(BGM: Before the Fall: Final Fantasy XIV – Answers - Reprise)
It was a strange…droning sound, his consciousness returned to. Not annoying…well he imagined it could be annoying for some. But it wasn't a static sound. It shifted and changed, like…singing off in the distance that was muffled not only by space but something blocking it.
Maybe it was like that because of the throbbing headache he had. Or maybe because of the strange 'pillow' he found himself laying on.
He pushed himself to recover his mental and physical faculties as quickly as possible, remembering the last time he found himself 'waking up' in a strange location.
"You're awake then."
It was a higher pitched voice. Not shrill, not squeaky. Young sounding. As his eyes opened, he saw, first, his surroundings. It was…what seemed to be a broken room. Four walls made of wood, a similarly wooden floor, paintings and artist's equipment scattered about – a smock hanging over a stool, a covered easel in the corner, next to a small table with various chalks and paints laying on it – but the ceiling was missing.
Instead was…a night sky. With strange shimmering…clouds of changing color. Not the type of cloud you'd see in the sky, but the cosmic 'cloud' like one would see in images of space. It was…beautiful.
It was then, that he noticed his companion, or rather, his 'pillow'. It was the lap of a young girl. Perhaps maybe around Melody's age.
He blinked, before moving to rise.
Only to be stopped by the girl's hand on his chest.
"Don't. you don't need to. You're fine where you are…and you could use the rest."
"…I-
"Shh." She shushed him. "Rest. You've done enough. Not that you think it."
He frowned at her, but she just giggled. The girl, skin incredibly pale, almost with a faint blue tinge to it, strange vein-like protrusions around what little of her neck was visible, patches on the backs of her hands that were…rough looking, almost like scales…and…
Was that a tail he felt gently thumping against his leg?
The girl herself, scraggly brow locks, just pat his head. She was dressed in a similar robe as Frelia, the Last Fire Keeper – but if she wore the same kind of body-humping dress he couldn't tell, considering the robe literally dwarfed this girl – her small hands barely poking out of the sleeves.
They were on a rug. A soft, almost furry, warm rug. And his head was firmly lay at the center of her thighs.
"…why."
She smiled gently at him. "Not 'who', he asks. But 'why'. Hmph. Why indeed." She shook her head.
"Because we're connected now, you and I." the girl continued. "So I know your feelings. I know your words, and your thoughts."
Something in those words…hurt. A hurt of hurts of hurts. The girl's smile turned sad, as if she knew the reason. Not that she would elaborate upon it. But know it, she did.
"You were right. You are a failure."
He should have been mad. But he wasn't. He couldn't be. His sight left hers, but she nudged his head and forced him to look at her again.
"But not for the reason you think. You failed to erase Lothric, because you failed to erase Lordran."
His face scrunched up. She giggled in response. He looked so goofy like that!
"Dafuq you on about?" The first full sentence! Wonder of wonders he could speak! Smile on her face, she shook her head.
"You were right. Lordran…Lothric…Drangleic. They're all Dead Worlds. But your failure came, not in having Lothric devoured, no, for that I thank you. No your failure came in that you left survivors."
He blinked, confused. She simply sighed, smile still never leaving her face.
"Silly. If it was just you, an outsider, acknowledging the existence and End of Lordran, the other time periods wouldn't have been able to gestate into being. Their reflections of the original world would have crumbled and their reflection-cores silenced. You did the task fully…but not correctly."
His mind was racing, eyes darting all around as he cast his memory from place to place, trying to figure out what she meant…and then she listed names.
"Sif. Sieglinde. The siblings of Izalith. Anastasia, the Fire Keeper. Rhea of Thorolund."
His eyes widened as his eyebrows shot up. She nodded in response. "You're getting it now."
"Wait…they-
"Because they survived their world's end, in a similar manner to your Gods-
"They acted as Observers for the tale of Lordran…and therefore all of its time!"
The smile grew. "Exactly. You failed, only because in the middle of performing your needed atrocity, you saved as many as you could."
"I-
"Shh." She knew where he was going, so she silenced him.
