ourhaven | Action/Video

Entry tags:

Action/Video

[Action]

[One shooting star of the many that lit up the sky flew over Seahaven. Like had happened years before, a young man, wearing a military uniform, found himself standing in the middle of town. He looks around, back, forth, then walks around a little bit.]

Seahaven?

[He seems to recognize the place. He also recognizes the moogle. And the rune. Even though he had forgotten about this place when he went home, all the memories are returning to him now.]

Amazing. To think I could have possibly forgotten about this place...

[At least he needs no instruction on how to use the rune. He immediately prepares to start a video message.]

[Video]

[The feed opens up to Athrun, looking serious.]

To those who can hear me: This is Athrun Zala. I don't know how long it's been, or who is still here, but I've returned, it would seem.

First things first -- can anyone provide me with transport to Orb? I'm in Seahaven right now, and I can't find anything about transport there at the port. And until then, I could use a place to stay.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Well, now there's a familiar face he hadn't seen in awhile.]

Been awhile, Admiral. Welcome back.

I do have some unfortunate news, though. I haven't located the Orb Union on my map, and long range radar hasn't picked up any signatures from its military. It might not be here any more.

[Hard news, but he'll have to clarify why.]

A lot of big things have happened as of late.

[Athrun nods toward Manfred. He remembers him -- now, at least.]

Forgive me, but how long? And what sort of things did I miss?

Afraid I couldn't tell you specifically how long, considering I don't know when exactly you dropped off the radar. Months, at the very least.

[And well... what he missed would be a hell of an explanation.]

...But what you missed effectively amounted to another nigh-apocalypse. The havens damn near came apart at the seams for awhile there. There was a ton of spiritual stuff that I didn't really get, but you know how there are ghost stories, and how angry spirits haunt things that wronged them or places that were important to them? That's... kind of what happened in the Havens.

We weren't the first "haven," as it were. Nor the second. I think the havens came from a long line of failed experiments... and when the experiments failed, a lot of people ended up dead. I don't know all the details how, or why. That's something the dragons were loathe to really talk about.... and something most of them didn't even know anything about, save for Tiamat and Druaga. Some dragon called Ouroboros was responsible for the end of the Havens in the past, but that was his role in the universe, I think. And he was a force that couldn't be stopped, unlike the World Eater.

But those that were Lost basically started doing a lot of damage to the Havens, which destroyed a lot of the balance here, and woke Ouroboros from its slumber early. Long story short, this made the dragons decide that it was this world's time, and we had to convince them not to let it be completely destroyed. But to do that and save the havens from its corruption meant finding new lynchpins that could anchor the havens magically... effectively binding themselves to it as its new caregivers, along with their protectors. The Pillars now, best as I know, fulfill similar functions to the dragons, but I have no idea to what degree.

Short of it was, we saved the havens, and the dragons, best as we know, are gone. It's our world now. Ours to protect or destroy. I think we all know which is preferable.

I left out a lot of details. Best talk to someone who knows a lot more about magic and stuff than me to get a better feel for it.

[...Yeah. Athrun is just...gonna stare into the camera for now.]

Uh...wow.

...I have to admit, I'm at a loss for words.

Maybe it's one of those things you had to be there for.

[It really, really was.]

But best as we can tell, though the dragons are gone, the Havens were like they were before they were tainted. So, really, a lot of what you remember should still be true.

Except apparently my homeland is no longer here.

[That's the most important thing in Athrun's mind. Hey, he's active military. Can you blame him?]

Except that, obviously. But a few other places have disappeared too over time. Think they were just sent back to their proper place.

In the meantime, though, you might need a place to set up shop. Dunno if Nos Astra's still around, haven't had time to check on it. If that's still there, it's probably the only place that could service that giant war machine of yours.

Shepard's Point, where I'm based, has a modular factory system, but won't be able to do you much good unless you happen to have the specs for the parts you need.

Actually, when I returned home, Orb was still there. So if it wasn't returned along with me, then the one here has been a replica.

Then again, I was home for about a month before I came back here, and it sounds like it's been longer than that. Anyway, I don't know if my mobile suit was brought with me. If it was, I'll have to search for it.

