Cinque found her assigned world without much trouble and felt a thrill of excitement when she landed in the soft, bushy grass of a lush forest. Mist curled about the trees and burned away at the touch of the gate behind her while woodland creatures scurried away.
She missed the smell of damp trees – good things they sent her here instead of that Ivalice place.
"Hello," she said to the new world. "Glad to meet you!"
More scurrying away.
Cinque hummed to herself and skipped along. It didn't take much to find thinner trees and the telling road of stone that led to an impressive castle and its kingdom in the distance.
Queen told her to find "Tycoon" because her target hovered among those borders and Cinque followed the instructions to the castle. An odd name for a place like that, but who was she to judge?
Music drifted her way and Cinque increased her pace. The city was happy for something, going by the cheery song.
When she entered through the gate, she found dancers in the streets and cloth streaming from towers. Vendors flaunted wares and Cinque lost her breath at the glimmering glass that dangled from buildings and broke sunlight into different colors against the cobbled streets.
"A necklace for the pretty lady!" called one pale and ornately-dressed man, holding up a string of gems. "Special price, just for you!"
Cinque giggled and took it in her hands, admiring the sparkling cut of each stone. "How much?"
"Five hundred." The man leaned forward with toothy smile. "And I'll throw in a flower to accentuate that lovely hair of yours."
Cinque pulled out the coins that Queen gave her. "Hrm… how much is five hundred?"
"Oh." The man blinked and studied her palm with the money. "Well, it'll be five of those big guys."
"Perfect!" Cinque exchanged with him and threw on the necklace. "It's beautiful!"
"Oh, it pales in comparison to you, sweet one." He offered a pink and blue flower. "May Her Majesty reign long and healthy!"
"Hear, hear!" Cinque gave her farewell and took back to the streets, gems clinking against her uniform. Stopped to watch performers whip together sculptures of ice and walk in fire.
Focus, Cinque, came King's voice after she volunteered for one mage's act. This may be a desperate measure, but it still matters if you bring Mog back.
She paused in the street and looked to the castle. "But these people are so happy! I doubt Bhunivelze could even touch this place."
Focus.
"Fine." She pouted and got directions to the castle, where they said she could volunteer for cleanup work in the Queen's personal entertainment. People flowed in and out of the castle, though not without a security check. Guards checked weapons, used magic inhibitors, and rejected some with suspicious demeanors.
Cinque sang one of those street songs under her breath, one that celebrated the Crystalchosen and salvation from an alien threat, and greeted one of the guards with a "Hi!"
"Any weapons?" asked the man with a weary voice.
She shook her head. "Not that I would bring here, of course!"
"Of course." He looked her up and down. "No daggers in your vest?"
She patted herself down. She didn't remember bringing anything…
"Oh, go on." The guard waved her in and Cinque flashed him a thankful smile.
Inside, chatter echoed off the vaulted ceilings and sunlight streamed from story-high windows. It was warmer than she expected for a castle and people crowded the place, most drinking wine and chatting together. Fashions ranged from layered and frilly to straight and simplistic. Some wore washed-out colors, others were vibrant.
How was she supposed to find Mog in this mess?
Cinque drifted through the crowd and found some her age, some older than that gramps back in Akademia, and others half her size. She passed through various rooms, some decorated lavishly and shining with chandeliers and polished glass, others modestly kept and holding only chairs for some that preferred to rest, like Seven and Sice would.
She followed the crowds deeper into the castle and found one room so displayed with color and fine things that she drew up short near the entrance. The crowd hovered near this room, but mostly stayed just outside.
And she saw why.
Inside, a woman sat on a big throne, both her and the chair being decorated in sheers and jewelry. An elegant crown rested on her head and a band played quiet music off in the corner.
Cinque stepped inside and looked around at a bunch of old men in stiff clothing and women in flowing gowns. The discussion here favored quieter tones and boring topics. She stifled a yawn at the thought of interacting with these people and bumped into one woman with greenish hair and red dress.
