The God we must now wait on is one of my least favorite to have dealings with. Known only to outsiders as The Sire, this God is highly secretive, and is hardly ever seen. His throne in Arruboth is hardly ever found, and almost never linked back to the Nebula Sacris, the Sacred Crystal Star where the Gods come together.

The Sire's angels never complain, though. In fact, no one who ever dies righteous on his world has ever once complained. The Sire is simply that good. He occasionally reaches down to his world to institute matters of policy, or to fix problems, but in general he leaves things running on their own. His wife is perhaps even more secretive. All that's known about her is that she likes bells.

There is no telling how long it will take before The Sire decides whether he'll lend permission or not. After all, the only action he took during the time Cosmos and Chaos fought on his world was to show some of Cosmos' cast-offs that a man masquerading as Lord of Arruboth was a liar.

This war may well be over before we hear from The Sire.

I'd like to state, before releasing this to the public, because I understand that a fair number of angels out there still gossip, despite our being in Heaven, that what I am about to show you is of a personal nature. When I made the decision to include this in my report, I did not understand that there was a relationship between The Sire and Lady Cosmos. And while I feel that I must choose this team for Cosmos, I am also obligated to share this with the general public.

Since Nebula Sacris has not called together the Quorum of the Gods in 60 thousand years, I must expose this war. I do not particularly desire to help it along, as I am doing, but I must do so nonetheless. I am a professional angel, and I have taken Ministry with Lady Cosmos in order to select a team of champions to aide her in this war. It is what I do. It is why I am called the Scholar.

But my conscience is real. I cannot sit by and watch men war for the sake of a game played by Gods. I will release this report, and then Nebula Sacris will be forced to take action against The Lady and The Lord. Order and Disorder will be made to cease this battle. I know I am fighting a crusade against forces far older than I, but I must make my stand.

But I digress. The following letter is from The Sire to Cosmos. It is a writ of permission from He to She, allowing her to take her pick of his warriors. It reads:

Princess,

Are you sure you want to go through with this, honey? These wars you and Chaos have fought have been settled. You ought to be the better Goddess and simply refuse his challenge. Haven't the souls of men shown you time and again that they will choose harmony over dischord?

But if you will go through with this, I will make my suggestions. I have, in fact, only four to make for you. The first is a man who died to save his kingdom, and whom I place in high esteem. He is Prince Scott of Kashuan. I watched him struggle with Chaos' champion, Mateus, when he pretended to be my Avatar. A fine man, if ever there was one. The second is a High Priest by the name of Minwu. Minwu, seeing that his friends required a great power to stop a great evil, gave up his life to get the job done. He is a shrewd and selfless man.

The third man is a Ninja, named Paul. I would rather not explain much about why I choose him, but I will tell you that, in the name of the Wild Rose, he provided a great Service for me, and that while his world will never know it, Chaos, through the Prodigal (You remember The Prodigal, right, sweetie?) would long have taken the world.

And the fourth man is a one named Firion. Courageous, impetuous, and daring, Firion dedicated everything to stopping Chaos. He is a good man, but he may be less interesting to you, because of the nature of his life.

These four men I offer to your staff. If you must fight, you may take any of them you so desire. I will not hold anything back from my princess. Just be careful darling.

With Love,

Daddy.

Four candidates. Fun. No angel really wants to spend all day sifting through four lives, examining minute details to tell if a man will crack or not when he takes up ministry for a God. And let me tell you, attention to details is of the utmost importance. I once knew a team who skipped one day, just ONE DAY in the life of a man, only to learn that this one day he committed as many sins as possible before going back to his normal, God-fearing life.

He lost the challenge completely.

Our choices were Scott, Minwu, Paul and Firion. And these are not, obviously, easy choices to make. A Prince, a Priest, a Ninja and a . . . well, there really isn't a good word for Firion. He was just a man. He was too young to have taken any manner of profession by the time he began to fight the Emperor, and he was never notable enough before that to have earned himself a title.

In fact, nothing is really known of who Firion was before the Wild Rose. He was a friend of Maria and Lionheart, as well as of Guy, and the four of them escaped the city together, but before that, nothing is here written concerning Firion's past.

Which is about par for the course for The Sire. The God keeps a great amount of secrets. Too great an amount. But his track records at Nebula Sacris (scant as they are), combined with the fact that no man has ever complained who was born on his world, are to his credit. We can trust The Sire in this conflict, which is something to take heart in. Cosmos and Chaos are not so simple as what is good and what is wrong, but more like what is fair and what is not.