[Ah, another familiar face. Mikado had a hand in drawing him back, as all the Pillars did, but the confirmation that he's here and remembering and seeming to take it all well is good to see.

He sees the video post, but since he's in Seahaven, anyway, Mikado figures that speaking in-person might be the better choice here. A lot has happened, after all.

After leaving the house, one of his (many) firelizards in tow, it doesn't take him long to spot Athrun in the street.]

Zala-san! [He lifts a hand in greeting.]

[Athrun turns around when he hears his name called. Oh hey, another familiar face.]

Ah...hello. It's been a while, huh? Probably longer on your end, though.

[He nods, but then suddenly looks a bit sheepish. He's not sure how long it's been since he saw him last.]

Ah... yeah, a while's right. Has anyone explained things yet?

Ah, well. Manfred gave me...let's call it as best a run-down as he could manage. He admitted he wasn't the best at explaining it all, though.

Mm, it's... definitely not easy to explain, even if you've been here before. [He can only imagine the kind of headache it will be for newcomers... One thing at a time.] But... things are all right now. We have more answers than before; we know how things work, mostly. We can't control how everything goes, of course, but... we're better off these days.

Well, if nothing else, it's good to hear that things are better here than they were before. It also sounds like you guys have really earned what you have.

Yeah, it's... kind of a work in progress, I think. We're able to bring people in and send them back now, so...

[Ah, right, speaking of which -- Mikado perks up curiously, clearly with personal interest in the matter.]

Oh, so -- was your arrival okay? I mean, I know it's different than before, so...

[They didn't kill him, at least, so it obviously went all right.

That's a joke.

Mostly.]

To be honest, I think I prefer a sudden appearance to riding in on a dragon. Ground is way more stable than a pair of beating wings.

[He's also going to kid.]

[That begets a smile, and a somewhat relieved one to boot.]

Ah -- yeah. Me, too, probably. [Not that he'll ever be able to make the comparison now, but.]

But, um... I guess the big thing is that we know how the transfers work now. Well-- [He hesitates, trying to think of how best to word it.] Sort of? No one comes in or goes out without our knowing, anyway. So there won't be any more disappearances -- we don't have to worry about that anymore.

[Which, for him, is a huge relief. That was one of his biggest fears in the past.]

Really? Well, that's somewhat of a relief. We don't have to wonder when someone disappears, at least.

Anything else particularly noteworthy?

[He has to think for a moment. There's been so much, and yet he's acclimated rather quickly to it all himself. What else...]

...Oh -- ah -- I guess -- you're aware that the dragons are gone? They spoke to use right before they left, so they're okay, but... it's just us now. Well, the hatchlings stayed, but that's it.

I heard something about that. So, you guys are the ones holding this place together now, huh?

[He hesitates for only a heartbeat before nodding once.] ...Mm. A few of us. We're similar to what the dragons were, except... we're not creators.

[Or destroyers.]

"Holding it together" is about right, I think. We're still learning, but enough of it's pretty basic to get by.

[Asuna hasn't spent all of her time in Seahaven lately, but she's spent a lot of it. She wanted a good look at the Havens -- after all, they were the guardians of it now. She is, however, here today.]

[And good thing for it.]

[One of her militia members told her; that made Asuna decide to check out this newcomer. She doesn't just walk, she runs -- hoping it's an old friend's return, then seeing it is. When she spots Athrun, her eyes widen.]

[Then she bolts at him, using a sword skill to speed up into a blur. He helped save her life, in a real way: he defeated her Shadow, helped her face that she needed to turn to others to share burdens, and helped shoulder the weight of her past. He might have vanished, but she never stopped being grateful. He's someone that she loves like a brother, just like Souji, even if she never said it before.]

Athrun! You're back!

[Athrun catches the blur. He's not sure what to make of it until he can see who's at the source. When he does, he relaxes...and lets out a smile.

Clearly she missed him. He hadn't expected that kind of a reaction to his return, and that was the only explanation.]

So it seems.

[She steps back, then she smiles. Her hand reaches back up to her hair. He probably doesn't think of it as a year. Longer? Sometimes, it's hard to keep track.]

