jikan_rpg | June | Event: Trial of the Soul

June | Event: Trial of the Soul

Trial of the Soul↲ OOC Plotting

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By now, most Refugees have likely experienced various side effects of Kizuna while living in Nippon. Most of these effects have been mild, but occasionally, they've produced dangerous results due to Kizuna's unstable nature as pure Sora magic. But more than just a minor annoyance, studying how to harness Kizuna is vital to the NRL's goal of fixing the refugees' home worlds. And yet the professors of MRU have been limited in what they can do to assist the scientists in Tokyo with that goal.

But all that is about to change, as MRU announces a special collaboration with the Oni Clans of Kyushu regarding ancient Kizuna practices. Although Oni are not particularly known for their magical prowess, it's believed that the concept of Kizuna bonds originated in Oni culture. As such, they are by and far considered the best source to figure out the true nature of Kizuna.

Up until now, the Oni of Kyushu haven't been receptive to MRU's requests to help the refugees, due to infighting between the two leading Oni Clans. But it seems something has changed their minds...

A Tales of Two Clans

Naturally, the MRU isn't expecting the Refugees to volunteer to head to Kyushu for free. All Refugees willing to participate in the research will be rewarded financially for their time, in addition to being provided food and lodging during their stay. Just think of it as a nice little summer vacation!

But getting to Kyushu is no simple task. Although one could certainly take the train, it'd be a two-day trip, as Kyushu is located on the westernmost island of Nippon. Thankfully, many refugees have technically already been there: Kyushu is the region above which the Tengu city of Miyazaki sits. And with a little help from the Tengu, a new teleportation terminal is added to the region below, allowing for instant travel between Kyushu and Tokyo/Kyoto.

But when they arrive, they may find that their experiences will vary greatly depending on which city their lodgings are located, as Oni culture varies greatly depending on which Clan controls that territory.

Passive Aggressions Kumamoto, Kyushu
Those with lodgings in Western Kyushu will find themselves in the city of Kumamoto, located in Ao Oni territory. The Oni here all have vibrant blue skin, and the refugees will find that the locals are both friendly and curious about them. Aside from a handful of Inu Yokai, very few other varieties of Yokai can be found living in Oni territory, and no humans whatsoever.

Refugees will be housed in a resort located near the ocean shore, where they'll be treated to gourmet five course meals, a natural outdoor hot spring, and even complimentary massages. It's the height of luxury, though it does come at a bit of a cost. Although the Ao Oni are polite, there's always a distinct sense that they're being looked down on -- a certain passive aggression, as they show wonder in the fact the refugees can do anything for themselves. Whether it be constant compliments over their ability to use chopsticks and speak the language, or outright disbelief that they can perform magic or fight, it's hard to say whether it's founded in malice or ignorance. Especially seeing as many will remark that they've never met humans before.

As one of the more popular cities in Kyushu, Refugees may wish to explore some of the shopping districts, where artisan crafts and unique fashion can be purchased. Unlike typical fashion in Nippon, Oni fashion leans towards the risque, as their vibrant colored skin is a mark of pride. Kimono are often cropped at the sleeves and left open, with minimal fabric underneath to maintain modesty. Still, men are rarely going around outright topless, and will always wear something to cover those pesky male presenting nipples, be it a tube top, thin strips of fabric, or even leather straps.

If the Refugees hope to be treated with a bit more respect, switching to the local fashion is perhaps the only way to go. And hey, it's pretty hot in Kyushu, so surely it's a win-win situation!

Tsunderoni Oita, Kyushu
Refugees staying in the Eastern half of Kyushu will instead be taken to the city of Oita, located in Aka Oni territory, where the Oni possess bright red skin. Unlike the Ao Oni, the Aka Oni are far less friendly. Even those in charge of the refugees' housing will seem somewhat disinterested, simply showing them to their rooms in a small inn without fanfare. There's no luxury to be found here, though at least the food is decent.

