melodiesofeternity | The Final Loop

Kanji sheathed the Black Ice and frowned to the rest of the group. Kalki desired death and it wasn't their call to give it to her.

"We spent so much time lending a hand to Vaikuntha, proved to so many people that they didn't choose wrong in believing in us through our actions."

He nodded to the fallen Ramaa/Kalki.

"What's one more? We're never gonna quit proving ourselves, and most of all, never gonna quit provin' you wrong."

There was little more Sylvarie could add to what had already been said as she made her way over to kneel beside the woman, tentatively touching her hand. The first time she had come in contact with Ramaa was when the memories had started, yet even if she feared it happening again she wouldn’t willingly pull away. Despite all the times they had lived through this battle, she still couldn’t attack nor hate the Empress who had died in her arms.

“I still... want to know you, and your thoughts. I know that makes me foolish, but it’s how I feel. You once said this was all you could do, yet...”

Looking to the Heroes around them, she breathed out slowly. “Why not see what they can do, their wills and Melodies?”

They need only look to the skies above them to know these people were already capable of defying fate.

Vimes found himself, privately, reeling. They’d done it. They’d won, and nobody had died. He’d been fully expecting a few graves today, and yet- they were all alive, all mostly intact. The truncheon was replaced at his belt, a cursory glance given to the falling Bahamut… “I ‘ope nobody objects. All this talk of forgiveness is all well and good, but she ought to stand trial for what she’s done. Whatever happens to her, after this- it’s got to happen out in the light, where everyone can see. That’s the only way justice is done. If Sen Riqueaux won’t try her, I’ll drag ‘er back to Golsaucia myself.”

His next comment, he addressed to Ramaa. “If it’s any consolation. Even if you do die… I’ve met Death. He’s not nearly as terrifying as you make ‘im out to be.”

Nozomi let out a sigh as she recovered from that last attack before everything ended. She stretched a bit before she went to address Vimes' suggestion.

"He's right. I believe in second chances and the need to atone for your past crimes, but that doesn't absolve you of what you done, Ramaa. You endangered countless people because you believed it was "right"."

She closed her eyes as she continued. "You're not Kalki. You're not the Goddess of Death. You're just someone with her memories and her powers who feels the only thing she should do is continue on her path as if it's your destiny. You can do so much with your powers instead of trying to destroy everything. You need to abandon this ridiculous line of thinking, though!"

Klonoa sighs, lowering the shield as he walks closer to the defeated empress. Lying there, she looks more than ever like the one who told him what to do next, this day again some five months ago. He kneels down next to her.

"It's over, Ramaa. The world isn't going to be destroyed. You can't use this to escape from your problems anymore.. you're going to have to work through them now."

And then he hugs her, closing his eyes. "But there are people here that will help you through this. Until you feel ready.. to want to live again."

Edited 2019-04-23 15:23 (UTC)

Well that sure was a depressing mindset, and one that Tressa found really hard to understand. Life was difficult, but that didn’t make it miserable, what was this person going on about? Looking the empress dead in the eyes, Tressa frowned at her, and began to speak up.

“What have you gone through to think like that..? I know life has it’s struggles, and there will be times where everything seems pointless, but when life has it’s good moments they make all of the pain worth it. I just... hope you realize that one day.”

Sasami? Sadly just can't contribute to the shonen-hero-thought patterns and trying to reassure Kalki. It's been a long six months and she's tired.

"I'm... I'm ready to go home now." She uttered, sitting on the ground and trying her best to stay awake using her White Mage's staff as a balance.

Ena just wanted a peek at Ramaa in defeat, but before she knew it, she was pushing her way forward through the other Heroes of Light before her. Strangely, it was the realization that she herself had been in a similar situation not all too long ago - albeit with few heroes up against her and smaller summons - that was drawing her to her.

She suddenly finds herself standing among the others that had gathered around their villain. She had been defeated, sure, but...could she not be redeemed, like Ena had been? Well, redeemed was still up for contention, but, you know.

