AweStriker
Mobocracy
- Location
- Wherever He Wants
[X]Plan: Aerith on Stage
Fractured Fantasy: A CK2 Style Final Fantasy quest
- Thread starter griffinlw
- Start date
- Crossover Fantasy Action
Vote Closed
Oh hey, what a coincidence, so was I. Got a plushie of Chocobo and a music box that plays the first few cords of the Opening Theme/Pray. Hope you had fun!
If I want to spend QP to boost the infiltration and exfiltration rolls, should I use them now or when the heist happens?
If I want to spend QP to boost the infiltration and exfiltration rolls, should I use them now or when the heist happens?
I had a lot of fun. Got some posters, a replica master sword, and some Blue Rays.
Once I'm done with the results of everyone's personals, I'll let you guys vote on the "plan" essentially. Stuff like the infiltration point, plan for obstructions, if you're using disguises, and so on. Please hold your QP until that point.
The Knight and The Squire
The Knight and The Squire
Cecil gave a weary sigh as he cleaned his blade of Kyuvildun ichor. A group of the monstrous insects had descended upon one of the farms and even managed to nab some of the harvest before the dark knight managed to dispatch them. Acting as one of the town's only guardians weighed on him heavily though it would be wrong to call him tired, moreso worried.
He was a single man. A somewhat powerful man perhaps, but one could not protect an entire village. Not all the time. Yet how could he allow someone to risk their life on his behalf? A more pragmatic part of him insisted he needed the time to take care of himself lest he simply collapse but a more dutiful (or perhaps foolhardy) mind prevailed.
As he finished wiping off the last of the ichor, he rose to his feet and began patrolling. Even after coming to a supposed conclusion, his mind wouldn't let the idea lie. What if something happened to him? What if something happened to them? Back and forth, ideas and theoreticals bounced around his mind. By midday he was beginning to develop a headache.
While continuing to patrol through the town, the dark knight looked over its people. The day was bright and many were out to enjoy the weather. Traders hawked their wares, children played games in the streets, others simply walked by their business lying elsewhere. Occasionally a brave youth or grateful townsfolk would stop the knight to thank him to which he would humbly accept after assuring them it wasn't necessary. It was a nice distraction at least.
No more monsters manifested even as the sky darkened. At the end of the day, Cecil found himself at the edge of the town. Losttime was by no means large but to Cecil, the faint glow from the myriad of windows were prettier than the brightest star. The Dark Knight had no grand ambition for Losttime, no goal beyond making sure the people stayed safe and happy for that was a guardian's responsibility.
Responsibility. That word echoed in his mind. It didn't evoke any lost memories but the feelings associated with that word were myriad: Pride, honor, doubt, and oh so much guilt. Enough to almost shatter his heart. One day, his past would catch up with him. There was no logic or reason behind that conclusion, just the feeling in his heart. When it did there was a very real possibility Losttime would lose its guardian one way or another and it fell to Cecil to prepare the town for such a possibility for that was his responsibility.
The knight let out a heavy sigh, equal parts resigned and resolved.
…He needed to get a squire.
-=#=-
A cafe normally wouldn't see much traffic after nightfall but the town lacked many other restaurants so Dardola was more than happy to keep his store open to accept the late night patrons and, perhaps more importantly, their gil. Though a businessman to be sure, Dardola was by no means greedy and was kind enough to offer Cecil food and rest. The knight wasn't in a position to refuse, volunteering to protect the town was rewarding in more of a moral sense than a material one.
The knight sat alone, occupying one of the booths away from the louder (not rowdier, this was still a cafe after all) patrons, trying to enjoy a late dinner or drink. The amnesiac's helmet was off to the side, showing off his white hair, pale skin, and blue lips. He picked at his food the same way a reluctant child might. Though it was tasty, his nerves robbed him of much of his appetite.
His resolve didn't waver, he would get a squire. Of course, that begged the question of who he would foist the burden upon. He considered Shirma but quickly discounted her. A white mage would be useful but she was still training and a child to boot. Freja was physically strong and she knew how to swing a weapon. However, she was a blacksmith first and foremost and didn't have the time to serve as a full time protector. Then there was Meja who… actually, why did he think of Meja? The girl wasn't particularly strong and was a gentle soul besides. Perhaps he was more tired than he thought.
Cecil considered then dismissed candidate after candidate. Most of the town's residents weren't fighters and those that had the potential to become one in any reasonable amount of time were very busy. Even months later, the Upheaval's effects were still keenly felt.
"Is something wrong, Sir Cecil?" A familiar waitress asked, worry evident in her tone.
The knight chafed at the honorific. He didn't think he deserved it yet many of the townsfolk persisted referring to him as such despite his protests. "I don't mean to spurn your hospitality. I just find myself lost in thought today."
"Sorry about your memories." The girl meekly apologized, "I'm sure you'll find a way to get them back."
"Ah, you misunderstand. I'm not worried about my lost memories, not really. There may come a time where I am unable to fulfill my role as protector of this town."
Meja smiled, "That's pretty hard to believe, you're one of the strongest people I know."
"Be that as it may, the possibility cannot be discounted."
The waitress's smile dimmed, "I… guess that's true." She grumbled forlornly, "If only Chocobo was still around. Then you wouldn't need to worry so much."
The Dark Knight's mouth formed a thin line. It was hard for him to believe a chocobo could be so strong as to save a village but every resident swore up and down that such a bird existed and he wasn't going to doubt all of them. "In order to remedy this I'm…" The knight hesitated for a moment, chewing on his words rather than his food, "I'm looking for a squire of sorts but I find the prospect far more difficult than I originally thought."
The waitress perked up, "Oh! How about Freja? She's another one of the strongest people I know."
Cecil shook his head, "I had already considered her but she is already busy with her work."
The waitress tapped her chin and mumbled, "She wouldn't like being ordered around either."
A moment passed as the two pondered the issue. Eventually, Meja spoke up again though she looked reluctant, "How about another outworlder? I hate to ask more of them after they've already lost so much but working under you might give them some direction. Besides-" She splayed her arms out, as if presenting Cecil, "-you're an outworlder and you've done a great job!"
The compliment slid off of Cecil with the same ease as water off of a giant beaver's back, "That isn't a bad idea. That still leaves the question of who."
A bell chimed as someone entered the cafe. His courier uniform didn't hide his athletic frame nor was he slowed by the incredibly large package slung under his shoulder. The pair's eyes tracked the blond as he deftly avoided the many patrons without losing speed or stride. After gently setting the huge package on the counter, he exchanged a few words with Dardola, accepted a few gil, helped the man move said package after the proprietor failed to even nudge it, then left with all the speed and agility he entered with.
Meja let out a long dreamy sigh, "He definitely wouldn't be a bad choice." She then choked on her own words, "F-for a squire I mean!"
Cecil found himself nodding along, "Perhaps. He still needs to be willing to… Are you feeling alright Meja?"
The waitress stiffened, "O-of course! W-why wouldn't I be?"
The knight looked concerned, "Your face is bright red. Are you feeling feverish?"
Meja sputtered, "Wh- I- Uh- It's just a l-little warm in here!" She took out a platter tucked under one of her arms and covered her face with it, "It was nice talking with you Cecil but I gotta go! D-duty calls and all that!" Without waiting for a reply, the flustered girl turned on her heel and made a break for the backroom. Blindly running, she missed the door by a body length and slammed into the wall with a crash.
Cecil didn't notice, already lost in thought, thinking about how to approach the mailman. The other patrons gave him a wide berth, with his armor on, he looked every bit the part of a tyrant plotting world conquest.
-=#=-
Cloud left his house in his usual black tank top, black baggy pants, and black combat boots. While he didn't have any deliveries to make today. He found getting up bright and early paid off. After doing some light stretches, he turned to go for a run, only to come face to face with a figure in pitch black armor covered in spikes only a foot away from him. To his credit, the only sign Could was surprised were his raised eyebrows and a sharp intake of air. Taking half a step back, the blond reached over his shoulder, grasping for something that wasn't there. The awkward moment carried for a moment before Could straightened his posture and crossed his arms. To him, it was clear this man was trying to intimidate him even if the reason wasn't clear.
Cecil wasn't trying to do anything of the sort of course. He was trying to broach what was an uncomfortable topic, for him at least, and was trying to find the right words.
"Good morning, Cloud Strife I believe?" The Dark Knight greeted while nodding deeply, his tone was refined and light.
Cloud froze for a second, caught off guard by the knight's courteous attitude and polite demeanor. It was far cry from what he expected such an imposing figure would sound like. He kept his arms crossed, "Maybe I am. You're Cecil Harvey, I've heard a thing or two about you."
The knight smiled underneath his helmet, "Good things I hope. I apologize for taking your time but I wished to offer a proposition."
"If you are sorry for taking my time then you might as well cut to the chase." Cloud said in a dull tone.
The knight frowned, "Very well. As you might be aware, the town's best guardians were displaced during the Upheaval and as such the responsibility of safekeeping this town has fallen to me. Yet it has occurred to me that there may be times where I alone am insufficient in safeguarding the entire community." The knight paused for a moment to gauge the prospect's reaction. He might as well have not bothered, Cloud's expression didn't shift from his dour look of vague disinterest. Regardless, he continued, "So, I have decided to recruit a… squire of sorts."
"You mean someone to polish your armor and feed your chocobo?" Cloud droned, "Do you even have a chocobo?"
Cecil rubbed his chin, "Perhaps apprentice is a more appropriate term? In any case, no, I am looking for someone to help me protect the town and after careful consideration, I have come to the conclusion that you would make an ideal fit for the role."
"And what's in it for me?"
"For starters, I will train you in swordplay and Dardola has agreed to allow you free meals in his cafe."
"I don't need training, not from you." Cloud drawled, "What about pay?"
"The pay is not substantial if that's what you mean." Cecil said in an even tone, "But it's for a good cause."
"I don't need a cause either." Cecil shifted uncomfortably at the declaration, "Not from a knight without a kingdom."
For a minute there was silence between the pair. For a moment Cloud was worried that the Dark Knight was mad enough at him to attack but Cecil simply sighed.
"Then there is nothing further to discuss." The knight declared, disappointment coloring his tone. He continued as he turned to leave, "But know that a knight doesn't need a kingdom or a king. Only a cause to fight for." He stopped and turned halfway to the amnestic swordsman, "I don't need a chocobo either."
As Cecil made his way away from the mailman, he couldn't help but feel disheartened. He knew he was asking for a lot out of the man, but he had hoped he had a better reason for refusing. Maybe that was petty for a knight but he couldn't help but feel that way. Regardless, there were still more residents and therefore more prospects. Perhaps the-
"-responsibilities be?"
The knight paused and turned around. Cloud had followed him a distance.
"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"
"I said, if I accepted, what would my responsibilities be?" The edge from before was absent even if his tone was just as passionless. "Transporting mail can take up a lot of time some days." He added.
Cecil tilted his head slightly, "I thought you weren't interested?"
"I don't remember refusing." Cloud stated simply.
The Dark Knight tried to read the mailman's expression, attempting to glean some form of understanding of the man yet the man's expression gave no clue. Cecil didn't have a talent for such things anyways. "Well, you would need to spend some time patrolling, training to make sure your skills remain sharp, being available to listen to peoples' requests, and occasionally sorie to quell looming threats outside the town's immediate periphery though I wouldn't expect you to do that until I was confident in your skills."
Cloud huffed, "I'm competent enough to fight off wandering monsters."
Cecil stared at him for a moment, "…Does this mean you accept?"
"Sure… What?" Cloud asked as the knight continued to stare at him.
"Might I know why you accept?"
"Does it matter?"
"Yes." Cecil's tone brokered no room for argument.
The squire-to-be crossed his arms again, "I just find myself with a lot of free time recently and I don't want to lose my edge. Besides, it's better to confront threats rather than wait for them to come to you. I live in this town too."
Cecil hummed in thought. It was disappointing that Cloud was still in it for himself but so long as he was willing, Cecil could accept that.
"So… when do we start?" Cloud asked hesitantly.
"Are you available now?"
-=#=-
A ball of green gelatinous slime puttered alongside a few of its fellows as they looked for prey to dissolve. Its fellows were suddenly consumed by a surge of fire, erasing them from existence. It could be debated if a smile can think in a manner beyond 'attack' and 'consume' but it was at least aware that something was very wrong.
Across the clearing, a terrifying figure in pitch black armor revealed itself and leveled his sword in the monster's direction, "That will be your target."
Cloud stepped forth and eyed the slime, "Is that supposed to be dangerous."
"They're not particularly powerful but the gelatin they are made of is highly poisonous. That's why I gave you that ring." Cloud lifted up his hand. A ring with a statuette resembling a fairy was bound around one of his fingers. "They are also almost impervious to physical attacks so they make ideal training targets."
"I told you I didn't need any training from you." Cloud said, a little annoyed.
"While I don't doubt you or your ability, it's important I know your current skill level and fighting style. We'll be fighting together after all."
Cloud grumbled but accepted the man's answer and approached the "training dummy". He tested the weight of the blade in his hand. To him, the longsword felt as light as a feather and he had no issue swinging it freely. Lacking any specific instruction, he began hacking away.
Cecil watched with a discerning eye, he was far better at reading someone's stance than face. It became clear Cloud was used to fighting with a longer weapon and one with heft behind it but there were some peculiarities to his fighting style. At times, Cloud favored overhead strikes, letting gravity help his blade along which would make sense for a heavier weapon but then he would launch into a flurry of horizontal slashes that regularly left his blade in a one handed grip. The knight thought back to the hunk of metal strapped to Cloud's back the first time he entered Losttime. Just the thought of Cloud swinging that thing as he did with the longsword was absurd. If Freja still had the blade, he would have been tempted to borrow it just to see if his newfound squire really could wield it. Alas, Aerith purchased it on her way out.
The knight shook his head and brought himself back to the present. "Alright, that's enough."
Cloud stopped and neatly sheathed the sword onto his back in what was clearly a practiced motion. He didn't say anything but looked at Cecil expectantly as the slime batted him ineffectually.
"Your swordsmanship is exceptional. I would struggle to wield that blade with such ease."
Cloud gave him a shallow nod, "I think I'm used to wielding larger blades than this."
"I noticed that. I will try to work something out with Freja. In the meantime, I would like to test you for magical aptitude."
Cloud stiffened at the request though he wasn't sure why, "What tests?" He asked somewhat defensible, "Would I need to give blood or..."
The Dark Knight shook his head, "Nothing so sophisticated. Even if you gave me your blood, I wouldn't have any idea what to do with it to test for magic." He then focused and held out an open palm. With a flex of will, fire coiled around his gauntlet. The knight then gestured towards the slime - who had tried to retreat as the two talked- and launched a stream of flames at it, boiling it into vapor. "I want you to clear your mind and imagine reaching into yourself. If you could cast spells before you lost your memory, the rest should come naturally."
Cloud looked skeptical, "Will that really work?"
"It worked for me. Just do what comes natural."
The skeptical look faded. Taking a deep breath, the blond focused. Keeping his elbows at his sides, he bent his arms at a right angle and opened his hands to the sky. After a few moments, Cloud's expression became strained. Opening his eyes, he looked to his palms but there was neither flames, frost, or light of any kind. "I… guess that means no then." Cloud said yet his brow was furrowed as if the statement was only a half truth.
For his part, Cecil was surprised. Initially, it was a long shot but Cloud adopted his stance without hesitation. It was too deliberate to be accidental. Unfortunately, all he could offer was wild conjecture beyond that.
"Can you teach me?"
Cecil blinked, "Pardon?"
"Magic. Can you teach me to cast spells like you do?" For the first time since Cecil met him, Cloud's expression approached something that was reminiscent of interest.
It almost hurt the knight to dash his hopes, "I'm not sure. I'm still relearning it myself."
Clouds expression faded back into its usual pattern.
"Regardless, you've shown a lot of promise. You'll-"
"Cecil!" A voice cut through the clearing as a Pink haired woman ran up to the knight, "Thank goodness I've finally found you." She said while catching her breath.
"Stella? What's wrong?" Cecil asked in a grave voice.
"Shirma's missing!"
The knight bit back a curse, "Tell me everything."
"She went out to search for ingredients in the forest but she's been gone since midday. What if she got lost or… or-"
"I swear to you, I'll find her." Cecil declared, cutting her off.
The woman calmed down somewhat at the knight's promise, "Thank you Cecil, please hurry!"
"I'll leave at once."
"I can help." Cloud said, "You wanted me to learn. This seems like a good opportunity."
Cecil certainly couldn't fault his initiative, "Very well, we just need to make a quick stop in town."
"For what?"
"If you're going to help, you'll need a proper weapon."
-=#=-
The pair initially tracked the steps the white mage usually took when she ventured out with little to show for it. That didn't surprise Cecil, if the young mage kept to those trails, it would have been fairly trivial for her to find her way back. He had a hunch she strayed too far from the paths and wandered into the twisting wilds beyond civilized lands.
Behind him, he heard Cloud let out a sigh. The trainee started doing that shortly after they started their search.
"Not used to venturing into the wilds I take it?" Cecil ventured.
"It's not that, it's just… nothing."
"I worry there is something bothering you. Perhaps I could help."
"It's not important." Cloud insisted.
"I will be the judge of that."
Cloud fell silent for a minute before giving one last sigh, "It's the weapon."
Cecil looked back at the sword slung over the squire's shoulders, "I believe Freja bought it off a traveler a few days ago. Apparently, it's fashioned after a legendary sword from their homeworld. I believe they referred to it as an odachi. It was the largest sword she had, is there something wrong with it?"
Cloud looked away, "There's nothing wrong with the blade, it's just… whenever I look at it… I don't think I want to remember whatever it reminds me of."
The knight felt a pang of sympathy, "I'm sorry to hear that."
"It's fine, it won't affect my performance." Cloud quickly replied.
Cecil didn't want to leave it there but it was clear even to him the blond wasn't willing to talk about it. They spent the next few minutes in silence, only the sound of crunching leaves and distant wildlife to accompany them.
"Do you normally wear such little armor?" Cecil suddenly said, "I doubt that shoulder guard offers much protection."
Cloud took the question in stride, "I don't think so, didn't come in anything else."
The knight hummed, "I'll have to ask Freja to make you something. Although we are already… borrowing the…" The knight trailed off and stopped, allowing Cloud to walk up beside him.
