Under the Sea: Conclusion and aftermath

[voidtreckermods]

Ritual

The jellyfish is no more and as red team take stock of their injuries, or collapse from exhaustion the lights zip around them, singing their song of joy. They gather around the light that had been inside the jellyfish and now that it has been released it is obvious this light is different. Stronger. They surround it and the song gets even louder as they begin to move towards the plinth.

In the caverns where the purple and orange team are there is a stillness. For those in orange team still in the cavern they can only hope that the instructions they gave out had been followed. Luckily for them they have been, Purple team have done a remarkable job of defeating the crabs and cleaning the temple. The priests gather around the shell on the alter, arms linked together in prayer as they seek to re-sanctify their temple. As their prayer begins they will invite the voidtreckers to join them, though no one is forced into taking part in the ritual. They suggest that they use their strange wrist jewellery to open communication with their friends in Bui.

The monster on the beach is defeated and though the fight is still raging against the crabs, a beacon has been built and lit. The islanders who are not fighting gather around it, linking arms, drawing any voidtreckers who don't object to joining them into the circle.

The song begins hesitantly, almost as if everyone has forgotten the words and only half remembers the tune. The SCA translates, the prayer is simple, a blessing on the land and its people, deliverance from the darkness and hope for the future.

The light from the jellyfish reaches the plinth and is set upon it. The song heightens and the light shoots upwards, blinding in its brilliance.

Through the dark storm clouds a light streams towards the island, most of it towards the beacon on the island though there is a break away light that goes towards the train, where some of orange team have set up a second beacon. It swirls around those on the train roof, singing a song of happiness and bounces back towards the island.

The light reaches the main beacon and hits it with a strength that lights up the whole sky. The light splits more solidly into two and speeds off over the ocean. Light pours into the underground caverns, not caring about the ocean and rock in the way, the light pools into the shells, the caverns glow warmly.

Outside the storm calms, clouds roll back, the sun shines. The sea stills. The wind stops. The sun is rising, a beautiful dawn. Any monsters left scuttle away, vanishing into the ocean, away from Bui.

Those with any powers that they couldn't reach before find them returned in a rush. Those who can sense life find this world teeming with it. A song that dances between every plant and creature.

Some of red may have evacuated to the train but those who stayed to see the ritual through, the world around them seems to melt away and they find themselves back next to the rock pools. Among their number there are some confused looking islanders who intrinsically draw closer to those who helped free the lights.

Orange and Purple

Down underwater there's noise and a babble of voices as the citizens of Bui wake up. There's a shimmering around the city now, like a shield though they can pass through easily. Parents scramble to locate their children and all check on loved ones and friends.

The familiar voice of train announcements is heard through Orange team's SCAs. Orange return to the VoidTrecker Express. Once everyone is on board it flies low over the ocean, skimming the waves.

In the underwater temple the priests finish sealing the ritual and then it is time to begin the return trek. There are no monsters this time and after a few hours, as they emerge onto the first of the sandbanks they will find the VoidTrecker Express is waiting for them.

Red and Blue

The monsters gone, those of the island gather everyone from the rock pools and for a few hours everyone sleeps.

At about noon the islanders begin to stir, begin putting things to rights. Wood is moved from the strategic points to more communal campfires on the beach. Any dead monsters that haven't been gathered for food have been washed out to sea, disappeared into the depths. They begin to prepare food and won't turn away any helpers. Though those who have been fighting are encouraged to rest.

The islanders bring blankets and start to gather. Everyone is exhausted but the children, in the way of children find the energy to play in the sea and the sand.

Beach Day

Early afternoon the train lands on the beach and everyone gets a holographic message to their SCA.

Mission successful. Well done Voidtreckers. Enjoy the rest of your day. You will find suitable clothing in the dressing room. A new recipe has been added to the kitchen information points.

The dressing room is indeed open once more, this time it holds swimsuits of every style, shorts, t shirts, wraps and beach skirts. Sun hats and sunglasses can also be found. It's a bit of a mush mash but they should be able to cobble together something other than their uniform wet suits.

