melodiesoflife | Melodies Of Life || Change those flowing tears into shining courage, life goes on

Characters: Anyone who's been in the game
Where: Aqures Ixen
When: August 3rd
Summary: A story is over, many others are about to begin. Friends may reunite and rejoice together, friends may part and say farewell to each over forever. But even if you should leave your friends behind, your voice shall never forget their melodies.

Following the battle against Kalki, the sacrifice of old friends and the second destruction of Aqures Tosf, Palitutu cast all Heroes of Light into the Rift, each of them finding themselves in an all too familiar void. And yet... Soon the void vanished, as it had once before. This time it was all too clear none of this had been a dream. Upon coming to their senses, the Heroes of Light will find themselves on the outskirts of Aqures Ixen. Music and laughter can be heard coming from the city.

Is there a celebration in the city? Shouldn't it be filled with corrupted Heroes of Light and on the brink of destruction? Before they can do anything about these questions, the Heroes of Light are submerged by a wave of fluffy white balls of fur and fluff- the Moogles who helped them for all these years and are now overjoyed to see they are safe and sound. As they once did before, the Moogles will answer all of their questions, but also drag them into the city. A celebration is indeed taking place and why, it appears they are the reason the celebration is happening. The music is joyous, the people are happy and all appears to be for the best.

Upon reaching the third district, they will see familiar faces. Cid, Wedge, Biggs, Parajapati, Mograma, O'aka and many other friends they made along the way. They will all clap for them before congratulating them and taking part in the festivities. There are more familiar faces, however. Where once stood the Crystal of Fire is now a statue depicting four Heroes of Light: Sephiroth, Minato, Tears and Sayaka, all four of them brandishing their crystal and weapons in a heroic posture.

Whilst many might be sad and mourn them, perhaps this is also an occasion to celebrate what they were in life and carry the memory of their deeds into your own life. Melodies of life, come circle round and grow deep in our hearts, as long as we remember.

THE END

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[What a good kid, buying a soda instead of dodging the bouncers and stealing booze. If he hadn't already planned on adopting Ramza, he would have asked is he were planning to return to his home planet.]

Still need to do a final draft, but never got around to finishin' in on account of goin' back in time, fightin' off all sorts of trouble, losin' the manuscript when I was turned into crystal, and everythin' that Kalki was. But it's gettin' there.

[He turns to the tent, checking if anyone is eavesdropping.]

Course the black mage wins. I added a tragic past to the villain of the story, but he gets redeemed just before he dies, which makes for a lot better character arc.

[If you drink you can't bike! It's clear what's the better thing to be doing.]

[Manami leans in interestedly as Barkeep explains things.]

Mmm~ so lots more weird stuff happened. I guess you didn't have much time for writing then! 'Specially if you were crystal for a bit. Can't do much of anything like that.

[He tilts his head back and forth for a moment, then takes a sip of soda.]

So it's not quite 'the bad guy was a good guy'? That sounds good too!
Hehe~ I'd totally read it, Barkeep-san, but I don't think I'll have a chance to.

[And to be honest he'd rather be told about it than read anyway.]

Most folks don't cause trouble just because they got a tragic backstory, Manami. They got a messed up idea of what they're entitled to or they're just selfish. Still, some stories go better with a tragic villain than a force o' nature one. Like this historical drama for instance. The tension comes from opposin' ideologies, not a straightforward invasion.

[Drinking his soda through Barkeep's impassioned explanation, Manami's head tilts to the side again at the end.]

I think I know what you mean~ [Kinda. He was more or less with him until that last sentence.]

I guess if it's history, it doesn't matter too much.

How about now? I heard that some people are gonna stay here instead of going home! What about you? [Hello, new tangent.]

[Please. History is plenty fine.

Mordecai, however, is pleased to change to a topic he's just as passionate about.]

Goin' home, what else? I got a town to look over, and my wife's gonna be worried sick after all those years! What kinda husband would I be if I just left her to feel sad that I left Mars and never came back? And what kinda mayor would I be if I abandoned my place? If I got the power of the Force Galactic, I'm gonna use it where it ain't taken away by some magic crystals!

Ohhh~ You're a Mayor-san and married and a Barkeep-san? Plus a writer? You're pretty amazing after all!

... The Force?

I feel like I've heard that one before. But I'm not good at watching movies.

Force Galactic, power of the cosmos. The marriage and barkeep came first, followed by the space powers, and then the mayor.

[He smiles smugly.]

Always was a writer.

Power of the cosmos? [He repeats that softly to himself, barely listening to Barkeep's orderly list of credentials.]
...
...
...!

Did you become a super hero?

[Mordecai doesn't know how to think about this. He never considered himself as a hero, just a guy that happened to be the most powerful mortal in the universe. He didn't fly around saving people like the Marshal or like he did on Crystallis, he just kept things neat and organized while doing his best to live his life as a small business owner and a mayor. The Force Galactic did help a bit with getting elected.]

I don't think of it that way. Did save the universe once, still proud of that, but only 'cause no one else was gonna do it. Could do it even. Everyone else that tried was dead.

Uh- [That's... pretty heavy, man. He'll probably break his brain trying to figure if Barkeep's destroyed universe would destroy his too, so he'll pass on that. But either way-]

Thanks? Alive is best, after all, isn't it!

Don't worry, I brought them all back to life! Power of the universe, remember?

[He should have mentioned that earlier.]

[He does look relieved at that, and surprised that he's that powerful.]

Oh, good! Wow, that really is amazing power! [Smiling into the last bit of his cream soda, his eyes narrow thoughtfully, although his tone is as light as ever.] It must be temping to use it to cheat at all sorts of things~

If you tell me the answers for my next English test, I promise to not tell anyone~!

Well, yeah. But I'm good at resistin' those [he isn't] and my wife has forbidden me from usin' it in town.

...Don't mean I can use it outside of town, but it's to make life better! Like keepin' the stars organized and growin' flowers!

Mmm~ [Girls are pretty sharp. He thinks you'd better be careful about your promises to your wife, Barkeep-san.

Out of everything though, that last comment gets a wide-eyed look.]

Do the stars need organizing? And do flowers-- well, okay, I suppose on Mars they'd need help growing, haha. But organizing stars?

[He ultimately won't, going around the rules to do what he wants. Sad to say, there will be no Force Galactic to take him back to Crystallis.]

Like, I didn't move 'em around, that'll cause all sorts of gravitational fields that I don't wanna deal with. I just organized the light comin' from stars so it shines in rows and columns. Gotta be on Mars to see it.

[Manami looks thoughtful for a long, silent moment, his eyes wandering back and forth as the tries to imagine light shining 'in rows and columns.']

...

...

I guess so! Kinda too bad I'll not get to see that. I can't even imagine what it's like!

But I suppose there's all sorts of views that I'd get to see that you wouldn't, too.

[Back to being fully cheerful he tips his head back to drink the last of his soda.]

Thanks for the drink, Barkeep-san! It was really good.

Melodies Of Life || Change those flowing tears into shining courage, life goes on

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