EDIT (05/29/2014):
Amanda: Some people may find lectures boring and insignificant, but I find them essential for the ultimate plot! I want to remind you readers that I had long thought about this Juxtaposition Theory plan that my twin-sister had crafted up.
Mini-Amanda: What do you mean I crafted up? You were the creator, and me and your JTCs are the guinea pigs! So, how in the—?
Amanda: ANYWAY! So, I think it would answer some of your wondering questions, and if not, it will be explained further throughout the story.
Mini-Amanda: And Krystal Light will have her questions answered as well.
Amanda: *smiles* You're damn right, mini-me! ;D
PREVIOUS:
Amanda: *to readers* My apologies for not uploading Part I Chapter 3 last weekend, for I had forgotten my flash drive at home when I arrived to my grandmother's house who has great Wi-Fi connection there. Crazy it was for me, but now I remembered to bring it with me and managed to get the chapter up tonight.
Dragonite: *enters the room with Klee and a pocket-sized notebook in her hand* Heya, Amanda! Are you finally going to explain your ideal Juxtaposition Theory yet?
Amanda: Drag, why do you have a notebook with you?
Dragonite: To take notes, like I always do.
Amanda: *sighed* The same old Dragonite... Well, shall we start the disclaimer and get on with the lecture?
Klee: Can I start the disclaimer?
Dragonite: Of course you can my sweet little sister.
Amanda: Take it away Klee!
Klee: *to readers* Dear Readers, while you read my guardian's first ever long-planned fan fiction, please keep in mind that she never, or never tried, claimed all Final Fantasy characters or the concept and creation of Final Fantasy Dissidia. Those belong respectively to the Square Enix Company who brought her great inspiration of doing this fan fiction. However, her story timelines, plot and original characters (aka OCs) respectively belong to her for she creates them in order to strengthen her ideal theory.
Final Fantasy Dissidia 014: Juxtaposition Theory
Part I: The Conflict Returns
Chapter 3: A Morning Lecture of The Fanartist's Plan
What seems like forever, morning finally came after the night of conjuring conflict. A calming ray from the dawn's light slightly awoke from the fanartist's slumber as she slowly lifted up her yet-tired eyelids. The sunlight peeked over the horizon and shines upon everything on Cornelia Castle, including Amanda's balcony in her chambers which shows welcome to it and effortlessly let it in. Responding to the contact of the light, the blonde fanartist finally awoke from her well-needed sleep and sat up on her fluffy, warm, comfortable bed. At least sunshine is better than being drowned into the heavy darkness like the very one from last night, and her bed proven to smooth out the kinks of her last night's struggles and uneasiness. She turns to the crystal that rested on her nightstand; the very crystal whose warrior saved her from the dark knight's non-merciful wrath.
Looking through the crystallized planes of the Fifth Crystal brought the flashback of what Amanda had experienced from that eventful evening. She reached out and took it in her hand and looked at it with astonishment and amazement.
Then, she begins to reminiscence her training during the Ceasefire. She recalls her research of the Chaos Warriors through the knowledge and feelings of the Cosmos Warriors along about themselves. The blonde warrior was so fascinated and curious and always desires to learn more, not for maintaining the "Knowledge is Power" clique but also to settle the burning the questions that scorched her mind with water that were the answers. The set of ten Warriors and Cosmos and another of Chaos; those two different components were essential in her research that allows her to connect the links with relativity. Along with that, the assumptions from her Juxtaposition Theory, that is so far on its way to proven plausible. She never expected for any of her JTCs to respond her need of aid, not just because she didn't carried any personal crystals, especially the Fifth Crystal. She didn't even thought of needing aid during her final hour, but for any apparent reason, she was saved by the woman warrior who goes by Krystal Light. It is uncertain how it was possible since she didn't have the crystal on hand and the Warrior of Light was not there when she encountered Garland the first time; but the crystal had worked somehow. The fanartist sighed; it was only the beginning of her Ending-the-14th-Cycle plan, and she'll figure out how to execute it later. In the meantime, as in right now, she needs to explain to her warrior of how and why she summoned her.
