To Where The Flowers Bloom
With no small amount of anxiety, you return to the Crystarium. Justifiably so, for haven't the people of the First suffered greatly in the past? Yet, as you emerge on the other side, there was no fire in the sky, nor any nightmarish beasts roaming the streets.
Everyone was safe. For now, at least. Good...
So I urge you to push your worries away and to keep your eyes straight ahead now. We are reaching the part of this journey where truths long forgotten would finally be unveiled, and where a promise was forged.
Excited laughter echoed through the Whispering Gallery and S'eni waved after the three children as they made their way to the Cabinet of Curiosities. Her smile grew a little as Riqi-Tio, the Mystel girl, turned around one last time to wave back, before slipping through the doors after friends. It was good to see the kids were still very much a spirited bunch.
When the doors closed behind them, S'eni dropped her hand back to her side with a sigh. She certainly hadn't expected to be answering questions or giving a little life advice when she left the Rising Stones this morning. If she didn't know any better, she would suspect Lyna had made her wait here specifically so she could run into some old acquaintances, but perish that thought...
And yet she couldn't shake that nagging little voice in the back of her mind telling her that Lyna was exactly the type of unfun, stick in the mud that take her attention away from—
"Invading my thoughts again, Your Majesty?" S'eni asked with a quirk of her eyebrow.
"Hmpf, now she notices me..." the voice said, changing mid-sentence from her own to that of a certain pixie. "Such fun she's having with the adoration of dusty bookworms and wide-eyed younglings, but does she spare a thought for me? Of course not! I waited and waited and waited, but she won't even so much as acknowledge the presence of her beautiful branch even though they're right here! Such a heartless thing our sapling is! Cold and cruel and heartless!"
Being called heartless not once, but twice? Yes, she really must have done it now. Better to try and smooth things over before she really had a diplomatic incident on her hands.
"Aww, you know I missed you, Feo Ul," she said, looking around to see if she could find the pixie fluttering about. "You're my loveliest of branches after all!"
With a pop right in front of her, Feo Ul appeared, glaring at her with their hands placed on both sides of their hips.
"If you truly missed me, you should have cried for me at the top of your lungs the instant you arrived!" They crossed their arms and turned away slightly. "I'll overlook it for now, but next time you best call me with twice as much passion. Of course, for there to be a next time, you've some struggles to overcome."
Turning back around, they let their small eyes come to rest upon hers, and smiled.
"So, my adorable sapling, the world is at last on the verge of destruction, is it?"
"You know?" S'eni asked in surprise.
"Of course I know. Joined as we are, spying on you is as simple as sliding down the back of a rainbow." She wanted to point out that wasn't a simple thing to do at all, but kept her mouth shut instead. "Ah, if only I could help you in your quest...but the fate of the Fae Folk is bound to that of the star. Wherever it goes, we follow. Such is our way."
She felt her face darken and, seeing that, Feo Ul's smile only grew. They fluttered close and placed a tiny hand on her cheek, gently stroking it with long nails. "The most I could do for you is spare you the pain, by gifting you the sweetest of eternal dreams..."
"You know that's not possible."
"Yes, and that is why you are my adorable, little sapling. You will fight to the end at the side of your fellow mortals. Ah, but here are the ones you were waiting for. I wonder what manner of conclusion awaits you at this tale's end...?"
And just as suddenly as they appeared, they were gone again. Turning her head, she saw Lyna and Ryne coming towards her. When their eyes met, the girl began to break into a sprint.
"S'eni!" Ryne called out and practically flung herself at S'eni in a hug. She returned it with a laugh. "It's so wonderful to see you again!"
"My, just look at you. Have you grown since the last time we met?" she asked.
"No." A giggle. "But it's nice of you to think so."
"My apologies for the delay," Lyna then said, making the two look at the Vii. "You two must have a lot to catch up on, so I shall leave you to it. I've taken the liberty of unlocking the Umbilicus, and you may enter at your leisure."
"Thank you, Lyna." The officer saluted, before turning around and returning to her duties.
With a smile, S'eni looked back down at Ryne. "How about we take a little walk?"
"Yes. Let's do that!"