Though I'll be damned if I know which God is fair and which is unfair.

The Wanderer has had his way. We will be ranking from 1-10 from now on. The Engineer disapproves, but hands us the dockets anyway. The Chronicler has taken one, and now that The Messenger has returned, so may I.

And I have drawn the man named Paul the Ninja.

Name: Paul "the Ninja"
Species: Hume
Age: 34.

Paul the Ninja comes highly recommended of the Sire. While normally we ignore the recommendations of Gods (something which has made my team rather unique amongst Selection Teams) this is a special occasion. The Sire is Lady Cosmos' father, and she would be furious to learn we simply tossed his suggestion aside. Which is ironic, since if she listened to her father, she'd cast aside this war with Chaos right away. Ah, but I am but an Angel, and it's doubtful I'll ever reach Godhood if I constantly question the Gods for whom I Minister.

Paul the Ninja is an obscure man in the history of his world. He was a Ninja employed by the Wild Rose Rebellion, which is odd, given the nature of that group. Normally a Ninja is not required by rebels, just a mere spy. Yet Paul was a Ninja, and he did in fact do more than simply investigate his enemies and the enemies of Queen Hilda.

Paul is unusual, for the number of Ninjas I have seen. He does not dress himself all in black to conceal his person. Rather, his person conceals him. He is an absolutely unassuming man, who, when viewed, is easily overlooked. Whereas the Warrior of Light inspires one to believe in heroes, Paul the Ninja invites one to simply keep looking around.

It so happens that Paul was familiar with the ways into Castle Palamecia. This, it so happens, is because he was sent in to assassinate Emperor Sauzer Palamecia after his son, Mateus, was born. Sauzer had offered the world his daughter's hand if any man could reach her in the top of his massive castle. Many men, entranced by the beauty of Yoyo Palamecia, died trying to climb through that castle.

King Kahna Deist, Queen Emma Kashuan, and King Palpaleos Fynn came together when they learned that a man named Mid, the brother of the Fynnish White Knight Cid, had claimed Palamecia's daughter as his bride and that she was pregnant. Their intent was clear. They would have the Emperor ended, before he could ever put the world in such peril again. Indeed, there was no telling what other madness swam in the man's mind, he having claimed Mid had cheated.

And their plan went off without a hitch. Just days before the new Emperor was born, the old was assassinated by Paul. If this is the great service he performed The Sire, I shudder to know what compels a God to believe murder is service. Sauzer was mad, yes, but a murder is a solemn thing, however righteous.

Only one other action is attributed to Paul. At one point, it claims, he returned to Palamecia's Coliseum after Mateus' death and placed a single coin into the sands. But this is entirely without meaning or bearing upon our job.

The others have now read Paul's docket as well, and we are prepared to deliver our new scores to him:

Team Work: 3/10. Paul never once worked with others. This does not mean he was rude or prideful, but he does not operate well with others. While the Warrior we have chosen as the leader, Paul does not make for a good follow up. We desire leadership qualities in all Champions, but without having worked in a group, we cannot even gauge if Paul has these.

Faith: 6/10. Paul "performed a great service" for The Sire, but without knowing what that is, we cannot know for certain how faithful to the lady will be. However, he is used to handling dirty assignments for those he believes in, and the secretive nature of his profession makes it likely that he would not divulge the truth about what is really happening to the others, and that he would finish the job for Lady Cosmos.

Lethality: 5/10. Though an effective assassin, it's not likely Paul would do as well in open combat, and, in fact, he is not known to have ever participated in an actual battle. Paul was an ordinary man who was fairly good at killing people and not getting caught.

Opposition: 2/10. Paul killed Mateus' grandfather, and while we can't be sure he'd feel remorse, we can be sure it would effect his ability to fight Mateus at all. Especially since Mateus' grandfathers' death is part of what caused his wrath against the other nations of the world. That said, Paul was only a man who was sneaky, and we are not confident he could off a man who became well loved by The Prodigal, so much so that he was given a Palace in Hell.

I have been handed the next docket, and it looks like it's time to start digging into it. The team will of course read the others while I go over this, but as group leader, I am granted a little extra time to go over things. You don't get my job without earning a little respect along the way.