For a moment she doesn't understand what she's doing there. She has no chivalrous words of encouragement, or awful insults to hurl at her, just a feeling of disappointment and loss for something that could have never been.

She tucks her legs under her and sits on her knees. The fact that her white trousers might get dirtied hardly crosses her mind. It's after a brief moment of contemplation that she speaks.

"You are very powerful," she says softly. And she means it as a compliment. If only she could wield such strength for herself. Tentatively, she extends her hand. But she lacks the courage to touch Ramaa, and her hand lands just an inch away from hers onto the grass. "But I believe you would find more trust from those around you if you were to use those powers to build, not destroy. I understand that you must be hurting in ways beyond our comprehension, but I don't doubt the pain would be eased if you had...if you had others to rely on."

"We're... we're alive?"

Asriel stares for a moment before throwing his arms up in the air in glee.

"SWEET CHEESE STICKS, WE'RE ALIVE!"

And Kuja didn't kill anyone!

"WHOOO! SMELL THE AIR, KISS THE.. HORRIFYING DEATH CRATER!"

He says, having bent down to kiss the smouldering deathflare ground beneath them. ...oh hey, phoenix down. Yeah he's just going to grab and stuff that in his pockets for later.

Oh. Right. Ramaa. He heads closer to see Kuja and everyone else... "being Frisk" at her. He coughs, clearing his throat awkwardly as he throws up a thumbs up. "Good job everyone, knew you could do it."

Edited 2019-04-23 16:25 (UTC)

Serge is, perhaps, a bit less melancholy about the whole thing.
"We... we did it. We did it! We saved the world!" He's grinning from ear to ear, laughing, turning to pull Corrin into a tight hug, jubilation at seeing her free again before glancing back at- Kid.

Ah, heck with it. She's getting a bearhug, too, even if his face is slightly pink. There's something he's gotta ask, but... later. "Toldja. We got this."
Whatever happens next with Ramaa, he figures, isn't something he needs to worry about. Right now, he wants to go home and take a nap and, maybe, afterward- he can think about asking a question that's been on his mind for the past two months.

Finn watches everyone else celebrate their victory with thinly veiled shock. After everything she put them through, and no one was going to finish the job. She was too dangerous to be kept alive, even in prison. She was too manipulative and powerful.

He walked forward with purpose, readying one more attack. He still had the inspiration at his back. It'd be almost too easy.

But he stops a foot or so away, looking at her and the others.

Finn switches back to Summoner and walks away from the crowd, sitting down on the outskirts of Alexander's field to watch Zodiark high above.

Standing back as the others tried to talk to Ramaa, Naoto similarly turned with Finn to continue observing the last fight still on-going. Bahamut didn't have much time left against the other four Legendary Eidolons though he might be on top. Even kings needed to be overpowered sometimes.

"... If she truly is all she says, she'll only return." She looked over at him, shrugged. "Let them do their... I don't know, friendship speeches? We should give them a name if this is going to be a constant."

There were other things they would need to discuss. "I'm curious if we'll be capable of summoning Bahamut now that he's not going to be utilized to destroy the world."

"Will someone just kill her already and get it over with?" Starscream says throwing his arms up in exasperation.

Typical good guys. They defeated the enemy but will now probably just do the good and noble thing and try to lock her away or something.

No one probably wanted this commentary, but he'll give it anyway.

"Why?! She's probably already died more times than we have!"

Red's heavy breathing finally quieted down to a dull, murmuring groan, as an abundant excess of energy slowly vented and steamed off from the surface of his magitek mecha.

Eventually, he brought the thing over beside the empress with its weapons powered down.

"...Look, I dunno all that much about all that stuff you were talkin' about before- about other worlds and cycles of life and death and souls and how nothin's ever gonna change from that.

But even from what you told us, we're all here- Vaikuntha is here- to try and fix that, right? So things are already different from how they were before. And now there's actually a chance things can finally be fixed, right?

