Are you ready for some good old fashioned suffering?
We Fall Pt. 1
And so the last Lightwarden was struck down...
Light.
Beautiful, bright white light. The very being of the Lightwardens.
Just a few seconds ago, this had been Vauthry, or Innocence, desperately pleading with her to help him. Now this was all that remained.
S'eni closed her eyes and took a deep breath...
...and the Light began to flow into her. It became one with her, its warmth spreading throughout her body, no, her very being. Like soft, caressing hands gliding across her soul, caressing it softly with sharp razor-like claws that were just waiting to plunge deep inside.
When she opened her eyes again, she found herself back in that majestic shrine together with her friends. A heavy silence hung in the air.
Then it happened.
"Look! The sky!" Alphinaud called out.
As they turned their gazes up to the Light, they watched it disperse in a matter of seconds, revealing that beautiful, sheer endless ocean of stars. It was over...
She smiled. But it was swiftly replaced by a grimace as the telltale throbbing pain just beneath her forehead cast her mind into the past.
A man and a woman stood inside the Offer. He was agitated while she was looking at him with the concerned expression of a caring wife.
"Fools! If not for my decisive decision, the city would have been overrun! Razed to the ground!" he complained to her. "Yet they dare to complain about casualties? Spare me! I'll wager they were put up to it by those wretches who seek to usurp me. They're stirring up the citizenry. But if they think I will yield to the likes of them, they are gravely mistaken!"
"To be subjected to such deplorable treatment...such ingratitude!" the man and woman whirled around towards a figure dressed in black robes. "You have my sympathies, sir. You do so much good for this city, and you could do so much more, were you not surrounded by fools..."
"Who are you!?" the man demanded. "You're not supposed to be in here!"
She knew that voice. Emet-Selch.
"My apologies for the intrusion." The Ascian bowed. "But I have come bearing a proposal. One that will ensure the longevity of your reign. Give me your word and I shall bring you a Lightwarden. By giving its power to the child within your lady wife's womb, we shall create a transcendent being─a king to rule over all. And as sire to the king, your authority will never again be in question."
The scene shifted, with the man laughing merrily while his wife was holding a small bundle of joy in her arms, softly smiling.
And in one corner of the large room, a large Sin Eater, lying there like a pet.
"Haha! Amazing! Before my Vauthry, they behave as docile pets! With this gift, my line shall be guaranteed power for perpetuity! We shall rule the whole world!"
"By all means, sir," Emet-Selch said. "United under Eulmore's banner, men will cease fighting and abandon their ambitions. Thus they will grow fat and complacent, and in their sloth seal your supremacy..."
The vision began to fade away...
...and she awoke to pure, unadulterated agony.
A cry escaped her and she stumbled around, nearly toppling to the ground as the fire burning from deep within her returned with the fury of a thousand suns, ripping and tearing at her, trying to escape. To break free once more!
With a vision that was growing white, she somehow managed to look at her friends.
"Are you alright!?" she could Alisaie ask through the fog of pain.
S'eni's eyes landed on Y'shtola, practically shouting at Urianger, who only lowered his head. Her lips parted, and she began to scream.
A blur of white searing hell followed, drowning out everything else. She faintly could hear her friends shouting, but couldn't make out the words as the Light was slowly overtaking her senses.
She fell to the ground.
"The combined power of every Lightwarden is too much of a burden for one soul to bear," a voice cut through the fog of pain and she raised her head to see the robed figure of the Crystal Exarch appear in front of her. The corners of his lips rose together with the staff in his hand. "And so I shall relieve you of it."
Pointing his staff towards her, a ring of magic formed around them and the Light began to flow towards him. Almost instantly, the pain began to subside, if only enough for her to notice the world around her once more.
"What are you doing!?" Alisaie demanded.
"I—" a wave of Light made him struggle for a moment. "I shall direct the Light's power into the Crystal Tower and travel to another world. I have dreamed of this moment ever since I learned of the existence of other worlds. Who would choose to remain in a dying realm? I certainly won't. And so I have used you."
"No...No, I don't believe you! It doesn't make any sense!" Ryne cried out.
"I won't let you do this!" Y'shtola began to cast a spell, but Urianger held out his hand in front of her, stopping her.
"Do not interfere!" he shouted. "Please! I beseech you all! Let him go!"
Her lover's eyes widened and she lowered her staff. "...You knew of this, Urianger. But what he says is impossible. This sort of teleportation stands no chance of success. The Exarch will never live to see another world—and he knows it."
"Then...what does he mean to do?"
"He means to take the Light with him into the rift...where he will die. From the very beginning, he intended to sacrifice himself to save her and Norvrandt," Y'shtola explained.
"And so the hero is robbed of her prize by an opportunistic thief," the Exarch said, focusing his gaze on S'eni. "A paltry way to end this chapter, I admit. But your tale will continue, what role I have had to play will scarcely matter."
No… Gritting her teeth, she raised a shaking arm and held her hand out towards him.
"Don't worry about a nameless Crystal Exarch. I'm content in the knowledge that I fulfilled my dream."