Amanda calls for the female warrior of light, and assure her that she is not in a battle or in peril.
"Krystal?" she said out loud to the crystal, in a not-so-loud-but-not-a-whisper kind of voice. "I'm not in a fight, so there is no need to call you for that purpose. But, I want you to do something for me…"
Krystal awoke from her sleep and look up from where she was sitting in Amanda's mind. "Yes?"
"Do you know what your crystal looked like?" The fanartist asks while she puts the crystal down in front of her, upon the thick blankets.
"I think I do. It's tall, symmetrical, and clear white with a hint of yellow inside of it. It's called the Fifth Crystal, is it?"
"Yes, that is your personal crystal. Imagine yourself standing on it looking at me, and then you'll be at my presence without me hiding in your mind."
Having no questions of concern, Krystal did as the fanartist told her. When she did, she started to appear over the Fifth Crystal as a transparent ghost standing above it. She still wore her horned crown and still covered in her flowing cape and long high-low skirt. Her hand no longer carries her sword, but doesn't need to since she was informed no battles to resolve.
Seeing her warrior in her own eyes, Amanda found herself a smile creped on her face. "Very good," she then said. "I couldn't be this much proud. In fact, I cannot believe it actually worked."
"What worked?" Krystal asked. Her lips moving but her voice remains in the mind of the girl who she saved from death. "Is this the explanation you promised to tell me?"
"Yes, it is. Let me gather some stuff and I'll tell you everything." Amanda instantly got out of bed and went to take out one of the treasure trunks under it. The brown-hued trunk contained a few sketchbooks, lined notebooks and drawing materials, and some mysterious items that hid in leather stringed bags. Krystal tried to watch her summoner from the distance, curious of the items she took out and wondering what she had something to say to her. Finally, the fanartist planted the books on the bed and climbed back, getting settled comfortably.
"Now," she breathed. "Where do I begin…?" Amanda reached for the first sketchbook in front of her, and flips to the page where it should help the female light warrior understand her explanation.
"Well, firsts thing first," she then said. "I must point out that I am not actually a summoner or a Black Mage you thought I was. I am really what you call a fanartist."
"What is a fanartist, in terms of jobs?" Krystal asked with greatness for being clarified and for the explanation to unfold.
"A fanartist is not considered as a real job, but rather a person whose job is producing appreciation for the famous and infamous heroes and villains through research and artworks. Cosmos and Chaos Warriors are great examples and they are always appreciated and recognized, no matter the popularity. Also, he or she can create and even cosplay as their OCs since fanartists have high levels of creativity and imagination based on the work in their research."
"OCs?" The woman warrior asked for clarification.
"That's an abbreviation meaning 'Original Characters'. Since I had a lonely childhood, I tend to have many of them in mind, but just when time goes on, only some have developed fully, about seventy-five percent of them at the most." Amanda fingered a certain page in her sketchbook. "Here is an example of my work. Just a few figure sketches of your mentor."
Krystal scanned the paper, and closely studied on the crafted lines and shades of the Warrior of Light. On the top-left corner of the drawing, there are three faces; one a mud shot, another face a three-quarter view, and finally a profile view. She recognizes those faces belonging to the legendary warrior, according to her memory of him. When looking at the bottom-right corner of the page, the veiled warrior can surely convince the two full-figure drawings are no doubt her mentor. Both figure sketches are in full armor and contain a set of a sword and shield placed in hands. One figure sketch stands straight without fatigue is shown in front view, displaying its visual details and depth on the armor and the weapon. The second figure is displaying action in sideways-view, its head looking at the viewer's right and its sword sticking out from it. She wanted to question Amanda how she can remember the details of the warrior for they are so accurate and realistic, but that can wait for later.
Instead, the female light warrior compliments on the sketches, "Those drawings are very good, so realistic and well-defined in the details. I have never met a warrior who owns such a talented ability."
"Thank you," the fanartist responded with a slight blush after hearing the common comment. "Yep, it is a special gift I had. Took me about a good decade of my lifetime to realize I do have that ability. Ever since then, I tried to use it to get in touch with my imaginary friends I used to know."
"Did it work for you?" Krystal asked with curiosity and wondering if she had unknowingly known Amanda in another time.
"It does successfully, but in the end I found out that they were different from I had imagined them. In a positive note, it's great to inform yourself they are still alive in your mind. And they were well-preserved in sketchbooks…" Amanda flips to another page where it shows the practice sketches of Firion, Terra, and the Onion Knight. The three are standing in their original attire, weaponless and relaxed. Regardless of knowing them personally, Krystal took interest of looking at them.
"Those are the Cosmos Warriors you saw last night. They worried so much of me as you had noticed their reactions," she said to her. Then she takes another sketchbook and flips to the page where drawings of Krystal were recorded. "This sketchbook preserves my original characters, including yourself."
Once the woman warrior glued her light-blue eyes to the page, there was no way she can get them back. They scanned the details on her head, her body, clothes, and even her sword that is a hundred percent right and correct. She could've sworn that she's looking at a mirror and not sketch paper. Her eyes widen at that thought. "Those drawings, they looked exactly like me," she then said.
"I'm glad they are. You appear yourself just as I envisioned you. Your mentor and the other warriors had brought me inspiration and consideration about my plan."
This brought Krystal's immediate attention as she looked from the drawings to the inside of the fanartist's eyes. "And what plan is it exactly?" she asked.
"My plan, Krystal, is to end the Fourteenth Cycle and bring back the peace that is the harmonious balance to Dissidia," the fanartist answered. "And as a fanartist, I will do that by cosplaying as my JTCs."
"JTCs?" She looked at her warrior whose facial expression painted a mix of eager and confusion of her idea.
"'Juxtaposition Theory Characters'," Amanda giggled. "You're not much a big fan of abbreviations, are you?
"Apparently not," Krystal admitted with a slight head-down.
Huh, that's ironic; her set of four elemental crystals she used last night has an abbreviation called REST, which is— Amanda immediately stopped her mentally thought and sighed.
"I'll explain it further. In fact, I'll get another warrior to join in the lecture, for she knows well the contexts of my plan." The fanartist reached for one of the leather-bags and opened it to show another crystal. It shaped as a spherical-orb colored with a warm gradient of yellows, reds, and violets. She placed it next to the Fifth Crystal and calls for the warrior from it.
Krystal eyed the mysterious orb carefully as Amanda conjured, "The fencing flower of foil, from the Demon Materia I call upon you, Mephistopheles…"
The warrior responded as she begins to transparently appear over the orb. Krystal looked at her and noted her features: she donned a long-blonde hair in the same color as Amanda's, but behind her head donned a violet-pink flowerily braided hair-tie while the rest of her hair flows breezy behind her. Her side bangs were curly in a fashion to frame her flawless complexion and her light-aqua green eyes. Her slender body is comfortably covered with a leather black vest and a white long-sleeved shirt. Her shoulders guarded with flowerily shoulder pads, the same design as her hair-tie. She got three different ribbons on her, each a same color of the crystal; one is pink on her left arm, another one a yellow wrapped around her right thigh, and a red ties and defines her waistline on her vest. Behind her back is a left demon bat-wing tinted in a pale white with possible small veins visible for people to see easily. Krystal assumes that the warrior next to her has a past of being in the underworld and came to earth to redeem herself as a heroine, but she is not sure herself.
"Krystal, this is the One-Winged-Demon, Mephistopheles," Amanda begins the introductions to the two transparent warriors. "And Mephistopheles, this is Female Warrior of Light and your soon-to-be-new-leader, Krystal."
"It is the most pleasure to finally meet one of the hostess's warriors, Lady Krystal," Mephistopheles said with an intelligent and a politely alto-sounded voice.
"And it is nice to meet you too, Mephistopheles," Krystal replied to the demon. "I am grateful to be your ally."
"Well, the intros went well." The first meeting satisfied Amanda. "Now, we can get into business. Mephistopheles, I ask you to help me clarify Krystal if she is lost or confused during the lecture, and after this, I want you to send the memory of this lecture to the other JTCs so they will be informed before their time comes."
"Understood," said the green-eyed demon warrior.
"Alright, so my plan goes like this…"
During almost the rest of the morning, Amanda briefly told her two warriors her story of how she got herself into this conflict and how Cosmos' current warriors trained her to prepare the cycle's resume of battle. Krystal listened to their hostess's story while Mephistopheles refreshed her memory along adding new information she might had missed the first time.
"According to the past legends of Dissidia, two opposing gods Cosmos and Chaos summoned their warriors to aid them through an endless battle of conflict. Before the savage-like war was to last forever, the battle concludes that the goddess of harmony gain victory and Chaos declared defeat. Of course, peace could not last forever and eventually, the god of discord will have another shot of trying to rule over the lawful lands, like this current time.
"Now, after learning about legends and the opposing warriors involved in conflict cycles, I had this idea of hoping to end the Fourteenth Cycle before it was to be endless again. My thought was this: What if I use my artistic ability of creating OCs by putting the respective protagonist and antagonist together to create another set of warriors to help Cosmos to guarantee her victory until the end of the cycle? In other words, how I can help out although I barely contain any fighting skills but rather artistic abstracted skills, and how would I able to fulfill the goddess' requesting of recruiting new warriors to fight for her?
"My answer to that question applies to my ideal Juxtaposition Theory, which has a visual assumption of why all the worlds existed and why the forces of good and evil always confronted each other."
"And what assumption is that specifically?" Krystal asked the green-eyed demon.
"The assumption the hostess is referring to is the coexistence of harmony and distortion," Mephistopheles answered.
"Yes, the worlds, including Dissidia, are still persisting in life because harmony and distortion learn to coexist together, and keep up striving to even the balance. The world has reached thirteen cycles of conflict and yet it still exists, even in Chaos' victory. It's amazing of how this certain world works, and I really cannot wait to get out of the castle and explore it myself."
"Are you saying that you didn't leave Cornelia Castle when you first arrived here?"
"Well, I did go outside to get some fresh air and take in the sight of the Wild Roses, but I didn't trample over the fields or climbed the mountains or did any of the stuff that an adventurer would do. Besides, it was during the Ceasefire and I did best to remain safe in the base and continue my training and researching."
"It was a smart strategy considering waiting for the opposing warriors to return fire, which had interestingly lasted about nine months," Mephistopheles commented.
"Indeed, but anyway, in terms of balance, it's good to have some areas consisting of calming peace like the Order's Sanctuary and some areas consisting of disturbed cracks like those at the Edge of Madness. You can understand, Krystal that whenever there is dark, there must be light, so there'll be the difference in the time of day and night, right?"
The female warrior of light nodded. "Right, that's the way it must be."
"So you do understand the bits and pieces of my theory," Amanda assured.
"Yes, I'm beginning to understand and now I'm familiar with it, but what does it specifically has to do with us?"
"My darling Mephistopheles, would you like to tell Krystal about how you came to be?" Amanda asks the demon.
"With most pleasure," the demon turns to Krystal who obediently listened to her.
"First, allow me to tell you about my past before the time Lady Amanda discovered me." The demonic fencer begins. "I was a former demon from Hell. My father was the famous devil who disguises himself to collect souls of the damned, who are the very scarred sinful people who failed to redeem themselves. Since the discovery of that ability was inherited in me, I was named after him, and he was determined that I will take his place if god-forbid ever happens to him. Following my ancestors' legacy and his wishes, I started the business and followed my father's footsteps. But during that time, I had this feeling that I only want to collect souls from the damned in the following conditions: If they already realized and aware of their sins, and have and used that second chance of redemption, and failed. Meaning that I will take their souls if they failed to realize why they are sinned, and they do nothing to get them forgiven or redeem. I believe that even in the most evil people deserve another chance to realize the greatest errors of their ways before they banished in Hell for eternity. My father and the other demons despise my vision of soul collection, and I continued to follow the legacy until the very day I broke it with rebel. Having enough of taking people's lives, I turned against them and challenging them in their evil ways. In result, they exiled me from Hell and I return back on Earth, between the realms of the Promised Land and my former home...
Hearing the former demon's past story, Krystal was right on stating she's a demon from Hell, but no longer since her rebellious ways leads her back on the living ground. "Your exile, is that what your one white wing signifies?" she guessed.
"Yes," Mephistopheles answered with the slow nod. "They clipped off the wing from my right and I remained my left. Normally, they would clipped off two wings for a unsatified rebellious demon like me, but I'm still unsure why they let me keep my left.
"Anyway," the fencer continued on, "I was certain that the saints and angels from heaven will not allow me to exist in their world because I have blooded relations from my father. However, they apparently were aware of my idea of redemption among the sinful folk, and because of that, they given me a second chance to try out my idea. Thus, I explored the lands searching for those who are sinned because of their ignorance from the real truth. Then, that's when I found my foil Sephiroth, the One-Winged-Angel and the Nightmare and Terror of the Gaia Planet."
"Sephiroth?" Krystal has no clue that the fallen angel was.
"Sephiroth Crescent…" Amanda joined in and flips through the book where her Sephiroth sketches contained and shows them to Krystal. "Is one of Chaos's Warriors and the main antagonist in the seventh Final Fantasy legend. He thought he was the chosen one since he's the son of Jenova who was known as the Calamity of the Skies, the final end of life on the Planet." The female warrior of light eyed on the details and saw the man with long hair and side bangs in a dark black trench coat with a massive long sword. Its eyes were narrowed and a smile smirks slyly on its face. The woman warrior finds her spine shivered just feeling the emotion from the sketch.
"But of course," Mephistopheles continued her story, "We know Sephiroth's real mother was not Jenova. It was Lucreica, a beautiful woman scientist whose former ruthless husband injected her with Jenova cells. She eventually gave birth to Sephiroth, inheriting those cells. His father was not fatherly by making him believe that Jenova was his biological mother, naming the life-long scientific project after her, and leave Lucreica out of the picture. Sephiroth was innocent, but damned due to the incidences and the killings he committed, and though he research on his origins, the truth was never found and he kept a closed mind from other conspiracies. So, I approached the challenge of bringing him the truth about his birth. Instead of collecting souls like a normal evil demon, I collect memories of people, both living and dead, who personally know Sephiroth and used the convincing ones against him.
"Thus, with my goal in mind, I begin my pursuit of memory collecting by visiting places and asking people for information. During that time, I happened to come across Amanda who happens to visit Gaia…"
"That part was interesting enough that she came in mind while I was researching on Sephiroth and writing rough drafts for the Juxtaposition Theory," Amanda added.
"She was also aware of my idea of giving sinful people a second chance no matter how evil they become, because that idea implies to her theory. Thus, we worked together to start the pursuiting campaign and got other people involved, including those who fought Sephiroth before. The Foil Intervention was weary and time-consuming, but in the end, it was a success. Sephiroth then now knows the truth of how he was conceived; it will have to take a long while for him to completely realize. But I am confident that he will come around. And if not, I'll keep on reminding him until he sees the light."
"So, that being said, Sephiroth is your main enemy since he has not realized of the mistakes he made due to his misleading father who falsely tells him about his mother, and so you provided him memories that convince him the actual truth," Krystal summarized.
"You are correct. Thus, according to the hostess' theory, I am the oppositional character to Sephiroth while Cloud Strife, my foil's main nemesis and Warrior of Cosmos, is my supporter." And with that to end her story, Mephistopheles conjured a sparkling water glass and drinks it with a fancy-pinkie.
"So, Krystal," Amanda begin when taken cue from the demon warrior. "Each JTC has her oppositional and supportive character and my theory allows them to conceive this way. How they were conceived is the connections to each protagonist and antagonist for each warrior. Mephistopheles, for instance, her foil is Sephiroth, since they both have opposite and paralleled names and powers, and shifted the actual meanings between Angel and Demon, which juxtaposed the two different creatures. Cloud is her supporter because he provided his memories of Sephiroth to help contributing her Foil Intervention campaign. Also, she shared some physical and attire features from each of them."
