Reign of Absolution

But you are on the same side.

“Aye, snark, tone it.” she snapped her fingers, the gloved hands making a dull noise that didn’t compare of flesh on flesh. But she relaxed, turning her gaze away from him. The silence lingered and the thoughts reared up again, joined by why are you still standing here, keep moving. Mateus’ voice had proved to be a distraction to her misery once more. Gaining her attentions,

“I…” the blonde didn’t have a proper answer. Darkness in her, well there was a long list of reasons why that was but he wasn’t wrong. Stary was good, Fiamma was Neutral, and for all intents and purposes, Candy was evil. They were a balance. Fiamma was the scale. It had always been that way, well, she had known Stary for much longer. But they had always been that way. Her soul was far too tainted.

“I fight for what’s right.” though that wasn’t always true. She fought for what she wanted and normally the two things lined up. Staying alive normally came together with whatever purpose she was supposed to fill and her priority of staying alive was what she wanted.

He waited for her to say her piece, and simply nodded once when she had finished, his eyes closed in thought.

❝You hesitated. You don’t seem so sure.❞ He noted, quick to pick apart her cracking façade.

❝And I would not expect you to be. You fight for you, not what is right… and besides… who defines what is right and what is wrong? Surely not Cosmos, you’d never have any leeway.❞ He snorted, turning partially away from her.

The gloves blazed the moment his voice rang through the empty battle field she was moving through. The defense was a reaction, not taking this world lightly as it was the point to beat one another to a pulp to gain an upper hand. Currently she was still sworn to Cosmos and it probably would have delighted evil to put another one of their warriors in a coffin. Though the flame of the gloves didn’t die, she lowered her hands. Her posture straitening as she eyes the tall, majestic asshole that vocalized his position to her.

“The snark is unappreciated.“ Candy replied dully, even her tone was saturated with the ill willed feelings. She eventually, put the gloves out. At this point she didn’t care. It would probably put her out of her misery to get the shit kicked out of her.  Not that Mateus was a shoulder to cry on. But she didn’t feel particularly like she couldn’t share.

He had expected hostility, although the flaming gloves were something he hadn’t come into contact with personally, he’d seen the burns she’d put in some of his fellow Warriors of Chaos.

Not a pretty sight. He didn’t wish to be the next person on the list of recipients.

She extinguished them, however, and, to his delight and surprise, immediately told him what was wrong.

His eyebrows arched in surprise, and he made a pleased hum.

❝I am not the one on our side that has issues processing complex emotions. ❞ He responded, closing a bit more distance, now that he was fairly certain she wasn’t going to try to put a large flaming hole in him.

❝One almost expects you to feel conflicted. It is a conflict, after all. ❞Of course the sass wouldn’t stop there, but he at least didn’t sound condescending. He paused, tilting his head slightly to the side as he glanced up. There were still several feet between them, and he let the silence rest there before posing his question.

She“got separated” from everyone because she needed to think. Takein the information she had gathered from what they had learned today. The cycles were ongoing if the Chaos side won. And though time was running out they were still running. If Cosmos’ side won, the cycles would end and everything and everyone would go back to normal. Return home and the day was saved.

And Zack would go back to being dead. And she would go back to Midgar all on her own. Zack would be taken from her again. The thought rattled around in her head like a ping pong ball. And she needed to wrap her fingers around it. Candy was never the hero, she was never the one who came riding in to save the day. Sure she did her job, but she always did it at a cost. She didn’t get along with people. She didn’t like people. She killed things and didn’t bat an eyelash. And he loved her. Candy could blindly say that she loved him without a second thought. She loved him more than her life, her job. He was home and he was family. She’d gladly tear the world apart to keep him with her… And it occurred to her that…maybe that’s what needed to be done. Maybe he’d hate her for it. All of them would find it childish and..

Perhaps his least favorite aspect of the never-ending war was the lulls in between schemes, in between making plans and executing them, in which the only thing between him and his opponents was vast spaces and a battered world.

This was one such time. He did not enjoy lurking, waiting for some unsuspecting warrior to come along his path. He far preferred to lay traps, to plot his way through the cycles rather than rush headlong into them.

That was the kind of man he was. A tactician, a militaristic brilliance, a chessmaster.

He was not a pawn. And he hated feeling that way. While he forcefully took more authority than most of his comrades on the side of Chaos, there were a few who still treated him as little more than an ally, as an equal.

