Chapter 10: Ambushed

            Somewhere in the outskirts of Zanarkand, an explosion was heard.  It was not fireworks; it sounded more like coming from grenades.  Soon, most of Zanarkand's frontal parts were in flames.  People started to panic and were running from place to place.  They tried controlling the fire, but it spread faster than their manpower.  Maechan failed to reach Yevon in time.  However, as soon as he had received the news, he commanded all summoners to assist in vanquishing the fire that was eating Zanarkand.

            Lenne and Shuyin saw what had happened.  They were one of the first to witness the chaos.  They hurried towards the dancing flames to assist the other summoners.  Shuyin rescued the civilians while Lenne cast spells to put the fire out.  Suddenly, behind the flames, a whole unit of the Bevellian army appeared.  They all gasped; they were not prepared for another battle. 

"I thought… I thought…" Lenne gasped.

            Yunalesca appeared out of nowhere.  She organized the summoners in the battle field.  In no time, they were in position.

"Listen! We may have been ambushed, but if we had defeated them in the past, we can defeat them again!!!" Yunalesca shouted.

            The summoners cheered and readied themselves for battle.  Soon, they summoned their Aeons once again as the large company rushed towards their spot.  Yunalesca summoned her Aeon.  With her hand raised to the sky, a light hit the ground.  From the sky, an enormous dark dragon flew to the ground.  Making the ground tremble, it roared.

"Finally, Bahamut. Show them your power." Yunalesca commanded.

            With its big wings, it flapped backwards and knelt on the ground.  With its wide mouth open, a burst of energy suddenly formed.  Twitching its head, it released the big mass of energy.  The blast devoured the machinas as it dissolved with it.  After the great attack, the Bevellian army lost a huge number of troops.

            The summoners were in high morale after Bahamut's attack.  In no time, the large unit of the army decreased in numbers until everything was destroyed.  The fire was the only obstacle for them to overcome.  Gathered the Aeons together into one, they cast a huge amount of energy ending the flames. 

            They had finally won another battle, but majority of Zanarkand was destroyed because of the fire.  An assembly was once again issued by the high summoner to discuss the alarming matter.

"Zanarkand may have been greatly damaged, but it is still not the end as long as we are still here.  As summoners, we are the guardian of our city; the protector of Zanarkand.  They may have unleashed a counter attack faster than we thought, but let us learn from our mistake. We have taken Bevelle too lightly and became careless.  Can I have your support and hear me out?" Yevon asked.

Agreeing with their leader, the summoners cheered loud as ever.    

"I am sure that this is not yet the final strike of Bevelle. I am sure they have some trick inside their sleeves.  I order all summoners, excluding no one, to go into the frontlines of the Undying Lands.  We must act with swiftness. We must hold them to the very end.  Together, we can defeat Bevelle."

            Everyone murmured, but it was all that they had.  It was an all or nothing tactic.  The plan could wipe all the summoners in one blow, but the plan also had the highest chance of gaining victory.  Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, all of you. We shall form immediately!" Yevon announced.

            Everyone clapped and exited the shrine as they prepared themselves to form in the outskirts of Zanarkand.  Lenne was about to leave, but Shuyin grabbed her hand.  He would not let him go.

"Lenne! You'll get yourself killed! I won't allow that!" Shuyin reasoned.

"I'm sorry, but I must…" Lenne replied.

"There's got to be another way! I simply won't let you!"

            As they were arguing, the depressed scholar interrupted them.  He was in his saddest moment.  Losing an important pupil was the only thing that could hurt a teacher the most. 

"You! YOU! It's all your fault!" Shuyin grabbed Maechan.

"Go ahead. Kill me… My life has been ruined ever since I followed Mika. I do not care anymore."

            Lenne grabbed hold of Shuyin to prevent him from doing something to Maechan.  Although he had tricked everyone, Maechan was the only father figure she had ever since he met him.

"Stop it, Shuyin. It's not entirely his fault. Zanarkand became careless and this was the outcome." Shuyin slowly loosened his grip on Maechan.

"I wish I could do something, but we have no choice. If the war will continue, Zanarkand would truly be lost." Maechan grieved.

"No! NO! I won't accept that! Don't give your life freely!" Shuyin started to shed a tear.

"I'm sorry… I must go. I don't want to do this, but it has to be done. If this could save Zanarkand, I would gladly do it. Good bye… Shuyin!"

            Crying, Lenne quickly left the shrine as Shuyin chased her.  Shuyin reached outside, but there was an intense fog because of the commotion.  Lenne was nowhere to be seen in the area. He knelt down on the ground…  Suddenly, his eyes widened as if he had an idea in mind. He stood up.

"Vegnagun… Right. I'll give those Bevellian freaks a taste of their own medicine." Shuyin thought.

            He saw Maechan appearing out of the mist.  Thinking that Maechan could be of help, he went to him.  After all, Maechan was formerly a scholar of Bevelle.

"Hey gramps! Vegnagun was the reason why Bevelle became unstable, right?"

"Errr… Yes. Why do you ask?"

"Can you lead me to him?"

Shocked, Maechan gasped.

"You are not thinking of using it, are you?"

"What if I am?"

"Abusrd! Preposterous! You knew how that thing created havoc on both sides. You can't use it!" Maechan exclaimed.

"But it is possible to work, right? Will it save Lenne if I use it?

Maechan remained silent. He knew that it was possible to save Lenne, but it was risky.  Infiltrating Bevelle itself meant death already.  It was simply impossible to get into Bevelle unnoticed.  He did not want to say anything; he did not want to mislead the boy.

"Err… Ummm…" He stuttered.

"Answer ME!"

"Well… There is a chance, but it is unlikely…" He slapped his big mouth.

"So there is a chance. I'm willing to risk it!"  Shuyin exclaimed.

"Can you lead me there?"

"I simply cannot."

"Well then, I'll just have to get in there myself!"

            Maechan hesitated.  Without his help, Shuyin would lose his way inside Bevelle. Bevelle was a vast city manned by machine.  With fully proofed security, it was near impossible to get in without a navigator.

"Wait!" Maechan shouted at the running Shuyin.

"Well?" Shuyin stopped.

"Fine… Fine… I'll lead you to it then. I cannot bear another life lost because of me…" Maechan mourned as he thought of Ronan.

"Well then! Let's go!"

            In no time, both Shuyin and Maechan traveled to Bevelle.  They took a different route in Mount Gagazet so that the legion of summoners would not see them especially Lenne; she would not have agreed if she had heard about it.  They reached an old road in the Undying lands in no time. Taking that alternate route, they were successful in evading the moving legion. 

"We won't make it in time if we walk." Shuyin whined.

"What do you suggest then?"

            Shuyin spotted a yellow feathered fluffy ostrich-like bird, a chocobo, and pointed at it.  Slowly, he stealthily walked towards it; one false move could scare the chocobo away.  Inches away from the unwary chocobo, Shuyin jumped at it.  The chocobo squeaked as Shuyin wrestled the poor chocobo.  After a while, the chocobo grew exhausted as Shuyin finally pacified it.

"Pretty barbaric… But effective." Maechan criticized.

            Shuyin laughed as both of them hopped on the back of the tips chocobo.  Regaining balance, the chocobo jogged away as he steered it to Bevelle.  Finally, in a matter of time, Shuyin would reach Vegnagun and hopefully save Lenne and Zanarkand from Bevelle.