#Serah was so strong for this

[uinre]

Me stuck in the dream world forever bc I'm too weak to say no to Lightning even if she’s fake:

[fyresaber]

etro foolish? her decisions unreasonable? oh so you don't understand women. the capriciousness of young girls. lonely, desperate daughters scorned by their fathers for resembling their mother just a little too much. between vanille, serah, lumina, and yeul, ffxiii not only explores strong maternal gubernatorial roles in lightning but also approximates the complex and forgiving psyche and pain of young girls. and if you missed that i don't know what to tell you.

holding etro responsible for yeul’s fate, saying she "deserves what happened to her" is crazy considering yeul is canonically her narrative embodiment and a vehicle for her continued self-harm and suicidality in the wake of her father’s inattention and cruelty.

and so bhunivelze’s violence towards women ricochets through the ages! caius exists because etro chose him to be the father she never had, the same way she chooses lightning as her mother.

etro is capricious as yeul is. yeul who refuses to let caius go as a young girl clings to her father. etro who siphons lightning away from her family to serve as her own, drawing her father’s eye.

[fantomyoshi]

Nerus' Story

Thought I'd make Nerus' story chapters by chapters. All of them are medium to long reads, and each chapters will be posted whenever I complete one. I do have art for each chapters but they will be posted individually in the future!

Note: This story happens before crucial lore events in Nerus' life. In this story he is 23, and ages to 26 throughout timeskips.

Enjoy! This chapter is pretty long haha!

---

Chapter 1: The Part Home

Early morning, West Woodland Mansion. Nerus, a 23 years old Pillager, was walking hastily around the place, searching for specific items. A bag he was carrying made it clear he had intention to leave the place, but why? The young man entered his shared room, in which his roommate, a older female worker, was sitting down at her desk. Hearing him, she turned her head to look, her eyes following the bag he was carrying.

"My, I see you have quite the items in there." She chuckled.

"Oh, hey Serah. Yeah, today is the day! I finally start what I want to do in my life. Adventure!" Nerus replied, a bit of excitement in his voice.

"And your parents will let you to do it?" Serah asked, putting her elbow on the desk and her hand on her cheek.

"Well, my father yes, but my mother might need a bit more of convincing. But I swear, this time is the one!" He replied, confident.

"Well, good luck! Hopefully this time your mom allows it." Serah smiled.

"Thanks, I'll do what I can to make it happen." Nerus smiled back, grabbing an empty book and a pencil from his bookshelf, then waved at Serah before leaving the room in a flash.

As Nerus continued grabbing items for his adventure, two other workers were sneakily following him all around the Mansion. When Nerus was going down the stairs, he felt a strong push on his back, and fell face first right on the carpet. Annoyed, he turned around to face whoever had done it, only to see a Pillager and Iceologer wheezing.

"What's wrong, Nerus? Can't handle some prank?" The Iceologer said.

"If pushing someone down the stairs is a "prank" to you then you have some serious problems." Nerus replied, frowning.

"Oh come on. Can't we have a little bit of fun? Or do we have to hit you again like last times?" The Pillager replied, approaching Nerus.

"Your pranks go overboard, guys. Quit it." Nerus said, standing his position.

"Oh, what's up now? Finally found the courage to go against us?" The Iceologer grinned, circling around Nerus.

"You two don't scare me. Leave me alone." He said.

"No. We can always mess around with our favorite Pillager." The Iceologer replied, noticing the bag. He grabbed it, then started looking into it.

"What's all that junk? Are you seeing a girl? Hah!" He added, dropping an aid kit on the floor.

"Hey, stop it! This is none of your business!" Nerus said, trying to get his bag back.

The Pillager pushed Nerus away and on the floor, laughing nastily. "We're stronger than you. You know that. It wouldn't take long for us to beat you up agai- ACK!!" He was suddenly cut short.

Nerus and the Iceologer looked up the stairs. A red glow in the darkness on top. A silhouette was standing there, an Evoker.

"Not fun choking, ain't it?" He said.

"S-Sir! We were just-" The Iceologer tried to explain while the Pillager was still struggling, but the Iceologer was abruptly cut from his sentence.

"What's this I heard? Beating Nerus up? I thought I've told you both multiple times to stop picking on him, and abuse him at that." The Evoker spoke up, finally releasing the Pillager, who gasped for air.

"But he's doing weird activities I swear! Those items and this bag are concerning." The Iceologer continued.

The Evoker's eyes turned into irritation, and used his magic to grab the Iceologer's coat, and brought him right into his face. "Do not lie to me... If you think a bag and everyday items is suspicious, then clearly you just are giving excuses to try and put Nerus in trouble. If I see you near him and picking on him one more time, I will not be so forgiving in my punishment... Was I clear?!" The Evoker told him in a serious yet menacing tone.

The Iceologer nodded rapidly, and the Evoker dropped him back to the floor. Both he and the Pillager fled, leaving Nerus, who was finally standing up.

The Evoker walked down the stairs, a cane serving as balance, and soon reached Nerus. "Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yeah... Thanks, father." Nerus replied, looking at the mess around. The Evoker helped Nerus clean the mess with his magic, then gave the bag back to him.

"And what were you going to do with this bag?" He asked.

"I was actually going to talk about it to you and mother, but that happened." Nerus replied, cleaning his clothes from the dust.

"And? What is it?" The Evoker asked. Nerus looked at his father, then took a deep breath.

"I'd like to go out and adventure. I know I've said it many times in the past before, and I know you won't oppose to it, but this time I'm serious. I have to go!" He said, looking confident.

The Evoker smiled warmly. "I figured it'd be that. Knowing you, it was a matter of time." He then chuckled. "But your mother might think the opposite again." He warned.

"I know, but that's why I'll do what I can to convince her!" Nerus nodded.

"Oh my, then I must wish you good luck. Ceren has quite the strict attitude towards our Illagers wandering off." The Evoker warned, but with a cheeky smile.

"Haha, that I know! But I'm telling you, I won't give up this time! I've waited for too long." Nerus replied.

"Then I shall await you to hear about it." He said.

Nerus smiled. "Then I'll get going. I must find mother! I'll see you around, father!" He waved and walked away.

The Evoker waved back. "She is likely at the armory! You should check there first!" He shouted. Nerus simply replied with a thumbs up as he made his way there.

Nerus followed his father's words, and headed directly to the armory. Upon entering the room, he found his mother carefully adjusting weapons on their stands. He carefully maneuvered around the weapons that were yet to be put back. His mother heard him, and turned around.

"Ah, Nerus. What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Well, I thought it'd be nice helping you with... All this." He replied with a smile.

