No idle chit-chat this time, straight to the replies!
Daniel Wesley Rydell: Whatever you say, pal, whatever you say.
Harry4: Yeah, the whole thing with Rikku was a bit confusing to me too, I had mixed feelings myself about whether to cut it, or leave it in. I decided to leave it in, as you see, and it seems to have turned out relatively well. The trial and Via Purifico? Read on.
Bracey Face Anime Gurl: Yeah, actually, Seymour will get some modicum of revenge, so to speak. Just keep reading.
desert-tiger: Up for the trial and Via Purifico? You better be.
beastboy-had-a-brain: Thanks.
ShadowStar05: Yep, Ben did go a little nuts. But, wouldn't you?
Gester: Thing about me is, I don't spare ANYONE. Not even myself. As you'll soon see.
Well, without further delay, on to the trial!
Chapter 28—The True Face Of Yevon
Flying over the city is an exhilarating experience, except for the fact that if we fall, we're as good as dead. But, Valefor wouldn't let that happen, I know. So, in a short amount of time, we land outside the temple of Bevelle, walking inside.
"This place is really beginning to annoy me." I mutter, looking around at the interior of the temple, and heading for the back, where a set of stairs lie, descending to the Cloister of Trials. Yuna stays right beside me, still garbed in her wedding dress, and we take the stairs down, beginning the trials. Arriving at the bottom, Yuna gasps, looking at the underground Cloister of Trials. The entire area is a maze of multicolored, moving platforms, and clear tunnels over them, allowing you to see everything.
"Uh...this won't be easy." I say, Yuna looking at me, then back at the maze, before nodding. "We better get started, then. No telling when they might come after us." I say, snapping a glance back at the stairs, before moving onto the first platform, Yuna right behind me. It takes a few minutes, but I eventually remember the correct way to complete the area, and we move up into another part, much like the first, and begin to complete that area as well. It takes about 20 minutes for us to complete the puzzle, and I'm about ready to pull my hair out by the time we're finished.
"Stupid, stupid, Bevelle." I say, Yuna giving me an annoyed look, which causes me to shrug. "What? I really don't like this place."
"This is...was..my home." she says, and I stop, remembering that little fact a moment too late.
"Oh...yeah. Sorry about that, it's just...nothing but bad things have happened since arriving here, and I don't think it's going to get any better." I say, looking down, remembering what just happened.
"Come on. I see the Chamber of the Fayth." she says, starting to walk, and I follow her inside, the door shutting behind us, as if expecting us. Kneeling down on the floor, we do the prayer gesture, before beginning to pray to the fayth of the temple. After a moment, it appears, revealing itself to be the same kid that Tidus and I saw, and smiles at us.
"Greetings. I'm glad you have made it here." he says, and I nod.
"Yeah, so am I." I say, and Yuna looks at me strangely, before turning back to the fayth.
"Please, help us to defeat Sin." she says, and the fayth smiles again.
"We will. Don't worry." he replies, turning back to me. "Ben. I see you've grown into your role as a summoner."
Nodding, I look up at the floating child-like entity. "It took a little getting used to at first, but I've accepted it now. I'll do whatever I can to help beat Sin, no matter what." I reply, causing him to nod.
"I see. Then, I shall lend you two my power. Defeat Sin, and bring peace to Spira." he says, vanishing, as I feel him enter my mind, joining with the other fayth of Ixion and Shiva.
"Bahamut." I mutter under my breath, Yuna suddenly fainting, as I notice the door now open, and everyone standing at the door. Tidus rushes towards Yuna, grabbing her, and picking her up, as I stand up.
'Must've been out of it, really focused, or just deaf not to hear them come in...' I think to myself, walking towards the exit.
"Let's go." Auron says, but just as we're about to leave, Rikku's voice comes from outside.
"Wait, don't come out!" she says, a minute too late, as we all walk outside. The moment we leave the door, we find ourselves surrounded by guards with guns, and I know that at this proximity, no matter what we do, we would all be dead long before we could fight. Maester Kinoc is heading the group, and he steps forward, looking at all of us.
