"What are you doing?"
You glance over your shoulder, to find those pretty gold-colored eyes staring at you in a mix of puzzlement and amusement – and you can't really blame him. Not when you are, effectively, standing on top of one of the storage room tables, cradling a large jar full of gems –fire, water, lightning, ice– that you were in the middle of putting in place.
"I'm being proactive!" Which you mean about getting the room tidied up before any of the priests asks you to, yes, but also about something else: "I can't reach the top shelf, so I had to find a way around it."
And you're quite proud of your sense of improvisation and resourcefulness, too.
This temple at the outskirts of Radiant Garden is nothing compared to the one in Bevelle, but you do like it better. Bevelle is grandiose and lofty… to the extent where it actually feels intimidating. It feels impersonal. Here, you know every nook and cranny of the small rooms. You've read at least half the books in the modest library. You can find peace and quiet when you need it, because there's not a constant stream of people going in and out. You know everyone and everyone knows you.
Maybe this is why you so often lose track of time and stay late, distracted by whatever it is that you're doing that day. And why he's made it his duty to come and get you, once he's done with blitz practice as well. The two of you have been living together for almost half a year, and walking home with him at the end of each day is something you're always looking forward to. Even when you´re late – which, admittedly, happens at least some five or six times a week. Bless his patience.
"Still got much to do?"
"Well…" You nibble at your lip, glancing down at the table – where some two dozen items are still waiting to be sorted and stored. Maybe it wasn't smart to get started on this in the middle of the afternoon already. Especially when you have such a hard time stopping a task before it's completed. "Sorry, I still got a bit… But it's okay, you can go home! You don't have to wait for me."
"Or I could just take you home with me."
"But I still–"
"Actually, I like my idea a lot better."
Saying this, he's already walking closer and holding firmly with both hands on your waist, and you barely have the time to leave the jar somewhere on the shelf – before he's easily lifting you up from the table. What he does next is to toss you over his shoulder like you're a sack of potatoes, where you land with a little squeak. And, just like that, he's starting out of the room and down the corridor.
"Put me down!"
"I'm stealing you."
"…I'm not an object, you can't steal me."
"Well, Your Holiness – then I am kidnapping the fuck out of you. Better?"
You make an attempt at flailing, for the sake of your honor if nothing else… but soon you're accepting your fate. A couple acolytes pass by and they stare for the longest time, and you can't tell if they're horrified or amused, but you know you're gonna be the main topic of this week's gossip again. It's nothing new ever since you've met him, is it?
"Let me at least go put out the candles!"
"You let someone else get off their lazy ass and do that."
Yeah, you're really not winning this one, so you might as well enjoy the ride – giving up with a big dramatic sigh and a playful pinch to his side. Which he doesn't bother reacting to, because, unlike you, he's not ticklish. It's less than a minute, anyway, before he carries you to the temple's entrance. You gaze through one of the windows and notice the sun is going down in the horizon, as he puts you back on your feet, and it's finally time for a proper kiss. Although he's not done with shenanigans for the day, because soon he's grabbing a paper bag waiting nearby that you hadn't even noticed – handing it over.
"This is for me?"
Admittedly, it's one of those silly rhetorical questions, because it's obvious that it is. Still, as you peek inside, your heart becomes a happy bumblebee fluttering around – because the bag is full of candy and snacks! Cookies, chocolates, marshmallows, gummies, even a carefully packed box of cupcakes. And, so, you change the silly rhetorical question accordingly.
"Did you get all of this for me?"
"Sweets for my sweet."
His special talent, other than being the most talented blitzer you've seen and also the most talented swordsman to boot, is to say such sappy things while keeping that smug, handsome grin in place like it's nothing. You waste no further time in taking his face to leave little kisses all over it – with a special amount of attention dedicated to the lips.
"I love you, I love you, I love you!"
His grin widens even more. "Now the question is, how long till you go through all that? My gil's on tomorrow morning, at max."
You laugh and roll your eyes, but you can't deny the truth of his teasing. "Summoning and magic casting burns a lot of energy!"
"One day, I'll find out how someone so cute and so tiny can eat like an actual monster."
Just for that, you poke at his lips with one of the chocolate-covered strawberries… and, when he opens his mouth for it, you gobble it down in one bite instead. As revenge, he shamelessly slips a hand past the silky layers of your robe and all but gropes your butt, and you almost choke on said strawberry – considering that the both of you are still very much at the entrance of the temple.
"…Not here!"
As soon as you say that, you know you've sealed your fate – well aware that telling him to not do something invariably ends up with him doing it, just to prove that he can. A second later, you find your back pressed to the door of the nearby room and the poor bag of candy is squished in between both bodies, as he pushes his tongue into your mouth and adds his flavor to the mix of chocolate and strawberry. Eventually, the two of you actually enter the room and lock the door, which is a good thing because he's already undoing the sash around your waist. And, well…
…It's not like you're complaining, is it? At all.
The paper bag is left on whatever surface you find first, and the room really is more like a walk-in closet… but he's got it all figured out already. Whispering a suck on the side of your neck, right before leaving a bite on the juncture with the shoulder, he slips his index and middle fingers in your mouth – and the intention is clear. You work those fingers till they're dripping with saliva, and your reward comes as he brings them down and puts them to (very) good use. You slump back against one of the storage cupboards, vaguely hearing a few things falling over inside it, and muffle the first of many moans into his mouth.
But, of course, it's just your luck.
Soon, there's voices outside… and you can't understand what they're saying, but you know it's the same acolytes from five minutes ago. The door is locked and there's no reasonable way for them to come in, and they're probably just getting ready to go home and not even paying attention to what's going on.
But now his other hand has slipped in between your thighs as well, and then he's actually leaning down to wrap his lips around one of your nipples, and then he starts prodding at that sweetest spot – and so you have no other choice but to slap a hand over your mouth, and try to keep as quiet as you can as you climax in his hold.
And he has the gall to smirk at you as he licks that hand clean.
"You know what – keep the candy. You taste better."
This can't end like this.
If he thinks he can walk into your temple, interrupt your spring cleaning, pin you to the wall in the middle of brooms and mops and bottles of detergent, and please you so thoroughly that your legs are shaking… then he better think again. Because there's no way you're letting him out of here before payback!
You waste no time with switching positions, pressing him against the same cupboard. This catches him by surprise and that look on his face only makes you drop to your knees faster. After undoing that unnecessarily complicated mess of belts that he likes to wear, which at this point you are an expert at, you tug at his pants just enough – and you put your mouth to use just as much, with a happy hum.
And you would have loved to offer back a witty reference about sucking candy, but you can't right now for the obvious reason… so, instead, you look up at him from the current position. And the way he stares back at you, with a hand already clutching at your blonde locks, as if his soul has just left his body at the sight, is all you need to feel accomplished.
Still, he's lucky – because, by the time he's orgasming, the acolytes have already left and there's no need to hold back. You're satisfied with your payback anyway, so it's okay. And, once you're done with your job, you buckle up all the belts again. Style is very important for star players.
"Fuck… You're gonna kill me one of these days…"
Oh yes. Now it's your turn to grin in triumph, as you get up and fix your robe.
After a few more kisses, the two of you finally leave to go home and you take his hand to lace your fingers with his – holding the bag of food snug against your chest with the free arm, after it survived all that. It's one resilient little bag. The background noise is growing louder before long, vehicles and chattering and music and announcements, as the temple stays behind and the city comes in sight… though, amid all that, there is one particular sound catching your attention.
"I didn't know you like that song."
He glances at you half-surprised, probably because he didn't notice he'd been humming it loud enough to be heard – shrugging his shoulders casually. "Everyone keeps singing it around the stadium. It's been stuck in my head all day."
You give a knowing smile, because it's been the same with the acolytes as well. Ever since that super famous band released their new single, it's taken over Radiant Garden. And it's really catchy, isn't it? Without meaning to, you're already singing along too.
I don't want another pretty face
I don't want just anyone to hold
I don't want my love to go to waste
I want you and your beautiful soul
It's only now that you realize that you actually have memorized the lyrics… and you're not even a fan of the band! He lets go of your hand to slip his arm around your waist instead, pulling you closer, and you very gladly snuggle in.
"That song kinda fits us," He adds, kissing your temple.
It does too, doesn't it? The lyrics are perfect to tell the tale of how your relationship came to be. And your smile widens, as you continue singing.
You're the one I want to chase
You're the one I want to hold
I won't let another minute go to waste
I want you and your beautiful soul
"It's our song, from now on."
Perking up, you place a kiss on his cheek to show how much you agree.
The insistent tugging at his hair had Ventus slowly blinking awake, only to find a pair of bright red eyes staring back – making him nearly bounce right off the bed, half a second later. Feeling his heartbeat suddenly in his ears, he sat up in a tangle of covers and sweaty bangs sticking to his face and that light blue night robe he'd been given.
"Don't scare me like that…!"
Flood didn't even try to look apologetic – instead, clinging to one of his sleeves to climb all the way up to his shoulder, in a pose that was very familiar but on the wrong person. Sighing and starting to calm down, Ven nuzzled her with his cheek and then shifted to snuggle her in his arms, flopping down again.
"You miss him too, don't you?"
She let out a little purr-like sound that seemed a lot like she was agreeing, and Ven smiled feebly as he began stroking Flood's belly. He still wasn't sure how she'd managed to find her way inside the Palace of St. Bevelle, of all places, but was really grateful that she did – at least, he wasn't completely alone here.
Which didn't mean he hadn't been worried sick about where Vanitas, Terra, and Aqua might be and if they were all right. Following the ordeal at Macalania Temple, the summoner had woken up in the palace already, after being unconscious for almost two days – which, really, didn't surprise him after the stunt he'd pulled. Summoning Shiva right after obtaining her blessing had been beyond perilous, but… given that it'd allowed him to save his friends, he didn't regret it one bit. Now it'd only be a matter of finding them again… but, before that, he had something to get done. Something big.
Ven rolled on his back now, staring at the ceiling as Flood shifted along to sprawl herself on his chest like an extra blanket. Something else big, though at a completely different level, was how he'd just dreamed of… doing all those things with Vanitas. Living together at Radiant Garden, like a real couple, where Sin and Xemnas didn't exist and they were free to do whatever they wanted… Talk about dreams expressing what you desired the most. And it was actually funny how he'd also dreamed that his favorite song, that one he'd known for all his life even if he had no clue where or when he'd learned it, was something from the Radiant Garden of a thousand years ago. Imagine that!
On the other hand, reliving that dream was proving to be a not-smart idea… because Ventus could feel the problem in between his thighs threatening to start up again. His dreams had been rather vivid as of late, in between being turned to stone and tasting a Paopu fruit, and in this specific case… Van's lips had felt so real. His scent, his touch, his warmth, his fingers so skillfully teasing the right spot. Honestly, Ven had never even stopped to consider that he did have such a spot within him, but apparently his subconscious had no trouble getting to it and making it feel just like the real thing.
Groaning quietly as he buried his face in his hands, he was about to ask Flood to maybe go hide in the bathroom for a few minutes, just so that she wouldn't be traumatized for life by what might-or-might-not be about to happen… when a knock on the door made itself heard.
"Lord summoner?"
Ven also wasn't aware that erections could deflate that quickly, but Tromell's voice had just solved the issue for him. Gotta look on the bright side, right? Regardless, as he got out of bed and hurried to open the door, he made sure that his night clothes covered as much of his body as possible.
"Good morning, Lord Ventus. Your clothes and breakfast are ready."
"Thank you."
At this point, Ven was done with faking smiles for the sake of being polite. Simply stepping aside, he let a couple servants from the temple walk in to do their job and then saw them out again, shutting the door. Flood, who'd bunkered herself under the covers as she felt the strangers, perked up again at the smell of food, and so Ven offered her the plate of fruit to munch on – as he walked over to look at the clothes now hanging near the vanity table.
Frankly, he'd never seen anything so beautiful. The robe was a two-layer piece, both made of immaculate white silk, with a sash around the waist that was also silk but in a darker shade – more like ivory. The hems of the robe matched that tone and had simple but elegant patterns embroidered in lines of silver and gold, and the sleeves were long and loose. Ven had no idea how they'd managed to get something so stunning made in such a short period of time.
Looks like he was really getting married, in a couple hours.
"Remember… it's for the people. It's for Spira."
Ironically, this motivation had gained a whole new meaning. It wasn't for the sake of giving everyone a reason to cheer and smile for a while, anymore… rather, to try and spare them a sorrow that would match Sin itself. Breathing in, Ven went for a quick shower – a sham wedding or not, he should at least look decent for it. If nothing else, for the sake of keeping up the farse long enough for his plan to come together. Regardless, some ten minutes later and as he sat down in front of the mirror, brush in hand to start taming his wet hair, his thoughts hadn't changed much.
Why was Xemnas still so obsessed with marrying? Everything he'd said that day, when he proposed, about doing this for the greater good of the people… that'd been all lies, Ven had no doubts anymore. No man who murders his own father should ever be trusted to rule.
At first, Ven had thought that maybe Xemnas wanted to keep an eye on him, to make sure that he wouldn't leak such a grim secret… but quickly realized that didn't really make sense. Lord Jyscal's sphere had been lost in Macalania Temple somehow, there was no undeniable proof of that hideous crime anymore. Even if he told someone, it'd be his word against Xemnas'… and he seriously doubted that anyone would believe him, if it came to that. Not after he'd basically had one of his aeons impaling the maester with an icicle. And there was the fact that Xemnas had also told him that, after the wedding, he'd be free to continue his pilgrimage, just like they'd agreed at first. As if nothing else had ever happened. No, that didn't make any sense… there must be something missing, here.
Why would someone want to marry him so bad?
Putting the brush away, Ven got distracted with staring at his reflection for a moment. He couldn't remember the last time he'd looked at a mirror for longer than a few seconds. Even when they'd stay at a temple or an inn, he always hurried so they could be back on the road as fast as possible, and never wasted time with things like this. And now that he was doing it… he still couldn't bring himself to believe that maybe Xemnas was going through with this because of physical attraction.