"Hm, very well." Ceren simply replied, giving Nerus a suspicious side eye as she gave him a sword to sharpen.

Silence took over. Nerus felt awkward, but he could feel his mother was looking at him despite her work. At this point he was used to it, it wasn't the first time she would give him stares. After a few minutes, Nerus broke the silence.

"Sooo uh... How is it going?" He asked.

"The usual. Raids happening weekly and as the Chief I must prepare the raid team for the next's. Sharpen the weapons, repair the crossbows, training." She bluntly replied.

"Ah, fair enough. Don't you have time for other things?" Nerus asked.

"Not as much. And what about you, boy? Have you thought of that offer I gave you?" Ceren replied, turning to look at her son.

"Mom... I told you many times before. I don't want to become an Evoker, and I don't want to participate in raids... I... I actually came to speak about something else." He replied, looking back right at her.

Ceren sighed, but crossed her arms. "It's about adventures, isn't it?" She simply said, with a somewhat unnamused tone.

Nerus nodded.

"No. Strictly a no." She shook her head.

"Oh come on, mother! Why are you stopping me? Adventuring always has been my dream!" Nerus replied.

"Because it's dangerous! You're alone against the elements and you barely know how to hold a weapon!" Ceren shouted back.

Nerus remained quiet, but then sighed a bit. "You're right... But I won't ever give up trying to achieve this." He said, looking back at her. "I've been trapped in here for so many years. Mom, I need this." He added.

Ceren looked down with a sigh. "Tell me... Why do you think it's worth it?" She asked.

"Because... I've always wanted to see the world we live in. I don't have a purpose in staying here if I do nothing but chores. I tried to fight before, but you saw how that went. And... Because I'm curious of the outside world." He explained, looking out the window. "All the stories I've seen and red gave me the curiosity and will I needed. And you won't ever stop me from asking." He added.

Ceren moved her gaze towards the window also, then back at Nerus. "Is this what you really want?" She asked.

Nerus simply replied with a nod. She then turned around, and grabbed a Trident that was carefully placed on the wall.

"Woah there! Isn't that the one weapon you didn't wanted anyone to touch? It's history!" Nerus said.

"Yes it is. But you can't protect yourself without a weapon." Ceren said, walking towards Nerus. "This Trident has gone through many generations, and comes from one of my great-grandfathers. It has served many wars and conflicts with the Villagers in the past. Since you crave for adventures and I know I cannot stop you, then I cannot oppose you anymore. Take it, I trust you to keep it in one piece." She said, handing Nerus the Trident.

"But I barely know how to hold a weapon..." Nerus replied, carefully taking the Trident.

"You'll learn. While it is a large weapon, it would be the safest type for you. And to help you, it is enchanted with Loyalty. Make sure you are prepared to hold it again once it comes back." Ceren explained.

"I see... Thanks mom. But are you sure?" He asked.

"This is the safest option for you. Swords and axes with a novice such as yourself would be too dangerous. Besides, if this is what you want in your life, then the Trident can help you at many things, and it is your job to figure them out." She nodded.

Nerus simply remained silent, but nodded. As he was about to leave the room, he turned back to his mother. "C-Can you come down and say goodbye? I'd appreciate it." He asked with a smile.

Ceren nodded. "I will be there for you." She said.

"Thank you." Nerus replied, leaving the room. Nerus then took the time to gather anything essential he'd need on the road. Food, water, and even Potions from the Witch living in the Mansion. As he made his way back down the stairs to the entrance, his father and mother waited him.

"So, I suppose this is goodbye? Your mother told me of what you both spoke about." The Evoker smiled proudly.

"Your father is right. I did told him." Ceren nodded in a blank stare.

"Yeah. It'll be all new for me, I can't wait to see what's out there. I'm excited!" Nerus smiled excitedly, holding his bag a little tighter.

"The world is a wonderful place, but you should still keep your guards up. Wolves and monsters at night are still lurking." His father warned.

"Yes, I'm aware. I'll be very careful." Nerus reassured.

"We hope so. Before you leave, take this." The Evoker said before handing Nerus something. A Totem of Undying.

"A Totem? But isn't it yours, dad?" Nerus asked.

"It is, but in this case you'd need it more than I do. After all, I can't go around all that much with an handicapped leg, haha." He chuckled lightly. Ceren slightly nudged his elbow. "But yes. It will revive you when needed, but only once. Be extra careful." His father added.

"I will be. Thank you." Nerus smiled, putting the Totem of Undying in the small bag on his belt.

"Oh and also... This." His father added, taking off his robe and putting it around Nerus. "Take it as a sign of good luck, and a reminder you'll always be welcomed home if you need us." He smiled.

Nerus' eyes sparkled. "Thank you both. I'll need it." He smiled, eyes tearing up. "I'll miss you all..." He added, shedding some tears and hugging both of his parents tightly.

"We will too, Nerus. We will too..." His father smiled warmly.

"Be careful. We love you." Ceren said as Nerus let go of the hug.

"Will be. I'll... I'll see you both someday!" He smiled and waved, turning around and taking a step outside.

Ceren and her husband watched as Nerus walked away, but Ceren had a worried look on her face.

"Eleros... I am worrying for our son." She said.

"So am I. But I am sure he will be just fine, darling. Let's not think of the bad side." Eleros replied, leaning his head on Ceren's to reassure her.

"I hope so..." Ceren simply replied.

End of Chapter 1

[islandtarochips]

Call of Duty OC: Kanoa Toa 🇦🇸

Commission Art by @moonaliluna (not in tumblr but in instagram and tiktok) 🔼

The Captain of the US Marine Corps and the Leader of the Warriors Task Force. A man who has confidence for his team that they will protect and save the people from any threats. A funny guy to keep you smiling in any serious situations. And it questions everyone of how he became CAPTAIN with that kind of attitude.

