[Pravoka, Open] Walking the streets of Pirate's Pravoka

Lemonade?

Was this woman suicidal?

Water in undeveloped cities like this was not EVEN fit to drink. it was either salty, or so diseased and stagnant as to be toxic. That's exactly why he ordered alcohol. Even a small percentage in water will kill off most any harmful bugs. Beer was the traditional choice, but, Simon could not physically drink beer, ever since a rather horrid experience with the beverage. ...You would think a beverage that labels itself "Natural" and "Light" would be a good thing. In the case of beer, you would be WRONG. Oh, so very, VERY wrong. And Simon would be quick in telling you different. ...Of course, the acid in the lemon juice MIGHT do the same, but, still, it was a horrendous risk.

...As he listened to the woman's story, Simon smirked. it sounded so familiar.

"Well, Telira, it sounds as though you and I are in the same business."

Putting away the tool kit, Simon withdrew a silver brick, and an odd implement from a vest pocket. With a white object starting it, which looked more in place on a pipe, this mouthpiece had a brown paper cylinder, twisted off at the end, inserted into it. Flipping the top of the silver brick created a flame, which he brought to the twist, causing the end to burn, then hold an ember. The smell of the smoke told of it being a VERY fine tobacco.

"You see, the world I'm from? I come from its future. I was a child when..."

Simon paused, for a moment. How could he make someone as simple as Telira had to be (being from the time she was)?

"...Creatures descended on our world. Creatures from beyond the bounds of this world."

As Simon took another drag from the strange pipe, he groaned, slightly. It was as if he didn't want to go into it.

"I was orphaned by these beasts-like-men. Demons who drain the life and spirit from men. ...We came to call them the Fringe."

His metal hand began to clench; this was obviously a sore subject.

"...Suffice to say there's a lot of bad blood. I was one of the chief SeeD Scientists, in charge of anti-Fringe technology. ...I helped make Time Travel a reality."

Pulling the item from his mouth, Simon tapped off ash from the end of the smokable. With a heavy sigh, he continued.

"Problem is, though, we were using Sorceress Magic to do it. We didn't really have any idea what we were dealing. That's why I ended up lost in both space and time. ...It might also do with the fact that I'm the fifth of four. I wasn't supposed to go."

Casting his gaze to Gilgamesh, he continued.

"Our task is to find the Fringe as they begin to touch down, and destroy them before they can take hold. It's actually why I was so thrilled to find you; with the Ancient Man of Mystery at our side, those monsters won't stand a chance."

I dosed off a little bit as everything moved a little quicker than I was used to. I watched as the two of them got up and entered a bar, so I followed them a few moments. With this in mind, I started thinking of a bar joke, because the current situation was exactly the stuff those were made of. So a man from the future, a woman who bears a crystal, and a giant Interdimensional swordsman walk into a bar, and the bartender says, "Alright, what kind of joke is this?" It was a little funny, because as I walked in, that was exactly what he said, though it was mainly directed towards me. Anyhow I walked and sat by the two of them just in time to catch the waitress, "Sake please." It was a little funny, she knew what I was talking about and took the order down. Passing another glance at the bartender, his jaw dropped at my ability to speak. Nothing too unusual I suppose. Anyhow to the task at hand, I was lost and needed to catch up. Based on what was just recently said and by the recent expressions, I could deduct that Simon was disgusted by the choice that was given to him.

I laughed a little to myself, more like a chuckle really, and continued deducing. Telira had probably said something of her memories and her past, however I noticed more that it was speculations of a mission, something about Time Travel. I tilted my head a little bit as he looked at me, and actually started saying that now that I was here, there was nothing that could make them fail, or something. I looked at him with a look of worry in my eyes, and had to intercept this plan with my sense. "Woah, woah, woah there. I'm just a humble sword collector now, I don't assist those guys anymore. Do you know how risky even appearing in the middle of those fights is?" I shook my head at him he must have been a little nuts if he thought I'd just pop out of post-world saving retirement. One assistance in the saving of a world was enough repayment for Odin's Zantetsuken. "I helped them out until they saved the world once as repayment for one among my legendary collection of swords. It will take one hell of a payment for me to do it again!"

I looked almost worried, as if he might me able to pull it off. But I knew that I had an extremely large collection of swords, and for this man to think of one among them I didn't have would be a miracle in itself. I looked at Telira also a little nervous, some people had this way of guilt tripping me into doing stuff. I just told myself over and over again at that moment that nothing would make me change my mind except for one hell of a sword. Until Simon could think of one, I rested my case and awaited a new subject.

Telira couldn't quite interpret the look of disbelief she saw in Simon's eyes when she ordered lemonade. Did he distrust fruit that badly? She frowned, remembering his odd request and wondering if maybe it was the water supply itself that he didn't trust. Did he truly believe Pravoka to be so backwater as to not have cleansing and filtration spells on the water supply pipes? Pravoka was a harbor city, but one which had been the home of sailors and pirates both for generations. All possible precautions had been put into place for the safety of the citizens.

Granted, the water wasn't like the holy-blessed waters of Crescent Lake, but it was clean and healthy. She wouldn't drink it otherwise; for all that she had there were White Mages to cure the sick and ill to the best of their abilities.

She would almost have been insulted by the insinuation that the water was anything less than clean… but it occurred to her that maybe not all cities on all worlds were as careful as Pravoka was about the quality of the water supply. Maybe magic was in lesser supply or something… or the spells which were to have protected the water were shattered or simply wore away with time and there was no one to restore them.

It went completely beyond her expectations to even suppose such a thing, but given that Simon had appeared out of nowhere, inside a bubble that spoke to her with voices from a past which, technically, never happened… well, a great many unbelievable things could be possible.

And his story… that had her sympathy in a moment. She knew what it was like to risk everything on an impossible chance to spare loved ones the pain and horrors that they'd suffered. But to throw themselves into the past in a gambit to alter the future… she closed her eyes for a moment. How very much like Chaos and his Fiends…

But was it any different from what she and her friends had done to stop Chaos? Going into the past to defeat him and unwrite the very history that created them? Did she really dare judge the motives of a man who was no different from her in his devotion to saving his world from a terror beyond it?

She really didn't know.

Gilgamesh, though, was a different story. She didn't understand what was going on in the conversation between them, but she knew very well that there had been a bargain of some sort, a price for a weapon. So in addition to being something of a treasure hunter, the mighty Gilgamesh was a bit of a mercenary… but his price was priceless swords…

She knew that he wanted Excalibur, that he had fought them for it and had been defeated. So why couldn't she remember which cavern they'd found Excalibur in?

