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]

"What?" Tidus cracks up an eyebrow. "That I'd have an old woman for a neighbour? Or you saying I don't look like I was a brat as a kid?"

Which gets a scoff as he says it.

[faithfulsupport]

"Not your neighbour." Ignis said, shaking his head. Six knew he would never put a woman down for any reason, even if she was an enemy as Aranea had been at first. "I was referring to your spirit."

Hey Ignis is innocent over here.

[blitzcheer]

Tidus makes a sound, something between a hum and a scoff, looking away as he tilts his head in place of a shrug.

"You're not the same guy you were as a kid," he remarks, looking back at Ignis, a slight smile on his face. "Don't you think? What about you? What were you like?"

[faithfulsupport]

This was fun, getting to know Tidus. And while he wondered at the other's childhood he wouldn't pry. The other could confide as much as he wished to or not and there would be no pressure.

The question from the blonde however caught him off guard. "I.." His voice cut off, unsure how to explain so it took a moment for him to recover fully. "It's nothing special. I was tasked with taking care of a Prince who would eventually become King." Normally he wouldn't explain this, but since Noctis was here not hiding who he was and was just a regular passenger like everyone else on the train this was permissible.

If Tidus met Tony and the two got on this discussion, no doubt he would get a much more passionate response about a six year old being tasked with the care and protection of a four and half year old by a King.

[blitzcheer]

"You looked after a Prince?" Tidus repeats, a look of surprise as his minimal knowledge of what those words mean click in (thanks, cinema carriage).

"What, since you were a kid? Is that normal? How long?"

He's interested anyway, to hear more about it, curious before anything judgmental. Kings and Queens and all the rest may have come up in the few movies he's seen, but he didn't know the finer details. Just enough to recognise what their role meant, that there were those loyal to them, that they ruled over territory.

[faithfulsupport]

"I did." Ignis affirmed with a nod. He didn't go on to say that Prince had grown into his king. That information wasn't necessary.

The advisor shook his head at the next question. "Since I was six." The next question he couldn't answer so he went with the last. "And I watched over him until very recently." Well technically he still looked after Noctis and always would. An oath at six was still an oath and that was the way it went in his own mind.

[blitzcheer]

His mouth pinches into something close to a frown, but more quizzical in nature. Taking care of someone when you're six...

"Wouldn't someone older be better for that?" Tidus asks, arms folding loosely. Why get a kid to look after a kid?

[faithfulsupport]

There was a firm shake of the head. "I believe they wished for someone closer in age to the Prince." It was an honour to be chosen to be raised alongside Noct and even if somehow he could go back, he wouldn't change anything. The prince had become a king who would know quite a lot about his subjects, having spent plenty of time among them even if they weren't aware of it.

King Regis was the only father like figure he knew and Ignis felt as if he owed everything to the man.

[blitzcheer]

"Hmmm...."

He hums like he's not too sure, cocking his head aside.

"You sure you don't mean a playmate?"

That made more sense to him. Otherwise, he'd have to give up on it making any, to put a six year old in charge of another kid. Even if Ignis had that personality and aura of always punctual and on his game.

[faithfulsupport]

"It was indeed a mixture. There were some play times, but mostly it was learning to take care of the Prince." The same Prince who went away to Tenebrae and got injured after being attacked. His smile had faded for a time and Ignis tried everything he knew in order to try and make things right.

Being a caretaker and nurturer was a good thing though. It was something he could definitely do and Tony, Madoka and his team got the benefits of the 'harsh' way he'd grown up as it had been described to him.

But now to get the spotlight off of himself. "And what of your own adventures as a boy or as a blitzball player?"

[blitzcheer]

Well then, that made...a little more sense, even if it didn't quite lift the curious crease of Tidus's brow, the tilt of his mouth. But the question thrown back at him does, and he starts with a scoff.

"No one was putting me in charge of anyone, that's for sure," he jests. "I started playing professionally once I was sixteen, but I've been playing it my whole life, really. It was the biggest thing around -- everyone loved it, you couldn't miss it! Nothing much to say about me when I was younger though. I just played blitzball and went to school."

He wants to say he had an ordinary life, but knows that isn't right. Isn't right, even for his own world.

"I spent a year and a half in the game, but then..."

His gaze goes off to the side, and he pauses, before knowing how to continue.

"I guess you can say I'm out of a job. --Well," he adds, giving a quick wave of his hand. "'Cept this one."

[faithfulsupport]

"It isn't a job for everybody." Ignis acknowledged with a small smile. It really wasn't it took a lot of time and effort and there were times he thought of throwing in the towel with it. But a promise to a king at aged six was still a promise.

And the advisor listened at what sounded to be a professional athlete's life. That was one thing about the train that Ignis loved, it certainly appeased the scholar in him to learn so many different things about different people and the worlds that they were from, how they functioned, what some of the things were and how it all ran together.

