The Light of Inspiration
After the final battle with the Lightwardens, the Warrior of Darkness struggles to hold in all the light. Emet-Selch appears and spirits away the one person who could have helped and now the Scions are left with an all but comatose comrade and no idea how to help! With time running out, the Scions now must scour the land for a way to save their friend before it's too late. During this, they are forced to really take a hard look at themselves, their relations with each other, and especially with the Warrior of Darkness. Otherwise, they will be left with the most terrifying foe that they know they will have no hope of defeating.
READ HERE FIRST!
MAJOR SPOILERS FROM THE SHADOWBRINGERS MSQ!
As for this story, this is a small side story that I had been sitting on for a long time and just finally decided to do something with. Happens after: Before the Rebirth of a Realm, Eyes Ever Heavensward, Hells Open Heavens Weep, and takes place during Bringer of Nightfall. If you haven't read them yet, you might want to before reading this.
Do not read if you are still playing through Final Fantasy 14: Shadowbringers or have plans to. I will be using my own character, Claire Faye, in the story to stand in as the Warrior of Light, but feel free to think of your own characters. Here is a list of things that will be in this story:
Major Game Spoilers for Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn, Heavenward, Stormblood, and Shadowbringers
Alphinaud/Warrior of Light Shipping
Alisaie/Warrior of Light Shipping (Sisterly love/crush)
Many different POV of different characters
Death, Violence, War, Despair, Hopelessness, etc.
I do not own any copyright, am doing this purely for entertainment…
Takes place during my Azure Skies and Crimson Squall series. Happens just after the Warrior of Light/Darkness falls to the light. A shorter story than what I usually do but I am trying to practice since I am so used to writing much longer stories. This will be the last new fic that I post until Endwalker though. Am planning on doing a follow up story with the Scions returning home eventually, but having a hard time focusing on that. Will say that it will be much shorter than its previous ones and that it will be focusing on just the important dialogue and shorter battle scenes. Been on a break and it was very good for me and I'm starting to really get back into writing. Anyway, this will be a short story on each of the Scions, their relationships with each other and especially with the Warrior of Light. Had originally planned on putting this in as a bonus chapter but after finishing Bringer of Nightfall, realized that it would be much better practice. Anyway, I hope that you all enjoyed it, will only be 8 chapters long, all of them pretty short. Will set it up to finish before 5.5 part 2 though! So please enjoy.
Chapter 1: Destructive Light
Previously:
Emet-Selch then held up his hand and snapped his fingers when G'raha's body vanished from behind him.
"Exarch!" Alphinaud called and Claire's eyes widened in panic and glared up at him.
"I have naught to show for all the time and effort I invested in you," Emet-Selch informed them with a bored shrug. "He is a small token for my troubles."
Rage rose up inside her, matching the force of the light that was currently tearing her apart. How dare he?
"I did not expect that I could learn aught from man, but I may yet learn something from all the knowledge he had hoarded for his precious hero," he said and her heart broke at his words as if she was just slapped.
He then slowly lifted off the ground and she could only watch through painful gasps as he lifted himself up into the air and he looked down at them all before his eyes landed on her.
"I pity you. I do," he said to her, though she couldn't tell if the sadness she could vaguely hear was genuine or not. "Your friends are now your foes. If you do not kill them, they will kill you. When it all becomes too much to bear, come home to me in my abode, in the dark depths of the Tempest. There you may complete your descent into madness with some dignity, far from prying eyes."
She never hated herself more than at that moment for her weakness. She tried to get up, to attack him, to force him to give G'raha back… but she could barely see now and everything was spinning. She was suffocating on this agonizing light—all but drowning on the cursed liquid that was threatening to erupt from her throat. She could feel as if her very being was tearing apart at the seams around her and she just wanted to tear her own skin off her body in an effort to free the light that was so desperate to break out.
Through the haze she could hear someone shouting her name, but she didn't know nor care who it was any longer as she made one last desperate attempt to stand… before she finally gave in and collapsed. Her vision clouded further, the cracking sound, once faint, now deafening in her eardrums as her strength faded and she felt her head falling until it collided with the stone beneath her—feeling herself slip away.