"Gilgamesh, you don't have to have a bargain to aid friends." She looked up to meet his eyes. "And I would like to think that we, at least, are well on the way to becoming such. Friends may aid friends without bargains or compensation. The association is compensation enough because it is shared willingly. I'm certain that one such as Simon, coming from a background of such pain and trauma, can understand how no one should be coerced into doing something they do not wish to do."

...Simon was doing his best not to lash out at the giant.

His simple lack of caring appalled him. How could ANYONE sit there, knowing of a terror like this, and do nothing? Especially when they have a means to stop it? ...Was that really all he and his people were to Gilgamesh? Just another mark? Just another shot at expanding his inane collection?

Simon couldn't help but think he didn't deserve the armor he had. Personally, Simon had no idea exactly what the Genji Armor was. But, he recognized the style. It was a Samurai's armor. Unless that was stolen, as well, Simon had to wonder how Gilgamesh could so blatantly ignore his teachings.

The tavern wench came back, bearing the drinks for the two, and a glass, for Simon. Wrenching the cork from the bottle with relative ease, he found himself stunned.

...Champagne? ...They had champagne? With the way the cork practically shot out, it HAD to be. Granted, as much gil as he'd laid down, the beverage made SENSE, but...

...Perhaps he'd been wrong. For a society to have figured out how to make a sparking wine... Well, if technology followed the same general laws it did in his world, this world was certainly not medieval. Meaning, they at least had the foresight to boil water before using it. ...Whether or not they'd deduced filtration, yet, was to be seen. Pouring himself a glass, he set the bottle before him.

...It, then, occurred to him. If there were ways to travel between worlds, then, perhaps not all "legendary" swords were one-of-a-kind. ...Simon smiled; he may've had a way to get Gilgamesh's help after all.

"So, then, your price is a sword? Then, let's make a deal."

Now, he had to be shrewd about this. If he puttered around playing treasure hunter for too long, he'd be too late to stop the Fringe.

"What I have to do is time-sensitive. Which is to say, when we reach my world, we may only have hours to prepare. Bearing that in mind, if you will help me to defeat them then, assuming the temporal backlash doesn't write me out of existence, I will help you to find any one sword of your choosing."

...It, then, occurred to him, exactly WHAT Telira was holding. His eyes went wide in terror, for a moment. ...To be carrying a piece of the Moon around, she really MUST be suicidal. With reflexes like lightning, he snatched up the crystal from Telira's hand.

"Have you LOST IT!?! Are you TRYING to draw every fiend on the continent to you?"

Of course, looking at the shard he'd taken, it occurred to him that he couldn't do much about it. He'd not brought any of the alloys used to construct the Lunatic Pandora with him. He'd seen no need. ...He wished he'd had some now.

Tossing the crystal shard onto the table before him, he summoned familiar energies from the generator in his shoulder. The result was a sigh of relief. It seemed that he could access his Zipspace, regardless of what world he was in. With a sharp twist, Simon effortlessly disjointed his arm just before the elbow. Placing it into the wormhole he'd summoned, he withdrew what looked like a small cannon. At least, it would to Telira. Gilgamesh, well-traveled as he is, would know the weapon right off. A shotgun. With surprisingly littke effort, he affixed the firearm to his construct, where his forearm had been.

...Fiends, while completely intolerant of humans, were crafty. Keeping his new arm-piece hidden under the table, he looked around, warily, for anything out of the ordinary.

...And found nothing.

...It then occurred to him. ...This world was different from his own. Perhaps Crystals were not what he was used to, here.

"Forgive me. Crystals, on my world, are... ...Dangerous. What purpose do they serve here?"

I looked at Telira as she apparently did not know just how I work. She was telling me that friends do not need anything to help other friends. I know this was true to an extent, but you see, so far this guy has brought back bad memories. I couldn't sit and be insulted like this, "Telira, I hardly know this man, he comes bearing bad memories and mistakes of my past, literally assuming I was nothing but a guardian force of his people, and would without question just help his endeavor to stop an apocalyptic nightmare of Eidolon's know how long from now. I'll tell you what, when this guy starts being a little more friendly, maybe I'll consider him a friend and help him for cheaper than just a sword for my collection!" I the began grumbling under my breath some incoherent nonsense, while I awaited some sort of reaction from either of the two. Suddenly something came over to heed my hearing, Simon was actually willing to make a deal. I listened as he said that he didn't have time to assist directly at this very moment, but with the understanding that temporal backlash didn't remove him, he would assist my search for any sword, if I first helped him remove the cause of the apocalyptic creatures.

I looked at him a bit worried. He was actually willing to make a bargain that he very well may not be able to keep. I wasn't much of a gambler after the events in that one medieval world where machines were few and guns were fewer, when I was beaten by some group of warriors who decided that it was in their best interest to beat me, after I was marked for being hunted. It was a horrible experience, but something gave me this feeling that temporal backlash was bullshit... because if it wasn't why wasn't this man removed immediately? I'm certain that it was just a theory that as of yet couldn't be proven. I looked this man over while I considered it, but suddenly he started going crazy and attacked Telira, calling her mad while ripping that fancy jeweled necklace from her neck and tossed it to the table, looking around all paranoid and replacing his forearm with a shotgun. I blinked, and faster than this man could have initially imagined, had the point of my spear at his throat, remembering that those crystals were incredibly important.

However when he calmed down and asked what its purpose was, I kept the Zodiac spear still to his neck and said, "The crystals of this world keep the world in balance, and destroying them would cause Chaos. If that bastard came back, Telira would have to re-establish order in the world by defeating an all powerful god-like being for a second time, and once more have time erase the actions that caused it to happen. For all I know, you may well have just made her do that, and here we are again." I spoke as if understanding the situation. I glared at the man, as I used a free arm to pick up the crystal and hand it back to Telira, keeping a close eye on this crazy guy.

Telira came within inches of drawing her sword and sliding the blade through Simon's shoulder when he snatched the Crystal away from her. How DARE he? She had carried that crystal from the day she was old enough to wear it and not lose it. She'd carried it even before then, in the time that no longer was, and she would have fought her friends to keep from surrendering it to another keeper.

