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]

[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....

[bound_skyward]

It truly is a terrible thing... nothing is worse than being manipulated or worse... controlled...

[There's an especially upset tone in his voice at that.]

[narsheprincess]

[That tone doesn't go unnoticed, and Terra stares at him.]

You sound as though you know what that's like....

[bound_skyward]

[Ah. Well, he really hadn't meant to bring this up. It's not something he regularly talks about, ever. Kain is silent for a moment averting his gaze and then, after a moment, he simply nods.]

Back home...

[narsheprincess]

[She winces in sympathy.]

I'm sorry. I'd never want someone to know what that's like.

...did they make you fight, too?

[bound_skyward]

[He can't believe he's having this conversation. Kain takes a deep breath, not especially fond of thinking about it. Among the memories that had returned to him, all of this was the most painful.]

...Against my closest friends and comrades.

[narsheprincess]

[Terra sighs and stares downward.]

That must have made it even worse. I hope you didn't succeed.

[bound_skyward]

I didn't, but that doesn't change what happened...

[The intentions had been there, that darker side. He wanted to kill them all, Cecil especially.]