#volcano shake em up gate | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

rpchive · 5 years

Text

120th Encounter-- The Starlit Song

An hour or so after returning to the IT, Collin steps into the console room to see if the others returned with the freed shadows from earlier. Maya is seated in the console room with the three former shadows and Azreldeh. Collin: I thought I'd find you guys here. So what's the story? Azreldeh: Well, with the mirror dimension gone, any curses tied to it were lifted, but also everything in that dimension had to go somewhere...

Maya: Seems like the population of this dimension doubled in an instant, but none of the reflections appeared anywhere near their counterparts. Since yours were already here, though, they weren't sent anywhere else... Collin: Well that's... awkward. So what do you guys think? You're gonna have to excuse me if I'm being kind of blunt, but I'm not exactly comfortable with just... letting them all move in. Maya: I mean, they're...right here. I guess they can decide to live wherever they want? We can take 'em where they wanna go, and from there it's not our problem anymore. Collin: That works for me if it works for you three.

SCollin: Your hospitality is first-rate, truly.

Collin: Look, I've got a lot on my mind right now. I'm just trying to get y'all somewhere nice where no one is going to mistake us for you three. SJay: ...It's fine. We shouldn't be here anyway. I don't care where you take us, just...anywhere is fine. Collin: I mean, give us some idea. The IT's got a lot of possibilities. Hot, cold, crowded, quiet?

SDaedalus: Somewhere that isn't so depressing and bleak would be a nice change of pace, so that should be a pretty easy requirement to meet.

Collin: ... Alright, I guess just touch down somewhere where there's a decent town or something? Maybe they'll help take them in or at least get them started.

He stops to think for a second before continuing. "Should we... give them some way to get a hold of us in case there's an emergency? I'd feel bad if we put them somewhere where they just wound up in danger again."

Maya: ...I don't know if the finished communicators we have work at a frequency that can cross time; space; and dimensions...

Azreldeh: Well, bring me one and I'll make it work out. We'll just need one to replace it with, but I'm sure XL and Rio are done by now... Collin: I left mine back in my room. Let me just... go get it real quick.

He hesitates partway through his words as he realizes what that means, but continues on. Without waiting for a response, he turns and heads back down the hall for his room.

He pushes open the door and steps inside, meeting Jay's stare as he turns to see who's coming inside. Collin briefly considers trying to say something to him but fails to come up with any words, instead breaking eye contact to turn toward his desk. He steps over and quickly picks up his communicator, then turns and heads back out of the room, quietly closing the door behind him. He takes a deep breath during his walk back to the console room, then gently tosses the device in Azreldeh's direction as he returns. "Heads up." Azreldeh catches the communicator, which crackles in her grip briefly as it glows a faint red for a second before she hands it off to Collin's reflection. "That should do it. Wherever you wind up, if you need us, we'll hear it. ...Assuming you call." SCollin: We'll... try to keep to ourselves for now. If we wind up getting stranded in a cave or some shit, you might wind up hearing from us soon. 'Course you could just ignore it...

SDaedalus: I don't think they would've bothered giving us something if that was their plan. Maya: I'll get this thing moving somewhere, then. In the meantime, I guess you can do what you want...just don't get into trouble, of course. SCollin: I'll try my best. Is that a kitchen over there? Maya: Yep. With any food you can think of; and plenty more you can't. SCollin: Oh thank fuck, some actual decent food. FaWKES didn't exactly have the most varied palette. If you'll excuse me...