"There's the last of them." he says smugly, looking at one of the guards for a moment, before turning back to us. "You are to stand trial." Auron looks at the Maester, eyes nor body wavering an inch.
"I expect it will be a fair trial." he states, Kinoc enjoying a short laugh, before looking back at the monk.
"Of course it will." he says, turning away and looking at the guards, who rush forward and quickly pin our hands behind our backs, leading us away.
After a while of being stuck in uncomfortable cells, we're called into the main palace of Bevelle. The main hall, to be exact. There are two balconies, on either side of a large balcony, which is at the back of the room, in the middle. A small elevator leads from the lower part, where we currently are, to the upper balcony. As we're led in, I notice just how much it resembles the courts I'm familiar with. A Ronso, on the center balcony, begins to speak as we take our places in front of the Maesters.
"The High Court of Yevon is now in session. The sacred offices of this court seek nothing but absolute truth, in Yevon's name. To those on trial: Believe in Yevon, and speak only the truth."
"Maester Kelk Ronso." Lulu states, as we look up at the supposed judge.
"Summoner Yuna." Maester Kelk says, looking down at Yuna, now back in her summoner's robes. "You have sworn to protect the people of Yevon, true?" he asks, Yuna nodding.
"Yes."
"Then consider: You have inflicted dire injury upon Maester Seymour Guado..." he says, motioning to his right, where Seymour stands on the left balcony, "conspired with the Al Bhed, and joined in their insurrection. These are traitorous and unforgivable crimes that disturb the order of Yevon. Tell this court what possessed you to participate in such violence."
"Your Grace...the real traitor is Maester Seymour!" she exclaims, pointing at him. "He killed his father Jyscal with his own hands!"
"What is this!" Kelk exclaims, looking at Seymour, as I speak up.
"She's right, Your Grace. And, just so you know, Lady Yuna had nothing to do with the injuries inflicted on Seymour. That was my doing. Do not punish her for my actions."
"Not only that...Maester Seymour is already dead!" Yuna continues.
"It is the summoner's sacred duty to send the souls of the departed to the Farplane!" Lulu says, cutting in. "Yuna was only doing her job as a summoner!"
"Grand Maester Mika...please, send Seymour now!" Yuna implores, Maester Kelk stepping back to allow Grand Maester Mika to step up and address Yuna.
"Send the unsent to where they belong?" he asks, and Yuna nods, looking up at him.
"Yes!" she exclaims, the Maester having a short laugh, before looking back down at her. "Maester?" she says, nervously, and I glare up at the Maesters, showing my defiance in my eyes.
"Send the dead...hmm?" he says, a few pyreflies leaking from his body, causing Yuna and everyone else to gasp. "You would have to send me, too."
"What?" Wakka exclaims, unable to contain his shock.
"Grand Maester Mika is a wise leader." Maester Kelk says, stepping forward again. "Even in death, he is invaluable to Spira."
"Enlightened rule by the dead is preferable to the misguided failures of the living." Maester Kinoc says, and I speak up, unable to keep myself from saying anything any longer.
"You really think so? The dead have served their purpose, they should go on and rest in peace! The living make mistakes, true, but no one is perfect! You aren't enlightened...you're just fooling yourselves, and all the people of Spira! If you truly were, Sin wouldn't be around, because you'd know how to beat it!" I yell, bringing my anger back under control, as the Grand Maester looks at me.
"Silence!" he yells, and I growl, glaring back up at him. "Men die. Beasts die. Trees die. Even continents perish. Only the power of death truly commands in Spira. Resisting its power is futile."
"And the power of death is Sin! I see nothing futile about trying to destroy something that has plagued you for over a thousand years!" I spit, fury radiating from my speech.
