Event || Strategy

[melodiesmods]

Characters: All the Heroes of Light and some NPCs.
Where: Aqures Ixen, Castle.
When: January 25th, Afternoon
Summary: All the Heroes of Light were formally invited to a meeting in the Castle of Aqures Ixen, in the conference room. They will be able to discuss strategy with their peers and the allies amongst the NPCs. This is the final preparation before endgame.
Warning: N/A.

Mingle Thread
The Meeting

Comments

[empirenpcs]

[ Kurma turned to Mary and was the one to reply. ]

Whilst I will not comment on the diplomatic skills, or lack thereof, of the regent- [This caused Cid to shake his head and mutter something along the lines of 'precious coming from the emperor's sonny'.] You would do well not to compare our contribution to Kalki's. She always knew more than any of us and she had a gift to manipulate your emotions. Lest you forgot, our people's lives are on the line and they shall lose as much as you if we fail in our endeavors. Do not mistake our lack of answers for animosity.

[ With that said, Prajapati was the one to speak once again. ]

The last we need is for us to turn on each other. Would I know anything that could be of help, I would share it without a second thought. As it is, it is my belief working on the Soul Divider is our best option. It is close as we have to a peaceful solution to deal with the Calamity. More importantly, it is not something any of us could accomplish without the Heroes of Light. If the solution doesn't come from our world, then perhaps it is it.

[ She turned to Jade. ]

Sir Jade, I will have our people assist your work in any possible way. Even if our timeframe is limited, this is our best hope.

[hiddentruth]

Indeed. But maybe there would be something else...? Something that is inconcevable to minds as simple as ours.

[ Something only a God could conceive. ]

I am afraid not. Should I do it now, chaos would ensue and ah. Looking at our friends, I believe we already have too much chaos to deal with. Once the chaos is dead, then perhaps I shall share my thoughts.

[hiddentruth]

[ An image painted in blood will never stop being blood, no matter what it's shaped into... ]

Much like how assassinating people to ensure peace, will never be right... No matter what the end purpose is.

[ She nodded, slowly turned away. ]

The question is, do we choose to see blood as the sign death, or as harbinger of life? A different point of view can make good evil, and vice-versa. Therefore is the futility of notions such as good and evil, life or death. Those who make choices must look beyond the blood to admire the final product.

[jadethenecromancer]

Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[He inclines his head.]

I've been working on adapting my homeworld's technology to be compatible with the Soul Divider since we first found it. With the added knowledge of my colleagues [He nods to Jack and the others who'd chimed in during the pre-meeting] I believe we can have a theoretical framework and instructions prepared in the coming weeks.

As for the energy needed for revitalizing the First Crystal... Unless anyone has other suggestions, the only energy source large enough still seems to be the Calamity itself. The next logical step in our agenda would be deciding how we go about communicating with it, correct?

[jadethenecromancer]

Yes... The Calamity is driven by the desire to end its own suffering. In theory, granting that wish should stop its advance.

[The question is, how?]

Did you have something in mind, Yuna?

[jadethenecromancer]

Shadows are the Calamity fragments we've all been carrying from the moment we first came to Crystallis. Since we still have them, I think it's safe to assume we haven't lost our connection to the Calamity.

[Jade pauses, then pulls out a certain transcript he took along just in case.]

Remember what Kalki said in her video tape? Her plan was for one of us to merge with the Calamity and become a God to recreate the world. I wonder if whatever she did to us could have been in preparation for that...

[unyieldingspirit]

[she nods, humming a little.]

I see. He liked animals, then…?

[she shakes herself after a moment.]

I can come by after this to see Boko junior.

[iknowtheconsequences]

Kaji has been silent up until this point. Finally, they're on the one subject he can talk about with some authority. And they have the other people he's been meaning to speak to in this room.

"The Black Crystals were originally formed out of the attempts of four Heroes from last cycle to speak to the Calamity. We know that this resulted in the creation of the Avatars of this cycle," Kaji nods at Ramza, continuing off his earlier point.

"While we have found other uses for the Black Crystals, and so did Palitutu and Artemicion and Kalki, this was their primary function. Whatever the plan is, we're going to need those as focus points."

At this, Kaji looks up at the people from other nations assembled. "We have two of four. One is remaining in the lab to power up people's confrontations with their Calamity Selves. The other is secured separately. And we've been led to believe the other two are in your care. Can we first off confirm who has them? Because I don't think we should actually pool them all together in the same place. But we don't have time for another hunt."