UNIVERSE: Modern Warfare 2/Modern Warfare 3

General:

🇦🇸 Name: Kanoa Toa 🇦🇸 Alias(es): Noa, Alpha 6, Toa, Captain Funnypants (Only Tiala can call him that) 🇦🇸 Gender: Male 🇦🇸 Age: Early 30s 🇦🇸 Birthday: April 1st, 1990 🇦🇸 Nationality: United State National (American Samoa) 🇦🇸 Place of Birth: American Samoa 🇦🇸 Home: Kahaluu, Hawaii (Living with his sister) 🇦🇸 Spoken Languages: English, Samoan 🇦🇸 Sexuality: Heterosexual 🇦🇸 Occupation: Captain in the Marine Corps, Leader of the Warriors Task Force

Appearance:

🇦🇸 Eye Color: Dark Brown  🇦🇸 Hair Color: Black 🇦🇸 Height: 6’2”/187 cm 🇦🇸 Scars: Scar on his chest, back and on left side of his hips. 🇦🇸 Face Claim: Alex Tarrant

Favorites:

🇦🇸 Color: Any Shades of Green 🇦🇸 Food: Pani Popo and Luau Pipi 🇦🇸 Drink: Diet Coke 🇦🇸 Flower: Not into flowers but will get some for the pretty ladies 🇦🇸 Hairstyle: His hair are short so…don’t know what hairstyle he likes🤷

Personality:

🇦🇸 Myers Briggs Type: ESFP If you think that Kanoa is the kind of Captain who is VERY serious. You guessed wrong. First time meeting, when you salute him first and he’ll do it back. And give you a big HUG (He’s a hugger by the way). He will be the first responder without even THINKING. Like going into the battlefield not caring of other dangers but focusing on one main thing. Just like Tiala, he chooses his words carefully since he doesn’t want to upset or offend other people. He’s also an older brother figure for his comrades. Since he always bail them out from any troubles that they have caused. But he still needs to think of a punishment if they went TOO far. 🇦🇸 Hilarious: Kanoa is the most FUNNIEST guy you will ever met. He will always find a way to bring up some ridiculous story or jokes to his team. And they’ll laugh with him. And sometimes AT him too. 🇦🇸 Strong Common Sense: Even though Kanoa is the funniest and the nicest guy you’ve met. Don’t think that you can take him down so easily. He has good common sense. He trusts his own judgment but is open to other suggestions.

Negative Traits:

🇦🇸 Kanoa always so prideful for his team and his own work. You can hear him bragging about the good thing about himself for HOURS. 🇦🇸 Good at hiding of his pain (mentally). He also has “Smiling Depression”. Smiling in front of everyone making them think that he’s alright but on the inside he’s just a stressful Captain. 🇦🇸 Kanoa is like Tiala when it comes to deal with an enemy who has family. 🇦🇸 Kanoa is another one of those TERRIBLE driver. He can drive perfectly in a very calm state but when you ask him to speed up. This man will just ZIG-ZAG left and right.

Skills and Abilities:

🇦🇸 Fighting Style: Hand-to-Hand Combat 🇦🇸 Weapons: M4A1, HK416 and M550 🇦🇸 Distinct Weapons: Fixed Blade Dagger 🇦🇸 Special Skills: Has a good sense of improvising last minute. Like, when a mission goes wrong and it doesn’t go as planned; Captain Kanoa Toa got your back by finding another way around  to finish it.

Family:

Nakoa Loe Toa (Father, Alive)

Elei Toa (Mother, Alive)

Hōne Toa (1st Older Brother, Deceased)

Sami Toa (2nd Older Brother, Alive)

Serah Toa (Sister-in-Law, Samis’s Wife, Alive)

Penny Toa (Niece, Sami’s Daughter, Alive)

Dinah Toa (Niece, Sam’s Baby Daughter, Alive)

Rangi Toa (3rd Older Brother, Alive)

Tiala Toa (6th Younger Sister, Alive)

Hemi Toa (5th Younger Brother, Alive)

Iosefa Toa (4th Younger Brother, Alive)

Tamah Toa (3rd Younger Brother, Alive)

Fetu Fetuao Toa (2nd Younger Brother, Alive)

Iona and Kiona Toa (Youngest Brothers, Twins, Alive)

Trivia:

🇦🇸 Kanoa is the only funny kind of siblings in his family. Always make a good joke to keep them laughing and make them forget all of the bad things that happened. 🇦🇸 He’s the 2nd brother that Tiala is really close to after his older brother, Hōne, had passed away 🇦🇸 Kanoa will give you dad jokes 24/7 and even gives you the most embarrassing story about his brothers and his sister. But NEVER about himself. 🇦🇸 He’s always the first one to ask his comrades of who wanted to arm wrestle with him. If they win, he’ll get them ice cream. 🇦🇸 Give good love relationship advice but never get one for himself. (He’s single as heck man and he’s in his 30s!)

Background Story:

Kanoa was proudly born and raised on the island. The funniest man you will ever meet. He joined the Military at the age of 17. Which means he signed up right after High School. Just to keep the family lines going. He was really inspired by his dad, Nakoa, hearing his stories of joining the military.

He signed up with Rangi, his 3rd eldest brother, for the Marine Corps and they both started working hard on reaching to the top. He had also met his other older brother, named Hōne. Who was a Lieutenant at that time. Always make good fun with him during their military times. Until he heard the news of Hōne being KIA from one of the missions. It really took a toll on him.

But he kept going as he worked even harder to pass up the ranks. Until he reached up to the rank of being a Corporal. That’s when he met his sister, Tiala, who is a Private. He was happy and proud to see his little sister working hard to honor their older brother’s name. Until 4 years later, he found out about Tiala volunteering. To go on a solo mission to find out about the intel of the next location; by being the pretend victim for one of the human trafficking.

He’s not very sure about this mission until he gives in to Tiala reasoning with him. But how much he wishes he could take his words back. Finding out that his little sister has been taken away by the enemies. He was devastated and angry to hear this news. So he asks permission from the General to let him and the team he chooses to find her. FAST.

He didn’t give up on searching for Tiala until 2 months later. He finally found her. From the location where no one even KNEW it was there. He raided into the enemies hide out and unalive almost everyone without hesitating.

He took her back and stayed with her in the medical bay. Kanoa was heartbroken to see her in this state and that’s when he decided to make his own special team. He named it “Warriors Task Force”. And started working under one of the Generals of the Marine Corps, Alana Kalani.

He promised himself to bring protection and justice to the people who were victims from the trafficking and being hostages. And that’s when he became Captain of the Marine Corps.

[theshenami]

On the remarkably consistent childhood friends to lovers romantic trope in the Final Fantasy series

Following my playthrough for FF7 Rebirth, I have been thinking about romantic tropes in the FF series more broadly. The stories that have romantic relationships that develop between the main cast (or at least guest party members) seem to all follow the childhood friends (or, at least, childhood/family connections) to lovers trope. Just wanted to list the examples I can think of that follow this paradigm. (Disclaimer, I have never completed FF6, so cannot speak to that game).

FF3: Ingus and Sara grow up together in Sasune castle, and become a couple at the end, with Ingus declaring that he will follow her anywhere and stay by her side. This is the well-known trope of the knight and princess falling in love.

FF4: Cecil and Rosa grow up together along with Kain, with whom they are in a love triangle. Kain sort of runs off in the end because he can't deal with the other two being together at the story's end.