"But what of Sin?" Yuna asks quietly, looking at us, then up at Maester Kelk and the Grand Maester. "I am a summoner, my lord, like my father before me! I am on a pilgrimage to stop the death that Sin brings. Are you...are you telling me that, too, is futile? Grand Maester Mika, I am not alone! All the people who have opposed Sin...their battles, their sacrifices—were they all in vain?" she says, a quiet rage building in her speech.
"Not in vain." he says, looking down. "No matter how many summoners give their lives, Sin cannot be truly defeated. The rebirth cannot be stopped. 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 says, speaking for the first time. Mika nods at him, turning his attention to the warrior.
"Indeed, that is the essence of Yevon." he replies, Yuna giving a short cry.
"Lord Mika!"
"Yevon is embodied by eternal, unchanging continuity, summoner."
"No...that can't be right!" Yuna says, shaking her head as if to dispel the truth with the action.
"Those who question these truths—they are traitors!" he exclaims, pointing down at us.
"Lord Mika!" Yuna exclaims again, as we're suddenly grabbed, and led out of the courtroom, further down below.
"Let...me...go!" I yell, struggling, but the guard's grip is firm, and we're thrown into cells, Yuna and I thrown into one cell, while the others are led away somewhere else.
"They...they can't mean what they say..." Yuna mutters, and I walk over, putting an arm around her.
"I'm afraid they're serious. They mean exactly what they say. Summoners can't defeat Sin...because none of them know how." I explain, Yuna looking at me strangely.
"And you do?" she asks, the words cutting into me like a knife. Looking around, I remain silent, and thank Yevon, twisted as the idea may be, for the two guards now approaching our cell. Maester Kinoc is with them, and I growl slightly, but don't make any movements. I notice one of the guards has my katana and wakizashi, as well as Yuna's staff with him. I quirk an eyebrow, as the guard opens our cell, and pulls us out, Kinoc looking at us.
"Your sentence has been decided." he says, beginning to lead us into an area of Bevelle that I don't recognize at first. As the door opens, I realize where I'm at, and Yuna gasps.
"The Via Purifico." Kinoc says simply, handing us our weapons, as the guards push us inside, the door shutting with a bang behind us.
"So...what do we do?" she asks me, and I look around, noticing the place's maze-like appearance.
"Well, we make our way through here, find anyone or anything else that got thrown in here, and leave. It's that simple. I'll protect you, come on." I tell her, the summoner nodding, and starting to follow me through the maze.
After a minute or two of moving through the maze, I hear a hissing noise, and stop. Turning around slowly, I notice two Cave Iguions, crawling towards us.
"Yuna, ready?" I ask, and she nods, holding her staff, ready to fight if need be, as I draw my sword. Suddenly, a Protect springs to life around me, and I smile, running in and slashing at the first, the second trying to claw me in the side, but bouncing off the Protect. Striking down at the first, the stab connects with a foot, allowing me to leave the katana stuck in it's foot, and bring out my wakizashi to decapitate the creature, the second pounding on my Protect spell. Calmly turning, I pick my other sword up, and sheath them both, pointing a palm at the last fiend.
"Blizzara." I say, emotionlessly, the ice shard smashing straight into the creature's skull, killing it instantly, as Yuna gives me a slightly disturbed look. Turning to her, I give her a look of apathy, before speaking. "You don't have to be afraid. I'm not going to go crazy. I'm just like this sometimes." As I walk deeper into the Purifico, Yuna watches a moment, before running behind me, staff at the ready.
The next fight we have, comes in the form of three different fiends. An Aqua Flan, a Sahagin, and a Bat Eye. All quite weak enemies. Yuna refreshes the Protect on me, and I charge in, pointing a palm at the Flan first.
"Thundara." I say, the magic lancing out and striking the fiend, the blob seeming to melt into the ground before bursting into pyreflies. The Bat Eye flies over, trying to claw at me, as the Sahagin darts in to bite. Both the attacks fail, bouncing off the invisible magic shield, and I draw my katana, striking at both the fiends rapidly, the Bat Eye receiving a slash in the wing, and the Sahagin taking one in a fin. Glaring, I cast Haste on myself, darting in and stabbing the sword through the Bat Eye with a jump, before spinning to the Sahagin.