[im_pancake]

[Twilight let out a small sigh as Mary was told off. It made sense for her to go off - it seemed like whenever they were near someone important, they'd want them to jump hoops.]

You'll have to be a little more patient with us, all of you. After over two years of being ran around, forced through ridiculous tests and being mocked because of what we're trying to do and how we act, some of our patience is very low, especially when it comes to protecting this world.

[line_piece]

Yup. His best friend from home was a chocobo. That was the original Boko.

[red_planet_blues]

Reason with the Rift? I nominate, um, anyone but me. Literally anyone but me. Not doin' that again, thanks.

[Sparks thinks on this whole Shadow thing for a moment.]

We all had to, like, accept our Shadows, right? So those of us who have are kinda stuck with havin' that with us forever now.

[neverfirstclass]

Ah, Cloud, and yeah probably. I tend to be around during the day.

[Cloud kept himself busy to the point of overwork most days. His intentions were good but to an outsider sometimes it looked like he was trying to run from his problems. It used to be more true but now he was just as likely to be taking more onto his shoulders than he needed to. Trying to do all he could before things in this world got too dark and dangerous.]

How long have you been here on Crystallis?

[not_most_days]

[Parasraya earns herself a look before she turns. Mary was a soldier, a pirate and an Assassin in her life. One of those who consider the title of Hero one they may not quite deserve. She knows the blood on her hands. She knows she isn't any sort of saint or angel. She just hopes that what she's done truly is for the greater good as she believes.]

Perhaps...but I've said this before. A sacrifice is more admirable if those who give their lives make the choice to do so. If they aren't willing then it's murder, no matter the good that comes of it.

[She knows full well what she's said, and the self incrimination she's making. She's long since made peace with that. The words hold in the air for a moment before her expression softens and she turns to a passing servant, politely asking for her drink to be refilled. Her next words to Parasraya are far more genial.]

And you? Do you need to be topped off?

[shinrasfinest]

[He's heard something similar to this train of thought before and he knows it, it bugs at buried memories but it was so long ago it's just going to make him ponder on it for the rest of the meeting if Sephiroth chews at it too hard. Besides it'll just lead to considering personal knowledge he doesn't yet know enough of to say, and he's trying to keep all those depreciating thoughts away.]

Judging by how things have gone until now, I imagine chaos might well have a full reign before order returns to balance it out.

[Blink. Blink. Damn that wasn't meant to sound so deep but there it is. When did he become so philosophical anyway? Sephiroth wants to push her further but the fact they're hardly acquaintances doesn't leave him many tools in terms of social conventions.]

That's a shame, truly.

[mindofathief]

[Duster moves his attention to this conversation.] A few weeks ago, in the old Observatory, we were thinking of writing a new song for the Calamity. This...might be the way to do it.

[shinrasfinest]

[Finally a tiny flash of light in the perpetual darkness which it seems has been the complete sum of this meeting thus far. As Yuna speaks up, Sephiroth is immediately reminded of his experiences with Yuna and the entourage scaling Mt. Gagazet back on Spira when they'd traveled through the Rift.

From his position stood nearby with his arms folded, once Duster gets involved too Sephiroth seems to rest his attention more pointedly on the conversation and shift a little so he didn't seem quite so closed-off. Eventually, curiosity draws his gleaming green eyes to Yuna firstly.]

...dare I chance to pin what you might be thinking?

[shinrasfinest]

The conversation receives a side-slip of a scowl in response to the mention of military and distractions. Still even though Sephiroth didn't really want to hear it there would always be that small part of his mind, that everyone had, that wanted to hear it even if he might not like it or particularly agree with it.

It was important to gain as broad a spectrum of ideas as possible, it might be the last time that all Heroes and various leaders of Crystallis were all within the same room.

"I might refer to the latest of Palitutu's reports." Sephiroth made an effort to relax his stern posture and even drop his folded arms before turning to those that might listen to him.

"You might consider Garland as the harbinger of Crystallis' will, of its will to go on regardless of the fact that its story should have ended thousands of years ago. In that regard, it seems that Crystallis also created the Calamity."

Words often read sat just behind Sephiroth's eyes, where he could see them like a watermark across everything but no one else could. 'Crystallis is like a black hole. It takes everything. And in return it gives nothing.'