SCollin casually hops up and heads inside the kitchen. A while later, Maya successfully lands the IT at an unfamiliar destination. Once the group determines their surroundings are safe, they part ways with the shadow counterparts, leaving the normal crew to their current devices. Collin: ... I do hope they'll be alright. It's gotta be hard after suddenly getting cut loose like that. Maya: ...I doubt they have much experience with nature or people. Any environment would be hard to adapt to. Still, without the overbearing sense of wickedness and without anyone forcing them to do things, I figure they're resourceful enough to figure things out on their own... Collin: And if things get too dicey, they could always just call us to bail them out of whatever trouble they've gotten into. I didn't want to leave them entirely stranded; I just... can't really focus on a lot right now. Azreldeh: No, I understand. I'm sure they would too...at least, to some degree. What're you gonna do...? You can't just avoid your room forever... Collin: I... don't know. I'll be honest, the way Jay is right now, he... scares me a little. It's like he's not even the same person, just some stranger saying he's my boyfriend. I don't know what to expect from him now. Maya: ...I don't think that's the case. I've seen cases like that before; abnormalities that replaced employees and walked around in their skin, or remotely controlled them like playthings, but this seems...different. The coldness in his voice; it doesn't sound like he's a different person, it sounds like he's distancing himself; but...it's not exclusively that...that's undoubtedly Jay himself, but it also feels unfamiliar, yet not caused by an outside force...I think something's changing...something's definitely wrong, we just don't know specifically what that could be... Collin: I'm not really sure if that's better or worse... Maya: What I'm trying to say is that he needs help. He might not be scared at all, but something terrible is happening to him, and all we've done is...get angry, or hide...somebody has to do something...whatever's happening is clearly something big. If we can't fix it, I don't know what will happen...nobody even bothered trying to get through to him when he started acting weird...did...did you leave him alone? Collin: I mean, he was in our room a bit ago when I went to get that communicator? Maya: But he was alone, wasn't he? Collin: Y-Yeah... I should probably go back, shouldn't I? Maya gets out of her chair and immediately starts going down the hallway. "...Why is nobody else-?!" Collin immediately hurries after her. "Well Demo is probably still out of it and Daedalus is... y'know..." Maya: That's his problem!! Jay is your saa! Jay is your saa!! He's your boyfriend; something is happening to him, and you just...!! You don't even understand what losing somebody feels like, do you?!

Barreling forward, Maya practically breaks the door down as she rams her weight into it on her way into the room.

"...JAY!!"

At the back of the room, Jay stands alone, a gate open to a vaguely familiar location behind him; a place looking similar to the cobalt dimension. As he turns to face the group, two things become apparent: the shell around his injured arm has cracked away completely, now revealing his magic, an electric shade of blue that shifts closer to teal on occasion; and that red markings have slowly begun to snake up the sides of his face, curvy things vaguely shaped like clouds. His eyes, more of a cloudy blue than the vibrant color they had been before, rest on no one in particular, as if him turning his attention to the noise was simply a formality.

"...Don't bother worrying now. Changing things after they matter doesn't change anything at all."

Leaving nobody time to respond, he steps through the gate, which closes behind him like water going down a drain, leaving the room in darkness. Collin looks as though he's about to be sick, stepping close enough to his desk to lean against it as he continues to stare at where his gate was. A few seconds later he finally manages to choke out a few shaky words. "Oh God... What's happening to him?" Maya stands in the doorway, her breathing heavy and ragged as a multitude of reactions race through her mind, each bubbling up like a volcano's reaction desperately attempting to win the race to the surface. Collapsing her weight against it, she begins to shake as she forces some form of response out. Her words carry an incredible amount of weight as she audibly chokes back either tears or anger. "...If we can't make somebody tell us what's happening, we're going to tear through their entire library if it means finding out ourselves. We can't let him go like this. We have to stop this now..." Collin: I... I don't... K-Karumet... We need to get Karumet back. Maybe she'll know what's happening to... Maya: ...I'll get us back to her. You just...do what you have to.

Shoving herself off the door facing, Maya leaves for the console room, leaving Collin alone. Collin shifts slightly and sits down on his desk, staring a hole into the floor in front of him. Tears well up in his eyes, although he fights them off for several minutes. Finally, just as he's about to reach his limit, he swears loudly and scatters everything on his desk to the floor. Spinning around, he charges out of the door and storms down the hall toward the pantheon's room. He throws their door open without hesitation, glaring at a very surprised Ezorius as he breathes out one demand through gritted teeth and burning eyes.

Collin: I need my magic back. Now. Some time later, the IT lands back in the place Lobotomy had once stood. Surprised, but not stunned, Karumet greets whoever comes to the door. Collin stands on the other side, more composed but strikingly more serious in his expression than normal. "We need your help. Jay's... changed. His magic color changed, he has strange red lines forming on his face, and his personality is... completely different. He abandoned us not too long ago and we have no idea what's going on. Can you help us?" Karumet's expression sours as she frowns for a moment in confusion.

