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peacekeeper-xiv · 4 years

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The Second Shard

Ikara had spent the night arguing, and then making up with Beta, but the next morning she was determined to contact as many people as she could think of that Lloire might want to fight. First at the top of the list was Helene. She just hoped the linkpearl frequency was still the same. Testing it out a bit she called over the pearl, "Helene, its Ikara... you there?"

There was silence on her hand for a few beats before the line came through crystal clear. In the distance came the heavy rumble of a giant waterfall along with the usual sound of her armor shifting against itself. "Ikara! Long time no see, yeah?"

Ikara breathed a sigh of relief that the linkpearl connected and was beaming on the other end, "Hey! I'm glad you didn't change linkpearls. It’s been too long! How are you?"

Steels slid into the sheath at her side and she let out a long exhale. "Ahh, ya know. Keepin' busy! Wouldn't change lines unless I lost it, yeah? Gotta keep up with people." She could hear Helene dusting off her gloves together. "Oh! Got married. That uh, yeah sorry I didn't invite ya. Was kinda sudden. But hey! You sound like you are doing well, yeah?"

Ikara blinked at the news and squealed happily on the other end of the line, "Oh my goodness!! I am so happy for you! I mean... you should have invited me... but Uh.. I have kind of been out in the burn for moons anyways, so it’s not like you could have reached me. Man... I really want to catch up, but you know how things go. I've got some good news and bad news, and I'm guessing you want the bad first."

Chance had been looking over the ledgers with the quartermaster and growling over some of the expenses when he looked over his shoulder as Helene went from a smile to her more serious expression. Work almost never made her wear that look, so he could safely bet it was something more personal. A heavy sigh left the wolf but he'd let her finish her call before pressing for details. Besides, there was still plenty he needed to work out on the books.

Helene Ashton had pressed her hand against her ear as if it would help make the call as crystal clear as possible. "Figured ya had some reason aside from catching up. Hit me with it. You need help? You okay?" Her footing shifted into a balanced stance out of habit.

Ikara laughed a little, "One of these days I am going to call just to shoot the shit... but really I always feel bad doing that. With the way folks I know are, they are likely to be in the middle of a battlefield." She sighed a little and considered, "Well, on the plus side I have good and bad news. Good news is me, I'm actually excellent, but we'll get to that. I don't even really know how to easily explain the bad. Its magey bullshit that Niisan... I mean Lloire, Lion... well shit... no wonder... too many names, Anyways, Lloire did some dumbass magic crap to himself. He is... okay, ish. It’s like his aether is a big old mirror and he put his fist through it, and now he has a bunch of different personalities and is intent on fighting all his friends to prove to himself they can protect themselves or some bullshit. So, he will likely try to find you and pick a fight with you with one of his... now many facets. I already fought one of them. They are entirely made up of his aether, but it didn't seem to physically hurt his real body when I kicked his aether butt."

Chance frowned. If her words weren't enough to put him on edge, her sudden statuesque nature certainly was. A low growl left his throat, rumbling enough to put the quartermaster on edge.

Helene Ashton had fallen silent and let her statuesque form scream for her. A deep breath was pulled, and she looked down to the ground. “Okay…ish?” Her lips pressed together, tensing her muscles through her neck. “Aye, aye I see. You’re okay though, yeah? He didn’t hurt ya too bad, did he? I’ll sock him one extra If he did. He would want me to.”

Ikara waited on the other end for Helene to say -something-, and when she finally did Ikara breathed a little easier. Helene was so used to weird shit from the Order, she just needed the important stuff to know how to win. "He is okay, I think. Its, like he only has a certain amount of control over it. I mean, looking at his aether is disturbing, and I offered to try to fix it, but I mean, I'm not sure I could have. I'm fine, promise! I won! I mean, I almost didn't, Niisan is a pain in the ass when it comes to his magical talents and now I have to figure out what the hell that last spell he used was, but no, I'm fine. I realized at the end of the fight that his .. facet is made of Aether.. and well, that is my specialty... manipulating aether.. so I just kinda... disrupted the whole facet. I may have had my eyebrows singed off though, but thats okay... they'll grow back."

Chance spun around at her last words looking furious. He wasn't fool enough to react without the full story, but this had begun to sound domestic and if Lloire had put his hands on Velestine, there was going to be blood.

Helene Ashton heard him shift behind her and she cast her bright emerald hues over her shoulder to him. It wasn't going to help the fire, she was 'Shield' more than 'Hells' in that moment. if protective had a facial expression, she was the poster child of it. Helene Ashton then muttered a bunch of incoherent colorful commentary low enough that only a word or two could be made out. Stubborn and Fool, respectively and clearly not meant for her Wolf.

The quartermaster had tried to regain Chance's attention, but with the look Helene wore, there was little chance of that. He simply growled a dismissal and the man gave a hurried salute before beating a hasty exit.

Helene Ashton noted the poor quartermaster and couldn't help her smirk. She continued the conversation, though. "Glad you are okay. Eyebrows or not, I’m bettin' you're still cute so don't worry about it, yeah? Said you didn't hurt him, right? Nothin' you did had any affect?"

The merc was now both angry and confused. He paced slowly back and forth, waiting for an explanation.

Ikara huffed a laugh, "Like I said, they'll grow back." Thinking on how to explain it she finally settled on an answer, "Well, the real Lloire, like his physical body collapsed. This ... second Lloire, appeared. It was entirely made of aether, but a physical thing. Like, if I cast spells at it, it bled, I burned its arm off. But the damage I did to the facet didn't appear on the real Lloire. I'm not a hundred percent sure what killing it would do to his main aether to be honest, but he claims that it should actual mend what’s wrong. Though, again, I don't know. I basically disrupted it and reshaped it into a staff instead so he could always still have access to that part of himself, without taking the risk of breaking it. I don't know how it would go in a physical fight to be honest. I know you -can- win, and you -can- hurt it, but these facets are how he sees those parts of himself, so they are a hard fight."

Helene Ashton cast her features up to the heavens and let out a hard exhale. "Aye, well, I can't shape aether or even cast any of it so I am gonna have to do it the old fashioned way an' hope. Thanks for the heads up, Ikara. You call Vele--no, wait, it's Lion. He wouldn't give ya that info. I'll call his girlfriend and give her a heads up, yeah?"

Chance was even more confused now, but his hackles went down ever so slightly. Her words about doing it the old fashioned way seemed to annoy him more though.

Ikara perked up a bit, "Oh! I did headbutt it in the face and crack his nose, so physical hits work. I um.. he mentioned this new girlfriend of his. I told him he didn't need to fight folks, he needed a therapist, he said he tried that and ended up dating her and that he'd introduce me later, but yea if you can get a hold of her all the better, cause I don't know how."

Helene Ashton then laughed. "Oh, aye, he is dating his therapist alright. Wait 'till ya meet this one, Ikara. He has tried so hard to run from her. Anyroad, once this is done, we should have dinner at Lion's place an' you can meet her and my Husband, yeah? He owes us after this."

Her 'Husband' huffed as the conversation seemed to derail and stopped pacing. Whatever the news was, obviously Helene didn't see it as terribly threatening.

Ikara laughed and had a big grin that could be heard in her tone, "That sounds like a really good plan. We'll make him cook for all of us as contrition for being a dummy and I can meet people. Just, I wanted to warn you cause I don't think he will go with a surprise attack, but I didn't want you to be unprepared. Also, tell your new Husband that I am asking very nicely for him to please not kill my big brother for being a dumbass. I would really appreciate it. I imagine anyone that you marry would be perfectly willing to put him in the ground for hurting you, so yea.. speaking of... so that good news.. something good to leave off on anyways, Beta proposed annnnd after I stared at him like he had grown a second head, I said yes. Sooo eventually I'll get to invite you to -my- wedding. Not anytime soon though. We aren't in a hurry."

Helene Ashton still was holding her balanced stance and tightened frame but given her armor, that wasn't showcased as easily. Her tone was still 'forced' in a way he may pick up on. Helene Ashton then turned some to look at Chance. Now he could see that it was on purpose. "Ayyy!!! 'Bout time!! Congrats girly, I will be there front row and center for your big day. We will talk more on that and get back to easy conversations soon, yeah? I should talk to Wolf before he pounces on me here. He's givin' me the look of death since this is one sided convo, yeah? Thanks for the warning, though. I'll update ya if he shows."

Chance was unsure who she was speaking with and took the tone at face value at first. He rose a brow as she continued though and shook his head at her 'look of death comment' but held his tongue since it was clear the conversation was wrapping up now.

Ikara giggled across the line, "Oh yea, I didn't realize he was there, oops! I should have. Yea we will catch up soon. Kick my brother's ass yea, but don't go killing him or he can't cook us all dinner. Go and I'll talk to you soon."

Helene Ashton gave a curt nod. "Aye, aye. Miss ya, kid. See you soon."

"Miss you too. See you."

With that, she took her hand down from the pearl and twitched her nose enough to shift her wrinkles about on her cheeks. “Oi..”

The merc crossed his arms, his expression not changing one ilm. "So... who needs to die, and who are we congratulating on something?"

Helene Ashton cleared her throat. “Ikara is Lloire’s little sister in the fact he ‘adopted’ her into his care. She’s the one that called. She’s marrying his ‘son’ Beta. So, there’s the good news, yeah?” She then shifted her footing to dig her heel in as if waiting for the heavy blow. “Lloire’s gone and gotten his aether all shattered or something into different manifestations of his personalities and is off fighting his friends to prove a point. Ikara fought him, burned off his arm and headbutt him and it hurt the ‘form’ of him, but not….his real form. It’s confusin’, yeah? Anyway he ended up burning off her eyebrows in the fight but otherwise, she’s fine. Not shockin’ to me as she is the strongest aether user I ever heard of. But, I’m not. I don’t even have any and he is likely headin’ this way at some point and likely lookin’ to take me on.”