Name: Scott de Kashua, Crown Prince of Kashuan.
Species: Hume
Age: 27

I must be frank: I have met Scott de Kashua. He is a kind man, and a brave one, but he is at peace. His greatest anxiety was watching his brother, Gordon. Scott is at rest. He is waiting to be promoted to an angel, and plans to Minister for The Sire as a Seraphim-- that quorum of Angels most revered. The road to the Choir of Seraphim is as difficult for an angel to make as the road to the choir of Elohim for the Gods. Trials upon trials are required, but a Seraphim is the closest thing to a God an angel can be without actually Ascending.

But of course, you, my fellow angels, are familiar with this. The ordering of angels is nothing new, and I shall not dwell on it. My point is this: Scott de Kashua is dead. Very sincerely dead. And he is fine with that. Happy, in fact. He works and studies long and hard now, a new purpose replacing his old one, and his eternity is one with aspirations and yet rest.

This man does not need to be ripped from his work to be made a pawn in an eternal chess game. No, Scott de Kashua deserves more than to be forced to play fool and jester for Cosmos, and I, who count myself his friend, will not do that to him.

Nevertheless, The Lady will demand our opinion, and thus I will give it. But with the Gods as my witness, I will not now, nor shall I ever condemn this man to slave for Cosmos.

In his lifetime, Scott de Kashua, son of that Queen's son who condemned Sauzer Mateus to death, founded the Wild Rose Rebellion, along with Hilda of Fynn, his lover, their parents, and a number of others. Scott saw his kingdom eviscerated completely by Mateus' hordes. Children, the Emperor and the Prince, both made to pay for their parents' sins. Kashuan was gutted, it's people scattered to the winds, it's Princes all that left of the Royal family.

And Scott, seeing his beloved's nation suffering the same fate, seethed with rage. He stormed the nation himself, seeking to free it's people. But Scott de Kashua, despite the flames of his love, was one man against an army of demons. And he died not long after.

And he found his soul awake in a labrynth of lies created by Mateus. When a man dies, normally he makes a short journey along whatever path their God dictates, they then arrive in whatever waiting area their God asks, and are then Judged. If he lived a good life, he is admitted to the heavens, and generally he is invited to study to be an angel, after which he may work his way through eternity to be a God in his own right, the original idea, according to the Creed of Nebula Sacris, is to forever continue this cycle: "A trillion stars a God." But as of late fewer and fewer angels have been Ascending.

Nonetheless, if a man is evil, he has two options: beg forgiveness and accept punishment, eventually being allowed to become an angel, or stand firm in his actions and be turned over to Hell. You would be surprised how many people choose the second option.

So Scott's predicament was unusual, and he, along with three others, eventually came to the "throne" of Mateus the Light. The Sire, I understand, showed these men their loved ones, and they realized the ploy. These four men overcame Mateus and helped to further fragment his soul.

I would love to know how it is that Chaos put him back together again.

Team Work: 5/10. Scott worked with three men, two of whom he barely knew, to overcome an enemy. However, when moved upon by rage, he stormed Fynn alone, and it cost him his life. We cannot, in the coming war, depend on so emotional a man, or rather, a man who fails so completely in rage, to face Mateus.

Lethality: 3/10. Scott is a powerful warrior among mere men, his spirit having destroyed as many demons as The Prodigal and Mateus could summon against him, but his flesh was considerably less able to fight the Unholy. To that end we rank Scott low.

Faith: 4/10. Scott would not know what was going on, but having been dead some time, he would be more likely to figure out what was going on. He was faithful his whole life to The Sire, and endeavored to strike down demons at the cost of his own life. But Scott's heart would break to see himself and Mateus fighting again. It is hard to judge if he would have forgiven Mateus in the false Arruboth or not, but what is for certain is that he would not be happy to fight Mateus again, especially if he understood why The Lady and The Lord were making them fight. Despite these things, Scott WOULD endeavor to stop Mateus from changing history, even if it meant he would live again. He accepted his death long ago.

Opposition: 3/10. Scott and Mateus were enemies only because of the actions of their grandparents, and this is something he is aware of. Given the length of time he has been dead, Scott is not likely to wish to draw a sword again. He did despise everything Mateus stood for, but a part of him did not ever seem to hate the actual person.