"...His magic and personality changed...? Was he exhaling any?" Collin: Yeah, it was yellow at the time, but when he left his arm was blue. Do you know something, then? Karumet: ...His injured arm, the shell on it broke, didn't it? And it was blue, despite his own magic being yellow? And now all of his magic is blue...I haven't seen this since the war, I--...

Maya: Please, I really don't care about exposition, what the hell is wrong with him?! Just come out with it!!

Karumet: ...He's becoming shalvenn.

Collin: ... Fuck, fuck, fuck! Part of me kept thinking that was what was happening, but-... Nevermind. What do we do? Karumet: From what you've told me, it's unclear if he's sacrificing his mind or his body, but either way, it sounds like something's deteriorating...I don't think he'll wind up like Avarice, but...this is still in its early stages; despite how it looks, we can still turn this around. I'd compare his current state to being...lost in a fog, or something. It's hard to get out, but if you know what to do...

She seems to remember the original question at about this time.

"...The starlit song. It's the only thing any kleivenn's been able to do that saved a shalvenn. But it's been so long since the war, and I personally haven't heard it...but Nine might know..." Collin: Alright... Then we need to get to Kujaar. But even with the song, how're we going to find him? The place his gate was leading to, it looked the same as how it does inside his mind. But that's... not possible, right? Azreldeh: Weeeeellll...

Wringing her tail nervously, Azreldeh glances around as she starts to babble.

"With the mirror dimension gone, the demons inhabiting it needed to be relocated; but hell's a place reserved for devils; souls; familiars and the like; and the in between only has chaos agents; and well, we can't go to heaven, so...well, since we couldn't go topside, we needed somewhere else to go, and since Jay was trying to create a new dimension, and he technically had the structure for one, the agents of the in between must've...made...it...real?" Collin stares blankly for a second, then covers his face with his hands as he exhales slowly. "This is, unquestionably, a complete disaster. Do I even want to know how you know that?" Azreldeh: W-well, it's happened before is all...! But I wasn't around for that... Collin: That's a little crazy to think about. Anyway... Can you come back with us, Karumet? Or is there still stuff you need to take care of here? Karumet: I can come back. It seems like the people here are adjusting well enough, and nothing escaped Lobotomy, so I think things will be alright... Collin: We can always come back to check on things, or maybe the IT will just drag us back if something goes sideways. Regardless, it'll be good to have you back. I'm... sorry things aren't more like they usually are when we came back to get you, though. Karumet: Seriously? You're worried about how I feel? ...We need to figure out that song... Collin: Right. Let's get moving to Kujaar then. Hopefully Nine really does know about that song...

Returning to the IT, the group heads for Kujaar, where they find Nine in their usual location.

Nine: Nice t' see ya ag'n! Though, if yer here, I doubt it's fer a good reason; y'all never jus' visit... Collin: Sorry, it's just... always hectic. But you're right, it's not good news. Jay is turning shalvenn, and apparently the starlit song is the only thing that can help him now. Do you know it? Nine: ...Never a dull momen', 'uh...? I's been a while since I've seen a kleivenn that wasn' damaged b'yond help, so I migh' not remember it all...lessee...

Though the sun may rise, And the moon may fall; We're carrying on With our starlit song...

Through hardships, And friendships, We've gone through it all;

Ehh...somethin'....sentimental? What goes here...

Though the moon may rise, And the sun may fall; We'll keep carrying on With our starlit song... Collin: I don't mean to pressure you, but... you do remember it, right? Nine: Ehhhh, it was...what was it...?

Somethin', somethin'; The rise and the fall... Collin: Nine, you're killing me here. Nine: Hey, you remember somethin' after several thousands of years without needin' to!! Collin: I'm not even-!