The last thing she saw were Alisaie, Alphinaud, and Ryne all sprinting towards her before her vision gave way to blackness.
"'Till then, I bid you farewell… eater."
And she knew no more.
Watching her fall, as if in slow motion, until she hit the ground was more shocking than any injuries they suffered from fighting the Sin Eaters. Everyone ran forward the moment that Emet-Selch disappeared, their focus on their friend and the light.
All of them were enraged from what happened—but in truth it was mostly too directed at themselves for not being better prepared. They should have seen it coming… should have foreseen that he would try…?
Ryne and the twins were the first to make it to the Warrior of Darkness's side just as her entire body was encased in the familiar blinding, white light. But the moment that they skidded to a stop, none of them seemed to have the slightest clue as to how to help.
Though she still was herself, just trying to touch her cause the pent-up Light trapped inside to last out and they all felt the burning pain as if scorched by fire. Alisaie and Alphinaud, however, didn't even bother to notice it as they turned her over to see her face. Alphinaud heaved her head up so that she was resting against his chest and he was trying to use whatever healing spells he could think of to help. but his hands were shaking so badly and tears were falling thick and fast as she began to convulse in his arms and something white and thick began to bubble up in her mouth and drip past her lips.
Blood mixed in with light… the final sign that someone was about to turn.
Alisaie seemed on the brink of a full on panic attack as she tried to think of what to do. When she heard the footfalls of the others running behind her, she spun about on her knees to glare at them.
"You stay away from her!" Alisaie all but screamed at Urianger. Her rage had reached a point that it was overflowing and since neither Emet-Selch nor the Exarch was here, it was naturally directed at who—in her eyes—was just as responsible for what was happening to their friend.
Urianger stopped dead in his tracks as if he had been struck. His own features were wide with terror and horror as he was powerless to help stop. Y'shtola, however, strode right past him and all but flew to their side as she took over.
"Ryne!" she commanded as the girl all but jumped at the harshness in that voice, "Can you not do something? You have some measure of control over the Light!"
"I-I can't just… I already told you!" Ryne yelled back, shaking so badly that one would think that she was freezing cold, "I cannot dispel the Light! Even Minfilia at her strongest could only hold it back!"
"But you said that you might be able to keep it contained, did you not?" Y'shtola cried back, the Light all but blinding her to her surroundings. "I know that it is not a permanent solution, but it will buy us time! Please, you have to try."
Ryne looked even more terrified at the thought, but Claire suddenly let out a wheezy gasp, as if struggling to draw breath, choking on her own blood, and Ryne seemed to snap out of it. With a deep breath, she knelt beside her as they watched… seeing how she held up her hands to the Warrior's face and began to concentrate.
"I don't know how long this will last, but I'll try my best," she said in determination.
"Just do it!" Alisaie wanted to scream but somehow kept her mouth shut—terrified that she would break Ryne's concentration by snapping at her. Their friend was changing into a sin eater in their arms and there was nothing more that they could do to help her. Alphinaud seemed to be in a state of stunned disbelief as he held on, terrified of letting go, all the while Ryne worked at his side, trying to do something to prevent the inevitable from happening.
When it all clicked in her mind, Alisaie suddenly began screaming at Urianger, demanding to have answers.
"You said that you had a plan?!" she yelled at him, and though he was almost twice as tall as she was, he all but cowered at her rage. "You said that we could trust you and the Exarch! And this is what happens?! What were you thinking?"
"Alisaie, yelling isn't going to help anyone!" Thancred snapped back, though he, too, was upset as he tried to make sense of what was going on.
G'raha Tia? That was the name that the Warrior of Light said the moment that she saw the Exarch's face? That sounded like a name for a Miqo'te back home… and Emet-Selch all but confirmed that the Exarch came from the Source before he took him? But… how? What was going on here? His head was swimming with questions and Alisaie's screaming wasn't helping. But Alisaie was far from done. She had grabbed hold of the front of Urianger's robes and was shaking him for answers, demanding to know what in the Seven Hells was going on.
"You knew this was going to happen, didn't you?" Alisaie demanded out of Urianger. "This was what you planned for, didn't you?!"
Urianger was trying to talk, but Alisaie's anger was so great that she wasn't even bothering to listen as she went on and on in a furious rant for several long minutes. Her voice suddenly gave out on her and she choked before coughing and wheezed for air.
"Keep going!" Y'shtola said loudly.
"Oh, I mean to!" Alisaie yelled back angrily.
"No, I mean it's working," Y'shtola called back and that got their attention. Y'shtola's sightless eyes were wide as she stared at the scene in front of them. Though she knew the others couldn't see it, she was amazed at the change that was taking place. It was almost fascinating to watch… as Ryne seemed to be trying to compact the Light that was now overflowing from within Claire's body. She could watch as the blinding mass was being squeezed together tighter and smaller into a glowing ball before it was tied up with a kind of pulsating knot of pure Light aether. They watched with baited breath before the Light, that until that moment had bill all spilling out of its prison, now slowly began to stop… what began as a surge slowly sunk down to a trickle… until it faded around her so that she was as she was before.
Claire's eyes remained closed though and she grew still even as the white substance dripping from her mouth also began to stop as her breath became slow and shallow.
"Is… is she…?" Alisaie croaked slowly as she staggered towards them when Ryne finally lowered her hands, panting hard and dripping in sweat.
"It… it wasn't easy… there's so much… it's so strong…" she wheezed, "But… that should hold it in… for now anyway. But…" she looked up to Thancred, unshed tears sparkling there as she said, "It's only going to delay the change, not stop it forever… I don't… I don't know what…?"
But she couldn't finish it… not that they needed her to, they all understood.
While their friend was no longer bathed in that light… she was barely breathing and showed no signs of awakening.
Alphinaud still seemed to be in a state of shock and didn't so much as move as he held her close to him. Alisaie, however, returned to their side and was now trying to shake her awake—or at the last get some kind of reaction from her.
"Claire…? Claire! Wake up!" she yelled, shaking her shoulders even as a few tears managed to slip past her guard and trailed down her face, leaving streaks from the dirt. Seeing that, Alphinaud also tried to help awaken her… but they may as well have not said anything for all the good that it was doing.
Seeing her frozen state seemed to reignite the rage inside Alisaie as she spun back to Urianger and screamed, "What is going on?! What won't she wake up?"
"Mistress Alisaie…" he began slowly.
"No, don't you dare!" Alisaie snapped, continuing to cry almost hysterically at this point, "You don't get to sound like that! You knew! You were plotting this with the Exarch from the very beginning and don't you dare deny it! I can see it written all over your face! You planned for all of this! Why? It's not bad enough that you plotted with our enemies once, but twice?!"
"Alisaie! I understand your anger but…" Y'shtola began but she was cut off.
"Don't you defend him now! Out of all of us, you were the one who trusted him the least! But you still figured out that something was wrong with Claire right away!" Alisaie demanded as Ryne looked from one to the other, looking terrified.
"I'm not defending him," Y'shtola began, also sounding angry now, "All I'm trying to do is…"
"Please, allow me to help," Urianger all but begged.
"Help? You call what you did helping?!" Alisaie snapped.
"ENOUGH!"
The bark from Thancred was enough to make them jump, even more so when he slammed the tip of his gunblade into the ground. He ignored everything else as he took charge, pulling off his coat and bending down to cover their friend like it was a blanket. After he reattached his weapon onto his back, he made to gather Claire up into his arms.
He had to struggle with Alphinaud, who didn't want to let go of her, but seeing the grief-stricken look on the young man's face seemed to soften Thancred's own anger.
"We won't be able to help anyone, much less her, if we just stay here! We've got to leave," he ordered, but it was in a slightly more soothing voice than what he used before.
It seemed to give Alphinaud a purpose to hang onto and he slowly let Claire slip through his fingers as Thancred heaved her up into his arms, though she remained as still as ever before he turned to the others.
"Let's go!" he ordered and so he began to move on ahead of them.
