The Palace of St. Bevelle

Zephyr returns but remains silent.

*Hitomi nods in agreement with what Senthose says.*

<Oh. The other 2 are back? Very well. Then we can proceed.>

*A few minutes later, they enter a dark room with a small balcony of sorts floating in midair. Only about 2 people can stand on it once. A larger, normal balcony overlooks it. It is here where the 4 Maesters sit. Belias Ronso growls slightly, glaring down at them. Grand Maester Mika is also glaring. Jyscal Guado is looking tiredly slightly to their left & the last Maester, a fairly nondescript monk, is mimicking Mika & Belias's glares, but halfheartedly. Luna steps forward first.*

"Umm...before I pray at the temple, I have a few requests to make. The first...an Al Bhed boy named Ark...what did he do to get arrested?"

Mika<I believe he sexually harrassed a nun.>

"Umm...well...I'm sure he's very sorry. And he's my Guardian. Do you think you could...(let him go?)"

*There's some murmuring, & Belias whispers in Mika's ear. Mika nods.*

Mika<If he is essential to your pilgrimage...then I suppose. Your second request Or perhaps I should say, "Why have you brought HIM here?">

*Senthose steps forward onto the podium.*
===========================================
*A guard unlocks Ark's cell.*

<You're free to go. Your summoner is in the audience chamber.>

*He points down a hallway.*

<Take the lift at the end directly there.>

Ark: <Will it take me to a shitload of monks in dresses? 'Cause if it will, I wanna stay here.>

*Hitomi stands out of sight.*

*The guard smacks him in the back of the head.*

<Just go.>
====================================
*Senthose flicks open a panel in the hand rail. Luna watches as he starts pressing some buttons.*

Mika<What is that? What are you doing?>

<You didn't know this was here? I did. After all, I helped repair this for your predecessor.>

Mika<An Unsent! I knew it!>

<I assure you, that was only a prerequisite. Going down.>

*Luna & Senthose rapidly descend out of sight as the lift drops into the hole making up most of the room. The Maesters begin frantically hammering away at unseen controls.*

???<We're locked out! I can't stop the lift!>

Mika<Curse him...you there! Guardians! There's a secret stairway hidden behind a tapestry to your right. I'm certain it leads to where Senthose is going. Intercept him before he brings down Bevelle!>

[That would be bad?]

*Hitomi goes to the tapestry and pulls it away.*

"Consider it done" Zephyr walks over to the tapestry and gently moves it aside opening the secret door behind it and moving down the stairs at a brisk pace.

Senthose... I hope whatever it is you intend to show Luna dissuades her from her foolish path.... because if you can't...

<Belias Ronso isn't the one behind the Sinspawn research. It was going on in my time, too.>

*The lift stops at a towering piece of machina. It has enormous tusks & seems to be alive, chained down in the large, empty chamber they're in.*

"What...what is that?!"

<An ancient weapon, dating back to the Machina War itself. It's said that it was never used because it couldn't distinguish friend from foe, but that's a lie. The true reason it was never used is because it's an unfinished prototype!>

"Prototype? Of...of what?"

<But surely you know.>

*She looks over the machina's long body, its wings, its podlike claws, & its tail, & nods.*

"Sin."

<The Machina War wasn't fought over territory. There was plenty of that in the calm lands. No, the Machina War was fought because someone wanted to obtain Yu Yevon's amazing summoning power. I would say that this is one purpose of the religion itself, other than Yevon's vengeance.>

*He turns around.*

<But don't you see? The church has been lying to you this whole time! They don't want to defeat Sin, because Sin cannot be defeated! But this unknown faction must conduct its research in secret because most of the church is still cowardly to learn how to control it!>

*Lune leaps off of the lift now, looking less frightened & much more angry.*

"Well, I should say so. Sin is evil."

<You would say that. Such was the circumstances of your birth. Tell me...have you ever noticed that you only gain Overdrives when defeating a Sinspawn? Why is that? Do you remember what I said to you when we first met? Or should I say, "When we reunited in Luca?">

*A wall slides away & the others emerge into the large, mostly empty semicircle chamber at this moment.*

"What in the name of all that is good is THAT!?" Zephyr points at the thing. "Senthose, what the hell is going on here? I was under the impression you were going to show something to Luna to shock her senseless need to martyr herself out of her not unleash a diabolical scheme!"

Ark: <Whatever.>

*He walks down the hall.*

*The lift is a levitating platform with the Yevon symbol on it, which takes him to the audience chamber.*

Maester Mika<There has been a change of plans! Take that lift down that passageway immediately!>

*He points to the staircase.*
==========================================
<This worthless piece of scrap metal, my plan? No way. Fuck that. I already have my secret weapon, right here. I'm afraid I must confess, I was involved in some of these experiments myself. In particular, I wanted to know what would happen if one were to raise a Sinspawn, only with the same hatred for Sin that the rest of Spira has. I honestly expected it to achieve human form, but that's not quite what happened.>

*Luna backs away from him.*

"You're crazy...I have parents! Guado parents! I had a Guado childhood! I'm not just some thing that was grown in a test tube, no, you're wrong!"