He stops himself and closes his eyes for a second, forcing himself to try and slow down. "... Okay, I'm sorry. But if you don't know the song, then who does?" Nine: I's jus' the one line. I bet Holly'd know; she writes everythin' down. Collin: Speaking of that, I'm probably gonna need a copy of it too... So I just need to read it to him and he'll go back to normal? Nine: It ain't that easy. If a kleivenn's gone shalvenn, i's 'cause somethin' made 'em go against their drivin' wish real hard. Tha's what breaks 'em so badly; they see the thing they're made for as inherently wrong, an' if they don't wanna live for wha' they're made t' live for, then they ain't gonna live for it, no matter what that means for 'em. If you want him back, you gotta find out wha's wrong. The starlit song, it offers clarity; it cuts through wha's wrong and brings 'em back t' their senses, but in the end, yer th' only thing standin' between yer saa 'n whatever happens next.

as intense as this arc is I really do like just having this lore out here

Collin: But Jay's wish is... Oh God, what did I do...? Nine: Tha's jus' somethin' y' gotta ask 'im. Hurry t' Holly; I know you can reach out ta him. Collin: ... Okay. Thanks for your help, and... sorry for always being a downer.

He goes ahead and leaves Nine's room and heads for Holly's library. Holly is up at the receptionist desk, waiting for Iris to finish loading a cart full of books that need to be relocated. Blinking against the sunlight that filters in as Collin enters the library, Holly squints in his direction.

"...The human boy; Collin, wasn't it? You're back again...I take it there's another incident on your hands. You children are far too young to be shouldering so many burdens..." Collin: I'm starting to think you might be right. I... need the starlit song. Nine can't remember the whole thing, but they said you'd probably have it written down or something. Holly flashes a grim expression before climbing down from Iris' shoulder, Iris giving Collin a sympathetic look before shifting her attention to Holly, who is opening a cabinet behind the front desk. Pulling out a dusty scroll, she unfurls it atop the desk, revealing the aged Chariot upon it.

"Though the sun may rise, And the moon may fall; We're carrying on With our starlit song

Through hardships, And friendships, We've gone through it all;

The taken, The given, The rise and the fall;

Though the moon may rise, And the sun may fall; We'll keep carrying on With our starlit song.

I remember the lullaby all too well; a song passed down through generations to every scribe, sung throughout centuries to make its way to the unfortunate, lost souls that need it most. I pray you can make use of it well..."

this is just one of those random things I’ve sang in the shower a handful of times out of nowhere; but this one always came back with the same words for me

I’d sing it but I don’t think anyone’d want to hear it after knowing what it’s needed for

but first and foremost; it’s a kleivenn lullaby. it’s something everyone’s heard their entire lives, something sang for comfort, passed down throughout generations, and that’s what makes it so impactful

Collin: I really hope so. Would you mind copying that down on something I can take with me? And uh... that I can read? Iris: Oh, leave it to me! I'll have it written up in a minute! You just worry about finding out what to do next, okay? I'll bring it to your ship when I'm done. Seeing you off is the least I can do. Collin: Alright. Thanks for everything, you two. Holly: Anything we can do to help, we will. You just worry about yourselves, alright? Collin: It's hard to even think about anything else right now, honestly. Anyway, I'll be back at the IT.

He gives them a small wave and heads back for the others at the IT.

Iris reaches the IT with the starlit song's translation transcribed upon her paper of choosing. Seated coiled up at the door, she offers the note to Collin. "Be careful out there, okay? We'll all be here when you get back!"

Collin takes the copy from her and glances over it for a second. "Thanks Iris. Uh, one last thing, actually. Is this still going to work if I read it in English? If this only works in Chariot, I'm gonna need a pronunciation guide or something." Iris: As long as he can understand you, it should work. The words carry the magic of kleivenn as a whole, after all. Collin: Good to know. Hopefully things won't be so, uh, rough the next time we're here. Iris: Hopefully so! You haven't even had the chance to really explore Kujaar, after all... Collin: No kidding. Anyway, I- we don't really have time to waste. Take care, alright? Iris: You too! Collin gives a small wave and then heads back inside the IT with the others, reading the paper in his hands over and over again. Sitting at the console, Nydins turns around to face Collin. "...When do you want to try and find him?" Collin: The sooner, the better. I don't really know how long it's going to be before Jay...

