Multiple Settings The Mysterious Play: Hierophant of Skies (Accepting votes!)

[Minako]

Rosalina Chandra

Irakma Idea Felis ​

"Aaah!" You gasp as you suddenly, for lack of better words, "snap" back into yourself.

Well, you say that, but it feels more like your soul just re-entered your body or something...

You shake your head to get rid of any fuzziness or grogginess and give it a light smack too, for good measure.


You finally take a moment to look around to find--


Whoa...

Where ARE you?!

Jeez...


It looks like you're in some stone palace or something...?

How on Cion Isle did you get here, you wonder, just looking around in every which direction when before you, you spot---

!!!!!!

Oh! Oh gosh!




You take a step forward to---

YOWCH!!!

What the---?!

Glass?!

You're in a place made entirely out of stone, what on Cion did you ste---

>>THE COMPASS IS BROKEN AND NO LONGER GLOWING<<

Oh... Oh dear...




Aw geez! First things first: Someone needs your help!


You rush to the fainted boy before you, brushing off... stray rubble... from them...?

Doesn't matter, you need to see if he's okay first!

Huh... Odd... Why do you feel like... You've seen him before... Almost?



"Mmmmn," He mutters in your arms as you raise him from the ground and you breathe a sigh of relief they seem alright!

Hey...


Wait a minute...!

In their eye, that's---!!!

A crest?!



"A crest-bearer! You're a crest-bearer!" You exclaim, excited to actually only be ONE CREST-BEARER AWAY from actually COMPLETING YOUR MISSION!

"Ah, aheh heh, maybe a little quieter, please?" The purple-haired boy chuckles while cleaning out the ear you practically screamed in.

"Oop! So sorry, it's just.... Wow... The sixth crest-bearer! I just can't believe it!" You cry, trying to keep your volume down (and probably failing).

"Eh? Sixth--- Oh... Oh my..." He begins, at first about to question you, and he just stops... He's gawking at you speechlessly now...


"Uhm... Y-yes? Is everything ok? Is there something on my face?" You ask the obligatory question everyone does when they're being gawked at.

"N-no, no, sorry... I just... I wasn't ready for you to look like her... My Aurelia..." The first Emperor mutters sadly while now looking AWAY from you.

Geez... First you look like Hellie, the current Empress.... Then you like Clif's mama... NOW you apparently look like this Aurelia?!

...Your face is SO NOT unique!!!





Wait a second...

Aurelia...? Hmmm... Odd: The name almost rings a bell.... kinda? Like you heard something similar to it?


"Aurelia? Who's that?" You ask while tilting your head in confusion.

"...My wife..." The emperor answers hesitantly.

OH! OH GEEZ!


"The first Empress of Cion Isle...?" You blurt out without really thinking.

"Heh, yes," The exalted Emperor confirms, adding, "We were going to build a kingdom around the castle, but--"

He then pauses and looks around sadly--

"I guess that didn't happen..."

Kingdo---

!!!!!!

"--Auran," You bumble awkwardly.

"Come again?"

"The kingdom of Auran! The kingdom that she built was called Auran!" You blurt out, kinda forgetting your volume.

"Auran...?" The Emperor questions, confused, but then he chuckles and gently shakes his head, "Heh... She named it after herself... Good... She probably built it all by herself, so..."

"Yeah... She sounds amazing... Building a Kingdom from scratch and raising a child all by her--"

"WAIT, WHAT--?!"

"Oooooooh... She didn't tell you she was pregnant before your sacrifice, did she....?" You mutter, desperately wishing you could backtrack a bit...

Looks like Papa's hunch was right... The Emperor didn't know his Empress was pregnant at the time...



"NO! NO SHE DID NOT TELL ME SH-SHE WAS---" The devastated Emperor shouts, not at YOU specifically, but in general, on the brink of--

Ah... Fully sobbing now...



"I never even got to meet them... Actually... I didn't even GET TO BE WITH AURELIA for longer than a year or two... We wanted to take things slow and have children when we were ready... But... Then... Tritenas... When word spread that Tritenas got its Hierophant... I... I had to prepare..."


"I'm so sorry...."


"Why didn't she tell me... Why..."


"Maybe she didn't want to burden you with the knowledge that you'd leave behind your child as well as your wife to raise them alone... Maybe she... Thought it might... be easier on you..." You hear yourself mutter, definitely crossing a line and definitely uncharacteristically...


Where did THAT come from?


Aw geez, he's sobbing harder!


"I did everything for her and my people... I did everything I could for them to lead happy, long lives... I did everything to keep the peace between them and my aunt's people... I did it all and asked for nothing in return... I wanted nothing in return... Nothing... except..."

"To just live with my wife in peace and harmony..."

Your heart is breaking for the poor exalted Emperor...

He gave up everything for his family and people and wanted almost nothing in return and what he got was being turned into stone for 200 years and never even getting to meet their child...

It was HIS creeds and edicts that have helped you out most of the way, you realize: Sia's birth certificate, the trade routes, the laws that kept everyone (including the crest-bearers!) safe enough to even MEET YOU...


It was him. It was all HIM.