Alphinaud and Alisaie were on either side of him, terrified of letting Claire of out their sights as Y'shtola helped Ryne to stand, who was still shaking, and left Urianger to bring up the rear. He picked up Claire's greatsword that she dropped, but struggled to even raise the heavy blade that felt more like a sharp chunk of lead. But he didn't dare complain about it as he followed after them.
They quickly made their way through the remains of Vauthry's paradise.
But as they passed by the perfect white marble, the quiet soon faded as more Sin Eaters began to fill the air. Thancred, who was out in front, cursed at the sight of it and looked about to find a place to set Claire down so that he could fight.
"Here," he said as he set Claire down and leaned her up against some of the boulders before going back to his blade.
"But why are they coming after us now?" Ryne asked frightfully, "Vauthry's gone!"
"I fear that they have cometh for their new master," Urianger answered back, setting the blade down—privately grateful for the rest. "They can feel the Light inside her and know that she will undoubtedly turn soon."
"Oh, like Hells they will!" Alisaie shouted as Alphinaud stood guard over Claire and the rest of them began to fight as if they had never had in their lives.
Getting down the mountain was almost as hard as climbing up it since they had to fight for every step they took. But eventually, they had managed to make it back down the Talos and safely onto the ground where the people were all waiting for them, demanding answers.
They were all scared and confused to what was going on. For a moment ago the sky had turned dark and they were celebrating the death of the Lightwardens… but then the light suddenly reappeared. They all reassured them that Vauthry was finished but they had to lie and tell them that they weren't sure why the Light had returned to the sky like this.
But when the people saw the Warrior of Darkness looking all but dead in their arms, they began to panic that something far worse was causing this. No one dared to say a word as they tried to figure out what to do. Y'shtola was the one who was reassuring them that they will not rest until they figure out what is going on, but everyone had to remain calm until then.
It was bells before they were able to figure out the best course of action. The Scions felt that their best option was to return to the Crystarium… where they could not only have their friend treated, but also give them a place to regroup and come up with a plan. They were able to secure an airship from Eulmore to carry them back to the mainland and insight of the Crystarium.
As they left Kholusia behind, however, it quickly became clear that the Light didn't just return over Eulmore. Lakeland and the Crystarium were, once again, shrouded by the brilliant light and their hearts sank.
"We should have expected this," Y'shtola said softly they could make out the tip of the Crystal Tower in the distance.
"What… what are we going to tell the people?" Ryne asked quietly.
"What? About why the Light is back? We don't," Thancred said firmly at their side as he piloted the airship. "If they find out the truth, there will be panic. Just reassure them that all the Lightwardens are gone for now and we are working to see what can be done about the sky."
"But what about the Exarch?" she asked worriedly and he sighed again.
"Well, it's not like we can lie about him," Thancred said with a shake of his head. "We'll have to tell them that he was abducted. Gods, I am not looking forward to that conversation."
It was all that they could do as they slowly came closer to the Exarch's city and the landing soon appeared before them. As well as what looked like half the city waiting for them—with Captain Lyna in the front.
As soon as they landed, everyone all began to demand answers at once, asking what was going on, but once Lyna saw them carrying Claire on a stretcher, as pale as death at this point and her hair as white as snow, she also grew visibly pale. She then called to the others behind her that they will solve this but they had injured and had to get them treated.
All the Scions were exhausted though, emotionally as well as physically, and so it was a struggle just to make it back to the Pendants. Thankfully, Bragi came over to help them when he saw them struggling. He took one end of the stretcher and bore it as Urianger took the other end and finished carrying her back to her room. During all this, the greatsword that they lugged back with them fell to the ground with a loud clatter and Thancred stopped to grab it… only to stagger and nearly fall over. He had clearly underestimated how heavy the blade was and had to really work to heave it up so that it wasn't dragging across the ground.
"You alright?" Ryne asked him quickly.
"Damn, this is heavy," he panted, looking back at it with a mixture of awe and bewilderment. "How does she make it look so easy? She swings it around like it's a pocketknife or something!"
He just heaved it up and followed after the crowd, the relief of the Pendants in sight.