Leaving the Whispering Gallery, they made their way up to the Baldaquin, sharing some idle talk about how everyone was doing. After they had made their way, they stopped at the spot where they had a great view of the Exedra. "I'm relieved to hear that everyone is doing well," Ryne said after S'eni was done, idly running her hand over the steel balustrade. "I've had this feeling, like a pit in my stomach, and I was afraid that something might have happened...Maybe I'm overthinking things, but...it's just that..."
"Just what?" she asked, stepping next to her.
"I'm the Oracle of Light, but I've never spoken with Hydaelyn. Never once heard Her call. Even so, I've always had this feeling deep inside me. A connection to something immense. These past few days, though, that connection has...wavered. As if that immense something was distant, then close, then distant again..." the girl explained. "Then the other night, I was jolted awake by the feeling of it being severed. Needing some fresh air, I opened the window...only to see the sky ablaze. Like during the star shower. But then I blinked, and everything was normal. The next day, no one said a thing. No one else had seen what I had seen. As far as I could tell, nothing was out of the ordinary. I began to wonder if it was a figment of a half-remembered dream..."
S'eni frowned and looked away. So she had a vision similar to her own that night in Sharlayan. And a feeling of being severed from Hydaelyn...that wasn't good...
"S'eni?" Ryne's voice pierced through her thoughts. "What aren't you telling me?"
For a brief moment, she considered just lying to her. But she also knew that Ryne was far too clever for that. No, she should treat her like a trusted comrade and friend, like she deserved. With a sigh, S'eni turned to look at her again, seeking out those blue eyes that were filled with worry.
"The Final Days that Emet-Selch showed us. They've begun on the Source."
"So it wasn't my imagination then...I can't believe it..."
"So far, the worst of it is focused on a relatively small area, but creatures are showing up everywhere, and...we don't know how long until it will spread to the reflections," she said, tapping her fingers against the surface of the balustrade. "It's actually why I'm here. We're hoping that Elidibus might know something more."
"So that's why you want to enter the Umbilicus. I see..." Ryne nodded to herself, then stepped forth to put her hand on top of S'eni's arm, offering her a small smile. "So far, all is well here. So don't worry about us, just look to the threat before you. We've learned to survive, and should the Final Days reach us here as well, I assure you we won't go quietly. No, we'll hold on until you can find a way to save all our worlds."
S'eni stared at Ryne, amazed how this young girl, who had seemed so unfathomably sad and burdened with responsibility, had grown into such a confident lady in her own right. Expression mirroring that of Ryne, she reached out and pulled her into another hug. "That's my girl," she whispered fondly and gently stroked her hair.
"You should go talk with Elidibus," Ryne said after they broke the hug after a brief moment. "I'll go seek Lyna and see if there's something we can do to prepare the people. So it's farewell for now, but we'll see each other again. I'm certain of it."
After saying goodbye, they both went their separate ways. Slowly making her way up the tower, she couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic about all the things that had happened in these halls before and after arriving on the First. The Ocular, too, immediately flooded her with memories of all the plans that they had made. Gods, what an adventure it had been...but enough travelling down memory lane, she had come here with a task.
Entering the Ocular to her right, she immediately walked over to the console at the far end of the chamber. It sprung to life with an electric hum but otherwise didn't do anything else. Only when she pulled out G'raha's empty spirit vessel, did a series of holographic screens pop up in the air, followed by a mechanical voice.
"Biometric authentication complete. Please state your business," the voice said.
"I'm looking for Elidibus."
"Acknowledged. Reinitializing Syrcus Tower systems. Searching for subject 'Elidibus'." As the machine searched for its wayward soul, S'eni took a moment to look around. Still just the same as the last time she had been here. She suspected that Lyna wished to preserve it the way G'raha had left it. A sudden sound made her look back towards the console. "Target located in subterranean core power accumulator. Projecting image."
A few seconds passed, until a voice from behind made her turn around. "I have dreamed...of beautiful, peaceful days..."
There, in the center of the room, stood Elidibus. Or rather, his image. His masked gaze was focusing on the ground, as if he didn't fully grasp what was happening, so she called out his name. That did the trick, and he raised his head to look at her.
"You? You awakened me? What could that possibly mean?" he asked.
"It's...quite a story."
"Tell me everything then. I can no longer sense things beyond this tower and feel no connection to Zodiark anymore."