"It is…entirely possible that the other worlds you devoured could have produced Keys. Unlikely, but possible. The only direct reason that Lothric did…that Idid-"
His eyes bulged. Her smile twisted into a smirk.
"Was because they had long since accepted you as their God. They who Observed the existence of their home, resonated with the God that had saved them, and your knowledge of the other reflections, allowed them, to come into being. Because of that, Lothric's Key, my, Key; exists in an incomplete state. Mine, was a dying world. Mine, is always, a dying world. None of my worlds, will live the way others will. The way others can. Yet still I hold a Key."
She shook her head. "But the Key is as much of Me, as it is of You." She stroked his cheek.
"So take responsibility, Father."
"…I'm sorry."
"I know." The smile returned. But it was different. It was…
"don't-
"I'll love you as much as I damn well please, Father."
He flinched. She snorted.
"You tried to take an atrocity and salvage something good from it, and in doing so, in indulging your wish to try to do the right thing even when doing something morally wrong, made the rest of My worlds exist. My core is broken and dying and always would have been even without you. You. Saved. Me. Understand? You gave Me a chance to forge a Key. A Key that otherwise never would have existed. You brought about a proper end to the cycling tales of the Dark Soul. They, Lordran's remaining survivors, acknowledged you as the one who brought an end to the Cycle."
Painful as it was to hear…it clarified some things for him.
"…is that…why they took the form of the Covenants?"
She nodded. "Exactly so. They were born of the connections you made to specific inhabitants of the world, the ones that the cycle of the Ashen One, the Chosen Undead, would meet with. Had you never re-appeared on Lothric, or at least Drangleic, My Key never would have been forged. You are the one that they said, ended the Cycles. Permanently."
"…by devouring the whole world itself…an out of context entity bringing an end to the temporal loop."
"Yes." She nodded, fiercely. "The tale, as it would be written in the stars: 'an external force would observe the events of the World, and after the final foe is felled, Consume it, ending the Eternal Cycle once and for all.'"
"…rewriting the whole story so in the end, one, True Ending could be reached…that unified every previous timeline as the idea of a single World, struggling to survive long enough to be given a gentle death…" he whispered.
Now the smile turned sad again, as the girl, the World Core, nodded.
"…why did it feel…"
"Incomplete? Because you're missing the part of me that is Drangleic."
He shuddered. The smile gained a bit more mirth.
"Your 'Soul Memory' trick wouldn't even need to be applied, really. You're far denser than a measly One Million Souls, Father."
"Fuckin' spiderville…" he grumbled
The girl giggled then sighed.
"You still don't fully get it…and it will be a little longer before you do."
He blinked, confused. But she shook her head.
"You will understand soon. But-
She was cut off…by a growing, strange sound.
And a brightening green glow.
"Out of time…" she sighed. Shaking her head again she pushed forward.
"Listen. When you find Drangleic doesn't matter, just that you do. Complete its story. How doesn't matter, just someone must sit the Throne. And when that happens, you may consume the World."
"I-
"No, you must. It's the only way to complete me, to make my Key fully forged. To…properly, remember me."
It was…
In his time, on his Earth, before the Keyblade came and Death was a suggestion instead of a definite…humanity, his people, our people, often wondered if the dead or dying had final requests. If there was something the Living could do, to properly honor their memory. Often times, the end of another, was used as a rallying point, or a method of control.
Few people gave voice to their wishes post-demise, even as many constructed what was known as a 'Last Will and Testament'. But even those tended to be mere instructions as to how to distribute the remaining material goods that were left in limbo with their owner's demise.
Few people ever gave express instructions as to how they wished to be 'honored'.
With Lothric's World Core, speaking those words…he was compelled to comply.
Even if it was asking him once more to genocide a whole people.
"You aren't. not really. Those people will be lost otherwise. Much like those who threw themselves at your Oblivion back on Olympus-
The shock returned to his face, she nodded sadly.
"They would be content knowing that their suffering meant something in the end. Just…"
"Save Shanalotte?"