Name: Minwu
Species: Hume
Sex: Male
Age: 31

Minwu was a child prodigy. Though The Sire does not directly interfere with his followers very often, he still requests they do follow him enough to avoid major temptations by The Prodigal. And as we all know, when Gods set up rules to help people, that's more or less a religion. And in this religion, Minwu was a prodigy of a man.

At the young age of ten, Minwu had read all texts his world had to offer him on religion, and had mastered rudimentary white magic. He was accepted into the Priesthood not long after that, and began to learn that art The Gods have set forth for the easing of man's life, and for the calming of the Dragon known as Suffering.

So when, at age 31, Minwu received a mission from the Wild Rose, he was prepared. At all times he was prepared. He firmly believed what he was doing was right, and that, should he die in that task, his God would have nothing ill to say of him.

Minwu's faith was put to the test when his Queen, the Lady Hilda, asked him to unseal Ultima, a force all angels are fully aware of- a Power which even the Gods are loathe to use unless pressed to do so. Minwu knew this meant his death, yet he worried not, and fulfilled his assigned task. He shattered the Seal of Ultima, and gave his life to do so, that Tyranny might fall, and that Hell would be turned back.

But it was not that simple. Minwu found himself wandering the same afterways as Scott, and together with a few others, they made their way to a false Arrubboth, where they met the "Light" Emperor. Shown the truth by The Sire by means of a vision of his Queen, Minwu challenged Mateus and overcame him, breaking his soul to thousands of pieces.

Unfortunately, few men of faith can be like unto Cidolfas Orlandeau, and Minwu was not one of these. Though his spirit was mighty, Minwu's body was not. A powerful White Wizard he was, and consequentially, he was not as amazing a warrior.

Team Work: 10/10- For being willing to die for the team, we award Minwu the highest possible score in this category. No man works better with others than the one who would surrender his own life, trusting that his team will finish the job when he is gone. Such a leap of faith is incredible, and, wise or not, is a true testament to how well this man would work with others.

Faith: 8/10- Minwu served Lady Cosmos' Father all his days, and, should he learn that he was working for her, it's likely he would continue to serve her nonetheless. We allow, however, that it is possible Minwu could sacrifice himself for a member of his party who would go on to betray the team, and therefore we do not score him perfectly.

Lethality: 1/10- It's not likely that Minwu could defeat Mateus on his own. His spirit did triumph over Mateus', but his flesh was not so lucky, and since we would have to grant him a body for this competition, he would be constrained by his mortal self.

Opposition: 3/10- Minwu did not like Mateus, that is true, and he sacrificed his life to stop the man, yes, but at the same time, had he not been shown a vision by The Sire, he would have been taken in by Mateus' ruse. We require a man who defied Mateus on his own, someone who needed no help in doing this.

This leaves just one candidate to judge for the lady before we move on to the next set. Deliberations will be difficult here, as well, it seems. The others dislike the way I scored Scott, and there are some dissenting opinions. There is talk of my losing impartiality in this task, and I have heard one mutter that I will need removed.

It strikes me that my expose will not be the only one published to the general Heaven at the end of this. I'm risking my wings, though, so I've got to be thorough. I will do this job for Cosmos, that is undeniable, but I will NOT remain silent when this is done. It is time people know.

Name: Firion
Species: Hume
Sex: Male
Age:24

Little is known of the origin of the man called Firion. It is believed he was born in the city of Salamand, and that after the deaths of his parents, he vowed to find a treasure to fill the void. Though I cannot be certain on the truth of that. It's marked vaguely as "desired a great worth."

At some point in his late child hood, Firion made his way with a caravan to Fynn, where he stayed. Enchanted by the big city, Firion believed this to be the thing he sought. Some small time later he met the siblings, Maria and Leonheart, as well as the child known as Guy. Guy, unlike the others, had never had any formal education, and came across as somewhat dumb. Despite this, he was loved by the others, especially since his size scared the other street urchins off.

Firion, Maria, Guy, and Leonheart were among the hundreds who fled Fynn when Mateus Palamecia invaded. At this time Firion was just a little younger than Mateus, but he was already a man so different that the two could hardly be classified together.

Mateus had been raised by his mother in the high towers of Palamecia, looking down on the world whether he wanted to or not. His grandfather's failings hanging from every rafter, Mateus looked out at the world and desired to restore his honor and maintain order.