And now he kneels before you sobbing at having lost his family centuries ago...



You're a little lost and don't know exactly what to do first:

This is a HORRIBLE time for small talk (like asking for his name that you DIDN'T CATCH!) or for permission to look around the tomb...


You have a MIGHTY URGE to look around this place: There are strange "hieroglyphics" carved all around the stone walls of this place and while YOU can't read them you suspect THE EMPEROR sure can... Though the lurch in your stomach is telling you that you might not WANT to know what they say....?

Odd...

More than anything you DO WANT to COMFORT the poor guy... But...

What should be first things first?

>>COMFORT THE EMPEROR OR EXAMINE THE TOMB CLOSER?<<

 

[Irakma]

Okay, first of all, Poor Emperor. He's so lonely I say we absolutely comfort him. If we want to get more in touch with our ridiculous emotions, we should definitely do that. Fancy writings are cool and all, but we can go all Jean Francois Champollion AFTER we comfort this guy. We need to comfort him like a lot. I say we give him a hug for safety feelings, though with our face, it may be a bigger problem more than anything else. So secondly, glad to be back doing this again! Thirdly, how the heck did we get here, and also how panicked is everyone else? I'm pretty sure that when our resident windy boi gets back, he'll go flying in without a moment's hesitation to save us, which is sweet and all, but also incredibly illegal/maybe dangerous. Plus, our fire father is probably worrying his head off over us.

 

[Luna Moon]

uhh.......?

 

[Idea]

Given we're alone I don't think this is a case of teleportation or us waking up. This whole place might be temporary. We can give a couple words of comfort, but I doubt we can immediately deal with the emperor's emotional state right now. I suggest we talk to him about all the wonderful things that were accomplished thanks to him and his wife later, when we have time to spare. For now, let's get some clues. We could also invite him to talk about it, could serve as a distraction if nothing else.

 

[Felis]

I suppose there is the chance that this place is temporary, but I think we can spare a moment to try and offer some words of comfort for the poor Emperor first. Wouldn't it also be kind of jarring to go directly from "you had a child you never got to meet" to "what do all these hieroglyphics mean"? Though I agree that we should try to get clues afterwards, if possible (and asking about this place as a way of distracting him is a good idea!).

 

[Idea]

I suppose there is the chance that this place is temporary, but I think we can spare a moment to try and offer some words of comfort for the poor Emperor first. Wouldn't it also be kind of jarring to go directly from "you had a child you never got to meet" to "what do all these hieroglyphics mean"? Though I agree that we should try to get clues afterwards, if possible (and asking about this place as a way of distracting him is a good idea!).

If it was possible to do both, it seems odd you'd be offered a choice in this way. Nothing precludes us from trying to be tactful in how we switch topics, but I think we both lacks the right words to comfort him and most likely the time to spend comforting him.

 

[Felis]

If it was possible to do both, it seems odd you'd be offered a choice in this way. Nothing precludes us from trying to be tactful in how we switch topics, but I think we both lacks the right words to comfort him and most likely the time to spend comforting him.

Maybe we're on the same page, but are just interpreting the question differently?

If it comes down to spending the next hours on helping the Emperor working through everything vs. using the time to get clues, then I agree it may be better to focus on the clues. Limited opportunity for investigation aside, it's also probably best for everyone if we don't dredge old wounds up twice - once now and once when we reunite with the rest of the group.

But "first things first" implied to me that the question is what's the first thing we're going to do next, and I think after breaking the bittersweet news, we should take some time to console the Emperor before we question him about the hieroglyphics and/or this place in general.

 

[Idea]

Maybe we're on the same page, but are just interpreting the question differently?

If it comes down to spending the next hours on helping the Emperor working through everything vs. using the time to get clues, then I agree it may be better to focus on the clues. Limited opportunity for investigation aside, it's also probably best for everyone if we don't dredge old wounds up twice - once now and once when we reunite with the rest of the group.

But "first things first" implied to me that the question is what's the first thing we're going to do next, and I think after breaking the bittersweet news, we should take some time to console the Emperor before we question him about the hieroglyphics and/or this place in general.

I see. To me it just seemed like what should be our priority. Which is similar to what you’re saying except without carrying the implication we’ll be able to do the other one. This place seems like some kind of dreamscape rather than an actual location, for all we know we don’t have hours, we may have minutes before it simply ceases to exist.

 

[Irakma]

You guys are going for the Logos here. I'm gonna stick with the Pathos here and say that we are probably feeling a little sad the same as he is, and try and comfort him. I know I'm outnumbered, but I still feel as if we should comfort him. Just going straight for the 'Oh I wanna know what this means, I don't care about your emotions thingy' approach sounds dumb, especially if you let me phrase it as such. I really think we comfort the guy, more than anything else.