A lot's changed. Ah--you're fine? You're one of the first to come over this way.

[That was an odd way of putting it. His confusion and curiosity shows on his face.]

Yes, I'm fine. It feels like it's been about a month back home for me. But what do you mean, "this way?"

Ah, the dragons left the Havens. They've granted some of us their power. Now people come on shooting stars.

[It's scenic, she thinks.]

Yeah...I'd heard about the dragons leaving. I didn't know about the shooting stars, though. Do they appear in the sky above where newcomers arrive, or is it random?

Just newcomers--I mean. There might be random ones, too. We don't have a lot of data to check, yet, you know?

[She shakes her head.]

It's been... over a year, for me, though. A lot changed.

Edited (oops icon) 2015-07-31 18:12 (UTC)

A year, huh? I've heard about the dragons, but what else has changed?

Ah... a lot. We still have sky pirates and the like. We've handled them, more. But we've had encounters of the hostile kind with them. Seahaven liberated its first airship from them.

[She shakes her head.]

People have done well, too. You remember Lucina? She and hope are married, now, and expecting. Ah--oh! Did you hear of Pillars, Guardians, and the Balancers?

Edited 2015-08-02 18:48 (UTC)

[Huh. He hasn't met Lucina, but it's interesting to hear that two people are married and expecting a baby. For some reason he hadn't expected that to happen here.]

Pillars, Guardians, and Balancers? Not...in any manner of detail. They're the successors of the dragons or something?

Right. There are Pillars, who are--well, the support for the Havens. They've helped to rebuild it. And to keep it safe. Lucina and Mikado are among them.

[She shuffles, slightly.] Guardians help protect them. There's one for each. I'm Mikado's Guardian. I'm not sure of the abilities, exactly, but--ah. I've not a had chance to see.

And Balancers... er... keep everything in balance?

[...she may be focused on her role so much that she doesn't know what a Balancer does, yet.]

You don't sound like you're too sure about that last one. And what do you mean that you're not sure about the abilities of Guardians?

[Sincere question here.]

I know my task -- and I'm comfortable in it, of course. But I've been told each of us gets a power, to better predict our Pillar with.

[She shakes her head.]

I've yet to need to discover mine.

...Hm. I see. Is there no way to put it to the test? Having such a major variable could turn bad really quickly if it's used without knowing what it is.

Good question. I'd like to, but a way that doesn't entail endangering Mikado.

Is there, like...a source of information we can make use of or something along those lines?

We... should probably make one, huh?

[FACEPALM.]

Has no one seriously thought of that?

Well... it's only been a few short weeks. And the Pillars sort of had to be gods and rebuild the world piece by piece?

Well, OK, but still...

[Creating a repository of knowledge should have been high on the list of things to do. It seems only common sense to him.]

Well, what's done is done. We should figure something out in that regard. I'm willing to provide what I can, though I don't know how much that will be.

Orb and Ikebukuro probably have the best computer systems in the Havens, so we can construct it. And Orb... well...

[Is decades, if not centuries, ahead of Ikebukuro circa 2010.]

Do you still have Infinite Justice? I wasn't sure if it reappeared when you did.

I don't know.

[He looks a bit worried now.]

I can't find any trace of Orb. I went to the pier earlier, and none of the passenger ships I could find offered it as a destination.

Ah... Athrun, I'm sorry. Some parts of the Havens were returned to their worlds. We're still discovering what.

[She puts a hand, gently, on his shoulder.]

If it's out there, we'll find it. And until then, you have Seahaven to stay in.

[He doesn't open his eyes. He just nods.]

Thank you. It's reassuring to have someone I know offer me a place to stay. If it's not here, though...

...Then it's back in your world. I... don't know if pieces of worlds can still come here, yet.

Then I suppose that will be my first goal while I'm here. I guess the first thing to do would be to talk to a Pillar.

Mm. Good idea. Mikado could help. Or Lucina. Or any of them, of course.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Action/Video

[Video]

[Video]

[Video]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

action

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

action, also ow writing this hit me right in the emotions

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject