Lunafreya, Galuf, Gabranth, and Rasler joined the gathering moments before the former sorceress arrived. Tellah watched Ultimecia appear and rest in the air as if on a throne. "How unfortunate," he said, "that your numbers seem weaker today."
"It isn't news, though," said the Fairy King. "Just as it isn't news that Hell cannot control its inhabitants."
Ultimecia chuckled. "One spirit escaped and was recovered with minimal harm."
"He tortured the minds of more than one mortal soul," Luna said. "I understand we have different opinions of such actions, but surely you see the harm he caused?"
Rasler tensed. "They will admit to none such, Lady Lunafreya."
"Are we going to sit here and argue back and forth for the rest of time," Tellah asked, "or will we get something done?"
Ultimecia said, "You've joined the wrong group if you plan to do more than chat. These people don't like to get their hands dirty."
"Little good gets done without a little talk to start it off," Luna said. "We know our worth, and it is not well-defined by one who refuses to look for such outside of her own."
Galuf clapped. "Well said."
Ultimecia spared him a withering glance. "The walls grow thin, or haven't you noticed? Whether or not Bhunivelze has the power to destroy Heaven and Hell, he can take control whenever he finds the time and resources."
"And that would be his first choice," Galuf said. "Why destroy it when he could use it?"
"Save for us," Gabranth said. "His hatred for dead things might lend us the same fate as some of his stolen vessels."
The Fairy King blinked. "The rules that Mwynn set for the new generation are strict and will keep them from ever growing as dangerous as the old ones. However, Bhunivelze does not stand by the same rules. If he were to gain that power, it would be the end of this realm."
Tellah said, "Death yet remains outside his grasp. He doesn't understand the forces he meddles with on VII and Spira."
"You really think it'll stay that way?" Ultimecia asked.
Luna pursed her lips. "It won't."
"He's taking planets, now," Galuf said. "The fight has turned towards our favor."
Luna said, "Success on Blue Terra is not parallel with return of Spira and Gaia VII."
"Without mention of lives lost," Rasler said.
Galuf's expression darkened. "No, let's not forget those."
"You speak as though there is something we missed." Luna turned to Ultimecia. "Cease your baiting and reach your point."
Ultimecia said, "Hydaelyn. Of all the worlds involved, we haven't heard a thing from them despite their connections. It lies outside Bhunivelze's reach, yet it has power to hurt him. Why haven't we enlisted their help?"
"Because we have the same problem as Bhunivelze," Tellah said. "No one's managed to reach them since this fiasco started. They don't like working with other worlds, after all. I can't say I blame them, either. I'd not regret the loss of Hell."
The Fairy King said, "Who knows? Perhaps different management in hell would keep the souls in check."
"Speaking of," Galuf said, "my granddaughter, among others, is still caught in the realm between life and death. Before we lose hold of those forever, let's get this issue squared away!"
"Children," Ultimecia muttered.
"Correct me if I am wrong," Tellah said. "Did you not meet your own defeat at the hands of six such children?"
"You do not need wisdom to fight, nor power when you have a thieving sorceress of your own. But never mind. I have other matters to attend to." She vanished.
"Caution, Tellah," Gabranth said. "We mustn't alienate our allies, no matter their origins."
"Won't be sad to lose them, though," Galuf said. "Alas. I have a granddaughter to save."
Galuf winked out. Gabranth, the Fairy King, and Rasler followed. They left only Tellah and Luna.
"I worry about us," Luna said. "Aerith was wise and guided the council well. And we've not received word from Braska and the others. If this plague takes our wisest people, then I can't imagine how we'll proceed."
"While it's true that Aerith Gainsborough was a competent leader, we've plenty of individuals as qualified as she."
"And which would you follow?"
"You."
Luna shrunk. "I am but an Oracle. I learned not to be a leader, but a voice of hope amongst the afflicted."
"An important trait for the head of a council. You don't think any of us could use a bit of that?"
"Perhaps. But I can't imagine—"
Red tore their space and two of Zero joined them. "Didn't expect you around here," Tellah said. "You've avoided us so well in the past."