 

[Minako]

Rosalina Chandra

Irakma Idea Felis ​

Spoiler: previous votes

Okay, first of all, Poor Emperor. He's so lonely I say we absolutely comfort him. If we want to get more in touch with our ridiculous emotions, we should definitely do that. Fancy writings are cool and all, but we can go all Jean Francois Champollion AFTER we comfort this guy. We need to comfort him like a lot. I say we give him a hug for safety feelings, though with our face, it may be a bigger problem more than anything else. So secondly, glad to be back doing this again! Thirdly, how the heck did we get here, and also how panicked is everyone else? I'm pretty sure that when our resident windy boi gets back, he'll go flying in without a moment's hesitation to save us, which is sweet and all, but also incredibly illegal/maybe dangerous. Plus, our fire father is probably worrying his head off over us.

Given we're alone I don't think this is a case of teleportation or us waking up. This whole place might be temporary. We can give a couple words of comfort, but I doubt we can immediately deal with the emperor's emotional state right now. I suggest we talk to him about all the wonderful things that were accomplished thanks to him and his wife later, when we have time to spare. For now, let's get some clues. We could also invite him to talk about it, could serve as a distraction if nothing else.

I suppose there is the chance that this place is temporary, but I think we can spare a moment to try and offer some words of comfort for the poor Emperor first. Wouldn't it also be kind of jarring to go directly from "you had a child you never got to meet" to "what do all these hieroglyphics mean"? Though I agree that we should try to get clues afterwards, if possible (and asking about this place as a way of distracting him is a good idea!).

With a heavy heart, you realize there is nothing you CAN say to the emperor to comfort him... Not really?

What do you say to the man who lost it all?


...Looks like The Forlorn was RIGHT, after all...

“I…I’m sorry…”

You sit beside the emperor and wrap your arm around him, resting your head on his shoulder and letting his tears take their course.

There really is nothing else you can do… Guess after a moment of grief you'll have to push the Emperor to move on past this...


"I wish there was something I-I could do o-or say to comfort you... B-B-But..." You mutter apprehensively, glad to be cut off by the Emperor.

"No... No... I-It's alright... What happened... Happened..." He states (albeit very, VERY sadly) while leaning his head on yours as it's on his shoulder.

You place a hand on his consolingly.

"I-I'm not sure if you got my name through all that... Craziness... B-but... I'm Rosalina. Rosalina Chandra. A-ah! But, call me Rosie for short, Your Majesty..." You bashfully (and FINALLY!) introduce yourself to the First Emperor.

"Heh... Alright, Rosie," He chuckles, and you feel yourself pout at him for seemingly laughing at your name (you didn't regret it though, the pout apparently made him smile a bit) and he continues with, "I am Alaric. Alaric L'Cielo. First Emperor of Cae-- Er... I guess the Kingdom is Auran now, isn't it?"

"Did you already name your Kingdom before you... Er... Sacrificed yourself two hundred years ago?"

"It was newly established as Caelum HERE when I was first Emperor, yes, but I suppose dear Aurelia deserved to rename it since she rebuilt it and carried it on her back by herself afterward..."

"Y-you're gonna like Auran... Helli-- ER, uh, Her Majesty Empress Helena Lucienne Vivienne del Auran is doing a wonderful job keeping Aurelias Kingdom alive and helping the people cope through the plagues and famines with her future Husband!"

"Ah... So those are still as prominent as ever despite my decrees and edicts....?" Alaric asks worriedly.

"I-I'm afraid so, Your Highness..." You mumble sadly while hanging your head.

"I guess I used up all my power to save my people from hostiles... I couldn't expect to fix famine and disease with that as well... For all the good my power does me..." Alaric mutters just as sad... and a bit bitter as well.

"...Hey," You sternly state as you gently raise your hand to cup his chin on your palm and turn his face towards you, "You did an amazing job and used your power for better than most humans EVER have. Celosia is no doubt EXTREMELY PROUD of her incredible son."

>>ACQUIRED THE BEARER OF THE CELOSIAN CREST OF MIND<<

IS S**UAL A**AULT JUST A THING THAT MEN IN THIS WORLD DO?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!


With as much force as your little body can muster you shove Alaric off of you and wipe off your lips in some odd and feigned attempt to purify them or something... Whatever helps you feel better from unwillingly cheating on Elias!!!


"H-HEY!" You cry at him.

"A-AH! A-AH!! SORRY! SORRY! I JUST KINDA GOT CAUGHT UP IN THE MOMENT, I'M SO SORRY!"

"...Also, I am Hellie's TWIN... You know, your great great great great granddaughter..."

"I am SO sorry..."





After about a moment of sitting there in (a bit of an awkward) silence, You get up and begin investigating the tomb around the both of you. Crude and odd Hieroglyphics surround the area... But...

You feel strange when looking at them... You've seen something like this before, haven't you?

This definitely doesn't feel like the first time you've seen them... But WHY?

Hmmm... Wait...

The writing in Papa's journal?

These are... The same as the writings in Papa's journal...?





You place your hand on the odd markings, hoping against hope in placing your hands on them that they'll reveal their secrets to you, but... No such luck.


You hear the Emperor (finally) get up and make his way towards you and you turn around and smile consolingly...

"Think you can translate some of this for me?" You ask, feeling bad you're basically skipping over his pain, even if you DID give him a moment...


"S-sure," He replies, a little nervously.




