[Action]Memories of Sol (backdated to halloween event)

[adoptedalien]

[Action]
Mamoru felt like there was something he needed to do in Fayren, something he felt he needed to check out, partially his own feeling of being watched, and partially because the G-Stone was speaking to him. Something in Fayren was calling out to him.

However, a negative feeling creeped up into Mamoru's thoughts as he suddenly stopped, looking into the distance as he turned and shouted. "Who's there? You've been following me ever since I came to Fayren!"

 

A small person wrapped in a yellow robe, hiding their face, who was around Mamoru's height, approached. Mamoru was shocked. "It... It can't be!"

 

"Surprised to see me, Latio?"

 

Mamoru began backing up, practically falling over and moving hismelf to sit under a tree "It's not possible, Everyone worked so hard...We defeated you!" Mamoru said nervously, hugging his legs. "11 Planetary Lords of Sol..."

 

the yellow robed figure pulled down the hood to reveal their face and long light purple hair. 

"Palus Abel..." Mamoru muttered softly as he looked more withdrawn with every passing moment he sat near the tree. 

 

"Yes, you and those Blue Planet friends of yours did stop us from reviving our lost home worlds, didn't they?  Do you still have no regrets, Latio? Do you still feel no guilt for betraying your own people? Even after I told you that it couldn't be helped, and this was all for the sake of the Trinary Solar System?" 

Mamoru grew nervous as the yellow robed and light purple haired one talked, but eventually he tried to look determined and glared at her. "I did what I had to do! You were going to destroy the Earth in order to revive the Trinary Solar System! But..." Mamoru's confidence began to wane. "We could have found a peaceful solution... you could have co-existed with the Earth... but you wouldn't listen to me..."


The figure began to speak again. "And where has your defiance gotten you? You stopped us from reviving your home world, the only place you would truly belong...While you and your friends won the struggle at that time, look what it cost you. All of those friends and comrades were trapped in space, while they used the last of their strength to send you and Arma back to Earth. Was this pitiful rebellion really worth losing those friends that convinced you to betray us in the first place? And now you're in this place, far away from your precious Earth."

Mamoru began to become more and more withdrawn into his doubts with every passing word, as his hands began to wrap against the bare legs sticking out from his short red shorts. "I..." Mamoru tried to speak. "I still have faith that my friends are still alive. I also have faith I'll see Hana-chan and my friends on Earth again..." Mamoru was clinging to his last shred of courage and self-worth for dear life, even as the glow of the green G-Stone around his neck began to fade as the courage in his heart began to flicker.

The one in the yellow robe began to... laugh. "I can't help but find that amusing, Latio. You've really are doing a lot to try to avoid any and all responsibility that this is all your fault, huh? But you're the one who decided to take the Pas-Q Machine and set everything in motion. I wonder what the person you killed would say?"


As the laughing continued, Mamoru shut his eyes as tears began to flow, his voice let out of a soft "Stop." 

Mamoru shook as he held himself and tried to assert himself again. "Stop it." as the crying increased.

"It's not my fault... It's my duty to protect life..."

Comments

[youfool]

Ted had extricated himself from the madness of the party, his mind made up that the thief must have gone elsewhere. He'd pieced together that something was bringing out people's fears. Men with arachnophobia shrieked at spiders, those afraid of heights swore that they stood on the edge of some great precipice, and so on. Spiders can be squished and cliffs turned away from, but one can only do so much. It's no use looking for his things when people were in turmoil; possessions would have to wait.

He was surprised to see Mamoru in Fayren. What business a small boy, however oddly imbued with power, had in that medieval place he could hardly fathom. He'd meant to catch up with him after the Gilgamesh business had settled, but felt Mamoru would rather not meet the man whose introduction was made of pure admonishment.

He was surprised to come upon him now. He'd talked so much of courage, Ted assumed he was quite fearless. So what seems to be the problem, then, as one says in law enforcement parlance. Might as well ask.