"As far I am concerned, I am the most developed JTC due to my solid connections to Sephiroth and Cloud and my golden purpose of giving all second chances," said Mephistopheles. "And also, she discovered me way before she got involved in the Dissidia World. The others JTCs got a long way to go, and unfortunately the Ceasefire has to end that quick. Nine months sounded a long timeframe, but if the sudden break of rest would to go longer, then perhaps Amanda would have full connections of all of us along with their supporters and opposites.
"Including me?"
"Interestingly enough, Krystal, you saved Amanda without her having your personal crystal in her procession. She cannot cosplay as you without the Fifth Crystal in hand in the same manner as me without my Demon Materia. But Amanda and I have bonded much longer than the nine juxtaposers, so I do not understand this."
"I think I have the answer for that: The reason behind Krystal's arrival is my reaction and instinct connection to Garland. When I encountered the dark knight, immediately I thought about the Warrior of Light, then Cosmos, and— oh." That realization had struck her in the back.
"What is it?" Mephistopheles asked.
"Now, I remember: JTCs can allow me to cosplay as them without the aid of their crystal but by the appearance and presence of their supportive or oppositional characters. Garland arrived last night, and with the Fifth Crystal's aura appeared and covers me, it allows Krystal to come and save me from my doom. It's the instinct connection from my mind."
"In the same manner your reaction of Sephiroth which allows me to take control," the demonic fencer nodded. "Now it all makes sense." The female warrior of light had no idea how to react or even respond. Though she's glad to get information in the world she was in, she found herself lost once again in a pool of confusion. Thankfully, she remembered most of what Amanda and Mephistopheles had told her so far.
"So, would all Cosmos warriors are supporters while all Chaos warriors are opposites?" Krystal asked. "And if that's the case, then the Warrior of Light is my supporter while Garland is my oppositional enemy?"
"Yes. You came to be because of Light, your mentor, and Garland, the knight whom you battled last night."
Something was troubling the woman warrior as evident in her words, "Then, I must be created, not born—"
"Oh no, you were born before," Amanda corrected her. "In fanartist's terms, creation equals discovery. What I mean I created you, I discovered you while I think about your supporter and opposite, and help you exist in certain worlds such as Dissidia. I still don't know why that is exactly, but I am certain about it."
"Do you remember your past, or any point of time before Lady Amanda calls for you?" Mephistopheles asked the female warrior, with interest of hearing about her story.
The woman warrior reminded silent for a while until she spoken her words. "I… I don't remember well about my past, or who my parents are. All I remember was my mentor who taught me to fight and learn to protect Cornelia from evil."
"Was the Warrior of Light a father-figure to you?" Amanda asked, slightly beginning to believe that she can finally learn more about Light from the words of her JTC.
"Yes, despite of not being related to him biologically, he was the only father I ever knew," the warrior answered with almost sadness but she never showed it. "Sometimes, I think that he was my father, but then like me, he has no recollection of his past. He doesn't even know his own name. It seems that was the only thing we ever had in common." She suddenly smiled when continued in her reminiscence. "Until there was the time we give each other names after hearing each other's dreams. I called him Light after he told me of his motivation of bathing the world with light. After he heard of my dream of the crystals bathing in the light, making the world shine with peace, he named me Krystal, which is a very suitable and likeable name for me."
"With those illusions joined together, they spelled a beautiful dream," Mephistopheles observed.
"With your permission Krystal, when all's this over, I would love to draw your dream," said Amanda.
"You have my permission, as my thanks for your explanation. I seem to understand now, and I am relieved by that."
"Likewise, this is only just the beginning. And I am sure after I set this plan to motion you will get a better chance of understanding visually." Amanda takes this lecture over and she put away her things back into her treasure chest. She let out a long yawn and stretches her arms. "In the meantime, I got to get myself up from this bed and get ready for the day. I had an instinct that the goddess will be calling for me." She looks at the demon and continued, "While I'm gone, would you give the lecture I delivered upon the JTCs?"