"So how did you get into playing such a sport? There must have been quite some pressure or competition to play?"

[blitzcheer]

"You mean to join the big games? Sure," Tidus confirms easily. "Everyone wants to be the next big blitzer. I'd always been into it though. Well, me and everyone else in Zanarkand, but..."

He pauses, a small look aside and his mouth pulling into a sort of wistful smile.

"My dad played. He was a big star back in his day, the kind of guy who knew how to get the crowds going." His tone dips into something mocking. "I used to hate it, to be honest. Me and him, we didn't get along, and his kinda bravado used to get to me. ...but he was good," Tidus admits. "I always used to watch him, even if some part of me hated it. Still--he was my dad."

And the other part of him was inspired, challenged; wanting to be something more than his old man, to have the skill as he did. Before the drink started to show. Before the bitterness grew too strong.

He wanted to show that man he was his son.

Eyes dipped, Tidus feels the small lump that's grown in his throat--small, and he breathes to push it down, shrugging with a scoff as he looks at Ignis briefly, then to the food he's cooking.

"I trained so I'd kick his ass one day," he confesses nonchalantly. "Be put down as a bigger star than him."

A huff of a laugh, and he smirks at Ignis.

"Would've done it too, you know!"

[faithfulsupport]

Green eyes noted the wistful smile and felt badly for the boy inside of the man in front of him. Ignis didn't even have too much to say about his own father and so King Regis had become that to him. And no one, not even Tony got away with badmouthing the man.

Ignis smiled sympathetically with a nod, having dealt with something similar with Noct, the anger, the resentment, but through it all there was love and admiration. Tidus wasn't Noctis by any stretch of the imagination, but in that there were similarities between them.

"Well now you're here at least for the time being. And even if it isn't at the sport you're so good at playing, you've put your energy into a much bigger job, one that makes you a big star to those you unselfishly assist."

[blitzcheer]

"Hey, hey!" Tidus picks up his hands, laughing and waving them in objection. "You trying to embarrass me?"

And then he's shaking his head, is embarrassed--what a serious way to give someone a compliment!--, but it leaves a smile that digs into the edges of his cheeks while he gives Ignis an amused look.

"It's fine, I didn't have anything better to do anyway. But I wish whatever had let us talk to people on the other teams sooner. What's the point of keeping an option like that secret?"

A bit of a subject shift, but really, the fact Tidus couldn't talk to a particular someone had been bothering him the entire mission.

[faithfulsupport]

The advisor sighed quietly and shook his head. "My apologies." But there's a slight hint that he's not really all that sorry for pointing out what to him is very obvious. The people here needed help and with the Blue team being so small even now, every bit of help was appreciated both by the people and Ignis.

He listened as Tidus went on to explain he had nothing better to do but kept his mouth shut. However there was that last part. "I concur the lack of communication is quite a bother." It angered Ignis to no end, especially since he was so used to being in constant radio contact with his team back home.

"Indeed. It would certainly keep us in touch with the other teams and see how they're faring. We also would be able to better coordinate if one team needed more assistance." Both were his own points regarding the lack of contact with Tony, but that went unsaid. So he too had someone he wished to be in touch with.

[blitzcheer]

"It's never come on before, huh? Why do you think that is?" But as soon as he asks that, another question makes him visibly confused. "How did it know we'd need them?"

It's one thought that leads into another, the latter that makes Tidus look at his own around his wrist, the light of the island sun glaring off its screen until he changes the angle.

Did someone say something? How? Did something else happen he didn't hear about?

[faithfulsupport]

"The train and its communication isn't quite understandable." And for that he understood the multitude of people who kicked or attacked the train. However, he wasn't one of them. Ignis had tried in his own way to figure out the train's secrets or how to communicate with it since there didn't appear to be a conductor. So he figured the train itself must be sentient. But he like others had no luck with it.

The blondish head shook. "One can only hope that it keeps the communication this time."

[blitzcheer]

"Bah."

If he thought about it for too long, it got creepy; but if he thought about it for too long, it got all the more confusing, and there came a point where he knew he had to stop.

"Whatever," he succinctly decides. "What I'm really not looking forward to is sleeping in those rooms. Sleeping on the ground's better than a tiny bed!"

[faithfulsupport]

"The huts have proven to be quite comfortable." Ignis agreed, after wondering at Tidus' 'whatever' comment. The man was an enigma still and he had the feeling the other's cheerful sunny nature would reappear. The islanders definitely knew how to get by and sleep in their own homes while retaining a comfortable temperature. And because of what he'd helped with, he'd been shown every courtesy, not that he'd ever ask for it.

"So you might wish to stay in one, there's plenty of room to stretch out here." Might as well take it while you could get it.