How does a Goddess rule over so many souls without ever meeting them? What kind of way is that to run a religion? "Hello, I'm your God. Do everything I say, and, oh yeah, for all your service when you die you still won't have a confirmation of your faith. 'K-Thanks-Bye." Yeah. Obviously one of the reasons I did not stick with my God after death. Not that He'd recall me if I stopped by again anyway.

But I paint an unfair image of Cosmos. She is unusual, even amongst The Gods, yet not unlike me. As I have said, the words engraved on the Gates to Nebula Sacris, the Sacred Realm where The Gods meet, where the Choir of Elohim, Highest Choir in Heaven, of Gods Who are the Gods of Gods, read: "A Trillion Stars a God." What that essentially means is that, in all of Eternity, in all it's distant planes and regions, every God or Goddess may have his or her own domain, and since Eternity goes on, quite literally, forever, Gods who wed need never worry about their realm being smaller than others.

Cosmos is unusual, then, because in all of Eternity, she has not a single star. She has no home, no permanent place of rest. Her closest relationship, aside from with The Sire, is with Lord Chaos, and interestingly, despite their continued vows of eternal war, I do wonder whether there are some feelings born of propinquity or not. Alone with each other forever, not but mere men between them, I cannot say that Cosmos and Chaos do not feel more than simply hate for each other. In fact, were I a God, I would dare to claim they loved one another just as much as they hate each other, for neither will ever part from the other.

Ah, but I am straying from the task again. This next realm is odd, in that it's God has long since left it. The poor world is continuously bothered by The Cloud of Darkness, a sort of Goddess or Seraphim from The Void, that realm betwixt Heaven, Hell, and Life. But the world's God has long since been away. In his place he has left a man called Noah to guide the world. Noah was apparently a great Sage in his life, but when he died, he quickly was promoted to the Choir of Seraphim.

The letter The Messenger brings us is from Noah the Seraph, and we, members of lower Choirs, cannot contest the legitimacy of it. So long as Lady Cosmos has no problem with this letter, Seraph Noah will be the Acting God of these people.

Letter from Noah the Seraph to The Scholar, Official Selector for the Lady Cosmos:

Cid.

I do not recognize titles. You may run from your world forever, Cid. Do so all you like. You cannot escape who you are. You cannot ask a God to repent of a sin he did not commit. Do not challenge Cosmos, Cid. You forget your place. Recall that The Prodigal challenged The Sire, and was cast into hell. Gerun challenged Faram and was cast out. Ultima challenged Gerun and was in turn cast out as well.

Angels who challenge their Gods fail. Cosmos is your Goddess so long as you Minister for her. Remember that. She can reach her hand forth, strip you over your wings, turn your halo from the light of stars to a wreath of flaming iron, and thrust you so far into Hell that you fall even beyond the flames and into that Outer Darkness known as the Void, reserved for the worst of Sinners.

I offer you only the following: Luneth, Arc, Refia, and Ingus. Four children who stood against The Cloud of Darkness, a woman from The Void. These four required aid from my pupils, but their hearts triumphed over a woman who made my own God worried sick.

Don't hurt yourself Cid. Heaven needs you. You think ill of your job, and you claim there is no meaning in the Wars of Gods, but I must disagree. Life is profoundly effected by what these people you choose for Cosmos will do. History is on the line, Cid. Maybe it doesn't matter to all of Heaven, but for these people you choose? This is their life on the line. Don't screw that up, Cid.

-Noah.

I am the Scholar.

I have long since abandoned the name "Cid." Cid was not a man I want to be associated with. He was weak and stupid. He spent his life slaving away, and his actions eventually came to naught. He believed in a God who did not believe in him. That Cid died, and when he did, his flesh set me free, and now I am out to live the life I wasted when I actually lived. Cid is dead.

And The Scholar lives.

That said, I am pleased with the four candidates Noah has sent us. The dockets aren't particularly thick, which is good, but the four come with a great credit to their record: The driving back of a Goddess from The Void. The Void, a realm which The Gods confine the greatest of Sinners to, a realm which contains only Angels who have sinned such sins against their Gods that no man can name them. To drive back a being from the Void with naught but a push from others- that is a true accomplishment.