Lloire Peace, sort of, stepped into the doorway and lifted his visor. "Not you, actually, Shield sister." The spear was drawn from his back and pointed at Chance. "Him. He's your other half... I would know that he can defend you as easily as you can defend him." Chance took a step to the side, not even having had an opportunity to ask about the insanity Helene had just explained. "Are you crazy?" The wolf asked angrily. "Who the hell are you to think we owe you some test of our might?" Lloire lowered the spear. "I am Warrenson. A son of Peace. Accept my challenge, or do not... I will accept a forfeit."

Helene Ashton had moved on instinct at hearing Lloire. Given the context of the call from Ikara, her immediate response was to pivot and put herself between her brother-in-arms and her husband. “Oi!” Auburn locks were tied back but had grown long enough now that they collected to the opposite shoulder with the fluidity of her motions. “Lion. Let’s just talk this out, yeah? What’s got you doin’ this anyway?”

Lloire Peace shook his head slightly. "Not Lion... He'll be here for you later. Warrenson." He frowned as he looked between them. "I was listening... did the girl not explain it properly?" The spear rose again at a movement from Chance and his brow rose. "I hope you are not without honor mercenary... Your wife has asked a question... Do not engage me before I have answered her." Chance sneered but stopped moving. "The hell, Hels... I say I just kick his ass and we can ask him what the hell his issue is after this part's been beaten and broken..."

Helene Ashton huffed and looked over her shoulder to Chance but not enough to take Lloire out of her peripherals. “Don’t kill Lloire. Not sure what these… aether things do to him if they die but don’t attack him directly.” She then set her sharp gaze on ‘Warrenson.’ “Where is he?”

Warrenson grinned at her words and motioned behind him, outside. "The vessel is quite fine. He's resting. He'd thought to come explain it all to you himself, but when I heard you speaking with the girl... well, no sense explaining what's already been said, is there?" He gave her a simple nod. "You can check on him if that's your desire." His spear arm stiffened. "But I would have an answer to my challenge first." Chance growled and moved to Helene's side, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Idiot's gone and gotten broken as fuck in the head... but I doubt that makes him less dangerous... Your call, wife... He's your brother... Shall I oblige the ass, and kick it?"

Helene Ashton had always been the type not to swing too far off into the emotional spectrum of life. When it came to those she cared for, she would shift into her ‘Shield’ persona that she earned the name for. But in that moment, the way he spoke about Lloire and challenged Chance, questioning his ability? Hells hath no fury. “The ‘vessel’?” Chance coming to her side and setting a hand to her pauldron was enough to let the fire out of her veins. Her glare upon the apparition was heated and steady, her palm resting tightly to the pommel of the steel at her side, but she flicked her gaze away to lock it to her Wolf’s own hues. “Fuck him up, yeah?” And oh, how she grinned.

Warrenson smiled at the answer he'd been given. He turned without another word and stepped outside. Chance put down pressure on the pauldron beneath his fingers and nodded as he moved around her. "I love it when you talk sexy like that." His own spear was shook at his side as he moved to follow the false-Lloire and swapped it between hands as though to loosen up his grip. When he was out in the sunlight there was a clear divide between the two. Chance, the golden wolf. Lloire, the silver Lion. "Any rules to this duel of ours, False Lloire?" The other glared at Chance. "You will address me as Warrenson, or Son of Peace. Do not trifle with me, mercenary..." The merc simply grinned. "Shouldn't let me get under your skin so easily False Lloire..."

Helene Ashton winked as he moved around her, but she wasn’t far behind. Stepping out with them, she noted their positions, armor, weapons, the field on with they would play, everything. Both arms crossed upon her chest as she then took the moment to look for her brother.

Warrenson lay unconscious on the ground behind 'Warrenson' near the water. From where Helene stood, he seemed hale and whole, though completely unmoving aside from the steady rise and fall of his chest. Warrenson took a moment to adjust his gauntlets and shook his head. "Outside of the fact that this battle is between you and I, no. No other conditions or handicaps." Chance rolled his shoulders, letting his neck crack several times before nodding. "Alright... Let's get on with this then. I win how?" Warrenson pulled down the visor on his helm and smirked. "Despite the requests of the ladies... You only win if I am completely defeated. Slay me and win... fail to do so and I win... proving you don't have what it takes..."

Helene Ashton tucked her tongue into the curve of her cheek as she listened to the rule set. But again, that grin showed on her features and made her freckles rise. “Never said he couldn’t put you in your place. I said he can’t touch my brother.” She pointed to Lloire by the water. “Far as I’m concerned, he can hand you your teeth one by one, yeah? But if my brother starts feelin’ the pain, I’m gonna take issue.”

Warrenson scoffed. "The vessel will remain whole. Do not worry." The spear was rose aloft and he spun it once before settling into a stance. "Ready yourself mercenary!" With that, the battle began in earnest. Warrenson struck first. He leapt into the air and came down, getting the jump on Chance with speed that the mercenary had not expected from a mage. It was a glancing blow, but it stung all the same. Especially that Lloire had drawn first blood. "Remind me again Hels, what all is this asshole trained in?"

Helene Ashton shifted her footing as Chance took the hit first, but she kept her features neutral for the moment. “…Everything.” Arms tightened upon her chest as she adjusted them to get comfortable. “He spent a lot of time with every weapon he could get his hands on.”

Warrenson took a step back, letting the weapon in his hand twist around to his side again, 'allowing' Chance a moment to recuperate from the attack. The mercenary frowned at his wife's answer. "Well that's just -great-... Fuckin' Gillionaires... too much damn time on their hands, not enough real work to do." Chance shifted his left shoulder again, adjusting his grip on his own spear. "Well, there's something to be said about specializing." He charged Lloire, forcing the Hyur to lift his lance defensively. The mercenary feinted though, slamming his own spear into the dirt and using it to launch dirt and sand up and into the other's eyes. Warrenson stumbled back wiping at his eyes angrily as Chance rushed forward with the followup attack.

Helene Ashton winced at Chance’s response to the information but smirked as Warrenson was faked out. Memories. “He an’ I have that whole ‘hero’ complex in common, yeah? I know my way ‘round a few weapons so I can be ready. Same for him.” Holding conversation as if Warrenson was nothing more than a trainee being tested, she kept it casual now and glanced around the area, but Wolf would know her best. Her footing gave away everything.

The wolf was many things... but a hero, was never among them. Prideful, conceitful, no. He was practical. His enemy was blinded. His enemy was agitated. Pride was a weakness to exploit. His spear found its mark. Between scales, center mass, he buried it so far into the other Hyur that even Helen could see the other end from her position. Warrenson gasped out as the weapon rammed through him, blood splattering Chance in the face as they were now but a breath apart. The merc remained stoic and calm. "Something wrong? Looks like you might've broken a few... vessels there..."

Helene Ashton unfolded her arms the minute she watched the spear tip explode out the back of Warrenson. Pride may have been his weakness, but the sin shown clear as day all over her form for the man who claimed her. A few steps carried her down the makeshift ramp as she looked from her Wolf, to her Brother laying by the water. Little care was given to their enemy in that moment as she was focused on the rise and fall of Lloire’s chest; looking for blood.

Lloire Peace, even now seemed the perfect picture of health. A unique look for him all things considered. Chance watched the enemy carefully as he pulled in ragged breaths and Helene passed. When she reached Lloire his eyes fell to her. "He alright?" He asked with concern tinting his voice.

"I... told... <coughs blood> you.... he was... fine." Chance's pupils immediately dilated as he turned his attention to the enemy whose free hand now gripped tightly to the others spear. Warrenson leaned back for a fraction of a heartbeat before he slammed his head forward, helm crashing into Chance's unprotected face, blood splattering all around it from the impact. Chance fell back, losing his grip on the spear as he stumbled back from the blow, holding his face. "You thought this..." He motioned to the spear jutting through him now, "...would kill me? You know NOTHING about me!"

Helene Ashton had lowered down into a crouch to check on Lloire’s pulse, his breathing, and set a hand over his chest where the spear had hit its mark. All clear. She let out a slow breath before touching his cheek briefly. That was cut short as she heard the collide behind her and quickly rose to look back on the fight. That glare leveled on Warrenson as Chance stumbled back and she took a few steps closer, keeping her hand off her sword so as not to provoke intent.

Warrenson ripped Chance's spear from his gut, now holding both his own and Chance's crimson stained weapon. He was quickly bleeding out now, but seemed in no hurry to fetch a healer nor to slow down. Instead, Chance's weapon was lifted over his head and directed at the merc. "You should have ended it... now your wife has to watch you die... Even if I fall... slaying you will prove the vessel's fears true... I will lay down my life to ensure that Peace survives!"

Helene Ashton dug her feet to the ground and launched herself forward with speed. Despite the armor, despite the weight of her shield, she moved as if neither had been upon her in that moment. Sunlight glinted off the broad surface as she ducked down, leapt, and planted her feet suddenly, swinging her arm wide with enough force behind it to hopefully send Warrenson careening into the pillar close by.

Warrenson hadn't expected the rules to be ignored. He went flying, staggering towards the pillar and crashing into it. Stunned, he collapsed to the ground, shaking his head. "Foul!" He cried and he and Chance forced themselves to their feet. "That was outside the rules! This was between he and I!"

Helene Ashton slowly pulled steel from its home at her hip, letting the song ring out for his ears. Emerald hues were locked dead to his features as she righted herself and rolled the shoulder of the arm that held tight to that shield. Her tone had dipped into a serious edge, yet she smirked. “Like you said…” The sword swung this way and that as she warmed up her hold. “…you know nothing about me, yeah? Lloire wouldn’t kill the man I loved nor would I allow him, to kill Lloire.” Her steps brought her between Chance and Warrenson once more. “Hero.” She shrugged.

Warrenson staggered to his feet. "Very well hero... when the vessel remains broken... we will be sure that he knows it was your interfe--" Before the last word could leave his lips his head jutted backwards with the impact of something slamming into his face. The body that had been Warrenson slid down the stone column until it then fell over to the side, an expertly thrown knife jutting from one of his eyes.

Helene Ashton widened her gaze as the man fell over with a new addition for his trouble. A step or two brought her closer but she didn’t let it keep her attention. Instead, she looked back to Chance.