FF7: I know, it's really the only debatable one due to the narrative and affection mechanics of the OG, but the plot clearly shows that Cloud and Tifa have harbored romantic feelings since childhood, and they are obviously a couple raising a family together in AC and DoC. ToTP and OTWTAS delve further into their feelings, but are really just the devs clearing up things they did/could not get into in the OG. The remake trilogy adds more depth to the relationship as well, since Square couldn't really use tone of voice or body language in the OG to express the clear romantic chemistry and tension between them in the first two trilogy entries. In fact, it is so obvious that other characters and party members actively bring it up (Marle, Johnny, Yuffie, Barrett, even Aerith at times).

FF8: This one is a childhood/family connection one, as Squall and Rinoa's parents had a unresolved love story. It's a bit of stretch, I know, but it does loosely fit in with the other couples' arcs.

FF10: Similar to FF8, this one involves Tidus and Yuna having a connection through their fathers' having been comrades during Yuna's father's pilgrimage 10 years prior to the main story. Yuna even goes so far as to state that it must be fate that brought them together, during their voyage from Besaid to Kilika. It is worth noting that this one is a two-fer, since Wakka and Lulu are also childhood friends who become lovers, especially if you incorporate the 10-2 subplot in which Lulu is literally pregnant with Wakka's child.

FF12: This one only hints at two childhood-friends-to-lovers couples. Basch and Ashe have history as it seems he was a knight in the Dalmascan military when they were both younger, and their history is hinted at rather than directly addressed as in other games. It is suggested that they may develop romantic feelings some time after the main story ends, but are both bound by duty to be apart. Vaan and Penelo fit the childhood friends to lovers trope much better, but their relationship is only ever implied: Balthier constantly teases Vaan about Penelo by calling her "your girl" multiple times (which Vaan never refutes), and the final scene of the game is literally Vaan returning to her as he says "I'm coming Penelo".

FF13: Snow and Serah are the childhood friends to lovers couple here, and they do end up together in the end if you ignore the two sequel storylines.

FF15: Noctis and Luna start off as childhood friends destined to have an arranged marriage, but they develop strong romantic feelings for each other despite being apart for several years (yet again, by tragedies befalling their families/homes), and are reunited in their love both in adulthood and in the afterlife.

FF16: This one is another two-fer, with the obvious pairing of Clive and Jill growing up together and having romantic feelings as children, then being forced apart due to tragic circumstances (anyone sensing a theme here?), only to be reunited and fall in love as adults. This one mirrors FF7 quite a bit, complete with the memory loss narrative elements where Clive and Cloud both forget about the key roles they played in their respective childhood tragedies, only to rediscover the truth while on a journey of self-discovery where they battle with their own subconscious to rediscover their true pasts, with their childhood love interests at their sides. As a bonus, Jill also goes through her own journey of self-discovery at Drake's Breath with Clive at her side, much like Tifa does together with Cloud in the Lifestream. The less prominent pairing is Dion and Terence, who mirror the FF3 arc of Ingus and Sara, with the knight and prince (rather than princess, bold move SE) declaring their mutual love by story's end.

Please let me know if I missed/misrepresented anything, and I hope you find this remarkable consistency in the childhood-friends-to-lovers trope in the FF series as interesting as I do.

[catyo90]

Why I still recommend Final Fantasy 13

As we all know FF13 was the black sheep of the Final Fantasy games. It had a different fighting system and was strangely more linear than its previously better-known games. However, this was more of the gamer's issue as when FFX and FFX-2 came out a lot of people said there were too many missable items and didn't like having to search everywhere for items or hidden scenes.

Years later Square Enix responded made FF13, and what were the gamer's responses. "We don't like it"

Now with FF games like 15 and 16 which are open-world people praise both for their own styles and stories. I'll be honest 15 was okay, the fact though that DLC kept coming out for the game and the story was lacking a bit for some of the characters, made me kinda miss the simpler ones. Now as for 16, I have not played it yet but I will differ from those who have that opinion.

As for FF14 which is an mmo its far different from the others but you get the opportunity to play with friends and actually go at your own pace.

But with all the games that have come out of the Final Fantasy franchise, I can say that everyone in the FF13 trilogy I remember and they have good characters. which I wanna talk a little bit about. (FYI this is where the spoilers now will appear. you've been warned. Also Very long Post just fyi)

Let's start off with of course the Queen

Lightning aka Claire Farron. A Cocoon soldier who stays distant and strong for her sister after losing their parents, after years of becoming strong to protect her only family. She faces losing her sister Serah to become an eternal crystal or the insidious cieth. After everything she faces, they save Cocoon. She only had a moment with everyone and realized that she and Serah could have a chance at actual peace. She gets taken away from the dream to save a goddess and forced into the duty of a protector. And even after that, she stays strong, guiding Serah along the way to help her fight Caius even though everyone thinks she is dead.

But then Etro dies and she fails in her mission, overtaken with grief by not only the goddess dying and failing...her sister. The only person in her life that kept her from losing all of her hope. Dies. Everything she did in the first game...gone. And then after sleeping for 500 years she's given the chance by God to save Serah and the World. A sort of redemption if you think about it.

Snow falls kinda under the same category but from a small different point of view. Snow was deeply in love with Serah and in the first game was trying to save her and Cocoon as well. Even though Etro caused Lightning to disappear he still tries to hold the fort and he got to have his peace with her afterward. But sadly he only gets to have that life for a year before FF13-2 starts, the love of his life goes on a mission he cant join. All the while he does his damn hardest to help Fnag and Vanille's pillar holding up Cocoon. And in doing so, willingly takes on the I'cie curse even after getting his brand removed in the first game. Once again everything in the first game almost not worth it (This is a reoccuring theme.), if not for Serah coming back. But then she dies and he can't fix, and he couldn't be there for her. His promise to be her hero is shattered. For 500 years he cares for the people and everyday misses Serah, blaming himself everyday for what happened and not keeping her safe. HE is basically the prime example of a suffering hero.

Hope is kinda the odd one out, he is only a child, in the wrong place wrong time situation with his mother and him being brought into the Bodium purge. He loses his mother and goes on a verge to get revenge on Snow who he held responsible. But in a short amount of time when he stays with Lightning he learns from her that his innocent world is over, he is a fugitive, a I'cie and alone. But after she tells him about her past and facing the worst that life can offer, you grow from it. He even goes from taking up the rear to guarding her in the front, his fear fades throughout the entire game and he learns to grow up to be a fine young man in FF13-2. He even makes a new world for humanity in case Cocoon were to fall. He was their Hope, their hope for a world rid of monsters.