"Please."
He nodded. "Gladly."
The sound grew louder…as did the shine.
Swiftly, the girl leaned down, and kissed his forehead.
"Thank you, Father."
The sound…it sounded like…a scream? …not fear but…annoyance?
The light began overtaking everything in his sight.
"…thank you…for keeping my children safe…"
And he knew no more.
…until a soft voice broke the noise.
"Ashen One…hearest thou, my voice, still?"
Kingdom Hearts Re: Order
Interlude 2: Scream of the Sea
Two days.
With nobody knowing what had happened.
Two days.
Since the detonation of Dark had occurred in the Grand Hall.
Two days ago.
The ones who had summoned the Dark, the ones who had answered its soundless call, had all fallen unconscious, except Aki. And since then, they were guarded.
By the Dark.
It had been two days passing, before any of them woke. And when they did, it was slow. It was to questions and confusion. But for those two days, a series of Invisibles and Neo-Shadows, had guarded the group that had come from Lordran.
And Melody.
Akira had abandoned her post at the top of the stairs, in front of the portal that had once led to the World's Heart. Instead, she sat, for all two days, with Melody's head in her lap, Keyblade displayed and next to her. The other Survivors had been given pillows and blankets, carried in by Neo-Shadows, draped over them by Invisibles, guarded by the Dark that was Aki's to command.
She answered no questions until they woke. She brokered no arguments. Not that there were many. But for those two days, even Sif had been asleep. Asleep…almost like the dead.
But after those two days…they finally awoke. They finally rose. And they all had the same answer:
"A voice…calling out."
It was Quelaan and Anastasia that had heard it first. It was a voice, that was two. It was calling for help, not to be saved, but to be helped to save others. A voice calling for assistance for the sake of another. A voice that spoke directly to the hearts of the Fire Keepers, spoke to the humanity churning within them.
For Aki, it was his voice. It had gotten louder…but it too was backed by the voice the Keepers heard. Young, almost female, but distant and weak. Frail and halting, a voice at the edge of a long, slow death.
It was Melody that had heard nothing. But she felt something. Something that pushed at her. A need. A drive. A demand that she take up arms and add her concept to the others'. Aki had acknowledged this. Claiming that for some reason, while she still could not hear him properly, nor see Him, The Dark was responding to his calls. And as well, for a still unknown reason, The Dark had reached out for Melody as well.
"It…felt like being at the edge of a cliff. A broken bridge ahead of me. My home burning on the other side.
It felt like I could do something about it. Help someone, save someone, maybe put out the fires…
But I had to jump. I had to jump and have Faith I would make it. It felt like the screams we heard when Skeith destroyed our home.
It felt like pain. Like sadness. Like impotent rage. Hatred, of myself, that I was too weak…too worthless.
All I knew…was that I wanted that feeling to die."
A dying, sputtering, pain-filled voice, calling for help. One that was backed by His. A wish, a dream, a desire not to save the self, but another.
At least one, other.
The voice was quickly theorized to have been a World Core. But to what World?
It would be Olette that posed a theory.
"Umm…didn't he make a Ring for me? Like…before he put me in the Cauldron. One to keep the major visible effects of the Rift Scar from being there. Didn't he…mention two places the Ring came from?"
The Untrue Dark Ring. Forged originally in a place called Drangleic, renamed specifically in Lothric.
Two names of two kingdoms, ones that the Lordran survivors didn't know of…but three beings present, Did.
"Darling has already spoken of your origins as media characters. The ones involved in that strange ritual, come from the first…well, technically the second game, in the Souls Series. Prior to the Original Earth's end, there were Four games in total: Demons' Souls, and then three Dark Souls Games, titled one, two and three respectively. Demons' Souls, was the original, and has no tie to the other three save the name 'souls'.
Dark Souls Two, takes place in Drangleic, while Dark Souls Three, takes place in Lothric."
But the problem that Silmeria posit, was that Selh'teus had Lycoris consume Lordran. The core was devoured, and with Drangleic and Lothric being part of an extended Timeline of Lordran, with Lordran being the base, neither of those two other worlds should have existed.