The merc was wiping blood from his nose with one hand, the other still pointed in the direct of his throw. "Live through that, asshole..." Chance staggered a moment in place before the arm dropped to his side and he frowned. "Thanks, Hels..." He remarked, gratefully. Before she could respond though, the being that had called itself Warrenson began to break apart into the base blocks of aether it had been formed of. They lingered in the air for several heartbeats before then moving back to Lloire and coalescing around him. There was a soft glow there for several moments but soon it faded and Lloire seemed to become restless in his slumber.

Helene Ashton softened at the fact he was standing upright. “Never need to thank me. Wasn’t sure you’d have enough time to throw it.” She then turned back to watch the figure break apart. “We didn’t shake on the rules anyway. Lloire knows our shake.” Her own defenses were up as she continued to watch her brother until he moved. Helene exhaled. “Good. He’s comin’ to.” The sword and shield were tucked away as she approached Chance to check on him. “How’s the nose?”

Chance reached up, growled beforehand, and pushed it back into place, causing a bit more blood to rush. "I'll live." He commented as he tore at a sleeve and used it to stanch the bleeding. "Fucker's pretty tough to take down, even broken as shit like this... I see why you two get 'long..." He moved to her side as Lloire began to move more. "Should we get him inside?"

Helene Ashton scoffed. “Should’ve seen him with an axe, yeah? Downright frightening.” Once she was sure he was alright, she turned and looked to Lloire once more. “Aye. He is likely feelin’ like a truck hit him by now. Also, remind me never to take you on and mean it.” Once more, pride shown in her features as she smiled to him before moving over to where Lloire lay. “Oi, you ‘wake?”

Lloire Peace seemed as though he were working on regaining consciousness but wasn't there quite yet. Chance followed her and shrugged. "I'd hope our vows prevented that all the same..." He wasn't quite clear on the aether and magic aspects of all that had occurred. Warrenson had felt plenty real to him afterall. "Let's get him inside then. He moved to help her carry the Hyur inside. "Maybe he'll be able to tell us something helpful... I don't recommend we just let him go out and try to kill people."

Helene Ashton lowered down and scooped Lloire up under one arm, helping get him up to move. “I didn’t think he’d go as far as trying to outright kill you, yeah?” Concern etched at the corners of her features as she looked to Lloire and then Chance. “I can’t let him leave if he is heading out to kill his friends, yeah?”

Chance Ashton helped Helene with the weight of the Hyur and nodded. "Though, I'm gonna guess with all his magic and fuck all crazy, talkin' him outta it or keeping him pinned down are gonna be tough. But we gotta try, I guess. Maybe find out who is next at least."

Helene Ashton shook her head. “Aye, who knows what his magic can do now. But maybe he’ll talk. Startin’ to think I need to get everyone in the same room and help protect them.” As they entered the barracks, she pushed the door open with her foot and helped take Lloire inside. She then nodded to one of the beds. “There or the bench?”

Chance Ashton shrugged and motioned towards the closest bunk. "There's fine. Not like he's bleedin'. Benedict won't mind." A heavy sigh rattled from him. "I swear... this Lion better not be gunning to fight right away..."

Helene Ashton helped haul her brother to the bed and get him situated upon it. She then dusted off her hands and took a step back. “He said he would be comin’ for me later. Not sure what that meant but if Lion is ‘Lion’, like the nickname I gave him? It’s not goin’ to be a pretty fight, Chance. He is full blood berserk mode in that moment, yeah?”

Chance Ashton's brow furrowed as she explained. "Well, I see no reason I can't give you a hand with him. Doesn't seem these 'rules' of theirs mean shit." A groan alerted the couple to Lloire regaining consciousness and the Hyur reached up and rubbed his forehead gingerly. "Lion'll wait... He's not ready to fight. Wants the other sides to lose before he bothers to rouse..." He shook his head as his eyes adjusted to the light. "Well fought, both of you..."

Helene Ashton turned as Lloire came to. She waited for a beat to be sure he really was alright before slamming her gauntleted, mhigan fist into his gut to take the wind from him if possible. “That was for trying to kill Ikara. An’ you should be -real- fuckin’ apologetic for tryin’ to kill Chance because I am this close...” she pinched her fingers together for him “…to givin’ you a throttling.”

Lloire Peace took the hit with a loud "Umphh!" as she got her wish and the air was robbed from him. He took several moments to regain his breath and moved to a sitting position. "Yeah, I likely deserve that..." He said sheepishly as his other hand reached up to rub the back of his head idly. "I'm glad you're both okay..." He let out a sharp breath and shook his head. "You and Ikara both... Look, Hels, Chance... Let's say I go against this plan... and I decide I don't trust you all to win... Then what's gonna stop Shade or Lion from deciding to just surprise attack and kill the people I care about when they are in control. Right now there's an uneasy truce in my head. They all get a shot to prove they are the side that’s too dangerous to be part of me... that I can't have companions... If I go against that... They are just gonna take control when they damn well please and do what they want like they have been.”

Helene Ashton set her hands on her hips as she listened to the explanation and she was kind enough to at least do that. “Lion…no, droppin’ nicknames for now, Lloire! How is -killin- your companions any fuckin’ better, yeah? You an’ I both know that if you had killed Ikara, Chance, Me, or even Velestine, you would come out of it worse than before. Stop bein’ an’ idiot and let us help. You aren’t alone.”

Chance Ashton nodded, agreeing with Helene, for lack of a better option. This all sounded utterly insane to him. Lloire frowned. "Don't you understand Shield? This -is- me letting you help. This -is- me trusting you all. Maybe Ikara could fix my aether, but the underlying trauma would still be there. It'd shatter anew..." He frowned deeper. "They killed Claudettea... The Galreans know who Velestine is now... That says nothing about you or Ikara... add that to the fact that another one beside Balmora's taken an interest in me... do you really think they'll afford any of us the chance to put me through years of aethereal and psychological therapy? Do you think Shade would...? I trust you all to take out these shadows of mine... To prove to my subconscious that I really don't have to worry that I'll be the death of everyone -else- I hold dear. That not everyone is Aliya or Claudettea..."

Helene Ashton lofted her brows at the mention of Claudettea and her shoulders sunk a little. “I’m sorry ‘bout Claudettea, Lloire. I liked her.” A sigh. “Always have to mess with ya, don’t they?” She could have spit if she wanted to but sucked air through teeth instead. “Why not just gather all your companions and take out Balmora 2.0, yeah? Wouldn’t that prove we could handle it? The Warrior of Light doesn’t even work alone half the time and he has had his own shit to deal with.” A beat was given as she shifted her footing once more. “Look, I get it, yeah? But now that I know you are out tryin’ to -kill- us, I’m havin’ a hard time not packing up and following you.”

Chance Ashton nodded. "Or knock your ass out and go handle the Imperials ourselves, yea?" Lloire shook his head. "I was unconscious the last time I fought someone Chance... It wouldn't really do much good if I can manifest elsewhere..." He returned his attention to Helene. "I get your side... but if you tried, most of the shards would just refuse to fight and I'll stay... fragmented. Is this an elegant solution, even a wise or practical one... hell no. But it's better than slamming a dagger in my heart or turning myself over to the Garleans like I nearly did... so..." He huffed. "You're gonna have to trust me. And I have to trust all of you. And hopefully nobody gets killed in all this and I can be thoroughly proven wrong."

Helene Ashton turned and looked at Chance as if asking permission to beat the snot out of him in some respects. Though she didn’t move to do such, she stood there staring at her husband, taking his presence as a form of strength. She then looked to Lloire. “Couple things, yeah? You try to kill yourself again, and I will find someone to drag your ass back from the void. If anything, you fighting all of us should fuckin’ prove how loved you are by many even when you are as ‘broken’ as you are. Two, when you put yourself together again, you are marching your scrawny ass back here and planning an attack on that Garlean trash that messed with you, yeah? Three, you are makin’ everyone dinner.”

Chance Ashton nearly laughed as his Wife laid out her conditions and simply crossed his arms as though to show there was no arguing these conditions. Lloire listened and nodded, without a word. "You got it. When this is said and done... We'll put together a damned Company of Heroes and go bring the fucker to justice and then I'll hold a victory feast."

Helene Ashton stared at him for a few moments again and lifted an eyebrow. “You don’t think you’re comin’ out of this, do ya?”

Lloire stared up at her with a soft expression and shook his head. "On the contrary... I believe with all my heart that I will. I just need all of you to believe it too."

Helene Ashton wrinkled her nose as those freckles danced with the motion. “That was the fastest you ever agreed to somethin’ I said. So, you either must believe that you will, or you are staying positive so we will.” Both hands lifted to rub her temples then. “But I know you are too stubborn so I’m goin’ to trust ya on this one this time.”

Chance Ashton placed a hand on her shoulder and turned to Lloire. "My conditions now brother-in-law... Since this was my fight in theory... One... You don't have to stay here... you are too stubborn to do so... but you will rest before you go seeking anyone else out... Two... You tell us now who is next... Three... know that if my Wife comes back with even a single digit less than she has now... I'll carve from you anything she loses..." Lloire looked between the two and shook his head with a laugh. "I'll rest before the next fight, don't worry. I have to so my aether reabsorbs properly... I'm close to where my old friend Tyranie lives now... so she is likely next... Anything I take should be taken from me. I accept that... But I suspect she will do fine." He turned to Helene and smirked. "You really did need a Sword... He's exactly what I expected for you."

Helene Ashton glanced to Chance and smirked at his list. The last one made her look to Lloire with a grin. “Good. Glad ya agree, yeah?” His comment on ‘Sword’ made her roll her eyes. “Us stubborn types need someone that enables as well as puts us in check. He’s perfect at both.” Leaning down to get to eye level with him now, a mischievous hold took over her grin. “Sound familiar? How’s that Lion tamer of yours?”

Chance Ashton had to hold back from barking a laugh at her comments. Lloire however looked impassive at the taunting. "We'll have to see. You all have been through more of my..." Chance interrupted, "Insanity?" Lloire continued, "...life than she's had to so far, but she's seen enough to maybe have second thoughts by now. I'll let you know at the victory feast." The blue-haired Hyur made to stand. "I need to be on my way Shield, Sword. Thank you both... Continue to take care of one another..."