His voice trails off for a second, unable to finish the thought. He quickly changes gears instead and continues. "I just need some time to try and memorize this as best as I can. I guess the real question is how long will it take to get to... whatever we wanna call that place Jay went?" Nydins: The IT can't track where he's gone; it can't recognize him in his current state; but it can track the demons from Azreldeh's district, and all of them are in the same dimension. I don't know entirely how long it'll take, but we'll probably be able to find him in the same day. Collin: It'll have to do. I'm gonna be in my room for a little bit so I can focus. Nydins: That's fine. I'll send someone to let you know when we've landed, then. Collin: Thanks. You guys know where to find me, then.

He heads down the hall for his room, occasionally glancing at the paper. [Meanwhile...] Daedalus continues pacing back and forth in his room as he has been for the past several minutes. Every so often, he pauses to fiddle with a tool or piece of material, but his fuming attitude prevents him from focusing on any specific thing for very long. Demo: ...Are you seriously that upset still? He only threw me... Daedalus: That's not the only thing he did...

he borrowed Demo’s powers! it’s something Jay’s never done before, but he’s always capable of. he just didn’t know he could do it. he could probably do that to anyone with magic tbh

but none of that really hurt her or anything, so idk why he’s so upset

Demo: ...I know, but...something's definitely wrong with him right now. I'm not sure what, but I can't hold it against him knowing something's happening... Daedalus: I know something's wrong with him, but...

He trails off for a second before finally letting out a frustrated growl and presses the heel of his palm in between his eyes.

"The fact that I can't even be mad at him for the shit he said back there just makes me even more mad." Demo: ...I know. You have every right to be. Regardless, he'll be sorry for everything he's doing now, like he always is...so don't stay too mad... Daedalus lets out a deep breath as he puts both hands down on a workbench and leans against it. "I'll... try my best. I make no promises if he keeps running his mouth the next time we see him, though." Demo: ...You're free to fight him, but if we have to...

Her voice trails off for a second.

"...If it really comes down to it...I'll be the one to...handle him..." Daedalus looks back over at Demo, raising an eyebrow in concern as he stands back upright. "Geez, I know he's kinda gone nutty but it can't be that bad, right?"

it isn’t a rapid process; Avarice was proof of that. she started the human-kleivenn war and she was still alive, just horrendously decayed; so realistically, no matter how far gone he was, Jay would still be himself to some degree for several decades

Demo: ...I don't know what's wrong, but...I really can't shake this feeling...he's definitely getting worse wherever he is... Daedalus walks over toward Demo, carefully putting one hand on her shoulder. "Look... We'll find him, knock some sense back into him, and get him back here safe and sound, alright? You guys have done it before, we can do it again." Demo: ...Right. We should probably get back out there, huh...? Daedalus: Probably, yeah. Maybe someone knows what's going on now. Seems like we're moving again, at the very least. The group readying to confront Jay slowly gathers in the console room. Rio and Paprika remain to keep Nydins company, while Maya; Karumet; Echo and Demo wait for Daedalus and Collin to be ready Soon enough, Daedalus steps into the console room to meet the others, followed shortly by Collin and Fawkes.

Fawkes: I hope you don't mind me tagging along. Collin told me what was happening when I ran into him earlier. Rio: The more the merrier, right? Though this...probably won't be very fun.

Paprika: Well, we'll just have to make it better when you bring Jay home, of course! Collin: That... sounds like a plan to me.

His attempt at trying to reciprocate their optimism falls somewhat flat due to the concern that he can't keep out of his expression. He fidgets with the collar of his robe as he waits for the IT to finally land. As the IT touches down, Demo is apprehensively the first to exit. The cobalt dimension remains in a similar state to before, however none of the cobalts themselves seem to be anywhere around the IT, which has landed halfway up the tower. Out the window, Demo notes that Jay's oracle is nowhere to be seen against the dark sky. As the others follow her out, Collin glances around nervously. "I thought being here the first time was bad enough, but somehow this place feels even stranger now." Demo: ...I don't even wanna ask your girlfriend if her "buddies" got here first. The state Jay was in, I wouldn't take him off the table either...

Echo: Seriously? Jay? I know he's acting weird, but do you think he'd just...kill people over it?

