ohmyarceus | SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER TEST DRIVE MEME

Near New Bark Town: Action

It was so peaceful. Just a little town nestled among the pines, sleepy and close-knit. It reminded her a bit of Besaid, to be honest. There were no sea breezes, or salty brine, but the quiet was very familiar.

What was different was the way the residents held themselves. For most of her life, Yuna lived in a world grounded in fear. Even when she was young, during her father's Calm, there was an air of despair in people, a tension in their shoulders that belayed their constant anxiety. Anywhere that people gathered, Sin was not far off, waiting to enact punishment on the unfaithful. It could appear at any moment, without warning, without mercy. Just the memory of such a time could change someone for life.

These people had obviously never lived through such a thing. They were genuinely carefree and untraumatized. Everyone was smiling. Real, easy smiles.

She wondered if those born after the time of Sin would smile like these people did.

The little Jangmo-o that had been following her since she arrived butt its head gently against her leg. She laughed softly, and knelt down to give it some attention.

"Are you my friend now?" she asked as she reached out to gently stroke its head. It gave a happy bark, and slammed its tail against the ground to make a noise like a cymbal. "Thank you. It's a little lonely without a friend by your side, isn't it?"

Goldenrod City: Action

A great city, all lit up, even at night. People strolled in the wide main roads and mysterious back-alleys, as carefree and energetic as if it were the middle of the day. Advertisements blinked in and out on big screens, different songs played from the various entrances to dance clubs, good smells wafted from food carts. Everyone was having fun, close together in pair or groups, holding hands and bumping shoulders.

"This must've been what Zanarkand was like..."

Yuna felt terribly out of place, but at the same time, she was burning with curiosity. She wanted to get to know this place. She thought that if she did, she could understand a little more about him.

She was already learning what it was like to suddenly be in a totally different world, and now empathized with him on a whole new level. Some of the strange things he said at the beginning of their journey made more sense now. But she still cherished that time. Having someone around that didn't understand the sacrifice that was about to be made let her live in a pleasant fantasy, even if only for a little while.

Her mind wandered, and she took a step froward, nearly tripping down a small set of stairs. The Golisopod playing at her guardian reached forward and grabbed her shoulder to make sure she didn't fall.

"Oh, thank you!" Yuna turned to give a short bow to the big Pokemon, who continued to stand by her side like a silent sentinel. It reminded her a bit of Kimahri. She regained her composure. "I'll be more careful, I promise."

She wanted to explore just a little more. She'd never been up so late before, so she didn't think she could last all night, but she wanted to see what she could while she had the chance.

Cianwood City Beach: Video Post

It this recording? I think it is.

[While she was using the Gears Net function for the first time, Yuna was still using it correctly. The feed was right-side up and there were no fingers blocking the camera. She even held it nice and steady.]

[The feed showed a Passimian and an Alolan Raichu playing together with a ball. Yuna cheered and clapped every time the managed to do something even a little impressive.]

I've heard that the game people play here isn't called Blitzball. They don't play it in the water either. But it's still pretty similar.

So these little machina are like CommSpheres, right? Other people far away can see this too, and talk to me? It's a wonderful thing. I like it a lot.

This world is full of friends just waiting to be made. Especially these Pokemon! [Yuna giggled softly.] But it's a little strange too. Suddenly, I understand someone I knew a lot better. It's not easy, suddenly being in another world.

There are people here like me too, right? Not from Spira, but from other different worlds out there. How have you been doing here? What were your homes like? I feel like I could listen to your stories for the rest of my life, and I still wouldn't have heard it all. But I still want to know!

If you have a little time to give, I thank you in advance!

This isn't how he pictured the Farplane.

If he was being completely honest with himself, Auron had never really thought about what comes after being sent. He knows the stories, certainly, but much like everything else about Yu Yevon, those stories could have been lies. He had assumed that when he stepped to the bridge of the airship and felt himself dissolve--there had been no pain, no fear, just a sense of everything he was gently coming apart--that would be it, and he would be no more.

Seeing Lord Braska and Jecht, and then Tidus, had been both a surprise and an honour he felt he didn't deserve.

And now he's here, wherever this is, and he doesn't have his sword. When he asked for it, the people at the centre had pointed out the little dagger next to him on the cot. When he'd touched it, it had moved, and it's apparently alive and floating along behind him.