Helene Ashton took a step back to let him stand. “Let -her- make that choice this time, yeah? Since you’re keen on us proving ourselves.” She let it drop then and switched gears by coming in to wrap him up in a hug this time. Normally tensing at such a motion, she was rigid for a moment in the start, then settled, giving him one good squeeze. “I believe in you an’ all of us. I will see ya at dinner.” She then let go and stepped back like nothing happened, clearing her throat.

Lloire had been surprised by the hug but returned it with a smile before nodding at her and then Chance. "Aye. That's the plan." He stepped past them both, offering Chance another brief nod of respect before heading to the door. He paused as his hand wrapped around the handle. "Just make sure... you don't hold back when the time comes to face Lion, okay? You have to be at your best." With that, he was out the door and heading away.

Helene Ashton nodded to the comment. “I am back on training regimen first thing in the morning.” As he left, she gave a short wave and looked to Chance. “I’m going to need the best gear we can afford.” Despite her cockiness at the best of times, there was a small hint of fear in her gaze.

Chance Ashton took both of her shoulders into his hands and nodded. "Alright. We'll get it figured out." He smiled, his reluctant rare smile. "And you and I will spare between exercises. You'll be more than prepared for him."

Helene Ashton looked down between them and exhaled slowly from puffed cheeks. “It’s mostly the blows from the axe I’m worried about. He isn’t goin’ to tire in that state and that is how you get at that weapon. You tire the user.” She then looked back up at him and shifted her footing into a relaxed state. “But we’ve got time. First, let’s get ya to Benny so he can heal that nose, yeah?”

Chance Ashton nodded quietly. "Yea, let's go poke the bear." He smirked. "I think his new look will surprise you..." With that he took her hand into his and started for the door.

#ffxiv #ffxiv roleplay #ffxiv rp #lloire peace #chance ashton #helene ashton #warrenson #ikara esho

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peacekeeper-xiv · 4 years

Text

Letters Home

Chadrick sat at the small table in his apartment at the Crystarium and stared up at the moon. It was amazing to see it, even if he’d only experienced the unending days for a short time. The quill was pulled plucked from the ink as he returned his attention to the scrapes of paper. How did one say a thousand things to those they cared about without writing them books? He shrugged to himself. It was best to keep it simple and sweet.He started the first letter.

Sinomen,

I suppose I should start by saying that I’m sorry this is coming to ye by letter, but there really was nay another way to send it to ye. There is a lot I should have said in the past, but most important was that I’m sorry. I’m sorry for the hurt I caused and that I was nay the man I promised ye I would be.

This is a farewell. I have found somewhere outside the reach of the Sun and their contracts for both Aislyn and meself. I hate that I am saying goodbye in a letter, but there’s nay another way. I cannay come back now even if I wanted to. I know we have had our fights since we parted, but ye are one of the few things about me old life I will truly miss. I did love ye Sinomen, even if our worlds could never be one and the same.

Stay true to yeself and never change.

Love always,

Chadrick Tamisier

Sealing the first letter he set it aside and started the next. This one took longer to write and even though he tried to speak all the words he knew he should say, he could not bring himself to do so.

Lulu,

To the one woman who nearly stole me heart so thoroughly that I might forsake everything else in the world. I am gone from Eorzea and I will not be returning. I could nay bear leaving and never saying me farewells to ye. Tell your brother that he cannay find me where I have gone and to give up his search if he still seeks to defend your honor, nay as though I ever would have striped it from ye. Nor could I have. Ye are a princess and ye deserve a prince and I hope someday ye find someone worthy of ye.

In Love,

Chadrick Tamisier

Quickly, he sealed this letter as well and set it atop the other. If he even read it he would rip it to shreds and write it again and again and never find it perfect. Everyone had that one who had gotten away. He started the next letter and smiled as he thought about the young woman he’d known all too briefly.

Maeryn,

I am sorry I have nay written or spoke to ye in some time. Much and more has happened. Sadly, I will nay be able to join ye for any future adventures. There are things I did nay share with ye about me own ties to the company. I found a way out of my contract with them that set meself and Aislyn free and I imagine ye know how little there is I would nay do for the wee lass. I truly enjoyed our adventures together and I sincerely hope ye continue to find new adventure in your life.

Yers Truly,

Chadrick Tamisier

That letter was sealed as well and the next piece of paper was pulled in front of him. This one wouldn’t have the same emotional impact on him. This one was for work. There were loose ends to tie up that he would only trust one other of their employees to see to.

Overseer Nathaniel,

Fuck ye. I quit. Okay, I really really had to get that out. Pass me words along to the company will ye? And then feel free to make up whatever ridiculous story you like. They’ll never find me where I’ve gone but I suspect they know that. All the same, tell them I’m dead, or whatever ye like and ye can have what remains of my resources and retrieved artifacts. Ye know the place I kept everything hidden. The password to get to everything is Elspeth.

So long,

Chadrick Tamisier

Lastly he placed that letter on the pile and drew the last leaf of paper forward.

L’ania,

It’s been a while lass. I hope ye are well and the life of a pirate suites ye. I’m writing ye to let ye know I am going away. I will nay be returning but know that it is me own choice and I am happy in making it. I will miss your friendship and hope ye will remember me fondly. The items ye left in me charge are safe all the same, I assure ye. I have left me business possessions in the care of one who would nay misuse them and whom I trust in this. I wish ye a long life, filled with beauty and adventure.

Yer friend,

Chadrick Tamisier

A few other letters had already been written. Quickly jotted apologies to ex lovers like K’risa, words of farewell to suppliers with notes to contact the Overseer in the future, and even a few words to some of the Blitzball players he’d played with in the Ruby Sea. When they were all piled together he called Aislyn over and motioned to the pile.

“Here it is lass. Be a doll an’ deliver these t’ all o’ them fer me, aye? An’ make sure ye are nay seen unless ye wish t’ be.” He winked at her, knowing the Fae had been fond of a few people on the list.

Aislyn gave a sharp nod, flew around his head a couple times and ruffled his hair. Her own form of affection when she had a task to hurry along to.Landing on the letters the fae vanished along with the letters in a bright glow as she leapt across worlds to deliver his farewells.

#ffxiv #ffxiv rp #chadrick tamisier #sinomen #lulu #maeryn #l'ania #derek nathaniel

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peacekeeper-xiv · 4 years

Text

Serious Events

A series of events…

Aeritria and Arakiel meet accidentally inside Samael house.

Aeritria Locklair stopped dead in her tracks when Ara turned around. The blood drained from what little he could see of her face, and her eyes narrowed moving over him to look for weapons, surprises, explosives, all the things he might have on him while in Soren's house. It took her a couple ticks to reconcile the sight of him in Soren's house. Alive. Not dead. Not even thinking of the advantage that came from him not knowing who she was, she finally spoke, "Well bloody damn hell... you look surprisingly healthy for a dead man."

Arakiel agrees to travel with Aeritria east, having decided that Ikara had been gone for too long and he was going to look for his daughter. They discover that they still have some disagreements though.

Arakiel Etemorah smirked. "Wrath?" He chuckled smarmily. "Kinda daft name to call a kid. He pick that out himself?" Still, he didn't seem intent on keeping up his teasing. "And what do they all mean to ya? What would you do if they were in danger?"

Aeritria Locklair rolled her eyes, "Its short, for Rathorin... " When he questioned her on what they meant to her and what she would do there was clearly a reaction. She tried to keep the calm, snarky demeanor, but too many things had already happened where she had given a whole lot for those three. There was the briefest of haunted looks before it was replaced with tense shoulders and a defensive posture. "Enough..." Her lips pulled into a thin line, "Is that supposed to be a threat?”

Arakiel Etemorah smiled knowingly and shook his head. "No, but that's answer enough." Sheathing his katana, he stood. "I have a daughter. She should have returned by now, but she hasn't. That's what's in the Burn." His expression turned somewhat grim. "I wanted you to know before you decided to follow me. I'm willing to do -enough- for her.”

Aeritria agrees to accompany Arakiel in his search for Ikara and together, they make for The Burn. Arakiels insistence on drawing out Aeritrias ire though, nearly sets them at odds.

Aeritria Thorne had never been good at reining in her temper, it was why she made such a good marauder. It was also why she had made such a good criminal. There was a sudden shift from her that would hit every one of his senses. The growled words came out with cold fury, "Fuck you Arakiel. I came out to help you, but that was just another dumbass mistake on my part. Everything is fucking fine. Its more godsdamn fine than it has been in over a twelves damned year, but you just can't leave well the fuck enough alone. I don't want to fucking talk about it cause its none of your gods damned business. You don't get to fucking come back from the dead and act like I should just fucking ugh!" Axe or no axe, there was a hint of red glowing in the abysmal darkness of her eyes before she turned around and started storming away. "Fuck you!"

It would be some time after that they managed to work out their difference, but once they had they concluded, wandering the desert in search of one small Au Ra was futile. Aeritria then turned to a dangerous source of power to send out the needed signal flare, her Dark Knight soul stone.

Aeritria Thorne took a few moments to try to catch her breath and shake away the voices that still tried to reach her from the stone. Running her fingers through her hair to push it out of the way she glared over at it for a moment. "I tried to warn you the darn thing isn't... as helpful as I like sometimes. I really did kick Rath's balls all the way into his throat last time I used the damn thing." Aeri rubbed the back of her neck and looked away, "Sorry... I haven't used it in a long while. With my other soul stones... it’s easy. It’s like they want to help. That one... there is still a bit of a fight going on with who is in charge of who."

After some time arguing with the voices in her mind, Aeritria finally was able to cause a large enough explosion of aether that could be seen from malms around. The fact that it nearly killed herself and Arakiel was of little consequence.

Arakiel Etemorah wasn't a hero. It just wasn't in him. But he wasn't the same man he'd been a few years ago either. The blade in his hands was quickly sheathed and he rushed forward to where Aeritria stumbled. He wasn't about to pick her up and carry her away from danger like some knight in shining armor. But then, she'd have hated that. He grabbed her by the wrist and literally dragged her behind him. "Come the fuck on!" He wasn't going to let her go until they were behind enough rock to guarantee they would be safe from the explosion that was likely coming.