Before them the menagerie of deciduous trees abruptly halted, replaced with a staunch row of snow covered pines. Cloud looked to the forest floor. While some snow spilled over, it was more or less a perfect line where the forest ended and the taiga started.
"It's going to take me a while to get used to this." The swordsman thought aloud.
Cecil gasped and ran ahead, sliding to a stop before a bush covered in purple flowers. At the base of the bush was a discarded basket filled with flowers, herbs, and roots.
"Cecil, take a look at this!" Cloud called out, hunched over something. Cecil quickly joined him, his expression growing grave when he noticed what Cloud found.
A high pitched scream brought the two to attention and they were running after it before the echo faded, leaving the paw prints in their wake.
-=#=-
A quartet of wolves circled a large pine tree while a fifth was part way up the tree , struggling to find purchase on the bark. Further up the tree was a pink haired girl in white and red robes, doing her best to stay as far away from the salivating beast climbing after her. When the beast was midway to its potential meal, a wave of flames struck it, dislodging it from its footholds. The beast struggled to its feet while its companions turned and growled at the newcomers who dared interrupt their hunt.
Cloud's eyes narrowed at the beasts. They were huge masses of orange and white fur, coming up to his shoulders while on all fours. Their lower jaws were covered in a mane of white fur while their upper jaws and scalps were scaled. To Cecil, it was reminiscent of a dragoon's helmet. Beyond that, they were the largest wolves he had ever seen. Granted he was an amnesiac but the point stood. The pack growled as they paced around the pair, the red membrane connecting their front legs to their hind one rippled with every stride and their fluffy white tails were raised in an aggressive gesture. Their message was clear: Back off. The two had no intention of complying.
Shirma called down to the duo, "Cecil and… who are you?"
"Just stay up there!" Cloud ordered before drawing his borrowed blade, "This won't take long."
After forming a semicircle around the pair, the wolves stopped moving and fell into a low stance. Cecil's gaze slowly wandered back and forth between each member of the pack. Cloud held his blade before him, directing it at the nearest wolf. For a minute, the only sound was the wind blowing and occasional low growl of a wolf.
Then, at some unseen signal, the wolves rushed forwards. Two wolves charged at Cloud. The swordsman held his blade in a diagonal across himself, using it as a shield. It occurred to him too late that such a thin blade made for poor protection as one of the canines bit down on the blade, locking it in place. While Cloud struggled to free his weapon, the second wolf came at him from the side and lunged. Thinking quickly, Cloud let go of his sword and rolled to the side, even then, the claws of the wolf still managed to score a nasty gash on his upper arm. The blond let out a hiss before bringing himself up, now next to the wolf 'holding' his weapon. Grabbing the hilt with both hands, he yanked, slashing the monster's mouth before drawing two quick slashes into its flank, bloodying it. The wolf let out a pained yelp but before Cloud could take advantage, the second wolf forced him back.
The trio addressing Cecil had taken a more methodical approach. They had isolated and surrounded the Dark Knight. Whenever the knight tried to approach one, it fell back and the two others advanced. It was simple enough to turn and face the oncomers but that only made them fall back in turn. Immediately, it became clear to Cecil that they were content to tire him out. He wouldn't give them the chance. He charged at one of the hounds and went to double back to address the oncomers, only to dash at the hound harassing Cloud at the last second. The trio realized too late and were nowhere near the knight when he drove his sword into the wolf's back. The wolf let out a high pitch whine before cloud dashed forwards and slashed across its neck, silencing it forever.
The two turned side by side to face the remaining wolves, who now lingered a good distance away, glaring at them with hateful red eyes. Even with their number diminished, they made no move to give up their quarry.
"They're smarter than they look." Cloud admitted.
Cecil looked at Cloud, "I have an idea but you'll have to occupy their attention for a moment."
"Consider it done." Cloud replied without hesitation.
Cecil took a half step back and pressed his palm against the flat of his sword near the tip and concentrated. His dark blade began to shimmer ominously with violet light. It wasn't clear whether the wolves sensed something off or saw the bizarre maneuver as an opening but they quickly charged nonetheless.
Cloud stepped forth and began swinging his greatsword in wide sweeping arcs, putting his entire body behind each swing. He continued to speed up until the blade was moving so fast it whistled. Even he could barely direct the blade like this nor could he keep up the pace for long. Any other practiced swordsman would balk at the maneuver before taking advantage of the many holes in his defense or wait until he tired himself out. But, for however clever these wolves were, they were still guided by an animalistic instinct. They saw the whirling blade and saw danger. They skidded to a halt and scurried back a few paces, wary of the unnerving display.
Behind the wall of flashing steel, Cecil poured energy into his sword. Unlike a cast of Red or Blue Fang, the greedy blade demanded blood, more literally, vitality. The Dark Knight siphoned his vigor into the dark blade causing it to glow evermore brighter. The process wasn't painless but Cecil was used to the maneuver and took it with aplomb. Just as the wolves began to find their courage, Cecil called out, "Now, get behind me!"
With one final swing, Cloud leapt into the air performing a backflip above the knight which planted him behind the dark knight. As the violet shimmer reached its peak, Cecil twisted the blade as if he was about to lunge with it. Stabbing forwards, the pent up dark magic was released as a burst of violet energy that left black, cloying mist in its wake. The Darkness hit the wolves with the force of the tide and stripped bark and branches from trees. The mist eventually abated, revealing two very dead wolves and two that were most of the way there. They didn't appear to be in any rush to avenge their companions.
Just as the pair started to relax, a deafening howl resounded through the area. From between the trees, a gargantuan wolf strode into the clearing, standing a head taller than even Cecil. Instead of orange, its fur was a light blue and hunks of ice were intertwined in its matted white mane. With just its presence, the clearing felt a few degrees colder and as it breathed the air crystallized in front of it, sending flakes of snow falling to the forest floor with every exhale. It regarded the two with a glare matching the temperature of the snow laden taiga and howled. From behind it, two more wolves entered the clearing and the already present rallied even as their injuries weighed them down.
Cloud felt unnerved by the creature but refused to show the slightest bit of fear, "Now would be a good time for fire." He remarked.
Cecil shook his head, "I'm not a mage. I've expended most of my magic during my demonstration."
Cloud's face twisted as if he swallowed something bitter, "Can you keep the smaller ones busy?"
The knight's head snapped towards Cloud, "You can't mean you intend to take on that beast alone?!"
"I'm no slouch and you can help whenever you deal with the orange ones."
Cecil's helmed visage somehow looked unconvinced.
Cloud looked at the rapidly approaching wolves, "We don't have time, trust me."
Cecil muttered something under his breath before charging at the smaller wolves, instantly taking down one of the injured ones.
Taking that as permission - not that he needed that - he advanced on the frost laden wolf. It leapt forward to bite him but the swordsman quickly stepped back and threw forth an overhead strike at the same time. Unfortunately, the strike bounced off of the creature's scaled head. Recovering quickly, Cloud slashed at the monster's forelegs. It felt like he was stabbing into a bag of wet sand but it was enough to at least draw blood. Pressing his advantage, Cloud slashed the beast over and over, utilizing his superior reach and speed. Each cut was shallow but one bled a little more strength from the beast. Then it let out a deafening howl.
A small blizzard formed around the swordsman catching him completely by surprise. He could feel the cold seep into his bones and it took every ounce of his willpower to remain upright. The wolf batted the helpless squire with a huge paw, sending him skidding across the clearing.
Fighting through the pain, Cloud staggered to his feet and raised his blade. The glacial wolf began advancing on him when a wave of violet energy slammed into it. The beast staggered but remained upright and turned to address the new threat. Cecil glared at the thing, daring it to challenge him. The wolf glared back with a wild fury in its eyes. It ran at the knight, momentarily forgetting its previous foe.
The monster fell upon the knight with the force of an avalanche, Cecil strained to avoid being crushed. Pushing with everything he had, he threw the beast back and slashed at its face. The beast howled with pain and anger. Its red eyes flared, their fury became palpable. As Cecil went to deflect another blow, he was caught off guard by the monster's suddenly increased strength and the blade was pushed aside. The wolf opened its maw and tried to bite Cecil's head. The knight made to evade but only succeeded in diverting the bite from his head to his arm. The teeth of the creature pierced his plate, each tooth felt like an icicle being driven into his flesh.
Biting back the pain and without an arm to swing his sword, Cecil struck the wolf's eye with his gauntlet over and over again. It wouldn't let go, at least, not until Cloud stabbed into its side. The wolf let out a bark and the air cooled as it prepared another howl only to be cut off when Cecil slashed it. The knight and swordsman had surrounded it. In a situation reminiscent of the one Cecil had been in earlier. The wolf couldn't easily address one without exposing itself to the other. Snapping at the soldier led to a dark blade being plunged into its flank. Swiping at the knight let the odachi slashing at its hind legs.
Frustration and fear mounted as the wolf grew sluggish with little to show for it but still it refused to go down. It let out a howl that sounded like a scream. Almost instantaneously, frigid winds whipped though the area and sight was cut off as hail and snow filled the air. Cloud tried to cover his face but there was little point. He couldn't see a meter in front of him, much less Cecil. The only thing visible were red eyes, they looked like they belonged to the blizzard rather than the wolf.
Something snapped within the swordsman and he was suddenly overcome with a feeling of serenity. From the recesses of his mind, the shape of a half remembered technique formed. Letting the feeling overtake him, the weight of the blizzard didn't feel as oppressive and he dashed forwards. Within the span of a second, he slashed the creature three times, each one carving a deep bloody gouge. A faint orange glow lingered around where the creature was struck. It tried to move but its muscles wouldn't budge. It failed to even whimper.
A flash violet energy was seen within the blizzard before a wave of darkness slammed into the wolf. It buckled under the pressure and collapsed to its side. It lifted its head in an attempt to get up one more time but its body couldn't take any more. With a thud, its head hit the earth and the light in its eyes faded away with its life.
Only after making sure the creature was well and truly dead, Cecil collapsed to one knee. Casting Darkness so much was dangerous and the damage he accumulated throughout the fight was significant, the frigid wound on his shoulder was a testament to that. Still, he wasn't finished yet, not until everyone was back at Losttime safe and sound. He stood up only to pause.
Cloud was talking with Shirma, trying to reassure the distraught girl. That didn't mean he was succeeding, his words were a little awkward and stilted but he was trying. He cared. For all he claimed to watch out only for himself, he cared enough about this stranger to try and make sure she was okay. In that moment, all reservations he had about his newfound squire bled away. This could work, he was sure of it.
"Cecil!" Shirma's cry brought him out of the reverie and he soon found a white mage in training clinging to his stomach, "I'm really, really sorry! I didn't mean to wander so far away but then I-"
"Relax, I'm not going to lecture you." Cecil assured.
The girl looked up at him, "You're not?"
"No. However I'm sure Stella will have plenty to say."
Shirma visibly cringed at the prospect eliciting a chuckle from the dark knight. Truthfully, the mage's robe stirred something in his fractured memory, something terrible, but he wasn't going to that thought show.
"Ah! You're hurt!" Shiram belatedly realized. Taking off a staff attached to her back, she muttered an incantation and a faint green light fell upon Cecil then Cloud. The two relaxed a little as their frigid wounds stung just a little less.
"Thank you but we must get going if we are to make it back before sunset."
"I just need to grab my basket, then we can go." Shirma said confidently before running off to go fetch it.
Cloud sighed, "She's a handful… What are you looking at?" He added defensively when he noticed the knight staring at him.
"You're a better man than you give yourself credit for."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Cecil waved off the question, "It's not important. Time to go."
Cloud looked annoyed but followed after the knight without further comment.
-=#=-
"Cookies aren't a great reward for saving someone's life." Cloud muttered while looking down at a sack in his hands.
"You only say that because you're never tasted Stella's baking." Cecil quipped, "Besides, these are just a bonus."
"We could have lost." Cloud said in a neutral tone
"Only because we fell into old habits. We fought like individuals instead of a team. We'll work on that."
For a minute, nothing was said between the pair until they had arrived at Cloud's house. "That's it for tonight." The Dark Knight turned to face Cloud, "I know you didn't expect to risk your life today but I give you my sincerest thanks. You went above and beyond the call of duty."
Cloud looked away, "I only did what I said I would do. Nothing more."
"Even so, you have my thanks. Good night." Cecil gave a shallow bow before walking away.
However, Cloud wasn't finished, "Why did you choose to become the town's protector?" Cecil paused and looked back at Cloud, "As far as I'm aware, no one asked you. So why?"
It was Cecil's turn to look away. He was silent for a moment as he tried to find the right word, "Guilt."
Cloud looked genuinely surprised, "I… didn't expect that from you." He hesitated for a second, "What did you do?" He asked carefully.
"I don't remember very well, just flashes mostly. A fire, a king, a mage, a woman and a child, and the feeling that I made a grave mistake."
Cloud looked torn, "So you just want to make up for a mistake you don't even remember."
"No. I took it up because I never want to see anyone hurt again." The dark knight's words were quiet yet full of conviction.
For a second, Cloud looked sympathetic but it was gone in a moment, "I think I understand." He said tonelessly, "I'm going to be pretty busy tomorrow but I should probably finish sometime in the evening."
Cecil smiled softly behind his helmet, "I could meet you at Dardola's and we can have a meal before training."
"That's fine. I'm going in now." Without waiting for a reply, the mailman turned around and entered his house, leaving Cecil alone.
Cecil left down the street, towards his own home. Strangely, despite everything he had done today, he didn't feel too tired.
--
Cecil gave a weary sigh as he cleaned his blade of Kyuvildun ichor. A group of the monstrous insects had descended upon one of the farms and even managed to nab some of the harvest before the dark knight managed to dispatch them. Acting as one of the town's only guardians weighed on him heavily though it would be wrong to call him tired, moreso worried.
He was a single man. A somewhat powerful man perhaps, but one could not protect an entire village. Not all the time. Yet how could he allow someone to risk their life on his behalf? A more pragmatic part of him insisted he needed the time to take care of himself lest he simply collapse but a more dutiful (or perhaps foolhardy) mind prevailed.
As he finished wiping off the last of the ichor, he rose to his feet and began patrolling. Even after coming to a supposed conclusion, his mind wouldn't let the idea lie. What if something happened to him? What if something happened to them? Back and forth, ideas and theoreticals bounced around his mind. By midday he was beginning to develop a headache.
While continuing to patrol through the town, the dark knight looked over its people. The day was bright and many were out to enjoy the weather. Traders hawked their wares, children played games in the streets, others simply walked by their business lying elsewhere. Occasionally a brave youth or grateful townsfolk would stop the knight to thank him to which he would humbly accept after assuring them it wasn't necessary. It was a nice distraction at least.
No more monsters manifested even as the sky darkened. At the end of the day, Cecil found himself at the edge of the town. Losttime was by no means large but to Cecil, the faint glow from the myriad of windows were prettier than the brightest star. The Dark Knight had no grand ambition for Losttime, no goal beyond making sure the people stayed safe and happy for that was a guardian's responsibility.
Responsibility. That word echoed in his mind. It didn't evoke any lost memories but the feelings associated with that word were myriad: Pride, honor, doubt, and oh so much guilt. Enough to almost shatter his heart. One day, his past would catch up with him. There was no logic or reason behind that conclusion, just the feeling in his heart. When it did there was a very real possibility Losttime would lose its guardian one way or another and it fell to Cecil to prepare the town for such a possibility for that was his responsibility.
The knight let out a heavy sigh, equal parts resigned and resolved.
…He needed to get a squire.
-=#=-
A cafe normally wouldn't see much traffic after nightfall but the town lacked many other restaurants so Dardola was more than happy to keep his store open to accept the late night patrons and, perhaps more importantly, their gil. Though a businessman to be sure, Dardola was by no means greedy and was kind enough to offer Cecil food and rest. The knight wasn't in a position to refuse, volunteering to protect the town was rewarding in more of a moral sense than a material one.
The knight sat alone, occupying one of the booths away from the louder (not rowdier, this was still a cafe after all) patrons, trying to enjoy a late dinner or drink. The amnesiac's helmet was off to the side, showing off his white hair, pale skin, and blue lips. He picked at his food the same way a reluctant child might. Though it was tasty, his nerves robbed him of much of his appetite.
His resolve didn't waver, he would get a squire. Of course, that begged the question of who he would foist the burden upon. He considered Shirma but quickly discounted her. A white mage would be useful but she was still training and a child to boot. Freja was physically strong and she knew how to swing a weapon. However, she was a blacksmith first and foremost and didn't have the time to serve as a full time protector. Then there was Meja who… actually, why did he think of Meja? The girl wasn't particularly strong and was a gentle soul besides. Perhaps he was more tired than he thought.
Cecil considered then dismissed candidate after candidate. Most of the town's residents weren't fighters and those that had the potential to become one in any reasonable amount of time were very busy. Even months later, the Upheaval's effects were still keenly felt.
"Is something wrong, Sir Cecil?" A familiar waitress asked, worry evident in her tone.
The knight chafed at the honorific. He didn't think he deserved it yet many of the townsfolk persisted referring to him as such despite his protests. "I don't mean to spurn your hospitality. I just find myself lost in thought today."
"Sorry about your memories." The girl meekly apologized, "I'm sure you'll find a way to get them back."
"Ah, you misunderstand. I'm not worried about my lost memories, not really. There may come a time where I am unable to fulfill my role as protector of this town."
Meja smiled, "That's pretty hard to believe, you're one of the strongest people I know."
"Be that as it may, the possibility cannot be discounted."
The waitress's smile dimmed, "I… guess that's true." She grumbled forlornly, "If only Chocobo was still around. Then you wouldn't need to worry so much."
The Dark Knight's mouth formed a thin line. It was hard for him to believe a chocobo could be so strong as to save a village but every resident swore up and down that such a bird existed and he wasn't going to doubt all of them. "In order to remedy this I'm…" The knight hesitated for a moment, chewing on his words rather than his food, "I'm looking for a squire of sorts but I find the prospect far more difficult than I originally thought."
The waitress perked up, "Oh! How about Freja? She's another one of the strongest people I know."
Cecil shook his head, "I had already considered her but she is already busy with her work."
The waitress tapped her chin and mumbled, "She wouldn't like being ordered around either."