"Ben! Duck!" I hear, and I do so, before watching the massive figure of Valefor blast a Sonic Wings attack at the two fiends, wiping them out in a blink. Sheathing the sword, I look at Yuna.
"Good job." I say, the summoner smiling, as I look over, to notice a bit of blue. Kimahri is standing near one of the walls, looking around. Walking over, I smile at the Ronso, causing him to turn and look at us, before he looks down.
"Yuna, sorry we left you alone." he says, staring at the floor, as Yuna walks over and puts a hand on the Ronso's shoulder.
"No, it's okay." she replies, Kimahri looking at her, and giving a short nod.
'Let's see...Auron and Lulu are here too. Where are they?' Walking past where Kimahri was, I spot Auron, and Lulu farther past him, the two of them fighting off a Sahagin and Aqua Flan, respectively. They're easily dispatched by the two guardians, and we walk towards them, the two of them noticing us and walking over as well.
"Auron, Lulu, glad to see you two." I say, looking around.
"There must be an exit somewhere. We search!" Auron says, walking off towards the back of the Via Purifico. Following, all of us keep our weapons at the ready, expecting more fiends. After a while, we reach the back of the area, and see none other than Isaaru, standing motionless in front of what we assume is the exit. He's holding his staff, as well, and I tense, expecting a fight as he looks at Yuna.
"Lady Yuna...so it is you!" he exclaims, walking towards us.
"Why are you here?" she asks, Isaaru stopping.
"We rode the airship to the Calm Lands, then came to Bevelle. Maester Kinoc summoned us then. Ordered us to 'deal with the traitors.'" he explains, locking gazes with Yuna.
"You will fight us?" Auron inquires, voice cold as icy wind.
"The temple's orders are law." Isaaru responds, giving a small nod of agreement. "Even if you are Lord Braska's flesh and blood...you're a traitor!" he spits, calming down a moment, before speaking once again. "Forgive me, Lady Yuna." Yuna nods, stepping forward, and preparing to fight the summoner, one on one.
"I summon Grothia!" he yells, twirling his staff around, as the aeon appears, a carbon copy of Ifrit, but a different name. Yuna takes a moment, before starting to summon as well.
"Valefor!" she cries, the aeon descending from above, landing beside her, as the fight begins.
"Meteor Strike!" he orders, Grothia creating a ball of energy, and slamming it at Valefor.
"Fly over it, and use Sonic Wings!" Yuna commands, the aeon flying over the ball, which misses and slams into the side of a wall, before Valefor unleashes the attack at Grothia, the other aeon staggering back, as Valefor presses the attack, raking a talon across it's chest.
"Fira!" Grothia opens its mouth, blasting a large ball of flame at Valefor, who catches the attack in the wing, flying down with a burn evident on its left wing, before growling.
"Energy Ray!" Valefor raises its beak towards the sky, the Overdrive powering up, before blasting the ray under Grothia's feet, the ground exploding and decimating the aeon, which falls over and fades away, Isaaru shielding his eyes from the rubble and smoke.
"Fine. Pterya!" Isaaru takes a familiar stance, before an exact replica of Valefor descends, facing off with it's double. "Sonic Wings!" he yells, the attack connecting with Valefor, the aeon being pushed back, before Isaaru calls out another command. "Energy Ray!" Yuna gasps, as the Overdrive attack connects with Valefor, the aeon slumping to the ground and fading away, just as Grothia did.
"Shiva, come forth!" Yuna cries, kneeling to the ground, as ice crystals descend behind her, shattering to reveal the ice goddess. "Blizzara!" Shiva raises a palm, before a spike of ice flies from her, stabbing Pterya in the right wing, going straight through, a roar of anguish coming from the aeon. "Heavenly Strike!" Yuna commands, Shiva running up and spin-kicking Pterya in the side of the face, the aeon giving a final cry before falling to the ground, fading away as well.