Several bells later, their fishing attempt proved fruitful and they noted the appearance of an approaching figure. Unfortunately, it was not exactly who they had been looking for.

Arakiel Etemorah sheathed his blade, looking at her curiously as his hearing had not completely recovered. "One of them?" He looked to where the creature had been sniped and put two and two together. "The boy..." The unknown Miqo'te still seemed rather protective of Beta and stood between them and him, even if his weapon was put away. Beta's familiar voice shouted across the sands as he approached. "It's okay Aasifa, they are... family of a sort I guess?" The one called Aasifa seemed to relax a bit and plopped down in the sand as Beta and Ara and Aeri approached his location. "Aasifa is still thinking there are better ways to fish." He said quietly, more to himself than anyone else. Arakiel's steps seemed to hasten as he approached.

With so many differing personalities… and because Aasifa is Aasifa, some troubles did arise.

Aeritria Thorne saw Arakiel start choking after Aasifa did whatever the hell it was that he did and her attention snapped to the Miqo'te. Her chakrams came out and pinned Aasifa to one of the rock walls by his sleeves, "The Fuck you think you are doing you piece of shit! What the hell did you do to him?!" She stood between Arakiel and Aasifa, and if looks could kill he would have been dead a thousand times over. She held a finger up to Beta to shut him up before he tried to 'help'.

Eventually though, a peace was brokered, and the quartet left in search of the large sources of aether that Beta’s instruments had detected after the explosion Aeritria had caused.

Arakiel Etemorah might have moved to stop Aeri if she had still wielding her chakrams, but he did not expect the idiot cat to die from a punch. Beta called out in frustration as the punch landed. Aasifa for his part might have dodged the attack, if he'd bothered to try. Instead he took the hit to the throat and grinned at her as though he almost enjoyed all the chaos he'd caused. "Was... good... hit." He croaked out from a damaged voice. "Proud... of... sister." He ripped his sleeves free from the blades and found his feet on the sand once more. He didn't retaliate, simply rubbed at his throat and looked at her expectedly. Beta however was exasperated. "I swear to Alexander! Everyone's crazy!" He huffed and put away the smoke bomb and electric charge he'd been prepping if they hadn't stopped. Aeri's words had registered with him, but he knew better than provoking her further and refused to retort. "Can we get back to looking for Ikara now? Since you and I are the only ones who can speak now, I'll take your word for both of you."

Aeritria Thorne grit her teeth, dug her sharp nails into her palms and drew blood from her own hands to keep from murdering Aasifa right there and then. She reached over, grabbed her Chakrams, held them tight for a moment, still wound up and considering putting them through the rest of Aasifa's neck. It was Beta that managed to draw her out of it with his ridiculous cursing, "For fucks sake... didn't anyone ever teach you to curse properly?" She looked to Arakiel then took another breath. "I came out here to find you and Ikara... if Aasifa so much as touches that damn necklace again I will cut it off his neck, and I'm sure Arakiel will help, so if you want to find your girlfriend before something fucking happens to her you better tell you -friend- to behave or leave. Now, if you have an idea of where to go... let’s go."

Beta took in a deep breath and let out a long exhale. "I was trying to..." He frowned at Aasifa and pointed at the necklace. "No more chaos magic!" Aasifa looked like he might argue but Beta glared, and he stopped. "For all you know that thing might have called a hundred sandworms to raid the burn and it would've put her in more danger! So, no more til she's safe!" Beta looked properly angry and despite his inability to curse properly, seemed to convey the same feelings. He then turned to Arakiel. "And don't act like he's all innocent. Stop acting like you are gonna gut me 'cause I didn't know Ikara was out here! Cause I didn't and now I'm gonna find her! Aasifa could easily have seen you as a threat to his friend." Ara narrowed his eyes at the boy but simply turned his chin some and sneered. Finally, he turned to Aeritria. "He goes for the necklace again... stab him... ‘Cause I said not to. But you stop threatening him if he doesn't, 'kay? I've been wandering the burn for weeks now. I'm ready to be done with this place... so I just wanna find Ikara and then we can all go home." He huffed out another breath and continued. "And thank you for helping Arakiel look for her... I'm sorry this is all a mess, but I was trying to do good. So, let's... just do what you came here to do please." He continued a moment later in quieter tones. "And I don't like everyone else’s profanity. It's boring."

Elsewhere in the Burn though the target of their search was about to have her own random encounter.

Ikara had been wandering the burn for what felt like an age. Trying to track Beta had turned into a much bigger problem than she had originally anticipated. She had made her way into Garlemald, stealing a uniform and posing as a Garlean soldier. Eventually she found the site where the popularis had their operations that Beta had been a part of. She searched every ilm of the area for any signs of Beta or which way he might have went. She eventually found Beta's tomephone, cracked and busted with charred and melted edges. She picked it up and searched the area even more, moving rubble. Eventually she resorted to carefully questioning a few citizens and was told that the rebels had flown off in the direction of the burn via magitek armor. She breathed a sigh of relief in the hope that Beta was on the airship, as she did hear from someone that no one was taken prisoner. All the rebels were killed or escaped, and she hadn't found his body yet. If he wasn't there, he might still be alive. Clutching the little scrap of a tomephone she went in the direction that the few citizens had pointed her in. She eventually found the wreckage of the armor and searched the entire thing from top to bottom. There was still no sign of Beta, but she found some disturbances in the sand and hoped they were the remnants of footprints. She followed them until they disappeared, eaten by the shifting sands. Then she kept looking. She wasn't sure how long she had been searching, but she knew she was lost, and she didn't care. If she was lost, it meant Beta probably was too, and they would eventually find each other.

A few malms away, Lloire had left the simulacrum of Cartenaeu that his mind had created as a battleground for himself and his reflections. Now he wandered the desert sands of the Burn once more, sorting his thoughts. He had no clue how to go about finding the people he needed to find or what order to find them in. Even as that were, were there enough people he worried for to face all the various aspects of his soul?

Some had been quoted as saying that the universe around them had come about in the beginning due to a massive explosion of aether, the same catalyst woke him from his indecisiveness. He hit the sand as an enormous shockwave of aether flew past him, stealing his feet from him.

"The fuck was that?"

As his senses returned to him, Lloire closed his eyes and focused not on where the explosion had been, but on any source powerful enough to have caused it. There was a massive pool of energy to the east of him that was far bleeding aether into the air. It was more than reasonable to assume that who or whatever it was, they were responsible for the massive explosion he'd felt. His fights would have to wait, leaving anything that powerful this close to Doma's borders would be irresponsible. Gathering his feet under him, he took off at a run towards the source of aether.

Ikara had been wandering in the Burn long enough that she felt like she was going blind. The land being so drained of aether meant she saw the world as everyone else did. She felt sorry for them, all the color was gone from this part of the world. She had found a small outcropping of what she originally thought were rocks but had eventually realized was the skull of a very large beast that had once dwelled there, and hidden away for a bit to get some rest and get out of the sun.

Then the world exploded in color far away. She felt it before she ran out and saw it. Her eyes watered from all the colors and she started searching the horizon for any signs of something that would explain it. Clutching the tomephone she started in the direction of the explosion, hoping that maybe if Beta was out there, he would investigate too.

Lloire travelled swiftly across the sand as he rushed towards the source of aether drawing at his senses. Eventually he climbed over an outcropping of rock and saw a figure in the distance. They didn't seem to have noticed him yet but were moving closer to him. If he held his position, he could wait until they were close enough to engage before revealing himself. He moved back behind one of the jutted-out stones and waited.

As Ikara made her way towards the explosion another source of aether caught her eye in the distance and closing in on her position. The aether was wrong, fractured, broken, and extremely potent.

The tomephone she clutched in her hand was tucked into her pocket and replaced by her staff. She had been conserving her aether the whole time she was out here, to the point where it was overflowing. Her necklace had been filled to the brim, but she had waited and not wasted it in case of running into a Garlean contingent or some beast.

She held her staff to her side, loosely and in a nonthreatening manner, but she was ready for whatever was on the other side of the ridge. When she got close enough, she yelled to whoever was there, "I can see you! Come out before I decide that I'll cast first and ask questions later. This is your only warning!"

Her voice was unmistakable. Lloire came out from behind the rocks with a curious expression worn on his face. "Ikara? What are yo--" He wasn't able to finish his question though as the sounds of the winds and shifting sands in the area were pierced with the sound of shattering glass. Ikara, who had the unique advantage of always seeing aether would see a fragment of Lloire's aether break away from the rest.

As for Lloire himself, he collapsed in a heap in front of her while the image of a younger Lloire remained where he had been standing. The Lloire-image began to solidify before finally seeming as alive, even to her vision, as Lloire had moments ago. "I should've known we'd run into you first and I'd be the first to fight..." He sighed. "You remind him... us... of Aliya sometimes." A staff materialized in his hands and a blackmage soul stone pulsed with aether beneath his robes. "I'm called Kid... And so that your older brother can live, I have to fight you with all my might... and you gotta kill me."

As he spoke, the similarities between who Lloire used to be and who Beta was seemed all the more pronounced. "Show him... us... what you're made of. That you won't be another Aliya, okay?"

Ikara was equal parts confused and relieved when Lloire stepped out from behind the rocks. "Nii---..." She watched his aether shard and split then him collapse to the ground and started running for him, without thought to her own safety. That was until a shard split off and started to solidify. Ikara skid to a halt, her staff still out at her side as a younger version of Lloire appeared before her.

"Halone's frosty tits... what the hells?" She eyed the fragment for a moment before flipping down a visor to see if he was still there without her aether sight. Her frown deepened as she tried to piece together what she saw with the visor down, verses what she was seeing with it up, "Oh.... what have you done to yourself big brother..?" His aether had somehow split off and manifested. The younger version of him was real in a sense, but only in so much as the creations she made from aether. It would disappear with time, but not until the wielder or spell was completed or removed.