*Later*
"Yes, thank you for your concern," Ryne told Chessamile and the rest of the chirurgeons from the Spagyrics in the hall as they prohibited them from coming into the room. "But we can take it over from here."
"But my dear, you told me before, just after the attack upon Lakeland that you didn't know much about healing…?" Chessamile tried to reason in worry.
"Ah, well… that's true," she said, "But Y'shtola, Urianger, and Alphinaud all have plenty of practice. It's just that she's showing symptoms not unlike eater corruption so until we know more…?"
"But we've treated people who…?" another chirurgeon tried to interrupt before the door opened up again and Y'shtola appeared.
"We understand your concern, and we appreciate it all," she said, gesturing for Ryne to get inside. "But we have things under control for the moment. You have my word that if we need help, we will turn straight to you. Those who came to assist with the Talos will soon be arriving and you have to be on hand for them. So please… don't… don't worry."
It took a few more minutes of reassuring them did they all agree to leave their patient in their hands and Chessamile took them with her, though she was wringing her hands in worry as she did so.
"They're gone," Y'shtola said as she double-checked, ensuring that no one else was in the hallway before closing and bolting the door behind them. They were all closed up in Claire's room, where said friend had already been changed out of her heavy armor and into much lighter and comfortable clothes before being taken to bed. But she was still sleeping deeply… it hurt to see her like this… as stiff and unmoving as a corpse.
Y'shtola stood at the door, ready to send anyone else away while the others were scattered about the room. Ryne was checking over Claire once more, seemingly satisfied that the Light was under control for the time being, while Alisaie leaned up against the seat at the foot of the bed, looking so tired that she was in danger of falling asleep right there. Thancred stood next to the window, leaning with his back against the wall, acting the part of a silent guardian and Alphinaud was at the stove heating some tea… though it seemed more like it was just for something to do rather than the fact that anyone had food or drink on their minds.
"Good," Thancred said as they all turned to Urianger, who was sitting at the table with his head down low. "Which now leaves us to talk about what to do now. And I think I speak for all of us here, Urianger, we I say that we are not happy with you right now and I think you owe us all an explanation."
"Agreed," Y'shtola said rather coldly as Alisaie raised her head up, her expression miserable. "The time for secrets has passed. You are to tell us what you know about the Exarch, his plans, and everything else. And should you leave anything out, I think that it will be safe to assume that we will leave you to face Alisaie to take care of your remains."
Urianger sighed, silent for a long time before he nodded.
"Very well," he said at last. "Though, truth be told, I doth scarcely know where to begin."
"How about at the beginning?" Thancred offered unhelpfully as Urianger took another long minute to think it over. Finally, he began by telling them of the so-called 'vision' he had of the future. In truth, it turns out that he hadn't been lying completely about that. That the Eighth Umbral Calamity was something that was dangerously close to coming true back upon the Source, but it was the Exarch who had told him about it.
He told them about how he had met with the Exarch shortly after he arrived in this world and learned who he was. That he had been a denizen of the Source until he had gone to sleep inside the Crystal Tower some time before they all arrived here in the First. In fact, he and Claire were old friends who once explored the Crystal Tower together before he sealed himself away. When he, G'raha Tia, awoke, it was 200 years in the future after the Eighth Umbral Calamity had struck.
He told them all the details about what this future was like; of how the descendants of the Ironworks labored tirelessly for years to unlock the tower because of the notes left behind by Cid Garlond—who survived the Black Rose. With their adventures including crossing to another world from the Crystal Tower, being able to travel through time with Alexander, and finally their battles of crossing the rift with Omega… they had the keys they needed to perform a miracle and preventing this doomed future from taking place.
They awoke G'raha Tia from his slumber as they worked to send the Crystal Tower back through time to the First to set everything up to prevent the Rejoining of the First. However, with the timing of the Exarch's arrive off, he had appeared in the First much earlier than they had planned. But this worked in his favor as he labored in secret to set everything up so to be ready when the Warrior of Light arrived in this world to save it.