Karumet: You're vastly underestimating the situation. There's no telling how far this has advanced; and it's clear that whatever state he's in is volatile...what he wants at this point wouldn't change the cobalts. They exist for Jay's magic, for his proper cognition...as he is, they're helpless punching bags... Collin: Let's not think too hard about that yet, okay? He was at the top of this thing last time, so that's probably where he'll be again, right? Demo: ...Hopefully. I don't really wanna wander around out here... Collin: Sounds like we're on the same page then. C'mon, we don't have any time to waste.

He turns and hurries up the stairs to the next level. For several floors, there is nothing else in the cobalt complex. Near the higher floors, however, there are blatant signs of a struggle, ultimately leading to several of the cobalts having been killed, many of them having their throats cut. Maya's cobalt seems to be the only one who is even remotely left alive, severely injured, but not mortally so. Propped up against the wall, she breathes slowly and heavily, glaring at the group as they climb the stairs.

"...You're a little late, superman...there's barely anyone left to save...Demo chased him...to the roof...Collin and Tori are up there too, but...if we're any indication, then...they won't be much better off..."

She hunches over, coughing up blood before leaning back up against the wall.

"...I don't know what you're pulling out your ass...but you better make it count..."

Jay silenced all the cobalts because their counterparts never said anything to try and help him

Maya was the only one who did, so hers just got beaten within an inch of her life because she tried to stop him

Collin's breathing falters as he takes in the scene in front of him. Putting up one hand to his throat, he takes several seconds to calm down enough to respond. "I... I will. I promise." CMaya: ...Don't let him get you too. I don't know what he's thinking, but...it's not right... Collin: ... I know. I'll make this right, just... please, hang on.

He hurries onward, Fawkes following closely behind him. The group reaches the roof of the building, where Jay stands over cobalt Collin, who he has pinned to the roof like an insect with several of his spears.

Across the rooftop is Cobalt Demo, who is kneeling beside Tori. Bound with chains and gagged with what appears to be a torn, red bandanna, Tori nervously looks at the group and struggles to say something that she cannot convey around the fabric.

Jay's outfit has changed significantly since the last time he was seen; taking on a more formal appearance with a cloak, boots, and slacks, all the blue of his dimension. His dulled, icy stare levels with Collin's as he comes into view.

"...You kept me waiting...again."

something like this

He shifts his gaze to Fawkes. "Come to let me down one last time, I see." Collin: No, Jay. We're here to help you. We're your friends, remember? alienrabitt: My friends? My friends wouldn't have done this to me! My friends wouldn't have let this happen!! Collin: That's why we're here, Jay. It's going to be okay.

He takes a deep breath and then begins the first part of his song, forcing himself to meet Jay's cold stare.

"Though the sun may rise, And the moon may fall; We're carrying on With our starlit song..." Summoning forth a wall of spears, Jay flinches as Collin begins to sing.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?! That...that won't stop me!"

He unleashes his spears upon the group. Fawkes lunges forward in front of the others as his arm transforms into its shield configuration. However, his shield is now a bright yellow, and crackles like an electric lantern. Jay's spears crash against it, one after the other, but none manage to break through his defense.

Fawkes: I won't fail you again, Jay! Even if it means stopping you right now!

Collin's song continues, now louder to be heard over Fawkes and his shield.

"Through hardships, And friendships, We've gone through it all;

The taken, The given, The rise and the fall..." Gritting his teeth, Jay summons even more spears, many of which he seems to intentionally overshoot beyond the shield. One by one, the spears stuck in the ground create lines of magical currents, slowly branching out to connect to each other, slowly closing in on the group. Daedalus: Oh no you don't!

A flaming sword clangs into form in his hands,which he drives straight into the ground. Searing lines of flame shoot outward in several directions, weaving in between spears that have not yet connected and piercing through some connections that already exist. "No more spear shit, you're in timeout now!"

Collin reaches the last verse, tears starting to brim in his eyes and squeeze his voice. Balling his hands into white-knuckled fists, he powers through his words anyway, desperate to reach out to Jay.

"Though the moon may rise, And the sun may fall; We'll keep carrying on With our starlit song!" Jay's spears abruptly vanish as he falls to his knees, breathing heavily. Shakily, he speaks.