A moment passed as the two pondered the issue. Eventually, Meja spoke up again though she looked reluctant, "How about another outworlder? I hate to ask more of them after they've already lost so much but working under you might give them some direction. Besides-" She splayed her arms out, as if presenting Cecil, "-you're an outworlder and you've done a great job!"
The compliment slid off of Cecil with the same ease as water off of a giant beaver's back, "That isn't a bad idea. That still leaves the question of who."
A bell chimed as someone entered the cafe. His courier uniform didn't hide his athletic frame nor was he slowed by the incredibly large package slung under his shoulder. The pair's eyes tracked the blond as he deftly avoided the many patrons without losing speed or stride. After gently setting the huge package on the counter, he exchanged a few words with Dardola, accepted a few gil, helped the man move said package after the proprietor failed to even nudge it, then left with all the speed and agility he entered with.
Meja let out a long dreamy sigh, "He definitely wouldn't be a bad choice." She then choked on her own words, "F-for a squire I mean!"
Cecil found himself nodding along, "Perhaps. He still needs to be willing to… Are you feeling alright Meja?"
The waitress stiffened, "O-of course! W-why wouldn't I be?"
The knight looked concerned, "Your face is bright red. Are you feeling feverish?"
Meja sputtered, "Wh- I- Uh- It's just a l-little warm in here!" She took out a platter tucked under one of her arms and covered her face with it, "It was nice talking with you Cecil but I gotta go! D-duty calls and all that!" Without waiting for a reply, the flustered girl turned on her heel and made a break for the backroom. Blindly running, she missed the door by a body length and slammed into the wall with a crash.
Cecil didn't notice, already lost in thought, thinking about how to approach the mailman. The other patrons gave him a wide berth, with his armor on, he looked every bit the part of a tyrant plotting world conquest.
-=#=-
Cloud left his house in his usual black tank top, black baggy pants, and black combat boots. While he didn't have any deliveries to make today. He found getting up bright and early paid off. After doing some light stretches, he turned to go for a run, only to come face to face with a figure in pitch black armor covered in spikes only a foot away from him. To his credit, the only sign Could was surprised were his raised eyebrows and a sharp intake of air. Taking half a step back, the blond reached over his shoulder, grasping for something that wasn't there. The awkward moment carried for a moment before Could straightened his posture and crossed his arms. To him, it was clear this man was trying to intimidate him even if the reason wasn't clear.
Cecil wasn't trying to do anything of the sort of course. He was trying to broach what was an uncomfortable topic, for him at least, and was trying to find the right words.
"Good morning, Cloud Strife I believe?" The Dark Knight greeted while nodding deeply, his tone was refined and light.
Cloud froze for a second, caught off guard by the knight's courteous attitude and polite demeanor. It was far cry from what he expected such an imposing figure would sound like. He kept his arms crossed, "Maybe I am. You're Cecil Harvey, I've heard a thing or two about you."
The knight smiled underneath his helmet, "Good things I hope. I apologize for taking your time but I wished to offer a proposition."
"If you are sorry for taking my time then you might as well cut to the chase." Cloud said in a dull tone.
The knight frowned, "Very well. As you might be aware, the town's best guardians were displaced during the Upheaval and as such the responsibility of safekeeping this town has fallen to me. Yet it has occurred to me that there may be times where I alone am insufficient in safeguarding the entire community." The knight paused for a moment to gauge the prospect's reaction. He might as well have not bothered, Cloud's expression didn't shift from his dour look of vague disinterest. Regardless, he continued, "So, I have decided to recruit a… squire of sorts."
"You mean someone to polish your armor and feed your chocobo?" Cloud droned, "Do you even have a chocobo?"
Cecil rubbed his chin, "Perhaps apprentice is a more appropriate term? In any case, no, I am looking for someone to help me protect the town and after careful consideration, I have come to the conclusion that you would make an ideal fit for the role."
"And what's in it for me?"
"For starters, I will train you in swordplay and Dardola has agreed to allow you free meals in his cafe."
"I don't need training, not from you." Cloud drawled, "What about pay?"
"The pay is not substantial if that's what you mean." Cecil said in an even tone, "But it's for a good cause."
"I don't need a cause either." Cecil shifted uncomfortably at the declaration, "Not from a knight without a kingdom."
For a minute there was silence between the pair. For a moment Cloud was worried that the Dark Knight was mad enough at him to attack but Cecil simply sighed.
"Then there is nothing further to discuss." The knight declared, disappointment coloring his tone. He continued as he turned to leave, "But know that a knight doesn't need a kingdom or a king. Only a cause to fight for." He stopped and turned halfway to the amnestic swordsman, "I don't need a chocobo either."
As Cecil made his way away from the mailman, he couldn't help but feel disheartened. He knew he was asking for a lot out of the man, but he had hoped he had a better reason for refusing. Maybe that was petty for a knight but he couldn't help but feel that way. Regardless, there were still more residents and therefore more prospects. Perhaps the-
"-responsibilities be?"
The knight paused and turned around. Cloud had followed him a distance.
"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"
"I said, if I accepted, what would my responsibilities be?" The edge from before was absent even if his tone was just as passionless. "Transporting mail can take up a lot of time some days." He added.
Cecil tilted his head slightly, "I thought you weren't interested?"
"I don't remember refusing." Cloud stated simply.
The Dark Knight tried to read the mailman's expression, attempting to glean some form of understanding of the man yet the man's expression gave no clue. Cecil didn't have a talent for such things anyways. "Well, you would need to spend some time patrolling, training to make sure your skills remain sharp, being available to listen to peoples' requests, and occasionally sorie to quell looming threats outside the town's immediate periphery though I wouldn't expect you to do that until I was confident in your skills."
Cloud huffed, "I'm competent enough to fight off wandering monsters."
Cecil stared at him for a moment, "…Does this mean you accept?"
"Sure… What?" Cloud asked as the knight continued to stare at him.
"Might I know why you accept?"
"Does it matter?"
"Yes." Cecil's tone brokered no room for argument.
The squire-to-be crossed his arms again, "I just find myself with a lot of free time recently and I don't want to lose my edge. Besides, it's better to confront threats rather than wait for them to come to you. I live in this town too."
Cecil hummed in thought. It was disappointing that Cloud was still in it for himself but so long as he was willing, Cecil could accept that.
"So… when do we start?" Cloud asked hesitantly.
"Are you available now?"
-=#=-
A ball of green gelatinous slime puttered alongside a few of its fellows as they looked for prey to dissolve. Its fellows were suddenly consumed by a surge of fire, erasing them from existence. It could be debated if a smile can think in a manner beyond 'attack' and 'consume' but it was at least aware that something was very wrong.
Across the clearing, a terrifying figure in pitch black armor revealed itself and leveled his sword in the monster's direction, "That will be your target."
Cloud stepped forth and eyed the slime, "Is that supposed to be dangerous."
"They're not particularly powerful but the gelatin they are made of is highly poisonous. That's why I gave you that ring." Cloud lifted up his hand. A ring with a statuette resembling a fairy was bound around one of his fingers. "They are also almost impervious to physical attacks so they make ideal training targets."
"I told you I didn't need any training from you." Cloud said, a little annoyed.
"While I don't doubt you or your ability, it's important I know your current skill level and fighting style. We'll be fighting together after all."
Cloud grumbled but accepted the man's answer and approached the "training dummy". He tested the weight of the blade in his hand. To him, the longsword felt as light as a feather and he had no issue swinging it freely. Lacking any specific instruction, he began hacking away.
Cecil watched with a discerning eye, he was far better at reading someone's stance than face. It became clear Cloud was used to fighting with a longer weapon and one with heft behind it but there were some peculiarities to his fighting style. At times, Cloud favored overhead strikes, letting gravity help his blade along which would make sense for a heavier weapon but then he would launch into a flurry of horizontal slashes that regularly left his blade in a one handed grip. The knight thought back to the hunk of metal strapped to Cloud's back the first time he entered Losttime. Just the thought of Cloud swinging that thing as he did with the longsword was absurd. If Freja still had the blade, he would have been tempted to borrow it just to see if his newfound squire really could wield it. Alas, Aerith purchased it on her way out.
The knight shook his head and brought himself back to the present. "Alright, that's enough."
Cloud stopped and neatly sheathed the sword onto his back in what was clearly a practiced motion. He didn't say anything but looked at Cecil expectantly as the slime batted him ineffectually.
"Your swordsmanship is exceptional. I would struggle to wield that blade with such ease."
Cloud gave him a shallow nod, "I think I'm used to wielding larger blades than this."
"I noticed that. I will try to work something out with Freja. In the meantime, I would like to test you for magical aptitude."
Cloud stiffened at the request though he wasn't sure why, "What tests?" He asked somewhat defensible, "Would I need to give blood or..."
The Dark Knight shook his head, "Nothing so sophisticated. Even if you gave me your blood, I wouldn't have any idea what to do with it to test for magic." He then focused and held out an open palm. With a flex of will, fire coiled around his gauntlet. The knight then gestured towards the slime - who had tried to retreat as the two talked- and launched a stream of flames at it, boiling it into vapor. "I want you to clear your mind and imagine reaching into yourself. If you could cast spells before you lost your memory, the rest should come naturally."
Cloud looked skeptical, "Will that really work?"
"It worked for me. Just do what comes natural."
The skeptical look faded. Taking a deep breath, the blond focused. Keeping his elbows at his sides, he bent his arms at a right angle and opened his hands to the sky. After a few moments, Cloud's expression became strained. Opening his eyes, he looked to his palms but there was neither flames, frost, or light of any kind. "I… guess that means no then." Cloud said yet his brow was furrowed as if the statement was only a half truth.
For his part, Cecil was surprised. Initially, it was a long shot but Cloud adopted his stance without hesitation. It was too deliberate to be accidental. Unfortunately, all he could offer was wild conjecture beyond that.
"Can you teach me?"
Cecil blinked, "Pardon?"
"Magic. Can you teach me to cast spells like you do?" For the first time since Cecil met him, Cloud's expression approached something that was reminiscent of interest.
It almost hurt the knight to dash his hopes, "I'm not sure. I'm still relearning it myself."
Clouds expression faded back into its usual pattern.
"Regardless, you've shown a lot of promise. You'll-"
"Cecil!" A voice cut through the clearing as a Pink haired woman ran up to the knight, "Thank goodness I've finally found you." She said while catching her breath.
"Stella? What's wrong?" Cecil asked in a grave voice.
"Shirma's missing!"
The knight bit back a curse, "Tell me everything."
"She went out to search for ingredients in the forest but she's been gone since midday. What if she got lost or… or-"
"I swear to you, I'll find her." Cecil declared, cutting her off.
The woman calmed down somewhat at the knight's promise, "Thank you Cecil, please hurry!"
"I'll leave at once."
"I can help." Cloud said, "You wanted me to learn. This seems like a good opportunity."
Cecil certainly couldn't fault his initiative, "Very well, we just need to make a quick stop in town."
"For what?"
"If you're going to help, you'll need a proper weapon."
-=#=-
The pair initially tracked the steps the white mage usually took when she ventured out with little to show for it. That didn't surprise Cecil, if the young mage kept to those trails, it would have been fairly trivial for her to find her way back. He had a hunch she strayed too far from the paths and wandered into the twisting wilds beyond civilized lands.
Behind him, he heard Cloud let out a sigh. The trainee started doing that shortly after they started their search.
"Not used to venturing into the wilds I take it?" Cecil ventured.
"It's not that, it's just… nothing."
"I worry there is something bothering you. Perhaps I could help."
"It's not important." Cloud insisted.
"I will be the judge of that."
Cloud fell silent for a minute before giving one last sigh, "It's the weapon."
Cecil looked back at the sword slung over the squire's shoulders, "I believe Freja bought it off a traveler a few days ago. Apparently, it's fashioned after a legendary sword from their homeworld. I believe they referred to it as an odachi. It was the largest sword she had, is there something wrong with it?"
Cloud looked away, "There's nothing wrong with the blade, it's just… whenever I look at it… I don't think I want to remember whatever it reminds me of."
The knight felt a pang of sympathy, "I'm sorry to hear that."
"It's fine, it won't affect my performance." Cloud quickly replied.
Cecil didn't want to leave it there but it was clear even to him the blond wasn't willing to talk about it. They spent the next few minutes in silence, only the sound of crunching leaves and distant wildlife to accompany them.
"Do you normally wear such little armor?" Cecil suddenly said, "I doubt that shoulder guard offers much protection."
Cloud took the question in stride, "I don't think so, didn't come in anything else."
The knight hummed, "I'll have to ask Freja to make you something. Although we are already… borrowing the…" The knight trailed off and stopped, allowing Cloud to walk up beside him.
Before them the menagerie of deciduous trees abruptly halted, replaced with a staunch row of snow covered pines. Cloud looked to the forest floor. While some snow spilled over, it was more or less a perfect line where the forest ended and the taiga started.
"It's going to take me a while to get used to this." The swordsman thought aloud.
Cecil gasped and ran ahead, sliding to a stop before a bush covered in purple flowers. At the base of the bush was a discarded basket filled with flowers, herbs, and roots.
"Cecil, take a look at this!" Cloud called out, hunched over something. Cecil quickly joined him, his expression growing grave when he noticed what Cloud found.
A high pitched scream brought the two to attention and they were running after it before the echo faded, leaving the paw prints in their wake.
-=#=-
A quartet of wolves circled a large pine tree while a fifth was part way up the tree , struggling to find purchase on the bark. Further up the tree was a pink haired girl in white and red robes, doing her best to stay as far away from the salivating beast climbing after her. When the beast was midway to its potential meal, a wave of flames struck it, dislodging it from its footholds. The beast struggled to its feet while its companions turned and growled at the newcomers who dared interrupt their hunt.
Cloud's eyes narrowed at the beasts. They were huge masses of orange and white fur, coming up to his shoulders while on all fours. Their lower jaws were covered in a mane of white fur while their upper jaws and scalps were scaled. To Cecil, it was reminiscent of a dragoon's helmet. Beyond that, they were the largest wolves he had ever seen. Granted he was an amnesiac but the point stood. The pack growled as they paced around the pair, the red membrane connecting their front legs to their hind one rippled with every stride and their fluffy white tails were raised in an aggressive gesture. Their message was clear: Back off. The two had no intention of complying.
Shirma called down to the duo, "Cecil and… who are you?"
"Just stay up there!" Cloud ordered before drawing his borrowed blade, "This won't take long."
After forming a semicircle around the pair, the wolves stopped moving and fell into a low stance. Cecil's gaze slowly wandered back and forth between each member of the pack. Cloud held his blade before him, directing it at the nearest wolf. For a minute, the only sound was the wind blowing and occasional low growl of a wolf.
Then, at some unseen signal, the wolves rushed forwards. Two wolves charged at Cloud. The swordsman held his blade in a diagonal across himself, using it as a shield. It occurred to him too late that such a thin blade made for poor protection as one of the canines bit down on the blade, locking it in place. While Cloud struggled to free his weapon, the second wolf came at him from the side and lunged. Thinking quickly, Cloud let go of his sword and rolled to the side, even then, the claws of the wolf still managed to score a nasty gash on his upper arm. The blond let out a hiss before bringing himself up, now next to the wolf 'holding' his weapon. Grabbing the hilt with both hands, he yanked, slashing the monster's mouth before drawing two quick slashes into its flank, bloodying it. The wolf let out a pained yelp but before Cloud could take advantage, the second wolf forced him back.
The trio addressing Cecil had taken a more methodical approach. They had isolated and surrounded the Dark Knight. Whenever the knight tried to approach one, it fell back and the two others advanced. It was simple enough to turn and face the oncomers but that only made them fall back in turn. Immediately, it became clear to Cecil that they were content to tire him out. He wouldn't give them the chance. He charged at one of the hounds and went to double back to address the oncomers, only to dash at the hound harassing Cloud at the last second. The trio realized too late and were nowhere near the knight when he drove his sword into the wolf's back. The wolf let out a high pitch whine before cloud dashed forwards and slashed across its neck, silencing it forever.
The two turned side by side to face the remaining wolves, who now lingered a good distance away, glaring at them with hateful red eyes. Even with their number diminished, they made no move to give up their quarry.
"They're smarter than they look." Cloud admitted.
Cecil looked at Cloud, "I have an idea but you'll have to occupy their attention for a moment."
"Consider it done." Cloud replied without hesitation.
Cecil took a half step back and pressed his palm against the flat of his sword near the tip and concentrated. His dark blade began to shimmer ominously with violet light. It wasn't clear whether the wolves sensed something off or saw the bizarre maneuver as an opening but they quickly charged nonetheless.
Cloud stepped forth and began swinging his greatsword in wide sweeping arcs, putting his entire body behind each swing. He continued to speed up until the blade was moving so fast it whistled. Even he could barely direct the blade like this nor could he keep up the pace for long. Any other practiced swordsman would balk at the maneuver before taking advantage of the many holes in his defense or wait until he tired himself out. But, for however clever these wolves were, they were still guided by an animalistic instinct. They saw the whirling blade and saw danger. They skidded to a halt and scurried back a few paces, wary of the unnerving display.
Behind the wall of flashing steel, Cecil poured energy into his sword. Unlike a cast of Red or Blue Fang, the greedy blade demanded blood, more literally, vitality. The Dark Knight siphoned his vigor into the dark blade causing it to glow evermore brighter. The process wasn't painless but Cecil was used to the maneuver and took it with aplomb. Just as the wolves began to find their courage, Cecil called out, "Now, get behind me!"
With one final swing, Cloud leapt into the air performing a backflip above the knight which planted him behind the dark knight. As the violet shimmer reached its peak, Cecil twisted the blade as if he was about to lunge with it. Stabbing forwards, the pent up dark magic was released as a burst of violet energy that left black, cloying mist in its wake. The Darkness hit the wolves with the force of the tide and stripped bark and branches from trees. The mist eventually abated, revealing two very dead wolves and two that were most of the way there. They didn't appear to be in any rush to avenge their companions.
Just as the pair started to relax, a deafening howl resounded through the area. From between the trees, a gargantuan wolf strode into the clearing, standing a head taller than even Cecil. Instead of orange, its fur was a light blue and hunks of ice were intertwined in its matted white mane. With just its presence, the clearing felt a few degrees colder and as it breathed the air crystallized in front of it, sending flakes of snow falling to the forest floor with every exhale. It regarded the two with a glare matching the temperature of the snow laden taiga and howled. From behind it, two more wolves entered the clearing and the already present rallied even as their injuries weighed them down.