Time to laze around on the beach or for those who still have energy swim or play. A few hours later a ripple across the water brings some of those from Bui and they swim or lounge on rocks to talk.

Food and stories

Food is cooked and shared, the islanders will happily try the voidtreckers' offerings and share their own. As the sun begins to set they gather around the fires. Stories and songs are shared and there's even some dancing for the brave.

Voidtreckers can choose whether to sleep in their own beds or spend one last night on the island before the train flies off into the sunrise and into the void.

Comments

[blitzcheer]

Truthfully, if it wasn't for everyone getting clothing suited to their team colours, Tidus wouldn't have been able to make the guess for Red for the guy--and even that didn't really speak for what he end up doing, until he confirms it himself.

But Tidus gives a small shrug as Xue Yang goes on, getting his gist. "Sounds like everyone got stuck fighting oversized seafood. Don't know about Orange, but Purple got caverns full of crab, and the island got swarmed by them, squids, and some weird thing with a shark head and a bear's body. That sound the same for you?"

That's not including the final monster, but that was a thing of its own.

[xue_yang]

"Similar. I mostly dealt with crabs. And a very large jellyfish that didn't know what it meant to give up." It died a very disgusting death though. He didn't care much about freeing the lights but he did enjoy letting off some pent up energy.

"Even with as many fighters as we had, it took everything that everyone had to take it down."

[blitzcheer]

"Wow," Tidus lets out, impressed at the picture of Red Team's strength Xue Yang weaves of that. And their hardiness, too. "Good thing we had you guys there! So? You'll be sticking with Red Team and hoping you more jobs like that?"

There's an ease of which he asks it, an intrigue, adding with a wave of his free hand, "It sounds like you got into it!"

The guy didn't look that beat up anyway, and he seemed pleased by the accomplishments of the team.

[xue_yang]

"Red team seems to get all of the excitement so I believe I'll stick with it. If it gives us an excuse to get off the train and let off some aggression, I don't see why I shouldn't take part."

Xue Yang was still standing (mostly) when it was over so he feels his contribution was quite large. Though he will admit that he couldn't have done it on his own.

"I was given a sword by one of the others. I'm pretty good with those so striking deciding blows wasn't difficult." He's smirking, the sword still in his possession until it's owner decides to request it back.

[blitzcheer]

Tidus can't blame the guy for wanting to blow off some steam, and if it was against mutant crabs and jellyfish, why not? It wasn't like most of them from the train weren't glad to get out, and even Tidus preferred a fight over idling (though, more breaks would have been nice...).

But his interest grows, and with it, he decides to sit, closer to where he is already than taking any direct seat next to Xue Yang. Asking as he comes down, his bowl being placed on his lap, "So, what were you back in your world? A warrior? You enjoy a fight, that's for sure."

Kinda like he wouldn't mind doing it for a living--but is that weird to say? He sounds invested in a good battle anyway, similar to the Ronso tribe and their pride in strength... but no, that's not exactly right, either. It's more like how he's seen some people on the train, and the difference between someone who fights because they want to, or have to.

It's been peculiar.

[xue_yang]

"I suppose you could call me a warrior. We were called cultivators on our world. Most cultivators use their powers to fight the dead..and when necessary, each other."

For him..he uses the dead to fight for him. He does enjoy fighting himself when the opponent is interesting, but it's also fun to sick fierce corpses on them and watch them attempt to survive.

[blitzcheer]

"What, is being a cultivator a cut-throat business? Do you get into fights often?"

The part about fighting the dead gets the barest lift of a brow, unlike the rest. Fighting the dead--that isn't that unusual, even if that isn't the way it's described in Spira.

[xue_yang]

"Whenever there is a struggle for power there is a battle. Everyone wants to be on top." And Xue Yang prefers the bottom but also enjoys serving the ones that want power and watching the chaos it causes. Of course for him, he's been the dog of two such sects which means he gets sent out to do a lot of the dirty work that the higher ups can't get their hands dirty with.