The streets of Oita are a very different sight than what the Refugees may be used to in Nippon. Kyushu is an island rife with volcanic activity, and all throughout Oita, thick plumes of steam can be found rising out of buildings and from the sewers below the street. As such, the entire city is extremely humid, which some may even find to be downright unbearable. And while the inside of every building is equipped with powerful cooling spells, it may discourage some from exploring.

But perhaps that's for the best. Those who walk the streets of Oita will find themselves being treated as an oddity, with many businesses hesitant in serving them. Some locals may even be outright hostile, picking fights and jeering at them in streets. Those bearing obvious Kizuna effects will receive the brunt of this treatment.

And yet those same refugees will find that these encounters may in fact spawn additional Kizuna effects, on both themselves and the Oni harassing them, as if a bond were made between them. Nevermind the fact that Kizuna bonds between refugees and natives are usually very rare, the fact that there's a bond at all certainly implies that their hostility isn't hostility at all. Are the Aka Oni just really bad at dealing with new people??

Revolutionary Bond Kizuna

After a few days of familiarizing themselves with the Oni and the region of Kyushu, all refugee volunteers are taken to a small region of Oita known as Beppu, where elders from the two Oni clans are waiting for them in front of a large shrine. Behind them, many natural springs filled with boiling water create a smokey atmosphere, with the water occasionally boiling over and shooting into the sky like a geyser. They certainly know how to pick location to set a mood.

"Humans and halfings have long made a habit of taking that which they do not fully understand. These Kizuna bonds were once an important part of maintaining a unified Oni nation, but fell to the wayside as Clan divisions grew deeper.

Today, only fragments of those bonds remain, carried across generations through our blood. It is a powerful magic that binds souls together, weaving their connection into the fabric of reality itself!

...understandably, it grew less popular as divorce became more commonplace."

That's right: Kizuna bonds are an ancient Oni marriage ritual.

They continue to explain that the form of Kizuna used by the refugees has been mutated due to the sheer size of the bond that keeps them in Nippon. This is what causes the severe side effects, and is likely the reason that some refugees are able to manipulate reality to a small extent through wishes or other means.

To address these issues, the Oni's plan is two-fold. First, they'll teach the Refugees a secret arte that will allow them to wield the Kizuna they produce. And then, they ask that all refugees participate in three trials once performed by all Oni prior to their marriage. This is so they can better appreciate the gift they possess, and hopefully better understand the culture behind that power.

Soul Artifacts Beppu, Oita
Kizuna magic is a type of pure Sora magic, which is magic that deals with the soul. Thus, Kizuna bonds are bonds between two souls. But that bond can also be used to summon a construct known as a Soul Artifact. This is the magic the Oni will teach the Refugees how to perform, as the act of summoning an Artifact will help use some of the excess Kizuna that would otherwise produce side effects.

Soul Artifacts are physical representations of the soul. They can take any shape or form, and some even have special abilities. While it is possible for someone to summon their own soul artifact, it is far easier to have someone else who they are bonded with summon it instead.

The spell itself is deceptively simple. Simply calling someone's name and picturing an item being drawn from their chest is enough to summon the Soul Artifact. But the simplicity of it doesn't mean it'll be easy, and for most Refugees, they'll spend the first hour or so calling each other's names while awkwardly grabbing at each other's chests.

But eventually, should their bond be significantly strong enough, the image of what that artifact is will suddenly appear in their mind, allowing them to draw it out. While the Artifact can be anything from a weapon to an ordinary household item, the color scheme and general appearance will reflect the person it was drawn from. Likewise, all Artifacts are allowed one magical ability that may vary based on the bond between the pair.

Feel free to get creative with this! A knight may draw a sword from his princess's chest capable of shooting energy beams. A librarian may draw a book from her lover's chest that can predict the future one week ahead. A dominatrix may draw a dildo from her sub's chest capable of growing three times its size. As the most powerful magic in the world, Kizuna can do seemingly anything!

Really, it's no wonder the Oni want the Refugees to learn how to control it.