Cloud felt unnerved by the creature but refused to show the slightest bit of fear, "Now would be a good time for fire." He remarked.
Cecil shook his head, "I'm not a mage. I've expended most of my magic during my demonstration."
Cloud's face twisted as if he swallowed something bitter, "Can you keep the smaller ones busy?"
The knight's head snapped towards Cloud, "You can't mean you intend to take on that beast alone?!"
"I'm no slouch and you can help whenever you deal with the orange ones."
Cecil's helmed visage somehow looked unconvinced.
Cloud looked at the rapidly approaching wolves, "We don't have time, trust me."
Cecil muttered something under his breath before charging at the smaller wolves, instantly taking down one of the injured ones.
Taking that as permission - not that he needed that - he advanced on the frost laden wolf. It leapt forward to bite him but the swordsman quickly stepped back and threw forth an overhead strike at the same time. Unfortunately, the strike bounced off of the creature's scaled head. Recovering quickly, Cloud slashed at the monster's forelegs. It felt like he was stabbing into a bag of wet sand but it was enough to at least draw blood. Pressing his advantage, Cloud slashed the beast over and over, utilizing his superior reach and speed. Each cut was shallow but one bled a little more strength from the beast. Then it let out a deafening howl.
A small blizzard formed around the swordsman catching him completely by surprise. He could feel the cold seep into his bones and it took every ounce of his willpower to remain upright. The wolf batted the helpless squire with a huge paw, sending him skidding across the clearing.
Fighting through the pain, Cloud staggered to his feet and raised his blade. The glacial wolf began advancing on him when a wave of violet energy slammed into it. The beast staggered but remained upright and turned to address the new threat. Cecil glared at the thing, daring it to challenge him. The wolf glared back with a wild fury in its eyes. It ran at the knight, momentarily forgetting its previous foe.
The monster fell upon the knight with the force of an avalanche, Cecil strained to avoid being crushed. Pushing with everything he had, he threw the beast back and slashed at its face. The beast howled with pain and anger. Its red eyes flared, their fury became palpable. As Cecil went to deflect another blow, he was caught off guard by the monster's suddenly increased strength and the blade was pushed aside. The wolf opened its maw and tried to bite Cecil's head. The knight made to evade but only succeeded in diverting the bite from his head to his arm. The teeth of the creature pierced his plate, each tooth felt like an icicle being driven into his flesh.
Biting back the pain and without an arm to swing his sword, Cecil struck the wolf's eye with his gauntlet over and over again. It wouldn't let go, at least, not until Cloud stabbed into its side. The wolf let out a bark and the air cooled as it prepared another howl only to be cut off when Cecil slashed it. The knight and swordsman had surrounded it. In a situation reminiscent of the one Cecil had been in earlier. The wolf couldn't easily address one without exposing itself to the other. Snapping at the soldier led to a dark blade being plunged into its flank. Swiping at the knight let the odachi slashing at its hind legs.
Frustration and fear mounted as the wolf grew sluggish with little to show for it but still it refused to go down. It let out a howl that sounded like a scream. Almost instantaneously, frigid winds whipped though the area and sight was cut off as hail and snow filled the air. Cloud tried to cover his face but there was little point. He couldn't see a meter in front of him, much less Cecil. The only thing visible were red eyes, they looked like they belonged to the blizzard rather than the wolf.
Something snapped within the swordsman and he was suddenly overcome with a feeling of serenity. From the recesses of his mind, the shape of a half remembered technique formed. Letting the feeling overtake him, the weight of the blizzard didn't feel as oppressive and he dashed forwards. Within the span of a second, he slashed the creature three times, each one carving a deep bloody gouge. A faint orange glow lingered around where the creature was struck. It tried to move but its muscles wouldn't budge. It failed to even whimper.
A flash violet energy was seen within the blizzard before a wave of darkness slammed into the wolf. It buckled under the pressure and collapsed to its side. It lifted its head in an attempt to get up one more time but its body couldn't take any more. With a thud, its head hit the earth and the light in its eyes faded away with its life.
Only after making sure the creature was well and truly dead, Cecil collapsed to one knee. Casting Darkness so much was dangerous and the damage he accumulated throughout the fight was significant, the frigid wound on his shoulder was a testament to that. Still, he wasn't finished yet, not until everyone was back at Losttime safe and sound. He stood up only to pause.
Cloud was talking with Shirma, trying to reassure the distraught girl. That didn't mean he was succeeding, his words were a little awkward and stilted but he was trying. He cared. For all he claimed to watch out only for himself, he cared enough about this stranger to try and make sure she was okay. In that moment, all reservations he had about his newfound squire bled away. This could work, he was sure of it.
"Cecil!" Shirma's cry brought him out of the reverie and he soon found a white mage in training clinging to his stomach, "I'm really, really sorry! I didn't mean to wander so far away but then I-"
"Relax, I'm not going to lecture you." Cecil assured.
The girl looked up at him, "You're not?"
"No. However I'm sure Stella will have plenty to say."
Shirma visibly cringed at the prospect eliciting a chuckle from the dark knight. Truthfully, the mage's robe stirred something in his fractured memory, something terrible, but he wasn't going to that thought show.
"Ah! You're hurt!" Shiram belatedly realized. Taking off a staff attached to her back, she muttered an incantation and a faint green light fell upon Cecil then Cloud. The two relaxed a little as their frigid wounds stung just a little less.
"Thank you but we must get going if we are to make it back before sunset."
"I just need to grab my basket, then we can go." Shirma said confidently before running off to go fetch it.
Cloud sighed, "She's a handful… What are you looking at?" He added defensively when he noticed the knight staring at him.
"You're a better man than you give yourself credit for."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Cecil waved off the question, "It's not important. Time to go."
Cloud looked annoyed but followed after the knight without further comment.
-=#=-
"Cookies aren't a great reward for saving someone's life." Cloud muttered while looking down at a sack in his hands.
"You only say that because you're never tasted Stella's baking." Cecil quipped, "Besides, these are just a bonus."
"We could have lost." Cloud said in a neutral tone
"Only because we fell into old habits. We fought like individuals instead of a team. We'll work on that."
For a minute, nothing was said between the pair until they had arrived at Cloud's house. "That's it for tonight." The Dark Knight turned to face Cloud, "I know you didn't expect to risk your life today but I give you my sincerest thanks. You went above and beyond the call of duty."
Cloud looked away, "I only did what I said I would do. Nothing more."
"Even so, you have my thanks. Good night." Cecil gave a shallow bow before walking away.
However, Cloud wasn't finished, "Why did you choose to become the town's protector?" Cecil paused and looked back at Cloud, "As far as I'm aware, no one asked you. So why?"
It was Cecil's turn to look away. He was silent for a moment as he tried to find the right word, "Guilt."
Cloud looked genuinely surprised, "I… didn't expect that from you." He hesitated for a second, "What did you do?" He asked carefully.
"I don't remember very well, just flashes mostly. A fire, a king, a mage, a woman and a child, and the feeling that I made a grave mistake."
Cloud looked torn, "So you just want to make up for a mistake you don't even remember."
"No. I took it up because I never want to see anyone hurt again." The dark knight's words were quiet yet full of conviction.
For a second, Cloud looked sympathetic but it was gone in a moment, "I think I understand." He said tonelessly, "I'm going to be pretty busy tomorrow but I should probably finish sometime in the evening."
Cecil smiled softly behind his helmet, "I could meet you at Dardola's and we can have a meal before training."
"That's fine. I'm going in now." Without waiting for a reply, the mailman turned around and entered his house, leaving Cecil alone.
Cecil left down the street, towards his own home. Strangely, despite everything he had done today, he didn't feel too tired.
--
This got away from me. I should have finished it days ago but then I got busy. Not sure I got their voices down but they're amnesiacs so it makes sense in story for them to be a little off. Even then there is still half a dozen things that may or may not exclude this from being cannon. Still, I had fun writing it.
When I started writing this omake, I wanted to focus on Cecil and Cloud's clashing personalities. I based Cecil's personality off how he appeared after Mist Town but before he became a paladin (natural). He is meek and humble but driven by his desire to protect everyone. Cloud is based off how he acted at the beginning of FF7. He appears selfish and headstrong but that's not entirely true. He want's to help the town but he doesn't want to appear weak. To make matters worse, Cecil has a tendency to take things at face value. On top of all of that, both have amnesia so even they don't fully understand their own motivations. Between that and Cloud's awkwardness, their first meeting natural goes awry and is only saved because Cloud really does want to help the town. Cecil carries reservations about Cloud all through the story and only realizes Cloud's true intentions after he inadvertently shows them worrying over Shirma.
Speaking of Shirma. I have no idea if I did any of the Losttime characters justice. I've never played any of the chocobo games and I doubt reading a wiki article is the same so I kept their lines to a minimum.
Shirma's hex color is FFD1DC.
When I started writing this omake, I wanted to focus on Cecil and Cloud's clashing personalities. I based Cecil's personality off how he appeared after Mist Town but before he became a paladin (natural). He is meek and humble but driven by his desire to protect everyone. Cloud is based off how he acted at the beginning of FF7. He appears selfish and headstrong but that's not entirely true. He want's to help the town but he doesn't want to appear weak. To make matters worse, Cecil has a tendency to take things at face value. On top of all of that, both have amnesia so even they don't fully understand their own motivations. Between that and Cloud's awkwardness, their first meeting natural goes awry and is only saved because Cloud really does want to help the town. Cecil carries reservations about Cloud all through the story and only realizes Cloud's true intentions after he inadvertently shows them worrying over Shirma.
Speaking of Shirma. I have no idea if I did any of the Losttime characters justice. I've never played any of the chocobo games and I doubt reading a wiki article is the same so I kept their lines to a minimum.
Shirma's hex color is FFD1DC.
Eyyy! Someone took that prompt! Great job writing how Cecil and Cloud's personalities clash, definitely my favorite part here.
Excellent job, very good work here. I like how you captured Cecil's nobility and Cloud's prickliness without letting it overtake the rest of their personalities. The fight was short and sweet, poor Cecil getting chewed on and literally using his life-source as fuel. Being a Dark Knight is rough. I did give it the Apocryphia tag instead of the Sidestory tag, that's because Shirma is missing along with Chocobo, Cid, and the others. She is "Lost in the Upheaval" levels of missing. I never directly stated that, it was just vaguely implied.
For your rewards I've got a bit of a grab bag. First off Cloud Becomes a Hero of Lostime meaning he will participate in defending it if necessary. He also won't start at level 1 anymore. I will also be giving you A Hint on How To Restore Cloud's Memory in the form of an interlude. But, that'll have to wait until a bit later.
Sorry it's taking me so long for the next update by the way, I've got the post-convention sniffles.
Promises To Keep
I spent at least 3 months trying to rewrite and pare this below 4k and failed. The length is also why it lacks dialogue colors. ((I was planning to use a gradient text generator for the Destroyer and Enna Kros, 945a16 for Cid, and ffd900 for Chocobo... Though maybe I should have chosen something else for Chocobo, the last is a pain to read now that I'm seeing it in person.))
Content Warnings: Trauma, loss of a loved one, depression.
Promises to Keep
Content Warnings: Trauma, loss of a loved one, depression.
Promises to Keep
"I know your weakness."
In the next breath, the Destroyer's sword slices through the air, the pitch-black blade soaring directly at the pink-haired girl—
At my sister.
Croma was on her feet in an instant as the world slows between her and the black sword.
One step. The chocobo moved. Too slow.
Another step. The man moved. Too slow.
Third step. She was the only force moving in a molasses-slow world.
The sword was close, close enough that she was certain—if the blade was steel, she would see her own bright green eyes, reflected back at her.
And the world heaves.
The clocktower trembles, and with it, the feeling of her feet on the stones.
Time speeds forward, much too fast as the stone of the tower rushed up to meet her, as gravity seizes her in its cruel grasp and slams her against the floor. As the sword kept flying forward.
As the blade sinks into her sister's body, piercing through the white-and-pink fabric of her white mage's cloak and the black fabric of her turtleneck.
"SHIRMA!"
Shirma turns, familiar green eyes meeting Croma's for a moment.
"Sis, don't..."
Shirma collapses. Before she even hits the floor, her body was fading into motes of light, her essence being absorbed by the Destroyer's dark blade. Only then does the chocobo reach her, crying out. The chocobo who had broken the seals—
Seals that I failed to guard.
"Raffaello! How... How could you?!"
The man sounds hurt. Betrayed.
White-hot fury burns through Croma, and she opens her mouth to scream: This is why I had warned you all! I had—
Gave warnings that failed to explain anything.
Ash burns her throat raw, too raw to let her make a sound.
"… That was an accident, I will admit."
"You... You monster!"
"Monster? You are correct. I am a monster. I had disguised myself as your friend, I had tricked you all, and now I've taken the power of your precious Oracle of Light!"
Energy gathers in his dark wings, and he flares them out as he sweeps his gaze across the clocktower. "Don't you hate me? Do you feel terror? Despair?" he taunts. Dark feathers start spinning around him, and as his gaze directly settles on Croma herself, he croons: "If not, let me help you remember--
And a pillar of brilliant, piercing light erupts under the Destroyer, dissolving his feathers as he bellows in pain.
"I can't say I like having things come to this," an unfamiliar voice sighs, "Though, credit where credit is due. Some part of you tried to be better."
Walking towards them all, from empty air and sky, was a smiling woman with silver hair, wearing a long off-white coat. Pink ruffles decorated and accentuated her outfit.
"What...?" the Destroyer's grin disappears into a scowl, "You? Isn't this against the rules you cleave to so tightly?"
"Last I checked, it's not against the rules for a god to help their subjects," the woman's tone was casual, but a sharp crispness to her voice rang through even the cold nothingness that had settled into Croma's chest, and a shiver runs down her spine.
"I don't remember you ever acting so brazenly before."
The woman stretches out a hand, and simply replies: "Yup."
And the Destroyer's expression changes into one of fear.
Rays of blinding, holy light fan out from the aether, surging towards the Destroyer. He bolts into the sky, moments before the lasers manage to strike, but the lights swerve after him, chasing him into the heavens. The smiling woman's eyes narrow, just the slightest bit.
"Kwrah!!!"
Then the Destroyer swerves in a sudden about-face, his expression steely. Darkness gathers, a hundred midnight feathers gathering into—into ebony claws?
The light reaches the Destroyer. The makeshift claws move.
And the opposing forces explode into a roaring conflagration of energy that envelops his form. Croma cringes as the raw force of the colliding magic burns white across her vision, flinching her eyes away from the impact as it sweeps through the sky in a furious crash of air.
"Hm. Not quite how I expected things to go..." the strange woman mumbles.
Croma slowly turns her gaze back towards the sky. The Destroyer was gone.
"Hey," a voice murmurs. Croma looks at a hand that was being held out to her, then follows the arm up to see the man kneeling beside her.
She moves, pushes herself up to her feet. He stands himself up after a moment, and faces the strange woman. She was staring into the sky, rubbing her chin.
"So who are you?" the man demands.
She tilts her head, raising an eyebrow as she looks over. "Oh, I suppose introductions are in order," she says, then claps brightly, "Call me Enna Kros."
"Where did you come from? Why are you here?"
"I'm here to take back something Raffaello took from me," Enna Kros answers lightly, a smile on her face, "and, I'll admit it. A little bit of revenge. He's been a very naughty boy."
"What do you—But— But Raffaello hasn't done anything wrong until now!" the man denies, and the young chocobo chirps in agreement. Fire suddenly fills the void inside Croma's chest–How can they still think that? After he destroyed Lostime, after he killed my sister?!
All three faces turn towards her. Croma takes a ragged breath, feeling as if thick smoke was burning in her throat. Did… I say that out loud?
Good. They needed to hear it. The world blurs.
"… You're Croma, right?" the man asks, voice soft. "… I'm sorry."
Croma swipes her sleeve across her face before glaring back. To his credit, the man looks guilty. The woman regards her calmly. And the chocobo was approaching her, a sad look in his eyes.
"So, are you not going to introduce yourself?"
"… I'm Cid. Treasure hunter. That's my partner, Chocobo. Enna Kros, when did Raffaello steal from you? I don't remember ever seeing you in Lostime."
Chocobo stops and kwehs softly at Croma, then reaches up with his wings. She flinches back, though not fast enough to keep some feathers from brushing her face, and for the chocobo to bump his head against her. He stares at her with wide eyes.
"Oh, I've known him before Memoria was sealed," Enna Kros says. Off-handedly, she continues with: "And since the seal shattered, I thought it would be a good time to visit." The strange woman's gaze flicks towards Croma, a strange weight behind her ancient eyes.
The seal... Shattered? How?
Why should that matter anymore?
I… I can't think like that… And her throat felt so tight, it almost hurt to speak. "The seal… Broke..?" Croma somehow manages to croak out.
"That it did," Enna Kros nods, and turns towards her fully as she says, "I would elaborate, but I think this would be better discussed elsewhere. Is Gale still here?"
The chocobo warbles something, and Enna Kros nods, "That sounds like him. Where is he now?"
Another series of kwehs.
"Oh, perfect. Shall we go?"
"Will you explain what's going on once we're there?" Cid asks tersely.
"Of course. Besides, what I have to say is important for Gale to know as well."
The strange group starts heading for the staircase down the tower. Croma turns, looking out over Lostime, over the cloudless sky, over the shining sea, and over the beaming sun.
"Croma?" the man calls. Didn't they leave already? "Are you coming?"
Why do you want me with you?
"Seal Guardian, I think we'll be needing you in a bit. Would you mind sparing us the effort of trying to find you when we do?"
Is that even a role I deserve? Croma swallows. When she looks over to meet the group face-to-face, she first sees the chocobo beside her, looking up at her again with sad eyes.
"Kweh?" he holds out a wing, staring at her all the while, "Kweh kweh."
He does know I can't understand him, right? Croma looks up towards the man and the woman instead, a mix of judgment and expectation boring into her.
"… I needed a moment," she says, the excuse half-baked in her own ears. A familiar motion stashes her staff in its sling, and she manages to give the chocobo a nod as she steps around him. He whistles gently.
Her legs lead her towards where the stairwell should be. The man watches her for a moment as she approaches, then turns back to question the woman as they step down the absolutely normal staircase of the clocktower.
