melodiesofeternity | A Starlight Carol

Cor looks at everyone, gauging their current moods for a moment. And then he turns back to the ghost.

"It better be important, if there's one last thing to show us," he grumps as he takes the offered hand. He's not going to protest if anyone else takes his other hand - especially those from his homeworld.

Ignis kept silent as they went through the memories, through the arguing between the people present, much of this hitting to close to home to put it to words. He squeezes Gladio's hand back, brows furrowing.

"Or he wants to seal the deal for help," he says quietly. Either bargain or seal some kind of deal to help this World not die. Ignis is not a hesitant person- when it comes to his kings and comrades. But he's not sure... the ghost is asking things from them without promising anything in return. Without giving any clues on how to deal with the calamity.

"This one- the decision- I will do as you do," he nods to Gladio and Ravus. They can see and perceive more than Ignis can with his senses. He's done a bargain of his lifetime- he's not sure if he has anything else to give.

Kuja very nearly snaps back when 'hysterics' are mentioned- but he's calming down, at least. "As if I could refuse. What, just lay down and die?" He takes the spirit's hand.

The last time Ravus reached out to an otherworldly power, he lost an arm.

He apparently didn't learn his lesson. As much as he wants to walk away from this damned ghost, if there's a chance it could offer him the knowledge, the power he needs to stop Bahamut, he has to try.

"Fine. Let us waste no more time."

He extends his hand to the spirit.

Gladio watches his mentor grasp the ghost's hand, watches as the others in their group make a similar choice, and listens when Ignis puts his faith in both him and Ravus.

So when Ravus reaches out to the phantom Gladio whispers to Ignis, "We're gonna take this spirit's hand. Lemme just shift you a bit ... there."

Gladio has guided Ignis to stand between himself and Ravus and he's also interlaced their fingers so that when he reaches out towards the apparition Iggy's hand reaches out as well. And if he places their joined hands on top of Ravus' hand no one better say shit.

"Show us what you need to. N' it better be useful."

Those who took the Lalafell's hand, or connected to him by touching someone who touched the Lalafell hand, will find the atmosphere around them changing. They're still in the cemetery, but in spite of being the same place it feels very different. The sky turned blue and somehow, all fires went out. Instead, now flowers are blooming as if the catastrophe had never happened in the first place.

The Lalafell changed, too. Now it's a little girl who looks up to those who took her hand.

"H-Hi... I'm sorry for those t-things... That's the only way I could cheat-cheat and get to you past h-her... But I don't have a lot-lot of time..." A pause. "W-What the ghosts showed you... I-it's the future as it's written now... The summoning of B-Bahamut will destroy everything... And when it do-does, your worlds will die with it... I-I can't explain why, it-it's complicated... Maybe someone else could explain it..."

She let go of the character's hands. Those who didn't take the Lalafell hand or connected to it are stuck in the nightmarish version of the graveyard till it's over, unfortunately.

"You can rewrite that future... B-But it'll ask a lot out of you... That's w-why I used Starlight to contact you... That embodies the-the spirit you'll need to have... If you f-fight just for yourself, you'll fail... If you g-go at it without joy or love, you won't find the s-strength to walk through it... For you-you to succeed, you're going to have to f-form a special bond with V-Vaikuntha and its people... Not unlike the b-bond people feel during Starlight... If you c-can't do that, you w-won't be able to rewrite this ending..."

"If-If you have questions, I'll answer anything I can... S-So long as the answer doesn't put m-me at risk..."

As the scenery changes, Gladio feels his body begin to relax in minute increments. And when the ghost morphs into a little girl he feels his anger and frustration at the specter fizzle to mild irritation - having a little sister makes staying angry at this particular little girl difficult.

He takes a few calming breaths, enjoying the scent of the blooming flowers before speaking.

"What determines if we have a bond with this place?" Because Gladio understands what it means to bond with people, but bonding with a place can mean different things to different people. As it is, Vaikuntha is special to him in that it's where he can be with both of the men he loves. It's a place where they can be happy and lead more peaceful lives (barring this whole Bahamut ending everything situation).

Would a feeling like that be enough?

Snow White wasn't about to be That Bitch who didn't take the lala's hand when everyone else did. He huffily set his hand down with the others -- and not a second too soon. When the scenery began to change, he actually felt a twinge of anxiety that he might have been left behind.

The little girl was a surprise, too. But rather than be annoyed, Snow White felt calmer around her. That was its own surprise. The girl was clearly here to help them, though, and that made the rest seem more bearable.

"Joy and love...?" Unconsciously his other hand tightened in Kuja's. It sounded foolish. That said, it also sounded like the sort of thing that might work for Otogi. The boy was small and foolish, but also loyal and ambitious. He cared not only for himself... but for others.

"Feh." Snow scoffed, but smiled. "Alright... I'm listening."

Kuja very nearly scoffs at the notion of 'joy and love' saving the world, but...

A landslide begins with the shifting of a grain of sand.
People as things, that's where it starts.
What? Do I need a reason to help someone?

Kuja sighs. "Suppose, for a moment, we take you at your word. Speaking as an amateur in these respects, how does one weaponize love, exactly?"

Edited 2019-01-06 23:24 (UTC)

"A bond? Do you mean like a Covenant?" Those are the terms Ravus can understand, at least. Forge a covenant with beings of power to save the world. It's a story he can't escape.

"Tell us who we need to contract with, if you speak the truth about wishing to help us." He's not letting her appearance lull him into a false sense of security. Their guide has shown how easily she can change her form.

"Y-Yes and no..."

She replied to Ravus before turning to the others.

"I-It's about the n-nature of this world..."

"You shouldn't t-think of the p-planet, the d-dream width and the p-people as separate entities... T-Think of them as p-part of a whole?" She marked a pause. "Y-You cannot normally bond with a p-planet or s-something abstract like the d-dream width... B-But what if they're just another aspect of the whole...? And the p-people are the aspect you can interact w-with... Like an interface..."

"I-If you connect with that interface i-in a significant way... The p-people will change. But what if t-they're just aspect of the whole... T-Then the other p-parts of the whole w-will change t-too... D-depending on how you i-interacted with the in-interface..."

"I-If you w-want to contract w-with this w-world, that's the only way..."

Cor's eyes had first widened in shock upon seeing this little girl replace the ghost. Was this the one some folks mentioned before, greeting them when they first arrived here?

But he lets everyone else speak as he overcomes his shock, taking her words into conaideration. "So in other words...it's like a huge ecosystem? And we have to learn to live in harmony with it? Let ourselves become as one with it all?"

He then kneels down to better face her. "Though, I have to commend you for your bravery," he adds in a soft voice. Gladio and Ignus might recognize it from when they were kids. "I know you must be risking a lot just to be here. Is there any way we can help you?"

Gladio can't keep from smiling softly, definitely remembering that voice from his childhood and recalling how safe it made him feel - like everything would be okay.

Hopefully it has a similar reaction on the child in front of them.

He keeps his voice calm as he thinks out loud and tries to parse out what the shyly stuttered words mean for him, for all of them.

"And if everything around us - the people of Vaikuntha, the Dream Width, and Vaikuntha itself - is all basically one thing then if we bond with the people in a positive way the other parts will change for the better..."

Gladio's on a roll now and his hand tightens around Iggy's.

"And if we bond with Vaikuntha in a positive way, the other parts will also change for the better. Right?"

If it really is that simple Gladio will absolutely drop everything to help the girl out. Because he's already been bonding with Vaikuntha itself, right? What else could a thriving and well-loved garden signify? And all the trips into the forests and the hikes and chocobo rides around the fields and shores?

A Starlight Carol

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