The Will to Fight: Conclusion

[voidtreckermods]

The battles rage loud and ferocious at the gates of the city and off in the ruined wastelands of Erda, and on the walls a struggle of a different kind occurs. The team who stayed behind at the towers are small but determined as they move stoically across the walls to right the stones that have become misaligned, even as their friends battle not too far away.

The city begins to hum. It's a quiet hum, not loud enough to be heard out where the others are fighting but it vibrates even through stone. The recovering monks assure them that it is done, the wards are back up and no demon will be able to enter the city.

Eventually the battle is won, all three battles. The demons fought back and killed, a major blow to their gate system that will keep them back for hopefully a long time. Those waiting in the caverns return to the city and by the time they get there the illusions are gone. Everyone can see the world for what it really is.

But despite the ruins of their world the people are relieved, the adrenaline of the fight coursing through their veins and the mood is one of hope. They will build again, their people will survive.

All Voidtreckers please return to the Voidtrecker Express. Departure will be in a few hours

It has landed not too far from the city, cloaked to make it unnoticeable to the citizens, for all the good that does. No one has been particularly subtle this last week. People can begin regrouping, packing up the camp and getting any wounded not already healed to the train.

However roughly half an hour later another message appears on their SCA.

Passenger Persephone has requested we remain on system System #86525656412355 for an additional day to further assist the people of Erda. The Voidtrecker Express will depart on the morning of Day Fifteen of the month of Kazoo.

The train remains where it is, so the voidtreckers can use its facilities. There is definitely a lot that can be done to assist those of this world and the citizens will welcome any helping hands.

After an extra day they finally depart, returning to the void once more.

(OOC Note: Once the wards are up any characters who are demonic in nature will not be able to enter the city either!)

Comments

[chocobosnap]

He couldn't help but follow Casper's gaze. "Oh." Prompto said, looking a bit surprise.

"I had no idea." He still offered a smile though. "I don't think it's gross though."

He kind of thought Casper was cute in general, but he was not going to entertain that, thinking his friends were hot was a recipe for him being a disaster. He should know.

[helborn]

"I... um. I wear the prosthetic pretty much all the time. I could have it on in water, it's magical so it doesn't really rust, but Ichigo told me I should try to soak thd stump. I... he's right, I just..."

He closed his eyes, trying to push the images of Home out of his mind. "My friends are fine with it. But I've been places where something like is... not treated well."

[chocobosnap]

"Why not?" Prompto asked, looking at him with a bit of a frown. "I mean, it's not like anyone could tell unless you know, you showed them." He meant that, he'd really had no idea.

He sighed and let himself slide a bit into the water. "Nevermind. I know people are..." He frowned a bit. "They get ideas in their head and they're just wrong, you know?"

[helborn]

"People can be dumb, yeah. It's... kind of just... it's been... what, four years now? And it's only been the last two or so where I can tell myself that what happened wasn't my fault and kind of believe it. ... But it still feels like I failed, every time I put it on. Usually that goes away after a moment, but..."

He sighed and dunked his head for a moment, wet hair sticking to his face. "Sorry. Didn't mean to turn this place into a depression zone."

[chocobosnap]

"It's cool, I don't mind. Sometimes it's good to get real, you know?" Prompto said easily, and he didn't. It was flattering that Casper would share with him at all.

"I know all about people being dumb. I was adopted, so I don't really know much about where I came from but it was from Niflheim." He knew that much. "That doesn't exactly...go well in Lucis sometimes. I'm fine!" He said quickly. "But you know, not everyone's...happy about them. I mean, I know I'm not."

[helborn]

"Yeah..." He listened as Prompto spoke, doing his best to retain the information. "Ugh, that sucks. I'm sorry. Did you know your whole life or is that something you just found out recently?"

[chocobosnap]

"Well I mean, I knew I wasn't Lucian yeah." Prompto tugged on a lock of his blond hair. "Kinda obvious, but I mean, there was a slight chance I could be from Tenebrae, but uh all the background checks and stuff, there was no way when I filed for papers that I wouldn't find that out. I don't know anything else about how I came to be in Lucis."

[helborn]

"Oh." So the hair color wasn't common there. Was Ignis from Lucis? Eh, questions for another time. "... Where do you consider yourself from? I mean, birth country or family doesn't have to be what you identify with."