The double doors glide open without a sound as they descend.
The brick piazza and shining fountain gleamed in the sunlight that streamed in, matching the radiance of the Temple of Light.
And for the first time in an age, Croma steps back into the streets of Lostime.
"… And that's what happened at the clocktower," Cid exhales, and a dull jolt of pain crackles through him. The stricken expressions on Freja and Meja's faces didn't change, and Meja especially had tears brimming in her eyes as she clasps her hands to her chest.
Chocobo gives a heartbreaking little coo, "Kweh kweh ..?"
Cid reaches over to gently rub Chocobo's head in the way he liked. As reassuringly as he could, he answers: "Not at all, buddy." But Chocobo barely reacts.
For a minute, the only sounds in the hanger were the echoes of creaking gears.
"Then what?" Freja breaks the silence first, grim determination on her face, "What does that mean for Memoria? For the Destroyer?"
"I was about to get to that," Cid grumbles, irritation seeping into his voice. He winces, then apologizes with, "Sorry. When I summarize it all like this, today's really… Just been a long day." Hell, it's only been an hour and a half since Shirma died… Another sharper pang shoots through Cid's heart.
"Take your time, Cid," Meja murmurs, then sniffles.
Cid waits for Meja to dry her eyes before he continues: "Now anyone can leave if they want, but…" Cid shakes his head, "The world outside got thrown into complete chaos. Places, cities, and even people have suddenly went missing or just suddenly appeared. All the maps we have now are useless. So, Enna Kros proposed a plan to use Croma's connection to the Destroyer to find him."
Freja grunts and crosses her arms. Gruffly, she asks: "Then, why are you involved?"
A burst of guilt blooms in Cid's chest, and he sighs, "I—we couldn't let her go by herself. So—" Cid rests a hand on Chocobo's head, and his partner looks up, "—we volunteered to, too." And once we're out there, we'll be able to pay back the Destroyer for everything he did. For Shirma, for Gramps, for Raffaello, for everyone. I can promise that much.
The hanger falls back into silence. Sitting across from him, Meja wordlessly toys with the strings of her apron as she bites her lip. In front of the steel-plated wall, Freja bows her head as she thinks, an unusually begrudging expression on her face.
"… So where is the Oracle of Darkness now? This is the first time any of us have seen her since…" Meja trails off, "Oh, crystals… Since the Seal was created."
"Let me guess. She disappeared again," Freja scoffs. Meja gives her an uncomfortable glance.
"Well… Yes," Cid admits, "She just teleported away after Mayor Gale dismissed us."
"… Of course she did," Freja grumbles, then sighs, places her hands on her hips, and shakes her head, "I don't know what that moody teenager is thinking, but she's going to get herself killed. I had to hold her back from throwing herself into a fight alone against the Destroyer, after we already had to carry her half-dead—
A peal rings out from the Bell of Oblivion, and Freja freezes. A cold shiver runs down Cid's spine as he looks towards the direction of the clocktower, beyond the steel-plated walls. And another peal rings through the building, piercing the room with the weight of its sound.
"There she is, then," Freja crosses her arms. The bell tolls.
"But what's she doing?" Meja murmurs, facing the Clocktower as well, "There's no need to try and seal off our memories anymore… Is there?"
A fifth peal starts to ring—Before the sound abruptly stops, choked out like a guttered flame.
---
"What are you doing?" Enna Kros asks as she ducks out from underneath the giant, several-ton bell. That she just stopped with her bare hands. By grabbing the clapper and then catching the bell metal as it swung back the other way. She dusts herself off, as if the feat was more of an annoyance than… A feat.
"I'm… " Croma begins, and the strange woman's weighty gaze settles on her. Like all the stars in the sky fixing their eyes on her. I'm calling on the power invested into the Bell of Oblivion. Trying to seal away my memories so that I won't simply fall apart. Her grip on her staff tightens as her shock recedes, exposing the raw, bleeding feeling inside her once more, "… Ringing the Bell of Oblivion."
Enna Kros cups her chin, a bemused air settling about her as she regards the bell, then looks back to Croma, "Why?"
Making sure I can help. Making sure that what happened with Shirma… A thousand needle-blades of pain return, shredding her heart. She lowers her head, unable to meet the woman's gaze as a weight seems to press itself on her.
"Of course, I can't stop you, but there isn't a reason to keep your role as seal guardian, is there?"
"… I suppose not. Sorry," Croma manages to answer, and silence falls, letting her try to compose herself in front of—
"But that isn't why you were ringing the bell, is it?" Enna Kros casually asks.
Instinctively, Croma pulls the brim of her hat down to hide her guilty expression. Enna Kros hums after a few seconds, then sits herself down along the rim of the belfry. Silence stretches on, with Enna Kros glancing up expectantly at Croma every once in a while before turning back towards the town.
"… It wasn't," Croma whispers into the wind.
Enna Kros leans back, looking up at her and raising an eyebrow. Croma braces herself, by some impulse. But instead, the woman simply remarks: "I was friends with Elena," then pauses.
When Croma doesn't respond, she continues with: "She was a wonderful friend, and someone I liked quite a lot. Did you know, she met your father when he saved her from a reckless attempt to fight a demon that got bound to a book? But that's besides the point: I owe it to her to make sure her children are alright."
… That's… Mom' s name? Enna Kros meets her eyes with that piercing gaze of hers, and Croma's breath catches in her throat, choking out the questions dancing on her tongue.
"So, you can trust me. I'm here to help, after all," Alexander smiles.
"… I was here because…" Croma murmurs, "Because…" A feeling like the Destroyer's sword piercing her heart settles in her chest again, "… Because I was trying to seal away my memories." So I would be able to face the Destroyer again. So my heart would stop hurting. Croma swallows, and wipes away the tears blurring her eyes once more. So I can stay strong enough to...
"You were trying to have the Bell seal your memories?" Enna Kros echoes, sounding amused of all things, "As an oracle of the angel of memory?"
"I did it before," Croma confesses. She closes her eyes, andRaffaello's blessing tenebrous power gently ripples within her soul, lapping at the edge of her consciousness. And once again, when she reaches to that power, it responds, swirling into the abyss of her mind, displaying the contours of the seals holding her memories. And once again, she orders it, imposes her will on it.
Trembling and rippling, it collapses and recedes, pulling back and back and back until it once again lay dormant within the depths of her soul. Only then does Croma open her eyes again, looking over to see that Enna Kros had, for the first time, stopped smiling.
"… You're not lying. You really have gotten our spell to work on you..." Enna Kros murmurs in surprise, then asks, "And you're Raffaello's oracle?"
Croma pulls at the brim of her hat, dipping her head so that her hair could block the strange woman from seeing the shameful flush on her face. I shouldn't be.
"… Well, I've seen worst coping mechanisms. That said, I don't think it's a good idea to keep doing that. For one, my plan would be completely unraveled if you can't access his blessing."
How can you still trust me with something so important? "I'll..." Croma swallows, "I'll keep that in mind."
Enna Kros looks her up and down, an ineffable expression on her face. "Well then, I think it's time for a change in subject," and gestures outwards, towards the town spread out before the clocktower, "Why don't you enjoy the view with me? After all, this might be the last day you spend in Memoria for the foreseeable future."
"I've seen this view…" Croma trails off as the gravity of Enna Kros's words sink into her. A weariness cascades over her, leaving behind a feeling like she was a paper boat being washed away by the tides.
She turns, staring out over familiar blue-tiled rooftops, guttering chimneys, and sandy yellow bricks. A view she had seen a thousand times in the lonely vigil of her guardianship. I've never set foot further than the Daria Plains before. Her eyes trace up, to the outskirts of Lostime and the fields beyond it, cupping the town in lush green hills. Everything was bright, shining vividly in the rays of the afternoon sky.
I don't want to leave… Croma grips her forearms, squeezing them as the thought surfaces in her mind. But Memoria doesn't need an oracle who can't protect her crystal, a guardian who can't protect her seal, and a sibling who can't protect her little sister.
Croma watches as the sky gradually lightens, brightening and dying the clouds with gentle hues as the stars fade. Calls, songs, and jeers echo across the dark waves as people awaken, and she presses herself closer to the steel wall next to the hanger, tapping a toe nervously against the ground. Where is everyone? Did they all leave without me?
"Croma! Is that really you?"
Croma tenses, and her staff clacks against the wall when she twists to look towards the voice. Walking with Cid, Chocobo, and Enna Kros was a woman with magenta hair. She was wearing a motley dress, hand-dyed and hand-stitched, and...
Croma freezes as Aunt Stella's hazel eyes lock on to Croma, and her aunt's footsteps hasten into a near-jog. Aunt Stella is alive?
"It's really you. So Shirma was right, all this time… " Aunt Stella says as she slows, then stops before Croma, her eyes wide. She looks Croma up and down, a flood of emotions crossing her face. In a voice thick with disbelief, she murmurs: " Do you remember who I am?"
"Aunt Stella, I—
Suddenly, Aunt Stella sweeps her into an embrace as warm as a fireplace on a cold day. "Where were you? Oh, we've all missed you so, so much..."
Why did you? When I don't deserve your love…? "I killed Shrima."
Aunt Stella stiffens and, slowly, pulls away. Croma looks down, swallowing a choking flame that lights itself in her chest and sends scorching smoke into her throat.
"What do you mean? What happened?"
"I couldn't protect her," Croma near-whispers. The world around her blurs, and she pulls the brim of her hat down so the shadows could hide her face, her thoughts raging in her skull like a trapped storm.
"… From the Destroyer?" Aunt Stella asks, and there was a rustle of cloth. The brim of Croma's hat shifts on her head, and she flinches when warm hands clasp her shoulders.
From the guardian beast that blessed me. From the guardian beast I was supposed to protect. From the guardian beast that was my responsibility to handle. Croma opens her mouth, but it was like iron claws were clenched around her voice. Instead, she moves her head in a mechanical nod.
"Oh, Croma…" Aunt Stella murmurs, "You really are Elena's child."
Huh..? Aunt Stella pulls her forward, and Croma's eyes fly open as she stumbles forward. Then she finds herself caught in a hug once again, her wet cheeks pressing against warm cloth. What do you—
"You aren't to blame for something the Destroyer did," Aunt Stella continues, her voice firm, "it doesn't matter how you're connected to him. The things he did have nothing to do with you."
"But… What if… But what if I... Stopped him?" Croma manages to croak out. Someone better would have prevented Lostime from being destroyed and Memoria from being burned. She blinks, tears spilling on Aunt Stella's dress. Mom and Dad wouldn't be dead. Uncle Glen wouldn't be dead. Zeke wouldn't be dead. Shirma wouldn't...
"Croma Magnolie," Aunt Stella orders, and Croma stiffens, "It doesn't matter "what if" that happened or not. What does matter, is that something he did is not your fault." Her voice quivers. Then turns melancholic as she murmurs, "Besides, would Shirma want you to blame yourself? To hurt yourself like this?"
It's what I deserve, isn't it?
"I certainly don't. Would you, if your roles were reversed? If Alexander was the Guardian Beast that went berserk, and Shirma was berating herself for not being able to stop a god?"
Something in her, some tower of sand that Croma long forgotten was even there, crumbles into dust on the wind. Croma buries her face into the warm cloth of Aunt Stella's dress, inhaling the familiar scent of baked bread and loamy earth.
"I should be going, Aunt Stella," Croma mumbles. Some flicker at the back of her mind wondered if Aunt Stella could even hear her. Hoping she didn't.
"Then promise me one thing," Aunt Stella says, and pulls away, a bittersweet, weary smile on her face, "Promise me you'll come back safe."
I can't make that promise. Croma reaches up and... Grasps at air, and she finally notices her hat in Aunt Stella's hands.
"Please," Aunt Stella repeats.
"I… Promise," Croma chokes out the lie. As cinders press into her throat again, she focuses on Aunt Stella's dress and a leather pack her aunt had looped around an arm. A pack that Aunt Stella shrugs off, holding out to her.
"For you," she says, and Croma takes it more by impulse than by conscious thought, looking up again to see Aunt Stella's sad smile, "I packed some of my biscuits, too. Freshly baked."
"… Thanks," Croma manages, though her heart felt like it was a stone sinking into the abyss of the deep sea. When was the last time I had these? And this might be the last time I would ever—
Her thoughts are interrupted by Aunt Stella gently putting a hand under Croma's chin, raising her head as she fixes her hat on her head, then pulls at the collar of her jacket. Tears glimmer in Aunt Stella's eyes as she backs away.
"I'll see you when you get back," Aunt Stella says, and Croma nods numbly, standing there wordlessly as Aunt Stella turns. Say something, Croma…
"I… I'll..." Croma trails off as her throat seizes up again. Aunt Stella still stops and turns, giving her one last smile before she walks away. I don't have anything I can promise…
Freja seemed to have left her workshop and was talking to Cid. Their conversation tapers off as Aunt Stella approaches them, saying something drowned out by the rumbling gears. As Croma watches, Chocobo approaches first, electing to walk straight to Croma and look up at her with a "Kweh!" and a little wiggle, his blue eyes shining.
"… I don't speak Chocobo," Croma finally says, her voice haggard. Chocobo tilts his head, then settles for gently bumping the side of his head into her. Footsteps echo, approaching them.
"All ready to go?" Cid asks, a forced cheer in his voice. Behind him, Enna Kros flashes Croma a smile.
"… Let's go," Croma manages. Her heart quickens as the garage rumbles open, as light spills into the room and illuminates a steel vessel bobbing in the water. As she takes a step forward, and another, and another, until she steps over the threshold of the garage door.
In the next breath, the Destroyer's sword slices through the air, the pitch-black blade soaring directly at the pink-haired girl—
At my sister.
Croma was on her feet in an instant as the world slows between her and the black sword.
One step. The chocobo moved. Too slow.
Another step. The man moved. Too slow.
Third step. She was the only force moving in a molasses-slow world.
The sword was close, close enough that she was certain—if the blade was steel, she would see her own bright green eyes, reflected back at her.
And the world heaves.
The clocktower trembles, and with it, the feeling of her feet on the stones.
Time speeds forward, much too fast as the stone of the tower rushed up to meet her, as gravity seizes her in its cruel grasp and slams her against the floor. As the sword kept flying forward.
As the blade sinks into her sister's body, piercing through the white-and-pink fabric of her white mage's cloak and the black fabric of her turtleneck.
"SHIRMA!"
Shirma turns, familiar green eyes meeting Croma's for a moment.
"Sis, don't..."
Shirma collapses. Before she even hits the floor, her body was fading into motes of light, her essence being absorbed by the Destroyer's dark blade. Only then does the chocobo reach her, crying out. The chocobo who had broken the seals—
Seals that I failed to guard.
"Raffaello! How... How could you?!"
The man sounds hurt. Betrayed.
White-hot fury burns through Croma, and she opens her mouth to scream: This is why I had warned you all! I had—
Gave warnings that failed to explain anything.
Ash burns her throat raw, too raw to let her make a sound.
"… That was an accident, I will admit."
"You... You monster!"
"Monster? You are correct. I am a monster. I had disguised myself as your friend, I had tricked you all, and now I've taken the power of your precious Oracle of Light!"
Energy gathers in his dark wings, and he flares them out as he sweeps his gaze across the clocktower. "Don't you hate me? Do you feel terror? Despair?" he taunts. Dark feathers start spinning around him, and as his gaze directly settles on Croma herself, he croons: "If not, let me help you remember--
And a pillar of brilliant, piercing light erupts under the Destroyer, dissolving his feathers as he bellows in pain.
"I can't say I like having things come to this," an unfamiliar voice sighs, "Though, credit where credit is due. Some part of you tried to be better."
Walking towards them all, from empty air and sky, was a smiling woman with silver hair, wearing a long off-white coat. Pink ruffles decorated and accentuated her outfit.
"What...?" the Destroyer's grin disappears into a scowl, "You? Isn't this against the rules you cleave to so tightly?"
"Last I checked, it's not against the rules for a god to help their subjects," the woman's tone was casual, but a sharp crispness to her voice rang through even the cold nothingness that had settled into Croma's chest, and a shiver runs down her spine.
"I don't remember you ever acting so brazenly before."
The woman stretches out a hand, and simply replies: "Yup."
And the Destroyer's expression changes into one of fear.
Rays of blinding, holy light fan out from the aether, surging towards the Destroyer. He bolts into the sky, moments before the lasers manage to strike, but the lights swerve after him, chasing him into the heavens. The smiling woman's eyes narrow, just the slightest bit.
"Kwrah!!!"
Then the Destroyer swerves in a sudden about-face, his expression steely. Darkness gathers, a hundred midnight feathers gathering into—into ebony claws?
The light reaches the Destroyer. The makeshift claws move.
And the opposing forces explode into a roaring conflagration of energy that envelops his form. Croma cringes as the raw force of the colliding magic burns white across her vision, flinching her eyes away from the impact as it sweeps through the sky in a furious crash of air.
"Hm. Not quite how I expected things to go..." the strange woman mumbles.
Croma slowly turns her gaze back towards the sky. The Destroyer was gone.
"Hey," a voice murmurs. Croma looks at a hand that was being held out to her, then follows the arm up to see the man kneeling beside her.
She moves, pushes herself up to her feet. He stands himself up after a moment, and faces the strange woman. She was staring into the sky, rubbing her chin.
"So who are you?" the man demands.
She tilts her head, raising an eyebrow as she looks over. "Oh, I suppose introductions are in order," she says, then claps brightly, "Call me Enna Kros."
"Where did you come from? Why are you here?"
"I'm here to take back something Raffaello took from me," Enna Kros answers lightly, a smile on her face, "and, I'll admit it. A little bit of revenge. He's been a very naughty boy."
"What do you—But— But Raffaello hasn't done anything wrong until now!" the man denies, and the young chocobo chirps in agreement. Fire suddenly fills the void inside Croma's chest–How can they still think that? After he destroyed Lostime, after he killed my sister?!
All three faces turn towards her. Croma takes a ragged breath, feeling as if thick smoke was burning in her throat. Did… I say that out loud?
Good. They needed to hear it. The world blurs.
"… You're Croma, right?" the man asks, voice soft. "… I'm sorry."
Croma swipes her sleeve across her face before glaring back. To his credit, the man looks guilty. The woman regards her calmly. And the chocobo was approaching her, a sad look in his eyes.