But in LR, we see that he has disappeared possibly having been kidnapped, remolded / torture back into young hope and made to spy on Lightning to fulfill her Savior duties. And can't speak his true thoughts, he is a fake. Even Lightning realizes though that the next world needs him, he even sees his parents who were long since dead he realizes that he gets the chance to have a proper life, Hope is the Symbol for all to have Hope and to Believe.

Sazh suffers from the possibility of outliving his son. He is a widow and the only family left for him is his son who is quite young, and unfortunately at a young age his son is branded by the I'cie. Dajh basically only has a short time to be a child, until he either turns to crystal or a monster. Sazh loses him after being taken and fights to save him, but all the while he slowly loses his faith. He lost his wife and now his son, every moment he questions what they are doing. Only the prospect of saving Dajh keeps him going as well as his Chocobo chick. After saving Dajh though they get to live a normal life until the end of FF-13-2

For almost 500 years Dajh is in a coma like state and Sazh once again loses his faith thinking the only way Dajh can be saved is by doing it himself. When Lightning comes around though and helps reawaken Dajh, well so does Sazh. He regains his faith and even comes to the final moment of the game with everyone ready to welcome the new world with his son. He's the family man, kinda similar to Barret from FF7. But he is also the representation of a man going down the harder path to help those he loves.

Fang and Vanille fall under the same issue, Born to Gran Pulse and lived and had to sleep in immortal crystal to awake and find their home in ruins. The life they lived all gone and the only thing left of who they were is each other. Fang even takes on the torture to awaken Ragnarök. Doomed to bring about the end of Cocoon. But then their fate is changed and they were able to save instead of destroy.

In FF13-2 they are able to help Serah in her mission but they knew what she might have to face and with LR, they were torn about by both a sense of duty and a want to protect the other. Lightning finds out that they each wanted to help the other, however Vanille want for redemption at the cost of her own life to save the lost dead souls, thats what splits Fang away because she refuses to lose Vanille.

They can represent both family and lovers. One will not go on without the other, no matter what.

And now for the princess, (not literally) but still i love Serah. Anyhow, Serah is the embodiment of Love, Faith and Hope. She goes through everything, turned into an enemy of Cocoon, turned into crystal, given the gift and/or curse of Etro, lost her fiancé to time travel for a bit, dies, has her soul taken out of Lightning where she was safe and then used as a bargaining chip by God to make Lightning keep to her role. But through everything, she still believed her sister and fiancé would save her, that she would be able to live her own life and teach children.

This girl fought and stepped up to every challenge but unlike lightning she shows her emotions, all the pain of failure and loss is understanding and that makes her into a connection for the player.

Okay so for times sake Im putting these three in one group since their stories are enveloped all together.

They are the last humans of a future timeline where the events of ff13 did not go well, Noel is basically the last human that ever existed and under Caius teaching and wing both of them protect Yeul who is a priestess of Etro forced to live again and again only to die after seeing the last of her visions into the future. Caius who knows some of the past Yeuls loved him, the last one loves Noel and he tries everything to save her. So whats his plan. Oh yeah, kill the goddess Etro to stop all natural death and the visions. Hence stopping Yeul from dying.

Noel guided by Lightning has to aid Serah to stop Caius and save the Future. After everything though, he fails by killing Caius not realizing that with his death he actually killed Etro (long story) watches Yeul die and Serah die. and after all of that is forced to watch the world and timeline for 500 years fall and crumble into a shell of the former grandeur that it was.

Yeul after dying, helps Lighting but in her now spirit like self she reveals a terrible truth that while Caius is alive no good will come. But while the Yeul we know wants Caius dead. (along with hundreds of other past selves.) Some of them also want Caius to live causing him to never truly die. To quote Caius "Even if one Yeul desires my salvation, another demands my rebirth."

Yeul is the symbol of mourning and regret but also wisdom in knowing that not all things will be bad, and that good things do eventually happen.

Caius is the symbol of inability to accept what happens and the cruelty of death. His immortality while at first would seem like a gift is a curse, he watching all those he love die and when the chance to die comes, it fails. He is stuck in an infinite life that is now out of his control.

Noel is the symbol of failure but also standing back up taking the next steps forward. After everything, with just the promise of seeing the person he loves again, even if only one more time. Gives him the strength to move on.

-

So if any of you can identify with even one of these characters I highly recommend you play the game. Trust me, me writing all of this down doesn't do the games justice. Its a lovely styled game that after some time you will get used to and its really not that hard of gameplay, watch a few videos and you will get the hang of it.

So anyways im not sure if i convinced any of you but enjoy your days and i send you off with a smiling lighting because its so rare and you all deserve one.

[hubristicassholefight]

Swordswoman Showdown Round 2 Part 2

Lightning Farron (Final Fantasy XIII) vs Fa Mulan (Mulan)

Better here in a "preferred character" sense, not "who would win in a fight")

Propaganda below cut

Lightning

She uses a Gunblade. A sword thats also a gun. Said to be very rare because it takes so much skill to use. Does lots of slashing and backflips. Later becomes Champion of A God and sword fights a guy for eternity. Later becomes champion of a Different god and uses lots of different swords; She is dramatic and has lots of character growth and is awesome.

#She fights sephiroth#she has a fire sword for Drama#She gets armor too#how can you say no to that face#you want it she can do it

#there’s 10 hours left Lightning did not suffer to lose#ALL SHES BEEN THROUGH AND FOR WHAT#HER CHARACTER GROWTH IN THE GAME IS SO GOOD#SHES BEEN THRU SO MUCH#I JUST WANT WHATS BEST FIR HER#FOR HER#SHE DESERVES IT APL#ALL#RISE LIGHTNING STANS RISE#WHERES UR ANGER#WHERES UR RAGE

#back to rep my girl because I am NOT done talking about her#like she deserves everything okay#having to grow up quick and throw away her childhood to become her sisters new guardian after losing their mom#having to continuously grow stronger not for herself#but to keep Serah safe#and then eventually the need to want to protect others#her new found family#the fact that she would do so much for them by the time we get the third game#how kuch she had to fight all she had to do for the#the sake of humanity#the things she’s been through#it makes you want all the best for her

#i love them both but come on I gotta rep Lightning 😭😭😭#come on she uses her gunblade like a pro#but I love how she’s not afraid to throw hands either or how agile she is#so she doesn’t have to rely on her weapons at all times#she’s strong too like even before becoming a l’cie she can knock down men -snow- twice her size#she has the skills to back herself up#lets not forget she stabbed a god in the face with a survival knife#she’s just constantly getting stronger and she’s pretty#did I mention she’s pretty because#she’s very pretty

#she comes with 2x Big Sister baggage!#you know how much you love Grizzled Cynical Old Man Acquires Child?#get ready for Grizzled But On The Inside Woman Acquires Child Who Is Somehow Even More Cynical and Grizzled than Her#Idolizes Her and Becomes a Mirror Turned Back Upon Her So She Has To Examine Her Shit#also she’s just so cool#unpopular opinion but I love the feel of combat in XIII#I’m not a fan of super granular systems I love the vibes-based play#watching her flip and slash her way around the field kicks ass#like yes bitch u barely need me here#SHE HAS A GAY LITTLE CAPE HOW CAN YOU SAY NO TO A GAY LITTLE CAPR#they couldve made her a little grizzled tho. for Me.