[chocobosnap]

"Lucis! I don't remember anything from back then. I mean, I think I was a baby. I don't have any connection with Niflheim, promise." He said a little cheerfully.

"They're our enemy...and look, Noct's never cared right?" He never cared where Noctis came from either. It didn't matter to his friends. He didn't let it bother him. "I am a Lucian citizen."

[helborn]

"Look, I'm not involved, it doesn't matter to me if you have involvement with whoever." He shrugged, shaking his head. "I was just wondering. Some people identify real strongly with their country of origin. There's an event in my home city that's organized around celebrating the culture of one country that gets like five hundred thousand people every year. It's hell to try to get through the traffic then." Oh, Saint Patrick's Day Parade... it was an issue when they had to go pick up bodies that day.

"... And I honestly identify more with the country and city I grew up in than where my parents are from, god or no god. At least in terms of culture." Obviously it was different when he was talking about magic powers or whatever.

[chocobosnap]

"I think I get what you mean then." He hadn't meant to sound defensive it was just that kind of question didn't lead good places in his experience.

"Uh, well I have adoptive parents. They're Lucian. I did anyway. We don't talk anymore because I'm older than eighteen." Prompto said with a bit of a glance to the side. "I don't know much what they thought about anything, or culture or stuff. They worked in Accordo. They must've liked it there."

[helborn]

"... Bad situation? Or just... normal to cut off contact?" He wanted to know how gentle he had to be for this one.

[chocobosnap]

"Depends on who you ask." Prompto offered half a shrug. "We weren't talking, I almost never saw them, it didn't shock me. They've been working outside of Insomnia since I was in grade school. I looked after myself."

[helborn]

"... Still sucks that you didn't really get to have a family. ... But honestly I think the family you build yourself tends to be the better one. At least from what I've found."

[chocobosnap]

"That could be true. There was a time I wanted them to be my family, but at this point, it's not mutual." Prompto could still smile, he had Noctis, Ignis and Gladio. He wasn't alone, at least.

[helborn]

"Yeah, same. ... Okay, that's not true." He sighed deeply, rubbing at his face. "I still care about my dad, somehow, even though I know he's a monster. But most of me's moved on. Sounds like you have, too."

[chocobosnap]

"I mean, there's nothing I can do about it. We weren't ever close. I don't know why they adopted me, they didn't seem to really want me." Prompto said with a bit of a shrug. "But it's okay, I made friends with Noct, Iggy and Gladio." He grinned. "So it's all good."

[helborn]

Ugh. Why were some families just awful? "I'm glad you've got a good chosen family now. ... Iggy... Ignis, right?"

[chocobosnap]

"Yeah, that's him!" Prompto said cheerfully, looking very relaxed at least. "He's cool, but he won't let me drive the car."

There...might be a story there...

[helborn]

"... What did you do to the car?" Come on, Prompto.

[chocobosnap]

"I didn't do anything!" Prompto squeaked, a little bit defensive.

"All I did was drive it! The fact it ran out gas and we had to push it for like three miles is totally not my fault!" He protested.

[helborn]

"I..." He just sighed. It wasn't as if he had much experience driving, himself. "Given Ignis, I'm not surprised. I... met a version of him in the last place like this. Noctis too, though we didn't really talk and the one time I interacted with him he was super high on pain medicine."

[chocobosnap]

There was the sigh. That was the kind of sigh he got from Ignis too. "I um, also sometimes don't look where I'm driving?" In his defense, Noctis was very distracting when he was in the back making quips at him.

"Oh no, poor Noct." Prompto said, a bit surprised.

[helborn]

He pressed a hand to his forehead. "That's kind of the most important part of driving..." Anyway.

"So you know those toxic whips the big demons had? He got hit by something like that. ... A bunch of us did. Except you couldn't just use a poison curing skill or item on it - it was cursed to keep hurting until the curse was lifted. We got it lifted at the end of the mission but that was about three weeks of pain. ... That's when I figured out how to turn off my pain response. Still had to lie low for the rest of the mission."

[chocobosnap]

"I swear Noct distracts me on purpose!" He totally didn't, Prompto was just easily distracted. It was fine, Ignis could do the driving.

"Wow. That's really terrible for everyone." Prompto frowned a little bit. "Not just Noct, I mean...that sounds really uncomfortable. I'm glad you're not suffering like that now. I wouldn't want that to happen to anyone!"