Honestly, Ven didn't think he was anything special, as far as his looks were concerned. His skin was too pale, his hair was rebellious and messy more often than not, he actually used to feel self-conscious about his freckles, he was short and skinny, he still had a baby face that made people question his age at every turn. Aqua called him cute all the time, but that didn't really count… the opinions of big sisters are always biased. Even if he hadn't chosen to become a summoner, he doubted anyone would have ever taken an interest in him.
And yet…
Vanitas had really turned all that upside down, hadn't he? His guardian had looked at him in a way that no one else ever did, and had told him things he'd never expected to hear. Whenever Vani called him beautiful, Ven could really believe that he was, despite everything else. Vani made Ven feel like he had something in him that was really worth loving.
Too bad he was about to marry the completely wrong person, for the completely wrong motives.
But that was the life of a summoner. A life of sacrifice, willingly chosen. Summoners exist for the people, not for themselves. Something that Ventus had always known, and had always accepted… and it's not like he was having a change of heart. He just hadn't expected that summoning the Final Aeon wouldn't be the ultimate sacrifice, after all.
It had to be done.
If only he'd managed to stop Xemnas at the temple, maybe none of this would be happening now. And maybe his friends would be safe, rather than lost Yevon knew where and possibly hurt, if not worse. Since he'd failed back then, and let all of this happen, Ven knew he must go and fix it now. It was the least he could do. With a final nod at his mirror image, he got up to start getting dressed.
Have courage, dear heart.
If he had it his way, Roxas would just blow the palace and the temple into holy hell, the same way he'd done to Home. What better poetic justice than this? The only detail was… his brother was down there, somewhere. That and the Fahrenheit was filled with innocent people who had nothing to do with this and that might easily end up hurt, if Bevelle decided to retaliate. Which meant that, yes, much to the younger twin's dismay, the plan of attack would have to be a lot more velvety than firstly anticipated.
Regardless, they had the advantage of going at it from the air – no one would expect to be stormed by an airship, because airships hadn't been flying around for the past literal thousand years. Landing on one of the gardens wouldn't be a problem, which would allow Ven's guardians to invade the palace itself and go get their summoner, and meanwhile the Fahrenheit could also easily keep the guards under control. Naminé and Olette were already prepared and standing by, in case there would be need for healing, with Xion and Hayner to support them directly. Lea and Pence would stay at the controls to take care of the main offense and defense, and Roxas himself would supervise every team as they went along and made readjustments as needed.
It seemed like a perfect plan and, like most perfect plans, it started going downhill soon after being set in motion.
"Guys… We have a problem with oxygen tank number 7." Pence's voice was quiet, as a red light of alarm was now pulsing in the screen.
With a frown, Roxas promptly headed over to check it, but there wasn't a need to – the sudden tremor that took over the ship for a few seconds was a clear sign that something was about to go very wrong with the engines.
"…Shit. What was that?"
"Tanks 7 and 8 are down for the count. I was about to say we had a leak, but… I guess it's a lot more than just that, by now." News that Pence would rather not share, but the screen was gradually becoming more and more red. "There's no telling if the other tanks will hold."
"Are we going to crash…?" Aqua tried to keep her voice even, but she'd already walked over as well, to take a look – despite having no clue what those indicators meant.
Pence was quick to reassure her, along with everyone else. "No, the airship has emergency generators for situations like this. It can keep flying for a short while, even when there's malfunctions in the main fuel system. But–"
"But we gotta land and do repairs, before we stretch our luck too thin." Roxas finished the sentence, looking like he was stoically holding back a punch to the control panel. "Of all the fucking times." What the fuck do you do, when you want to go save your brother but you also want to keep your people safe, and choosing one implies forsaking the other?
Lea and Pence were doing what they could to keep the ship stabilized, while Olette was now by the intercom system to let everyone know that they were having issues but things were under control. Aqua looked at Terra and Terra looked at Aqua… and, maybe not surprisingly, it was Vanitas who offered the first practical solution.
"Fuck that. I'll jump down and get him while you guys take care of the ship."
Aqua turned to look at him so fast that she almost gave herself whiplash. "Are you crazy? You'll die if you jump from this height!"
"Then move the airship closer, till I can jump! I can't just stay here and do fuck all!"
Pence hesitated, knowing for a fact he was going to say what no one wanted to hear, but the situation was too dire for white lies. "We can't do that… it's too risky. We'd be too exposed and we'd take damage for sure. Especially with the acceleration system down."
Van was about to, indeed, scream at Pence's face even if he was well aware that the poor boy had done nothing to be blamed for, when Roxas' I know what to do caught everyone by surprise. Swiftly, the younger twin returned to the main pilot seat and turned to his boyfriend.
"Hurry, help me with this."
"Help with what, exactly…?" Lea's expression was as confused as everyone else's.
"I need you to fly right over the bridge and hover there for as long as you can. Pence, make sure we don't go overtime and nothing else explodes."
"But we can't get close–"
"Shut it, I know! That's why I'm gonna fire the emergency landing chains – we'll use them as anchors." Turning to glance over his seat, Roxas settled his gaze on Van, Terra, and Aqua. "How about you guys slide down the chains and drop down there to fuck some shit up?"
This sounded as deranged as Ventus' plan to divert Sin's attention from Kilika had been, back then… and the guardians immediately agreed. By far, it was better than doing nothing after having come all this way! Naminé and Olette hurried with covering the three of them in as many defensive spells as they had available, while Lea and Pence prepared everything to get the timing just right.
The top level of the palace of St. Bevelle consisted of three suspended bridges leading to a circular, broad terrace – and, from there, a stairway along the main isle culminated on the holy altar, which was the building's highest point. As the Fahrenheit drew as near as possible without being detected, the bridges were filled with warrior monks, the grand maester himself awaited at the altar… and, as he glanced down through the windshield, Van could see Ventus and Xemnas already making their way towards the terrace.
"Hurry that shit up… or we're gonna be late."
It wasn't much longer before the Fahrenheit was noticed. Despite the initial moment of shock and startle, which allowed them to get as close to the bridge as they would be, Maester Kinoc was soon giving commands and rallying up the defenses. More guards joined the warrior monks, along with several machina units that looked awfully like the weapons that Yevon so vehemently forbid.
And the firing at the airship began.
In the middle of the chaos that was rising, Xemnas grabbed one of Ven's arms and hurried him up the steps that led to the altar and, coincidence or not, that's when Roxas fired. Two thick, long chains were shot and pierced through the ground of the nearest bridge, keeping the airship firmly attached to it for the time being.
Not a single second to waste, now.
The three guardians were already following Hayner to the engine room and, from there, headed to the ship's exterior through one of the maintenance doors. No time for hesitations, either… one simple mistake would easily and certainly result in painful death. Terra went first, Aqua followed right after and then Vanitas, and they managed to slide down the chains thankfully without incidents, landing on the bridge rather spectacularly.
Flawless timing, as well, because it wasn't even five seconds till the unrelenting fire from the machina canons caused said chains to snap away from the ship. With the job done for now, and having to find a safe place to land in order to get started on the repairs, the Fahrenheit disengaged and sped off, disappearing into the distance.
And now it was the three of them against all the might of Yevon.