Following the trend of your horrible luck with these revelations, it only took a couple of moments for Alaric's face to grimace and turn pale simultaneously.
Boy, oh boy, can you sure NOT WAIT until he tells you why he's having THIS reaction!


"What's wrong?" You ask as kindly as you can, but internally you are fighting a sigh and a "what is it THIS TIME?!" tone.

"...How..."

"How long did you say I was in stone for, exactly?"


You feel your whole body go cold and a lurch almost annihilates your stomach.

"T-two hundred years, wh--"


"Uhm, I don't think I was gone for ONLY 200 years..."


He crouches down and points at, what you're guessing, must be the YEAR his sacrifice was recorded, and are a bit confused to find he's only pointing to three numbers when---

Oh dear...


"Wh-what does this mean...?"


"It means you need to add another zero to that number..." He mutters.


"WHAT?!"

So he wasn't a statue for two hundred years but rather TWO THOUSAND YEARS?!



"B-but HOW--?! WHY--?!" You cry fervently going over the number you can't actually recognize as a number.

"Heh, well I was actually hoping YOU could tell me since you're the one who originally said two HUNDRED," Emperor Alaric chuckles and you immediately start begging him for forgiveness!

"I-I am SO SORRY! I HAD NO IDEA! I-I was told by Hellie and her future hus--"

"It's alright, it's alright," Alaric comfortingly smiles at you while placing a gentle hand on your shoulder, "That is, admittedly, A LOT of records to keep and upkeep so I'm not surprised if a digit or two got lost to time, haha..."

"Y-yeah... O-of course... S-sorry again..." You sheepishly agree while hanging your head.



...


.....


.........That IS what happened, right?


It was a silly mistake by Elmiel and not... him lying to you... Right?





...That also would explain why Adrian and Papa had so much trouble reading his ancestor's journal... Doesn't it...?




WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN!? ARGH!!!




You try to fight a snarl in your frustration, and only successfully do so because the bright, warm, rays of the sun suddenly penetrate your vision and nearly blind y---


WAIT, IT'S SUNRISE ALREADY?!


HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN HERE?!



"A-alaric! We have to get out of here! We have to go back to Sagemarsh! E-Elias and the others---"

"Are looking for you, right? Haha... I know... Sorry about that, by the way... I sensed your energy and knew you'd be able to help me, so..."

"I-it's alright," You shake your head, instantly forgiving him, and then run ahead, motioning for him to follow you.






"So, what exactly did you do to me back there, anyway?" You ask in a huff and hurry as you two make your way out of the ruins.

"Well, I... I sort of... Invaded and controlled your mind after I sensed you were so close... I'm really, REALLY sorry about that: After about 2000 years of being stagnant and then faintly sensing others like me only recently, you can imagine my determination to get the first person with high enough power under my control to set me free, heh heh..."

"Ah! That was it! You WERE the voice calling to us! That's great!" You cheer, sorta glossing over the mind-control and invasion part, then add curiously, "Wait... POWER? What power? I'm as weak as can be and just a plain ol' girl..."

Hey, hang on... Now that you think about it...


How DID you set Alaric free?!


What exactly did you do to free him from being stone?!


"You are anything but weak and plain, Rosie," Alaric chuckles, adding, "And I haven't the faintest idea how you freed me, all I know is once you got closer to me I began to be able to break free and---"


His explanation is then interrupted by a gasp.


"O-oh! My compass!"

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


ACK! THAT'S RIGHT!

YOU BROKE HIS COMPASS!


"A-ah! Y-yeah... S-so sorry about that... W-We needed it to track down the other crest-bearers... Once we collected their essence, it would then point us to the next one..." You murmur sadly as your no-longer glowing compass "thwacks" against your chest as you and Alaric job to the entrance of the Ruins.


"Ooooh... That explains it... It had the essence of five other crest-bearers... That power must have been enough to break me free when you got close enough..." Alaric acknowledges and nods.

"I-I'm sorry I broke your compass... I-if there's any way to get it fixed I-I'd be more than happy to help!" You offer bashfully and guiltily.

"...Heh, it's fine, Ro... Sorry I mind-controlled you..." Alaric states as he shakes his head and also apologizes.


You don't fail to notice just how impressive Alaric is: He was able to use his power to get you to him while mostly sealed in stone and was able to break free with the mere essence of only FIVE of his fellow crest-bearers...!


Still...


You still have ONE MORE crest-bearer to go...


Will Alaric be able to help you in the absence of the Compass??????









You and Alaric burst out of the Ruins like bats out of h**l, and as sure as sugar, off in the distance, you can hear---


THE DESPERATE CRIES OF YOUR FAMILY!!!!


"ROSIE!!!!"


"ROSIE!!!!!"


"OH ROSIEEEEE!!!"


!!!!!!!!

Hey now, that LAST VOICE is a VERY FAMILIAR VOICE you haven't heard in a LONG TIME!!!!


"ELIAS~!!!!!!!!! ELIAS~!!!!!!!! PAPA~!!!! COUSIN ADRIAN~!!" You shout at the top of your lungs, running forward and, hopefully, towards them!



!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ELIAS!

Gosh, did you miss this guy!


One night away from him felt like months!