<Who said anything about test tubes? It's really quite simple if you understand the cycle. Old pyreflies end up being recycled into new life. That a baby is born inside the wound doesn't change the fact that the Pyreflies which make up its soul had to come from SOMEWHERE. Trust me, there can be no mistaking it. I was certain the moment I used my scan spell on you, but it was knowledge that you had to come to gradually.>

*He holds out a hand.*

<I've helped you all this way, & now shall be no different. We'll bring down this corrupt theocracy together...Luna Guado!>

Zephyr walks forward towards Luna and Senthose, "What are your plans Senthose? How do you intend to do what you say?"

[Overthrowing the government. I hoped he'd be above such things.]

Ark: <Are you fucking kidding me?>

*He shrugs and walks into the passageway, muttering something that sounds like "stupid old farts in dresses."*

*Ark arrives in the chamber with Vegnagun & the others soon afterwards.*

<I'm glad you asked that. I won't let you shoulder this burden alone, Luna. The entire reason I did this experiment is to see whether or not Sinspawn-humanoid hybrids were even possible. Lend me your strength & there's no way we can lose!>

*Luna grabs Senthose's hand & that's when shit starts to get weird. A blue light goes from her arm into his. His pupils twist closed completely, the irises blotching to a blond red. He lets out a Super Saiyan type yell as they let go, Yuna walking back shocked. His robes flush black as his hair loses its color, all the while he's surrounded by that intense blue light. When it breaks, his eyes reopen as cat's pupils.*

"Are...are you okay?"

<Am I okay? Am I OKAY?>

*Senthose chuckles as a number of secret passages open & the room fills with armed monks, who all point their weapons at them. Senthose snickers.*

<And here comes the redshirts.>

Zephy is still calm, "What do you plan to do with Luna, Senthose?"

Ark: <Holy shit, that's cool!>

*He draws his dagger and walks in front of Luna all the same, just in case.*

[He's as stupid as ever.]

*Hitomi begins to leave, muttering "Stupid Senthose" as she does so.*

*One of the monks fires at Hitomi, but misses. By now, all of the exits are blocked.*

<Oh my. This IS a problem, isn't it?>

*Senthose's eyes flash & a torrent of fire explodes from underneath all of the monks, charring them into unrecognizability. Luna stares at the spot, horrified.*

"What...what was that?!"

<The most powerful of Geomancy spells, Magma Surge. It's very rare to perform, due to the shortage of molten rock, & usually considered a suicide move, because the Geomancer has to stand on it. However, with my newfound power, it seems I can cast any Geomancy spell I want, regardless of the shape of the topography. And who knows what else I can do?>

*Senthose laughs a little.*

"Well that answers things, Senthose is a megalomaniac and I seriously doubt he has your best intentions in mind Luna" Zephyr steps forward and draws Gilgamesh's claymore slowly. "I was hoping you were still capable of rational thought and had the best of intentions. I would have sided with you then Senthose. This Theocracy is broken, corrupt, and useless. A group of cowards who perpetuate the notion of throwing away innocent lives in order to put a temporary bandaid over a deep wound. I listened to your words back then when you first spoke of Sin to Luna. That is what got me thinking and what made me realize how pointless the pilgrimage was. Its why I've been trying to get Luna to use her brain instead of blindly following the religion thats brainwashed her into doing something so stupid as wasting he life" he finishes unsheathing the claymore and prepares to fight Senthose.

Ark: <Luna is the unluckiest Summoner ever. Seriously, what were you thinking getting a bunch of jerkface atheists as guardians for a religious journey? You were bound to get in trouble.>

*He glances at Zephyr as he performs his drama act and sighs.*

Ark: <Hum, now that you basically fried the old men, could we get out of here before discussing this any further?>

*Hitomi covers her mouth 'cause the smell of burned hair and flesh is goddamn horrible and leaves.*

<I'm afraid I can't do that. I had planned to take over Bevelle from within. Officially, this will be an Al Bhed invasion. I mean, what are the Yevonites going to do, fight us with spears & swords?>

*Senthose disappears in a flash of light & reappears in front of Hitomi.*

<Regardless of your personal feelings, you shouldn't go wandering off. It's clear those monks were given orders to kill everyone who saw this chamber, including you.>

Ark: <Wait, what!? You can't do that! Everything bad they've said about the Al Bhed... how will we ever live at peace if you prove them right!? This isn't fair!>