Facing the initial waves of warrior monks and guards wasn't too difficult, for seasoned guardians so used to cutting through fiends thrice that size, and they were able to force their way through to the terrace. However, they were greatly outnumbered and the damn machinas were incredibly tough… and it was only a matter of time till they were overwhelmed and completely surrounded, ending up with at least two dozen weapons pointed at them.
Maester Wen Kinoc himself awaited midway through the steps leading to the altar, with a machina gun in hand. "This has gone far enough!"
Terra clenched his jaw so tightly that it might actually snap. Kinoc was the commander of the warrior monks but also used to oversee the activities of the Crusaders, and was a man well known and respected in Besaid… Yet, right now, all Terra saw was another pawn dancing along the strings that Xemnas was pulling. As he stepped protectively in front of Aqua and Van, Kinoc was practically pressing the gun's barrel to his throat.
"I am sorry, but this is for Yevon." The maester didn't seem too pleased with what he was about to do… but he was about to do it, nonetheless.
"Aren't those weapons forbidden by Yevon?" Aqua held Terra's arm just as protectively, glaring at Kinoc so intensely that she might have split his skull in half.
"There are exceptions."
Van vaguely registered the maester's pitiful response, and vaguely felt the urge to yank that gun away from him and shove it right up his sorry ass… but, for the most part, he was paying attention to the altar only. Xemnas stood in the way, in his usual impossibly irritating poise, but Van was able to finally take a good look at Ventus – and seeing him dressed in that sort of wedding clothes was a borderline surreal experience. Because he looked dazzling, of course, but it was so much more than that.
There was something frighteningly nostalgic about seeing him dressed in a white silk robe like this… It was like staring at an old photograph that'd sprouted to life and popped out of the album. Like staring at a ghost from a thousand years ago. And Vanitas knew there was no way this was possible and he had no idea what was provoking such reaction… but he couldn't deny what he was feeling. He'd seen that robe, or at least similar ones, countless times before. He'd felt the smooth fabric under his palms, he'd untied the sash with his own hands, he'd heard the soft rustling of the silks as Ven moved.
How could it be that he was experiencing something for the first time, yet it felt like he'd been doing it all his life…?
Because he was unable to stop staring, though, that's also why he was the first one noticing what was about to follow. While attentions were mostly drawn to the so-called traitors, Ventus stepped forward and now stood right beside Xemnas – holding his staff in between them, that he'd just materialized.
"You would play at marriage just for a chance to send me?" The maester's expression remained as impassive as ever, but his voice held an uncommon tone of surprise. In the blink of an eye, everyone was staring at them instead. "Your resolve is admirable. All the more fitting to be my lovely husband."
"Even if I was your husband… I would never be yours."
Ven wasn't impressed by the maester's bravado. His features were tense with concentration, holding tightly around the handle of the staff as he twirled it gracefully. Immediately, pyreflies began emanating from Xemnas' body – and everyone else was left frozen in place and uncertain of what to do, for all sorts of motives.
Terra and Aqua were reluctant about what would ensue, but also so proud that their little Ven had the guts to play such a move on the Superior – in the middle of their own wedding ceremony, whilst all Bevelle watched! Vanitas, despite the lingering sense of misplaced nostalgia, had lost count to how many times this small, sweet-looking summoner had blown him away with his bravery and determination. The guards and monks were shifting anxiously, having received no order to act but also clearly shocked by Xemnas' unsent nature that no one had bothered to tell them about. Even Kinoc was hesitant… not sure if it'd be a wise idea to just have Xemnas' fiancé shot on the spot.
The pyreflies were already swirling more intensely, when the grand maester's voice cut through the silence that'd taken over.
"Ventus," Ansem walked casually towards the top of the stairway, glancing down at the three guardians with a deceptive smile. "Do you not value your friends' lives?"
With a quiet gasp, Ven broke his focus immediately and glanced aside at the elderly maester. In the middle of all that'd happened, and being so absorbed by his goal of taking the first chance he had to send Xemnas, he'd actually forgotten that the true leader of Yevon was still around... And, from the looks of it, this distraction was about to cost him dearly.
"Your actions determine their fate," Ansem continued, as he gestured with a hand towards the legion of guards and monks. Immediately, they resumed their position and pointed their weapons at Terra, Van, and Aqua again – as did Kinoc, this time indeed pressing the barrel to the side of Aqua's head. "Protect them, or throw them away. The choice is yours."
For an instant, Ansem and Xemnas looked one and the same, with the way they smiled so twistedly. Pyreflies were still swirling, despite slower again, and Ven was still holding the staff up… but it wasn't long before he brought it down, in defeat. Sending Xemnas and ending his ploy, as Lord Jyscal had begged in that recording, had been the motive to go through with this wedding… but not if it came at the cost of his loved ones' lives. Never. Hanging his head with a deep frown, Ven let the staff slip from his fingers.
It clattered down the steps, past Kinoc, and landed at Vanitas' feet.
Just like that, the ceremony was resuming, as though everything was perfectly fine and normal.
"You are wise."
Xemnas' words were venom dripping from his lips, as he stepped closer to Ven and placed his hands on the summoner's shoulders. Aqua looked away, feeling her stomach about to come out through her mouth, and refused to watch the moment when Xemnas leaned in to kiss Ven. Vanitas, however, forced himself to keep staring… engraving in his memory the way Ven's eyes shut tightly, the way he pressed his lips as that kiss happened, the way his hands curled into fists. Because, one day, he was going to make Xemnas pay for every single second of this – even if it was the last thing he did in his life.
Look what I've done! I've ruined your chastity!
…Shut up, Vani. It's not my fault you're an amazing kisser.
How would you know? You never kissed anyone else.
"In the name of Yevon, I proclaim you married. A sacred and blessed bond, that no other power shall undo." The tolling of the temple's bells joined with Ansem's voice, officializing the ceremony.
Van didn't know about Yevon, but he knew that the only power still holding him back was that he didn't want Ventus to have to watch him being shot dead. Something that Xemnas himself didn't care for, it seemed, given the maester's next words as he glanced back at the guardians.
"Kill them."
"…You son of a bitch!" It could have been funny to watch, how for once Terra beat Van when it came to swearing out loud – had the situation been anything other than the present one. The sickening sound of the hammers of so many guns being pulled back at the same time, being made ready to shoot, echoed around the terrace… though, before anything else could ensue, a piercing shout came from the altar.
"NO!"
Many heads turned, only to find Ven now standing atop the decorative balcony.
"Throw down your weapons! Let my friends go, or else…"
To emphasize the threat left unspoken, Ven stepped backwards and dangerously close to the edge of the balcony, and the guardians felt their hearts about to leap as well. Xemnas remained still for a moment, staring his now official husband in the eye… but eventually glanced back at the guards and monks, waving a hand. Immediately, they lowered the guns. Aqua didn't need more than that to bolt up the stairway, and Terra and Vanitas were right behind.
As they reached the altar though, rather than heading over to them, Ven stayed where he was. "Leave now… please!"
And Aqua suddenly looked like she'd just been punched on the throat. "…What? Ven, you're coming with us!"
"Don't worry! Go!"
This unexpected twist was enough to make Xemnas' usually flat tone rise a notch or two in annoyance, as he eyed the summoner – running low on patience for further games. "This is foolish. If you fall, you'll die."