The Trials of Beppu Kyushu, Nippon
Those willing to accept the Oni's terms must participate in the Trials of Beppu, an ancient rite of passage once required of all Oni before the Clan leaders could approve of their marriage. Although the tradition is no longer widely practiced, the Clan leaders insist that the Refugees take part in order to show respect for the Kizuna they wield.

As Refugees are capable of bonding with anyone, they will be allowed and encouraged to retake any trial as many times as needed with as many people as they have bonded with.

The first trial, the Trial of Promise, is the most simple. A bonded pair must enter a special cave located behind a massive waterfall in Takachiho Gorge, said to have been the very same cave where the goddess Amaterasu once hid herself away, causing all light in the world to disappear. Upon entering, the cave entrance will abruptly seal itself, shrouding the pair in darkness.

Should the pair's bond be sufficiently strong, the cave will light up, revealing a hidden message carved into the stone: "You cannot leave until you"... do what, exactly? The prompt will vary based on the pair in question. Some may need to kiss, others may need to fuck, and others still may need to tell a secret, defeat one another, or even attempt to kill one another. Upon successfully completing the trial, the entrance will open, allowing them to leave at their leisure.

The second trial, the Trial of Devotion, will have a bonded pair enter a forest at the foot of Mt. Aso at night, armed only with their partner's Soul Artifact. A gently sloped mountainside home to an active volcano, the pair must ascend to the highest peak just outside the forest before sunrise. Toxic fumes pouring from the volcano's caldera aside, the forest itself is filled with terrifyingly huge monsters, including dodongo, lavahounds who combust when threatened, and giant beetles called daikabuto who can grow as big as houses.

Thankfully, there's a trick to all of this: as long as they maintain physical contact with one another, a special spell will protect them from all harm, though they can still be pushed around by anything attempting to separate them. The spell will only last until morning, but will refresh with a kiss before the morning sun -- so they best make haste to the top if they want a chance of getting back safely. Those who return with their spell intact will pass the trial.

The third and final trial is the Trial of Love, though it seems rather poorly named. In this trial, a pair will wield each other's Soul Artifacts, and must engage in combat against one another. The goal is to destroy your own Artifact without destroying the one you are wielding. Thankfully, as Soul Artifacts are only representations of the soul, destroying them will have no ill effect. But it can be very painful, not unlike a bond breaking, as one of the Aka Oni will demonstrate: shattering the sword drawn from his own soul, before falling to his knees and wheezing in pain.

Essentially, it's a battle for who can destroy their own Soul Artifact first, in order to spare their partner the pain of their Artifact breaking. But how is this supposed to work? Not all Soul Artifacts are weapons, after all!

As it turns out, the trial is a trick. Following the rules as given will still allow both competitors to pass, regardless of who wins. Likewise, should both participants come together and choose to either simultaneously break their Artifacts, or surrender the trial all together, it will still count as a pass. Because the true Trial of Love is simply the act of participating in the trial together to test their bond.

Aftermath Beppu, Oita
Once the trials are complete, those who passed at least two trials will be invited to a special ceremony, designed to mimic that of those long past. Naturally, since no one is getting married here (unless they want to??), the ceremony is mostly just an excuse for a massive feast. Taking place in a large open park just outside the city, hundreds of Oni have arrived from all over Kyushu to witness this rare event, where the current leader of the Aka Oni clan offers a few brief words.

"Time's finally changing, and after so much time unchanging, we Oni should learn to better embrace these changes. Otherwise, we're no better off than we were in the time loop. The bravery put on by these alien halfings is nothing to sneeze at. And I'd say they're as worthy of the Aka Oni name as any of you ol' farts sittin' out there drinking your asses off!"

Refugees who passed the trials will be considered unofficial members of the Ao and Aka Oni clans, and will find that from then on, the Oni of Kyushu with treat them with familiarity, as if somehow able to sense the bond they now share with their homeland. In addition to no shortage of food and booze, there's music and dancing that will last until well past sunrise.

Hot and Steamy

With the trials behind them and a new form of magic under their belts, the Refugees will be allowed to simply enjoy the rest of their vacation in Kyushu however they may please.

But there's just one question remaining: why did the Oni suddenly decide to help with the Kizuna research, despite Kizuna being such a cherished aspect of their culture?

As it turns out, the Refugees are having a larger impact on this world than they may realize.

Hellish Bathwater Beppu, Oita
As it turns out, the Trials of Beppu draw their names from a certain natural phenomenon known instead as the Hells of Beppu. It refers to an area in Eastern Kyushu where a number of naturally occurring hot springs carry unusual effects. However, unlike the enchanted pools of Hakone's Owakudani, not all of these springs are safe to enter.

Of them, one of the most popular is the Umi Jigoku, the sea of hell. A vast boiling spring with vibrantly blue water, this spring is said to be the deepest pool of water in Kyushu, with massive lily pads floating atop the surface that are believed to stretch for miles below. Brave and foolish Aka Oni can sometimes be found jumping between the lily pads to cross the steaming pool, or even grabbing passerbys to strand them on a lily pad in the middle. Standing in any one spot for too long will cause the lily pads to sink into the water, burning flesh within seconds, so those who visit may need to be prepared for an emergency rescue or two.

And those hoping for a spring they can actually soak in will find it at Chinoike Jigoku, the blood pond of hell. Appropriately named, the water in this spring is bright red in color and has a strange almost gooey consistency. Relaxing in this spring is said to have powerful healing effects, and according to legend, it can even revive the dead. Perhaps it's the latter reputation that keeps it from being more popular, but Refugees who soak in the strange water will find any aches, pains, or chronic conditions healed -- including those previously thought to be incurable.

The only downside is that the strange water has a tendency to get the blood boiling in a very specific way, leaving those who soak in it for too long in a state of prolonged arousal, earning the pond a second name: Chinchin Jigoku.

Stone Dragon God™ Sakurajima, Kyushu
Those looking for a little more excitement on their vacation look no further than Sakurajima, a region perpetually blanketed in smoke and ash from the nearby volcano of the same name. Thankfully, there hasn't been an eruption for a few weeks, so the region is currently safe to explore.

And they really ought to go take a look. In fact, the Oni will insist that it's a place all refugees ought to visit.

In addition to curious ruins of ancient cities forever half-buried in old mud flows, Sakurajima is currently home to a new species of ayakashi the Oni have taken to calling Ninseki, the stone people. These ayakashi only started appearing recently, and really, calling them ayakashi feels inaccurate. Capable of limited speech and organizing themselves in quaint villages, the only reason they're called ayakashi is because Ninseki used to be Kaoseki.

It's unknown how they came to evolve at such a fast rate, but the MRU has a few leads. And perhaps the most damning comes from the Ninseki themselves, who have taken to worshipping a figure they refer to as the stone dragon god, statues of whom can be found throughout Sakurajima, seemingly crafted using some kind of Tsuchi-based power unique to the Ninseki. A gift from the stone dragon god, perhaps?

Thankfully, the Ninseki themselves are extremely friendly, and will happily invite any refugees to join them in a meal or dance, or even challenge them to a race up the mountain! Perhaps it's because they were once forever stationary, but the Ninseki enjoy any activity that keeps them moving!

And for those who happen to recognize this stone dragon god of theirs, perhaps they'll understand why the Oni thought it vital that the Refugees learn to control the Kizuna they produce, lest they permanently alter this world well after they've left it.

OOC Notes
Welcome to Jikan's June event! Please direct any questions to the Question Thread in the OOC Plotting post.

• While characters do not need to participate in the trials to visit Kyushu, they will not be provided lodgings, and may find it especially difficult to procure any on their own unless they visibly look like an Oni.

• Only characters who participate in this event will be able to unlock Soul Artifacts. Future characters will eventually be able to unlock it via Bonus AC.