He more he talked, the more their eyes widened and their jaws had all but fallen to the floor. They had questions, of course, hundreds of them and he did his best to answer them all to the best of his ability.
"But why her though?" Alphinaud asked as he had to sit down to prevent himself from falling over with how light-headed he had become. "Why…?"
"I think I know the answer to that," Y'shtola replied sadly. "After witness her heroics first hand, I can imagine that he could think of no one other to see this whole thing in motion. Not only that, she was known as the realm's greatest hero before the Black Rose struck. So who other would he have chosen?"
"And I guess that she was the only candidate with the Blessing of Light as well," Thancred offered, having slid down to sit on the floor, the sheer enormity of it all weighing down upon him as if he had one too many drinks at the Wandering Stairs.
"Nay, 'tis more than that. For the truth is thus. That her story was what kept the flames of hope alive even amongst the darkest of times," Urianger whispered as he thought more of what the Exarch told him.
"What do you mean?" Ryne asked as Urianger finally stood up and walked to the window to stare out at the sky.
"In many stories, the heroes sound akin to gods," he explained. "For the Warrior of Light's tale, though, they were different. The Exarch has shown me of the stories that were told about our dearest friend. In many tales, they serve to inspire others… but for most of them… her story was not of some unstoppable warrior that survived time and time again… but of an individual who wanted to help those in need. For you see… 'twas the reason of why she fought at all that brought them the hope that they needed."
He looked back to them all, and they were all startled to see how red his eyes looked as they sparkled with unshed tears.
"She fought because of who she is and how she doth able to connect with others," he whispered, "It's not her powers that she was remembered… it was who she was as a person. Such stories survived because it was all about the people she saved and the lives that were changed for the better. Long before she took the title of Warrior of Light, she did always yearn to helpth those who asked. Oftentimes for no reason but simply to help. Though it may sound indeed like a faerie tale, she is remembered in this dark future because she is a warrior who willing takes to the battlefield for she feels that is the most she can do."
A single tear fell from his eye and down his cheek as the silence around them seemed to almost press in on all sides.
"And it was for this reason that the Exarch truly believed that she and only she could take up this burden," he added, "For one who can become a Warrior of both Light and Darkness… one must see and experience both the worst of what man is capable of doing, but also the best of what they can become. It is this that creates within someone both Light and Darkness perfectly."
He closed his eyes as more tears fell and he finished, "Most tales of heroes from the past are about mortals becoming gods. Yet… with her own… is more akin to a god becoming mortal. In this dark future, her story is both ordinary with the extraordinary. 'Twas that thought which did bringth hope to so many and compelled countless others to join this cause. All for one chance to pass along a message they wished for her to hear."
"What message…?" Alisaie whispered through numb lips.
He looked back at them and wept openly as he told them, "Your legacy was our torch in the darkness. May it shine again… and live."
Silence fell around them it all sunk in, none of them knowing what to say. In fact, the silence went on for so long that when it was finally broken, the sound hurt their ears.
"And it was for this hope that the Exarch was willing to give his life?" Alphinaud asked after.
Urianger nodded grimly. "Please understandth that the Exarch was fully aware of all of this. He took no pleasure in deceiving anyone, yet he feared that she would never allow it. But he did believeth that by saving one, we would save none. He felt his life was a fair exchange… 'twas his choice to make."
"But not hers," Alisaie muttered darkly. She was torn on the matter. While she was still furious that they kept this quiet, the idea that they were laboring to save their friend in secret…? She didn't know what to do. She wanted to hate them for what they had done… but seeing the regret in his face, hearing it in his voice? Made it very difficult to do so.
"So what now?" Thancred asked, pushing himself off the wall and standing up so that everyone was looking at him. "Knowing the full truth, while I am glad to finally have some answers, it doesn't change anything. The fact is, without the Exarch, we're stuck now. He was the only one here who could take that Light, and while I don't like that idea, we're in trouble."
He looked to Ryne and asked, "How much time do we have?"