Ven's reaction to the maester was a look of pure disgust, as if he'd just tasted curdled milk – which might not have been too far from the truth, given the way he then harshly wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand. As if trying to wipe away the kiss that'd happened a couple of minutes before. And then he looked back at his friends.
"Don't worry… I can fly. Believe."
Honestly, Vanitas had never been very good at believing. Not in Yevon, not in any other sort of god or deity, he usually even had a hard time believing in people as it was. Yet… as he stared at Ventus right now, at the spark of fierce determination glistening in his beautiful green eyes, he didn't feel like he had the right to be faithless. He nodded then, slowly and silently, and watched a smile blooming on Ven's expression. The summoner then brought his hands up and clasped them over his heart… and closed his eyes, as he stepped back and let himself fall over the edge.
Ironically, it was Xemnas who reacted first, while the guardians remained rooted in place. The maester hurried over to the balcony, peering down past that same edge… but the miracle that followed actually arrived from above. In a gentle explosion of light that Van and Terra and Aqua could well recognize, Valefor dashed through the clouds of the sunny morning sky and flew down tangent to the edge of the building, just as fast. She then stopped under Ven and spread her wings, catching him as tenderly as a mother protecting her baby – before the two of them disappeared around the nearest pillar.
Corrupt and unsent maesters weren't the only ones who had tricks up a flowing silky robe's sleeve, as Ven had just demonstrated.
"Cover your eyes!"
It wasn't the first time that Terra and Vanitas were grateful for Aqua's quick thinking, and surely it wouldn't be the last. They didn't even know what she was planning, but they obeyed immediately – just in time to avoid the extremely bright flash of whatever it was that she'd tossed back at the terrace. Escaping from temporarily blinded foes really wasn't hard at all, though Terra had to actually grab Van under an arm and carry him away – because it was time to run and live to fight another day, rather than to stay behind to strangle Xemnas with his own hands.
And, yes, Aqua also made a note to thank Roxas later for the flash grenades.
On the other hand, this had been the easy part. The palace was immense, Ven could be anywhere by now… and it wasn't like they had the freedom of movements to go search for him in every room. Caution was mandatory, if they didn't want to get themselves caught again and ruin everything. Fortunately, they were able to reach one of the temple's older basements, where they stayed while the warrior monks scouted all the obvious places along the upper floors.
And now the problem was… where to go?
Or it would have been a problem, if it wasn't for help suddenly coming from the most unexpected of allies. With the rustling and scratching of a few boxes being pushed over, Flood squeezed herself inside the room through a breach in one of the walls, as Van's jaw dropped and, finally this day, for a good reason.
"Flood! You're okay!"
She pounced him with a squeal of enthusiasm and Terra and Aqua smiled fondly as the two reunited, also so relieved that their cute unofficial pet was safe. Still, despite happy, she was also restless… and soon jumped down again, starting to try to tug Vanitas along by one of his legs.
"What is it…? You want us to follow you?" Flood nodded a few times fast, and Van knew – promptly glancing back at his friends. "She must know where Ven is, let's go!"
No need for more words. They followed Flood along a few narrow, not so greatly lit corridors, and soon Aqua was understanding where this would lead. "Of course, why didn't I think of that! We're in Bevelle Temple… there is only one place where Ven can be."
"The Chamber of the Fayth," Terra promptly agreed, "He's gone for Bahamut's blessing."
It went without saying that they could really do with a dragon, given the current circumstances. Regardless, as they sneaked their way inside the room that ought to lead to the Cloister of Trials, what awaited them was unexpected. Rather than an ancient-looking room, as all the others in previous temples had been… the first thing they saw, upon entering, was a sophisticated control panel and not too much unlike those at the Fahrenheit's cockpit.
"So… this is Yevon's true face. They betray their own teachings." Terra murmured now, experimentally pressing a couple buttons and switches. Despite the looks, that contraption was quite simple to operate and soon an automatized platform was traveling up along a spiral path. They climbed on and, once at the bottom of the room, yet another machina panel allowed them through towards the trials.
It took less than five minutes for them to realize it really was no wonder that Sora and his friends had ended up getting lost here. Not only the cloister was an actual maze, with different levels and passages and rooms, but the way across was made not on foot but by traveling along more of the automatized platforms. And the platforms were moved and their paths were changed by making use of spheres and glyphs and… yes, more panels and controls.
The temple of all temples, in the heart of the holy city of Bevelle, was basically a machina den.
Outrage aside, the guardians spent a good couple of hours figuring out the right way… though, as they finally arrived at the antechamber, there was a very pressing concern eating away at Van. "Hey… what're we gonna do, now? If Ven's praying – there's no way we can wait here for a whole day without getting caught."
Terra and Aqua exchanged a look between them, before she answered. "Maybe not. From what we know from books… Bahamut is very peculiar in his judgment. Very few summoners are able to get his blessing, because he's the most powerful of aeons and only bonds with those of equal power. He only bonds with those whom he deems truly capable of eventually performing the final summoning… and so his decision is quick. He will either spit you out immediately, or join with you much quicker than the other fayth do."
That explanation made Vanitas frown, because he didn't know which outcome he would prefer. If Ven was rejected, then at least this would end his pilgrimage and he wouldn't have to get himself killed… yet Van knew this would leave him heartbroken. He obviously didn't want Ven to die but he wanted him to succeed, and both things were impossible to have at the same time, and his brain was suddenly tying up in a knot… And so he opted for what he always did best: impulsive decisions coming from gut feeling. Running up the stairway that led to the Chamber of the Fayth, he started trying to force the door up, in order to open it.
"…Van, what are you doing!"
Not bothering to look back at Aqua, Van continued on his struggle. "Listen, you can fuck off with Yevon and those fucking taboos! I'm going in!"
What could she argue about that? She didn't want to argue, as it was – not after having had to watch her beloved little brother be forced to marry a despicable, wretched man in the name of Yevon. Promptly, then, Aqua and Terra went to help Van and, with the three of them working together, the heavy door eventually gave in and they shoved it up and out of the way.
Within, the very characteristic chanting that filled every temple was louder and clearer. The chamber was a relatively small one, only about half the size of the antechamber, in a circular shape. It was devoid of any sort of furniture or objects, with a large, glowing glyph decorating the wall opposite to the door and another identical glyph drawn along the floor. Right in the middle of the room, there was a stone statue in the size and shape of a child, and a figure clad in a dark, hooded robe fluttered ethereally above it. Ven was in a kneeling position before the statue, with his eyes closed and his hands held up in prayer. And he was so focused in his devotion that he didn't even register that he wasn't alone in the room anymore.
After breaking in, and finding a sight like this, Aqua and Terra awkwardly remained by the door – suddenly not so sure that interrupting such a moment was a good idea, after all. Maybe the persons who ruled Yevon had failed them and fell short on their faith and duties… but being in the presence of a legend like Bahamut still warranted deep respect. No images nor descriptions in books could do justice to the aura that filled this chamber.
Van himself was also decently impressed… though what he had to wonder, first and foremost, was if this was the way that bonding with an aeon always worked. All those other times, before… had Ven stayed in this same position, kneeling so rigidly, barely moving, for hours and hours, while praying his heart out and trying to convince some entitled spirit that he was worthy…? Definitely, the more he learned about the temples and their non-sense, the more Van hated it all with a passion.