"So, are you not going to introduce yourself?"
"… I'm Cid. Treasure hunter. That's my partner, Chocobo. Enna Kros, when did Raffaello steal from you? I don't remember ever seeing you in Lostime."
Chocobo stops and kwehs softly at Croma, then reaches up with his wings. She flinches back, though not fast enough to keep some feathers from brushing her face, and for the chocobo to bump his head against her. He stares at her with wide eyes.
"Oh, I've known him before Memoria was sealed," Enna Kros says. Off-handedly, she continues with: "And since the seal shattered, I thought it would be a good time to visit." The strange woman's gaze flicks towards Croma, a strange weight behind her ancient eyes.
The seal... Shattered? How?
Why should that matter anymore?
I… I can't think like that… And her throat felt so tight, it almost hurt to speak. "The seal… Broke..?" Croma somehow manages to croak out.
"That it did," Enna Kros nods, and turns towards her fully as she says, "I would elaborate, but I think this would be better discussed elsewhere. Is Gale still here?"
The chocobo warbles something, and Enna Kros nods, "That sounds like him. Where is he now?"
Another series of kwehs.
"Oh, perfect. Shall we go?"
"Will you explain what's going on once we're there?" Cid asks tersely.
"Of course. Besides, what I have to say is important for Gale to know as well."
The strange group starts heading for the staircase down the tower. Croma turns, looking out over Lostime, over the cloudless sky, over the shining sea, and over the beaming sun.
"Croma?" the man calls. Didn't they leave already? "Are you coming?"
Why do you want me with you?
"Seal Guardian, I think we'll be needing you in a bit. Would you mind sparing us the effort of trying to find you when we do?"
Is that even a role I deserve? Croma swallows. When she looks over to meet the group face-to-face, she first sees the chocobo beside her, looking up at her again with sad eyes.
"Kweh?" he holds out a wing, staring at her all the while, "Kweh kweh."
He does know I can't understand him, right? Croma looks up towards the man and the woman instead, a mix of judgment and expectation boring into her.
"… I needed a moment," she says, the excuse half-baked in her own ears. A familiar motion stashes her staff in its sling, and she manages to give the chocobo a nod as she steps around him. He whistles gently.
Her legs lead her towards where the stairwell should be. The man watches her for a moment as she approaches, then turns back to question the woman as they step down the absolutely normal staircase of the clocktower.
The double doors glide open without a sound as they descend.
The brick piazza and shining fountain gleamed in the sunlight that streamed in, matching the radiance of the Temple of Light.
And for the first time in an age, Croma steps back into the streets of Lostime.
"… And that's what happened at the clocktower," Cid exhales, and a dull jolt of pain crackles through him. The stricken expressions on Freja and Meja's faces didn't change, and Meja especially had tears brimming in her eyes as she clasps her hands to her chest.
Chocobo gives a heartbreaking little coo, "
Cid reaches over to gently rub Chocobo's head in the way he liked. As reassuringly as he could, he answers: "Not at all, buddy." But Chocobo barely reacts.
For a minute, the only sounds in the hanger were the echoes of creaking gears.
"Then what?" Freja breaks the silence first, grim determination on her face, "What does that mean for Memoria? For the Destroyer?"
"I was about to get to that," Cid grumbles, irritation seeping into his voice. He winces, then apologizes with, "Sorry. When I summarize it all like this, today's really… Just been a long day." Hell, it's only been an hour and a half since Shirma died… Another sharper pang shoots through Cid's heart.
"Take your time, Cid," Meja murmurs, then sniffles.
Cid waits for Meja to dry her eyes before he continues: "Now anyone can leave if they want, but…" Cid shakes his head, "The world outside got thrown into complete chaos. Places, cities, and even people have suddenly went missing or just suddenly appeared. All the maps we have now are useless. So, Enna Kros proposed a plan to use Croma's connection to the Destroyer to find him."
Freja grunts and crosses her arms. Gruffly, she asks: "Then, why are you involved?"
A burst of guilt blooms in Cid's chest, and he sighs, "I—we couldn't let her go by herself. So—" Cid rests a hand on Chocobo's head, and his partner looks up, "—we volunteered to, too." And once we're out there, we'll be able to pay back the Destroyer for everything he did. For Shirma, for Gramps, for Raffaello, for everyone. I can promise that much.
The hanger falls back into silence. Sitting across from him, Meja wordlessly toys with the strings of her apron as she bites her lip. In front of the steel-plated wall, Freja bows her head as she thinks, an unusually begrudging expression on her face.
"… So where is the Oracle of Darkness now? This is the first time any of us have seen her since…" Meja trails off, "Oh, crystals… Since the Seal was created."
"Let me guess. She disappeared again," Freja scoffs. Meja gives her an uncomfortable glance.
"Well… Yes," Cid admits, "She just teleported away after Mayor Gale dismissed us."
"… Of course she did," Freja grumbles, then sighs, places her hands on her hips, and shakes her head, "I don't know what that moody teenager is thinking, but she's going to get herself killed. I had to hold her back from throwing herself into a fight alone against the Destroyer, after we already had to carry her half-dead—
A peal rings out from the Bell of Oblivion, and Freja freezes. A cold shiver runs down Cid's spine as he looks towards the direction of the clocktower, beyond the steel-plated walls. And another peal rings through the building, piercing the room with the weight of its sound.
"There she is, then," Freja crosses her arms. The bell tolls.
"But what's she doing?" Meja murmurs, facing the Clocktower as well, "There's no need to try and seal off our memories anymore… Is there?"
A fifth peal starts to ring—Before the sound abruptly stops, choked out like a guttered flame.
---
"What are you doing?" Enna Kros asks as she ducks out from underneath the giant, several-ton bell. That she just stopped with her bare hands. By grabbing the clapper and then catching the bell metal as it swung back the other way. She dusts herself off, as if the feat was more of an annoyance than… A feat.
"I'm… " Croma begins, and the strange woman's weighty gaze settles on her. Like all the stars in the sky fixing their eyes on her. I'm calling on the power invested into the Bell of Oblivion. Trying to seal away my memories so that I won't simply fall apart. Her grip on her staff tightens as her shock recedes, exposing the raw, bleeding feeling inside her once more, "… Ringing the Bell of Oblivion."
Enna Kros cups her chin, a bemused air settling about her as she regards the bell, then looks back to Croma, "Why?"
Making sure I can help. Making sure that what happened with Shirma… A thousand needle-blades of pain return, shredding her heart. She lowers her head, unable to meet the woman's gaze as a weight seems to press itself on her.
"Of course, I can't stop you, but there isn't a reason to keep your role as seal guardian, is there?"
"… I suppose not. Sorry," Croma manages to answer, and silence falls, letting her try to compose herself in front of—
"But that isn't why you were ringing the bell, is it?" Enna Kros casually asks.
Instinctively, Croma pulls the brim of her hat down to hide her guilty expression. Enna Kros hums after a few seconds, then sits herself down along the rim of the belfry. Silence stretches on, with Enna Kros glancing up expectantly at Croma every once in a while before turning back towards the town.
"… It wasn't," Croma whispers into the wind.
Enna Kros leans back, looking up at her and raising an eyebrow. Croma braces herself, by some impulse. But instead, the woman simply remarks: "I was friends with Elena," then pauses.
When Croma doesn't respond, she continues with: "She was a wonderful friend, and someone I liked quite a lot. Did you know, she met your father when he saved her from a reckless attempt to fight a demon that got bound to a book? But that's besides the point: I owe it to her to make sure her children are alright."
… That's… Mom' s name? Enna Kros meets her eyes with that piercing gaze of hers, and Croma's breath catches in her throat, choking out the questions dancing on her tongue.
"So, you can trust me. I'm here to help, after all," Alexander smiles.
"… I was here because…" Croma murmurs, "Because…" A feeling like the Destroyer's sword piercing her heart settles in her chest again, "… Because I was trying to seal away my memories." So I would be able to face the Destroyer again. So my heart would stop hurting. Croma swallows, and wipes away the tears blurring her eyes once more. So I can stay strong enough to...
"You were trying to have the Bell seal your memories?" Enna Kros echoes, sounding amused of all things, "As an oracle of the angel of memory?"
"I did it before," Croma confesses. She closes her eyes, and
Trembling and rippling, it collapses and recedes, pulling back and back and back until it once again lay dormant within the depths of her soul. Only then does Croma open her eyes again, looking over to see that Enna Kros had, for the first time, stopped smiling.
"… You're not lying. You really have gotten our spell to work on you..." Enna Kros murmurs in surprise, then asks, "And you're Raffaello's oracle?"
Croma pulls at the brim of her hat, dipping her head so that her hair could block the strange woman from seeing the shameful flush on her face. I shouldn't be.
"… Well, I've seen worst coping mechanisms. That said, I don't think it's a good idea to keep doing that. For one, my plan would be completely unraveled if you can't access his blessing."
How can you still trust me with something so important? "I'll..." Croma swallows, "I'll keep that in mind."
Enna Kros looks her up and down, an ineffable expression on her face. "Well then, I think it's time for a change in subject," and gestures outwards, towards the town spread out before the clocktower, "Why don't you enjoy the view with me? After all, this might be the last day you spend in Memoria for the foreseeable future."
"I've seen this view…" Croma trails off as the gravity of Enna Kros's words sink into her. A weariness cascades over her, leaving behind a feeling like she was a paper boat being washed away by the tides.
She turns, staring out over familiar blue-tiled rooftops, guttering chimneys, and sandy yellow bricks. A view she had seen a thousand times in the lonely vigil of her guardianship. I've never set foot further than the Daria Plains before. Her eyes trace up, to the outskirts of Lostime and the fields beyond it, cupping the town in lush green hills. Everything was bright, shining vividly in the rays of the afternoon sky.
I don't want to leave… Croma grips her forearms, squeezing them as the thought surfaces in her mind. But Memoria doesn't need an oracle who can't protect her crystal, a guardian who can't protect her seal, and a sibling who can't protect her little sister.
Croma watches as the sky gradually lightens, brightening and dying the clouds with gentle hues as the stars fade. Calls, songs, and jeers echo across the dark waves as people awaken, and she presses herself closer to the steel wall next to the hanger, tapping a toe nervously against the ground. Where is everyone? Did they all leave without me?
"Croma! Is that really you?"
Croma tenses, and her staff clacks against the wall when she twists to look towards the voice. Walking with Cid, Chocobo, and Enna Kros was a woman with magenta hair. She was wearing a motley dress, hand-dyed and hand-stitched, and...
Croma freezes as Aunt Stella's hazel eyes lock on to Croma, and her aunt's footsteps hasten into a near-jog. Aunt Stella is alive?
"It's really you. So Shirma was right, all this time… " Aunt Stella says as she slows, then stops before Croma, her eyes wide. She looks Croma up and down, a flood of emotions crossing her face. In a voice thick with disbelief, she murmurs: " Do you remember who I am?"
"Aunt Stella, I—
Suddenly, Aunt Stella sweeps her into an embrace as warm as a fireplace on a cold day. "Where were you? Oh, we've all missed you so, so much..."
Why did you? When I don't deserve your love…? "I killed Shrima."
Aunt Stella stiffens and, slowly, pulls away. Croma looks down, swallowing a choking flame that lights itself in her chest and sends scorching smoke into her throat.
"What do you mean? What happened?"
"I couldn't protect her," Croma near-whispers. The world around her blurs, and she pulls the brim of her hat down so the shadows could hide her face, her thoughts raging in her skull like a trapped storm.
"… From the Destroyer?" Aunt Stella asks, and there was a rustle of cloth. The brim of Croma's hat shifts on her head, and she flinches when warm hands clasp her shoulders.
From the guardian beast that blessed me. From the guardian beast I was supposed to protect. From the guardian beast that was my responsibility to handle. Croma opens her mouth, but it was like iron claws were clenched around her voice. Instead, she moves her head in a mechanical nod.
"Oh, Croma…" Aunt Stella murmurs, "You really are Elena's child."
Huh..? Aunt Stella pulls her forward, and Croma's eyes fly open as she stumbles forward. Then she finds herself caught in a hug once again, her wet cheeks pressing against warm cloth. What do you—
"You aren't to blame for something the Destroyer did," Aunt Stella continues, her voice firm, "it doesn't matter how you're connected to him. The things he did have nothing to do with you."
"But… What if… But what if I... Stopped him?" Croma manages to croak out. Someone better would have prevented Lostime from being destroyed and Memoria from being burned. She blinks, tears spilling on Aunt Stella's dress. Mom and Dad wouldn't be dead. Uncle Glen wouldn't be dead. Zeke wouldn't be dead. Shirma wouldn't...
"Croma Magnolie," Aunt Stella orders, and Croma stiffens, "It doesn't matter "what if" that happened or not. What does matter, is that something he did is not your fault." Her voice quivers. Then turns melancholic as she murmurs, "Besides, would Shirma want you to blame yourself? To hurt yourself like this?"
It's what I deserve, isn't it?
"I certainly don't. Would you, if your roles were reversed? If Alexander was the Guardian Beast that went berserk, and Shirma was berating herself for not being able to stop a god?"
Something in her, some tower of sand that Croma long forgotten was even there, crumbles into dust on the wind. Croma buries her face into the warm cloth of Aunt Stella's dress, inhaling the familiar scent of baked bread and loamy earth.
"I should be going, Aunt Stella," Croma mumbles. Some flicker at the back of her mind wondered if Aunt Stella could even hear her. Hoping she didn't.
"Then promise me one thing," Aunt Stella says, and pulls away, a bittersweet, weary smile on her face, "Promise me you'll come back safe."
I can't make that promise. Croma reaches up and... Grasps at air, and she finally notices her hat in Aunt Stella's hands.
"Please," Aunt Stella repeats.
"I… Promise," Croma chokes out the lie. As cinders press into her throat again, she focuses on Aunt Stella's dress and a leather pack her aunt had looped around an arm. A pack that Aunt Stella shrugs off, holding out to her.
"For you," she says, and Croma takes it more by impulse than by conscious thought, looking up again to see Aunt Stella's sad smile, "I packed some of my biscuits, too. Freshly baked."
"… Thanks," Croma manages, though her heart felt like it was a stone sinking into the abyss of the deep sea. When was the last time I had these? And this might be the last time I would ever—
Her thoughts are interrupted by Aunt Stella gently putting a hand under Croma's chin, raising her head as she fixes her hat on her head, then pulls at the collar of her jacket. Tears glimmer in Aunt Stella's eyes as she backs away.
"I'll see you when you get back," Aunt Stella says, and Croma nods numbly, standing there wordlessly as Aunt Stella turns. Say something, Croma…
"I… I'll..." Croma trails off as her throat seizes up again. Aunt Stella still stops and turns, giving her one last smile before she walks away. I don't have anything I can promise…
Freja seemed to have left her workshop and was talking to Cid. Their conversation tapers off as Aunt Stella approaches them, saying something drowned out by the rumbling gears. As Croma watches, Chocobo approaches first, electing to walk straight to Croma and look up at her with a "Kweh!" and a little wiggle, his blue eyes shining.
"… I don't speak Chocobo," Croma finally says, her voice haggard. Chocobo tilts his head, then settles for gently bumping the side of his head into her. Footsteps echo, approaching them.
"All ready to go?" Cid asks, a forced cheer in his voice. Behind him, Enna Kros flashes Croma a smile.
"… Let's go," Croma manages. Her heart quickens as the garage rumbles open, as light spills into the room and illuminates a steel vessel bobbing in the water. As she takes a step forward, and another, and another, until she steps over the threshold of the garage door.
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Turn 8: Meddling in Midgar Results
Create a Disguise (Aerith)
"For a proper disguise, you want to change as much as possible," Ruby assured you. "Hair, clothes, makeup… what are you feeling?"You gaze into the full-length mirror, and it feels… odd. Looking at the features that make you look like yourself, and consider getting rid of them. "I don't know. Do you have any recommendations?"
"Well…" Ruby gently lifted your braid "Your hair is fairly distinctive, we should cut it shorter, put it in a different style, and consider dyeing it too. Your wardrobe definitely has to change, the dress is cute and all but we need to change your aesthetic. I'd offer to let you borrow some of mine but, a dress is a dress. Should probably get you something more masculine or ambiguous."
"Um…"
"You might want to change your silhouette too, a binder to make you look smaller or some stuffing to make you look bigger. Could use some makeup to alter the shape of your face, colored contacts too…"
"This is a lot more intense than I thought it would be." You admit, feeling very overwhelmed.
"Well, what did you expect me to do? Smudge some dirt on your face and call it done?"
"No, I just didn't… I never thought about it I suppose. It's easy to disguise yourself when you have a uniform and a helmet. Not so much when your goal is to make yourself look different."
"There's nothing wrong with a good uniform, that's how Zidane snuck in to meet Garnet the first time. But that won't exactly help us here. So… do you want to just leave it in my capable hands?" Ruby asked.
"That's probably for the best."
"Alright, in that case…" Ruby put a hand to her chin and looked back and forth between you and the many, many tools and cosmetics around the room. After a few minutes had passed, she nodded to herself. "I've got it."
The woman in the mirror no longer resembled Aerith. If she didn't move and turn at the same time you did, you would hardly believe it yourself.
Your hair had been cut to around shoulder length and dyed a darker shade of brown, close enough to your natural color to not look unnatural, but different enough to stand out. Then it was slicked back and collected into a bun.
Eventually, Ruby had given up on trying to tailor any of her outfits to fit you, and decided to partake in some Midgar fashion. As a result, you had a selection of shirts, pants, suits, and so on to choose from. Right now you were wearing a charcoal-colored ensemble that was very flattering, and very not-Aerith.
On top of the tan from living in Dalmasca (It hadn't occurred to you at the time but people living in Midgar tended to be quite pale) the brown contacts, and the artfully applied makeup, you really didn't look like you anymore.
Which was the point of course.
[Aerith gains a +20 to all rolls to avoid being identified by Shinra]
Prepare For The Play (Aerith)+Dancing Lessons (Agnea)
You were in a play exactly once before, on the Gold Saucer. Everyone says you did well, and you did feel like you had some degree of talent for the art. But that was one play done for fun, a very long time ago.Tantalus were professionals, they did this for a living. Compared to them you were not up to snuff, but you weren't hopeless either.