As if they were worthy of such a standing.

These were the thoughts that coursed through the mind of the Emperor as he made his way across the realm.

He happened upon her by chance, as most often was the case with such encounters, and paused, watching her from a distance before he thought to approach. He’d seen her around before. She was a warrior of Cosmos’, although from what he had witnessed, not a very good one. She did not fight for any discernible reason… only for the fact that the man she loved fought for the same side.

And she seemed ill at ease, as he came closer.

❝My goodness. Whatever is the matter? You look very troubled. ❞He announced before drawing nearer. His tone was light and aloof as always, but he didn’t present himself a threat. He had confidence that, should she decide to attack him, he could easily gain the upper hand and take her down.

Stary attempted to get out of the way, gritting her teeth and leaping to move, but the seal caught her by the ankle and pulled her into the vortex.

She was assaulted with an intense charge of energy and a scream ripped from her throat. She couldn’t move, she couldn’t fight back, and the pain was excruciating. The seal broke after a moment, and she staggered to get her feet under her, drawing her staff forward and snarling out an expletive.

She lashed out at him with the bladed edge of her staff and followed up with an overhand swing that brought the large gem that hung from the arc of the staff forward with velocity.

He was a magic user. Mages usually had terrible defense. She knew she could only take a few physical hits before she was hurting enough to want to bail.

He hadn’t honestly been expecting her to take the fight to a physical level, and quickly seized control of his staff once more to block her initial attack. That staff had a fierce looking, almost scimitar-like blade to it, and a brilliantly sharp point attached to that. The head of the staff looked positively tame by comparison.

The overhead swing was blocked as well, but the momentum of the large decoration that hung from the arc of the crook swung forward and caught him in the forehead. Staggered slightly, he stepped back and clutched where he had been struck and snarled.

That was a clever trick that would only work once.

He thrust his staff forward, creating a seal of magic before it from which magic sprung forth.

❝You’ll pay for that, upstart wench-!!❞

If that didn’t sound pretentious, then she was the damned pope.

He stepped off a bit, and she eased her tense battle stance back into one of observation. What he said was… confusing.  Cosmos and Chaos? What kind of world was she in this time?

“I uh… No?” She responded lamely, “I don’t think I’m a warrior for either, to be perfectly candid with you. No one’s told me anything. The only people… if you can even call them that… I’ve run into are those weird crystal things.” She gestured indiscriminately.

“Look, your… Excellency…?” She tried, “I’m just trying to get out of here. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude or… step on anyone’s toes. I’ll see myself out.”

❝Ah. The Manikins.❞ He nodded once in understanding, ❝They are rather troublesome, but if they attacked you, that means you are not one of ours.❞   

That was all the confirmation he needed. He released his scepter, and it stood upright, independent of him.   

❝And that means that you, my dear, are the enemy.❞    

 The scepter began to draw runes on the floor, a magic circle, and it sped towards the girl without further ceremony.   

This was the first real person she’d seen in this world since arriving, not one of those strange crystal beings that spoke in harsh, static voices.   

 Come to think of it… he looked a lot like one of those that she’d seen from a distance before.   

 “A what?” The crackling of energy prompted her to put some more space between them, and she called forth her own staff for defense. This guy looked like he was spoiling for a fight, and while she wasn’t keen on giving him one, something told her she wouldn’t have much of a choice.   

 “Who are you?!” She demanded, sliding her feet into a battle-ready stance and grasping her staff with both hands. 

This guy looked like trouble—all gold battle armor and imposing presence. He had horns for god’s sake, he had to be bad news on wheels.   

Heels, actually.Bad news on heels

❝You must be new… You don’t even know who you’re fighting against, poor dear…❞The Emperor’s sneer became a cruel and condescending smile, and he took several measured steps closer to her, each footfall echoing off the blue walls.   

❝I am The Emperor.❞And oh, didn’t he sound and look it. The way he held himself and the way he effortlessly filled the hall without raising his voice. She would be wise to kneel, but he knew better than to expect it. She looked ready to fight and if that was indeed the case, she would lose. Badly.    

❝You are a warrior of Cosmos, are you not? You cannot be a warrior for Chaos, else I would know… ❞ Or, at least, he hoped he would know. His comrades did like to keep secrets from him, but usually, when it came to those on their side, those they had drafted and even those they had lost to Cosmos, they were good at keeping one another updated.   