And goodness knows they tried to talk her into passing it on. Anything to keep her from taking that final journey with the rest of them into oblivion. She'd had to leave so much behind when she went…

She glared at him, though, furious at his presumption, and then that fury was completely doused in icy confusion as he attached a… a nasty looking device to his mechanical arm. She had to swallow carefully because the thing made her stomach queasy with nervousness. What sort of monstrosity of a device was that?

It actually took her a moment to register the fact that he attributed crystals to fiends, and that made her blink in utter disbelief. "Fiends? You think the Crystals draw fiends?" It took all her effort to keep her jaw from dropping into her lap. "Fiends are only a problem if the Crystals fade! They're the guardians of this world. Each Crystal has a Champion that carries a shard and stands prepared to defend them should the world ever be threatened…"

Gilgamesh's rather to-the-point summation of the situation was simplistic… but not entirely inaccurate, though she didn't think that Simon's knee-jerk reaction had caused another temporal loop, not on this world at least. Champions had to willingly surrender their Crystals for the position to transfer from one person to the next. It was why they couldn't just get Thief to steal her Crystal and leave her behind. All four had to go, and all four had to take the path willingly.

She sighed, the memories growing stronger by the moment. "In the time that was erased… the Crystals faded because Fiends drained their power. That was why I and my friends were called forward to make the sacrifice… to go back and defeat the one who sent the Fiends forward to drain their power in the first place. There are four Crystals… and there should be four Champions. I am chosen by the Water Crystal. There are also Crystals of Fire, of Wind, and of Earth." She did her best to explain, though she didn't know how well he was able to understand the explanation.

"Gilgamesh said that he saw one of my friends in another dimension, one that is beyond our reach. That was the Warrior, the… the Champion of Fire. Wind and Earth… are lost. I do not know if they have returned to lives that never took the path of Championship or if they are completely lost to the revision of time." She took a deep breath. "If nothing else you can take comfort that I exist even after the defeat of Chaos. You might not be unwritten completely. Time is… sometimes impossible to predict."

She shook her head, as if clearing it. "As for myself, I will aid you in saving your world. As grateful as I am for my life now… I gave up everything when I took that final journey. My life has not been my own from that fateful step."

...So, yet another being wanted him dead? No surprise. Simon had designed the enhanced weapons used to fight the Fringe. The Deling Jackhammer was an example of one such weapon.

Tipping back his chair, Simon fell to the ground, rolling off to the side with practiced and militant precision. Once out of the chair, Simon got to his feet, steadying his weapon, ready to counter anything Gilgamesh might throw at him.

...All that he'd heard was just anathema to what he knew. For one, it shouldn't matter if he were to shatter the crystal amulet. Even a shard of a shard of the Crystal Pillar was enough to carry its power. For that matter... ...Crystals? Being a protecting force? First of all, a crystal is simply a charged rock. It can't protect ANYTHING without someone channeling what power it has. Second on, Crystals, as he knew them, were not anything close to being "protecting". Crystals on his world only drew Fiends. Further, the Crystal Pillar itself was the epicenter of the Lunar Cry. The very means the Fiends use to leave the Moon.

Gilgamesh had been a part of his world, for a time. SURELY, he understood his moment of panic. ...However, he was fast realizing Gilgamesh cared about very little. Certainly not about "mortal" affairs.

"...Things aren't so, where I come from, Red." Simon began, still not leaving an "alert" state. He wasn't in any position to ATTACK Gilgamesh in an instant. However, he was more than able to act. He wasn't terribly fast, but, he was trained to read people. The moment Gilgamesh made a move to attack, he could get away, and attack.

"The Crysyal Pillar is a shard of the Moon; the realm of Fiends. When the Pillar releases a pulse, the Lunar Cry occurs. ...I only know of two such events occurring. One wiped out an entire nation. The second would have killed my civilization, if not for Time Compression..." At this, Simon paused, for a moment, before chuckling softly.

"Who'd've thought I'd ever have reason to THANK Ultimecia?"

...Telira's experience with the oddities of time did little to abate Simon's thoughts that he wouldn't be around to see the results of his efforts. The Fringe are a threat far greater than the Sorceresses had ever been. Fighting them, even with specialized gear, was suicide. Or, perhaps, mutually assured destruction. That didn't much matter to Simon, though. His life was forged by the Fringe, after a fashion. Stopping them before they start would unwrite him, in his current form. That's also assuming he didn't die trying.

Truth be told, Simon could've cared less. He;d lost too much. He didn't have any desire to live, knowing he couldn't get back what was lost. And, if his life never went to hell, then, all the better.

Still ready for Gilgamesh, or anyone, to make a move, he kept his alert posture.

"...Thank you, Telira. Though, if you don't mind my saying, I could your reasoning to drain pasta."

Mechanics in the Deling Jackhammer ground. Had he had his hand, he'd either be clenching a fist, or exhibiting some sort of tic.

"Part of why we fight the Fringe is that we won't accept their alternative. They feed on the energy of men. They offered survival, if we would become like cattle. The general consensus is that we'd rather die fighting. Your life is your own. No crystal, or false god, or cosmic horror can take that from you."

Turning his attention back to Gilgamesh, he hid how he felt about the man. Simon was, at this stage, rapidly losing his tolerance for the man. He, from what he'd seen, lacked compassion, and was far too quick to lay hands on a weapon to solve disputes. ...To be fair, though, his arrival had been somewhat bizzare, and they'd only known eachother for a few minutes. As such, Simon withheld his preconceptions.

"As it stands, Gilgamesh, my offer is still valid. Another legendary sword for your service. Or, failing that, the means to acquire one."

The man really thought he could fall out of the situation by tipping back and pointing a gun at me, still within range of my weapon? He really had something wrong with his head. He should have known that I was quite famous for attacking people because they pointed a gun in my general direction. I shook my head as the paranoia began to set in. I looked at Telira with a bored stare, something that shouldn't really be on my face in this situation, but I really truly deemed it necessary, if I showed any rage at all I might owe a hefty fine to this town... or at least the bar. I set my spear back to a casual position as Telira told her part of the story. I looked at Simon afterwards as he was conversing with her as if he had the right. Oh Eidolons that pissed me off so much. He was talking about how his whole problem worked out with the crystals, I shook my head. What he didn't know was that he was already cattle to the people who sent him back in time. It was a horrid way to think that he was free in this whole thing. He went back in time, possibly to the slaughter, and in doing so he was supposed to stop the apocalypse, quite possibly by himself, quite possibly also to the slaughter.