"Sorry," said the woman before hurrying past.
Cinque frowned at the scent of mana left behind in her wake before turning her attention back to the room. Not that anyone here would know where to find a moogle, but…
A small party joined the woman on the throne, including a small girl that bounced with excitement and struck Cinque as being oddly dressed for someone her size. It wasn't so different from the lady on the throne.
Cinque stopped one of the stern old people. "Excuse me?"
The man, who wore a beard down to his chest, turned with a raised eyebrow. "Yes, child?"
"Where can I find a moogle around here?"
He gestured to the other end of the room. "Mog represents his kind, I think."
"Thank you, your elderness." She spun on her heel, tucked her hands behind her back, and skipped to the white, plushy thing that hovered in the air near the throne-lady's party. How didn't she see him before? "Mog! There you are!"
He twisted in the air and made a squeaking sound. "Kupo, kupo?"
"It's time to get back to Valhalla!" Cinque stopped in front of him and held out a hand. "Let's go!"
Mog hesitated. "Pardon me, but who are you?"
"Cinque!" She kept her hand out. "From Orience! You want to go see Serah and the others, right?"
"Serah, kupo?" Mog gave a disgruntled sound. "Oh, no, then Mwynn was right."
Cinque paused. Withdrew her hand. "You talked to Mwynn?"
Mog bobbed his head and twirled in the air. Dropped his head. "A long time ago, kupo. She told me and the others her plan, but this isn't right, kupo, I wasn't supposed to talk to you guys. I feel it in my pom-pom – this is wrong, kupo."
"We've just hit a few bumps." Cinque looked about them. "I mean, this world looks untouched! We just gotta keep him off our tail a little longer and everywhere will look like this!"
"Kupo, kupo." Mog flitted about in an agitated circle. "You're right. Not like we haven't done this a hundred times, already, kupo."
"Right!"
A man boomed, "May I have your attention, please?"
Heads turned to the center of the room, where a well-dressed man in cape and mantle gestured toward the throne. "The ceremony will begin henceforth. To any who may be visiting from another kingdom, we ask that you keep to the edge of the room and keep silence out of respect!"
Cinque frowned. "What's that for?"
"Lenna's coronation, kupo!" Mog gestured for her to follow him toward a crevice. "You should see it!"
"Okay!" She settled in with Mog and they watched as the room parted to make space in the center. A troupe marched in through a side door and fanned out in a circle.
Cinque exchanged an excited look with Mog.
The four that lined up with the walls started a dance and the others joined them at intervals.
Two of them reached for the ceiling and flew upward, earning a round of cheers from the audience. Cinque clapped and Mog exclaimed, "Kupo?!"
The two in the air twirled about and caught each other in an aerial dance whilst those below switched to ice and fire. One even crackled lightning about himself and received a wave of applause.
Cinque bounced in place and looked about her at everyone else – they all watched with rapt attention.
A child ran past her and Cinque startled. Others followed and she found the same against the other wall. Dozens of children, all wearing special robes, lined up against the edges of the room and started up an ominous chorus before the dancers moved to offensive positions. Drums sounded.
Cinque frowned. She preferred the earlier act.
Paused when she caught sight of a silver-haired boy in checkered, silk robes. He conversed with some of those older men and moved like they did. Like an old person.
"Wait." Cinque narrowed her eyes and pointed. It was difficult to hear herself above the noise. "Who's that?"
Mog followed her gesture. "In the weird robe? … Great googly kupo."
A lady hushed them with a stern, "Hush!"
Cinque stepped closer and couldn't take her eyes off the pristine silver of the boy's hair and the shimmer of his clothes. Couldn't think of what to say, but she had to catch him before he left. Maybe King would smile again if she settled this here.
The boy glanced her way and fell still. Looked toward the throne, then back to her.
"Ah." Hope lifted a glass at her approach and she drew up short. Something vibrated inside her chest. "Glad you could join us, Cinque."
A round of beating on the drums. The men looked at her and Cinque asked, "What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said." Hope took a slow sip. Swallowed and licked his lips. "What brings you to Gaia V?"