"Unless it's completely unavoidable, I will not allocate any military might for the sake of a distraction. Sending denizens of this World against Garland is sending them to certain death. There are other duties that can be allocated within other locations around the World-" Part of him didn't believe he was about to have to say this-

"We win this fight, or there is no coming back at all."

[ranoutofbugs]

I want to say it's been over two years.

[Lailah reminisces - it has been a while, hasn't it?]

Though I only came to Aqures Ixen about a year ago.

How about you?

[dammit_flynn]

"I wouldn't suggest using the military as a decoy or anything either. Our goal is to survive and throwing away people's lives meaninglessly is not part of it. It may seem idealistic but I'd rather we survive with minimal losses if possible."

Yuri replied as he crossed his arms, glancing at Sephiroth's scowl. He would too if something about his guild came up.

[empirenpcs]

Indeed. Communicating with such an entity might prove problematic, however.

[ Prajapati tilted her head down and pondered, but Kurma replied to Twilight without hesitating would it be for a second. ]

It is no matter of patience. We are not your enemies nor are we the people who mocked you or put you through trials. All the people in this room are united by a singular purpose and have naught to hide. Treat your allies as you would your enemies, and all you will sow is discord and mistrust. If you believe I would keep secrets from you as the very world I live on is threatened, you are sorely mistaken.

[ With that said he turned to Kaji. ]

One such crystal is in my possession, but no more. All four crystals used to be in the Magitek Research Facility in this city, but Kalki tasked Gibbs and two others to retrieve them. [A pause.] One of them wasn't retrieved and remained with Palitutu. The second one was given to a Black Mage Moogle and I managed to get the third one. Presumably, Kalki kept the fourth one. Trace back how you acquired your black crystals and you might find who was the last owner of the missing crystal.

[im_pancake]

[Okay, that made sense, but now it's time to ponder out that bit of information]

Okay, one of our Black Crystals we captured from Palitutu - she had used it for her special job and turned it against us. The Black Mage Moogle you mentioned MIGHT be Mograma's, and I believe we got that one...

...which means we need to figure out where Kalki's is.

[neverfirstclass]

Ah, I've been here from the beginning. Or the beginning of this cycle at least.

[It's a little hard to keep track of after all that's happened.]

So you were part of the group that Kalki gathered while we were frozen...Sorry you had to go through all of that.

[not_most_days]

[Mary takes a long breath, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers. When she's done she looks to Kurma, making eye contact as she bows her head.]

You're right. My apologies. You're not the ones who have put us through this strain. It just seems that we are ever at the disadvantage, that the truth is held one step out of reach, and that when we try to chase certain angles we have had the misfortune to more often do ourselves harm than good.

[She straightens up and gestures at the assembled group.]

But you've all worked with us, even when our foes have found ways to manipulate us for our own ends. We owe you much. It's merely frustrating when it's implied we're not holding up our end. We haven't been sitting on our laurels.

[She gives Cid a look, but then another nod and a smile. He's done well by her by deed if not by word. Her outburst is on her. She looks back to the table and thinks.]

I've tried to gather what information I could, but my contacts have found no clue or trace of her. Those of us who were drawn to this world while the others were taking the long road from the past were the last to see her, and it seems all you saw was her sending you off while she clashed with Palitutu, correct?

[But Palitutu isn't in a condition to speak at the moment.]

I wonder if any of our Jobs would allow us to contact her sleeping mind?

[im_pancake]

[And Twilight's eyes go wide, eyes sparkling as she realizes something]

That's it! The past! Aqures Tosf! I wasn't there for it, but if I remember correctly, everyone who went to the past was stuck in a locked room where the Crystal of Fire was held, right? There was a giant hole that she fell into when some of the other heroes tried to rescue her!

That was the last time any of us saw Kalki. It could be possible that it's still down there!

[iknowtheconsequences]

Kaji frowns so deeply at Kurma's words. "We were under the assumption that the Crystal we got off of Palitutu was the one that had previously been in Kalki's possession. Figured that if Palitutu killed her, she would have taken the Crystal for herself. But if she had one all along?"

Kaji turns back to the other Heroes. "Who went to Kalki's grave site? Gimme, as close as you can, where it's at."

Kaji pulls a black stone out of his pocket. At first glance, it appears to be a black crystal, itself, but this one has retained some shape, and there is no magic coming off of it. "Because we can check right now if it's there."