"You found me!" You happily exclaim, pulling him into a hug after your kiss.

"Yeah! Thank goodness! We were so worried! We heard you went to the Ruins last night from the guards!"

"Aha... Uhm... Yeah... Ab-about that..."



"YOU---!!!!" You hear Sia thunderously roar as she catches sight of Alaric and you IMMEDIATELY INTERVENE before she does something YOU KNOW SHE'LL REGRET!


"A-AH! A-AH! WAIT! WAIT! BEFORE YOU DO OR SAY A-ANYTHING ELSE, I-I-I HAAAAAAAVE JUST ONE QUESTION FOR YOU!" You exclaim while putting yourself in between Sia and Alaric as quickly as possible.


"...Oh? And what is that?" Sia asks impatiently as she stops on a dime, huffing and cocking her eyebrow at you (to be completely fair, Alaric DID kinda kidnap you and you ARE kinda defending that...).


"Have you ever met Celosia's son in person before?" You ask plainly as you take a deep breath and clap your hands together.

"...No? Why?" Sia, now entirely showered in confusion and shock at your seemingly "random" question, asks.

"WOULD YOU LIKE TO?!"

Oh my Celosia, You killededed Sia!





"I see it but I don't believe it," Xander utters while massaging his temples and processing all of this as you finish telling everyone what you and Alaric had went through just hours ago.

"Oh my goodness! Never in all my years would I have guessed th-that... M-my ancestral father... W-was.... W-was---!!!" Hellie gasps, circling Alaric like a hawk and examining him like a nurse or doctor might their patient.

"Aheh, yeah..."


"This is incredible, my Liege," Papa says, but rather deep in thought, noting with his insight and adding, "To think you'd be able to free yourself with only a tiny bit of our power..."

"And it wasn't even the power of ALL SEVEN OF US COMBINED!" Sia exclaims excitedly.

"...That must be why the Compass broke... Once Alaric tapped into its power to break free the magic within the compass must have run out," Elias notes, rather scholarly you definitely don't fail to notice (and slightly be into more than you should at the moment).

"ACHITE PU! KATITU WARATE?!" Xantarra growls at Alaric and then pouts at him while protectively placing herself in front of you like a big dog might do for its owner.

"It's alright, Xannie sweet girl, he HAD to. He's ONE OF US. He's family," You explain to your little sister, guessing that Xantarra sweet girl is reprimanding him for kidnapping you.



"WHY ARE YOU ALL CELEBRATING?! THIS IS TERRIBLE!!" Your cousin Adrian suddenly booms in a panic he was probably holding in but simply couldn't church it in any longer.

"E-er, not that it's not great to meet you, Y-your excellency, No no, not at all, but--"

Adrian points at the compass like he was in a police station and is told to identify which vandal assaulted him or something, then adds back in a panic--


"We don't have a way to find THE LAST CREST BEARER ANYMORE! We should have gotten the Emperor as OUR SEVENTH AND FINAL CREST-BEARER! Now, with the magic in the compass GONE we'll never find them!!! Or summon Celosia for that matter!!!"


"But we followed it exactly as it pointed, Lad. If the Compass did not want us to find Lord Alaric lastly then it wouldn't have pointed it to him...?" Kaine poses a counterpoint while taking in Adrian's words.

"YEAH, WELL, FAT LOAD OF GOOD IT'S DOING US NOW! We're ONE CREST-BEARER SHORT, and, last I checked, The prophecy states WE NEED SEVEN, Not SIX! YOU GUYS, WE ARE DOOMED! ALL HOPE IS LOST!!!"

Oh boy.

It looks like you're gonna have to calm your cousin down before you can get anything else done...


Is there something (or someone) you can name or show to calm Adrian down?


Can you bring back his hope?

>>IS ALL HOPE LOST???<<

 

[Idea]

Crap, I don't remember the details well enough to recall if there was some kind of detail before this whole debacle... Something about a forest comes to mind, but other than that not really.

 

[Felis]

Noo Adrian, don't panic yet! We haven't even tried to see if the compass can be fixed or Alaric's powers are helpful in finding crest-bearer number seven or whatever else we can brainstorm within five minutes!

But as for clues we already have:

Didn't someone tamper with Celosia's enchantment on Rondo way back when (maybe that was in the forest Idea mentioned)? I think we suspected it was a crest-bearer, something about other magic users not having strong enough magic? Could that be used to power the compass, or could the other crest-bearers trace the magic back to its source, perhaps?

Also it might be worth investigating the thing with the pouch of medicinal herbs we found in the forest again (not 100% sure if it's the same forest, though), if we don't have another way of narrowing down the places to look in. Somehow, most of the crest-bearers have found themselves helping the people around them with their powers, after all.

 

[Minako]

Rosalina Chandra

Idea Felis ​

Spoiler: previous votes

Crap, I don't remember the details well enough to recall if there was some kind of detail before this whole debacle... Something about a forest comes to mind, but other than that not really.

Noo Adrian, don't panic yet! We haven't even tried to see if the compass can be fixed or Alaric's powers are helpful in finding crest-bearer number seven or whatever else we can brainstorm within five minutes!