#Did I mention she can grill up a good steak#but that's all she can cook#She stabs a god in the face with a pocketknife#she punches dudes in the face#she meets a hot australian chick and slaps her and then shows her her tits#She has a suit of armor and a horse cause she a knight#yes i'll propagandize for her in her every poll cause she's perf

#Ok but you forgot to mention how Lightning is literally one woman army#She freaking uses magic and summons her stead guardian and even users those giant ass double edge blades and they fight in unison#She is also very acrobatic and elegant with her moves#Even more so in XIII-2 where she is literally fighting a war on her own and now has access to divine abilities making her more of a Paladin

Fa Mulan

stole her father's sword to take his place in the imperial army. defeated the invading leader and stole HIS sword too.

Soldier who saved all of china; She’s one of the ogs, man, her movie is a banger

i know she's a problematic fave but i still love her :(

[silver-wield]

I'll admit, I don't tend to keep track of the dev teams for the various FFs beyond 7's so finding out Toriyama was responsible for 13 explains why I hate it so much lmao.

Ffxiii is all his. His scenario, his script, his characters but the designs are Nomura's.

But in a nutshell he ripped off ffvii.

Lightning is Soldier Cloud and by LR comes complete with a "real self" she locked away to be strong enough to protect her precious baby sister who's her entire world and she goes into crystal stasis for and kills god for blah blah blah and if you feel there's echoes of Cloud's promise to protect Tifa in there you'd be right on the money because Toriyama is a rip off artist.

Snow is also Cloud, but he's also Zack. He's the real boi all simpy for his one true love, but also super positive until he loses her for the millionth time and becomes emo Cloud because AC Cloud wasn't depressed because he was dying nauuuu it was all because he was emo and in LR so is snow. He's the most emo donchakno. Most angsty. Even more angsty than Soldier Cloud--I mean Lightning.

Serah. If you can't guess who she's based on going off the multiple death/revivals, being a super speshul priestess who sees alt timelines for no reason--literally no reason was ever given for why she's like Yuel--the excessive use of pink, being some uwu damsel in distress etc etc then I can't help you. 13-2 is the biggest flop of the trilogy because he tried to make his Aerith puppet the MC and she was too fucking dull and annoying to carry the plot.

Sahz is your angry dad Barret. Vanille is Yuffie. Fang is your tough secretive Vincent, and Hope the leftovers of Aerith that didn't fit into Serah, so the mother being unfairly gunned down, the dad being some distant educator type etc etc.

What about Tifa? I hear y'all ask.

Tifa and the Avalanche derps are also in the game, not that you'd realise. Lebreau is Snow's childhood friend who runs the local bar and looks after him and the trio who assist Snow on his lil adventures.

Top left is Lebreau and yeah, she looks a bit like Tifa. Toriyama was so salty he made her an NPC, which shows his contempt for her, and it's why Tifa's still getting shitty costumes and undermined in Ever Crisis.

Toriyama will never let go of the fact Tifa's Cloud's lover over the girl he wrote. And if y'all wanna know why Aerith is so toxic it's because Toriyama loves love triangles.

Look what he did to Yuel, Caius and Noel. Was there any need for that weird shit? Yuel's a child. Caius is an old man in his 40's and Noel is a teenager, but sure, let's have some weird ass shit happening between them all because that's good gaming 😬

Toriyama should never be allowed to head up a scenario team.

[friendofesteem]

What do you think about FF XIII's Lightning and Hope using each other as surrogate sibling/parent?

Nora, Hope's mother, was a strong independent woman who picked up a rocket launcher and took out an airship on her first shot. That's not something a normal person can do, she **must** have military training.

Hope loses his mom and starts to follow a strong independent woman, that has a military background.

Meanwhile, we have Lightning who just lost her little sibling. This was partially because of how detached Lightning was to her. So now she lets this little dude tag along and she goes out of her way to give him stuff and to make sure he learns skills to survive (she lets him lead, gives him a knife, etc).

They both cope with their loss the same way, by replacing their loved one with a new person.

That’s an interesting way to look at their dynamic! Using each other to fill the void of their loss def makes sense!

Personally though, I don’t like using familial labels to represent non-familial relationships—I feel like it can lead to losing a lot of nuance and complexity that comes with a relationship dynamic. I don’t think Hope sees Lightning as a surrogate parent; rather, he initially sees her as a source of strength and someone to follow in order to keep moving forward along the path that he’s chosen (which at that time is confronting Snow). Being with Vanille gave Hope emotional support, but in many ways it also gave him permission to run away from his grief instead of dealing with it. I believe he chooses to follow Lightning because he knows he wants to move forward—he just doesn’t know exactly how to do that, but he believes that physical strength is the first step in that direction.

In contrast, I definitely do think that Lightning gradually warms up to Hope because of Serah’s influence, rather than because she sees him as a replacement for Serah. I don’t think anyone could ever replace Serah in her mind, but Hope to her (once he stops being a liability in her eyes) almost becomes a blank canvas for her to mold in her image, unlike Serah, who made choices she disagreed with (i.e. Snow LOL.) I know it sounds unhealthy, but honestly their relationship IS unhealthy at the start—she encourages Hope to fight, to get stronger, not knowing she’s enabling a revenge plot. But in time she realizes her mistake and shows vulnerability by admitting her fault and sharing her past, which teaches Hope that fighting the way he has been is just another way of running away from his real problems, and likewise teaches Lightning that it’s important to be vulnerable and honest with others, because sometimes it’s the only way to understand someone else.