This is going to be an interesting slot to fill. With the Warrior of Light we sought to make a leader, a hero for even heroes to rally around, and I believe we have that. He is humble, and not too bright, but not incompetent. With Firion we needed a man who could fill the Warrior's shoes. We found such a man- a ferocious warrior who was not content to kill his foe, but only laid down his sword when his enemy's soul was broken.

Now we need a man to take orders and follow them. He must be a leader, of course, but we really need a man who knows how to take orders and execute them. The previous two selections are excellent men at leading others, at inspiring, at following through, but we need a man who will give orders and take them. Too many super stars and the team loses synergy.

The Chronicler has picked up Refia's. The Wanderer has taken Luneth's. The Engineer has picked up Ingus, which leaves me with the young man called Arc, from a little town called Ur, raised by a man named Topapa . .

Name: Arc.
Sex: Male
Age: 15
Species: Hume.

Arc is not living up to the hype I just gave him. According to this, the young man, despite being larger and older than other children in town, was frequently beaten up by the other children. That's not a good start. Especially given that this kid was supposed to have gone toe-to-toe with some seriously messed up things. Namely a man who couldn't get over the fact that he was going to die and a woman who really just doesn't like things that exist.

Ah, well, I guess he does improve. According to the docket, Arc did quite an amount of growing up on that adventure. He grew in physical and magical might by a great deal before his show-down with Xande and the Cloud of Darkness. When he eventually became an Onion Knight, the highest rank in his world, Arc was a force worth fearing. In fact, an entire nation owes it's freedom to his will. Ah, but there's our keyword again.

Arc was a man of determination and will. Yet he was also an individual desperately seeking to BE an individual. As such, I cannot believe it likely that he would take orders consistently. Sure, he would at first, but Arc might eventually snap under a constant stream of orders. Ah, but I'll save that for later.

Arc may have been romantically involved with the only female Onion Knight, Refia, but it's hard to say. Evidence of such is scant. Then again, evidence on the whole is scant. What is the deal with Gods and not keeping detailed records of some people's lives? I understand these people aren't dead yet, but still.

In any case, I am going to put Arc to the others, but his scores will have to be held off on for a tad while longer. I need a minute to think. I don't believe we'll be picking this individual, but I am rather wanting for a moment's rest.

Team Work: 4/10. Arc was friends with his fellow Onion Knights, but he knew them fairly well, and none of them pushed him too hard. If the Warrior of Light does not push Arc too hard, Firion most certainly would. Who knows what other men we'll choose who might push him over the edge? Arc was a good person, I don't doubt, and a team player, but he'd be outside of his comfort zone receiving a steady stream of commands and then suddenly having to give them.

Lethality: 4/10. A powerful young man, no doubt, an established warrior in his own world, Arc was still very young, and was never called upon to kill normal people. Though the Cloud of Darkness is far from a normal person, what would the poor lad do confronting, say, Jecht or Sephiroth? How would he handle that? True, his memories of this conflict can be redacted, but I cannot believe that he would like standing against people who looked like, well, normal human beings. Sure, those two aren't normal, but they could easily pass for simple people on his world. I don't think Arc could kill another human being unless pressed too hard, and if he was pressed that hard, well, I don't know that he'd bother to care who he was killing.

Faith: 4/10. Arc comes from a world with a lousy God. Yes, he'd fight for the Lady Cosmos, but happily? No. Of his companions, Arc was the brightest. It would not take him very long to put together enough of this war's puzzle to realize he was being used, and once he knew that, it's doubtful he would feel compelled to fight the Cloud of Darkness and her comrades. And I cannot blame him. Let's also consider that part of his last quest involved destroying the Dark Crystals. Armed with the truth, Arc could become a threat quickly.

Opposition: 4/10. The Onion Knights were somewhat destined to challenge the Dark Cloud from the beginning. She having already been rebuffed by the Dark Warriors ages before. Beyond this, his reasons for striking her down were actually fairly selfish. Yes, he had friends and family he wanted to protect, but Arc was incredibly interested in himself. In growing as a person. He's already beaten the Cloud of Darkness once, and knows he is her better. To that end, what need would he feel to fight her again? She might challenge the validity of his history, but unlike the Lady, Arc would not give the Cloud the satisfaction of a fight.

