melodiesoflife | Player Plot: The Crystal Caves

[The energy in this place is incredible… She can't help wondering what it might be like to train here, as much as that's not what they've come for. One ear remains trained on the conversation.]

Maybe that made it easier to attune those pulled here to Crystallis.

[But it's curious, and definitely not what she'd been imagining.

She startles when the ground starts to shake, taking a step back, tail out.]

Looking for answers. [she tilts her head, looking for some sort of source.] What are you?

Twilight is startled by the sudden voice before she starts waving a hoof to keep everyone quiet. She still has Sparks' response from the void in her mind.

"We mean you no harm. As was said, we are looking for answers to help protect this world." She said. "You're the Soul Divider, aren't you?"

[Cloud glances at Selphie first.]

It's like what Jack just said. Cycle of Souls works too. In my world it's basically the life force of the planet, or maybe better to say the force of life. Things come from it when they're born and return to it when they die. Most people just consider it a story. The Other Me knew a bit more about it. He thought about it a lot. [And the people who were in it.]

But yeah...I think the red is souls or energy from our worlds and maybe they're being changed. Converted?

[Does that mean the pull is permanent? The question of whether or not he could remain in this world if he so chose has been on his mind and discussed quite a bit lately, but this is the first visual proof of it all. Still, this all makes it feel somewhat nefarious too. Like he's been stolen rather than borrowed.

But as those words are both heard and felt by all the Heroes, Cloud whirls about, drawing his sword and shield as he looks for both the source of the voice as well as the named. If Garland is here then they're all in serious trouble. Even when the voice implies otherwise he remains on edge but quiet, letting the others handle this. No need to complicate the situation with noise.]

Annnnd this was the one thing Jack hadn't expected. If there's a conscious entity in charge of all of this? Jack starts slowly backing towards the elevator again. This has got to be something on the level of Abbadon or Cyriath, but we don't have a convenient hole in space-time to shove them in.

But that damn question is right on the tip of Jack's tongue. No. Nooo. Don't provoke it...

"...Why the hell would Garland be here? He's trapped where he is."

"Jack, language," Ales whispered. Being the device that gave Crystallis life, he expected that they would treat it with respect if they want anything positive out of it.

He stepped forward, still reeling from the discovery of the crystallized caverns. Was this where Dycedarg betrayed the Heroes in the last cycle as he stole the Black Crystal? Could that room be somewhere nearby? If the SOUL DIVIDER hadn't spoken, he would have continued investigating the area for traces of that long-gone battle.

"When did you last see Garland?"

You are partially correct. I am a byproduct of the Soul Divider, Garland’s Modifications and Crystallis’ Will.

[ The shaking doesn’t stop, if anything it seems to amplify. To makes things worst—The Elevator doesn’t seem to work whilst the voice is speaking into their mind. ]

Garland is free of his movements. It has been twenty-nine of your years since I last saw him.

"Twenty-nine...?" Twilight uttered before she started thinking it over and getting an understanding of what she meant. "Aqures Tosf!"

Twilight turned to face the others. "Garland was in that town before it was destroyed, right? He must have been brought here afterwards..."

And thinking again. "...which means Palitutu has known of this place for decades!"

[Selphie frowned thoughtfully but didn't have much to offer to the current conversation. She knew little about Garland other than they needed to take him out but would otherwise wander closer to the harp. She pulled her white crystal from her pocket and held it out in front of her and looked at the blue and red dots that traversed it from time to time.]

Hey... What about those of us with white crystals? My crystal hasn't changed at all since I arrived.

He was. I remember seeing him.

[Sephiroth answers Twilight but just nods when it comes to mention of Palitutu. That name never fails to make him feel all kinds of sour, even more so knowing that she's still alive, if comatose.

Sephiroth closes his grip around his crystal, returning it to his inside pocket as the ground starts to shake more, spreading his stance firmly so it's not going to knock him about. At the same time though, he does wonder if the elevator was even rigged to go back up or not.]

Could you explain...'Garland's Modifications'?

I'd like to hear the answer as well. And what do you mean by Crystallis' Will?

[At least the voice is answering questions... for the time being. Here's hoping this shaking isn't a sign of aggression.]