Mention of Aliya had her frown deepening, "I'll take that as a compliment. Aliya was your best friend." She shook her head at the aether spirit. "I won't fight you. It could hurt the whole of him. He is completely fractured. Let me fix it instead." She wasn't holding her staff weakly at her side anymore though, it was ready in case the splinter decided to attack.

For his part, Kid-Lloire didn't seem to be in a rush to attack her. "It was a compliment. Look, you haven't seen us for a while. The Lloire you know. Nii-san I think? Anyways, he's prolly more messed up now then when he stabbed himself in the chest. He just fought each and every splinter of himself and killed each one. Well, except me and Erioll...." He shook his head energetically. "But that's off subject. The point is... He's finally realized what's got him so screwed up. He's scared that the people he cares for are gonna die. Usually ‘cause of him. There's a lot to unpack, but the basic gist is he needs his friends to prove they can handle their own against him when he's not in control. He's scared of his black magic... or his anger issues... or being you know... Hyur. But the truth is he's only really dangerous when he's whole... and then, only to his enemies. But we gotta prove it to him... us... so, you have to kill me. I'd rather you went into this with full knowledge and not making me force the issue." He huffed a breath, having spoken more than Lloire usually would. "So, what do you say?" The younger Lloire lazily lifted his staff and nodded to Ikara. "I mean, if nothing else... you kinda need to blow some aether." A small almost shy smile was half hidden behind his staff.

Ikara listened and it was clear she was starting to nurse a headache from how dumb it all sounded. Then again, she really wasn't too much different than her brother. She had run off plenty of times without people to protect them. She wasn't sure she trusted any of them to take care of themselves. It was why she was in this gods forsaken desert in the first place.

"Let me examine him, to ascertain that you are telling the truth, though I doubt you are lying. I have to be sure it won't kill him. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I killed him without checking first. Let me do that, and sure... I'll kick your ass." She smirked at him, "I mean, Nii-san is tough, and he taught me a lot, but it’s been a while, and the collective you haven't seen what I'm capable of anymore. Just you know.... do me a favor and let me check him first and I'm down. Also... beforehand... Did you cause that other explosion? Cause really, I can't spend a ton of time here if you didn't. I've god a cute moronic Miqo to save."

The younger manifestation lowered the staff and stepped aside to allow Ikara past to check on Lloire's unconscious form. "Too true, but don't forget... Lloire's been out to war just as long as you presumably have. Don't take this too lightly please." True to his word he would stand still and let her examine Lloire. "Also, no. We thought it was you. You've the largest pool of aether out here beyond our own. The other sources of aether out here are weaker... except one particularly bright spot further south..." His head tilted as he considered -who- she was likely speaking about. "Though, large sources of aether wouldn't help you find Beta but large explosions might. Guess that would make sense. We didn't know he was out here though." He shrugged. "Well, like I said, I can't hold back or we'll know... so I'll try and make it as fast as I can... but no promises."

Ikara was wise enough not to completely let her guard down but moved over to examine Lloire's unconscious form. She examined him as well as she could, even checking to see if he would wake with prodding. He didn't, and she obviously was looking at something with concern, 'These threads of aether tying you to him. If I hurt you, I'm hurting him. To be fair, you are only a portion of his aether, but you are an important part of his being. You won't be destroyed right?" She considered what he said about the spot further south and frowned. "If there was an explosion, I doubt that Beta caused it. He wouldn't give his position away like that... especially when there are Garleans after him... so I'm sorry but I won't be holding back either."

She jumped back and her staff spun in the air as aether pulled not from the land, or from her, but from a single crystal in her necklace. The necklace drained in but a few breaths as she unleashed one of the most powerful spells she had on the fragment of Lloire. She didn't have time to play. Those could have been Garleans killing her boyfriend and she loved her brother, but damn if she was going to let her boyfriend die cause her brother was being stupid. The magic flared bright and large with destruction so that it could be seen for several malms.

When the smoke cleared, Kid was standing in a charred crater, his staff held up as though he were blocking with it and the aether of his mana wall shimmered as the spell dissipated from absorbing the attack. Nevertheless, Flare was an impressive spell and she could see some singed edges around his clothing and armor. Another side of Lloire might have spoken here. Warned her or threatened her, but Kid understood her and knew she was only doing what she needed to in order to protect her loved ones. Instead he returned the attack. He vanished and reappeared nearly on top of her. It was completely against everything one was taught as a thaumaturge and would have been insane if he was fighting a sword wielder. With her so close, she could see the lightning flash in his eyes as his aether swelled. The first strike was a blast of lightning aether that dropped down from the sky towards her. The second was a blast of weak fire that seemed almost pointless in its intensity. Finally, he wrapped up the triple casting of spells with a much more potent fire spell as his entire aura seemed to pulse with heat. The spells complete he took a step back from her to examine their effectiveness.

Ikara honestly would have been disappointed if the first spell had done all the work. It would work for piddly little Garlean soldiers, but this was a part of her brother, and she expected more from him. There was a small smile at the fact that he had gotten his manawall up fast enough. Then again, the spell took plenty of time to cast and gave him amply time to prepare.

When he teleported right in front of her, she laughed. "You should have been a redmage, kid. Its more fun, but to be fair less destructive." to illustrate her point she stepped out of the way of the lightning blast and wacked at his nose with her staff, holding it like a rapier. Which, to be fair, wasn't nearly as quick to maneuver, but was much harder to dodge due to the size of her staff and his proximity. Soul stone or no, she had learned how to leap and fly as a red mage and those things were all body, not magic. She couldn't wield those same spells, but a quick backflip and she was out of the way of the weak fire spell, only to land at the point where he struck with the larger fire spell. It singed her hair and clothes before she managed to get up her own manawall and protect herself from the subsequent blasts.

Already she was working to cast again, though there wasn't a huge explosion this time. Instead she targeted his mind, addling his sense to weaken his spells, then attempted to put the shard to sleep.

The back to back spells struck and Kid felt his mind cloud with the enfeeblements along with the ringing in his head from the staff hit. Still, he seemed immune to sleep spells. It did allow fog his thoughts enough that he responded to her banter rather than continue incessant spellcasting. "Wasn't readily taught when I was around... I'm sure Azure can show you what Lloire's learned though." Wiping idly at his nose to ensure there was no bleeding, he only managed to fire of a scathing blast of energy from his staff as he moved away from her and she saw his aether pool into the ground as leylines became visible beneath him.

Far in the distance of the Burn the group of misfits that were wandering and looking for Ikara could see the mushroom cloud from her first flare, and the subsequent explosions of lightning, fire, and magic lighting the horizon. Aeri immediately turned to Aasifa with an accusatory look, "You do that too?" She was guessing whoever was blowing up the horizon was likely pissing off the little lizard though.

True to Aeri's thoughts, Ikara was getting annoyed. She had hoped to put Kid to sleep long enough to check and make sure her brother wasn't actually being hurt by the fight. "What? I have fight all of you? I ain't got time for that shit. You're wasting enough time as is."

She tried to examine Lloire from a distance to make sure he was still okay, and that moment of distraction gave Kid the opening that he needed to hit her with a blast of energy and make her shake her head to get her vision back. Fighting mages was a lot harder as everything was so damn bright.

Aetheric symbols swirled around her as she started to vent her frustration on the shard of her brother, "Will..." A giant glacier was dropped on him, "You..." Another one, "Just..." Another one... "Piss off!" Aether flared around her in crystalline light and she tapped another crystal in her necklace, though this one didn't drain all the way, instead only draining two thirds of the way as she dropped another huge flare of magic on Kid, then tapped the rest of that crystal and cast a second flare. The power off the flurry of spells back to back was enough to send a shockwave out in all directions.

Kid attempted to ward off the spells but was only able to block off the first set. Those crystals she wore were going to be his undoing if he didn't deprive her of them sooner rather than later. Still, his own pools of aether were rather large and he wasn't exhausting them on flares. Still, the second one she'd unleashed in a row was more than his wards could handle and the explosion blackened his staff arm, leaving it near useless. Still, he wasn't one of Lloire's sides that reacted to anger as easily, not even in the significant pain he was in now. "I... told you... Not going to make this... easy on you!"

He stood up with flames flickering out around him on the ground and took the staff into his other hand. "Enough of this..." Runes began to glow around him as he activated Enochian. "The highest tier of fire magicks he knew was unleashed where she stood, the leylines fed him aether faster and another was cast at her to follow it. "This ends now!" One more swift cast and he'd have the power built up he needed to unleash his largest spell. Another fourth-tier fireball exploded where Ikara was standing and even the group further out could feel the swelling of aether at the battleground.

Hundreds of yalms away Aasifa shot a look around him at the others, looking hurt that he'd been accused. "What? Cannot... be Aasifa, he... is needing to say ...word. Aasifa... has been... quiet. That is a war zone, ...yes?" He croaked out before he grinned widely. "Let's go... and see!" Arakiel frowned and growled but started off towards the explosions before anyone else.

Aeri glanced between Arakiel and Beta both before speeding up the pace the group had set. Which, in all honestly didn't take much as the others were in just as much of a hurry. "I get Ikara can blow shit up... but ... thats a lot of firepower." She shook her head and they all moved as quickly as they reasonably could towards the battle. Aeri had her misgivings about it, as she wasn't really feeling like being blown up in this gods forsaken place, but she had given Ara her word, and she wasn't about to go back on it now.

Ikara got some satisfaction from Kid's blackened arm. Even thought she had said she was going to put her all into this fight, she was still doing her best to only tap the aether in her necklace as she didn't know what she would find where Beta was. "Oh for Halone's sake... you think this is easy for me? The hardest part of this is not turning the hell around and leaving you to sulk in the fact that I won't fight you. You have the WORST timing ever... I've got places to be! I'm supposed to be saving my boyfriend, not my brother. For fucks sake... worst older brother..."

Fire exploded all around her, but before he could get off all his spells she was moving. This time it was her turn to teleport to him. One moment she was where his spells were aimed, and the next she was standing on top of him and wrapping her arms around him in a bear hug, then smashing her forehead into his nose to interrupt his casting. The first fire spell missed her, the second engulfed both of them, and she aimed her knee for his family jewels when he tried to cast the last spell, aiming to knock him to the ground and just punch him in the face. The whole time she was aiming physical spells at him she was building up her own aether to counter with her own spells.