"Mog." Cinque glanced to where she left the moogle staring after them with worry in his pompom. Then back to the boy, whose presence felt… off. Like someone that came back from drinking or someone that received death orders. "… What about you?"
"Same as everyone else." He spoke without a second inflection and gestured toward the throne. "Queen Lenna serves as a beacon to us all."
Cinque studied him. His posture was relaxed, his skin clean, and eyes shining pure. The faintest blue tint showed in the tips of his fingers.
"Excuse us." Hope stepped away from the men and took Cinque by the arm. "You think I cannot understand people even after I live inside them?"
"Yes."
"Then you are mistaken." He shifted in the way she expected to see adults do. "Humanity isn't so complicated when you take time to observe them from inside. I've come to an understanding of you and your purpose."
Cinque glanced to the performance that slowed into a lull. "Really?"
"Mwynn forced an unreasonable burden upon your sisters and brothers. Upon you But worry not. I can still save all of you."
Cinque cocked her head. "You didn't want to destroy us all and remake us as puppets?"
"You misunderstand. Humanity doesn't deserve death, it needs guidance. I can provide that and make all worlds like this one."
That didn't seem right. But then, Cinque never thought to talk to the man herself before and she didn't think the others did either. "Do you know where Mwynn is?"
"Hasn't she abandoned you?"
"I was wondering, but…" Cinque hummed to herself. "I thought maybe she was just busy with something else."
"How can anything be more important than the work she assigned your people?"
"Not much. If I talked to King or Queen…"
"Why?" He pulled back and gestured about them, robes shimmering with the motion. "You don't want this?"
"I do, but…" Cinque reached out for Queen's voice, but nothing came.
It was hard to believe that their enemy could be so polite. Cinque didn't remember Mwynn or Bhunivelze acting so normal, and it bothered her that they had to see such a sweet guy as the enemy.
Even now, Hope conversed in light tones with another woman and she laughed at something he said.
Maybe… maybe Bhunivelze became part human when he merged with Hope? Maybe their game changed and it was time to change the plan with it.
After a long moment, he joined her again and that strange presence of his sent a chill down her spine. "Any response?"
"They're busy."
"A common tale of late?"
"Yeah." But something felt different this time. She felt… blocked. "Did they even hear me?"
He watched her, blue eyes intent. The singing in the background faded into a language she didn't understand.
"Queen?" Cinque closed her eyes and focused. "Are you there?"
Felt that vibration again. Looked at Hope, who stared back.
"Did…" She stepped toward him. "Did you cut me off?"
"I only quieted your channel. Not that it made much of a difference in the absence of your friends, but I wanted to assure no interruptions. I'm not much accustomed to such behavior."
Cinque summoned her mace. "How rude!"
"Yes, I consider it incredibly ill-mannered. To think that possessing someone would cause me to care about such things…"
Cinque swung.
Hope leaped back and smoke filled the space between them. Cinque slammed the ground and it cracked under her mace.
Smoke coalesced into the form of something dragonesque and Cinque swiped it away. "You're not pulling any weird tricks with me, mister!"
Hope flicked a wrist and something silent pierced the air. His image flickered. "Then it's time I made my exit."
"No!" Cinque dashed to reach him but he just-… vanished.
People around her exchanged confused looks before glancing her way, as if expecting an explanation. She stopped nearby and swallowed.
The music died and the scent of crystal dust filled her nose. Hope was gone.
Cinque turned to see Lenna stand and the crowd hush. Magic gathered in the queen's hands and awe overtook the onlookers.
Cinque felt something terrible twist in the space about her.
Lenna unleashed that magic and blasted the room with black power.
Screams erupted and three others dressed in fancy clothes that hung close to Lenna drew weapons. Opened fire on the guests.
Cinque saw blood and panic in her time, but…
"Kupo, kupo!" Mog slammed three doors shut without a gesture and redirected the fleeing guests out through the remaining one. Threw a barrier behind the rampaging lot and put himself between them and the door. "Bhunivelze snapped them! But when, kupo?"