But Firion had never known anything but freedom, his entire life. He was living proof that a human being could grow without enforcements and still be a good person. And so, when Mateus "occupied" Fynn on the pretense of restoring order in what he believed was his own Empire, Firion's anger kindled.

It would be a long and winding road before the two would meet, though, and on that road Firion saw friend after friend die, trying to forestall Mateus' so-called Order. He was gifted the force of Ultima, that spell which even the Gods are loth to use, and, despite suddenly wielding the force to enforce his wants upon all the world, Firion never cast that spell against any but the Emperor.

By Firion's sword Mateus fell, and, when he confronted him in the bowels of Pandemonium, Mateus very soul was shattered by Firion's ferocity. This is a young man who stood up to demons and conquered them with nothing more than his own flesh and bone, not even desiring to use the terrible forces he was granted.

To that end, Firion is scored as follows:

Team Work: 7/10. Firion worked well whether he was alone or in a group. He was only once vulnerable on his own, and that was in the face of a confusing temptation. He was utterly human in this regard. He was willful, yet subject to the same temptations as other men his age, and willing to rely upon the aid of others when he needed it.

Lethality: 4/10. Aside from the Ultima spell, Firion was a very mortal man with nothing major working for him. He slaughtered legions of the Unholy, yet Chaos has chosen only the cream of the crop. Firion's body would not stand well if ganged up upon by say, Sephiroth, Jecht, and Ex-Death.

Faith: 3/10. Firion was a force dedicated to freedom, and so long as he fights for that, he is likely to serve the Lady well. However, if he were told even what Cosmos was a Goddess of, his faith could diminish greatly. The term "Order" leaves a bad taste in his mouth. Should he learn the truth, Firion would loose most of his drive to fight.

Opposition: 8/10. Firion was absolutely against everything Mateus stood for. Everything that Mateus was- rich, powerful, refined, educated, graceful, beautiful, Firion was not. These two men were practically made to be opposites. The reason that Firion does not score higher is because he did not know Mateus personally. If there was more of a personal connection, in addition to the deep-rooted opposition between the two, they would be absolutely made to hate each other.

That said, we will now begin our deliberations. I expect quite the battle, especially against The Wanderer, who enjoys arguing for argument's sake. Consider: He now suggests we grade on a letter scale instead of a numeric scale at all. The Engineer's face has changed six shades darker, and I do not believe we will resolve this with ease.

Deliberations have ceased now.

It was not easy. The others were strongly in favor of Scott. I convinced them, however, to see things in another light. Yes, Scott was able to stop the "Light" Emperor from spreading his "divine" hands out upon the face of the world, but Scott's battle was one of Wills, of Spirits. Firion defeated Mateus, body and spirit.

And that's an important factor.

Though some of these people are dead now, they will battle as beings of flesh and blood. Injury and wounding is a very real possibility. This is why The Black Mage of Light would have made a bad choice. This is why the Light Monk was not chosen. Their bodies were exposed and weak to Garland's blade. The Lady does not need her champions to die. History is on the line here (note: History is not on the line here. If anything goes wrong, Cosmos would surely challenge Chaos again. These battles prove nothing anyway, in the way of supremacy. A thirteenth war is already in the works between them.) and the Lady would be furious to lose.

To that end I asserted Firion over Scott. Scott was killed by low ranking demons. Firion battered his way through legions of the unholy to shatter the very spirit of his enemy. A man who is not content to merely kill his enemy is excessively thorough, and that is something the Lady wants.

Though the team resents me at the moment, they will move on. The Messenger sends our findings and decisions to The Lady. In the mean time, we will simply wait. I know the anger on their faces all too well. It is not easy to work with me. I have become something of a designer brand in the selection of Champions, and as such, I work the team too hard and never break on my opinions. Perhaps I shall seek some new ministry when this task is completed. I have always wanted to actually be more involved with the musical aspects of being an Angel. I am a member of a general Choir, yes, but I don't think I'd mind actually singing or playing an instrument for once. Maybe not a harp, but hey, this is Heaven. Would we really only have just one instrument to hear for the rest of eternity?

The Messenger returns now. He cannot, of course, speak to us about how Cosmos reacted. He is contractually bound never to speak of anything he saw in Her presence. It's another one of those failings of a vast majority of The Gods. True, not all Gods are this way, but too many are like Cosmos- hiding themselves from all but their Consorts, Spouses, and Aides, and, in the rare occasions where a God still has a child with another God, that child.