Welcome to the Netherworld!

[lazyvassals]

[It is difficult to define what a normal afternoon is by Netherworld standards. In the dark, torch-lit halls of the Overlord's Castle, penguin-suited prinnies totter about pretending to do work, while most other vassals make no effort at all to pretend. No fights have broken out yet, but it is questionable how long that will last with the Overlord being awake. It is just the sort of calm that comes before something unexpected happens, or someone makes it happen out of boredom.

And that is precisely when the first stranger comes through the swirling vortex of the Dimensional Gate.

It doesn't seem so unusual at first, because people use that gate on a daily basis. But more people start to show up, people who aren't demons. The Gatekeeper herself has no idea where they've come from, or how they've found their way to the Netherworld.

Unfortunately, neither do the unexpected guests.]

Comments

[narsheprincess]

[She bites her lip, still confused.]

If this is an afterlife, it's a strange one. And...what do we do now?

[Without a war to fight, what is their purpose? She barely decided on fighting to protect, but is that even needed now?]

[bound_skyward]

We find out what our purpose is in this life. It doesn't seem that we've found our final place of rest, whatever that might be.

[He'd have seen his father by now, he's sure of it. There has to be something more that must be done.]

[narsheprincess]

[Terra nods, certain that there has to be more to it than a castle filled with demons and confused people.]

I guess not. But it seems we're to stay here for a little while, at least. After that...I wonder what's beyond.

[bound_skyward]

I doubt anyone knows for certain... but the sooner I can accomplish what I must here and move on, the better.

[Kain is always single-minded about completing his goals, so that's no different for this.]

[narsheprincess]

[She's silent, wondering if she feels the same way. There's no reason to stay here, but she's not as driven, uncertain what her path ought to be.]

I suppose it will take us a while to find out what to do. No one else here seems to know.

[bound_skyward]

I won't rest until I find some answers.

[He doesn't like not having a path, a purpose to set himself to. He assumes it'll be the same in this afterlife.]

[narsheprincess]

I understand. I want answers, too.

[She bites her lip, her tone growing more hesitant as she's not sure how he would react. All she knows is that she doesn't want to fight him, war or not.]

...maybe we could help each other?

[bound_skyward]

[Kain has to take a few moments to consider this. He knows it's not her fault, and he knows if Vaan could trust her... she was at least worth giving a chance. His trust would have to be earned, however, by seeing what the real Terra is really like, as he would do for anyone he truly didn't know firsthand. He figures it's fair enough.]

I suppose we could. It's not as if we have much choice for now.

[narsheprincess]

[That's all Terra really wants; a chance to prove herself. She relaxes upon hearing Kain, a small smile forming.]

I know, but still...thank you.

[bound_skyward]

It's nothing, really. Any enemy of Kefka is at least not my enemy.

[Perhaps even an ally, in time. Kain didn't give such chances lightly.]

[narsheprincess]

[She shudders at mention of Kefka.]

I never want to see him again. If it weren't for Vaan...I don't want to think of what would have happened.

[bound_skyward]

You were fortunate that he arrived when he did.

[He wonders if they'll have anyone like that to deal with here...]

[narsheprincess]

I know. I just wish he was here, too, so I could thank him.

[Sigh. She had hoped with Kain's arrival that there would be a chance of Vaan doing the same, but not so far.]

[bound_skyward]

Perhaps he'll yet arrive. If it was possible for me, then the others who were with me...

[Kain trails off, thinking yet again of the way it had all ended for him, for all six of them, truly.]

[narsheprincess]

[Terra bites her lip, remembering what he said earlier.]

You said he was no longer in the grip of the endless cycles. Then you mean...?

[bound_skyward]

There were six of us... we all fell in battle together, Vaan included. To die at the hands of manikins is permanent... unlike falling to other enemies.

[So he's still really confused about being... anywhere, right now.]

[narsheprincess]

[She stares downward, closing her eyes as though she can block out the awful news. But it sinks in anyway. So that's why Vaan never came to find her after he left.]

...why? Why are the manikins different?

[bound_skyward]

[Yeah, sorry about that. This is a conversation he'd never thought he'd be having for obvious reasons. He was expecting that they'd all be gone and forgotten and that would be the end of it.]

I don't truly know. I assume because they're abominations, mockeries of life itself. If we hadn't gone to ensure the rift was closed, through which they emerged... the warriors in the next cycle would have had no chance.

[narsheprincess]

[Terra opens her eyes again, blinking back tears.]

I guess it shouldn't be a surprise. If Vaan had to leave, he'd want to do it by helping as many people as he could.

...I can't imagine Chaos' soldiers would do the same.

[bound_skyward]

Never. They fought for their own selfish reasons, aside from...

[Kain trails off, conflicted, and grips his head as if in pain. Aside from Golbez. He was a true ally in the war of the gods, and Kain had known nothing else. With all of his memories in place, he's even more conflicted about him. He'd been used by Zemus too, but... it was impossible to ever forget the feeling of his voice intruding in his mind.]

[narsheprincess]

[Terra's brow furrows, unable to think of what Kain might mean.]

Aside from...who?

[bound_skyward]

Golbez. He had his own reasons for that... he's Cecil's brother.

[That had been hard to get used to, when they'd found out.]

[narsheprincess]

[She stares, startled.]

Why would the gods make them fight each other...?

[bound_skyward]

I've no doubt that Chaos enjoyed it. Besides, it wasn't the first time that they were forced to fight on opposing sides...

[narsheprincess]

That's awful. To repeat that with one's own family....