Wind gusted through the room and sent Mog spinning through the air. Lenna joined a half-man-half-woman and the two channeled together to form a fireball.
The girl from before, with the odd hair and red clothes, joined them. "What' going on here?"
"Bhunivelze!" Cinque said. "He broke those guys!"
What in the-? King hissed in her ear and Cinque relaxed at his voice. Crap. Okay, work with Terra and subdue them. Try not to kill anyone. We'll investigate what happened.
"Yes, sir!"
Mog hurried more guests out and used himself to block them off from the broken heroes. Terra took on the now-sword-wielding Lenna and her partner, so Cinque moved her attention to the man and little girl that switched clothes in the blink of an eye. They pulled out a sword and staff, respectively.
Cinque readied her mace and – Terra, as King called her – summoned enough magic to light the surrounding area in a golden glow.
"That's everyone, kupo!" Mog joined them. "Let's take them down!"
"Yeah!" Cinque said.
Lenna and the others froze in place. Then the other woman and the little girl popped out of existence with a flash of bluish light.
Cinque hesitated and Terra shifted.
"Bit of a mess we've got ourselves," said the man with a look to Lenna. "Not sure there's much else we could do for this place."
"Wait." Lenna stepped toward Cinque and Terra with a prolonged look at Mog before she glanced between them. "I want help."
Mog squeaked.
"Why do you think we'd do that?" Cinque asked. "You just tried to kill a bunch of people!"
"You think I want this? That I want to be enslaved?"
Terra dispelled her magic. "Is that what happened?"
Cinque frowned. "Yes, but-"
"Please." Lenna took Terra's hands in hers, voice shaking. "I don't want this."
"King," Cinque said. "Did you guys make a mistake when you said these guys were dangerous? They're acting a lot different than I expected."
Don't fall for their ruse.
Terra gave Cinque a quizzical look before turning back to Lenna. "Can't you tell it no?"
"It doesn't work like that," Cinque said. "I don't think."
"It's not just us." The man joined them. "You want to just let that guy get away with brainwashing people?"
"There's more?" Terra asked.
"Don't listen!" Cinque swung at Lenna and the lady blocked her with a blast of magic. Cinque angled herself about and hit again. Broke through the lady's defense and sent her scrambling backward.
The man jumped in and summoned a dagger. Terra threw him off with burst of cold wind. Mog spun in place and distorted the area about them with ripples of spacetime. The man slowed and twitched at the disruption.
Cinque charged Lenna, but she gave an odd look before vanishing from view the same way the other two did.
The last one remaining tossed a bolt of lightning at Cinque and she absorbed it.
Skin burned and blisters formed under her uniform, followed by a tingling sensation in her toes.
Cinque grunted and took the man from behind while Terra distracted him on the other side. Mog touched Cinque with his staff and cooled the scorch of healing burns.
It took less than a minute for him to disappear as well. Flesh healed over, but Cinque didn't notice over the crushing sensation in her chest.
After a moment of quiet, Terra turned to her. "I'm Terra." The lady offered a hand. "From the World of Ruin."
Cinque stifled tears and took it. "Cinque."
"Are you okay?"
"No." Cinque rubbed at her eyes and dismissed her mace. Mog patted her shoulder. "I thought… I thought this place was fine!"
Terra cleared her throat. "It will be fine."
"But it's not now!" Cinque pulled Terra into a hug and sobbed into her shoulder.
Terra stiffened but didn't push her away. "Um. We'll make it work?"
"Will we?!"
"… Yes."
"Golly whiz," Mog said. "Of course we'll make it, kupo! We have Mwynn on our side!"
"No, we don't! She left us a while ago to talk to Vanille! But Vanille doesn't hear much either! I think Mwynn's dead already!"
"Oh." Terra hummed. "Well, I guess we'll just have to work without her?"
Mog whimpered. "She was so strong when we talked, kupo. I thought we had a big good to combat Bhunivelze's evil, kupo."