Shaking his head with a frown, he tugged on Terra's arm and decided to at least satisfy his curiosity – pointing to the statue. "What the hell is that?"
Terra answered in a hushed tone, really hoping that their reckless flight of fancy wouldn't end up ruining Ven's effort and hard work. For all he knew, Bahamut might blow them all off the temple and all the way back to Besaid. "That's the fayth. Human souls, imprisoned in stone by ancient Yevon rites… When they join with a summoner, the summoner receives the power to call upon that aeon."
Macabre was the only word that came to Vanitas' mind to describe all this – macabre and incredibly fucked up. Yet, for some reason… he caught himself remembering that dream he'd had. That one person in white clothes, sitting in that white room, on that white throne. Somehow, being in this chamber right now kinda felt like being in that other one, during the dream. Which was dumb, because one thing didn't have anything to do with the other… but Van didn't have much chance to keep wondering about it, anyway.
If that hooded child-figure was truly what Bahamut was made of, he seemed to have just made up his mind. The very air in the chamber resonated with the fayth, as he ascended further up… and then dived in Ven's direction, merging with the summoner. As the two of them joined, a bright light forced the guardians to shut their eyes for a few seconds.
Still struggling to blink the excess of light away, Van was in time to watch as the last of a few convulsions hit Ven rather violently, before he slumped over. Hissing a curse under his breath, he ran over and carefully gathered the unconscious summoner in his arms, leaving some gentle taps on his cheek. "Ven…? Ven, come on…" No reaction – and Van also had to wonder if Bahamut was particularly rough to handle, or if receiving the blessing of any aeon was always so hazardous. And… if the regular ones were like this, what could be expected from the Final Aeon…?
Thankfully, Aqua was soon crouching beside them, placing a hand on the younger guardian's shoulder – and shaking off questions that no one was really emotionally prepared to answer. "He'll be all right… If we want to help, first of all we have to get out of here."
Best suggestion that Van had heard all day. Pushing all else to the back of his mind, for the time being, he wrapped his arms around Ven as well as that damn robe allowed. Then he stood back up, carrying the summoner out of the chamber as the other two guardians made sure the door stayed up and open for them.
Yevon, however, was far from being done with the traitors, and the antechamber was already filling up with warrior monks and the respective guns – led by Maester Kinoc. "It's over. Surrender."
Terra stepped forward with sword in hand, but weighed his choices. The monks weren't too terribly powerful, and the three of them might be able to deal with this squadron on their own… but there were two issues here. One, certainly, the cloister must also be filling up with reinforcements. And two… they couldn't risk Ven being caught in the middle of a crossfire, not in his current state. Furrowing his brows, Terra stared back at his friends.
Unsurprisingly, Aqua's expression showed that she was thinking exactly the same. It wasn't a matter of being able to break through… rather, being able to break through without dangerous consequences – and the odds of this last part were extremely low. Even if they secured Ven, somehow, she had no doubt he wouldn't be pleased to wake up to know that his guardians had been filled with bullets, to say the very least.
As for Vanitas… again, he was plagued by that distressing sense of déjà-vu – as if this wasn't the first time that he'd stood along with Ven in front of a squadron ready to shoot them dead. Feeling a shiver of genuine fear running down his spine, as a bead of cold sweat rolled along the side of his face, he clutched the summoner closer to him.
"Are you gonna kill us…?"
Kinoc seemed pleased that matters hadn't escalated into violence – not yet, anyway. "That depends on you. Don't resist and return Maester Xemnas' husband, and you will be spared. You will then be presented to the Holy Council, to stand trial for your crimes."
There was a sudden metallic taste in Van's mouth, and it took him a moment to realize he'd bitten the inside of his lip so hard he'd drawn blood. Swallowing, he glanced down at Ventus and held him even tighter. It was the same as being asked to rip out his heart and drop it on a silver platter for Yevon to gnaw on… but what choice did they have? It was either die right here and right now, or cling to the feeble hope of somehow breaking free again during that trial.
A one percent chance of success was better than nothing… right?
The three guardians exchange a final look and made their decision.
For what felt like an eternity, though it likely wasn't more than some three or four hours, they were kept in a cell.
Before surrendering, Aqua had demanded that they be the ones to take Ven to wherever Kinoc wanted to keep him at – and so the guardians ensured that he'd be resting in one of the temple's rooms, after having been healed by Xemnas himself. Despite the events of the past few days, and even after what'd happened in the morning, the maester continued to be mindful of Ven's well-being and refused to make him face trial… And, whereas the guardians did question it, they chose to simply be grateful for it, for the time being.
Eventually, they were heavily escorted from the cell to where the trial would be held. It was a large room, richly decorated, with three high stands gathered around the even higher main stand in the center. It was impossible not to think that this was done on purpose, to make the imbalance in power very explicit and to remind the heretics of how low they stood, when compared to the devout. The three maesters already awaited in their respective position, and the session began as soon as the grand maester arrived to preside it. Maester Kelk Ronso was the one to introduce the protocol.
"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."
Van felt like this was only the first of several eyerolls to come. Believe in Yevon, was it? Then he'd already failed by default. And speak truth? Sure, but what about the fucking maesters speaking truth as well, was that not a thing? Or was Yevon's definition of truth only what was convenient for their greedy, nasty asses? With his arms tightly folded, he reminded himself that the goal here was to not be executed right on the spot, and chose to focus his attention on the tips of his boots, for now.
"Guardian Terra. Guardian Aqua." As he spoke the names, the Ronso maester looked at each of them in turn. "Guardian Vanitas. Summoner Ventus has sworn to protect the people of Yevon. And the three of you, as his guardians, have pledged to do the same. True?"
Aqua and Terra replied with a quiet yes. Van didn't bother to say anything.
"And yet, you have inflicted dire injury upon Maester Xemnas Guado. You have conspired with the Al Bhed and you have 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."
Van and Terra now looked expectantly at Aqua. While plotting their strategy in the cell, they'd all agreed it would be better if she was the one speaking on their behalf. Taking in a deep breath, she stepped forward and started in a calm but confident tone.
"Your Grace, only guardians can truly understand the bond with their summoner, born from the fate they must face together. For Ventus, we would do anything – though betraying Yevon was never our intention, nor what we did. The real traitor is Maester Xemnas."
A good start, the three of them thought, especially because Kelk looked like he really hadn't expected that. Not wanting to lose the momentum, Aqua wasted no further time in dropping the bomb. "He killed his father, Lord Jyscal Guado, with his own hands."
Now Kelk seemed to have just been struck by lightning, and actually dropped the scroll he'd been holding. "…What is this that she speaks of!" Immediately, he turned to look at Xemnas.
And Xemnas answered him very calmly, very patronizingly. "Didn't you hear what the lady just said?"
Before Maester Kelk had a chance to recover, Aqua continued. "Not only that… Maester Xemnas is already dead. Everyone who attended the wedding ceremony is a witness to this – Summoner Ventus merely wanted to send him, as it is every summoner's sacred duty."