Both of these things manifest in later scenes too, where Hope finally confronts Snow and eventually chooses to use his strength to protect Snow instead of killing him like he’d originally planned. And at the Estheim residence, Lightning finally shares her fears with Snow, and they grow a little bit closer as a result. Hope and Lightning not only choosing to protect each other but also bringing out the best in each other in unexpected ways is why I really enjoy their relationship so much, and it feels more complex than just distilling it down to siblings or surrogate parenthood. Mentor and mentee is the best shorthand that I feel describes them in the first game, but even that needs more elaboration, so you get my paragraphs hehe

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me! I always enjoy hearing other people’s perspectives on different relationship dynamics in the game!

[flamesofrebirths]

I'd love if Joshua could meet Serah from FFXIII Trilogy eventually. The two baby siblings who are truly so strong and badass too 🥺

[razieltwelve]

More Complaints (Final Rose)

Diana scowled. Her mom was totally picking on her!

Well, maybe that wasn’t true. She had challenged her mom to the latest Gary fighting game. She was sure she would win. She loved Gary more than anyone, and she’d studied the game for a whole five minutes! Surely, she would be able to defeat her mom. That was how the world worked. Kids were better than grownups at video games.

Alas, her mom was too strong, and now Diana was losing.

This called for desperate measures.

X     X     X

"Mom... are you cheating?”

Lightning winced as her daughter looked up at her with big, sad, blue eyes. Diana’s lips quivered in a pout, and Lightning’s heart ached as her little girl gazed up at her in betrayal. Normally, she wouldn’t have put so much effort into winning, but Diana had spent most of the day ranting about how she was invincible in the new fighting game she’d gotten and how everyone else would have to bow to her obvious genius and superiority.

But maybe she should have taken it a little easier. Diana was just a kid. Lightning put down her controller and beckoned Diana forward.

“Of course not.” Lightning wrapped her arms around Diana and smiled as Diana hugged her back. “I would never cheat against you in a video game.”

“Oh.” Diana pressed her face into her chest. “I’m glad to hear that, mom.”

That was when Lightning realised that Diana was still holding her controller.

A second later, Lightning’s character was dead, and Diana slithered out of her hug.

“Hah! I win, mom! I win! Hahahaha!”

Lightning’s eye twitched. “Diana...”

“I am the smartest kid alive!”

“Diana...”

“Nobody can defeat me!”

“Diana!” Lightning’s glare finally got the girl to stop dancing around, and she turned to Lightning and then froze. “What was that?”

“Um...” Diana did her best to look utterly cute and adorable. It was disturbingly effective, but Lightning hardened her heart. “Special tactics.”

“You’re eating only vegetables tonight, Diana.” “What?” Diana wailed. “No!”

“And tomorrow too.”

“AHHHH!” Diana wailed. “Mommy, help! Mom is picking on me!”

Fang, who had watched the whole debacle unfold, just ruffled Diana’s hair. “Kiddo, you did this to yourself. Enjoy your vegetables.”

“Averia!” Diana turned to her big sister and final hope. “Help!”

Averia sighed and brought her hands together before beginning to murmur a traditional Yun prayer. “Broccoli isn’t that bad with the right sauce.”

X     X     X

Fact #1: Diana totally believes in the power of friendship because of Gary.

Fact #2: Lightning is that OP end game boss who proves that the power of friendship is bullshit by slaughtering the main character and their buddies.

Fact #3: Lightning is only good at fighting games because Serah and Lumina got good at them since Vanille played them all the time and won with all the grace that Diana shows here. Since Lightning hated being worse at anything than her sisters, she promptly learned as well. Cue heaps of gamer rage from Serah after she challenges Lightning and gets wrecked to the point that she enlists Fang’s help, so Fang can try to beat Lightning for her. There is no room for honour here.

Fact #4: Diana was unable to squirm out of her punishment and had to put up with four meals’ worth of vegetables.

[uinre]

[fyresaber]

on snow's "abandonment" of serah

snow’s value for the women in his life isn't limited by who’s wearing his engagement pendant around their neck. he is first and foremost a family man. what he learned of living off the land from fang and vanille is the only reason he survives on pulse for so long on his own. it’s the very values of family that fang and vanille ingrained in him that are the reason he can’t leave them behind. from the moment they’re embedded in crystal fang and vanille realize that snow and lightning will not move on without coming for them. lightning is his equal, his rock and consolation, his first sister through marriage, and his dream was to rebuild their home with her by his side.

snow is precisely who serah needs him to be after she loses her sister. he is patient, undemanding, and the first to believe her when she feels lightning is still alive, a fact that shouldn’t be understated.

but boyfriends can’t fix everything, and his decision to leave her to search for lightning is partly because he realizes no one can replace the lightning-shaped hole in her life. he leaves serah behind because he loves her too much to risk her dying at the mercy of pulse, especially without the power of l’cie behind them, not because he doesn’t think she’s strong enough. it’s the same fervor that drove him the lengths to find serah back in xiii.

snow's post-xiii character is interesting because he’s made to weigh the duty ascribed to him by lightning and the pendant he laid around serah’s neck (which is precisely the reason he returns it) with serah’s well-being and his wishes for them all to be a family again. his grief at first witnessing serah's death in a vision where she is crushed by cocoon is insurmountable. it’s only when lightning consoles him with the promise of serah’s survival and aligns his duties that he feels surefooted staying behind and “fighting tomatoes.”

so does snow choose to leave serah? yes. does that decision haunt him for the rest of time? yes. would he do it again? yes, otherwise he wouldn’t be who he is. snow’s presumed “negligence” is not at fault for snerah’s downfall as much as it is them outgrowing each other.

[darkanddirtyknb]

Thank you!

I want to give a special shout-out and much thanks to: a. kamil, @eleganblack, H, @itishebihime-samaforyou, @kissed-bythehighking, @lonelyinheaven, @okasamersie, Serah,​ @supah-novah-betch, and @tapa-nyan! As always, thank you to those who chipped in on the lower tiers as well. I truly appreciate your love and support. These past few months have been particularly hard for me. I don’t want to go into to much of it, but I’ve barely been keeping my head above water. I’ve been struggling physically, mentally, and monetarily. I’m currently trying to pull together enough funds and plan a way to visit Mayo or Cleveland Clinic. I’m staying strong and still hoping for a treatment plan that gets me closer to normal than I am now. I’ve been working hard on new content, but it takes me so much longer than it used to. Thank you for being patient and for putting up with me. Stay well and stay safe! I love each of you.

[mssyaa]

"Welcome home,"

Kurasame tunes out the noises from behind him with a relieved smile. Looks like his concern is wrongfully addressed.  “Kurasame-sensei!” 

Although he recognizes that voice everywhere, the cheery voice calling his name leads his eyes to search carefully across the crowded deck. When he finally has spotted the familiar comforting soft fuchsia color, he almost gets knocked back and enveloped by a pair of lithe yet strong arms. An intoxicating scent of roses fills his senses. He freezes.  “You're here.” 