But as for clues we already have:
ge
Didn't someone tamper with Celosia's enchantment on Rondo way back when (maybe that was in the forest Idea mentioned)? I think we suspected it was a crest-bearer, something about other magic users not having strong enough magic? Could that be used to power the compass, or could the other crest-bearers trace the magic back to its source, perhaps?

Also it might be worth investigating the thing with the pouch of medicinal herbs we found in the forest again (not 100% sure if it's the same forest, though), if we don't have another way of narrowing down the places to look in. Somehow, most of the crest-bearers have found themselves helping the people around them with their powers, after all.

Didn't someone tamper with Celosia's enchantment on Rondo way back when (maybe that was in the forest Idea mentioned)? I think we suspected it was a crest-bearer, something about other magic users not having strong enough magic? Could that be used to power the compass, or could the other crest-bearers trace the magic back to its source, perhaps?

Also it might be worth investigating the thing with the pouch of medicinal herbs we found in the forest again (not 100% sure if it's the same forest, though), if we don't have another way of narrowing down the places to look in. Somehow, most of the crest-bearers have found themselves helping the people around them with their powers, after all.

...

Yes. That's right.


You're not quite finished with all the mysteries of this world... Are you?



You gently squeeze Elias' hand to get his attention and the two of you exchange glances for a second, as you both know what needs to be said.

You nod confidently as if to say to your love "I got this".



"Heh..." You begin, a bit cockily, continuing with, "You wouldn't know this because you didn't join our party quite yet, Adrian... Actually, this was before Elias and I even started recruiting you guys, but---"



You pause and raise your hand high in the sky--

"RONDO, TO ME!"

"In Tornigan woodlands, right before we got to the mountains where Papa resided, my halberd kinda got enchanted AND messed with in the middle of the night... And considering I'm pretty sure Celosia herself did it, I think the only one powerful enough to mess with this is either a crest-bearer... Or a relative of one. Either way: We have our lead."


"Oh, Thank Celosia," Adrian clasps his chest while sighing exasperatedly like he just got over a heart attack.

"Yeah, that sounds like my mother alright, heh..." Alaric scratches his head while bashfully verifying your story.


"So then they are located in Tornigan Woodlands? Hmmm... We still have a problem: Even IF we know to look for them there it might still be like looking for a needle in a haystack despite knowing where to look... To the best of MY knowledge, there are no residencies or even encampments in those woodlands... And that's generously assuming they're still even IN the forest at this point in time. How long ago was this?" Sia seriously asks after a brief moment of deduction upon hearing your tale.


Aaaawwwwwwww nuts...

Your Stormbringer has a hurricane of a point...





...Wait...

Or does she?




"Aheh, Aaaaaaaaactually," Alaric begins as he clears his throat to demand everyone's attention, essentially saving your skin before the last shred of your hope was torn to ribbons, "That won't be a problem. If they're located in the woodlands I can find them. I promise you guys."

RIGHT!

Your (new) resident PSYCHIC is here to save the day!

GO ALARIC, GO!


"Oh?" Papa asks, a bit quizzically but still trying to be respectful.


"My psychic powers can definitely pinpoint them if they're somewhere there. It'll be child's play to find them with my abilities," Alaric notifies everyone confidently, taking the lead like the Emperor he was born to be.


"YES!" Adrian cheers, so happy and relieved your party hasn't hit a dead end before mission completion and you clap with his cheers, joining him in his joy.

"Wonderful! We needed to head back there anyway to get back to the Kingdom, so this is convenient!" Elias points out, happy as well.



"U-uhm... S-so... A-am I coming with you guys to fetch the seventh and final crest bearer, o-or...?" Hellie interjects meekly.

"Sure! If you wa--"

"I-it's just... When Elias and I left w-we kinda told Elmiel this was a one-night thing..."

"Oooooh... Shoot... Darn, if only there was a way to talk to him and stuff..."



"Don't worry about that, I can---"

"OH! OH! THAT REMINDS ME! I ALMOST FORGOT!" Elias suddenly shouts, kinda (rudely) interrupting Alaric as they were about to say something

Hm?
What's he fishing out of his pouch???

Oh!

What a pretty gem!
Er, crystal?
Jewel?

Dang it, Jim, You're a hierophant, not a geologist!!! You don't know!!!

"Oh! Yes! Right!!! The gabby stone!"

The what now?


"Uuuuuh, what?"

"Heh heh... Just... Listen..." Elias coyly winks at you while wrapping his arm around you, nuzzling your cheek, and then...

Tapping it...?

Uh... Ok?

Was something supposed to happen, or----






"Hello? Hello? Elias? Are you there?"

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



AND ANOTHER VOICE YOU HAVEN'T HEARD IN A WHILE!!!


"ELMIEL?!"

"Aha! Excellent! Hello Rosie!" Comes the friendly familiar voice of your love's brother that's almost music to your ears!

"WHOA! HEY! WHAT NOW!?"

"Ha ha ha, sorry, I guess I should have given you one of these before you left, huh? There are only two and we usually try to keep them with the royal bloodline... They were created by the first Emperor's son to keep in touch with his mother during his travels, after all..."