It was looking really good, the three guardians thought again. At least one maester was already on their side, from the looks of it. Now, if only they could trust the grand maester to be reasonable… It couldn't be too much to ask for, right?
"Send the unsent to where they belong?" Ansem stood from his seat, everyone in the room now fixating their gaze on him and awaiting the reaction. And what he did, letting a few seconds trickle by… was to laugh quietly, as his body momentarily shimmered and a few pyreflies swirled around him. "Then Ventus would have to send me, too."
…Well then.
So much for basic human decency.
And so much for not offending the grand maester to his face, because Van couldn't hold back any longer. "…This fucker is an unsent!"
Regardless, as he spoke now, Maester Kinoc didn't seem too worried about that much. "Grand Maester Ansem is a wise leader. Even in death, he is invaluable to Spira. And enlightened rule by the dead is preferable to the misguided failures of the living."
Looking perfectly human again, and perfectly alive, the elderly maester continued – in such condescending tone that Xemnas could only have learned it from him. "Men die. Beasts die. Trees die. Even continents perish. Only the power of death truly commands in Spira… and resisting its power is futile."
Terra joined Aqua up front, also clearly done with respecting protocol and good manners and politeness. "And what about Sin? The pilgrimages and the summoners who stop the death that Sin brings… Is that futile, as well? Were all those sacrifices in vain?"
"Not in vain," the grand maester answered, in unnerving tranquility. "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." At this point, Terra couldn't tell which part of this man's speech disgusted him more. "As long as summoners keep throwing away their lives, without anyone ever questioning it… then everything is all right? Is this what we obey the precepts for? Is this what our faith is good for?"
"That is the essence of Yevon, child. Eternal, unchanging continuity. And those who question this truth… they are traitors and must repent."
It was a really good thing that all of what was unfolding seemed to be too much for Kelk Ronso to stomach – who, in the meanwhile, had exited the trials room without any further words. Because it served to distract everyone's attention for a brief while, and allowed Terra to grab a firm hold of Van's arm that'd already summoned Wayward Wind.
Remember that the goal is to not be executed on the spot.
None of this fazed Ansem, however, who quickly carried on and ended the session.
"For high treason against the Faith of Yevon, I sentence you, guardians, to the Via Purifico. Take them away."
The Via Purifico was a very specific dungeon located below the city of Bevelle. It was intended to be a fiend-infested, underground maze for prisoners to be left to die, with seemingly no way of getting out… but, in fact, there was a small chance that they might. In which case, their crimes would be considered forgiven, as their journey along such place would purge them in the eyes of Yevon.
And this sentence sounded to Terra and Aqua like one too merciful to be true.
After the ugly truth they'd just learned about, why would the council take the risk of them surviving the maze and be free to tell all Spira about it? Why weren't they sentenced to execution to start with, after what'd happened at Macalania Temple? It was like the Via Purifico was about to be used as a convenient excuse – to allow Yevon to claim that the defendants had been given a possibility to survive, yet the divine judgment had decided otherwise. Which meant… something in this dungeon might have been changed, in order to ensure the desirable outcome.
Vanitas had the advantage of not knowing a thing about the Via Purifico as it was, and so he wouldn't have to be consumed by paranoid thoughts. Although… given that Xemnas had come along with the guards to escort them to the dungeon's entrance, the youngest guardian knew better than to expect anything other than atrocious. If this fucking asshole was here, then surely he had a motive for it.
The entrance itself was already unconventional, because… it was basically a huge hole in the ground, for prisoners to be literally pushed into, leading to the actual maze. Regardless, this main room was located at Bevelle's ground level and unnecessarily beautiful – with a tall roof made of glass, allowing for a last look at the sky above. So, not only the Yevonites were a bunch of filthy, shameless liars, they were also sadistic enough to do this.
"May Yevon have mercy on your souls… if they are worthy of such."
None of the guardians bothered to reply to Xemnas, not even to look at his face. Though, all of a sudden, the three of them, along with the maester and the guards, were instead looking aimlessly around the room. A tremor had just shaken the entire building, almost like an earthquake but, somehow, feeling like it'd come from above…
…And then Vanitas heard it.
The whistle.
As fast as he could, he grabbed Aqua and Terra by the arm and ran to get cover by the opposite end of the room – just in time to avoid the explosion that obliterated that one entire wall. A split second later, a dragon was entering and shaking the ground again with each step – immense and gorgeous and terrifying, body made of glistening black and golden scales, with large wings colored in an intricate pattern of reds and oranges and purples. And, beside the dragon… Ventus. Not even as tall as Bahamut's knee, now that the aeon stood on his hind legs, and completely unaffected by this fact as he ran over to his guardians.
"I was so scared that I wouldn't get here in time! Are you all okay?"
Ven was still wearing the wedding robe, and effectively looked like he'd just awaken and the first thing he'd done was to summon the King of Dragons somewhere in a room up there. Immediately, there was a mini battle among Aqua and Terra and Vanitas, to see who'd get to cling to their summoner first and tighter – which ended up with all three of them doing it at the same time, making Ven laugh as he hugged back the best he could.
But this wasn't the time for relief just yet, and Xemnas was promptly reminding them of that.
"Impressive, my dear husband. Yet I trust you to be wiser than to go against the decision of the council."
With his expression turning to a dark glare, Ven stepped away from the hugs and affection and stood by Bahamut once more. "Let them go right now! Don't you dare lay a hand on them again… or else, I will end you and I will end the council if I must!"
"Ventus… You would do that and become a traitor of Yevon, yourself?"
"Anything to save my friends!"
"It's always about your friends, isn't it?"
"At least I have some!"
Van, Aqua, and Terra were still processing that comeback that Ven had just slapped Xemnas on the face with, when the summoner stopped playing and punctuated his words with actions. Bahamut concentrated energy on his paws and the tips of his wings, and sent that Impulse wave flying towards the opponents – easily knocking over all the guards and forcing the maester on his knees. And Ven would have gladly attacked again… but yet another tremor made itself felt, this time coming from the depths of the underground.
Before anyone had a chance to react, a massive figure dived out through the hole in the ground, breaking through the glass roof and shattering it to a million shards as it flew outside. The wyrm roared and then landed heavily on the edge of what had been the roof, peering down at them.
"What the fuck is this thing…?" Van's first guess was that it must be another of Xemnas' aeons.
Aqua's reply, though, cleared that up fast enough. "Evrae… she's the guardian of the palace."
So this was the little secret that'd been reserved for them, in the Via Purifico.
Talk about a red carpet with teeth.
Evrae was as large as Bahamut himself, if not larger – though her body was serpent-like, in a blend of red and silver and gold, with several horns protruding at the back of her long neck. Her wings were somewhat delicate-looking, thin and translucid and painted in shimmering light purple… but, no doubt, this wasn't a book to be judged by the cover. Nothing about this creature's power was, in fact, delicate.
And Ven was well aware of it.
Swiftly, he materialized his staff and held it up in the air – causing a rain of massive icicles to fall behind him, where Shiva gracefully landed on. "Please, stay here and keep my friends safe!" Turning to face the ice goddess, Ven was already dismissing the staff again, because he was definitely going to need his hands free for what was coming up next.