He raised his staff further, intensifying the spell and causing the hood that had obscured his face to blow off, revealing to her those crimson eyes she had last seen the day the Crystal Tower had been sealed.
And with whatever strength she managed to muster, she called out, "G'raha!"
A startled look crossed his features, before turning into a bittersweet smile.
"Thank you, for believing in me and for fighting for this world," he said. "Farewell, my friend. My inspiration."
He closed his eyes, preparing the final step of his spell—
A gunshot rang through the air.
—his staff clattered to the ground, shortly followed by him collapsing in front of her. Standing in the back was Emet-Selch, holding a still-smoking gun in his hand.
"Only those who possess the Royal Eye of the Allagan imperial line are capable of controlling the Crystal Tower. Such individuals do not exist on the First. Therefore it was obvious that the Exarch arrived here with the tower. But what it was he was planning eluded me," the Ascian said as he walked over to G'raha Tia. "To think he went through all this trouble to save a single hero. It's so absurd that it's almost admirable. Alas, it's not your plan that unfolds, but ours."
"You bastard!" Thancred grabbed his Gunblade.
"Ah ah ah." Emet-Selch pointed his gun at the unconscious G'raha Tia. "Your friend is still alive, but whether he remains so depends on you."
He turned his attention towards her. "I'm truly disappointed in you. I thought you would be strong enough for the Light, but now look at you. Halfway to becoming a monster."
"You…" S'eni gasped out. "You created Vauthry!"
He sighed and shrugged. "I'm an Ascian. My goal is to usher in the Great Rejoining. One hundred years ago, I entrusted my comrade Loghrif with the task of increasing Light's sway. He sought to do so by manipulating heroes. When that failed to achieve the desired result, I created Vauthry. But thanks to your meddling, that too ended in failure."
"What did you really want from us?" Alphinaud asked.
"Is that still not clear? Everything I told you was the entire truth. It was a test, to gauge man's potential. I was genuinely interested in you and even considered making you my allies. Provided she could contain and control the Light. If not then she, and by extension, you, would be of no use to me."
"So we've been found wanting. How disheartening," Thancred spat. "But even if we had fulfilled your conditions, there was no guarantee we would cooperate. What then?"
"Then I would have simply killed you all and freed the Light," Emet-Selch replied. "At the very least it would restore the world to the way it was before you went about trouncing Lightwardens. Suffice to say it would have been very inconvenient if it had all been taken away and I would be lying if I said he didn't have me worried there."
"I won't—argh!" she coughed, spitting a white, glowing liquid on the ground. Oh gods, just like with Tesleen.
Emet-Selch looked at her for a moment, then walked over and knelt in front of her. "Hm, you still retain your form and your senses...but you have all but become a Sin Eater. Whether you want to or not, your mere existence will engulf the world in Light. Those in your company will likewise turn into Sin Eaters, and in time you will succumb to your base instincts and hunt and feast on their sweet, sweet aether."
S'eni shook her head. No, she wouldn't, couldn't!
"Those few with the will left to fight will rise up against you. But before your absolute might, they will quickly know despair. 'There is no hope! We are finished! Mankind is finished!' I can already hear them." he smirked. "Ahhh, the irony. What Vauthry achieved through bliss, you will achieve through despair. But...I have overstayed my welcome. Good luck in destroying the world, hero."
The Ascian snapped his finger, causing G'raha Tia to vanish.
"No, Exarch!" Alphinaud called.
"I'll take him as a small token for all my troubles. I didn't expect that I could learn something from man, but I may yet do so from all the knowledge he hoarded for his precious hero," he said and began to float high into the air. He glanced down at S'eni. "I pity you, I really do. Your friends are now your foes. If you don't kill them, they will kill you. When it becomes too much to bear, seek me out in the dark depths of the Tempest. There, you may complete your descent into madness with some dignity."
She crumbled to the ground, gaze landing on her friends.
"I hope you will enjoy your meal...Eater," Emet-Selch gloated as the light faded from her eyes.
Steps echoed towards her and the last thing her mind faintly registered before plunging into darkness, was Y'shtola's voice as she called out, "Eni!"
…
…
…
As the darkness over her mind began to wane, she found herself lying on her bed, staring up at the familiar brick ceiling of her room inside the Pendants.
She was back in the Crystarium?
Slowly sitting up, she looked around until she found the ghostly form of Ardbert standing by the window. He must have noticed her as well, as he promptly turned towards her.
"Ah, you're finally awake," he said.
"Ardbert...ugh." she grimaced at the sudden headache and shook her head. "What...happened after I lost consciousness?"
"After you collapsed, Emet-Selch vanished. Ryne did all she could to keep the raging Light contained. She managed to stop you from turning into a Sin Eater, but..." Ardbert lowered his gaze.
"But what, Ardbert?" S'eni asked, rising to her feet and walking over to him. His eyes found hers.
He nodded towards the window. "Look for yourself."
Closing the little distance that remained, she reached out towards the window, her hand stopping as she was about to grab the handle. She knew that she wasn't going to like it, but she needed to see it still.
She opened the window, and found herself looking at the Light covered sky.
Gods...
