Disclaimer: I do not own FFX nor FFXII
Author's Notes: Thank you for your reviews, they're always appreciated!
Chapter 36: The Truth Behind the Truth
The Cloister of Trials, Bevelle Temple
Balthier and the others quickly made their way through the cloister of trials, which was tricky to do, but they all desperately wanted to get to Ashe. They were in a large room, so large the walls, ceiling and floor could not be seen, and there was a maze of floating corridors to navigate through. They were brightly lit by machina. They finally made it through, and ran along a stone walkway and into the chamber of the fayth.
The Chamber of the Fayth, Bevelle Temple
They could hear a child's voice signing the fayth, but paid no attention to it this time, Balthier marched right up to the door and began to try to open it.
"H-hey! What are you doing? Only summoners can go in there!" Vaan said nervously.
"According to who? Yevon and the teachings?" Balthier looked at him, and Vaan sighed.
"Let me help."
Basch said and stood beside Balthier and grabbed the door and the two pushed to get it open. It slowly did and Balthier stepped through it and into the chamber beyond.
The room was small and lit only by the large glass circle in the centre that had a stone statue inside it. Ashe was kneeling in front of it, praying, and the spirit of a young boy was floating over the glass circle.
"Is that?" Balthier said quietly.
"A fayth." Auron said from behind him, and Balthier turned. "They join together, and both pray to receive the aeon." He walked up and stood beside Balthier, as he turned back to the Fayth and Ashe. "They are human souls, imprisoned in stone statues by ancient Yevon rights. The dead, should be allowed to rest."
The fayth floated towards Ashe, and turned into pyrflies and flew into her, she fell forward onto the glass circle.
"Ashe." Balthier whispered and went over and knelt beside her.
Auron walked back out into the other room quietly, leaving the two alone. Balthier held her in his arms, she had a peaceful look on her face, and he couldn't help but smile at her. She was beautiful, and definitely had plently of courage and fire within her. He gently picked her up and began to walk back out to the others.
"Wait!! Don't come out!" Penelo said as he walked through the door.
Awaiting for Balthier was kinoc and several armed guards, Kinoc was smiling as Balthier and Ashe stepped through the door.
"And there's the last of them… You are to stand trial!"
Auron chuckled. "Is it going to be a fair trial?"
"Of course!" Kinoc said must to cheerily.
---
They all stood in a large room that had a balcony overlooking it, on the left was Maestor Seymour, in the middle was a Vierra wearing temple robes with Maestor Mika behind her, and on the right was Maestor Kinoc.
"The high court of Yevon is now in session." The vierra spoke out, her voice resounding around the rooms high ceiling. "The sacred officers of this court seek nothing but the truth. Do those on trial believe in Yevon? Speak only the truth." She said, staring at Ashe, who was once again in her normal attire and standing on a floating platform, near the balcony.
"Maestor Jote of the Vierra." Fran said, her gaze narrowed.
Balthier looked form Fran to Jote and now recongised her features and sighed. He had a feeling that they did not agree with each other, like in Ivalice, and this could prove to be troublesome for them.
"Summoner Ashe… You have sworn to protect the people of Yevon have you not?" Jote questioned.
"Yes." Ashe replied.
"Then consider… You have inflicted dire injury on Maestor Seymour Guado, conspired with the Al Bhed and joined in their insurrection. These are traitorous and unforgivable crimes under the order of Yevon." She paused, looking upon Ashe sternly. "Tell this court what caused you to take part in such crimes."
"Your grace…" Ashe began calmly. "The real traitor is Maestor Seymour… He killed his own father, lord Jyscal with his own hands."
"What?" Jote turned to Maestor Seymour.
"Hadn't you heard?" Seymour said, as though he was merely commenting on an upcoming Blitzball game.
"Also, Maestor Seymour, is already dead…" Ashe said, shooting Seymour a glare.
"It is the sacred duty of a summoner to send the souls of the departed to the Farplane." Fran told them firmly. "She was only doing her duty as a summoner."
"Grand Maestor Mika, please… Allow me to send Maestor Seymour!" She begged with him.
Mika stepped closer to the edge so he was clearly visible, Jote moved out of the way.
"Send the unsent to where they belong?" Mika said slowly.
"Yes." Mika chuckled. "Maestor?" she said cautiously.
"Send the dead…" He said slowly, pyreflies then began to float around and from him, and Ashe gasped, but quickly glared at him as well.
"You would have to send me too." He said, smiling at her.
"What!?" Vaan exclaimed from below.
"The Grand Maestor is a wise leader and is invaluable to Spira." Jote explained. "Even in death, he has done much for us."
"Enlightened rule of the dead is preferable to the misguided mistakes of the living." Kinoc said.
"Life is but a passing dream, and death is eternal." Seymour said sweetly.
"Men die, beasts die and trees die… Even continents perish… Only the power of death truly commands in Spira." Mika explained. "Resisting this power, is futile."
"What of Sin?!" Ashe said defiantly. "I am a summoner, like my father before me, I have sworn to defeat Sin and bring the calm to the peoples of Spira, and to bring an end to the death that it brings once and for all!" She spoke with passion as well. "Are you telling me that, that too is futile? And all those summoners before me gave their lives for nothing, that they all died in vain!" Her voice echoed around the room as she glared at Mika. Balthier was strongly reminded of the queen in Ivalice.
"Not in vain, child." Mika spoke softly. "No matter how many summoners give up their lives, Sin cannot truly be defeated. Nothing can stop its rebirth. Yet the courage of those who fight, gives the people hope. There is nothing futile in the life and death of a summoner."
"Never futile… But never ending." Auron said quietly.
Mika nodded. "That is the essence of Yevon. Yevon is embodied by eternal, unchanging continent, summoner."
"No… That can't be right!" Ashe said shaking her head.
"Those who question this are traitors!" Mika proclaimed.
Balthier and Auron sat in a small cell that was hanging from the ceiling on top of a large, pit filled with water and mist, a walkway was near their cell and led from one end of the room to another.
"You're calm." Auron pointed out.
"Why waist energy trying to get out, when we could wait and be let out?" Balthier smiled, leaning against the wall.
Auron smirked. "It's not your first time being captured, is it?"
"Unfortunately not."
One of the doors opened and Maestor Kinoc came through, and stopped in front of their cell.
"Your sentence has been decided." He stated.
"Don't you mean execution?" Auron asked.
"Now really, who would execute a friend?"
"You would."
Author's Notes: I know, this is a lot short compared to the last two chapter, but I can't think of anyway of continuing it and adding the Vio Purifico into it without making it either incredibly choppy or incredibly long or both.