And so she did just that, beginning from when Fandaniel first had made his plans known to bring an end to the star. From there, she told him how she had been forced to strike down Zodiark and how his resulting demise brought upon them the Final Days of old. She also shared some of their initial findings regarding the nature of this calamity. He listened intently, mostly nodding along and only occasionally asking a question, until he finally heard enough and raised his hand for her to stop.
"So it has happened at last. He has fallen, and the souls of my brethren have returned to the star..." Elidibus sighed. "It pains me to know that the doom we sacrificed so much to prevent has returned. But this is now your world, and it is on you to shoulder that burden. Nevertheless, if this was by Fandaniel's design then I, Elidibus, have a final task to fulfill. Thanks to your recent 'meddling', I have regained my memories of the Convocation of Fourteen. Memories I now wish to share with you."
The corners of her lips curled into a grateful smile. "Thank you."
"Stop that. I am merely doing my duty." The Ascian waved her off. "Now...where do I begin? What you discovered about the Final Days largely coincides with our own knowledge. The decay took root first where the celestial currents have grown weakest. It was Fandaniel who came to that conclusion. Not the Fandaniel you know, of course, but his ancient self that was bestowed the title at the time. After discovering the reasons behind the phenomenon, he threw himself body and soul into trying to stop it. If not for his knowledge of the celestial, we might have never made the connection and, thus, put a stop to it."
"Ironic that it's the one carrying his soul that would bring about the Final Days," S'eni said.
"That he of all people wished for the end...that is bitter indeed..."
"Another thing, Hydaelyn bestowed a flower to me. One that was called 'Elpis' according to the Watcher. Does that name tell you anything?"
"Elpis? Yes, I know that name." He nodded. "But it stands not just for a flower, but a place as well."
"A place..."
"It was a testing facility for determining which of our creations were fit to be released into the world. In fact, it was Fandaniel himself who was chief of Elpis before joining the Convocation and assuming his title. He called himself Hermes back then."
"Hermes..." she repeated. And he was the one in charge of the place sharing the name with the flower that was to be her guide? "That can't be a coincidence."
"Perhaps. But how this is all connected to the Final Days, I do not know. The crystals tell very little about the lives of the Fourteen prior to their induction. And Elpis itself was destroyed, not even ruins remain for you to—Ngh!" with a sudden gasp, Elidibus grabbed his head and began writhing in pain. Stepping forward, S'eni reached out to him, only to realize at the last second that she couldn't touch him. Nevertheless, the gesture made him look at her. "...You. I saw you there...Where is that memory coming from...? It should not be possible...and why is it filling my heart with..."
Just as suddenly as it had arrived, the pain seemed to vanish and he stood back up straight.
"Everything alright there?" she asked.
"Yes, my apologies. Much remains clouded yet, however, a possible course has been revealed to me," he said and locked his masked eyes onto hers. "You must go to Elpis. To the time when Hermes served as its chief."
"What!?" her eyes widened. "But...how!?"
"While glimpsing at the Exarch's memories, I learned not only did I master the way it summons people across the rift, but learned all of the tower's inner workings. And since you sealed me away within it, it now harbors an abundance of energy. That should be enough for me to deliver you to the past. To the right place, at that precise time..." he trailed off.
"But...?"
"But, given the eons that need to be traversed, the gateway will not be fully formed. Your form will be even less tangible than those of the Warriors of Light I had summoned. No one will be able to see nor hear you," he explained. "You will be able to observe your surroundings, but unable to effect any meaningful change. For the reality you wish to save—the reality you must return to—is the result of the Final Days. Nothing you will do will prevent the tragedies of the present, prevent the sorrow and suffering fated to come. Knowing that, will you still entrust your life to me and make the journey?"
Travel to the distant past, when the world was still unsundered...unable to change anything. But, there must have been a reason for Hydaelyn to lead her to Elpis. And if this was the only way to save their world then—
"Do it," she said. "Send me to the past."
"Then so be it. This shall be my final act as Elidibus." He nodded towards the console behind her. "I shall tell you what you need to do."
"Alright."
"First, you must reconfigure the tower's systems, so that the aether may be channeled for the spell..." following his instructions to the letter, S'eni let her fingers dance across the holographic displays, silently thanking Cid and G'raha for the lesson they had given her in the past. After she had entered the last command, all the displays began to glow a confirming blue. Good, that should do it. Turning around, she saw that Elidibus was gone, and when he spoke once again, it echoed from deep within the tower itself.