So I dunno how many times it's taken you to even get this far, but maybe one'a these times, you can stop bein' so afraid. You aren't always gonna get it right on the first-- or even the fifthieth try.

...take my word for it."

Sephiroth had been fully ready to be the next one in there as Ramaa fell to a knee, the one to claim the victory -deserved the kill- over the one who would dare to call his existence into question. The one who had sought to end it. The one who had made it necessary for them to spend the last several months replaying the last four days over and over just to unwind the catastrophe she'd gone to untold lengths to ensure would come to pass.

Still now, as others stepped in, gathered around Ramaa with their words of condolences -reeking of pathetic forgiveness, no less- Sephiroth's grip around the handle of his sword didn't loosen a mite. Much like his battle stance which tightened up once more as Starscream expressed the exasperation Sephiroth was holding fast to inside himself.

He hardly needed a reason to act.

"Imbeciles. The lot of you-"

He downright glared at Ramaa, regardless whether she met his gaze or not, his face a barely-hidden mask of pure disgust. He could picture himself doing it, in his mind's eye; he could rush her right now and near enough cleave her in two with his vengeance. Hell to the rest of them, he might well even enjoy it.

"No-

"-death is too good for you. Goddess." Sephiroth sneered before promptly turning away and striding towards where Naoto and Finn were observing the spectacle still going on above them in the night sky. Not joining them so much as putting distance between himself and the petty ignorance of everyone else pining over Ramaa's redemption.

Plague Knight is ready. He has two more mega potions in hand, he's preparing to throw them, and.... It's over.

The alchemist just stares at the others gathering around Ramaa, his mask betraying nothing of his inner thoughts as he slowly tucks the potions away back in the folds of his robe. The only thing he says, as he turns away from their foe to let the others do... Whatever it is they're doing- redemption? Really? Suppose he's not in a position to talk, "Oh, it's finally done with. What a, ehhh... What a ride this has been."

He'll just watch the eidolons fight in the sky. He has no words for the apparent goddess of death, he just wants to go home to the curti center and sleep forever.

Reno looks down on Ramaa with disappointment and shakes his head. There isn't anything worth saying that hasn't already been voiced -- both in support of sparing and in slaying the empress. It would be so easy, Reno knew. It would have been so easy to watch Sephiroth do it.

He was still glad the SOLDIER hadn't. Living with shame and struggle was what Kalki deserved, not dying as some kind of martyr. Maybe she'd eventually find something worth living for. If Reno could do it, there had to be some hope.

The Turk followed the few that walked away. Naoto seemed to have Finn in check. She was a stubborn girl; she could probably handle Finn just fine. Sephiroth, on the other hand...

"You made the right call," Reno said quietly as he drifted near Sephiroth. "Sentimentality aside -- death's what she woulda' wanted. An' why should she get what she wants for all our trouble, yo?"

For the first few moments of standing there looking up, Sephiroth wasn't seeing anything through the glaring haze of his own stirred anger. A few deep breaths later and the cool night air has helped to quell the immediate desire to lash out at any and all who might come too close or utter the wrong thing.

He's smarter than his anger; if there is anything he's learned through this experience thus far it's bitter tolerance and baited patience. He's had enough practice at this to last more than a few next-lifetimes. Pushing his intentions too early had been his greatest flaw in the past. Being too forward had even ballsed up at least one loop, on his account.

"She deserves nothing less than her existence given to the Void." He answers Reno promptly, hardly turning his head towards the Turk. "Be it what she wants or not, I would be glad to deliver her there."

It's hardly surprising to Sephiroth that she then takes the opportunity handed to her, to teleport right out from within the group of them. He didn't even look back to verify it, but it did cause his scowl to return.

"This isn't over."

Then Sephiroth carried on to do what he'd intended by stepping away, being one of the first to stride off Alexander's back and back towards the city.

When Tyzias challenged her, Corrin was ready to accept, both the part of her that was still corrupted, and the part that was herself. The corrupted part wished to do exactly as Tyzias dared her to, to kill the miserable upstart for daring to challenge her supremacy. She could feel the specter of her father roaring at her to do so.