"Will you tell me what's the matter?"

[adoptedalien]

Mamoru glanced over from his sitting position, still crying, to the new arrival, before returning his look the the light purple haired, yellow robed figure, still shaking and holding himself. "I can't..." Mamoru shook nervously.

"So you've met new people here, Latio? Maybe you're not as alone as I thought. Not like it matters, you're going to fail this world too. You're going to lose everyone here just like you lost your Blue Planet friends, just like you lost your home world." the small purple haired robed figure said as they giggled.

"...Stop..." Mamoru said again, shaking. "I didn't do any of that..." Mamoru tried to believe as he hugged himself. "It's not my fault...what happened...I was just doing my best to save everyone...I was created to protect life...I didn't intend for any of this to happen..." Mamoru said holding himself.

The figure in the robe smirked and giggled a bit more. "Really, Latio? You still think that? Then why did you create that clone of yourself that ended up killing one of your Blue Planet friends you care so much about? Why did they all get stranded in space just to send you back? And more importantly, don't you realize you're the one who set this all in motion by opposing us, your own kind? We had no quarrel with the Blue Planet. We simply were trying to revive the Trinary Solar System and those outsiders got in our way when you decided to betray us. None of this would have happened if you sided with us instead of the Blue Planet. You could of finally gone to your real home. But no, you cared so much about your friends that you defied us, got them involved, and in the end, you lost them anyway!"

As the figure continued to laugh, Mamoru shook harder and cried and shouted "STOP! IT WASN'T LIKE THAT AT ALL!" as he cried.

[youfool]

Ted sided up to Mamoru, getting as close as he dared and offering his physical comfort, if nothing else. Whatever turgid backstory the figure was using to torment him, it was obviously working. Ted, being less than savvy on extra-dimensional matters, gave up on complete comprehension for the time being, instead devoting his mentality to figuring out what kind of fear this was. It seemed more like guilt; such is the omnipresent psychodrama. He pointedly ignored the figure for now, hoping to set a positive example.

"All right, it does seem like a lengthy tale. Focus on me right now. Will you tell me what you're afraid of? What's keeping you bound without ropes?"

[adoptedalien]

Mamoru wanted to focus on the other and say something, but the words would not come. He tried, but he shivered as the robed figure with the purple hair spoke again.

"I can tell you what Latio's afraid of. Guilt. The feeling of not being able to save or protect those who are important to you. Regret. No matter how much faith Latio has in his precious courage, at the end of the day he still has to live with the consequences of his actions, and the fact he's so small that he can't really save anyone he cares about. It's beyond him."

"But..." Mamoru tried to say nervously before he closed his eyes, crying, gripping his head. "I still tried my best for everyone's sake! I didn't mean for this to turn out so badly! I didn't..." Mamoru said, nervously. "I didn't want this to happen, but..."

The purple haired one smiled. "You caused one of your precious comrades to die. You lost all of your other friends because you all rebelled against us. So the real question is... Was it worth it, Latio?"

Mamoru just continued to cry and said "But that's not fair! It's not...I didn't kill anyone!"

[youfool]

Ted figured that the yellow phantasm was telling the truth. For one, based off on events thus far, these fear owed their origins to their hosts. For another, truth tends to hurt more, and it was obvious the poltergeist peddled in pain.

All the same, he didn't find the attention paid very helpful. He circled around to sit in-between Mamoru and his accuser, hopefully creating more powerful symbolism.

He took a breath, debating the way. One can reason, but that so rarely helps people as sentimental as this. The dark magic about seemed to have thoroughly removed reason from the premises. Maybe the direct approach would do, for a time, until something nuanced suggested itself.

"Mamoru, this might seem incredible, but I think you mean righteousness, and you mean it very bluntly. That's why I believe your protests; that you did the best you knew, wherever the chips fell. I'm also familiar with the type of person whose only use for the truth is to make a lie more credible. The lie in particular being that you're responsible for effects, not causes."