The new world was a puzzling land of contrasts in a dull, hazy sky, and war torn, tattered landscapes. When she arrived, it was just outside of the destroyed remains of a castle overlooking a sand bar and beach, with a tall pillar of light off in the distance.

Something was calling her towards it.

And so she had set out on her journey across the barren landscape, following the roads where they lead, and avoiding the strange gates where she could. On her journeys, she had seen crystalline beings that resembled humans, but rarely interacted with them, if at all. She had been forced to use her magic, but blowing through those strange beings had been an easy task. They were barely enough to work up a sweat, although she could see them being troublesome in numbers.

Her road came to an end when her only forward path was through one of the foreboding gates that dotted the landscape. Some were active. Some were not. This one glowed with an ominous red seal, and she gently reached out to touch it.

The gateway lead to a winding path, with many of those crystalline beings, and she systematically destroyed each and every one, pausing for a break only briefly to kick open a chest and find a potion.

When she reached the end of the gateway, by touching a sigil of some sort, she was teleported into a large hall with winding blue tile and purple accents. She scouted for the exit, humming softly to herself all the while. Potion in hand, she sat down against one of the pillars and turned the bottle over in her palm, inspecting the contents.

❝Well now, what have we here?❞ 

The voice echoed out to the strange girl, and from behind the very pillar she sat against, the Emperor emerged, pacing slowly around it to come to look down at her. He had heard her enter the area and incorrectly assume that it was empty.   

 Foolish.   

 He’d never seen her around before. Was she new to the war? Had she been summoned by Chaos, and he not yet informed? Or… more likely…   

 Was she a warrior for Cosmos?   

 She had all the appearance of a Warrior of Harmony… bright golden eyes, a sweet face, she even dressed like someone who fought for light. No one for Chaos would wear stars as a motif like that.   

 His upper lip curled at the thought.  

❝A warrior for Cosmos, no doubt.❞ He hissed, tapping his scepter on the floor. The sound echoed all across the hall, and energy crackled threateningly around him and the spot where he had struck.

Attention returning to the snake before her, she put a fingertip on top of his head, giving him a gentle pet as she did so. Maybe she had a way with animals? She and Shile got along fantastically after a little while, her getting used to interacting with a wyvern when she was young was rocky in the beginning.

Though the urge to smack him was pretty intense, she managed to push it away. 

❝That’s the first time I’ve heard that. ❞ He hummed, letting the snake slide from his fingers to around Anthia’s wrist. Ambrose contentedly rested his head atop the back of her hand, tongue flickering out idly. Clearly, the little serpent approved.   

❝And also the first time he’s accepted someone like this since... ❞   

❝Since me, dear. Ambrose hasn’t been so keen on anyone since, well... Mateus, actually.❞ 

Airu spoke, smiling serenely. 

❝I gave him Ambrose shortly after his seventh birthday.They were best friends at first sight.❞   

❝Ah. Yes, although I have been bitten enough times to build immunity to his poison. ❞ Mateus recovered quickly to save face, arching an eyebrow at his mother, who simply continued to smile at him.    

Making a strange clicking noise at the Queen, Shile lowered her head for her to touch if she so wished, though she kept an eye on the Emperor, letting him get as close as he wanted to her without complaint. 

Heat rose and prickled the back of Anthia’s next, listening to Mateus address his guards. 

Falling back into her stern manner, she made as if to address the Emperor and stopped when she saw the wee purple head of the serpent in his hair.

❝Ah. Yes, actually.❞ Mateus lifted a hand into his hair, and the snake coiled around his fingers. As he brought it back down. He looked to be a purple cobra of some sort, with large black eyes.

❝This is Ambrose. He is not as… well, amicable as Shile seems to be. Although he…❞ Mateus paused and eyed his snake carefully as he curled around his extended hand towards Anthia, tongue flickering out.

❝Seems to not have an issue with you if he is so curious.❞ He looked from the snake to the wyvern, and then to Airu, who looked on with approval. Mateus sighed quietly, loosening the curl of his fingers so that Ambrose could move more freely as he investigated the new person before him.