The part that was still herself agreed on the grounds that it would get her away from everyone else, and because Tyzias could stop her. It was win-win as far as both sides of her were concerned.

But then...it's over. Ramaa is beaten and the last vestiges of the corruption fade, King Garon's voice fading away like a bad dream. Serge is hugging her, despite that moments before she'd broken his nose, all already forgiven, the others are attending to the beaten and defeated Ramaa...

...And Corrin can't meet any of their gazes. Especially not the troll girl in front of her. Not after what she said. Not after what she's done.

"...I am so, so sorry." She says quietly to Tyzias, knowing it's not enough, but right now it's all she can manage. "I'm sorry I hurt you. I didn't...I never wanted that."

While the others deal with Ramaa or rejoice in the battle's end, Corrin merely pulls back to let them celebrate their victory.

Not hers. Corrin had nothing to do with it.

Serge frowns. "Corrin... Stop that. I'm serious, right now. Was it my fault when Lynx... did that to me? No way- and I know you'd knock me a good one for feeling that way. Kid almost did." He grins back at her.

"But I mean it. We won, we're all alive, and you're free now. That's all that matters, okay?"

"Yeah-hah!" It was cause for celebration to be sure, and without even thinking, she flung herself into Serge's hug, buzzing with energy— laughter echoing... He had told her so, she'd just— been too afraid to put too much faith in it.

But none of that mattered now because! Because— oh jeez, she had wrapped her arms around him tighter than she'd realized, pulling back now with almost a nervous sort of laugh as she eased herself back onto her own feet again.

Once there was a place for her to approach Corrin— she didn't hesitate at all to drive a knuckle lightly into the other girl's head. "That's right," she backed Serge up, "but I mean if you think it'll help, the offers still on the table, y'know?" She's grinning, wide and happily as she makes the joke, with a sparkle in her eye that said the words she often failed to. Welcome back, mate.

Edited 2019-04-24 04:09 (UTC)

Just as quickly as things had escalated, they seemed to come to a sudden end, as the empress finally fell. The opinions on her fate reminded him all too much of the message board Mishima had managed once upon a time. Funny, he thought— spinning on his heel as his hands found the pockets of his summoner's coat— how far away that all seemed, now.

He retreated just slightly, to turn and watch the Eidolon battle above, then glanced down at Alexander's sheen underfoot. Overall, he felt a sense of victory, at least. He wouldn't have to die in this place— there was still a chance they could all go home one day. Still a chance he could see everyone again...

With that hopeful feeling, looked down at the crystal in his hand again, thinking of how they would have never stood a chance without the Legendary Eidolons. Without the gift the heroes that had come before had given them...

"Thank you..." he said quietly, smiling to himself.

Death of course, meant little to a quasi-immortal gemstone like Rutile. Knowing that, they excused themself from the conversation— interested only to hear about what the aftermath would decide later on.

Instead, they seemed to finally relax with a heave of their shoulders and a sigh... their eyes first closing, opening, closing slowly again... as they began to fall asleep standing up.

Not sure about listening to much more of the conversation herself, Naomi shifted away, changing her Job back to Chemist in order to let Little Mog out. Of course, the moogle was only out for a moment; when she realized the battle still continued above, she darted back into the bag with a 'kupo!'. Eh, she had done enough...

Speaking of, Naomi approached Rutile to speak to her on the matter of the Calamity virus, pausing when she noticed the gem asleep. Well, there was always later to talk now.

Serge beams, with the sort of infectious joy that only really comes from narrowly escaping death... "Hey, Kid? I, uh. When we're heading back to the center, d'you want to, um. I mean. Talk, about something? I-if that's okay, I mean, I had something I wanted to ask you but it's kinda private and, um. Uh."

He clears his throat. "When we're done, I mean. Obviously. Yeah."

The Final Loop

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branching off a bit- last tag in this thread for me though.

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