Bhunivelze's numbers are limited, King rumbled in her head. Cinque, get back here.
"… Okay." Cinque pulled away from Terra and closed her eyes, ready to port.
And take Terra and Mog with you.
Cinque shot her eyes open. "What?"
You almost forgot Mog, and we want Terra here, too.
Cinque looked at the other girl and she returned the glance with a quizzical one. "You wanna see space?" Cinque asked, offering a hand.
"… Sure."
Cinque guided her back to the gate with Mog in tow. They talked about each other on the way and Cinque learned that Terra came from a sad place with broken lands and poison skies. It sounded like the same place that Deuce went to.
Once they broke the surface of Valhalla's water with Terra sputtering and choking, Cinque guided her to the Official Hall that Queen Used to Speak and they entered the room to face Queen and King.
"Bhunivelze took the crystal," Queen said, voice echoing against the walls, "and used that to possess these heroes without ever speaking with them. Crystals might be a weakness then – we should warn Ace."
King said, "He hasn't displayed any interest in the guild they've formed."
"We thought the same of V."
"Excuse me," Terra said, "but it seems I've stepped into the middle of something. Who is Bhunivelze?"
King and Queen paused, both standing before the one throne in the room. "You didn't tell her?" King asked.
Cinque shook her head. "I wanted to think about happier things."
"Oh." Queen looked at King and something went unsaid between them. "Cinque, why don't you go rest?"
"I don't want to."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"That wouldn't fix anything."
"You speak with Terra." King left Queen and took Cinque off to the side. "You're disturbed?"
"… It was a beautiful party that Tycoon threw."
"And you wanted to stay?"
Cinque fought back tears. "I did, but that's not my point. They-… they were so happy!"
"And they're not, anymore?"
"No!" She jerked about to look him straight on. "Bhunivelze just snapped their brand-new queen and her friends! This one planet was going to be safe! I wasn't supposed to break them like that!"
"You couldn't have known he would be there. He must have been working with them for some time-"
"Because he's everywhere! I feel like I'm trying to catch smoke!"
King took her in a hug. She melted into him and sobbed into his chest, eyes stinging. Her body racked with sobs and King stroked her hair.
"We'll work it out."
"That's-that's what we've been saying!"
"And what happened in Tycoon only goes to show how important it is that we keep believing it. How many missions did you accomplish when you told yourself it was impossible?"
"… Some."
"What about the ones you knew you would win?"
"… All of them."
"You see my point."
"I hate him! I want to break every bone in his body and crush his face into a grinder!"
"And you'll get that chance if we keep going."
"But I don't like hurting children!"
King pulled back and looked to Terra. "We'll make sure no one else has to die to make Bhunivelze go away."
Cinque pouted. "But we've had to do it before."
"Not this time."
Terra continued to converse with Queen. King explained, "Terra is only half-human. She can collect shards without hurting herself or others, so we'll have her go collect what remains from ex-possessees."
Cinque wiped at her hot face, feeling lighter than she did a minute ago. "Do I get dibs when we catch Bhuni?"
King looked back at her and smiled. "I'll see what I can do. I think everyone's going to want at least one swing."
"As long as I get either the first or the last." Cinque frowned. "He deserves a big whooping."
"That he does."
"Also, King?"
"… There was someone else with him."
"What kind of someone?"
"A creepy and empty someone. Well, more like a something that wasn't quite there but present anyway."
"… Like the Void?"
"What's the Void?"
"A big problem. Get out of there, Cinque. We'll talk about it. For now, bring Terra home."
"Yes, sir."
A/N: After this, I'm taking a quick hiatus (aiming for two months if possible) while I finish up the final part of this series which is hundreds of thousands of words long and a beast in complexity. I'm not waiting until it's perfect because it'll take long enough to post that I can clean stuff up, but I want to make sure the big picture is clear before I start. Thanks for coming this far if you've kept up with this thing or thanks for checking it out if this is your first exposure to my series!