"Maybe it's like what happened at the end of my first run. Maybe cause Lyco is…well, crystal, maybe something went wrong with Infinitia's systems or something, and some of the worlds she ate are coming back?"
But Sora's theory was refute by Naminé, who had a direct if lesser status, tie to the Core of Infinitia. If such a thing were to have happened, Lycoris would have to have been destroyed. Seth himself would have to be dead as well. On top of which, someone would have had to breech Infinitia's systems to attempt a purge which even if they did, wouldn't restore the worlds consumed.
The following days had theories being thought up, from logical, to wildly impossible; discussed and dismissed. The truth of the matter, was that they would not know what happened, unless Selh'teus returned.
A subject matter, that would always have Melody…for some reason…twitching.
It wasn't until the fifth day, after the Dark Descent as it was being called (for archival report purposes), that she finally…
Snapped.
"I'm sorry."
"For what, Ashen One?"
It was…a strange place. Pitch black. Save for the two of them, being illuminated by an unusual glow. They were the only two beings in this space, walking on a ground that was not a ground, along a forward that was not a forward.
They could see each other, and nothing else. There was no sound, save for the swish of her robes, the rustle of his pantlegs…and their two voices.
"All of this."
"Oh, dearest Ashen One. This was going to happen regardless." She reminded him, softly.
"I know. …I know…I just…"
…dam…en…
He cut off, blinking.
"…did you…did you hear that?"
"Hear…what?"
…end…it…
He looked around, confused. "That." He pointed out. "That…sound."
Her head turned to him fully. "I didn't hear anything, Ashen One."
"Seriously? I-
…uti…butt!...
His head jerked back as he understood one word from the strange, distant garbling noise.
"Oh!" she suddenly exclaimed. "I believe I-
…COME! HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOME!
"THAT'S IT!"
The sudden yell caused the whole of the hall to stop. Melody, a furious glare on her face, had stomped forward, towards the staircase leading to the gateway Aki had once been standing before.
"I'VE HAD IT! ENOUGH IS GODDAMN ENOUGH!"
"Melody-
"YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE HERE! WITH US! WITH ME! YOU PROMISED!"
Ariel was cut off by her daughter continuing what was…clearly an emotional rant yelled at the top of her lungs. Thus…promptly, the redhead shut her mouth, blinking rapidly.
"AKI'S BEEN WAITING! WE'VE BEEN WAITING! YOU WENT OFF AND FOUGHT GAEA ALONE AND FINE WHATEVER BUT YOU NEVER CAME BACK AND YOUR PLACE IS HERE!"
The various Gods that had come, from Olympus, from Valhalla, even the two surviving ones from the Original Earth, all blinked as one. As they…tasted something.
The girl's body was rigid, muscles tensed. Fists clenched hard enough that were her nails not so recently trimmed she would be drawing blood. Arms and legs shaking, vibrating even, as she screamed her will to the world around her.
"YOUR TOWER IS SHUT DOWN! YOUR DAUGHTER IS CRYSTAL! EVERYTHING THAT DEPENDS ON YOU IS FUCKED AND WE CAN'T CHANGE A DAMN THING WITHOUT YOU!"
…she was…glowing. A strange…hue. A writhing mixture of entangled black, pale green and a disturbingly beautiful deep blue.
"WE NEED YOU! I NEED YOU! SO GET OFF THAT BIG, BEAUTIFUL BUTT OF YOURS AND COME!"
Which then flared.
"HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"
Into the floating, shimmering form of her world's Keyblade, the Mysterious Abyss.
Which then, vanished in a wave of glittering ice-blue lights, shaped like layered rings.
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"
ACCESS
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"
CRYSTARIUM SERVER ACCESS
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"
EMERGENCY TRANSPORT OVERRIDE "RIVER OF TWILIGHT" ENGAGED
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"
CALCULATING NAVIGATION ROUTE VIA PROXY SERVER
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"
NAVIGATION COMPLETE
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOME!"
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