"Ah… I'm sorry, but I don't know for sure," she confessed softly, turning her head to see that Claire still had not moved at all during this entire conversation. "So long as she takes it easy then we do have more time. If she tries to push herself, it will only speed up the process. A few days…? At least…? I would hesitate to say for sure. I'll do my best to keep it locked up inside, but…?"
"But we're on borrowed time," Y'shtola answered briskly as a few other Scions wiped their eyes from the weight of stress. "So we can't afford to waste any more time. We need a plan now."
"We have to find a way to save her," Ryne declared.
"We are all in agreement on that one," Thancred reassured her, "But we don't have a clue to how to do that. The only person who might have been able to help has just been taken hostage by Emet-Selch and we had no clue where this Tempest place is. Though I'm sure that if we ask about, we'll find the answers…? But I don't like the idea of us going in alone."
"Ryne? Do you think that there is a way that we can remove the Light?" Alphinaud asked her urgently. "Like… put it somewhere else?"
"And put it into what?" Alisaie demanded. "If we try that, it will just infect someone else and that will start the whole battle with the Lightwardens all over again! We can't do that!"
"No, we cannot," Thancred agreed grimly. "The Exarch was going to take the Light into the Rift, right? Can't one of us...?"
"Thancred, Ryne needs you," Y'shtola reminded him harshly as Ryne's eyes widened in terror at what he was trying to suggest. "Besides, with your condition you would die long before you absorb the Light. If any here should try it then I am best suited."
"If any here...?" Urianger began but they were interrupted by Alisaie, who sounded close to frustrated tears.
"We're just going around in circles! Is there any way that we can stop this without someone dying?" she asked tearfully and they all fell silent. "Has anyone even tried to come up with another solution that doesn't involve someone turning into a monster?"
"I hath done countless hours of research since first learning of the Exarch's plan," Urianger confessed. "But I am ashamed to confess that it has amounted to little."
"Perhaps you just haven't had a second opinion," Alisaie said firmly as she leapt up to her feet. "Show me what you found! I will offer my thoughts on it!"
They were all a little taken aback by the order, but at that, they all began to try and come up with their own plans as well—knowing that it was better than sitting here doing nothing.
"I will return to Ra'tika and explore more of the Ronkan ruins," Y'shtola stated firmly. "They were renowned as the most advanced civilization of their time. There is a chance that we may be able to at least find some clue to where to go from here."
"If… it be alright, I volunteer to return to Kingdom of the Fae Folk," Urianger offered hesitantly, "I will speak with the pixies and all other inhabitants to see if some manner of insight can be gleaned that we have not yet been made aware of."
Alphinaud thought it all over as he tried hard not to dwell on what was happening, and while he loathed the thought of leaving her side, he said, "With relations open with Eulmore again, I will head there to see if I cannot find some manner of information that Vauthry may have had on the sin eaters. Or, failing that, I will have access to their libraries and other means of information."
"And I'll look over Urianger's notes on my way back to the Inn in Amh Araeng," Alisaie said firmly. "If there is anyone out there who know more about taking care of those about to turn, it's them."
"Good, at least we have something of a plan in place," Thancred said firmly. "I'll look about Lakeland then. There are tons of ruins here, mayhaps I'll get lucky and find something that everyone overlooked." He then turned back to Ryne and added, "Ryne, you are to remain here in the Crystarium. Understand?"
"But…" Ryne began before Thancred put a hand on her shoulder.
"I know," he reassured her. "But please, it's important that you remain near Claire for now. You're the only one who can keep that Light under control, and you must be on hand should it try to break free again. You will not be idle either. You are to look through the Cabinet of Curiosity for us while we're gone and see if you cannot find something that we can use there. Alright?"
Ryne thought it over, but after getting a glimpse of Claire's pale features it seemed to bring it all into focus, and nodded in agreement.
"Very well," Thancred said firmly, looking at them all. "Well then. Everyone has their job, so I expect us all to give it our all. More than our all! We will meet back at the tower in a few days' time to share what we have found."
As everyone got up, he added, mayhaps just to make sure that they all tried their hardest, he added, "And anyone who comes back with nothing will be the unlucky sod who gets to break the news to her when she wakes up."
If that didn't get them moving, nothing would.