But for some reason, he didn't see how he was being used... an experiment even. I suppose I wasn't really one to judge him though, maybe he did know this and was simply too keen on his mission to care. Perhaps he was raised to be a lapdog of the military. I walked off and sighed, "I'm not in the mood to kill you right now, but you should put away that little toy before you shoot your eye out or something, kid." I didn't show him any respect because if I did that would mean he won. I was very childish and stubborn in my ways. I looked at Telira once more and said, "I'll be slaughtering fiends in the area just outside the town if you need me, I need some Gilgamesh time..." With that I left the bar, and walked off towards the gates of the town. I carried myself with a very intelligent, yet angry stride, which looked lazy as a result. The guards reached for their weapons as I walked nearby but I held up a hand and said, "Not in the mood." Their jaws dropped, and they held themselves back because I was apparently intelligent enough for them. I swear, if any fiend in the world could talk and express emotion, people would respect them... or keep them as pets...

With an anger burning inside myself, I held my spear more firmly, as almost right away I was attacked by a wolf-type fiend from this area. I blocked its incoming fangs, and swiped the blade of my spear right through it, killing it quite easily. I sighed... "Childsplay..." I then thought back to a time when I was weak and helpless. Back in my home world... Gaia. Thinking back now I wondered where my only friend was at this point. I ventured a little while more through the surrounding area and managed to find myself a good, strong looking monster. An adolescent wyvern, it was large, bigger than I was, which is saying something. I pointed my spear at it with a challenge intended. "Hey, ugly! Come get some!" I taunted. Instantly, it got pissed and began to attack. I was almost off guard, but I got past this drama and side-stepped the beast. I stabbed my spear at it, and pierced a ways into its side, but I had to pull the spear out before it disarmed me, because it kept running a little bit further. After I removed my spear, it slowed to a halt and turned, roaring in my direction. "Today just wasn't your day..."

...This... ...Was not good.

Turning to Telira, Simon knew what he had to get settled.

"Telira, please, excuse me for a moment."

Quickly vacating, leaving her alone at the bar, I quickly made off after Gilgamesh.

...Brix had ALWAYS told him he had an attitude problem. It wasn't something he denied. He never treated his aides with excessive kindness. That's not to say he was a cruel man; he gave credit and praise where both were due. However, he already had Jayda, Vex, Brix, and Shade. In a would where anyone can (and usually is) killed at any given moment, having a lot of friends was a liability.

In his world, this worked well enough. He was starting to find, though, that, if this one was any example, most worlds were not in such turmoil. Such attitudes as his were anything BUT beneficial. Walking past the guards, still dumbstruck by Gilgamesh, he found the man fighting a wyvern of some kind. Now, he knew Gilgamesh could handle such a beast.

...He simply didn't feel like waiting that long.

Breaking into a run, closing the distance, he leveled the Deling Jackhammer at the beast. With a thunderous blast, he let fly with the shot, which readily shredded the Wyvern's wing. With a mighty roar, it swept its tail, sending Simon flat on his back. As he fell, he shot again, the lead orbs readily piercing into the lizard's gut. Roaring loudly as Simon hit the dirt, it moved in for the kill, rearing back to take a bite out of the hapless SeeD. Simon, though, grinned; this was precisely what he'd been waiting for. As it lunged, Simon let loose with a third shot.

...It's known, universally, that Dragons are absurdly tough. Wyverns have sensitive wings, and ALL dragons have soft underbellies, but, this is all comparative to their toughness. ...This same toughness, however, does not extend to their insides. The shot flew into the wyvern's open mouth, shredding its throat, and doing grievous damage to its vessels and nerves. A decisive deathblow.

Getting up off the ground, Simon sighed heavily. He didn't like what he was about to do.

"...Gilgamesh. ...I'm not entirely certain what I've done to offend you... ...I couldn't leave it where it was."

With obvious difficulty, he continued.

"I believe I owe you, and Telira, an apology."

Looking out, toward the sea, Simon couldn't help but think.

"I'm not used to needing people to like me. SeeD in wartime... ...Friends tent to get you hurt, more than anything else. Add to that the fact that I'm very much a fish out of water, and..."

Turning to face Gilgamesh again, Simon ended his thought.

"I don't think I'd much like me either. If you..."

The words died on his lips, and Simon immediately leveled his gun, seemingly, at Gilgamesh. In truth, he was aiming slightly above him, and to his left. Knowing the trouble this got him in before, Simon clarified.

"Don't move. There is a Behemoth about twenty yards behind you." He said to him in a hushed tone.

If Gilgamesh were to listen, he would, indeed, hear a deep growling. The massive, demonic beast, though, kept its distance. ...Simon smiled, at this. He'd designed the Deling Jackhammer to be as intimidating as possible. It would keep its distance, as intimidated by the weapon as Simon was of it.

"Remain still. It'll go away if we don't provoke it."

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Meanwhile, Telira found herself visited by another strange man. This one appeared to be a native of Wutai. Picking up and sitting in Simon's chair, he smiled at her.

His appearance was... Odd. Black hair slicked into a combover, to hide a slight balding, calm features made up his face. His brown tweed suit was definitely out of place, here.

"Excuse me, miss, and forgive my intrusion, but, I couldn't help but overhear your desire to travel. I believe I can help."

Telira was about ready to throttle both of them. Dear Crystals! They were worse than Thief and Warrior for continually sniping at each other! Well, Warrior would take that high and mighty road and Thief would continually needle him because he simply couldn't help it. Someone that upright (Thief would say "uptight") was just too much for him to work with to simply let it go.

She wished she dared just slapping both of them upside the head like she'd done, more than once, to Thief when the teasing got a little too harsh or the innuendo too strong.

She shook her head at both Gilgamesh and Simon. First Simon went off about how Crystals were so bloody dangerous on his world, shards of the Moon itself, and how they'd destroyed the cultures of his world at least once, if not more than that. Now, she could understand his paranoia if they were that bad over there… but he wasn't ON his world anymore.

What part of that was he not getting? He was on this one, and the Crystals were the primary defense against general chaos and the monsters getting out of control. Not to mention, when the Crystals fall out of balance then all sorts of natural disasters end up happening as well. Floods and earthquakes and droughts and tornadoes… the sheer list of accumulated misery and hardship from the time that was erased was hard to argue against.