"Kholusia, Rak'tika, Amh Araeng, Il Mheg...all of Norvrandt is covered in Light once more. And it's because of you and the power of the Lightwardens you have absorbed."
"I figured as much..." she released a shaky breath, turning around.
"No one but your friends know," he told her. "When they carried you down from the mountain, they told everyone waiting below that they didn't understand why the Light had returned. And now they're traveling all over Norvrandt to calm the people's fears and to find a way to save you."
As he told her that, S'eni looked at her hand and was met with a bright glare emitting from it that made her startle back.
Was this...how Y'shtola had seen her all this time?
And now she was out there trying to fix this? Was there even a chance to do so?
It was Ardbert's voice that pulled her out of her thoughts. "If you feel strong enough, go out and get some fresh air. It's better than stewing in here. Go, it'll do you good."
Part of her wanted to tell him off, to just return to bed and pretend this wasn't happening. But it was, and she couldn't hide from it.
"Alright." She exhaled with a nod and began to leave.
Arriving downstairs, the first person she encountered was the manager of the pendants, who almost dropped the package he was holding when he saw her.
"Oh, you're awake!" he said, placing the object in his hand on the shelf behind him. "You were injured during the foray on Mt. Gulg, yes? I was here at my station when they carried you in on a makeshift stretcher, looking disturbingly pale. And to compound my worry, the sky has...well, I'm sure you've seen."
"I did…" she replied, averting her eyes. How would he react if he knew that it was all because of her?
"It has everyone rather concerned to say the least. Seeing you up and about is the first good news we've had in a while. Assuming you feel strong enough, would you perhaps take a stroll around the city to reassure our anxious citizens?"
She flexed her palms a few times, biting the inside of her cheek. "Sure. Why not?"
As she walked, she encountered many of the people who she had met in her time in the Crystarium. Bragi, who had helped take her up to her chambers and had apparently visited her often while she was out. Chessamile, who told her in that grandmotherly tone of hers how worried everyone had been about her. Moren, who was burying his nose into every tome he could find in hopes that they might pose a solution to what was happening. And Katliss, who together with the rest of the manufacturers were trying to come up with something that would help them defend the Crystarium and the rest of Norvrandt should the Sin Eaters attack.
Everyone was doing their best and not giving up despite what was happening.
And now, standing on top of the tower near the rookery, S'eni found herself wondering if there was even something she could do now.
"The people of this city have spirit, I'll give them that. They've not lost the will to fight." Looking over her shoulder, she saw Ardbert standing there. "I can imagine how torn you must feel, looking at that sky. Knowing what it means to everyone...and that you're responsible."
"They're good people. They deserve to know."
"If you're thinking of coming clean, don't. It might make you feel better, but it would make things a hundred times worse for them. It's best if they don't know."
He walked up to her, coming to a stop next to her.
"You're in a corner, and there doesn't seem to be an obvious way out," Ardbert said. "...But that doesn't mean it's over. No matter how hopeless it seems, you haven't lost yet."
S'eni didn't reply and instead looked up at the sky once again.
"I remember looking up at the sky like this before and being caught up in a strange kind of calm. It was after we realized we were responsible for the Flood. When we resolved to journey to the Source by taking our own lives," he told her. One last sacrifice, one last fight...one last failure. And then the Oracle appeared and...well. You know the rest. There were times in the years and decades that followed when I wondered if we might not have been better off just letting the Rejoining happen. That we'd made one last mistake..."
"Ardbert..." she said.
Turning towards her, he smiled. "But seeing that giant Talos stir to life cured me of any doubts I still had. We always took the burden of fighting upon ourselves. That's what heroes do, isn't it?"
Despite herself, S'eni felt the corners of her lips tug upward. "Yeah...that's what they do."
"Because of that we never had the chance to see anything like that. Our people, coming together as one. To think that their hope still burned so bright... " He looked up at the sky. "...That they were still so eager to live, they would lift up their fellows, one on top of the other, till they reached the sky. No, we made the right decision. And I can finally feel proud of the part we played in helping this world survive."
"I'm sure your friends feel the same."
"Hm. I think so too."
They remained like this for a moment, looking up at the sky with a comfortable silence hanging between them, when S'eni noticed Ardbert move from out of the corner of her eyes and turned to see him hold out his fist towards her.
"Well, come on." He nodded towards it. "Don't leave me hanging here."
With a small chuckle and a shake of her head, S'eni raised her arm and bumped her fist against his. Almost as soon as they had touched, the same bright light from when he had almost touched began emanating between them. What in the—!?
"As I thought. What happened between us was no coincidence. My story may be over, but fate has given me a minor role in yours. I suspected as much the moment I realized you could hear and see me, but it's hard not to doubt yourself when you're the one who caused the Flood...But no longer. The path I once walked is now yours to finish." Ardbert pulled his hand away, causing the light to dissipate again. "For what it's worth, I cast my lot with you. That way I might still be able to do some good. If you need a push, I'll be right there behind you; if you lose control, I'll do my best to stop you."
Eyes growing misty, S'eni looked away for a brief moment before returning them to Ardbert again, her voice just shy above a whisper. "Thank you."
He nodded. "So, let's be about then, hero."