Draco: Okay, so, Tadakatsu having a Crystal and a legendary Link pisses me off. That doesn't mean I'm not going to get him the Crystal and the legendary Link if they're there. The problem is, getting the Crystal (in order to get the legendary Link) requires Tadakatsu to be in an army of at least 50 Warriors, including Ieyasu and Ina.

I can't do that in Ieyasu's story, because that's a gather-100-Pokémon story and with the current state of my Ransei I don't think I can have 50 Warriors and less than 100 Pokémon (I couldn't barely go through Motonari's story with only Warlords and not have 100 Pokémon). I can't do that in Tadakatsu's story, because that's in the junior Warlord competition and Ieyasu's not there, and I can't do it in Ina's story, because she's in the running for Ransei's Greatest Beauty so neither Ieyasu or Tadakatsu is there (plus I don't think there's enough kingdoms to host 50 Warriors anyways). That leaves the regular unity stories.

Which means I'm gonna have to deal with Gabite rallies during Nobunaga's ambition.

#ThisIsGonnaSuck

Pokémon and protagonist © Nintendo. Character designs © Koei. Ransei © somewhere in the middle.

Empty Chaos: Threat of Unity

"How can you ask me to calm down in this situation?" The power was leaking out of Evia's voice even as she spoke, anger and frustration giving way to fear and dread. "Dark Storms, caused by a wish upon crystal... How are we supposed to fight something like that?" She shook her head. "We might as well try and unite Ransei entire."

"What would that achieve?"

Naomasa's query washed a threatening silence across the gathered Warriors, all of whom turned to face him in absolute astonishment. Naotora was the only one who was more surprised by the others, asking, "What? What did he say?"

"You... don't know?" The dumbfounded expression on everyone's faces was reflected in Kanbei's stupefied voice.

"Don't know what?" Naomasa asked.

"You mean you've never heard the legend?" Hanbei asked. "About the unity of Ransei?"

"What legend?" Naotora asked. "What does that even mean? 'Unite' the region? How would you even go about that?"

Evia stepped back, fear in her eyes. "No... That's not... It can't... No!"

She turned away and fled, dashing into the Chaos; Espeon gave a concerned cry and chased after her, and Oichi and Wigglytuff were left struggling to keep up, calling out, "Evia!"

Espeon realized their disadvantage, keeping to a slow enough pace they they could follow her as she followed her Link towards her Warrior. When they found Evia, it was at a familiar cave - not deep enough for shadows cast to not obscure anything inside, unless they were cast from the mountains around them. The Auroran had one hand on the ridge of the cave to keep herself upright, and tears were flowing down her face; her breath was heavy, coming in short, desperate gasps.

Oichi glanced back to find the others had not followed them before she stepped up to her wife. "Evia...!"

"It doesn't exist." Evia's voice was a broken whisper - she lacked the strength to speak properly. "The legend - it doesn't exist, in this Ransei. This... it can't-!"

"Evia, calm down," Oichi pleaded, setting a hand on her shoulder. "That doesn't mean anything-"

"Yes it does!" Evia forced out, turning to face her. "The legendary Pokémon, the unity of Ransei - none of it exists, yet! Every myth comes from somewhere - every legend we know was borne of a legendary Pokémon that we know to exist, somewhere!" She shook her head. "What then, does it mean - if no one remembers the Dark Storms, and the entire region is fighting each other, by the time I become Warlord of Aurora?"

Oichi's eyes widened. "You mean...?"

Evia winced, nodding her head. "The legend of the creator, appearing to one who unites the region. The conflicts that shaped the people and Pokémon of Ransei. The abuse of Pokémon by desperate, apathetic Warriors who wanted to be that Warlord. Everything that drove Nobunaga to ambition, that turned him into the Sky Demon of Ransei...!"

Her right hand was held out before her. "...It comes from us. If we want to stop the Dark Storms, we have to call the Alpha."

Evia of Aurora.