Over the course of a few weeks they taught you about vocal exercises
"You have to learn to project your voice without straining it too much." Baku explained. "This script won't be so bad for you, but if you play the lead you may end up being on stage for a quarter of an hour or more. May not sound like much, but if you spend most of that time speaking it can wear on you. Let me show you some exercises..."
How to modulate your tone and pitch to expand your vocal range, as well as use accents…
"You rapscallion! How dare you attempt to make off with the princess!" Marcus imitates an extremely boisterous, knightly tone.
The room bursts into laughter at the impression, and even though you don't get the context, the tone alone is enough for you to join in.
"Try Vivi next!" Someone suggests.
"U-um… I guess my prize can be a card?" He stuttered haltingly, sounding every bit like a nervous little kid.
"Baku!"
"Gwahahaha! If I catch any of you slacking, I'll use my Tantalus Megaton Punishment Punch!"
"What a grand suggestion Markus." The pointy-eared thief froze, slowly turning on the spot to see his boss standing behind him, cracking his knuckles.
How to expand and exaggerate your movements so that the people could read them from far away, physical acting
"There's a thin boundary you need to reach. Exaggerate enough that even people a few dozen feet away can read it cleanly, but not enough that it looks absurd." Blank explains.
He begins to strike pose after pose, adjusting them so that you can see different angles and variations, even from the other side of the ship.
Once he's finished, you go through the exercise as well, adjusting your moves to his coaching.
Footwork too, mostly from Agnea. You won't be required to dance or anything, but it's helpful all the same-
"My legs are wobbly…" You complain lightly, after finishing one of Agnea's routines to her satisfaction.
"Oh don't worry Aerith you did really well, I promise! I've just been doing this for a lot longer than you have."
You can't help but sigh. It's times like these you wish you had Tifa's athleticism. But she earned her strength fair and square, and there's only one way for you to do the same.
Put in the work.
By the end of your intensive training, you still were nowhere near as good as Tantalus. To be expected really, they were professionals with years of experience. But you were a heck of a lot better than where you started, and as the day of the mission drew closer, Baku gave you his blessing to participate in the play.
Something to look forward to.
[Aerith may participate in the play, adding her Diplomacy to the roll]
Coach the Infiltration Team (Aerith)
"As far as I remember, none of the floors matter until we hit floor 60.""60?!" Zidane and Vaan both yelped in surprise, even Shadow seemed somewhat startled.
"Well, there are 70 floors total, and if I remember correctly most of 1-59 are open to the public, or anyone with a Shinra-approved ID at least. The lab should be on floor… was it 66 or 67?"
"I guess I shouldn't be surprised considering how big Midgar is but… 70? That's like… a dozen times bigger than Dalmasca's palace! Or, taller at least." Vaan tried to figure it out.
"Guess I won't be pulling any rooftop escapes. Rather not splatter a few hundred feet down." Zidane commented.
"Oh right," You snap your fingers. "67 and 68, Hojo's lab has two floors. Your friends should be locked up there. The public elevator should be able to get you most of the way, but you'll need a scientist's keycard to get the rest of the way."
The gathered espionage experts all looked at you, clearly not comprehending what you just said.
"… oh right you wouldn't have those. Well, a keycard is-"
"I get that part, it's a key shaped like a card. What's an elevator?" Vaan asked.
"An elevator is a small room you stand in which will bring you to a higher floor once you press the button."
"Oh, we have those we just don't call 'em that. We've got little wooden lifts on the stage that can bring you below decks or up to the stage." Zidane explained.
"Yeah, like that. The Shinra building has a public elevator that goes up to 60, and the executive elevator for the rest. You could take the public elevator but… well it's public. If they're looking for you, all it will take is them checking the elevator to find you. It might be safer to take the stairs."
Barret described the trip up the stairs as hellish, but surely he was exaggerating, right? Any trek up the stairs would feel more difficult when you were lugging around a bulletproof vest and mechanical gun arm.
"About the people you're likely to find in there. The average Shinra workers are just, normal people working their jobs, they shouldn't cause any problems. The footmen have guns and armor but most of them aren't particularly skilled."
"Turks are something like Shinra's special forces, they aren't really meant to engage in direct battles, but if they have to they'll fight fiercely. They have custom weapons and Materia so don't be surprised if they cast magic or use unorthodox weapons."
"Finally… SOLDIERs. Not normal soldiers, the members of the SOLDIER program. They fight with blades of all kinds and have almost unrestricted access to Materia, so most of them can cast at least a couple of spells. I figure you three could handle a 3rd class SOLDIER, but a 2nd would be dicey and…"
You give them all a stern look. "If you see a 1st class SOLDIER, don't try to beat them in a fight, just focus on getting away. Genesis is the second-greatest spell sword Shinra has ever seen and Angeal is the second-best swordsman. As for Sephiroth, he's better than both of them. The uncontested strongest man in Midgar."
"Promise me that you will avoid the 1st class SOLDIERs at all costs."
It takes a moment for the message to sink in, but all three of them agree, taking a weight off your shoulders. Of course, the SOLDIERs were supposed to be part of who you distracted but if you didn't…
It's better your infiltration team knew what they were dealing with.
[Add Aerith's Intrigue to the Infiltration team's checks]
Spy on Shinra(Shadow)
Shadow vs ???
100 (Crit!) vs 12
Automatic Critical Success!
100 (Crit!) vs 12
Automatic Critical Success!
"Why?"
"Are you kidding? It would be like a vacation!"
"You sure? From what I've heard Timber isn't exactly a Costa Del Sol. Plus you'd be on the clock most of the time, right?
The young technician blinked owlishly, "I didn't think about that. Maybe I dodged a bullet."
"If you want to go for a vacation, you should wait until the Gold Saucer is up and running."
"Wasn't that project canned?"
"It was, but they're talking about restarting it!" The young woman was practically vibrating with excitement. "I heard through the grapevine that the executives are in talks with Yusnaan. Doesn't the City of Revelry sound like a perfect spot for the Gold Saucer?"
"Calm down, you said they're 'in talks' right now. You know that's no guarantee right?"
"I know, but can you imagine if it goes through? It will be so exciting!"
"I'm more excited about the Space and Aeronautics Department. I mean, they've given up on space obviously, but Palmer finally got canned." The surrounding Midgar residents made various noises of assent, clearly, Palmer wasn't popular.
"Is it just me, or have there been a lot more Turks around?" That particular topic made everyone stiffen slightly. Gossiping about the Turks behind their back was generally seen as a poor idea. But it seemed harmless enough in the present company.
"They've been increasing their budget and hiring a lot of new Turks. No wonder when we're surrounded on all sides by who knows what. I just wish they were more… selective."
"What do you mean?"
"There's this new blonde one, who parades around like a jackass all the time. I mean, he's a Turk so he's gotta be strong but I just wish he wasn't so… Much."
"Surely you're exaggerating. A lot of people say the same things about Reno."
"Oh trust me, this new guy is much worse than Reno." Everyone shuddered at the thought.
"Is anything interesting happening in your end of the woods, Yarrow?"
"Ah…" The older gentleman jumped slightly. "You know I can't tell you that, it's classified."
The entire laundromat seemed to erupt with disappointment, steadfastly pestering him for an answer. But all they ever got out of him was that whatever project he was working on it 'wasn't going very well.'
Eventually, the others gave up on prying an answer out of him, and Yarrow managed to retrieve his laundry, only to bump into a man he'd never seen before and drop it. "Oh, my apologies."
"Sorry about that, let me-" The man leaned over and quickly gathered up the scientist's clothes before pressing them into his arms.
"Thank you. Are you new here?"
"Moved here recently. My name is Clyde." He explained.
"Well, let me welcome you to Midgar Clyde. I'm sure you'll enjoy it here." Yarrow tried to give an encouraging smile before he walked off.
Clyde watched him walk away before he examined his prize. A scientist's keycard.
Shadow smirked in victory.
[Learned some of Shinra's recent actions]
[Stole a Scientist's Keycard]
Visit Sector 5 (Aerith)
Walking through Sector 5 felt like listening to an instrument that was just slightly out of tune, or an art forgery that was close to the original, but not quite perfect.You spotted a mix of familiar faces and new ones, shops you used to frequent were closer and others had taken their place. The Leaf House was still standing, with a new batch of kids. Some human, some not.
Playing the part of a wide-eyed tourist wasn't hard, you were interested in what had changed while you were gone.
One thing that surprised you a bit was Wall Market. Everyone you knew always treated it with a mix of fear and awe. The darkest place in Midgar, a cesspool of criminality, and an exciting spot for anyone adventurous enough to take the plunge.
In your time (world?) it was run by Don Corneo, may he burn in hell, a mob boss who had an 'agreement' with Shinra in exchange for his own little slice of Midgar to control. He kept the criminals contained and in check within the confines of Wall Market, and in exchange Shinra didn't interfere with his 'business.'
It looked like Shinra was interfering now though. There were barricades with armed guards around the market, and you swear once or twice you heard the distant sound of gunfire.
… You elected not to visit Wall Market, you had more important places to go. The church… and your childhood home.
"Woah…"
The first thing you noticed wasn't your house, it was your garden. Or rather, the miniature jungle that seems to have sprung up while you were gone. Jungle may have been an exaggeration, but it's the first thing you could think of to explain why everything looked so… wild.
The dirt path winding its way to the front door was miraculously untouched, but every patch of dirt where your flowers once grew was now sprouting an eclectic mix of foliage. Bushes with colorful berries, flowers of all different colors and petal types, and long grasses that whistled slightly as the wind blew through them. (strange, the air in Midgar was stagnant, wasn't it?)
It felt like stepping into a different world when you crossed the threshold and started pushing your way through the thick plant life. The wind blew through the brush, numerous floral scents surrounded you and the faint tingle of magic prickled along your skin.
Midgar was never quiet, and yet at this moment you could hear nothing but the wind. It felt… peaceful.
As you reached the front door of your house, you saw that thick vines were covering the door, but as you stepped forward they started to retreat. As if they were allowing you to pass.
Sparing a quick look back to make sure you weren't followed, you pushed open the front door and stepped inside.
Your house was pristine… aside from the layer of dust and lack of noise. There was no hum of the lights or a fan, no clattering of pots and pans, or water being poured into freshly turned soil.
The house was abandoned, but somehow pristine. There were no cobwebs or damage or anything just… dust. There was no sign that anyone has been living here for a very long time, save one. A letter, written on heavy parchment instead of paper. You reached for it with a shaky hand, and stood next to the windows to read it in the sunlight streaming in.
"Do not fret. She is safe here, with us. We will take care of her, until the time is ready for you to meet again."
Rather than a signature, the letter ended with several insignia. A blue scale, a quartet of scimitars, and a pressed flower.
You still wish your mother was here, so you could ask her advice, tell her about the deeds you accomplished, invite her away from Midgar to live with you…
But you knew she was safe. You would see her again, that much was certain.
Compared to your house, the church looked almost the same as it always did. The sturdy looking stone pillars, the large widows, the altar to a god you never knew-
"Yo"
-and Reno.
Aerith vs ???
45+ 16+ 20 (Disguise) = 81 vs 15+ ??+ ?? (Unknown Trait)= 58
Reno is none the wiser!
45+ 16+ 20 (Disguise) = 81 vs 15+ ??+ ?? (Unknown Trait)= 58
Reno is none the wiser!
"Nah, praying isn't my kinda thing." Reno put his hands behind his head, and you suddenly realized that you were looking at a younger Reno, closer to your age than Zack was. "What about you, girlie?"
"I'm here to explore, so when I heard about this old church on the hill I had to come check it out." You looked around excitedly, playing the part of the excited tourist.
"There are a lot of perfectly reputable places topside you could visit, instead of this rundown old place." Reno waved his arms at the dilapidated walls. "If you've got the time I wouldn't say no to taking you to a few."
"I appreciate the offer, but I'm looking for a little peace and quiet right now, and this place is perfect for that."
"Seriously? Visiting a new place and you go for the most boring option?"
"I have enough excitement in my life." You said mildly walking over to the flowerbed dug into the floor. "I rather enjoy getting a calm moment to myself. Slow down and smell the roses, you know?"
"... Look, you really shouldn't be here," Reno said, dropping the pretenses.
"Is there some reason I shouldn't be here?" You asked innocently. You know the real answer is 'because Aerith frequently comes here.' but he can't just say that to you.
Before Reno could come up with an answer his PHS started to ring. The Turk turned away from you and had a hurried, whispered conversation on the PHS. "Seriously? Ugh, I'm on my way!" He spared one last searching look at you before he ran off.
You breathed a sigh of relief that Reno was gone and knelt down next to the bed of flowers. Ideally, you could get this done before he came back.
Compared to your attempt to meditate in Dalmasca, the Planet responded to you alarmingly quickly, turning some fragment of its grand consciousness to you within minutes of you reaching out to it.
You had the Planet's attention, and you had questions, too many to get them all answered. So…
What Do You Ask? (2 Questions)
[] Where Are The Crystals?: You've learned that the crystals are forced for good, or oppose chaos at least. But where are the others? [Reveals the location of some of the Crystals][] Where Are My Friends?: You miss the rest of your team dearly, surely the Planet would know where her champions had gone? [Reveals the locations of some of Aerith's old party members]
[] What is Chaos Doing?: Chaos has been awfully quiet, or indirect. Perhaps you simply don't know what machinations are part of his plan. What has he been doing? [Reveals information about Chaos's actions]
[] Who Can I Trust?: Living in this big mixed-up world, you've met a lot of good people, but you're well aware that there are plenty of bad people too. A little bit of insight or forewarning would be appreciated. [Reveal information about some good-hearted people who may be able to help]
[] What Should I Worry About?: If you know what crises are coming you can plan for them, work to preempt them, or at the very least dull the damage. [Reveal information about the coming crisis]
[] Write in: Write in a question
The entirety of Tantalus gathered in 'the war room' (which was really just the room with the biggest table) and examined their prey. Or rather, a model of Shinra Tower, complete with little dolls of the various executives.
The gist of the plan never changed. Tantalus would put in their production of LOVELESS as a distraction while a small team infiltrated Shinra Tower. But the specifics were still in flux. Baku came up with a few plans, but since you had escaped from Shinra once before, he was willing to hear you out. So...
Which Plan Do You Speak In Favor Of?
[] Plan: Smash and Grab: Zidane, Vaan, and Shadow will take the stairs up to floor 60, and immediately rush for the elevator. With the Scientist's keycard they should be able to get to the lab immediately, at which point they can fight their way to Garnet and Steiner. [Pros: Quick and efficient. Does not rely on disguises or trickery. Cons: If the distraction doesn't work, Zidane and co might find themselves facing SOLDIERs on the way out][] Plan: True Stealth: Zidane, Vaan, and Shadow will take the stairs up to floor 60 and try to sneak into the lab without being spotted. Once in the lab they'll try to quietly break out Garnet and Steiner before making their escape. [Pros: May delay the raising of the alarm, if Zidane, Vaan, and Shadow aren't spotted. Cons: If spotted, Zidane, Vaan, and Shadow will have further to go
[] Plan: Turkish Surprise: Zidane, Vaan, and Shadow will disguise themselves as Turks, and take the elevator up to floor 60. They'll try to enter the lab under the umbrella of an "investigation" and get to Garnet and Steiner without raising suspicion. [Pros: The Turks have the authority to go wherever they want. If the disguises hold, the scientists may lead you right to Garnet and Steiner. Cons: Turks recognize other Turks, so they'll have an easy time seeing through the disguise. But the chances of them being in the lab is fairly slim.]
[] Plan: Security Detail: Zidane, Vaan, and Shadow will disguise themselves as normal Shinra security officers, and take the elevator to floor 60. If anyone asks why they're headed to the lab, they'll say they're being called for "security reasons" and redirect inquiries to Heidegger. Once there, they'll search for Garnet and Steiner. [Pros: The security officer uniform includes a helmet, allowing for the team to more easily conceal themselves. No one expects a faceless security agent to be up to anything nefarious. Cons: The security team has relatively little power or authority. Refusing orders to leave or relocate will be highly suspicious.]
[] Write in: You've escaped from Shinra before, surely you can come up with a good plan yourself? [Pros and Cons depend on the written plan.]
Sorry guys, I got Post Convention Disease and couldn't bring myself to write for some reason. I really had to crawl to get this one over the finish line. Please note that the Plan and Questions are separate votes, so feel free to separate them in your votes, it's easier for me to count that way
There is 24-hour Moratorium In Place.
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Critian Caceorte
Currently Suffering from Space-Time Narcolepsy
- Location
- Washington State
I think Crystals and Chaos are the two big important questions, since they're stuff which we can't really figure out on our own. Not sure about the plan details.
I've been waiting for it, and you did not disappoint. It was well worth the wait. Poor Chroma, poor Cid, poor Chocobo, and Poor Shirma... I would say your reward is making it canon, but parts of this have been part of my plan since you initially floated the idea. Specifically, the part where all the Chocobo's Fable Heroes are off doing their own thing, and The Destroyer is on the hunt.
Instead, please take this 10 QP and the assurance that the Destroyer is out there. Doing stuff. You might see him and his hunters later down the line.
AweStriker
Mobocracy
- Location
- Wherever He Wants
Hm.
Who's this new Turk they're saying they have? Blond(e) and parading around like a jerk… My first thought is Seifer, but maybe it's Tidus's efforts with the Mastiffs?
Out of the infiltration plans, I like True Stealth the best — but if someone with more knowledge of the building has a better plan to write in I'm for that.
Who's this new Turk they're saying they have? Blond(e) and parading around like a jerk… My first thought is Seifer, but maybe it's Tidus's efforts with the Mastiffs?
Out of the infiltration plans, I like True Stealth the best — but if someone with more knowledge of the building has a better plan to write in I'm for that.
- Location
- Washington
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Tidus is more Golden Retriever energy rather then the type who'd willingly sign up with the Turks.
Seifer is pretty much pure asshole to the uninitiated, and would sign up with the Turks if he thinks it'll help him and his get up in the world.
Awww! Con crud sucks, I hope you get better soon.
How are we going to know who she is when she gets back? She's iconic!
On a slightly more serious note, Ruby's expertise in these things really shines through. The entire troupe's does, really. Nicely done!
Wonder who the ??? was... The Turks? The scientist?