And then he had the audacity to accuse HER of flimsy reasoning… he had no idea what she'd given up, how much she'd surrendered when she took that final journey, who she had left behind to be written into new lives by the restoration that her sacrifice enabled. He had no idea how much she ached because of what she'd only been able to remember in dreams… before today.

And then Gilgamesh had to throw his little temper tantrum because people might actually want his help for something important. Not everything worked out the way a person wanted sometimes. Sometimes you gotta do things for something bigger than yourself, bigger than your limited interests. Sometimes a person just has to do what has to be done, for the sake of others more than one's own self.

The fury and the frustration had her stomach twisted in such a tight knot that she had to wrap her arms around her midsection just to keep from being sick. She missed her friends. She missed the camaraderie. She missed the sense of a common goal and the association along the way. Yeah, they walked to oblivion, but they walked together and even when they'd tried to get her to set the path aside it was only because of what she was having to leave behind. Not because they didn't respect her or her choices.

Gilgamesh stomped off and, after a moment, Simon followed him. Hopefully those two would hammer out their differences in the way idiot guys tended to do and return better for the experience, even if they came back more than a little bruised and broken from the negotiating process. Alone at the bar, Telira tilted her head forward, letting her hair fall down to curtain off her face as a few tears slid down her cheeks.

She didn't even know if the one she'd have died to protect survived the rewriting process, or in what form. She had to hope, though, because that was the only thing that made the sacrifice bearable.

She felt the stranger's approach and quickly lifted her head, wiping the tears away before they could be noticed, hopefully. The man's look and manner confused her, being so very different from what she knew, but she nodded to him pleasantly enough. "Yes, I seek a means to travel to otherwise unreachable places, both on this world and on others, if possible. A sailing ship can only do so much. What are you offering?"

I was about to unleash a few dozen years of stress on this Wyvern before I'd go back and tell Simon that I would assist, but all of that was taken away. By who else other than the man himself! I looked at him, with a rage, fury even. I was going to help him after wrestling a Wyvern into submission, and this man had the sheer audacity to kill steal from me? Oh my mind was going blind with fury, I could have sworn that I was going to kill him, but then that previous instinct of mine was starting to come true... I stiffened up a little, I wasn't too sure why, I wasn't sure if I was so pissed off my body's own muscles were trying to restrain me from doing the unthinkable, or so scared I was paralyzed. I didn't know which because my mind was spinning in a whirlpool of anger and fear. I smelled the air slightly, it was. I hated these things in the past. I could handle it, but could this little mortal handle it? "You'd best run... I'm gonna kill it," I said when I've decided that I was pissed. I breathed in a trembling way, not one that showed fear, but one that showed pure, unending rage, having converted all of that stress from before into pure killer instinct.

I spun my spear over my head, then cranked around with a quick step, pointing my spear at the Behemoth. "Today... you die by Gilgamesh!!!" I roared at it. I may not have had the Zantetsuken to kill this one, or the Genji Blade to make it any easier... but I had my skills, and my rage. If I had been on my birth world I'd be in trance mode. I took a very combative, offence-oriented stance to face it. Oh man, this fight was going to be great, I felt like I could really let loose against this damned monster. With that, I charged forward. The Behemoth faced me and bared its massive fangs before attacking with its equally massive claws. Of course I knew the tactics of these things, and I wasn't even about to take that claw. Leaping up, I flipped upside down just above the creature, and went for an attack right on in a handicapping acupressure point near its tail. I had to aim carefully, and with that, it was a stab.

I struck with a precise strike that only decades of training could actually show in combat. With that, I managed to actually weaken all of its senses to heighten its touch sense. This would make it feel more pain while being unable to see anything coming. I wasn't entirely sure if it worked to tell the truth, but even if I missed. At this point it was frozen for but a brief half of a second, and I jabbed once again, this time aiming to take out its leg. I was striking for its femoral vein to make it bleed out, so I was positioned near the other one for a more clear shot. It was at this point I hoped that Behemoth's had femoral veins...

(768! WHAT!)

You'd best run, I'm gonna kill it. ...Simon was beginning to question his judgment; Gilgamesh was OBVIOUSLY insane.

Behemoth were not to be trifled with. He'd never actually seen that particular naginata, but, if ti was anything like the OTHER weapon Gil'd drawn, it was about as effective as poking it with a shishkebab.

...Of course, when Gil earned a rather impressive arterial spray from the Behemoth's leg,, Simon was a little more confident in his skill. But, then again, he knew a fair bit about Behemoths.

He'd made a point to look over an autopsy repord, done on a cleanly-slain Behemoth. And, they were terrifying masterpieces of evolution. Their muscle fiber density is so great, their muscle-groups work like kevlar. ...Considering that Behemoth have a subcutaneous muscle layer before getting to the actual innards, this is probably a defense mechanism. They have no less than three separate cardiovascular and pulmonary systems, and their massive heads contain many well-developed sinus cavities. Their immune response and resistance to mutagens is absolutely spectacular. And, most importantly, their horns and claws are stronger, and hold a better edge, longer, than any man-made metal.

In short? Behemoths are the ultimate predator, and built solely to kill as much as they can. ...One might think they weren't born so much as "created". There was definite design, here.

...Design that Simon knew well enough to exploit. The Behemoth, now-enraged, charged him. Simon knew he had to time this just so, or he was a dead man. As it moved to gore him with its lance-like horns, he leapt. As he flew through the air, he put a well-placed shot into its head, where the muscle armor wasn't present.

The small rounds wouldn't pierce the bone. He doubted even Gilgamesh could do that. But, that wasn't what he was trying to do. What he did try, though, worked. He cleared its massive shoulders, only to be slammed by them as it reared up and roared in pain. ...Whatever Gilgamesh had done, it'd left the beast hypersensitive.

Landing on his machinearm, the metal taking enough of the blow from the landing to avoid him taking any further injury, Simon grinned like the Cheshire Cat.

The Dleing Jackhammer's shot is designed to SHRED as it passes into the target. It loses so much energy that it can only shred through about an inch of flesh, but, around the head, very few creatures had even THAT much. Behemoth are no exception. Being primal omnivores, eating even down to wood and bone, their jaw muscles were tied into their neck muscles by a series of tendons in their head. If one were to damage those tendons enough, it'd have an effect like cutting a man's Achilles' tendon. As it fell back to all fours, its head hung slack. It was far enough off the ground, by its stature, that the horns couldn't catch, but, it could hardly see to maneuver. Without the ability to move its head properly, it was disabled.