Unfortunately, that's not a good thing.

I have passed Arc along. I have heard a little bit of discussion thus far. Apparently, the young man named Luneth is very impressive. I withhold my judgment until I actually read his docket. I have let this team hype champions before, and on occasion Gods have suffered defeats because of it. I do not wish for this to happen now. Whatever happens, I intend for Cosmos' histories to be upheld. I will go out on a perfect record, nothing else is acceptable.

Name: Refia
Sex: Female
Age: 16
Species: Hume

Refia is the only female Onion Knight. An attractive young lady, Refia would have been the most popular girl in her hometown, had her personality not been so fiery. For the daughter of a black-smith, Refia was an exceptionally cleanly person, though she was hardly bothered by grime and grit. Her knowledge of weaponry made her a valuable asset to the team, saving them precious gil along their journey.

I would, of course, like to pause to ask this question: what kind of planet knowingly charges it's heroes money?

Along the way, Refia met a young Ancient named Desch. Desch was in love with a girl in a nearby town. Refia, learning that Desch had abandoned this girl, came down on him harshly. That was the type of person she was. If someone was trying to do something stupid or wrong, Refia let them know it. She was unafraid and unashamed to denounce the failings of others around her. She wasn't proud, she just didn't believe that "I'm only human" was a good excuse for failure. Failure was failure, and when you failed, you didn't coddle yourself by claiming humanity, you vowed to get it next time.

Is it any wonder then that, despite having her body broken upon the hands of a woman whom even the Gods seldom duel, she rose to her feet and fought back? This is, of course, only the side of Refia the warrior. There are, as some know, always at least three sides to any woman: The warrior, the lover, and the mother. Refia the lover was not exactly developed yet, she still being so young.

But Refia the mother, archaic and sexist as the term might be, was present on this journey. Refia cared deeply for her comrades, and was sensitive to their tempers, insensitive as she acted at times. She was moved profoundly by the sacrifices of Doga and Unei, and was most loved of the Onion Knights by the Moogles.

Team Work: 5/10. Refia could be a bit off-putting. She got along well with those she liked, but when she deemed someone unlikable, that person had a hard time getting along with her. Sadly, I do not expect that Refia would be able to get along with every champion we choose. She might like the Warrior, and she might even like Firion. But there are harder souls yet to sift, and I do not think such persons would escape her scrutiny.

Lethality: 4/10. Much like Arc, Refia did not ever have to slay another person, especially not one who was or seemed morally grey. If she were to be cornered by Kuja and his maddening turns of phrase, she might not have the strength of heart to strike him down. Undoubtedly, when confronted with the insanity of, say, Kefka, Refia would just write him off as a fool, draw the line between good and evil, and know where to stand.

But anyone who knows Kefka knows he is evil. People like Golbez and Kuja are a little harder to draw black and white on. Refia might be good at drawing those lines, but she is not good at killing people. Monsters like Kefka are one thing, but people, that's another.

Faith:8/10. Refia lives in a world that is simpler than grey. She despises such terms, and as such, would serve Cosmos fairly well, even if she knew what was going on. Cosmos is good, and Chaos is bad. For her, that would be it. This is one situation in which she would do well.

Opposition: 4/10. Refia has naught but destiny and her family and friends making her enemies with the Cloud of Darkness. She obviously would not stand by and let Cloud end her home, but at the same time, she could only be pushed so far to stop her. Which is saying something, since this girl was beaten by the Cloud, got up, and stopped her. Refia is not a quitter, but there's only so much drive and reason to want to win this fight.

I've been handed the "Golden Boy." Luneth. The rest of the team seems rather pleased with this boy. I shall, of course, see about that. I hope to agree with them, because otherwise I will have to reason heavily against this Luneth. Not that I am worried. I have never been forced to select a champion I did not want. I do not expect this time shall be any different.

Name: Luneth
Sex: Male
Age: 17
Species: Hume

Well, I cannot say I'm impressed. Luneth was the Onion Knight leader, a young man who lead his fellows to victory over the Cloud of Darkness. He was, according to the docket, attracted to the Water Maiden Aria, though her premature death ended any and all hope of this relationship a long time before it could bloom.