"You are powerful, Lady Yuna. But you won't survive this. Spathi, I summon you!" Isaaru yells, before a sparkle of light comes from his staff, a strange pattern appearing above us, as the massive dragon descends, giving a powerful roar before standing in front of Isaaru, arms crossed. "Attack." he says simply, Spathi flying over to Shiva and grabbing her, raking across her with the other talon, cutting a deep wound into the aeon's body. Shiva gives a short cry of pain, and Yuna's eyes go wide.
"Diamond Dust!" she cries, desperately, the aeon wrenching herself free of the dragon's grasp, before charging a ball of ice in her hands, raising them over her head. The ball glows, before she fires it at Spathi, a wave of ice flying out and freezing the creature solid, before Shiva snaps, the shards shattering and cutting the aeon up, a bellow of pain coming from the massive Spathi.
"She's weak! Finish her off! Impulse!" Spathi growls, before four black balls of energy, one from either hand, and one from the tips of both wings, appear and fly at Shiva, slamming into the aeon, who flies back, unable to go on. As Shiva fades away, Yuna stands in awe of the massive dragon, as I look over at her.
"Yuna! You can do it!" I yell, Yuna glancing over, before giving a nod and turning back. With one simple word, she yells her defiance to Isaaru, and the Maesters of Yevon.
"Bahamut!" she calls, the massive dragon descending again, but this time on her side, as she looks over at its doppelganger. "Impulse!" The black balls fly out again, but this time they hit Spathi, the aeon growling and stepping back from the force, before Isaaru smirks.
"It's over. Mega Flare!" he yells, and Yuna's eyes go wide again.
"Shield!" she yells, just as Spathi backflips, roaring, and landing on all four clawed feet, the wheel between his wings beginning to spin and gather energy. A bright white energy ball gathers in his large mouth, before he roars again, firing the energy beam at Bahamut, who takes the attack full force, shielding Yuna as the area around them explodes.
"Yuna!" Tidus yells, and I look on, hoping that she's okay. To our relief, Bahamut is more or less fine, and Yuna is unharmed, but seems to be angry now.
"Mega Flare, Bahamut!" Smirking, I watch on as Bahamut now gives a roar, before charging up and performing his own Mega Flare on Spathi, the aeon trying to protect itself, but being blasted off his feet by the beam, falling, and dissipating away a moment after. Dismissing Bahamut, Yuna watches on as Isaaru falls to the ground. Walking over to Isaaru, the summoner suddenly glares at Yuna, pulling himself onto his knees.
"Stay away!" he yells, and Yuna stops, all of us walking towards Yuna, as he speaks again. "There's a way to the surface up ahead." he explains, and Yuna bows, walking past him, Kimahri and all of us at her side, as Auron steps up to Isaaru.
"Your pilgrimage is over." he states, before following us.
As we enter the area that should lead us out of the Via Purifico, we're suddenly confronted by three familiar, smiling faces. Tidus, Wakka, and Rikku. Running up to us, Rikku embraces Yuna, obviously happy to see her cousin again.
"Yunie! You're all right?" she asks, Yuna giving a short nod, as Rikku lets go. "We were so worried! It's good to have you back!" Walking over to Rikku, I put an arm around her shoulder, pulling her into a small hug, before looking at everyone.
"Thank you." Yuna says, Tidus walking up to Yuna, looking as if he's about to say something.
"Um...I...uh..." he stammers, before we hear footsteps behind us, and turn around. Seymour, Kinoc, three Guado soldiers, and a Bevelle soldier are standing there, watching us. The Bevelle soldier is holding Kinoc, and he suddenly drops him. As the Maester slumps to the floor, obviously dead, I tense, knowing that what's about to happen won't be very pretty at all.
How's that for a cliffhanger? Gotta love 'em. Well, anyway, until next time, please review!