ANYWAY! For the Planet, I'm inclined towards Where Are The Crystals? and Where Are My Friends?. Former to get an idea of future goals and where we should be aiming for, the latter because I feel like it'd be something Aerith would want to know.
For the Plan... Since we have a keycard, I'm actually a little more inclined towards just smash-and-grab, since the keycard would cover one of the main setbacks to that plan... But at the same time, it's still the plan that has the most concerning "what if everything goes wrong?" outcome.
... Honestly, though, I think I'd want to go with Turkish Surprise since at the very least, the failure outcome would be really, really funny.
... Damn. That does make her look very different. She even got a haircut?
On a slightly more serious note, Ruby's expertise in these things really shines through. The entire troupe's does, really. Nicely done!
Hell yeah! Thanks, Shadow!
Wonder who the ??? was... The Turks? The scientist?
Good! Even I'm glad for that, though I wonder... Why was he canned? Think Shinra is going to be trying to make warships and actually needs someone competent on the staff now?
... Huh. Betting this is an Important Character... Wonder who? ... Faris? Zell?
... YES! NICE! Thank you very much, Shadow, please join our team permanently at your earliest convenience.
... Oh. I'm suddenly glad we weren't swept up in that.
Uh... Huh. Who might you people be? The scimitars and scale makes me think Marilith and Tiamat, but that wouldn't make sense... Would it? Aerith seems to feel at ease with the message, no matter how bizzare it is to have that happen. But the flower jungle, and the Planet or her impulse would have warned her if it was a trick by the Fiends. Wouldn't it?
ANYWAY! For the Planet, I'm inclined towards Where Are The Crystals? and Where Are My Friends?. Former to get an idea of future goals and where we should be aiming for, the latter because I feel like it'd be something Aerith would want to know.
For the Plan... Since we have a keycard, I'm actually a little more inclined towards just smash-and-grab, since the keycard would cover one of the main setbacks to that plan... But at the same time, it's still the plan that has the most concerning "what if everything goes wrong?" outcome.
... Honestly, though, I think I'd want to go with Turkish Surprise since at the very least, the failure outcome would be really, really funny.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I'm gonna have to be brief here, but generally speaking, I support the Crystals and Friends questions. Crystals because, well, we could use an eventual goal in our adventures and some reasons to head to parts unknown to Aerith and Co.
Friends because while we may know where Barret is, Aerith certainly doesn't. And if the question goes well enough that she learns he's on his way to the Dalmasca region, well... Bonus points, I say.
Learning where all the others are gives yet more objectives out in the wide wide world. Especially if "others" includes "Marlene," oh goodness gracious that's gonna be a bombshell when Setzer is off galavanting in Yusnaan and has become intimately familiar with the air route to Cocoon and he owes us another couple favours.
Friends because while we may know where Barret is, Aerith certainly doesn't. And if the question goes well enough that she learns he's on his way to the Dalmasca region, well... Bonus points, I say.
Learning where all the others are gives yet more objectives out in the wide wide world. Especially if "others" includes "Marlene," oh goodness gracious that's gonna be a bombshell when Setzer is off galavanting in Yusnaan and has become intimately familiar with the air route to Cocoon and he owes us another couple favours.
TLDR summary: fun update, have some writeins and ideas, read below for details
writeins:
[] "where do you want me to go next?" (ask the planet's opinion for what to do, presumably either what it considers the best problem to cut off at the bud/the highest priority issue to deal with. hopefully something we're actually capable of fixing, though even if it's a challenge I'm sure we can make it work)
-[] (if infiltrating as Turks/security) try to maximise speed wherever possible. act like you have urgent business to do to move faster without looking shady, and if people are in the way don't feel afraid to strongarm them a where possible, if you outrank them.
-[] (if infiltrating as Turks/security) prepare excuses (with evidence) for plausible deniability beforehand. if your identity is questioned you're either new recruits or have been out of Midgar (depending if the questioner is experienced/new respectfully), if anyone tries to divert you you're occupied and it can't wait, and you are *absolutely* not here to investigate hojo/stage a prison break, you're just need to provide new information on the test subjects in person (if still looking for Garnet, as this leads us to their direction (if asked this is needed to confirm its accuracy)). after Garnet is with us, we're relocating the test subject for operations in a separate facility(of course it exists, it's just a blacksite)(if the alarm hasn't ben raised)/for security purposes(when the alarm has been raised)
(excuses for given will vary depending on who's being talked to so there may be a risk of being caught in multiple lies(or given people knowing it's false anyhow), but I've tried to minimise risk of contradictions and i'd hope the infiltration team would do so too when deceiving people? they'd probably anyhow but might as well add this, especially the "we're new/old Turks" on old/new Turks trick, which i'm proud of lol)
(for strongarming/being busy, whether it's worth doing/safe to do varies so in some situations it might risk attention, but even then it's probs worth not getting diverted to maintain a disguise?)
(claiming Garnet's with us as regular transportation is a long-shot but no harm in trying right? but the lie might get a bit hard to sell if we try to take her to public spaces, so probably best by that point to not do anything else that'd slow things down even if it hasn't been busted already? besides, there's probably complications so anything complicated might not work anyhow)
if according to shadow's investigation they've been hiring a bunch of Turks lately, it stands to reason the team would have a decent excuse for not being recognised/doing dumb stuff that wouldn't be expected from a Turk? though can't assume that'd be good enough to fool any turks themselves, and we know there's also going to be more of them than usual to boot. maybe things would go well if we run into new guys who aren't as experienced/aware of who's who? can't rely on that, but i'm thinking Shinra may have been sending the experienced guys out to deal with all of the other factions (since that's an obvious priority, leaving them worse on defence which they're trying to make up here?)
so right now i'm most interested in that plan (seems like it'd have advantages like being a good mix of speed, discretion and ability to loot stuff, with maybe even an excuse to see Tidus(assuming they were the boisterous Turk mentioned? could be fun, though i don't think we'd benefit since wakka isn't here or anything),
that said, it may be best to specialise it a bit with writeins?, maybe come up some better excuses beforehand, like if they get stopped by anyone specifically claiming to be new (and that they either aren't going to audit the lab, but either to somewhere else more inconspicuous or to the lab for something else depending on the situation?)
plus maybe measures to avoid being stopped by Turks in the first place (higher focus on speed when there's a good excuse/nobody around to get suspicious, like you would in a smash and grab? or specifically trying to avoid encountering Turks in the first place, again like you would do in the smash and grab)
for the planet votes, "what should i be worried about" seems valuable but idk really, may be too tempoary? especially if it's sort of just about chaos events which aren't too bad? may be best to ask specifically about chaos if they're going to be screwing a lot of stuff up (we had a research action for that, but this may boost/simplify/be a substitute for it? and saving actions is always nice)
similarly, "who can i trust" probably isn't too needed since there's a bunch of people who can be prospective allies around, unless there's someone specific the world could push us to in particular/you think it'd save a lot of effort(i.e, less need for actions for diplomacy, negotiation etc), or being warned about bad actors is particularly valuable? and if we were particularly interested in personal stuff, asking about our friends would be similar to this (both give allies)?
Overall not sure what to go for, but maybe one question each of assets (which are crystal location, friend location, ally location) and threats (what chaos is doing/upcoming crisises)?
As for writeins, aside from trying to minmax and cram more information into a single question, maybe we can ask on what to do/where to go to get strength necessary for things(training, loot, materia, magicite, WEAPONS etc) or for where to go to cut off possible future threats before they become unmanageable, like the rock dragon time paradox?
a "where do you want me to go next" question might give us a good priority action, assuming we're willing to trust the planet's judement on the best course at least
regarding the update:
hehe, get intrigue'd. the nat 100 is nice of course, but so is the disguise? for one, seems like it immediately helped us *not* get IDed by reno here? plus if there wasn't a roll involved it looks like doing it made the thing autosucceed, so maybe *not* doing it would have been an autofailure? or at least a risky roll...
though, if the +20 to disguise didn't come up this time (and it wouldn't have come up when visiting our house/the church without a disguise) are we going to have a roll with the bonus in the future? it'd be handy if hiding's needed later this turn, and a nice bonus if we get to use it in the future... so i guess fingers crossed we'd be able to look like someone else underneath our costume when acting, or more generally make use of what we've learned in the future? (i don't think a suit would be too inconspicuous in other places in the world afterall, and it'd be pretty awkward to get busted because we weren't wearing it today lmao)
on another note, it's also nice how participating in the performance adds our diplomacy to the roll, was assuming that participating without doing the extra prep to give a boost would just be a selfish thing?
fingers crossed the infiltration team has a good time, it's not bestowing confidence when they just got told the basics here lol, fingers crossed they were getting that sort of info already and it just wasn't shown on screen until now?
(oh btw, i don't personally care too much about these writeins over other options so moved them to the bottom, but maybe still worth bringing them up, what do you think of thes?)
[] "how can i win against Chaos?" (ask what's needed to defeat them, or failing that victory conditions we should aim for? though that's probs just "whatever works tbh" and "go to all the crystals and stop them from being messed with")
[] "what's chaos's planning for in the future (ask about future actions/their endgame, and things to try and stop? though i think we already know this, as it's screwing with the crystals and the like, so no point asking right?))
writeins:
[] "where do you want me to go next?" (ask the planet's opinion for what to do, presumably either what it considers the best problem to cut off at the bud/the highest priority issue to deal with. hopefully something we're actually capable of fixing, though even if it's a challenge I'm sure we can make it work)
-[] (if infiltrating as Turks/security) try to maximise speed wherever possible. act like you have urgent business to do to move faster without looking shady, and if people are in the way don't feel afraid to strongarm them a where possible, if you outrank them.
-[] (if infiltrating as Turks/security) prepare excuses (with evidence) for plausible deniability beforehand. if your identity is questioned you're either new recruits or have been out of Midgar (depending if the questioner is experienced/new respectfully), if anyone tries to divert you you're occupied and it can't wait, and you are *absolutely* not here to investigate hojo/stage a prison break, you're just need to provide new information on the test subjects in person (if still looking for Garnet, as this leads us to their direction (if asked this is needed to confirm its accuracy)). after Garnet is with us, we're relocating the test subject for operations in a separate facility(of course it exists, it's just a blacksite)(if the alarm hasn't ben raised)/for security purposes(when the alarm has been raised)
(excuses for given will vary depending on who's being talked to so there may be a risk of being caught in multiple lies(or given people knowing it's false anyhow), but I've tried to minimise risk of contradictions and i'd hope the infiltration team would do so too when deceiving people? they'd probably anyhow but might as well add this, especially the "we're new/old Turks" on old/new Turks trick, which i'm proud of lol)
(for strongarming/being busy, whether it's worth doing/safe to do varies so in some situations it might risk attention, but even then it's probs worth not getting diverted to maintain a disguise?)
(claiming Garnet's with us as regular transportation is a long-shot but no harm in trying right? but the lie might get a bit hard to sell if we try to take her to public spaces, so probably best by that point to not do anything else that'd slow things down even if it hasn't been busted already? besides, there's probably complications so anything complicated might not work anyhow)
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regarding votes:if according to shadow's investigation they've been hiring a bunch of Turks lately, it stands to reason the team would have a decent excuse for not being recognised/doing dumb stuff that wouldn't be expected from a Turk? though can't assume that'd be good enough to fool any turks themselves, and we know there's also going to be more of them than usual to boot. maybe things would go well if we run into new guys who aren't as experienced/aware of who's who? can't rely on that, but i'm thinking Shinra may have been sending the experienced guys out to deal with all of the other factions (since that's an obvious priority, leaving them worse on defence which they're trying to make up here?)
so right now i'm most interested in that plan (seems like it'd have advantages like being a good mix of speed, discretion and ability to loot stuff, with maybe even an excuse to see Tidus(assuming they were the boisterous Turk mentioned? could be fun, though i don't think we'd benefit since wakka isn't here or anything),
that said, it may be best to specialise it a bit with writeins?, maybe come up some better excuses beforehand, like if they get stopped by anyone specifically claiming to be new (and that they either aren't going to audit the lab, but either to somewhere else more inconspicuous or to the lab for something else depending on the situation?)
plus maybe measures to avoid being stopped by Turks in the first place (higher focus on speed when there's a good excuse/nobody around to get suspicious, like you would in a smash and grab? or specifically trying to avoid encountering Turks in the first place, again like you would do in the smash and grab)
for the planet votes, "what should i be worried about" seems valuable but idk really, may be too tempoary? especially if it's sort of just about chaos events which aren't too bad? may be best to ask specifically about chaos if they're going to be screwing a lot of stuff up (we had a research action for that, but this may boost/simplify/be a substitute for it? and saving actions is always nice)
similarly, "who can i trust" probably isn't too needed since there's a bunch of people who can be prospective allies around, unless there's someone specific the world could push us to in particular/you think it'd save a lot of effort(i.e, less need for actions for diplomacy, negotiation etc), or being warned about bad actors is particularly valuable? and if we were particularly interested in personal stuff, asking about our friends would be similar to this (both give allies)?
Overall not sure what to go for, but maybe one question each of assets (which are crystal location, friend location, ally location) and threats (what chaos is doing/upcoming crisises)?
As for writeins, aside from trying to minmax and cram more information into a single question, maybe we can ask on what to do/where to go to get strength necessary for things(training, loot, materia, magicite, WEAPONS etc) or for where to go to cut off possible future threats before they become unmanageable, like the rock dragon time paradox?
a "where do you want me to go next" question might give us a good priority action, assuming we're willing to trust the planet's judement on the best course at least
regarding the update:
hehe, get intrigue'd. the nat 100 is nice of course, but so is the disguise? for one, seems like it immediately helped us *not* get IDed by reno here? plus if there wasn't a roll involved it looks like doing it made the thing autosucceed, so maybe *not* doing it would have been an autofailure? or at least a risky roll...
though, if the +20 to disguise didn't come up this time (and it wouldn't have come up when visiting our house/the church without a disguise) are we going to have a roll with the bonus in the future? it'd be handy if hiding's needed later this turn, and a nice bonus if we get to use it in the future... so i guess fingers crossed we'd be able to look like someone else underneath our costume when acting, or more generally make use of what we've learned in the future? (i don't think a suit would be too inconspicuous in other places in the world afterall, and it'd be pretty awkward to get busted because we weren't wearing it today lmao)
on another note, it's also nice how participating in the performance adds our diplomacy to the roll, was assuming that participating without doing the extra prep to give a boost would just be a selfish thing?
fingers crossed the infiltration team has a good time, it's not bestowing confidence when they just got told the basics here lol, fingers crossed they were getting that sort of info already and it just wasn't shown on screen until now?
(oh btw, i don't personally care too much about these writeins over other options so moved them to the bottom, but maybe still worth bringing them up, what do you think of thes?)
[] "how can i win against Chaos?" (ask what's needed to defeat them, or failing that victory conditions we should aim for? though that's probs just "whatever works tbh" and "go to all the crystals and stop them from being messed with")
[] "what's chaos's planning for in the future (ask about future actions/their endgame, and things to try and stop? though i think we already know this, as it's screwing with the crystals and the like, so no point asking right?))
the whole L'Cie situation? getting IC knowledge of that *before* things go terribly for her could be nice, yeah. guess we'd be spending a favour on that if so (somehow at least, doesn't seem like we can just rescue her if she needs to follow her oath now right?)
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He seems familiar.
As for the questions, I'm for learning where the crystals are and who can I trust. There isn't much we can do to directly oppose Chaos right now so I'm more interested in what is useful imminently rather than something that might be useful several turns from now.
I did roll for it, I just forgot to include it in the update. That's my bad, I'll add that back to the update when I get a chance. The result were
Aerith vs ???
45+ 16+ 20 (Disguise) = 81 vs 15+ ??+ ?? (Unknown Trait)= 58
Shinra's Faction Trait and Aerith's Flower of the Slums were included, but the bonus and malis canceled each other out. Without the disguise, Aerith would have gotten a bare success, evading detection, but increasing the chance she gets detected later.
fair, and good to know it's been useful too!
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Hm, I could see Seifer with the Turks, though it wouldn't be very 'knightly', but perhaps he's already in 'the knight has retired' stage, or he's a double agent of course. Hm... I mean, Ulti (and thus Edea) aren't in play most likely so he'd be a bit of a free agent. But then again, I would have half expected him to latch on to bodyguarding some kind of mage. (Heck, I could have seen Seifer absolutely stoked about becoming a Guardian. 'Sorceress' Knight'
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- Pronouns
- She/Her
...a thought occurs.
Aerith is very dead in the FF7 timeline she came from, considering her last memory was of The Stabbening:tm:.
Cloud has his memories sealed, so he had no reaction to seeing Aerith again. For now.
Barret, on the other hand, whenever he gets around to Macalania Temple...
Oh my god that'll be quite the reunion there.
Aerith is very dead in the FF7 timeline she came from, considering her last memory was of The Stabbening:tm:.
Cloud has his memories sealed, so he had no reaction to seeing Aerith again. For now.
Barret, on the other hand, whenever he gets around to Macalania Temple...
Oh my god that'll be quite the reunion there.
... Hey, you know, we can probably combine these three points together? Show up as new Turks and have Zidane claim that they have some sort of secret, key information on Garnet, feed them something that sounds important, but is ultimately inconsequential, to add credence to their story so to get them closer to Garnet and Steiner, and bust out from there?.
no harm in doing so if it comes up, but my take is basically "don't offer excuses, give them if needed" since that way there's less chance of our bluff beingcalled right? like, new turks who happen to have the info are suspicious, but turks who've found it out when they've been doing discreet things are less so? and just leave whether they're new or not flexible. being natives to somewhere else would explain having knowledge, but it'd also make the party more recognisable (and thus easier to realise as people who don't belong)
plus while we *can* do stuff like that to get closer, there's no need to take risks if staying hidden's an option, so it's more of a plan b/option for if being seen is inevitable, right?
Yeah, definitely. That's more specifically for "when we get to the lab, we can offer a nugget of information to "prove" we have "important information about the summoner" and subsequently require getting to her for... Something. Point of the matter is, I'm thinking to use that as the cover story to get close to her, and establish credence if anyone starts looking at the group funny like "hey you [Turks] can't just barge in here, and who are you people anyway? I've never seen you around here before."
Otherwise, I'm going to trust the three to know how to remain discreet, no matter what plan we go with.
Otherwise, I'm going to trust the three to know how to remain discreet, no matter what plan we go with.