphere,” Rin replied. “I didn’t think it would be used so soon.”
“It may be a welcome innovation. People miss being able to go to Guadosalam to see the images of their loved ones… but now you can have that image in a small sphere.” Baralai watched Rin open the box to reveal the small red sphere.
“It’s just the right size to wear on a pendant,” Rin pointed out. “I may do that-“
“Here,” Aisso said, holding out her hand to Rin. From her fingertips dangled a loose chain bracelet that she often wore. “Try it. It fits in between the links.”
Rin slowly took the bracelet from Aisso and held up the small sphere to it. “Yes, it does seem about the right size,” he said as he slipped the sphere into one of the links and doubled the chain back to hold it in place.
“You can keep it,” Aisso said. “I’ll just make Sysy bring me another from the desert.”
“Thank you very much,” Rin said, putting the bracelet on his wrist. He touched the red sphere, and before him materialized an image of Rederi, much like the figure that would have appeared on the Farplane. The image cycled through three or four different depictions of him before Rin touched the sphere again to turn it off. His usually stoic visage seemed to be breaking down, and Baralai couldn’t blame him. He would probably feel the same way if he lost Gippal.
“Again, you’re the leader of innovation in Spira,” Baralai said. “I think these will be loved by many people.”
“They need a different name though,” Gippal pointed out. “No one’s gonna want a Funeral Sphere. That’s too morbid.”
“I have thought of a name,” Rin said slowly. “Because now we keep the memory in our possession… as a material object. We should call it Materia.”
“Materia,” Gippal repeated. “I like it.”
“Maybe it’ll become the latest fashion,” Aisso remarked. “Everyone will want one.”
Baralai bit his lower lip. “Maybe… as long as it’s not misused. That crystallized energy could be very powerful.”
“We have a long way to go before that day,” Gippal replied.
Exhaling, Baralai said, “I hope that is the case.” He wasn’t so certain, though. With the way members of his own sect had misused their power in the past, it was definitely a possibility for the future.
“Can I go play with Braska and Jecht?” Aisso said, poking Gippal in the elbow.
“Sure,” Gippal replied, looking over to where the boys were tumbling in the grass. “Just don’t beat them up again, okay?”
“Okay,” Aisso agreed, then ran off to join the boys in their game.
Baralai saw that Rin was now talking to a trio of Al Bhed, and was gesturing to his new bracelet and the ‘materia’. Realizing that his hold on Rin’s attention had been taken away, Baralai went and stood by Gippal, watching Aisso and the boys run around in the grass. “She’s going to beat them up again,” Gippal informed him as he slid his arm around Baralai’s waist.
“Only if they call her a ‘stupid girl’ again,” Baralai pointed out.
“Are you saying it’s okay for her to beat them up?” Gippal replied wryly, adjusting his eyepatch. “You probably just like it because it’s your revenge on Yuna for not falling in love with-“
“Come off it,” Baralai replied quickly. “I wouldn’t trade you and Aisso for anything in the world.”
Gippal looked over at him disbelievingly. “Not even for those chocolate covered bananas on that table over there?”
Baralai had to look over to confirm the existence of said chocolate covered bananas, and then said, “Well… maybe.”
Gippal grinned and tugged on his waist. “Come on. I’ll feed one to you.”
“Shouldn’t we do that in private?” Baralai protested.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Gippal answered mock-innocently.
Baralai felt a headache coming on.