Kid didn't have a chance to respond right away, her brow had found his nose and it gave a loud crack and blood spewed from the quickly bruising part of his face. "Little brother right now!" He shouted back at her. "You're older than I was!" His aether appeared to stop wavering at all and grew very sure and still as he began reciting the last spell, his eyes locking on her with intense focus. "This ends sis!" The spell was likely one she'd not seen him cast before. It was one that Lloire had learned only recently on the frontlines. His most powerful spell was building over both their heads and it was clear that he meant to put his everything into it, even if it meant a draw and a draw meant they both lost.

Ikara was splattered with warm blood that spewed from Kid's nose, and his words hit a chord with her. It was one of those things she always forgot. She wasn't a kid anymore. She was an adult now. She mostly never felt like one, but she was. She had been through more than most kids ever went through and come across the other side. She had lived to see adulthood. The train of thought was disrupted by the pure aether building as Kid started a spell that she didn't know. She knew if he got the spell off that would be devastating for her, and for Lloire. She had to win, or Lloire would stay broken.

She wiped the blood from her face, and her vision focused on it for a moment making her realize that while it felt real, it still wasn't real. It was all aether, and one thing she was good at was controlling aether. "You're right! I am older than you. I'm an adult, and I don't need Lloire to take care of me. We take care of each other because that is what family does, but I made it this far... and I'll be fine!"

The last five crystals in her necklace started to drain as she pulled the specific types of aether from them. Earth, Air, Fire, Ice, and Lightning... the catalysts that made everything in the world. "I won't destroy you. You're a part of my brother... but I don't have to destroy you to beat you!" She started disrupting the flow of aether in Kid, pulling the elements apart, as she had done so many times with her 'paintings'. Normally she had more time, but right his moment she didn't. She poured all the aether from her necklace into rearranging the aether in this fragment of her big brother. She worked desperately fast, trying to reform him into something else. At the last moment she poured her own aether into building the strongest manawall she could and prayed to Halone to make this work. "I can take care of myself, and you're an egotistical jerk for thinking I can't manage without you!"

The last words were spoken as his spell went off, and the aether that he was created from shifted into the form she thought of when she thought of their lessons when she was still learning how to cast the simplest spells.

Kid seemed to know that he'd lost in that moment. Despite the spell above them and his own aether breaking down, he smiled. "Good. Remember that... And learn the lesson it took us this long to start to learn..."

Ikara grit her teeth and forced the last strands of aether into place where she wanted them, just as the spell overhead exploded. It could be seen for malms and malms around.

#FFXIV #ffxiv rp #lloire peace #arakiel etemorah #beta imito #aasifa taqalid #aeritria thorne #ikara esho

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Henna Krankkala

#lloire peace

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Reflections

https://open.spotify.com/track/4cbsmd4YxXZNw8KMoxolEC?si=aIZjE9MtR_qzRt0A0ZL7Zg

It took a few moments for his head to clear enough from the magicks used to bring him to this place before he was able to recognize where he was.

“Carteneau…”

Clearly his Kid persona understood him better than he’d anticipated. “For someone who can be so clever with the arcane and warfare Lloire, you can sure be an idiot.” He muttered to himself.

Night had fallen on the fields and as he scanned them his memories began flooding back to him.

___________________________________________

He saw the world around him on fire. Garleans and the Alliance in bloody battle all around him. To his left he saw Loki and Siben speaking. Imperials were advancing on them both.

A bright white light hit one of the enemies. The others rushed to him but found themselves hit as well. The assault of magic made them fall to the ground, unmoving.

“Was that…?” Loki had asked of Siben.

“Not me.” Siben said, putting his hands up. They both looked around, from the smoke and dust and Lloire remembered appearing with a large smile on his face.

“Need some help?” He looked back at his handy work and dusted off his hands.

“Where were you kid?” Loki had asked with relief on her face to see him alive.

“Doing my duty, what were you—” It was then that something in the sky had caught his eye and he’d stood staring up with wide eyes. “I guess now isn’t the time for a reunion.”

“What do you mean?” Siben had asked him as he and Loki both turned to look up. Bahamut had begun his assault.

“We gotta go. Now.” Loki had shouted. They’d ran as the missile’s impacted the ground, hitting objects, people; anything in their way.

“Where are we going!?” He recalled Siben yelling.

“I think if we go this way there’s a—“

“LOKI! SIBEN! BEHIND YOU!”

He remembered shoving both Siben and Loki out of the way using his magic. Less than a heartbeat later a Bahamuts attack hit the ground where they had stood… where Lloire had also been standing.

“LLOIRE!!” He heard Loki scream. “Lloire!!” He heard his name once more as darkness clouded his senses.

___________________________________________

He shook the memory from his mind. He had not died then as Loki had feared. Aliya had though. And he would go one the next nearly six years believing that everyone else had too until he chanced upon Stanzie. After five years of imprisonment by the Garleans, he would return to the Blades as a much different person. Kid was right. This is where it had begun.

A voice spoke up just then. “Glad you realize it now.” As he looked up he had to rub his eyes. Here on the fields of Carteneau, he stood staring at his own reflections. Each wore a different weapon, different armor. Each drew their weapons.

He turned to Shade and shook his head in disbelief. “This can’t be real. This is in my head, isn’t it?”

It was Peace that answered though. “Of course it is… but why should that make it any less real?”

Lion cracked his neck to the left and stepped forward. “It’s sure as hell gonna feel real. Let’s get on with this. Who’s first?”

A quiet Lloire, dressed head to toe in black came forward without a word and drew a pair of kunai. Lion simply smirked and took a step back. “Fine shinobi, he’s yours first.”

“If only Soren could see this…” Lloire thought to himself. “All those hours practicing with a knife in secret are about to catch up to me.”

Shinobi-Lloire pointed a single kunai at Lloire and spoke in a broken way more common of those from Doma. “I am Heiwa. I will defeat you and bring honor to our soul once more.”

Without another word, he sprung on Lloire and the battle began.

Light sparked across his shield as a thrown dagger was deflected. For a moment Heiwa appeared to have the advantage but when Lloire brought the shield up and bashed it into the shinobi he went staggering back, leaving himself open to a thrust of Lloire’s sword.

Bloodied first, Heiwa fought ferociously. Lloire simply had more experience fighting with sword and shield. The battle lasted only a while longer before Lloire plunged his blade into Heiwa’s stomach and his other reflection fell to the ground unmoving.

The next few battles followed a similar path. The next was a reflection that called itself Azure. He fought with magic and steel both. Eventually he was disarmed of his rapier and that signaled his end. After him came a reflection calling itself Ronin. Though he fought with a similar style to Lloire, his dedication to offense at the expense of defense left him too open to avoid being cut down by the stalwart combination of sword and shield.

After these clashes, a reflection in all white scavean armor and bearing a Geomancer’s bell cast a spell over Lloire which took away the pains and tenseness in his muscles. He looked up in surprise but it was Kid who spoke again. “We’re all you. We’re not gonna cheat and make you fight only the strongest after wearing you down with the others.”

Lloire nodded, glad that these fights would not be weighed in favor of the others and called out to the remaining reflections. “Who’s next?”

The next who stepped up carried a lance upon his back and wore Ishgardian colors. He never gave his name, only referring to himself as Ser. He was the first to draw blood and Lloire silently cursed his time training in those snow covered lands. This battle took longer than the others but eventually Lloire was able to defeat the lancer with several well-timed blasts of holy magicks.

The Geomancer healed his wounds and it came time to face another mage. This battle near cost him everything. The reflection itself never spoke. It only laughed and screamed incoherently. Kid had called it Erioll though. Lloire had approached the fight like he would any other until the mage grabbed hold of him and began to glow. Instinct took over and Lloire drew all of his aether into a shield around himself that protected him from the explosion as Erioll blew himself and a large chunk of their surroundings into oblivion.

“Halt!” shouted Kid as the Geomancer came up and began to heal the damage that Erioll had inflicted on Lloire despite his use of Hallowed Ground. The other reflections gathered around looked between one another and all seemed to collectively sigh with relief.

“His aether will need time to recover from that.” Kid said after a moment of observation. “I guess we should have known Erioll would try to take himself out with Lloire.” He sighed. “I guess that means Lior’s next?” Lloire looked up in confusion. “I thought you said I wou—” Kid cut him off. “Lior’s not a fighter. You’ll be matching wits.”

The one called Lior sat down opposite of him and a chessboard appeared in front of them both.

They played one another for what felt like an age but after three games that ended in a stalemate, a threefold repetition, and in a fifty move draw, Lloire eventually was able to place the other in checkmate. Upon losing, Lior lifted a drink to Lloire in recognition of his defeat. He took the drink and then grew silent. In moments he was dead.

Lloire looked sick at the sight but a memory of a dagger thrust into his chest kept him silent. Glass houses and all that.

A gloved hand helped him to his feet and he looked up into his own green eyes beneath a tricorn. “Alrigh’ then mate? Ye ready fer this next fight?”

The reflection, dressed head to toe in Maelstrom uniform, took a step back and drew a firearm before aiming. Lloire barely had a chance to raise his shield before a terrible ringing sounded as the shot reverberated against steel.

This battle too lasted longer than those before it. Distance was his weakness in this battle. L.T. as he called himself managed to stay just out of range of his sword while repeatedly firing at him when the chance presented itself. Blood now soaked the grounds of Carteneau from several shots Lloire’d been unable to block.

It had seemed as though he were simply outmatched until close to the end. He began moving slower, more sluggish. L.T. went in for the kill, moving close enough to take a better shot. Before he could fire though Lloire surprised him. His shield went flying through the air, lobbed at impressive speed, and slammed into L.T. and knocking him to the ground. That was all the time Lloire needed. Proving he’d been faking his sluggishness he pounced upon L.T. with incredible speed. Retrieving his shield, it was brought up and then slammed down once. The battle was over.