I do not know.

[ These words were in response to Selphie, and it didn’t seem there was malice in the voice that resounded in their heads. For how ominous the voice sounded, it seemed honest. ]

The Soul Divider was created by Herans to quench their fear of death, not for Garland’s use. He needed a tool to perpetuate the cycle and keep Narayana sealed, hence he modified it. The Will of Crystallis is the same than that of any living entity—To live and survive.

They do not want it for the same reasons, but the Soul Divider, Garland and Crystallis all share a same objective: the continued existence of this world, even if the cost is other worlds. It is for the accomplishment of this common purpose I exist.

Isn't there another way to handle this other than sacrificing worlds for each other? There's no way that's the only answer, given how there are so many possibilities already.

[ Mikleo spoke after a long moment of silence. ]

[Rukia nods to Sheena and smudges some of the black smoke off of her cheek with the cuff of her sleeve.]

I'm all right. Best to put that away for now, the supernatural activity is simply too high for our equipment.

[She smiles, then inclines her head in thanks to Selphie as she accepts the potion and restores her health. The minor injuries fade almost instantaneously, and that gives her plenty of time to listen to this new voice and digest what it has to say.]

[After it finishes speaking, her furrowed brow eases slightly. The will to continue existing... It strikes a little close to home for her...for Kon, for the Quincys. She raises her head and squares her shoulders.]

Our objective is to repair the Soul Divider, so that nothing further needs to be destroyed. We wish for Crystallis to live as well, able to sustain itself, rather than at the cost of the lives inhabiting our own worlds. We'd like to take a look around and see what may be done to ensure that this is so.

Edited 2016-11-01 23:47 (UTC)

Jack is mentally swearing as the elevator refuses to start up again. Only way through is forwards, then. "The Will of Crystallis," Jack shakes his head. "The planet itself is fighting back against the Calamity, to keep the Calamity and Narayana held back, or it would have devoured everything already."

"What about what I said earlier? The crystalization? It stems from here, doesn't it? The planet needs a vessel to carry out its will?" This isn't too far-fetched for Jack.

[Cloud looks back and forth as everyone asks their questions and the Soul Divider answers. It seems to be more forthcoming about things than most of those they've encountered, but he can't quite accept a disembodied voice of something with so ominous a name as an ally just yet. And the the mention of "quenching the Herans' fear of death" isn't comforting either.

He frowns as he considers the answers being given, as well as Rukia and Jack's newest questions. Were they even sure that the soul divider was acting outside of the way it was intended? It didn't seem like it thought so.]

There's something that doesn't make sense here. Who's will is it specifically to sacrifice other worlds? [He throws in another question, one that's been bandied about and he's sure they'll want to know the answer to.] What does S.O.U.L.D.I.V.I.D.E.R. stand for?

[ Sheena nods to Rukia, her meter already being placed back where it belongs. ]

Yeah. The hair on the back of my neck is standing up.

[ It's almost like being home, when she had felt the presence of the Summon Spirits.

Listening to the voice answer questions, Sheena shakes her head. ]

So, the Herans created the Soul Divider to divide their souls from their bodies when they died so they can be "reborn" that way? To gain immortality? Is that what you're saying?

[ There's a clue there somewhere, she can feel it, but she has no idea what it is. ]

I do not know. The creation of this place precedes my birth.

[ This was in answer to Cloud’s question as to what the initials meant; but it seemed the entity wasn’t done replying. ]

The Herans created the Soul Divider to break down, filter, recycle and refine the energy from your worlds. They sought to achieve immortality by stealing life from other worlds and using it to keep their own alive. It was the Herans’ will, but Garland and Crystallis perpetuate it to fit their own needs.

[ And to answer Jack: ]

Correct. Areas contaminated by Narayana are crystallized from here in preparation for Nova Crystallis.

[ Finally it replied to those who mentioned trying to fix the place or sacrificing less worlds to keep Crystallis alive. ]

The Soul Divider is not broken. The number of worlds consumed in the process is irrelevant so long as Crystallis survives.

[So the Divider wasn't broken, which is good! Selphie tucked her own crystal back into a pocket before crossing her arms across her chest. There had to be some way to save Crystallis and their own worlds.]