She didn't hear the words in the air around her, a sound that could be heard by anyone near enough. She didn't see them, either, an image that manifested before her. Nor was it telepathy, no foreign thoughts that were delivered to her mind from one more powerful. For a brief instant, the words were simply there, permeating the reality around her - and then they were gone, despite that the message was permanently imprinted in her memory, and Evia screamed in terror.

Her body started to slack, and she barely heard Oichi call her name, moving to catch her; as she was slowly lowered to the ground, her right palm began to burn, and she pressed against it with her left hand, as though it were a wound and the force could stem the bleeding. "No, no, no," she gasped. "Please, no. Please, not again...!"

I will await you.
Come to what will become Aurora.
Come to the Shining Ruins.

When the last words vanished, the world seemed emptier for them; after a long moment, it became clear that no more would appear. Slowly, Evia found the strength to stay upright of her own power, but she didn't dare to move away from Oichi's embrace, terrified at what had happened.

"Did you...?" She could barely say the words as she moved to look at Oichi. "Tell me... you heard that..."

Oichi wore the same dread as she nodded. "...Kind of."

Evia gave a bitter chuckle. "It's not really hearing is it?" Her attempt at jest failed to lift either of their spirits, and her face fell. "Oichi..."

"I know," Oichi insisted. "I know."

"...I don't want to," Evia forced out. "I don't want it." She buried her face in her wife's shoulder. "I don't want that Link again. I don't want it..."

Oichi held her close. "But... you do want to stop this," she whispered. "You want to put an end to the Dark Storms."

Evia shook her head. "I..."

"I know," Oichi assured. "But that's who you are. You're scared. Scared that this time, you won't be able to come back from the brink. When that power ran through you, you went way too close. It still scares you. It scares me, I won't lie to you." She shook her head. "But I can't stop you. You can't stop yourself. If it's going to help Ransei... you're going to do it. No matter how much it scares you. That's who you are."

Her hug tightened, not wanting to release her.

"That's why I love you."

+x+x+x+

Hanbei, Kanbei, and Ina (and Nobuyuki to a lesser extent) had managed to bring Naomasa and Naotora up to speed by the time Evia and Oichi rejoined them - which left them very surprised when Evia announced they were going back to the Ruins."

"Just straight to the Ruins?" Naotora demanded. "We're not searching anywhere else?"

"No, we're not." Evia wished she could give her words the command that they had once held. "We have our answer."

"And do I want to know where you got your answer?" Naomasa asked.

Evia closed her eyes. "No," she admitted. "No, you don't."

Oichi spoke up. "The sooner we get there, the sooner the Dark Storms end. We need to go, now. As fast as our legs can carry us."

"Ah, about that," Hanbei insisted. "I don't think we need to depend on our legs, specifically."

"What?" Oichi was surprised at that. "What do you mean?"

The Ignisan gave a cocky smirk. "Those Zebstrika that were ferrying Hisahide around? Turns out they're not too sorry to be free of the Link. The cart's big enough to hold all of us, give or take a pair of wings." Togekiss seemed like she wasn't sure whether or not to take offense. "With so many passengers, they won't be going too much faster than us on foot, but a lightning chariot will save us the tire."

"Free of the Link?" Evia echoed.

Hanbei's grin vanished, and Kanbei coughed awkwardly. "Hisahide was at ground zero of Glalie's Dynamax," he reminded them. "With the Link backlash and the consequent rampage..."

Silence fell across the gathering again.

"...Lightning chariot it is," Evia replied. "If they're willing."

"They are," Kanbei confirmed.

Draco: ...I got the entire eastern half of Ransei by the end of May with six Warriors per kingdom, no rallies. Dammit, I was hoping to have Terrara and Illusio be the chokepoint where they kicked in and I only had to deal with Shingen and Kenshin post-boost. Now that other Warlords are going for conquest, I've gotta roll the dice and hope everyone gets the Warlords when they take kingdoms. Or that everyone just gets stopped from conquering everyone else, but I don't fancy my odds on that.

(horrible disregard of ominous endgame in favour of gameplay b/c i'm evil liek that)