One removed her hood to show a mage's discolored eyes. "We aren't with those in Valhalla. I'm Tiz and this is Joker. We've come to relay a message from Arecia."
"We can't trust the new pantheon in Valhalla," Joker said. "It's time we ready for battle against them."
"It's been a whole day," Marlene said. Beside her, Denzel didn't seem to hear. He went so quiet since they were stranded that she worried he wasn't even here. He acted so distant and distracted that maybe he floated away to another dimension.
"If we find the stuff," Marlene said, "we should build a fire, sterilize a blade, and pierce our ears. You know, for strength. That's why teenage boys do it, right?"
"Kind of."
Marlene startled at his response. But Denzel still stared at the rim of the misted island like it was some action movie. "You didn't do it in the slums?" she asked.
"Didn't think about it."
Marlene hummed and turned her attention to the island. "I'm starving. And thirsty. We're gonna die if we stay here much longer."
"I know."
"Then why don't we do something about it?"
"I'm working on it."
"But you haven't taken your eyes off that thing for hours! … At least, I think it's been hours. The sun here is strange and moves in funny ways."
Denzel kept staring, back arched and expression focused. Marlene looked for what he stared at but didn't find anything beyond the shifting mist. Figures appeared vague and distant on that cliffside, nothing natural to their uncolored forms.
"It's creepy," Marlene said. Her stomach hurt with hunger and she missed the comfort of home back in Seventh Heaven. She missed Cloud's pastries and Tifa's shakes.
"It's fading," Denzel said. "Look—the edge is purple-ish now."
"It wasn't before?"
"No. It was green. And the mist has weakened."
"Will it get us home?" Marlene asked.
"If we time it right." Denzel dug through his pocket and pulled out tiny, broken materia and wire. It was the first time Marlene saw him move for the past forever. The materia was cracked and Denzel chiseled holes through two of them with one of his tools before slipping the wire through and forming small circles.
Denzel then flipped the pricking tool about in his hands and stabbed it through his right earlobe. Marlene scrambled back as blood dropped from the wound. Denzel barely winced before rinsing it off with seawater and sticking one of the materia rings through.
"That isn't sanitary," Marlene said.
"You said we should pierce our ears."
"Yeah, but that's just gross."
Denzel arranged the wire on the other end to hold steady before resting his hands. "How does it look?"
"It looks like you're losing blood."
"Not that much. It'll stop soon."
"Doesn't it hurt?"
"… A little."
Marlene folded her arms and said, "It looks fine."
Denzel smiled at that and shifted closer to her. "Do you still want to do it?"
"I don't want to get infected."
"We're already risking infection by sleeping on a rock offshore. We're about to face much worse once we scale that cliff and start looking for food."
Marlene eyed that pick, still wet with seawater. "Do you still have your white magic?"
"Yes."
"Fine." She took a deep breath and looked at the other ring Denzel had left, which was pinkish from holding fire magic. "But do it fast."
Denzel angled himself. "Which one?"
"The opposite of yours."
"Your left?"
"Yeah."
He nodded and got ready. Marlene wiped her hands against her dress and closed her eyes.
Prick of pain in her left lobe before water touched it and stung really bad. She bit her cheek but couldn't help a whimper. "Are you done yet?"
"One sec."
Something shoved through and hurt more. Then tugging at her ear before it went still and Marlene opened her eyes to Denzel farther away. "How does it look?" she asked.
"Scary," Denzel said. Then pulled out his staff and hesitated. "I should save my white magic."
"If you use a tiny bit," Marlene said, "it should save us from infection."
He closed his eyes and pressed a hand to his chest before whispering under his breath. Her ear cooled and the hurting stopped. Denzel pulled out a cloth and wiped his ear off to show clean skin before getting hers.
Marlene felt giddy at the thought of metal in her ear. "Can we reinfuse the materia later and have magic always on hand?"
"We're not ancients." Denzel stood and eyed the cliff. "But maybe we can learn. Ready?"
Marlene joined him and felt ten times stronger than before. "Ready."
Denzel flipped his staff and stepped back. Then leapt at the cliff and caught on rocks before scrambling toward the scalable edge.
Marlene psyched herself up before following.