Beyond that, there is little that truly separates Luneth from the pack. He was impetuous, mischievous, and a tad bit foolhardy. A good person, but lacking in any real experience prior to his quest. What's worse is that this young man did not take orders with ease. He gave them on occasion, but that really wasn't Luneth's leadership style. A sort of unspoken bond amongst his team allowed them to play to their strengths without a great deal of directing, though the others turned to him because he brought out the best in them.

That's all well and good, but this young man does not really fit the bill we want. I am not at all certain I see why the team favors him so much. He appears to simply be another youth who would suffer great pain when asked to kill another human being. I see nothing about this young man which really separates him from the previous two Onion Knights, save that, according to the docket, Luneth is a very brave person, willing to jump into battle to defend the people he loves.

Good for him, I suppose. For the Lady Cosmos? He's alright, but hardly the most astounding individual she could hope to recruit.

Team Work: 5/10- Luneth was a cocky young man, and while he may have grown since, his passionate way of doing business put him at odds with his team mates on several occasions. Especially, the docket claims, the young man named Ingus. However, Luneth's teammates, including Ingus, spoke highly of him after their journey's end. He was described as bringing out the best in others, courageous, and a wellspring of hope. Could such hope balance out his trouble-making ways?

Lethality: 5/10- Luneth, like his companions, was never called upon to kill another human being. Especially not one who was grey in goal. However, despite this, he also did not show much sympathy at the passing of the man known as Goldor (a man gifted with a Crystal of Gold, a rare thing, even amongst Crystals), and he DID stand against Xande and the Cloud of Darkness.

Faith: 6/10- Luneth is not likely to discover the truth of this war on his own, but if guided, there could be consequences. However, such a catastrophe can be averted by reminding him that his friends' lives are on the line. Not much, really, especially since such a fact is listed for Refia and Arc, but with Luneth the point is underscored. Friendship comes before self here. To that end, Luneth would fight for Cosmos even if he did not want to.

Opposition: 6/10- Of all the Onion Knights thus far, Luneth's drive to fight the Cloud of Darkness has been the greatest. Raised on legends of her last attack by Topapa, Luneth believed her only a thing of Nightmares. When finding such horrors so close to reality, the young man was left with but on choice: to take and defeat that which he had been raised his entire life to fight: Nightmares.

The team eagerly awaits my approval. I can see they have all stopped reading to see my reaction to this Luneth character. I hate to disappoint them, but my simply tossing the docket along the table is more than enough to let them know I don't like the kid. Well, no, that's not entirely fair. Luneth beats Refia and Arc, but he's still not very impressive.

The Engineer slams a fist on the table. "You must be kidding!" he roars. "The lad is perfect fer us! Do ye jes hate for the sake o' hatin', or do ye honestly have some kin' o' reason fer this?"

I smile softly. I've been asked the question before. Do I hate for the sake of hating? Possibly. Being a misanthropic angel is hardly something my family is proud of me for, but then, I haven't even seen my son or his children in a long time. Perhaps when this is done, I shall try and reconnect. I doubt it, though. The press from this Report will likely leave them loving me less than before.

"The kid's generic," I answer.

The Wanderer raises his brow. "This one? Are you kidding? Maybe you should read the docket again."

"No," I said, "He's generic. At least Arc was smart and Refia was witchy. What's Luneth got? He fights for his friends? That nets him no sympathy from me."

The team groans a collective groan. They turn and simply stare at me. "What?" I ask. "Hand me the last docket. Maybe Ingus will be promising."

"No." The Chronicler says. "You need to reread Luneth's docket."

"No I don't. We discussed this. We need someone who takes orders as well as he gives them. Luneth is a trouble maker and foolhardy. He fits the bill poorly."

"Luneth is the best choice," The Messenger says, breaking his usual silence. "Ingus works less well than Luneth."

"Then why won't you show me Ingus' docket?"

"Because, ye'll like him more than ye'll like Ingus."

"Then we'll go with Ingus."

"No, we shall go with Luneth. He is the better choice."

"I don't understand. I never like worse choices more."