Shiva didn't waste a single second with that command, and easily covered the opposite side of the room in thick layers of ice – causing Evrae to fly off, and temporarily imprisoning Xemnas and the guards. That done, she walked over to the guardians – who, at this point, were staring at Ven in a mix of awe and bewilderment.
"Ven…" Terra was the first to speak. "What do you mean, she's keeping us safe…? You're coming with us, this is our chance to escape!"
What Ven did was to stand on his tiptoes, gently catching Terra's head to tug him down for a forehead kiss – before doing exactly the same to Aqua, faster than either of them could react. "We will escape! But there's no way we can move faster than Evrae, she must be taken down first."
"Then let us help, you can't fight her alone!" Aqua could feel the panic bubbling in her chest, and no one could accuse her of overreacting.
"Aqua, you can't – even your spells won't reach that far up. But don't worry, I won't be alone… I have Bahamut with me."
And, by now, Van knew where this was going. He knew, he just knew – which was why he grabbed Ven by the shoulders, maybe even a bit too harshly. "Are you fucking insane? There's no way you're gonna go up there to fight!"
Somehow, the summoner had been expecting that – because he immediately knew what to say back. "If I'm not willing to fight side by side with my aeons, then I'm not worthy of receiving their blessing to start with." Right after, he cupped Van's cheeks and leaned in to kiss him so deeply that it practically snatched the soul out of the guardian, as they parted again.
And Terra and Aqua were left wondering what to try to process first, between the kiss that'd just happened –and it wasn't like they weren't suspicious, at this point, but to witness such an explicit confirmation was still mind-blowing– and the fact that Ven was, indeed, about to go fight Evrae while riding a dragon. Bahamut landed on all four legs again and was already heading back to the wrecked wall, as Ventus ran over to his side and climbed on, to settle in between his shoulder blades.
And, just like that, the two of them were taking off.
Still not sure that he wasn't suddenly dreaming –dreaming that Ven had just kissed him in front of his big brother and big sister like that– Vanitas made himself move and ran outside through what was left of the wall. Terra and Aqua followed him, also functioning on autopilot, and so did Shiva. The destroyed fountain and trees along the garden signaled where Bahamut must have landed, minutes before, and that's where the guardians stayed to watch the battle that was already underway.
In fact, it would be a miracle if the Palace of St. Bevelle would still be standing after this, because, every time that Bahamut and Evrae landed a hit on each other, the earth would shake. The waves of energy born from those clashes also flew off everywhere, hitting towers and pillars and terraces alike. And it wasn't long before a crowd was gathering outside, at several different spots – though, obviously enough, no one was willing to try and make this epic madness stop.
Evrae had the advantage of her long tail, which she could use as a whip to slap at Bahamut with – also being faster in her movements. Bahamut, on the other hand, could use his powerful wings as a shield to block off most hits. Both opponents were equivalent in their long-range attacks, with Bahamut's Impulse and Evrae's Photon Spray nullifying each other most of the time. Gradually, however, the wyrm was growing to an advantage due to her speed… and Ven didn't need more than a couple blows that Bahamut was too slow to block to realize this wasn't gonna go their way, if it remained one-on-one.
Just as Evrae was about to land yet another hit, and to drag her claws all over Bahamut's left side, a strong gust of wind knocked her away from behind – come from Valefor's Sonic Wings attack. The wyrm growled and lashed with her tail in response, but Valefor's speed was unmatched and she was already flying to a safe distance. From there, the aeon flipped back and concentrated a large ball of energy on her beak, that then quickly broke into several beams that hit Evrae from every angle.
On the good side, it took away a good chunk of Evrae's HP. On the bad side… the turbulence that resulted from such a powerful attack knocked Ven right off Bahamut's back.
And here he was now, crashing down like a ripe fruit, and Valefor was still recovering from performing her Energy Blast and Bahamut wouldn't catch their summoner in time… and Terra and Van and Aqua were watching and about to have heart failure, when the ground rumbled yet again and shattered further down from the fountain. Ifrit erupted in the middle of flames and burning rocks, and leaped upwards – catching Ven just at the right moment. The fire god then landed but, rather than to put Ven down safely, what he did was to toss him up again – which, in turn, made Ven land on Bahamut's back once more, as the dragon flew farther down.
Vanitas couldn't tell if it was just him, but his stomach had become such a tangle that he couldn't even feel it anymore. Though the guardians wouldn't have a moment to breathe in relief, because Evrae was already recovered – and she inhaled deeply, with another loud growl, before spewing her Poison Breath all over the area where they currently stood.
It was Ven's turn to panic about his friends, but good thing that Ifrit was nearby – because the flurry of flames that the aeon sent flying up to meet that noxious cloud could easily ignite it and cause it to explode in midair, before coming close enough to cause any real damage. On the other hand, a legion of warrior monks chose that precise moment to come rushing inside the room that led to the Via Purifico, and only Yevon knew what they hoped to achieve at this point… but Shiva wasn't impressed in the slightest, and quickly got rid of them by turning the whole room to ice and making it cave in.
One worry less… but the battle was already dragging too much for Ven's liking, and it was time for an all-or-nothing. Ixion broke through the room adjacent to the Via Purifico or, more correctly, the icy clump it'd been turned to, and climbed atop the nearest tower. From there, he was able to reach Evrae as Valefor knocked her back yet again – shooting an energy beam from his horn that trapped the wyrm in a net of electricity. It wouldn't last too long, but Ven didn't need more than a few seconds.
Bahamut then landed on the same altar where the wedding had taken place. The aeon's whole body was now glowing, as he started charging the final attack by concentrating all his energy in his mouth. Ven crawled further up along his neck, holding onto it firmly as he focused his heart and soul as well. Seconds later, as Evrae was already piercing through her prison, Bahamut roared deeply and released a flare so powerful that it pierced her from one side to the other – causing the guardian of Bevelle to shatter in an explosion of pyreflies, that began raining down all over the palace and the temple.
"…He did it."
Aqua's voice was barely audible, and Terra and Van could only nod their agreement – as the three of them were still helplessly staring up, trying to remember how to get their brains to work again after such a display. The aeons were already fading one by one now that the battle was over, Shiva and Ifrit and Ixion and finally Valefor, and Bahamut was flying back down and about ready to land… when an energy ball hit the dragon's side and caused him to cry out in pain. Ventus almost slid right off again, but managed to keep his balance by holding tightly on the thick scales.
The accursed warrior monks were relentless, even after the guardian wyrm's demise, and were gathering a ridiculous amount of machina canons by one of the upper bridges… and Ven was well aware that Bahamut didn't have much left in him, especially after this last blow. If he landed now, he'd be putting his friends in risk all over again, because the gunfire was clearly being aimed at the dragon. Would Bahamut be agile enough to dodge most of it, while injured and so worn-out, if he had his summoner's direct guidance? They were about to find out.
"Run away! Go now, you can't stay here! I'll catch up later!"
Yelling as loudly as he could, from the dragon's back, Ven hoped his guardians would get the message. The best he could do to keep them safe, for the time being, was to fly further up again and directly towards the bridge. The turbulence provoked by Bahamut's strong wings was enough to knock a few monks off the edge and even one of the canons, and the two of them continued flying farther and farther up and away – till disappearing in the horizon.