"Of course. And I'll make sure they prepare themselves for battle when necessary."
"Thank you, you are dismissed." By the fanartist's command, Mephistopheles slowly vanished upon her Demon Materia and disappears instantly after saying goodbye to the new female warrior. The fanartist took the materia and put it away carefully in the leather bag.
After watching the vanishing act, Krystal said, "I assume that she's back in your mind."
"Yep, way far back into my sub-conscious, that is. Now that you know her, she'll be with you so you won't be lonely. And since she's an expert of my theory, if you have any questions or confusion about it, you go to her for clarification."
"Alright, thank you again, Amanda."
"You're welcome, but I should be the one to thank you."
"In that case, you are welcome." Krystal giggled since she gets the hidden context of the sentence. Amanda mirrored the emotion as well.
They both looked at each other in the eyes. Every moment passed by and none of them said a word. Disturbing their moment of silence, someone knocks a door softly but loud enough for the two women to break their stares. Sensing that one of the Cosmos Warriors came to check up on her, Amanda whispered to Krystal, "They must not know about my plan yet. Go back to my mind and do not do anything but watch until the course is clear."
"I will do."
Following command, Krystal disappears the same ways as the demon did but with quick speed. When she was gone for sure, Amanda grabbed the crystal and put it away in her chest and hides the chest under her bed, out of sight.
The knock continues and Amanda finally calls outloud, "Hello? Who is it?"
"It's us, Onion and Terra," the youthful knight answered. "We apologize for disturbing you if you are still in bed, but can we come in? We have something to tell you."
Immediately, Amanda throws on a sleeping robe and allows permission for her friends to enter. "Yes, you can come in." As they enter, the fanartist observed their faces that showed a tired and exhausted appearance. She sighed, "I guess I'm not the only one who has a hard time sleeping last night." That was personally a fib, but she wants to display some sympathy to the warriors.
"I think all of us had a long night, considering the manikins and their unexpected intrusion on us," Onion agreed. "And for me personally, my argument with Firion."
"What did Firion argued you about?" Amanda asked curiously as she recalled the liegeman's sudden moment of stress and anxiety from yesternight.
"He argued at me for not doing my duty of supervising you, and was angry when he heard of your minor injuries, especially from the Chaos Warrior. I am still sorry for failing you." The kid's face was hanging down, feeling ashamed and awful. Terra couldn't help but to look at him, sensing those emotions.
"You don't need to apologize to me again, Onion," said the fanartist as she kneeled and put her hand on his shoulder. Onion looked up to his student's blue eyes as she continued, "It is only an accident at an unexpected time. We have no way of predicting it, and Rosebud must realize that. If he's bringing the heat on you again, you make sure he comes to me, okay? That is an order."
The Onion Knight, surprised by his student, obediently told her, "Yes, ma'am."
"Good," the fanartist turned to Terra. "My close friend whom I understand your curse, what news have you brought upon me? Are we soon being under attack?"
"No, there is no manikin attack today I feel," the magical blonde answered and earned a sigh of relief from the fanartist and the knight kid. "But, we want to let you know that Cosmos is hosting a morning battle preparations meeting at Lobby Hall."
"When exactly?" Amanda had her instincts right on the bat.
"She'll call for us when our marks glow sometime from now," Onion answered. "And we must provide our reports from yesterday."
The fanartist nodded. "Will breakfast be served?"
"Of course," answered Terra with a smile on the thought of food.
"Good, I am hungry. And in that case, I must get ready." Amanda stood up and did some stretching poses, and then she turns to her teacher and best friend. "Thank you both for letting me know. You go and get yourselves ready. I will come soon after the stigma glows on my palm."
"Amanda, one more thing," said Onion. "Firion ordered me to guard you for when the unexpected happens, and this time I will not fail you."
Wow, Rosebud is so worried about me still, thought the fanartist. "Okay, then, you can stand outside of my door and I'll call you if I need anything. And Terra, you're welcomed to join him if you want to."
"Yes ma'am," Onion said as she leaves with Terra to fulfill his duty.