• You have 100% creative control over how your character's Soul Artifact manifests. Likewise, you are welcome to have it change shape depending on who draws it from their soul. For example: Both Tom and Fred are bonded with Gloria. Tom draws a sword from Gloria's soul because he has a strong desire to protect her, but Fred draws a teacup because he greatly enjoys their weekly meet-ups at the local coffee shop. And Gloria draws a gun from her own soul because of her double life as an assassin.

• Teleporting out of the Trial of Promise will only work if both participants agree to forfeit the challenge. Likewise, agreeing to forfeit will cause the door to open after about an hour.

• All dangers in the Trial of Devotion are optional, as some may simply never come across any monsters during their hike, and all pairs are welcome to travel in groups. No climbing is necessary to reach the top, but it is a very long walk.

• There are no hints to imply the true means of passing the Trial of Love beyond the name, as the Oni will only tell them the rules and will answer no questions.

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Sephiroth doesn't need to hear him speak after seeing how he reacted to just his name. He already knows what he will say. It still doesn't explain the feeling of familiarity, but Sephiroth brushes it aside as irrelevant. What interests him more is their current predicament. He pivots again and gestures to the wall, completely ignoring whatever is going on with Cloud as unimportant at the moment as well. ]

Then you should be the one to guide us.

[ After all, it has nothing to do with him and everything to do with Cloud. The words shining so brightly in the light there speak to something impossible for Sephiroth to achieve in this situation as he doesn't even know Cloud, let alone bear him any ill will. Therefore, the opposite must be true, though not even that makes a lot of sense as he isn't--is not--that Sephiroth. ]

Unless...you'd rather I try something else.

[ Sephiroth gives him a look that somehow manages to convey his intentions without a single change in his expression. Is it in his eyes? Whatever the case, his method will not be pretty, but he presumes it will be effective. Stabbing a sacred tree here in the past did cause it to release him and other people and he has no issue with doing it again. ]

[ Guide him... Loath as he is to even dare think it, he couldn't help but feel that ever since he came to Midgar, it's been the other way around.

"Don't deny me." ]

Then help me out.

[ "Embrace me." ... "Let us defy destiny...together."

No. This is where he needs to try. Try and separate the two. Past. Present. Future. What's determined. What's yet to be determined. Cloud doesn't entertain the idea of destroying this cave, if that is where Sephiroth's intent lies. If he's going to be paired with someone he considered his sworn enemy...the test was to remove himself from that version. Believe in Aerith. She's the reason he's going to try and find the real Sephiroth. No matter what he was to become. ]

What's the last thing you remember? [ A beat. ] From our world?

[ Sephiroth considers the question. There are so many ways to answer that. Does he talk about his search for Genesis, Galaxia and the others who went missing? Teaming up with Verstael, Tony, Gladio, Feanor, Aerith, and...someone else, Sephiroth can't quite put his finger on who, in a revolt against those who Sephiroth is still sure were experimenting on them all? But no, it seems this isn't what Cloud is asking about after all. Sephiroth crosses his arms and shunts all his memories from Havenwell aside. ]

I just finished discussing an upcoming mission with Zack to a place called Nibelheim.

[ Sephiroth has no intention of repeating that conversation to a virtual stranger. It looks like there is more on his mind though-- ]

Hm.

[ But in the end he doesn't say anything else. Sephiroth might have seen Genesis's betrayal during a memory share with his friend and afterwards had to come to terms with his mother's identity, but this man isn't Aerith and the wound is really only papered over. ]

[ Had they met far earlier, this would have been an entirely different encounter. But in a way, as choppy as these waters still feel to the blond swordsman, he has a lot more going for him to see things through to the end. At least, for the time that he spends in this world. He can't just forgive and forget. Even with Shinra, that's difficult to accept, amicable as he's learnt to be with them. Without dropping his guard completely, he continues to prod the truth. ]

You don't remember a young cadet assigned to accompany you on that mission? Someone whose also from Nibelheim?

[ Sephiroth considers this too, but there is only one answer he can give. ]

No.

[ He studies the other man for a moment before speaking again. ]

Why?