The Farplane is a strange, strange place.

But it's peaceful, at least, except for that faint jangling sound. As Auron has nothing else to do--and what a strange phenomenon, finding himself without a driving mission in his life--he follows the sound, his little living sword floating merrily beside him.

He freezes when he finds the source of the sound.

Oh, no. No, no, no.

"Yuna?"

It wasn't supposed to be this way. They were supposed to have won.

Yuna looked up towards the voice in surprise, as her attention had been focused on her little friend, and she gasped, in shock: "Sir Auron?"

She had been kneeling, but quickly leapt to her feet. It took actual willpower to force herself not to bow-- she gets halfway there, but then stops herself. The Jangmo-o looks up at Auron with open curiosity.

"But I... I sent you myself!"

Auron reaches a hand out when Yuna starts bowing--she doesn't have to do that for him, never for him--but then she stops midway and it's okay.

"Yes. You did." And if they're in the same place, that can only mean one thing. Auron's shoulders slump forward. "What happened?"

The Honedge floats up over Auron's shoulder, peeking down at the Jangmo-o. For a Pokemon shaped like a weapon, it's a shy little thing.

"Um... I'm honestly not sure," she replied, still trying to process his sudden appearance. "I was at the Thunder Plains, singing for a concert, and I felt like the Dress Sphere was starting to take over again... And then I was here!"

She then had a slight realization, and added: "That would probably sound very strange to you, wouldn't it? It's been two years since you were sent. Spira has changed a lot."

The whole thing is strange, and half sounds like gibberish, but Auron relaxes a little. Two years have passed for Yuna. While time on the Farplane might work differently than on Spira, he can't imagine that two years for her would feel like a bare instant for him.

There's also enough of a monk left in him to doubt arriving on the Farplane would be so damn stressful.

"I take it, then, that we're not on the Farplane."

"Oh-- Oh, no!"

Now his initial reaction made sense. He thought she was dead! Of course he would be upset over that.

"This isn't the Farplane. I'm not dead, I promise. I'm very certain. But I understand why you would think that! Thank you for your concern."

Her Jangmo-o began to playfully raise up on its hind legs and swat at the Honedge's blue sash while Yuna took a moment to calm down.

"I think... This is some kind of different world. It might be a dream. I don't exactly know what that's like," as she only had secondhand accounts from Tidus to go on, "but it could be possible. What do you think? You existed in the dream of Zanarkand for awhile, right?"

Edited 2021-09-16 18:14 (UTC)

Oh no, the Honedge isn't sure if it likes this! It bobs erratically behind Auron, but the Jangmo-o is gentle, and after a few moments, the Honedge settles down. It even starts twitching its sash so the other Pokemon has something to bat at.

Auron calms down right along with his Pokemon. Yuna isn't dead, and if she's sure about that, he'll take her at her word. Dying isn't exactly something you forget, and he has first hand experience in that.

"It could be." The dream of Zanarkand analogy is apt, and Auron nods. "Although I don't know what kind of world would make a dream like this."

It's peaceful, Yuna! Weirdly so!

Yay, a game! The Jangmo-o trills happily and rolls onto his back to bat at the sash with all fours while still being gentle.

"Well, when he spoke of Zanarkand, it seemed like a wonderful place," Yuna still wished that she could have seen it. With him, of course. "Maybe someone in a world full of despair like Spira was needs this dream."

"Have you met any of the people that live here? They have smiles like children do. It's really remarkable."

"It was. A beautiful dream that ended too soon." Auron spent time there too, and it was an amazing place, all the more wonderful for being doomed. Even its ruins had a certain desolate beauty to them.

He nods when Yuna mentions the locals. "Yes. It's a place that knows peace. Even the animals here," he gestures at their playing Pokemon, "seem happy."

A short pause, and Auron's voice is unusually halting when he speaks again. "Was it like that in Spira? In the Eternal Calm?"

Please say it was. Please say that everything they lost was worth it.

"It did," Yuna clasped her hands behind her back, and nodded solemnly, her eyes drifting down to the ground. "But... the Fayth deserved to be put to rest. We all understood."

