Ranma looked down at the little sphere in his hands. Seconds ago, this was a giant mechanical Esper that was supposed to be the guardian of Bevelle. Now, it was small enough to fit in his hand. It looked kinda mechanical and had Yevon's holy symbol on its surface.
"How do I use it?" he mumbled to himself, while he and Tidus raced through the corridors of Sub-Bevelle, in pursuit of Shuyin.
'There are two ways,' Alexander's mental voice told him. 'If summoner Ranma needs this unit's assistance in battle, summon me, as he would do normally. Then this sphere will turn back into my old form. But when you are in need of a personal power-up, the phrase 'Holy Armor Activate' is needed. This grants you a powerful battle form. Beware: Power consumption will be considerably high in this form. Alexander unit won't be able to fight for a considerable amount of time after using this form.'
"Okay, but perhaps we will need it if that maniac reaches that 'Vegnagun' he keeps prattling about. Prepare yourself for that case, okay?"
'Acknowledged!'
----
The warrior monks were taking Yuna and her guardians to the courtroom of Bevelle. Their trial would be held immediately.
Several war mechs were sent down into Sub-Bevelle by Kinoc. He hoped those were enough to capture the escaped rogue summoner and the other guardian.
They entered a big room, with several high seats on different platforms before them. Kinoc was sitting to their right, Seymour to their left. Grand Maester Mika and an elder Ronso wearing robes were standing on the middle platform.
"The high court of Yevon is now in session," the Ronso said in a deep voice. "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."
"That's Maester Kelk Ronso," Wakka explained with a whisper.
"Summoner Yuna," Maester Kelk addressed the young summoner from Besaid, who had enough time to change back to her normal clothes. "You have sworn to protect the people of Spira, true?"
Yuna nodded.
"Then consider," Kelk continued. "You have inflicted dire injury on Maester Seymour Guado... 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."
Yuna looked at the face of the maester with a look of determination.
But in her heart, she didn't exactly feel too sure of herself.
'Hoo boy, this is going to be tough,' she thought.
----
Tidus and Ranma arrived in a cavern, more enormous than the room they found Alexander in. In here, there was also a catwalk leading over a deep chasm. Pyreflies were rising from beneath.
In front of them, Vegnagun towered.
Tidus gulped. "Well, it certainly is... big!"
Ranma looked down. "Looks like there is a connection to the farplane in here. That's where the pyreflies are coming from."
Tidus carefully looked at Vegnagun. It still didn't move, but then, he saw a small shape climbing on top of the metal colossus.
"Up there," he shouted. Ranma looked and nodded. "That must be him. Let's go!"
They quickly jumped and climbed up Vegnaguns metal limbs, until they reached a platform in front of the machina's head. It resembled a giant skull, with two protruding tusks, like those of a mammoth.
On top of the head, Shuyin was standing. He was approaching a big organ that was used to control Vegnagun.
"It's not active," Shuyin said to his two enemies. "Or it would have begun moving as soon as I entered this room, and would have attacked me. But now... I'm the one in control!"
He pushed down his fingers on the organ's keys, and a deep, hollow sound echoed from within Vegnagun. Shuyin was playing a creepy melody and seemed to become more corporeal by the second. Vegnagun's eyes lit up and seemed to glare at the two intruders.
"Let's get him away from there," Tidus shouted, but was then blasted by two red laser beams that came shooting out of the eyes. He fell down... and down... until he hardly hit the metal catwalk in front of Vegnagun's torso.
Shuyin laughed. "Come, and join your friend. He looks like he's uncomfortable down there."
He hit another key, and Vegnagun responded by shaking his body, and slowly, he descended into the farplane.
'I can't let him get there,' Ranma thought. 'From there, he will have an ideal base to attack all of Spira.'
He grasped Alexander's sphere while they were descending into the dark abyss together.
"Holy Armor Activate!"
----
"What is this?" Kelk Ronso shouted in surprise. "Maester Seymour, a patricide?"
"And you said he would already be dead," Mika chuckled. "Very interesting, indeed..."
"Well, it's the truth," Akane shouted who just couldn't control her temper anymore. "It's your job to send away the dead, right? So hurry up, send him already!"
Mika just continued chuckling. "My dear girl, if that were true... you should not only send him, but me, too." And pyreflies came out of his body."
"What?" numerous voices shouted out in surprise.
"He's also an unsent," Ukyo realized. "That little bastard... all these rules doesn't seem to have any meaning for himself..."
And really, of all the assembled maesters, only Kelk seemed to be slightly shocked when hearing about how Seymour's father died. The others just continued staring down at the accused.
"Maester Mika is a wise leader," Seymour explained. "Even in death, he is invaluable to Spira."
"But what of Sin?" Yuna asked in a distraught voice. "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?"
"Not in vain," Mika said. "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," Aura commented. "But never ending!"
"Indeed," Mika nodded. "That is the essence of Yevon. Those that questions these truths - they are traitors."
"Lord Mika," Yuna yelled in desperation.
Kinoc waved, and the warrior monks were ready to take them away.
When suddenly, a heavy blow made the foundation of the palace itself shake.
----
While descending into the abyss, a bright light surrounded Ranma. It formed a more human-shaped version of Alexander's armor, complete with armguards, spires, turbines and everything. Ranma got incased in a small crevice on Alexanders' chest, while the holy Esper's helmet rose above him. Metal clamps fastened themselves around his arms, legs and chest. A helmet similarly shaped to the ones several crusaders were wearing, was put on his head. When the whole armor was fastened around Ranma's body, he moved his fists around and smacked them together.
Alexander's fists copied his actions and slammed together with a deafening 'CLANG'.
By now, the two steel behemoths were floating in front of each other in the entrance to the farplane. Shuyin snarled in disbelief and hammered onto the organ. Vegnaguns limbs flailed about and his eyes got ready to blast its opponent into pieces.
But Ranma/Alexander grabbed Vegnaguns front torso with his massive hands and hold on tightly. He activated his back jets and they propelled himself and his enemy up into the air. They continued to fly until they reached Vegnagun's storage chamber, where Tidus was just regaining consciousness.
They continued flying up... and smashed through the ceiling!
----
The whole palace seemed to shake as something broke through the floors of the lower levels, and through the palace walls. The maesters hurried to a window and looked outside. The accused used that moment of confusion to break free from the guards and ran outside.
In that moment, two colossal metal shapes came crashing through the western wall of the palace and flew up into the sky, a trail of rubble raining down from them.
"What... what are those things?" Wakka gasped in shock. "Machinas...? Two giant machinas?"
"I can feel it," Yuna whispered. "One of them is actually an Esper. And... Ranma is up there. As well as the spirit from before."
"Shuyin?" Akane wondered. "But what is that other machina?"
Kasumi/Lenne looked up to where the two mighty opponents were circling each other.
"Vegnagun..." she whispered.
Read the comments on this episode
See other episodes by Shritistrang
(Posted Tue, 01 Aug 2006 17:15)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.