[ Sephiroth thinks--he suspects--he knows the answer. It lies in those mako eyes and his own unfamiliarity with this SOLDIER. He and Zack were certainly both going to meet with the cadets next but he didn't quite make it there before he was taken. He also somehow doubts this is what Cloud wants to hear. ]

[ There's something...vexing about Sephiroth's answer. An answer that he feels that he can't even blame him for. But when Sephiroth asks him why, the blond is quicker to snap back. ]

You know why I'm asking. I'm the one who was on assignment with you.

[ Sephiroth regards the other man with an impassive gaze, almost completely unmoved. Almost. Because while he might not know or remember Cloud, he does know something of what happened and he now surmises that maybe this might have more to do with him reconciling with Cloud than the other way around.

Sephiroth closes his eyes in a slow blink and broaches the uncomfortable subject as it now seems necessary. ]

I see...and what did you have to do with Genesis's betrayal?

[ He only saw Genesis and Zack in that gruesome tableau of memory foisted upon him, but perhaps Cloud was nearby. Perhaps he was also a traitor, aiding and abetting Genesis from the shadows. ]

Genesis's...?

[ Betrayal? The First Class SOLDIER Zack and him encountered in Modeoheim? He paces himself before he can answer too quickly, especially when he has to wrack his brain for further recollections. Nibelheim was...clear to him now, at least. Something that he was going to use to his advantage as best he can. He still wasn't sure (or if he liked) where this test of theirs was going. Reconciliation... But Cloud holds the key right now. And he wasn't about to hand it over to Sephiroth until he knew for sure that they were both ready. ]

Nothing. I'm just... [ Sighs, eyes faltering from the man he once idolized. This all feels like a weird dream. But at least it wasn't a nightmare... ] A grunt who couldn't cut it in SOLDIER.

[ Despite his eyes... So with that in the air between them, hanging palpable, Cloud finds it in him to face and look up to Sephiroth once more. This time, with no intention of looking away. ]

The last thing I remember was Genesis knocking me out while you and Zack investigated Mt. Nibel's Reactor.

[ That initial answer, the hesitation and confusion there tells Sephiroth all he needs to know even before Cloud finishes speaking. It's back to square one. But.

His attention catches on something else. ]

You're not a SOLDIER.

[ The doubt, the disbelief in his tone turns the question into a statement. Although he only witnessed Cloud fight the one time, his talent was undeniable and it had Sephiroth very, very interested in him. If it wasn't for the fact that he was certain there was an ill connection between Cloud and that Sephiroth he would already have pursued him further.

Sephiroth's gaze is unflinching where it meets Cloud's. There is nothing to him but certainty in both of them. ]

[ Something about that statement, while it doesn't quite sting, makes him feel smaller than he actually is... Thankfully, on the surface, he doesn't shy away or back down, steeling himself before he confirms with a hum and a nod. ]

The truth is... I don't actually remember what happened in the five years between Nibelheim and getting to Midgar.

I...don't even remember why I thought I made SOLDIER. [ His own soft glowing mako blues leave Sephiroth's gaze. Less out of uncertainty and intimidation, and more to catch the handle of a familiar weapon upon his back. ] Or how I got this.

[ There is a lot packed into those few words but Sephiroth isn't about to let go. His point remains and he will hammer it in, as he always does when it is important enough to him. ]

You are a worthy successor [ Sephiroth's gaze follows Cloud's at last and lands on that too-familiar handle ] for Buster Sword.

[ Sephiroth doesn't know how or why Cloud has it, just that this is true. ]

I just...

[ If he is a worthy successor...then why did Zack entrust it to him? ]

—wish I knew why it came to me.

[ The answer is clear. Cloud must ask the right person. Sephiroth was not that right person. And so... ]

You're not the Sephiroth I know. [ ... ] But the Sephiroth I knew...

I bear you no ill will.