"So I had a son..." Alaric almost whimpers on the brink of tears and you give him a quick hug while the rest of your crest-bearers give him conciliatory pats on the back.


"Huh? What was that?" Elimiel asks, thrown off his current train of thought by the voice.

"Oh! Uh! I-it's a long story! W-we'll tell you when we get back, maybe, ok?" You backpedal for Alaric, wanting to give him some space between having to relive the revelation over and over again.

"Errrr... Alright... Anyway! So! How are you doing? How's progress on gathering the Crest-Bearers?"

"Good! Good! I've already got six out of seven! Just got the sixth actually--!"

You pause to beam at Alaric.

He smiles back!


"REALLY?! WOW! That's amazing, Rosie! YOU'RE AMAZING!"

"W-well, I wouldn't---"

"Ah, so, then you're on your way to find the seventh and final crest-bearer, correct? Do you know where you're heading exactly?"


Errr..... Weeeellll....


"U-uh, well, yes, kinda---"

"We have a proximity on their location, once we reach it we can pinpoint the exact location final crest-bearer," Alaric chuckles while placing a gentle hand on your shoulder and shooting you a consoling smile.

You beam back at him.


"Yep, that's right!" You agree.


"Ah! Fantastic! So am I to assume it shouldn't be long until you recruit them and return to the palace, then?"

"Uuuuh... Well..." You kinda bauble, hesitating to give a direct answer as your group still hasn't decided what to do with Hellie in your party yet.

"Yes. We'll be heading out for their approximate location shortly. Don't worry, Her Highness Helena will be back to you within a couple of days while we head out," Alaric, like a true Emperor, firmly states as he takes the lead. Again.

"Very well. I'll expect Hellie back soon and you all shortly behind her. I can't wait to meet you all!"

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh---"

Wait. Stop.


"Just think: Soon we'll be performing the ritual to summon Celosia with all seven of you! It shall truly be a wondrous sight to behold!"


"Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh---"


"Ah! Oh, and Rosie? I have a surprise for you!"

?!!?!???!?!?!


A... surprise?

"Wh-what kinda surprise?"

"Well if I told you that, my dear, it wouldn't be much of a surprise, now would it?"

Surprise?

What surprise?

Why???


Why do you have a weird feeling all of a sudden....??????


"Now, now, it's just a small, little pleasant thing, nothing too big or troublesome, just something I think you'll enjoy when the time comes~!" Elmiel chirps on the other end of the glowing gabby stone.

You turn away and scratch your head, for some reason you'd give anything to see Elmiel's facial expressions right now.


Why do you suddenly have a bad feeling about this?



"Alright then, everyone, I must go: Duty calls and all that. I'll expect Hellie back soon and hope to see you guys shortly after! Farewell for now!"

The stone stopped glowing.

"H-HEY, WAIT A MINUTE, ALARIC! WE HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT HOW WE'RE GONNA SEND HELLIE BACK! SHE MAY HAVE TO COME WITH US TO GO GET THE FINAL CREST-BEARER!"

"Well, I mean... We could just have Elias take back Hellie as he brought her here before...?" Adrian pitched in.


WHAT?!


AGAIN?!


NO!!!



"Well, I was going to offer... If your party had no caravan or doesn't mind leaving it behind..."

"Huh? What?!"


"I can get us to those woodlands... More importantly, I can get us there far quicker than any horse-drawn carriage can," Alaric comfortingly smiles at you while kindly informing you why he said what he said.

"Huh buh chuh guh wuh....?????" You incoherently babble, trying to figure out if you heard him wrong... or if you believe you heard him right and how in Celosia he intends on DOING THAT.


"Do you trust me?" He asks, looking right into your eyes very seriously as he does so.

"Y... Yeeeeesss....?" You answer his question more like a question.


"Great!" Alaric cheers, clapping his hands together and gesturing for everyone to gather around him, most likely in a circle, "Now then, I'm guessing you all DO, in fact, travel via a Caravan? Since the majority of us with crests are gathered---"

He then looks at Xander--

"Plus a couple extra, it would only make sense."


"That's right, my liege. Elias' brother and Her Highness' betrothed, Elmiel, gifted it to us when we began the search for Adrian," Papa explains while nodding his head, it's clear from the look on his face he's processing everything and pondering every nook and cranny of this situation... And you can't blame him!


"I got it, I got it," You suddenly hear your big brother say, and although he's nearly chuckling you can't help but get ANOTHER bad feeling... yet again...


What is going on with you today????



Xander rolls his eyes and jokingly raises his hands up in defeat.

"I'll go take Hellie back to the Kingdom with the Caravan. You guys get going to Tornigan Woodlands and get the final crest-bearer."

"You... Don't wanna come with us?" You ask, heartbroken, clutching Rondo a bit more tightly.


....That's right... Rondo...



Calliope...



There are finally no more obstacles in your path: Your next goal is, essentially, Calliope.