"The gateway should open soon. Return to the Ocular." With a nod, she did as she was told. As she entered the room, she noticed a faint glow coming from the gate. "The flow of aether is stable. Everything is as it should be. Go now. I will give the last mote of my essence to make sure the teleport is safe."
"Last mote of—you don't mean..."
"What? Did you not listen? I told you this would be my last act." Elidibus sounded almost a little amused. "Zodiark is gone. There is no reason for me to stay any longer. I will return home to those I love and long to see. And this time it will not be a mere dream..."
The gateway began to open, offering to her the path to the ancient past.
"Walk on, Warrior of Light...and never look back." His voice vanished.
S'eni closed her eyes with a deep sigh, offering a silent prayer for one that sacrificed his all for those he had cherished. May he find rest alongside his brethren. Once she was done, she slowly walked towards the portal.
And, without looking back, stepped through it.
Blinding white filled her vision, then she found herself falling. Falling in the rift between time and space, years, centuries, even millennia passing by her like the wind in her hair. It wasn't unlike the first time she had travelled to the First, only that instead of fragments of her own past, there was nothing but silence.
After a while, a bright light appeared in the distance, growing closer and closer with each passing second. She narrowed her eyes slightly and saw that it was a large crystalline shard like the countless others floating far in the distance. And she knew, without a doubt, that was leading to her destination.
As the light grew brighter, she raised her arm to shield her eyes...
...
...
...
...and then, found herself floating no more.
S'eni blinked a few times and found herself staring at a large crystal floating in the center of an equally large room. As she tore her eyes away from the sight, they involuntarily landed on her still slightly raised arm and paused. It was see-through. And so was the rest of her.
Guess that was what Elidibus meant, she thought to herself. She had very little time to fully process it though, as a shadow began looming over her. Out of sheer reflex, she jumped backwards and looked up to see what could have possibly cast it, only to see a very, very tall man wearing a mask walking past her, paying her absolutely no mind. Indeed, the room was actually filled by quite a few of these masked individuals, going about their business.
Yes, this was undoubtedly the unsundered world. Alright, and now that you're here...where to begin?
She first tried to get the attention of a nearby man, standing in front of this Aetheryte-like device in the center of the room, with obvious results. Same with the woman she tried to prod a little, but S'eni couldn't even feel the touch. She even tried hurling insults at someone, just to make absolutely sure, but no dice. Just like Elidibus had said, she was entirely intangible. In the end, she came to a stop in front of a set of doors she suspected would lead her outside, but how should even go about opening it if she couldn't interact with anything?
While she was mulling over some possible options, like waiting for someone to just open it, she didn't notice two individuals arriving. Neither did she notice the one she tried to talk to a few minutes ago approaching them. It was when an all too familiar voice began to speak that her ears perked up.
"...Is that really necessary? Surely you can tell who we are."
"No way..." she turned around, her eyes landing on the two men standing near the Aetheryte-like device. One of them had long, braided hair, slung lazily over his shoulder, while the other had hair as white as snow.
"That might be the case for you, but not necessarily me. Come now, let us not give our hosts a hard time," the man with braided hair said. to which the white haired man next to him let out a long suffering sigh, but still reached up to his face to remove the mask.
After doing so, he crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked away from his companion, offering a glimpse of his face to her. But that was more than enough. His hair might be different, but she would recognize that grouchy visage anywhere. This was definitely Emet-Selch.
She watched him turn slightly, his piercing yellow gaze moving about for a brief moment, before glancing in her direction. No, wait, glancing directly at her. Could he actually see her?
He turned away again towards his now unmasked companion and the receptionist. "Satisfied?" he asked in an annoyed tone.
"Thank you for your cooperation," the receptionist replied politely. "I wish you a pleasant day."
As the receptionist walked off to resume his duties, Emet-Selch and his companion made their way over to the door. S'eni stepped aside, not once taking her eyes off them. If the look he had given her was nothing but a coincidence, then she might as well use this chance to slip through the door while they opened it. But instead of doing that, the braided man came to an abrupt stop and glanced over his shoulder.
"You see it too, right?" he asked.
S'eni stared intently at Emet-Selch to gauge his reaction. For his part, it almost seemed like he didn't hear his friend's question. Until he very pointedly turned his head away from her.
"I haven't the foggiest what you're talking about," Emet-Selch shot back.