Do you believe that there's a way to save our worlds and ensure Crystallis's survival? I dunno about the others but I'm open to suggestions.

[Her last question is for anyone to answer though.]

What's Nova Crystallis?

Wait, wait, wait...

[Twilight needs some clarification here. Because she's starting to see something here.]

So, the Herans built you not to save this world, but to save themselves, but Garland and this entire planet are acting on their own to use this for whatever reason.

I guess the bigger question here is what exactly is Crystallis? What exactly could force an entire planet to subvert a system like this? What is it hiding?

[Cloud frowns at the answer. His eyes go to Sheena, trying to catch her gaze. It seems that her theory was right all along. This is a lot like the system she described from her own world.

The question of 'what gives the Herans the right' seems moot at this point. Clearly it's gotten away from them and now it's moving on mostly out of its own momentum. The one turning the wheel as changed but the parts remain the same. The machine hasn't changed.]

What would happen to Crystallis if the soul divider was turned off? What about the other worlds?

[He thinks he can guess the answer already thanks to the things he's heard from the others. Their own worlds may be gone at this point. Consumed or simply long since passed. And somehow he doubts the process can be reversed. The things they visited in the Rift recently might have just been echoes. At least there seem to be multiple versions of worlds out there but...]

No. Crystallis was meant to die long ago. To live, lifeforms consume the lives of other lifeforms. Worlds are lifeforms and the same holds true for Crystallis.

[ There was a pause. ]

When crystallization covers the planet, all lifeforms are extinguished and civilizations destroyed. Your worlds are filtered through the Soul Divider. What can be used becomes part of Crystallis while the leftovers are expulsed into the Interdimensional Rift. The seal over Narayana is renewed and when the crystallization recedes, new life is brought to populate the world until the next coming of your kind. This is what Garland calls Nova Crystallis.

[ And to answer Cloud’s question— ]

The crystallization would recede leaving Narayana free to corrupt the uncrystallized lands. Eventually it would destroy the planet and this dimension before moving on to other ones.

In other words, we can't turn it off. But if we leave it as it is, our home worlds will continue to be assimilated.

[Damn... What options does that leave them?]

...Speaking hypothetically... If there were another energy source to rejuvenate the First Crystal with, could the assimilation be halted and the Soul Divider modified to work with the new source?

[He needs to know if the idea he proposed two months ago to Palitutu is viable at all. If they can't figure out how the Soul Divider works, it's not even worth thinking about...]

But, don't you realize what this process is doing? You're not sealing away Narayana, you're just making it stronger by killing everything else!

[Okay, you've angered Twilight!]

By destroying other worlds and shooting them into the void, you've done nothing but give Narayana strength! You and the Herans and Garland have spent countless years doing the same thing over and over again, you can't think of doing anything else! You're scared of your own mortality!

[ Cloud meets Sheena's gaze easily, since she's looking in his direction. There's no triumph, no victory, in her expression. Why can't she be wrong about this?.

And that problem had been solved by uniting the two worlds. She's not sure the same thing applies here. Maybe if they can shut down access to the Rift itself...

She steps back slightly in the face of Twilight's answer. ]

She's right. You've created a trash heap for a giant cockroach who starts to look towards the closest planet with an open doorway to the Rift for its next meal. When the cycle resets, that trash heap starts growing again, but I have a question.

Does the number of planets needed to satisfy Narayana increase each time?

[ Selphie did ask a good question. Mikleo keeps his distance from the rest of the party, but he seems to have found a place to settle somewhere between Selphie and Rukia. He glances at his two friends, as he processes the truth that's displayed to them.

Some of these things are useful, thus he's jotting down the notes, while keeping himself prepared for anything to happen. Everyone is asking what he wants to ask and he knows the answers might not be what he wants to hear. There has to be some other way.

He looks up at Jade's question. That's something he hasn't considered but the man did bring up a good point. ]

That's something we cannot afford. I want to save everything with no sacrifices if possible. It's not right to destroy other worlds for one person's greed.

[ From the sound of it, the device isn't immortal and that means that Sheena's question will have one answer if he deducts this right. He doesn't comment on it though. ]

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