"...Why did you...why did you come here?" Having finally finished the song, Collin untenses ever so slightly as he takes a few small steps towards Jay. Fawkes deactivates his barrier as the weapons disappear, although he stands ready to act if Jay makes any sudden moves. Collin swallows once, then takes a deep breath before finally speaking.

Collin: Jay, do you not... You're becoming shalvenn! If I don't do something to help you, I'll... I'll lose you forever! We're here because we want to help you! I don't care what it takes, I'll do anything if it means you'll come back to us! alienrabitt: ...I...I did this to myself. I deserve it, after everything that's happened, after everything I messed up...! I can't just keep going on like I haven't done anything...! Collin: Everyone makes mistakes, Jay! You don't deserve any of this! Half the problems we've had recently were because of bad decisions that I made, but... that's not worthy of a death sentence, right? Why would it be any different for you? alienrabitt: It wasn't just recently, it was a lot of things over time...so many incidents...so many people got hurt...and when I became a hermes...I...I was so selfish. I could've done anything. I could've saved the humans that took me in; I could've spared Gossip from being tortured by that horrible city; hell, I could've made everything there better so that nobody had to be hurt or killed, but all I could think about was...

He pauses for a minute, glaring at the ground. Taking in slow, deep breaths, he hisses out "...But the only thing I've ever been able to think about was you. All I've ever done has been for you. You said you wanted to make me happy; we've been fighting for everyone's freedom; so then why...?

“You severed yourself from the pantheon so that I would be comfortable with you, but the problem wasn't them...why? Why? All you needed to do was tell me that you didn't need me anymore; why don't you understand?! Even when I can't fight for you, I've only ever been your sword, your tool! You have never seen me as a person!

“I deserve this! I deserve this wicked deterioration; I deserve this slow, painful, merciless death! Anything I could do to myself is better than spending another waking moment knowing that, even though I have sacrificed everything I'd ever had, it still wasn't enough to make you let me go...if you didn't come here to kill me, just leave me behind; I'll do this just like I've done everything else, by myself..." Collin: J-Jay... What're you talking about? I've never seen you as anything less than a person! I tried everything I could to prove that I cared about you! I would move mountains if I had to for you! You saved my life, why would I ever not want you to be a part of my life? When... When have I ever seen you as just something for me to use?! Tell me so I'll never make you feel that way again! alienrabitt: You didn't let me go!! You saw me doing everything I could for you, knowing I was literally born to do it, and you never once asked if I could do anything else! I don't even know if how I feel about you is how I feel!

Just...just because you don't have anything else doesn't mean you had to take everything I had...! I had a family...I wasn't even human; by all accounts, I would've never been able to experience that. Hundreds upon thousands of years, I saw countless families, but I never understood, and once, just once, I could. I had something precious to me; something truly irreplaceable, and it...it was taken from me right in front of me, I was left helpless as innocent people were murdered in cold blood all because I was reborn for you; all because I had to wait for you!

And then I died, and I had it, I had the chance to bring them back, and you...! You...!! You ruined everything for me! How can you stand here, and look at me, and in front of everyone we know, say so honestly that you cared, that you'd do anything for me? You don't even ask me if I'm doing what I want to do; you just let me act without thinking, and it's cost me everything...! And it's cost you everything...! How could you...?! How could you?!

I feel so cold reading this

Collin: I.... I.....

He breaks down into tears, dropping to his knees. "I... I didn't know! I never wanted you to suffer! I didn't even know I was wishing you into existence! When you made your wish to be tied to me, I just... I thought this was what you wanted! How was I supposed to know that you were suffering all this time?" alienrabitt: I didn't know...what was wrong...or even what to say. By the time I realized it, everything was already...my arm was...there wasn't anything I could do...I'm so sorry... Collin: ... What can we do now? It's not too late to pull this back. We can still save you, start from the beginning... You don't have to be tied to me anymore. I... honestly never wanted you to be. I've only ever wanted you to be free... alienrabitt: I don't know...this isn't like changing my driving wish, this is something...bigger...I don't know if we can fix it... Collin: Then what can? All I want is for you to be able to live and be happy. You don't deserve this... Karumet: Phoenix; Mother of the Saas. Undoubtedly, after stopping Xentrilis, she and Nine still owe us something...it's the only way to do this without losing him. Collin: ... Jay, please. Come back with us so we can help you... alienrabitt: I...I don't know how long I'll stay how I am...the song you sang can't last forever...