"Gilgamesh! I don't know if they're like this here, but, the Behemoth I know are most vulnerable under their ribs. Sink that spear in with enough force, and you should be able to get at its hearts!"

...It was then, though, that Simon learned something NEW about Behemoths. Judging by the sudden light between its horns? Behemoth could cast magic. Rearing up on its hind legs, it lurched its body, swinging its head around by doing so, and lobbing the orb at Simon.

That was all the incentive he needed. Immediately breaking into a run, (unintentionally dropping his still-lit cigarillo) he just managed to outpace the unknown spell, which seemed to atomize the ground where it hit.

...Why was this a good thing? ...As pissed as it was with Simon, it had its back turned to Gilgamesh.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The strangely-dressed man picked up the champagne that Simon left behind, sipping delicately.

"I am offering something simple. I possess a vehicle that can move from one world to another, in a matter of, at most, hours. So long as you can pay the fare, I can take you wherever you wish."

His enigmatic smile, while unnerving, didn't seem deceptive. Whoever this man was, he spoke true.

At about this time, the pained roars of the behemoth rang into the city.

"...Oh my. Perhaps we should investigate."

Standing, the odd gentleman produced a bowler hat and cane from nowhere. With a concerned look, he nodded to Telira.

"Stay behind me. I wouldn't want you getting hurt." He said, before heading for the city gates at a brisk walk.

Telira wasn't certain how to respond to this odd man's statement. The roundabout way he spoke implied that he wasn't talking about airships and she wasn't aware of any other style of vehicle… well, other than the Lufenian Sky Fortress where she and her friends had faced down Tiamat… but technically that never happened.

Not since the proper flow of time had been restored… or reset, or whatever it was that had happened.

She could have ground her teeth in frustration. The memories danced just out of her reach. Memories of an airship native to her own world, one preserved from time itself by the builder… but she couldn't quite remember how to get it to fly again and she knew that it wasn't equipped to bridge the gap between worlds… and she knew that only beyond the boundaries of the world would she be able to find her friends… if any of them other than Warrior survived.

She missed her friends… and she knew that she needed to see that Simon arrived on his proper world at least, though she hoped that he was able to survive what it was that he intended to do. She'd help him; she'd already promised to do that… but she'd had more than enough of walking willfully to self-destruction. She was sick of it.

But before she could ask the man what kind of vessel, or what sort of fare was required, the bellow of the behemoth could be heard and she felt a shiver of real fear. She knew that sound and it wasn't good at all. In fact, it was horrific if it was the creature she thought it was… she and her friends had faced monsters the world over during the time that never was… but that creature was worse than the rest… including those of the caverns and shrines.

She followed the man, torn between doing as instructed and taking cover behind him, and putting herself between him and the monstrous beast… for all that she, in her current state, would likely not be more than a simple snack to the thing. She had her Mythril Sword at her waist… but she also carried another weapon hanging from the back of her belt.

She reached behind her and unhooked the swordhilt from behind her waist, holding the bladeless sword in her hand, thumb ready to activate the flame-born blade. She didn't want to do anything presumptuous…

As they arrived at the battlefield outside the edge of town, Telira could see the injured behemoth launch a spell of some sort at Simon, which he just barely managed to escape. The beast had its back to Gilgamesh, who was wielding a polearm of some sort. A short distance away there was a corpse of another creature already dispatched and she worried that if this took too much longer that others would appear… scavengers came in all shapes and sizes after all.

Not knowing what else to do, she took a step forward, putting herself between the creature and the strange man with even stranger clothing. She bit her lip nervously and activated the blade on her Vorpal Sword, ready in case the creature charged them, or if Gilgamesh was unable to land the final blow.

"By the Crystals, what in the heck is going on here?"

After my little scene was time for Simon over there to do what he was going to do. He managed to get the monsters attention, by making a heinous looking gash with his gun. I watched as he was a little quick to the flee when he saw that the Behemoth blasted a spell at him. I could have laughed at his stupidity, but I suppose it gave me an edge. He said something about hearts, if I could get a clear shot at the ribs. It was a long shot really, but whatever, I knew how to cut me up some Behemoth. I smirked and as the monster didn't pay enough attention to me, it would have made its final move. I twisted the spear around in one hand in a dramatic fashion, slowly at first, then sped up, mainly to impress the new onlookers, seeing that Telira entered the little fray here. My facial expression wouldn't be viewable behind my cloak, but the killer instinct and fire in my eyes was quite visible. I blinked lightly and pulled out my other weapon, the Excalipoor. I tossed it into the air with a rapid flipping, and dashed forward, throwing my spear towards the Behemoth, basically disarming myself for the moment.

I was high up, and clasping two of my hands together, a small mechanical device formed from nothing under me. Easily recognizable to Simon and possibly that strange man Telira came along with, as a Missile. I aimed, and sent it at the Behemoth. It wasn't very quiet and as such, even with severely dulled senses, the Behemoth managed to hear and react almost in time. Almost... Sadly for it, despite missing a direct shot, it dodged in the wrong direction for survival, not soon enough missing the timing by a half a second, and was blasted by the force of the missile. As I fired it, I actually rode the part that wasn't a warhead, and as it dropped on the Behemoth, I hopped off, which didn't disturb its path, technically surfing on a missile for a few moments. Now in front of a Behemoth that was forced backwards, I had my victory set up. I landed and Rocket Punched the Behemoth with all 8 fists, blowing it back a few more feet into perfect position. With that charged forward one more time. Just within attack range, I jumped, the Behemoth swung its claws with a force like no other. It might have hurt more if I was still on the ground. I was flipped and cringed a bit, but planting one of my many hand on its head, it reacted instantly, and flung me back, towards my Zodiac Spear.

I grabbed onto the Spear, and swung around flinging up and grabbed the Excalipoor from midair. I then fell, free falling a good deal as I charged magic into the weapon, considered useless at most times. Reaching critical strike zone, I swung my blade and cut the Behemoth, creating an aura of magical blades from the Excalipoor, shredding the enemy with 1000 slashes all simultaneously from the Excalipoor, harming the Behemoth only. The Behemoth collapsed and died from the damage, hypersensitive as all hell and the pain making it shut down. 1000 damage feels a lot worse when you feel it more you know. I yanked the Zodiac Spear out of the monster's posterior end (not its bum you pervert!) and pulled out a cloth, polishing my sword.