Was this right? Even if Mamoru was mad...even if this lie had no basis in truth, it wouldn't make the fear less real. That was what needed to be overcome.

"Listen. I think we both know this dialogue between yourself and your doubts cannot possibly resolve well on its own. So, I have a proposition. Do you want to be free of it?"

[adoptedalien]

"Yes!" Mamoru cried out quickly. "I know inside that what Abel is saying isn't true...But..." Mamoru said softly before the one in the yellow robe butted in again

"Not true? Interesting...You're the one who betrayed us when you stole the Pas-Q Machine from us, and made that clone of yours as a diversion to get away. We simply made use of that clone by repurposing it to re-take what was ours, even if that meant killing that woman. But, make no mistake, Latio. You're the one who murdered that woman by stealing the Pas-Q Machine and making the clone. Everything that happen witht he battle between your friends and us could have been avoided if you didn't defy us."

Mamoru gripped himself tightly again. "That's not true...You're wrong..."

[youfool]

Ted smiled a little at his assurance. It also clued him in as to where to go next. "Good, good. Then there's no need to go through your head; just your heart. Listen; right now , practically everyone in this city is in deep, dark trouble, of the kind you're in now, and I believe you could be a balm to it. Doubts were never meant to hold us back, as this Abel of yours contends, but to make us try twice as hard. And it's such pitiable waste to see you held back, when you could be saving people, as you're meant to.

Sorry, I go on a bit. Anyway, the solution is this: Will you let me take your doubts and worries for my own? Won't you let me carry your fear?"

[adoptedalien]

"You're right. You've helped me remember something important." Mamoru began, the scared look of his face turned to one of determination as he finally stood up. the green gem around his neck glowing brightly once more. "Maybe that won't be needed after all..."

the one the the yellow robe looked unnerved. "This can't be! I stole your precious courage from you! I was finally getting through to you about what really happened. How can you continue to cling to it when it had almost completely faded away?"

Mamoru looked more determined as he glew green and transformed, showing his bright white fairy wings and the green glow covered him as his hair stood up a bit. "That's where you're wrong, Palus Abel!" Mamoru said in a determined voice as he made a hand sign and shot a bolt of green energy at the purple haired, yellow robed figure. who responded by glowing pinkish purple and spouting a set of similarly colored phoenix wings, using their own energy to collide with it.

"You may have taken my courage from me, and made me think everything was my fault, but you forget that Courage is being constantly produced by the heart of everyone who lives!" Mamoru said as he increased his power, glowing brighter.

"This contemptable courage! All it does is bring ruin and destruction! It's because of the courage of you and your friends that our dream, our dream of saving our lost home worlds, fell to dust!" the robed figure become more and more unnerved.

"No." Mamoru said assuredly. "Courage brings hope for the future, the ability to protect life, no, it IS life force! The ones bringing ruin and destruction... It's FEAR that does that! The ones who were trying to take lives and called it justified, was you! Because you were scared!" Mamoru said getting angry as he increased his power further. "No matter what difficulties we face, everyone can overcome them with courage! As long as one has courage, it will increase your power beyond the infinite and surely let you grasp victory!" Mamoru shouted out as his energy finally consumed Abel and Abel disappeared, the dark magic that conjured them was broken.

"Thank you for returning my courage to me." Mamoru said, bowing to Ted. "You might be right that the power of courage may be the solution to the dark cloud over Fayren."

[youfool]

Ted looked on with both awe and humor at the unfolding melodrama. Of course, he should've known that fear couldn't trap this one for long; all it took was a reminder that there's a world outside to consider. When all was said and done, he breathed a sigh of relief, before crushing formality, exchanging the bow for a tight hug.

"You're welcome; I'm glad. Whatever the cure for what ails us, I'm certain courage will help." Ted released him. "Well, let's both get on with our harebrained heroics. Go under the Mercy."