"And no one likes what they don't understand. So anyone who goes against the natural state of things is considered an enemy." He would fall into that category if so many didn't find his practices rather useful.

[blitzcheer]

Tidus needs a moment to think about it.

"I guess I get it," he says eventually. Maybe not so much the last part, but people wanting control, power--that's universal. "Where I'm from, our dead turn into fiends if you don't Send them, but everyone has to deal with a fiend problem. They're everywhere. But where you're from...so it's a special job? And I guess you work for different people."

Was that it?

[xue_yang]

"Not everyone has a golden core which is what it takes to control your spiritual energy. Only those with the core are able to become cultivators. And cultivators are generally members of a sect and those are asked to protect the towns in their area."

Xue Yang has worked for a couple sects as well as just doing whatever he wanted.

[blitzcheer]

"I see," he says, and maybe he does better now, nodding a little. "Summoners--they're the people who perform the Sendings, and they can call on the power of beings called the fayth to battle with. Except they do that to fight a bigger problem than just the normal fiends."

This guy's world... it had some problems going on, but also like bids of power between different people. People already with power, probably.

[xue_yang]

"So dealing with the dead is important on both worlds." He wonders if there is any world that doesn't have to deal with spirits and walking dead trying to haunt and kill people.

"So what is the bigger problem?"

[blitzcheer]

"It was something called Sin," Tidus explains, a grim pull of his mouth. "Been around for about a thousand years. Went around destroying anywhere that got too populated." So, it was a world not unaccustomed to death.

"It's gone now, and there aren't really summoners anymore. But I did hear that there was some trouble--people with different opinions rubbing each other the wrong way. But a world like that, it's gonna have growing pains. Everything got turned upside down right around Sin was defeated."

[xue_yang]

"Well when you have a power like that and it is suddenly taken away, chaos is inevitable." It's the same as whenever a powerful sect gets taken down. Someone wants to take it's place.

"I'm amused they called it Sin." Of all the things..it's like the world decided to blame it's sins on something that was trying to eradicate any place that seemed to have too many of them.

[blitzcheer]

"It was their 'sin'," he explains wryly, smile still sour. "People got too lazy, used machines to make life easier--and that's why Sin appeared."

Tidus tips his head, huffing. "Or so that's what they said. They built a whole religion around it so that one day they'd get rid of it, but it had nothing to do with that. And the ones at the top knew it. Not surprising, huh?"

[xue_yang]

"Not surprising at all." Human nature is to lie so of course the people on top lied to those below.

"And what was your job in all of that?" Since it didn't sound like he was one of the people who sent off the souls.

[blitzcheer]

"I was a summoner's guardian -- the last summoner's guardian," Tidus corrects, and that does bring a smile on his face.

"She had to go around Spira -- where we're from -- and pray to get the strength to take on Sin, so me and some others were there to protect her on the road. She could've trumped any of us with the power she got from the fayth," he admits with a laugh in his voice, "but it wasn't a short trip. And Spira's got a lot of fiends."

[xue_yang]

"So then fighting is in your nature as well since you were protectors. Then this little event shouldn't have been any issue for you."

It seems the train has a lot of fighters and not all of them are on the red team. It's curious to see why they get chosen for the teams that they do.

[blitzcheer]

"If fighting's what they need me to do on these missions, I'll be ready for it, no problem!" he declares. Because hey, no problem indeed. Nothing he isn't used to.

"Maybe I'll even try a Red mission next time. You and Blue barely have any people compared to Purple. Can't let you have all the fun against the oversized seafood."

[xue_yang]

"We might be short handed but we still managed alright. I can't say much for Purple. But I imagine any team won't turn down extra sets of hands depending on what they have to deal with." He can't see himself doing anything except being on Red team. After the last mission he definitely sees those kinds of activities as being his best fit.