"Of course I want to," Xander gently responds, getting closer to you and gently planting a comforting hand on your shoulder, "But you don't need me anymore: Your training is complete. You guys will need Elias and the rest of the crest-bearers when searching for the final crest-bearer, so he CAN'T be the one to bring her Highness back. Plus, as Lord Alaric said, someone has to drive the caravan back to Auran anyway since you guys won't need it anymore either. I'm the only one who should since I don't have a crest, so right now her Highness needs me to take her back to the Palace AND Elmiel."


"B-but I need you too..." You whimper pathetically, begging and pleading Xander with your eyes to stay, adding while you almost start sobbing, "I-I can't finish this without you..."

"No, you DON'T need me. Not anymore," Xander firmly but kindly corrects you as he gently raises your hung head by the chin with his big brother hands, continuing with, "I have faith in you and your training. You've worked incredibly hard every step of the way. Look at you: You've already gathered SIX out of SEVEN crest-bearers! It's incredible you even got TWO or THREE, let alone THE MAJORITY OF THEM! You can do this. With or without me. I know you can."

You can't stop yourself: Tears are streaming from your cheeks and you are sobbing uncontrollably as you throw yourself onto him into a tight hug.

You don't want him to go.

You don't wanna be apart from your big brother.

"Hey now... What's with all the crocodile tears? We'll only be apart for about a day or so..." Xander chuckles and YOU KNOW if you could see his face you'd see him rolling his eyes right now.

"I-I-I know that... B-but... B-but...!" You choke and sob like a newborn infant as the barely (if even) coherent words somehow manage to escape your throat and you are unable to continue that thought.


He's been there with you since the beginning. Helping you all along the way, despite not even being a crest-bearer!

...And now he's leaving you...


"Heh. "But" nothing. You've got things to do, so stay calm and carry on. You've got this. I know you do."

Heh... He wouldn't be your big brother without telling you "stay frosty" one last time, huh?

"Finish this. Go get that last crest-bearer, okay?"

"O-okay!"

>>XANDER HAS PERMANENTLY LEFT YOUR PARTY<<
>>HELLIE HAS LEFT YOUR PARTY<<






Why, oh why...

Does this feel like a final farewell...????

Like... Like you just said goodbye to Xander forever??

Looks like all your decisions have led to this... Right?

As you watch your big brother and twin ride away with the caravan and horses in tow, you can't help but wonder if you could have made different choices to keep Xander here with you... Could you have said or done anything differently to avoid separating from Xander?

Should you have made different choices that would have led to something different happening right now?

Was this inevitable or could this have been avoided had you made different choices?????

Did this have to happen?

These thoughts weigh heavily upon your heart as you continue waving goodbye even though Xander and Hellie are now completely out of sight...

"Hey... It's ok..." Elias scoops you up into a warm, comforting embrace, adding, "Like Xander said: It's only for a day or so! We'll be back with Xander and Hellie in Auran before you know it!"

"R-r-right... Yeah... B-back with them in Auran b-before we know it..." You repeat after him as if saying it over and over again will make it inevitable.

Geez...

Of course Xander would have to leave your group just as you're about to re-encounter the very person that was the reason you wanted to be trained with a weapon and in combat to begin with...


In a weird dramatic irony it's fitting, you suppose.




It's all led up to this: Your's and Calliope's inevitable rematch.
Sure, it's not 100% set in stone you two will fight or HAVE TO fight in order to either recruit her OR get the true final crest-bearer's location... But...

Come on...

Let's be really real here...


You're gonna have to fight her.


No "if's", "and's", or "but's" about it.


You two will probably end up fighting.

Round TWO, b****.



After your party grabs what it needs from the caravan and Adrian gives Dewdrop a quick nuzzle goodbye you ask to stop by the Inn to go get changed out of your jammies (you've been in a nightgown this entire time, after all!) and you are SO thankful to Celosia they oblige!

Once you're all ready, Alaric offers to take the lead and tells you he will explain everything once you get there to better SHOW you all than TELL you...

Whatever THAT means...





"Alright, does everyone have everything they need for the next few days?" Alaric asks while walking forward after leading your Party...


Well, you're not really quite sure where, if you're honest.


"Yeah!"

"Yes, my liege."

"Yuh-huh!"

"Affirmative."

"Kakutete!!!!"





With bags, ropes, and supplies in hand, your group anxiously follows Alaric to...

Uh...

Wait a second...

You guys... Aren't near the EDGE of Cion Isle... Right????????????

...Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight????????

"Wait right here, okay? I'll be right back!" He cheers like he's NOT a few steps from the very edge of Cion Isle!



...He's... He's not gonna...

Is he?!?!?!

ALARIC?!?!?!?


ALARIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

>>TRUST ALARIC AND STAY OR JUMP AFTER HIM????<<

 

[Idea]

I say trust Alaric. I can't imagine the kind of trouble we might get in if we tried to interfere with the psychic long-lost emperor's work while standing at the edge of the island.

 

[Felis]

I can't help but feel somewhat concerned about this turn of events, but I'll also say trust Alaric.

Alaric seems to know what he's doing, whatever it is he's doing. If he has a way to get back up, everything is fine anyway and we got worked out over nothing. If he doesn't... I don't see how we can fix that? But he wouldn't have sent the wagon away if he wasn't sure this was going to work, right?