[ The response is automatic. He doesn't really want to hear what that Sephiroth did. He doesn't want to know. He'd rather focus on the tangible. Their shared predicament is a lifeline in this potentially dangerous miasma of feelings. ]

So then, how do we proceed?

[ How do they proceed... Something tells him that Sephiroth wasn't talking about getting out of this cave. And perhaps it may still take some time before the younger swordsman was able to fully believe in his own words, but... ]

We move on. When the time comes, and I have to go back... I'm going after him. [ Him. Separate from the man standing before him. ] Until then? I...

[ Suddenly, the blond stops, words catching in his throat. It's hard, still. Difficult to really divide them when he knows what he's to become. There's conflict in his eyes...the eyes of someone who thought he'd survived a nightmare, only to wake up five years later with power that made him akin to a monster in human skin. He approaches Sephiroth, this time walking up and past him until he's side by side with the man, staring ahead from his back. ]

.....

[ He breathes, his tone softer this time. ]

You protected Aerith. Didn't you?

[ She told him as such. ]

I'll always protect Aerith.

[ There is a lot there, but with everything Sephiroth now knows it's easy for him to focus on what is most important. ]

Will you, too? [ Sephiroth glances down and in Cloud's direction. He doesn't turn his head all the way and ends up peering at the other man through his hair from the corner of his eye. ] Can you protect her from him?

[ Cloud is a worthy successor for Buster Sword but it's a version of Sephiroth they are discussing here. He knows better than anyone what he's capable of, the myriad ways he holds himself back just to savor a fight, and just how single-minded and ruthless he can be sometimes. This version isn't him, either. It's something far worse. Aerith told Sephiroth that he wasn't a monster but didn't suggest the same of this other version. She was afraid of him and in turn Sephiroth is afraid for her. ]

[ The droplets that roll off the cavern's stalactites sound so loud in his ears now, after Sephiroth's powerful words hang in the air. He never would have imagined, in this lifetime (or any) that he would ever hear the likes of Sephiroth so simply state he would always protect her. Someone who he'd seen watch her so maliciously as he stood the opposite. And here he is now, claiming to protect what is most important to him.

Sephiroth... Just what was she to you?

"Can you protect her from him?" ]

...

[ His fists clench by his side, eyes regaining their focus and purpose. He separates himself from the man destiny sought him to become. Cloud really was looking at a completely different side of the man he once idolized. The very man he modeled himself to be when he left that little mountain town so long ago. ]

Yes.

[ There was no other answer. No room for doubt, not even as he harbors that clash at the Edge of Creation close to his chest. Left with so many unanswered questions as they all venture forth into terrifying freedom. ]

[ There is enough of a pause for the silence to become tangible and for Cloud's reply to carry all of the appropriate weight. It really is appropriate because Sephiroth is placing a burden on him. However, it's not one he intends to let drag him down. After all, if Cloud falls then so too will Aerith and Sephiroth will never allow that. ]

Then I will train you. [ To be stronger, faster, better than the rest.

To defeat him.

Sephiroth's words echo in the cavern and the light begins to fluctuate as if it too has sensed his resolve. He pays his surroundings no mind. All of his attention is focused on Cloud as he waits for his response.

Sephiroth has never taken on a student, but for her he is willing to. ]

[ That? Is enough to catch him by surprise. And as the light upon the wall fluctuates, Cloud's own resolve has seemingly been tipped in the direction of the legendary SOLDIER. He's stunned. Speechless, at first. And for a moment, he fleetingly forgets about who he's facing off against. Who he's chasing back home. And he's taken right back to that upper level of Shinra's building, standing at attention when Sephiroth came to meet the cadets and fellow SOLDIER, Zack.

Sephiroth's taken him right back there again...

And is asking him to follow him again.

This time... This time. ]

Right.

[ It's not a request. It's not a favor. This is something that needs to happen. Was this reconciliation? Or a mutual goal? As the sound of stone grinding and daylight from behind the waterfall peeks from the corner of his view, and the two are set free... ]

[ It seems that the two would defy destiny together after all. ]

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June | Event: Trial of the Soul

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