❝I would be more careful if he weren't so unusually friendly. He’s often quite protective of me and doesn’t like other people. He’s also quite venomous…❞

❝But isn’t known to bite unless he thinks you’re in danger, hmm?❞ Airu spoke up, reaching to stroke the snake’s head as well. He wove under her fingers for a moment before resuming his interest in Anthia.

❝…No, he is not.❞ A wry smirk came to play on his features. Alright, so perhaps it was a bit of teasing, telling her that Ambrose was poisonous and a bite risk, but it was true. Ambrose had bitten people who had gotten within striking distance of Mateus’ head before and died shortly thereafter in frothing, writhing messes.

Fortunately, that didn’t seem to be Anthia’s fate, as he was very good at guessing his snake’s motives. Airu had simply stopped him short of scaring Anthia too badly.

Arriving outside, she breezed past the two of them and jumped down the stairs, approaching Shile with a smile. 

The wyvern had her eyes on the guards around her, reddish-amber eyes narrowed in suspicion, until she heard Anthia’s approaching footsteps. She turned then and growled lowly at her, almost as if she were voicing her displeasure at being left alone in a foreign place.

Anthia didn’t stop until she was abreast of Shile, putting her forehead against the wyvern’s and closing her eyes for a split second, glad that no one had been stupid enough to touch her companion. 

That small amount of respect finally showed to him made pride swell in his chest. He’d earned a sign of respect by earning it. His guards all looked to him, awaiting his orders, but for a moment, he was simply taken by the sight of a Dragoon with her wyvern. He admired the bond, and felt a pang of something he didn’t like surge through his breast.

Airu approached first, extending a hand to Shile, and smiling serenely.

❝Shile… what a gorgeous name… ❞ The Dowager Queen commented, lifting a hand to stroke the wyvern’s neck carefully. After a moment of observation, Mateus drew nearer as well, one hand extended. He did not boldly touch the creature as his mother had, but instead let her observe him first.

He did not quite have the way with creatures as his mother did. He did not take the time to bond with them and treat them with care. A mouth was meant to be brave and strong, not a companion.

At least, that was how he used to view it. Witnessing the ties between Anthia and her wyvern was eye opening.

He glanced to his guard, reminded that they were awaiting orders.

❝Ready a stall for the Captain’s wyvern. Spare no details. The last of the wyvern riders is a guest of the highest honor, after all... ❞ At his command, the group saluted and hurried off towards the stalls, leaving the trio and the white wyvern alone.

From atop his head, he could feel the telltale shifting of the snake that usually sat motionless or sleeping atop his head. Many had mistakenly thought the purple serpent a crown, but…

Eyes shifting to Airu as she approached, she bowed her head in respect for the  woman. “Greetings, Your Majesty.” She’d heard a few stories about the woman as a child, from her own mother and thought that the once-Queen of Palamecia was a fascinatingly strong woman. Especially since she was married to the last Emperor.

❝Mmn. That would be a terrible circumstance. Very well. ❞ He began towards the doors, motioning for her to follow. He was actually quite curious to see this woman’s wyvern. He’d seen them before, but mostly at a distance.

Additionally, he didn’t want anyone to bring harm to her or her wyvern. That would not be beneficial to resolving things. If there was yet one wyvern and rider left in the world, he wanted to preserve that.

Airu was fast on his heels, gesturing for Anthia to follow them with a kind smile. For every one step her son took, she took two to keep up. Her concerns had sparked his own—what if his guard had made a wrong move around the creature? If her wyvern was harmed at all he’d be the one paying the price.

He grimaced at the prospect and turned sharply down a hall. Airu made sure that Anthia was able to keep up and did not fall too far behind the Emperor’s long gait.

He all but threw open the outside gates and barked an order for the guard to stand back from the creature. The soldiers had gathered, but no one had laid hand on the great white beast—or tried, even—and they all took several large steps back from it.

Thankfully, no one had been hurt. Mateus let out the faintest of sighs of relief. The last thing he needed was for something to go that horribly wrong.

❝You may place your wyvern in the stables, if you think that she can be trusted to not eat the other livestock… We have several large stalls that should be appropriate in size for your mount. ❞ He actually took the time to look over the wyvern, now that she was not in immediate danger of tearing his guard to shreds and potentially igniting another conflict.

❝White. I’ve never seen a white wyvern. She’s quite beautiful. I am glad that the two of you survived.❞ He meant that as sincerely as he could, glancing down at Anthia.