"Oh please, you can stop pretending," the braided man said and proceeded to kneel down in front of her. "Here. A bit thin in the aether, but there is no mistaking that color. It resembles that of Azem to the smallest detail. Do you suppose she might have created it? Though quite odd for a familiar to possess a soul..."
Emet-Selch briefly looked at her, his eyebrows furrowed in a way as if he just received the most horrible news in the world. "Don't ask me," he said. "But if she has something to do with it, it will only spell trouble. Doubly so if it's her spitting image. Let's leave it be. Come."
"What!? No!" S'eni exclaimed, waving her hands and even jumping in an almost comical manner just to keep their attention on her. "If you two can see me then please help me!"
"Look, it is trying to say something. But it is too weak to communicate," the braided man pointed out. "Quick, share something of your aether with it. You have more than enough anyway."
"Do I look like someone who makes a habit of saving stray familiars?" Emet-Selch scoffed.
"No." His friend smiled. "But you are not one to deny a dear friend a request. Especially if said dear friend has come all the way out here with you."
Another, even more suffering sigh escaped him and she could swear he was muttering something under his breath while he was turning to face her.
"Close your eyes. Or you might get sick." She did as she was told. The sound of fingers snapping followed soon after, accompanied by a feeling of warmth rushing through her body. "You can open them again."
Opening her eyes, she was surprised to not only see that she was tangible again, but also quite a few sizes taller. Tall enough to actually properly talk with the two men in front of her.
"Oh, you even adjusted its size," the jovial man said.
"That should make it easier to indulge your whim." Emet-Selch shrugged. "And to communicate."
"My, how kind of you. And may I applaud you on your artful reinforcement?" After earning himself an eye roll, the man shifted his attention back to S'eni. "Well then...Greetings! I am Hythlodaeus, chief of the Bureau of the Architect. And this sulking fellow next to me is—"
"Emet-Selch, of the Convocation of the Fourteen," she blurted out.
Hythlodaeus blinked. "Yes, indeed. Quite informed, are you not? But that also answers the question if you can understand us. So what is your name, my new friend?"
"S'eni..." she said, looking between the two men. "I'm called S'eni."
"My, that is a fine sounding name. Would you tell us where you come from? You clearly were not created here."
"I..." she averted her eyes, unable to respond. If she told them she was from a far flung future where their world was no more, they would probably think she was crazy and render her intangible again. No, this was far too important for her to risk it like that. But what could she tell them...?
"Do you not know...or can you not say? Wait, let me ask differently. What are you doing here?"
That was far easier to answer. "I seek to learn more about Elpis and a man named Hermes."
"Really? The same as us then." A look of surprise crossed Hythlodaeus' features and he turned his head towards Emet-Selch. "Perhaps Azem wished to come along, but had to settle for a familiar."
"If she truly wished to be here, then she would be," was all Emet-Selch had to say to that.
"You are probably right about that. Ah, apologies, we are being quite rude. You see, the two of us can discern the color of souls and yours looks remarkably like that of a friend." A scoff passed between Emet-Selch's lips which was promptly ignored by Hythlodaeus. "And with your purpose matching ours, we jumped to hasty conclusions. We are here to speak with Hermes, the chief overseer of this facility, which we also intend to tour to gain further insight into his work. Well in all actuality, it is Emet-Selch's task to do so. I am just accompanying him because my work has led me to this place multiple times in the past. Say, why don't you come with us? You look a little lost."
"You want to take it along for official business?" Emet-Selch immediately asked. "We don't even know what that is!"
"If you really believe that she could cause damage, then that is all the more reason to take her along instead of leaving her to her own devices." Offering his friend a charming smile, Hythlodaeus moved to open the doors. "Besides, I find it quite fitting to explore this place alongside a mysterious lifeform."
Emet-Selch just did a resigning shrug and made to follow when Hythlodaeus walked out. Taking that as her permission, S'eni too stepped through the doorway and was immediately taken aback at the sight that was offered to her. Stretched out before her, as far as the eye could see, were a series of floating islands, each one filled with lush greenery that made it look more like a place where one would go to relax than a facility. Looking up, she could see the faint twinkle of stars even though it was clearly still daytime. Just how high up were they...?
"Welcome, my friends," she heard Hythlodaeus say. "To the testing ground of creation at heaven's edge: Elpis."
[Back to the Future theme intensifies]