"Oh, and Onion?" Amanda calls.
"Yes, Amanda?"
"No matter what Firion said, you did not fail me. You and him, Light and Cecil, all of you, had prepared me for the unexpected, and I would have been a goner last night if it wasn't for your tutoring. Remember that when he argues about it at you, okay?"
"Yes, I will remember, thank you!" Onion was feeling good about himself knowing that his student understood of his responsibilities. With that, he blissfully went to fulfill his duty while Terra followed him.
When the pair left, Amanda went to the adjoining master bathroom and refreshes herself with a warm shower and face wash. Relieved of having the stains from last night washed away, she became cleaned from top to bottom. Then, she put on the clothes the castle provided her, a black-grey tunic-dress with thick leggings and a stealth-attached belt. She summons her Charcoal Blade and stealth it in her belt and attached her Color Wheel pendent. According to Terra, there are no manikin threats today, but Amanda will be not taking any chances from now on. She would be better prepared than she was before.
Just when Amanda finished dressing and putting on her Charcoal magic wristlets, her left hand glows in a pale blue light. She looks at it with her palm open and saw the Stigma of Cosmos emblem, designed as a coiled object with an angelic wing on its left, glowing in a brighter blue hue. Seeing the cool muted color would make her feel cold, but instead she feels warm from the goddess' devotion.
"Cosmos is calling for me for a battle meeting," Amanda said to Krystal as she double checks her report she wanted to share. "I got to let her know that Garland was here trying to overtake the castle, and fighting me along with it."
"Are you still thinking about telling your plan to her and the warriors?" Krystal asked her hostess. "Something is telling me that you should."
"I want to, but not yet," the fanartist answers her. "Soon enough, they will find out my plan eventually. For the time being, get some rest and I'll call upon you when I need you, alright?"
"I will gladly, please be careful Amanda." said the female light warrior. She is now silenced in Amanda's mind, not disturbing and waits for her upcoming call.
There was a knock at Amanda's door and a voice followed, "Amanda, we've been summoned. Are you ready to go?" It belonged to Onion.
The fanartist opened the door to see her teacher-friend, who is in his new armor. He no longer had bruises and was already healed during his duty, but his face was still showing tiredness. Worried from last night that she might not see him again after her encounter with a Chaos Warrior, but she is happy that Onion is alright.
"Yep, I'm ready to go," she said to the kid. "Where is Terra?"
"She left immediately after the stigma glowed. We'll see her at the Lobby Hall," Onion answered.
"Good, we must tell Cosmos about last night." Amanda left her quarters with Onion and they together went to the main lobby of the castle, where the battle meeting was to take place. "And while we're at it, let's grab some bacon and eggs and hash brows or whatever the top chefs serve this morning because my stomach couldn't take my hunger anymore."
"You said it!" the hero kid agreed with food now on his mind.
End of Part I Chapter 3
Dragonite: *scribble in her notebook* So, comparing the two respective warriors, therefore making a new warrior that is conceived according to the concepts of the Juxtaposition Theory, the concept of good and evil aka harmony and distortion... CHECK!
Klee: It's very interesting Amanda; I had never thought about the world that way.
Amanda: Me either until I discovered Final Fantasy Dissidia. I wished our world is like the games.
Dragonite: Perhaps you can live in the Dissidia World like your twin sister! *giggles*
Amanda: Yeah, that would be a great vacation ever.
Klee: That sounds great. But in the meantime, I need to return back to my studies. Dragonite, you promised to help me with math.
Dragonite: Oh yeah, right. See ya later Amanda! *leaves with Klee*
Amanda: See ya guys! *to readers* So my sorrys again for posting this chapter a weekend late. I hope to post another up by the next weekend, and guess what? It will be the final chapter for Part I! Yays! Part II will be filled with adventure-packed action!
Dragonite: *from other room* What about Part II?
Amanda: Drag, help your sister!
Dragonite: Sorry! *immediately leaves*
Mini-Amanda: So… how I am like this Dragonite-chick you're referring me to?
Amanda: I was referring to impatience… -_-