Karumet: If it lasts to Kujaar, it'll be all we need. Collin: We just have to hurry. Please, Jay... Jay wordlessly dispels his remaining spears and releases Tori from her restraints. Yanking the bandanna out of her mouth, Tori shoves herself upright. "...He'll go." Taking that as an invitation, Collin slams his hands together with a deafening clap, and in an instant everyone who isn't a cobalt finds themselves back inside the console room of the IT. Shoving himself up to his feet, he spins to face Nydins and speaks with an unrecognizable tone. "Nydins, get us to Kujaar and Phoenix. Now." Nervously spinning in her chair, Nydins immediately sends off the IT. "O-okay...!!" Collin: This isn't fast enough!

He steps over to the console, tears still running down his face, and slaps one hand on its side. The IT's engine changes pitch dramatically as the ship's speed rapidly begins to increase. The IT rumbles to a halt as it collides with its destination, the door swinging open on impact. Collin staggers slightly as he lets go of the console, quickly catching himself as he stands back upright. Through slow, shuddering breaths, Collin looks back to Jay to speak. "C'mon... We're almost there..." The pair enters Kujaar, where Nine is already waiting, curious about their landing.

"Never seen you guys rush like that--...Jay..."

They get a bit closer, but still stay at a distrusting distance.

"Your...everythin' is...how're you...? ...We...we have to help...Phoenix 's still where I left 'er..." Collin: Please, you have to get us to her! She's the only one that can help him! With a grim nod, Nine heads back towards Phoenix's location. Deep beneath Kujaar, Phoenix remains, patient as ever. As Jay enters her chamber, Phoenix immediately lowers to turn her attention to him.

"A shalvenn...no, not quite yet...I never thought we'd get the chance...we can still save him...what do you need?" Collin: I... I'm not even sure anymore. I think it's... It's our connection with each other. It's constantly putting pressure on him and... He doesn't need to be tied to me like this. With a soft nod, Phoenix removes Jay's oracle, taking it into their claws and flooring him instantly. As the oracle is surrounded in an opalescent light, Phoenix addresses Jay personally.

"...With your soul unclouded, speak your honest desire, and fulfill the destiny you've chosen..."

alienrabitt: ...The only thing...the /only/ thing I've wanted is to make it all right...I want somewhere safe to come back to, no matter what...but I need the power to protect it...no matter what...I don't want to exist for anyone or anything but myself...I just need whatever it takes...to stand up for the things I want to protect...

Phoenix: Then your wish; ultimately; will be granted throughout.

There is a sound like glass breaking as Phoenix's light fills the room, spreading out further, and even beyond the horizon. When the light fades away, Jay's oracle is more of a mint color, accented by darker shades of blue. Just as carefully as she had removed it, Phoenix returns Jay's oracle, and he returns to his natural state and appearance within the instant.

despite everything Collin still has influence over him, but it’s only partial. that mint color means Jay’s his own kleivenn; Collin’s accents are a healthy amount

and I mean yeah, this could’ve been done ages ago, and this log hurts like a bitch, but it needed to happen. having all this on the table was important

Collin looks at Jay with a mixture of disbelief and uncertainty. "Is... Is it done? Is he going to be okay?"

Phoenix: ...It seems like the corruption's subsided. His arm hasn't shelled back over...it's staying yellow. Collin: I... I can't ever repay you enough for this... Phoenix: You brought me back from the dead, and you saved our city, along with countless other kleivenn. Rescuing your saa from the brink of self destruction is the least I can do for the sake of our champions. Collin: ... I don't really feel much like a champion. Nine: Maybe you've spent too much time fightin' and not enough time bein' rewarded fer fightin' stuff! I think you need a break. Collin: I... Nevermind. I should... take him back to the IT. He's going to need a lot of rest after all of this. Phoenix: Take care! We'll always be here when you need us. Carefully picking Jay up, he looks back at the pair for a moment and quietly says, "Thank you," before stepping back inside the IT.

y’all need a break

#[S4]

0 notes