-------
Used
Gilgamesh Missile -30
Gilgamesh Rocket Punch -10
Excalipoor Secret Art: 1000 Strikes -50
60/150

...Okay, wait.

Simon could hardly comprehend what he'd just witnessed. Gilgamesh had thrown his spear well over the Behemoth. Throwing first the Excalipur, then himself into the air, Gilgamesh proceeded to summon a BALLISTIC MISSILE. ...Simon did a double-take, SURELY he wasn't seeing what he thought he saw.

...Simon knew something about fantasy magic. A few of his subordinates were avid fans of Dungeons and Dragons. So, he was no stranger to the concept of a "Magic Missile". ...However, he'd understood "Missile" to mean a projectile. ...Not a LITERAL missile!

That aside, Gilgamesh had, indeed, called down a highly destructive ballistic weapon. As if to further make a spectacle of things, Gilgamesh proceeded to ride the item like a surfboard, leaping to safety moments before impact. ...What occurred next baffled Simon all the more; surely, the Missile had killed the Behemoth.

Gilgamesh spontaneously produced boxing gloves on his hands, before firing them forth, as if propelled by rockets. ...This was just surreal. How on earth was this even possible?

The gloves struck the Behemoth as Gilgamesh used some strange attack with Excalipur, which somehow felled the beast.

...Simon was simply beyond thought.

"what is this i don't even" was all he managed to mutter.

The strange man, however, applauded the Ancient Man of Mystery.

"Splendid work, Gilgamesh! What a creative solution!"

Walking toward Gil, the man pulled a long whistle from his pocket.

"However, if what Telira has told me is true, then, I believe we all have the same goal."

Breathing deeply, the man blew into the whistle, the clarion call echoing across the landscape.

...Now, Simon knew the item for what it was. It was a conductor's whistle. But, why would there be a man in a suit too advanced for this world to make, with an item with no real purpose in this world, even be here?

Simon's unspoken question was answered when thick slabs of wood suddenly appeared in thin air, and fell to earth in neat rows. Almost as suddenly, bars of shaped iron shot forth from off the horizon, forming what, to Simon, looked like railroad tracks.

At this point, a loud horn sounded. Slight vibrations shook the ground, telling to what was coming.

Easing up to the group was a large locomotive. Although it made no smoke, it was designed to look like an old-style steam engine.

The whole affair was easily twelve cars long, not counting the (presumably) tender, and the actual engine. The entire thing was done in polished gunmetal-colored steel, and gleamed in the sun as it came to a halt in front of the assembled warriors.

The strangely-dressed man gestured toward the massive machine. With a smile, he began walking toward the train.

"Please, do not be bashful. This machine is what you seek."

Opening the door to a car near the front of the train, the man ascended into the car.

"Naomi, coffee." He said, entering the car.

As he entered, the door remained open, allowing the three of them access.

The Behemoth was dead.

For a stunned moment, that single fact was the only thing Telira's overwhelmed mind could comprehend. The beast was totally, completely, undeniably dead. She wasn't certain how to begin to understand how it was that Gilgamesh accomplished that act. She didn't know if it was even possible to understand.

Her mind a blurred haze of confusion and circular thinking that wasn't really even thinking at all, Telira numbly disengaged the jewel on the hilt of the Vorpal Sword, causing the burning blade to fizzle slightly and then vanish, leaving only the handle in her grasp. She reached behind her, looping the hilt back onto the back of her belt and then blinked several times as she stepped forward, trying to break her mind loose from the confusion.

How… how had Gilgamesh managed to so completely destroy the creature? She almost didn't notice that the man who accompanied her was applauding the warrior, congratulating him on a creative solution to the problem presented by the Behemoth's arrival. She still wasn't certain how it was that Gilgamesh was able to do what he did.

There was something involving him riding some mechanical device… and she was certain that his sword was in there somewhere… but she could have sworn that she saw it multiply untold times and that was just impossible, wasn't it? So when did he get the padded gloves?

She shook her head, trying to clear it of the confusion, not that it was working very well, when her entire understanding got thrown on its ear, once again, by the arrival of… well, she really didn't know how to describe this, either.

It wasn't a ship. It wasn't a canoe. It wasn't even an airship or a flying fortress, and she'd been on one of those. It wasn't a teleportation plate. It was… it was like some strangely formed monster… or something. There really wasn't anything in Telira's experience to even compare the machine to. She'd never seen anything like it. Nothing even remotely like it.

When the opening appeared in the side of… of whatever it was, and the man entered, Telira simply stared at it for a while in confusion. It seemed safe enough… and he did say that this was what they were seeking, but she was so stunned that she didn't know what to do. Her feet, though, moved of their own accord and she followed the man into what seemed to her to be the very gates to the Chaos Shrine of the Past, where her whole life was destroyed in the name of restoring peace.

He called it a machine, though. Machine implied that mortal hands, of some sort, built it. Nothing like this was made by the Lufeine, though, and they were the only builders of machines that she'd ever seen. And she'd fought machine-men created by them…

Her mind was still caught in a whirlwind as she entered the vehicle and looked around in confusion, seeking simply a place to sit and be as out of the way as she could be, hoping that something could be said that would be something she could understand. That was when she noticed the young woman that their guide had addressed as "Naomi". Presumably she was something akin to a serving girl in a café… Not knowing what else to do, she requested a lemonade and found a seat.

I looked around the area seeing all the stunned expressions that everyone had on their faces. It was both hilarious and insulting to me, and knowing who these people were, I really didn't bother attempting to explain myself. However one person really did stand out. That one guy Telira walked in with, he was applauding me, explaining that what I did was clever to everyone. I bowed slightly and gestured to him, "Thank you!" I said it like he had figured out something that should have been obvious in the first place. But instead, they focused on the randomness of what I did and didn't once look at the efficiency, just staring mouths agape. I sighed and put away my spear, sending it back to my collection. What that looked like was a black hole just ate my spear out of the blue, which would just look strange. I finished wiping off the Excalipoor like it was nothing, and then stabbed it slightly into the ground just in front of myself. I released it, keeping a close eye on it, when the black hole sent this one back to my collection, I nodded as if confirming, and then turned. What I saw next was just about as otherworldly as me.