He was healed of his wounds once more. When he was ready, the next reflection stood up. Lion pulled the axe from his back and roared. “Finally! Took you forever to get to me.” Lloire had not been prepared for the savagery of his own attacks. Lion fought against his own flesh with the same ferocity that Lloire had usually reserved for Garleans.

The fight dragged on and on. He would parry a blow and before he could try to counter, another attack needed to be parried. Neither of them came away from their first several attacks unbloodied. He realized that Lion was not holding back at all and with that in mind, drew on his own fury as he gave favor to sword over shield. A gash, a slash, broken ribs from a steel covered boot. They seemed evenly matched as they slowly whittled one another down.

As the fight wore on, it was only Lloire’s patience that saw him through it. Weakened, both of their attacks became slower, clumsier. Lion pressed on with the same strikes but Lloire slowed, waiting for the right moment. Finally, he saw it. His blade struck out and found purchase in the others throat. The roar died in Lion’s mouth as he fell to his knees and ripped the blade out himself.

Lloire staggered away from the reflections corpse and turned his attention to Shade. “You ready!?” He shouted despite the shaking in his own throat. Shade sneered but it was another who stepped forward as the reflection in white restored him to health once more.

“I am Peace. I would prefer that we not have had to resort to this, but so be it.” This reflection carried no weapons. Instead he wrapped a black bandage around his eyes and then dropped into a fighting stance. “Come. One way or another, you will find peace.”

Lloire knew he was dangerous enough with his fists. He’d nearly killed Soren once with a punch. Still when the battle began and he withdrew from their first attacks, he found himself shocked to see the dents in his armor. Peace for his part did not shout or roar or curse. He remained stoic and in control the entire time. Even when Lloire’s blade ripped into his thigh, he simple shifted his balance and continued the fight. He was faster than Lloire by far and easily dodges most attacks. He might have stood a chance if Lloire had not been through as many wars as he had. Carteneau, Ala Mhigo, his own personal wars, they had taught him about fighting several opponents at once. How to strike all around him. It was with one such strike that his weapon caught Peace in the side and splayed his insides on the ground. It was enough. Peace dropped to the ground from the wound and bled out. Even as he lay there dying though his only words were, “You will find peace… you must.”

The fields were littered with his own bodies now. Even knowing this was in his mind. That he fought himself, there was something terrible horrific about the sight and he wished to close his eyes but as he tried to do so the warmth of healing magic spread over him again. He looked up at the healer and noticed how gaunt and weak he was beginning to look. He was about to speak, ask the healer if they needed time, when another reflection stood.

This one stood with an easy aura of confidence as a large tome was lazily lifted in their hand. Power swelled around them both and with a roar that would make him tense with dread, a mockery of the Dreadwyrm appeared at the summoners side. “Let me guess, Blue, right?” The other nodded before lifting his other hand. The incarnation of Bahamut struck and Lloire found himself on the defensive. The scenery, his memories, they made this specific version of himself all the more powerful.

He managed to eventually slay the avatar of Bahamut after several wounds and a great deal of time and effort. Panting, he started towards Blue only for a burst of flame to appear and he found himself face to face with an aetherial firebird.

He fought desperately against this summon as well and slew it in time but before he could recover, Bahamut was upon him again.

With a scream of frustration his hacked at the Dreadwyrm once again. The beast struck him and sent him flying back. Striking the ground and tumbling several times he dusted himself off and shook his head. “Lloire, you idiot… you should know better by now.” He admonished himself. With another shout he charged at the avatar again but in the last heartbeat ducked beneath massive wings and spun before leaping at his target. He plunged his sword deep into the chest of Blue who collapsed backwards as his summon began to fade away.

With yet another reflection dead, he turned to Shade again. The healing magics washed over him and he remembered to ask about the Geomancer too late. It wasn’t Shade that stepped up though, it was Kid. “Let’s see if all this pain, all this anger, you’ve endured was worth it Lloire.

If ever there had been a fight Lloire was prepared for, it was this one. Kid had the unfortunate duty of representing his past, his magicks that had for a time grown out of control. Lloire had hated his black arts for years after escaping the Garleans. That did not make him a less worthy opponent, but at least Lloire knew exactly what to expect.

Massive fireballs were shielded against, electricity endured as bolts of lightning surged through his armor. Kid never wavered, never flagged, as he released spell after spell on Lloire. The older reflection had several shots at killing Kid but each time his sword hand grew weak and he missed. After several more spells crashed around him Lloire realized that he simply couldn’t bring himself to slay Kid the way he had all the others.

Kid realizing this as well stopped with a fireball held aloft in his hand. “If you don’t fight, I’m’na have to kill you. Ya know that right?” Lloire shook his head. “I’ll defeat you, but I won’t kill you.” The younger reflection frowned. “Then you still lose.” Lloire started to speak when suddenly without warning Kid rose into the air, skewered on a scythe. Shade stood underneath him frowning. “Even here? Even where you know it’s not a real person, It’s you… Even here I must suffer your dirty work? I’ve had enough!”

Lloire felt his body heal one last time and looked up to see the healer drop to a knee. “Stop it! You’re killing yourself!” He shouted but had to jump back as Shade flung Kids body at him. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to save us!” Came a bloody scream from the scythe-wielding reflection. “Nothing!”

Their surrounds were a fitting backdrop for this battle. Blood and death. Light and darkness. Lloire struggled to fend off Shades attacks. Dark magicks struck at him beneath his guard, a wicked curved blade rent steel and carved deeply into armor and shield.

They fought for what felt like bells. Hot sparks showered them both as their weapons met. Cruor coated each, neither sure whose was whose anymore. Lloire struck with holy magicks, the Shade with hellish ones born of his darkest emotions.

As the fight wore on LLoire began to panic. Shade seemed so much more powerful than before. He was easily shrugging off the holy spells Lloire could manage and they were on equal ground with weapons. Visions of Shade making off with full control of his body sent a shiver down his spine and it was all the distraction Shade needed. His scythe caught on Lloire sword and with a twist his disarmed the main persona. The sword clattered to the ground several yalms away and before Lloire could even turn to retrieve it he found himself desperately defending his life with only his shield.

Shade struck again and again, with a fervor bordering on insane. It was all Lloire could do to lift his shield time and again, blocking the onslaught. Then he heard it. The end of his own life, his mind. A sound he’d only ever heard once before. A shattering split as the shield gave under the repeated strikes. A large crack formed as the shield splintered and shards were sent flying with each successive blow. When it was shattered beyond use Lloire felt a boot come up and slam into his chest. He flew back even further from his sword and crashed into the ground. Shade smirked at him. “Pathetic.” He took a step towards Lloire, seemingly savoring the moment. “Finally, I will take what I have earned all these years…”

It was then that a voice spoke in Lloire’s mind one last time. “Would you still fight on if you could?” Lloire watched as Shade lifted the scythe, a vicious smile growing slowly on his face. “I would.” The voice was his own. There was nothing broken about it like the others. It was simply his. “Then take up your blade and fight.” Shade swung in a curve meant to loose Lloire’s head but only made it halfway through the arch when he stopped, eyes widening. He gasped and a bit of blood shot from his lips. Lloire’s arm was extended and a grip was held shakily in his fist leading up to a long blade that jutted from Shade’s back. Another cough let more blood spray down on Lloire. “You- you did it…” Lloire rolled away from Shade, pulling the gunblade from his body as he pushed him to the side. The weapon began to glow for a moment before disappearing.

Lloire looked down of Shade as he died and felt a sense of foreboding that did not fade with his hated reflections death. Recalling the healer reflections state he turned and rushed over to the now completely emaciated geomancer.

“You… you… won. I knew... knew you would.” The healer said quietly looking up at Lloire. “You must never fear yourself… for you … you have won against us all.” Lloire shook his head sadly. “You shouldn’t have died to keep me fighting. You shouldn’t exist… I was never so noble.” A small smile from healer-Lloire graced his lips. “Not that you would ever believe, no. But we are more than what... what we see. We’re also what those who... care about us… what they believe in.” He closed his eyes slowly and Lloire watched the light fade from him as he too died.

Standing, Lloire looked about the blood covered fields. He’d won. Still, time passed and he began to wonder if he had to find his own way from this illusion. Before he could begin to think up a way out through, the corpses all began to glow.

“What the seven hells!?” Each of the slain reflections rose up and their wounds began to vanish. Each glowed with a different hue as they returned to their full strength. Shade simply smiled at Lloire knowingly, as though -he- had won.

Lloire turned on Kid who was glowing a bright white. “What the hell! You said if I won I’d be rid of you all!” Kid simply shrugged impatiently. “Shade said that and you believed him. Shade’s a liar, you should know that.” Lloire glowered at his youthful reflection. “Then what the fuck was the point of all this!?”

It was the healer who spoke this time. “You haven’t realized?” Lloire spun around to him and frowned. “What, that no matter how many times I overcome you all, you’ll still come back?” With a calm and compassionate tone, the Geomancer answered. “No, that you’ve nothing to fear from us. Even fractured as you are… You don’t fear us.” Lloire blinked and turned to look at Shade. “No, not even him.” The Hyur looked incredulous so his reflection pressed on. “You don’t fear us… you fear those around you. You fear they will die. That they are not up to the task of being in your life. Only when you don’t fear them… their deaths… only then will these phantoms in your mind be able to rest. Only then can we be one. The one who helped you overcome Shade. Our truest self.” Lloire seemed caught off guard by the answer and shook his head as the reality of it set in. They were right. He feared what would become of those he cared about much more than he cared for what became of him or any form of him, because deep down he did not believe he would lose.

“What do I do then?”

Now Blue stepped forward. “Finally! The right question.”

With those words a bright light flared around him and he found himself on face down in the sand. He pulled himself to his feet and dusted himself off with words repeating in his mind. “Why should that make it any less real?”

Slowly he found his bearings and turned back towards the West. Now he knew what had to be done. He had so many people to talk to. Ikara, Soren, Helene, Yuti, Velestine, and more. All those who meant something to him. Those he feared for. Now he just had to track them all down.

#lloire peace #ffxiv #ffxiv rp

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