A collective glare from the group disagrees powerfully with me. They exchange glances, then turn back to me again. The Chronicler speaks for them this time. "Luneth was the Onion Knight's leader. Ingus was not. We're meant to pick leaders, aren't we? Ingus was not the leader, Luneth was. End of story, right?"

"No. Some groups won't have clear leaders. We're picking the best of the best, not the group leaders. Unless Cosmos suddenly doesn't want to win this war?"

"Since when do you care? Luneth is best."

"Then hand me Ingus and prove it. Let me read his docket. Then I promise we can discuss this till Chaos' horns fall off."

The group frowns, yet they agree that, on the condition I accept to really listen to their argument, they'll hand over the docket. Exasperated, I agree. They hand me the docket and I crack it open.

Name: Ingus
Sex: Male
Age:18
Species: Hume

I must say, my team knows me well. I can see why they'd say I like this kid. Ingus was a soldier from birth, or near enough to it. From childhood he was raised as a member of the royal guard, trained, not like some, for killing, but for defending the lives of others. As such he was absolutely used to receiving orders, and more to the point, giving them as well. What's more, his drive for independence was absolutely crushed flat.

The docket also makes mention of a Princess Sarah. And if these bits are true, that makes Ingus the perfect candidate for us. According to this, Sarah and Ingus were romantically involved. Their feelings, though reciprocated, could never be realized, as Sarah was betrothed to the only prince in all the lands. An attempt to unify their kingdoms, to raise an empire which would rule over the whole continent.

Yet Sarah did not love this foreign prince she had never met. She barely knew his name. What she did know was that she loved Ingus, the young lad who labored every day for her, whom she had had assigned to her personal detail, and though he could never say he loved her, she knew that he did.

Which means that, even if Ingus were to discover the truth about Cosmos and Chaos, he would not care. He would fight to uphold the history in which his beloved lived long before he even stomached the thought of a history written by Chaos and the Cloud of Darkness. He would not even try to change history for himself, to allow himself to be the prince of that other nation, for when he returned home, Ingus was a hero. And heroes are loved of the people, while Empires are not.

The score for Ingus is as follows:

Team Work: 5/10. Ingus was the perfect foil for Luneth. While Luneth was an extrovert, foolhardy, and allowed his emotions to get the best of him, Ingus was an introvert, calculating, never letting his emotions slip too far out of his grasp. He acknowledged Luneth as the leader, which I find odd, since the docket claims Ingus was much more fit for leading, but at the same time, Ingus did grow angry with Luneth on occasion, and when he did, it cost the team.

Lethality: 6/10. Ingus was raised to defend, rather than to kill, yet he was easily the most battle ready of all the Onion Knights. Though there was but one other kingdom on the Floating Continent, there were all manner of brigands against whom the Sasune Knights had to stand. He alone, of all the Onion Knights, is prepared to kill other human beings simply because he has been commanded to do so.

Faith: 6/10. Ingus can be forced to fight for the Lady Cosmos if the need be. How freely he would fight for her if he knew is irrelevant as well, since he would fight instead for his Princess.

Opposition: 5/10. Ingus, despite being more apt to slay other people, is less a foe for the Cloud of Darkness than Luneth, but only barely so. Luneth had been raised to fear such a nightmare all his life, yet also to fear nothing. That helped him along. Ingus, on the other hand, had been raised to forfeit his life, and would likely continue to throw himself against the Cloud at whatever cost until one of the two broke.

The debate is not, it so happens, going quite my way. Ingus fits the bill perfectly, yet the team continues to assert that this Luneth character is in some imaginary way superior. They try my patience. If The Messenger had not long ago sided with them, I would have ordered him to take my decision to The Lady.

"Would one of you just spit it out already? What, by the fires of Heaven, makes this boy so much better?"

"Ye really canne see it?"

"No!" I say, losing my temper and slamming my fist on the table. "If I could see it, would I argue so continuously against it?"

The team exchanges a glance, confirming that I would. I, in return, furrow my brows. I will win this, I always do. Their resistance keeps my logic sharp, and that is why I keep them with me. Who, I wonder, will take over when I leave? Will it be The Wanderer, with his idiosyncrasies and bizarre mannerisms? Will it be The Engineer, his great beard brustling furiously as the team turns against his views? Will it be The Chronicler, his long, sad face making the calls which decide fates and histories? Or perhaps The Messenger, his dark eyes prying open the mysteries of men's souls?