(Ea'ldnarche took him away.) One by one his senses come back to him. From his eyes he can see the deck floors, there's familiar shoes he recognized stopping a few feet away. Then, there's a comforting familiar gasp he can catch behind him. The scent of roses filling his nostrils isn't so heavy anymore.  He can feel the arms that are currently caging him are firm yet gentle, how one hand is patting his head and the other is fisting hard the back of his cape. He can feel the slightest tremor is being repressed, noticing the breathy sound near the right side of his ears. He can feel Lightning's beating heartbeat arrhythmia against his.  Claire– “Lightning,” he softly says, like a whisper of a kept secret. 

A R e - u n i o n

[klkbassotherthings]

“The Fearless” Part 3

Instead of heading home for dinner, Arvyn strolled up the cobblestone main-stay to the town Lord’s manor. Outside the large estate, servants were lighting the torches, set in sconces, on either side of the entrance. His gaze was instantly drawn to the red temptresses, dancing in their small metal cages. It remained so until he reached the front door, only pulling away when he set iron knocker to plate. The heavy door shifted inward, revealing another servant, Thomas. Shared recognition, from multiple visits, skipped any formalities.

“Come inside. I’ll inform Lady Serah of your arrival,” Thomas’s withered voice instructed. Arvyn obliged and before he, or his escort, could make another step across the floor, a younger voice heralded his appearance.

“Serah! Your boyfriend is here!”

That cracked his stoic demeanor. It was Jasmine, Serah’s younger sister, that had made the proclamation. And a false one at that. He had no romantic interest in Serah, or anyone else for that matter. Jasmine often pushed the narrative to adhere to some kind of secret rule about annoying siblings. Rules he knew little about, being an only child. Serah soon arrived from an adjacent room, her bare feet ignorant to the cold stone beneath them, to save him. Or so he thought.

“Hush, Jas,” she scolded her sister with a playful head shove. “Arvyn couldn’t handle me.”

The crack turned into a fissure. “I-I-I…” His tongue stubbornly refused to make words for a rebuttal with his brain unwilling to help.

“You broke him. You broke him,” Jasmine sang, skipping around her sister.

“Jasmine.” A stern voice echoed through the manor. From the floor above, the girls’ father was overlooking the scene, his hand clutching the railing. The way he was posed, the village painter could have done a divine canvas, showcasing his regal bloodline. “Leave them be. I’m sure young master Arvyn arriving on my doorstep announced…” A subtle jab that there were rules even for the fearless. “…has serious matters to discuss.” At the command, Jasmine scuttled from the room.

The stalled gears in his head creaked back into motion. “Yes, sir.”

“You want to look for Selena and Trenton,” Serah stated, reading his concern.

“I’ve already sent out trackers. I don’t want anyone else getting lost,” her father intervened. Rather he didn’t want anymore of the fearless getting lost.

“Dad…”

“For once in your life, listen to your father.” An elegant woman, dressed in the finest silk gown, came from the living chamber.

“Mom…I...”

“Serah. You’re not just one of the fearless, you’re our daughter,” the woman placed a delicate hand to Serah’s cheek. “We love you and don’t want you to get hurt.”

The crackling of the distance hearth filled the household.

“I know,” Serah finally said, “and that’s exactly why we’re going. We need to know that Selina and Trenton are okay. To be sure the others aren’t at risk.”

The declaration was met with silence. Serah’s parents knew it was pointless to argue with strong-willed intent. The defeated expressions on their faces said as much. It made Arvyn feel guilty for coming. He could have easily gone to any of the others, except maybe Grimm. The reason, he told himself, was Serah was the second oldest and the strongest among the fearless. That, and she was the first to point-out Trenton’s disappearance. It was obvious she was worried as well; enough to influence his decision.

The woman went on tiptoes to wrap her arms around her daughter. “Be safe out there my child, and Arvyn,” the woman turned her green eyes to him, “make sure you let your parents know what you’re doing.”

“I will your ladyship.” They were the last words exchanged; a draft wafting in the door as the pair left.

Red rings framed Lord and Lady’s eyes as they watched them leave, the same thought on their mind. Retribution was at hand, the flames finally coming to devour their blessed children.

*****

The same defeated expressions Arvyn had seen on the faces of Serah’s parents, were echoed on his own. It added to the guilt of his decision. Despite their forlorn looks, they granted him permission on the similar condition that he “come home safe.”

For years the village children, even the fearless, were forbidden to travel up the mountain. Parents wove tales that ranged from vicious beasts devouring hapless babes, to the most ardent cartographer losing their way in the thick forest. Only hunters or the town’s guard were allowed to brave the dangers that might lurk in the shadowed depths. It was also the most obvious place to search for their lost kin.

Pine needles stuck to their bare feet creating a second skin against the sharp rocks of the mountainside. There were few words between the pair as they pushed through dense branches, sending rodents scurrying or birds into a sudden need for flight. The search stopped when something other than trees became visible in the pale moonlight. Bones, larger than any animal they had seen before, sat half-submerged in the soil; a sacrifice to the mountain. The weather-bleached titan was mostly intact, even the hungriest scavengers afraid to remove the smallest knucklebone. What was missing was the titan’s skull, the neck bones making stepping stones to the rest of the spine. Certainly not taken by predator or scavenger.

A reverence hung over the area devoid of birdcalls or even the chirping of crickets.

Serah, held herself as she gazed upon the skeleton. “Is it wrong of me to feel sad? This has to be the dragon that nearly destroyed the town years ago. Shouldn’t we hate it?”

“No,” Arvyn stated, matching her gaze. “It isn’t wrong to mourn for it. It was still a life, even if it was threatening our town. Like us, it was only trying to survive.”

Hand outstretched, Serah approached the ribcage caught in the soil. An invisible force quickly drew her fingers away. “We should go,” she stated as she wrung her scorned hand. “There’s no sense standing around here.” The rattle of branches sounded her retreat from the grave. Apparently, they weren’t entirely fearless.

The skeleton followed them the rest of the hike up the mountain. It was in every branch, every shadow, a claw in the back of both their minds unwilling to release them. Without realizing it, a different shadow soon blocked their path. Stagnant air breathed out from a wide scar in the mountainside.

“I bet the trackers didn’t go in there,” Serah said. Even moonlight refused to penetrate the dark depths.

“Let’s go,” Arvyn said, leading the way. His fingers caressed the cold stone wall as they traversed the black pit.

“Ar-vyn? Se-rrrah?” Two unmistakable, pale gold orbs, appeared in the darkness.