That mystery man, who's name we still don't know, blow a conductor's whistle. The following construction of a railroad left me as the least surprised, and I simply waited for the train. I mean, who would take the time to blow a whistle that builds train tracks, if no train was to follow. It seemed almost illogical to use the effort to simply display that you can. Finally a large train pulled in to a screeching halt before us. The man said that we had the same goals, and this was what we needed. I looked this place over for a bit, and wondered to myself. I supposed he could be a L'Cie from that new planet I found, they can summon giant creatures which become vehicles, or what for the most part is a mode of transportation. But then they all used some various shiny gems, I didn't much think too much further into it. Wasn't worth wasting my attention span. I saw them all enter while I was thinking and then just walk into the train, looking around suspiciously. I didn't suspect very much from this ride, but whatever, I had the rights to paranoia, I lived in living hell.

I looked around after taking a seat. It was a nice little passenger steam engine, nothing looked too out of place, other than the design was atrocious. I mean, gunmetal grey was not the color people wanted to see. They could have used a special little thing called paint to help this one out with looks, because who wouldn't be suspicious of a giant steamless steam engine that pulled in from nowhere, while it was colored like this!? "Gee, this color just doesn't settle the paranoia down at all..." I said, cuddling my blanket slightly with one arm.

"Ah, I'm afraid you'll have to forgive the exterior. That's one of the shortcomings every train in the fleet suffers." The man explained, as the train lurched slightly, beginning its journey.


Simon immediately noticed what was going on, as he'd looked ahead. In an instant, the dining car they'd been in went dark, as lights came on.

The car itself was designed in the same style as the SeeD trains so common on the Eighth Earth. So, at least, ONE thing was familiar to Simon in this madhouse.

The woman, presumably named Naomi, tended to them in a moment. The odd man had his coffee, and Telira had her lemonade. ...Simon shivered, slightly. The coffee the odd man had been given had some kind of... ...Well, it looked like she'd topped it with royal icing.

"...Just a soda, thanks."

Naomi nodded, with a smile, and then turned to Gil, as if waiting for his order. Even as she did this, the odd man explained.

"To begin with, I suppose I do not have a proper name. However, the staff, and our regulars, are content to call me 'Owner'. And it is a pleasure to meet you all. And now, allow me to explain exactly what you are all in."

The lights in the cabin went out, quite abruptly, as the train entered into a new zone.

The train's rails were now anchored to nothing, as the vehicle moved through what looked like sky. In the distance, a grand castle could be seen, defying all sense of logic or physics.

"You see, this is a train that, by way of the Inter-dimensional Rift, can move between worlds."

As the train moved illogically though the skyscape, Simon marveled.

"Incredible... ...I'd heard lectures on the use of technology to bridge the gap between dimensions... ...But, it was all theoretical. To think, it's not only possible, but COMMON!"

Owner chuckled softly, and sipped at his coffee, before again continuing.

"You see, people and places alike had been sent to the Rift, for various reasons. Eventually, enough mages had been lost to this place that they were able to combine their powers, and create a more peaceful dimension. Eventually, we found a way to move freely between dimensions, by use of these trains."

...It didn't take much. Simon rather quickly figured out what would happen next.

"So, then, what's the fare?"

Owner again chuckled.

"A shrewd man! Yes, among the other services we provide in our world, such as room and board, entertainment, and health services, we do charge a nominal fee for the use of the ID Liners. However, only outbound trips are charged for. Trips TO our world are without cost."

...It was about that time Simon noticed what looked like a lineup on one of the walls. Several rows of pictures, of various people, with red frames.

"...And, what are these?"

Simon's attention was drawn to the photo of a man in strange armor, as Owner explained.

"Ah, yes. Unfortunately, we do have to police ourselves. Persons in red framed pictures are persons who are not permitted to ride. Unfortunately, the people of the Archadian Empire, especially their military officials, are not allowed to ride, simply because of their policy of Manifest Destiny."

Finishing his coffee, Owner delightedly pulled a golden spoon from his suit pocket, as Naomi set a plate of fried rice before him.

"We had tried to be reasonable with them, until they decided that they had a right to any measure of power in our world."

"...Insufferable bastards are universal, I guess." Simon mused.

Telira thought she was doing an admirable job of keeping herself from going stark raving nuts as she looked around the impossibly shaped vehicle and sipped at the lemonade which was brought to her by the serving girl. There was a lurch as they began moving and then the lights flickered out for a moment and her heart leapt into her throat until they came back on and she could see out the windows as they were passing through the sky itself towards some impossible floating city.

Now, the idea of a floating city was one that she was, actually, familiar with. The Lufaine had a Floating Fortress high in the skies above and the only way to reach it was through a teleportational pad at the top of the Mirage Tower… and the only way into the tower was a chime which was available only from the surviving Lufaine in their city.

She'd been there, fought there, bled there against Tiamat during the time that was no more. Something of incredible importance happened there… but she couldn't quite remember. Too many dream fragments weren't adding up and she wasn't certain of much other than she knew that she'd been there, and that there had been monsters and worse waiting because of the Wind Fiend.

She tried to listen to the explanation which "Owner" gave about the nature of the place they were going to… but the fact that he didn't have a given name made her tremble slightly, remembering how she didn't have given names for her friends… just titles. Warrior, Monk, Black Mage… She pulled herself away from the memory-fragments with great effort and focused on the red-framed pictures, looking at the different faces of the people who had, for one reason or another, proven untrustworthy to travel in this manner.

"Manifest Destiny…" she murmured the words softly, trying to wrap her mind around the concept. "People such as that would seek to bring whole worlds under their control? Are these… these trains the only means between worlds other than an individual's ability such as like what Gilgamesh has?" She felt a tremor deep in her soul, and knew that it originated from the crystal that she wore. Something about these red-framed faces made the crystal wary… and that spelled danger to Telira.

After all, she was alone now. Without her friends, and she didn't even know if her friends still existed anywhere that she could reach. Warrior was in that other dimension that even Gilgamesh couldn't reach anymore. Who knew where Monk and Black Mage had been thrown… or if they hadn't been simply erased from existence.

For some reason, the thought that they'd simply ceased to be made Telira's heart simply stop inside her chest for a painful moment. It was more than simply the pain of losing friends, and she didn't know how much was wishful thinking out of loneliness… or how much of it was the pain of true loss. She took a deep breath and forced herself to focus on the moment. There were worse things to be than lonely.

"What are the chances of these individuals finding other ways of attempting to press their control over those around them?"