"Luneth brought out the best in his comrades. Isn't that enough?"

"No. We've got The Warrior of Light for that."

"What of this, then: Luneth is the only Onion Knight capable of confronting Chaos himself and standing a chance."

"What!? Where do you come up with this stuff? Luneth never had to kill anything other than a monster on his entire quest!"

"No, that's not so at all. Doga and Unei fell before Luneth, and so did the Cloud of Darkness."

"Those were team efforts."

"Ye Gods in Heaven! 'Tis like talkin' to a wall!"

"Luneth took tactical advice from Ingus, who was trained for combat, yes. But Luneth was the team's leader for a reason. He brought out the best in them-"

"Gods indeed. How many more times must you say that pathetic line before you all realize I don't care? It's "The Gift of the Goddess" all over again! One line does not justify a warrior's right to fight in this manner of conflict!"

"Luneth could play his team's strengths. But he could also act on his own. He wasn't the most strategic person on the team, but he worked well both alone and in a group. He was far more versatile than Ingus, Arc, or Refia, and on the journey he learned to take orders as well as give them."

I put my face in my hands and groan. I'm beginning to see their points. "Fine." I say, caving, "Fine. But I have a condition . . ."

The team stares at me like I have lost my mind (as if such a thing were possible in Heaven). Again they glance amongst themselves. I wish they wouldn't. Why can't they wait to deride me until we're done? Sometimes I don't appreciate their honesty to such degrees. Seriously.

"You've got to be kidding." The Chronicler says.

"No. That's my term."

"But that's insane!"

"It's not insane, it's underhanded."

"In case ye fergoat, we're angels. Angels don' do underhanded."

"Cosmos does underhanded."

"Cosmos is a Goddess. She gets to define where under and over are."

"She shouldn't."

"She does, though. What should not be and what are are two different things."

"Well this term is what is, or Luneth is only a should be."

The Wanderer glares. "You just can't accept defeat. You only want this as some kind of personal victory. Accept it, Scholar. You lost. Luneth will represent Cosmos from his world and fight the Cloud of Darkness."

"Yes, yes he will. But only if he is disguised."

"What is the point of this disguise! She's the Cloud of Darkness. He's naked in her empty eyes either way!"

"No, he's not. Cloud is a being from the Void. She's fallen farther than the would-be-Gods of Hell. Omnipotence and Omniscience are reserved only for they who do not Fall. They who do are nothing short of Seraphim with dynamite. We can and will fool her."

"Why this boy alone?"

"Cloud is not quite like the others. She's not even like Garland. Garland at least has Chaos' will to guide him. Cloud, on the other hand, is a black hole. She's an icy wild-fire. She wants only to destroy. Chaos has offered her that. Cloud is much, much worse than the others Garland has picked. Even people like Kefka, who held Godhood, and Jecht, who held a world in terror, are dwarfed by Cloud."

"Ah," The Wanderer says, "I believe I see where this is going."

The Chronicler turns to him. "What? This is ridiculous. She's essentially a Goddess. Her eyes will pierce any disguise we craft."

"But her eyes cannot pierce armor crafted by The Lady. If Cosmos shielded the face of Luneth behind The Scholar's amalgamation of all the Onion Knights, the Cloud of Darkness would not be able to tell which one he was."

"Then it's settled. Luneth will go, but he will go disguised as all his company, to fool the mind of a Goddess."

"You are a shrewd man, Scholar, to fight a Goddess so far! With you no is yes and yes is no, and the faces of men are fused together. But you are no shaman. You were hired to pick heroes, not make them. Keep that in mind."

"I endeavor only to offer dead children to the mouth of Lady Cosmos, that they might receive her breath of fire and uphold the facts of their lives."

"Enough with these fancy words," The Wanderer, known for his fancy words, declares, "We are angels, speaking one to another. Nobody here is praying to a God. We needn't observe formality."

"True," I say, "But what's a little fancy talk amongst Would-Be-Gods?"

"Careful now," chimes in The Messenger as he prepares to take our findings to Cosmos, "You're starting to sound like an Occuria."