She had no grudge to bear against them. They had been selflessly protecting and serving those left alive under Sin for a millennia. Even Yu Yevon, the thing that was perpetuating the suffering, was doing so to give life to a dream of a home that had been unfairly taken from them. Yuna had sympathy for that. It was hard to lose things you so dearly loved.

"When the Fahrenheit landed in Bevelle, after I performed the Sending, it was unlike anything I had ever seen. The people's joy... What I remember from my father's Calm didn't even come close. It was so much that some couldn't be convinced that they weren't dreaming themselves."

"I think... Living with Sin meant that people had to be very courageous, and now, having all that bravery means that nobody hesitates to pursue whatever they desire. Everyone's excited, and looking towards the future with high hopes."

"Even I-- I've decided to live for myself now. Spira doesn't High Summoner Yuna anymore. It can stand on its own feet, without my help. I can just be Yuna now."

"The Fayth had dreamed long enough." And Auron is grateful that they did! They helped with the fight against Sin, and brought all of them together. But Auron can also understand the longing for rest, for laying your burden down, and he doesn't begrudge the Fayth their rest.

He closes his eye as he listens to Yuna, and a faint smile dances at the corner of his lips. That's the kind of Spira he wanted, the kind he fought and died for, and it's a true blessing that Braska's daughter was able to bring it alive. Spira never had a future before, and that is a gift worth fighting for.

"And what are you doing, now that you're retired from being the High Summoner?" He opens his eye and looks down at Yuna, and all his tension has melted away. It's possibly the most relaxed he's ever been, and Auron knows that if Jecht could see him now, he wouldn't believe what he was seeing. "Has Wakka convinced you to try blitzball yet?"

"No, not yet," Yuna answered with a laugh in her voice. "But I've been practicing holding my breath! I've made it to nearly 3 minutes now. Maybe I'll be able to play a real game of Blitz someday soon."

"I've joined Rikku, and another woman named Paine, as a Sphere Hunter. We go around Spira looking for Spheres that might have valuable information recorded on them. I decided... Because of a Sphere Kimahri found in Mount Gagazet."

"What about you? Is the Farplane nice? I've always wondered myself... Do you mind that you're here now, instead of there?"

Edited 2021-09-21 03:28 (UTC)

"You're traveling." Auron's voice is full of approval. That sounds like an excellent use of Yuna's time to him, especially if she has Rikku there with her. Seeing the world, gathering pieces of history, spending time with friends... it's a good life for someone Yuna's age. It's what she deserves to have, after everything she's been through.

Auron shakes his head when she asks him about the Farplane. "If I was there at all, it was very brief. I saw your father, and Jecht, and then I woke up here."

What he experienced was nice, though! He enjoyed seeing Lord Braska again!

"If this is the world I'm in, it's the world where I'm supposed to be." He gestures at their Pokemon. "Even if they did take the Masamune and replace it with that."

The Honedge perks up and floats back over to linger at Auron's shoulder. Masamune? Yes, that will do quite nicely for its name, thank you very much!

"Mm," Yuna nodded. She felt strangely happy that Auron seemed to like what she had decided to do. It was a little like how she remembered feeling when her father had approved of something she did. "After my Pilgrimage, I found myself missing traveling. It's a lot of fun now that I can do whatever I want."

It was a little painful sometimes, when memories of him came to mind. But she wouldn't give those memories up for anything.

"Oh, that's wonderful! They were there..." It warmed her heart, to know that loved ones really there waiting for him. She would want the same, whenever her time came. "Did you... Did you see him at all?"

Auron radiates strong, silent dad vibes.

He expected that next question, and he's glad that he can nod and affirm it. "Yes. He arrived after I did. It was just for a moment, but he greeted Jecht. They seemed... as if they'd made peace with each other."

They high-fived, Yuna. High-fived! If that's not male bonding, Auron doesn't know what is.

Yuna let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She lifted her hands to her chest, and noticed that they were trembling, just a little.

"You have no idea how important that is to hear," she admitted to him. "That he had a real existence. That he wasn't just a dream."

That he wouldn't just vanish, like Valefor did. By her hand...

"I know now that I will see him again someday. Even if it's a long, long time from now. We'll meet again."

"He was very real, Yuna. Both in Zanarkand and in your Spira."

Auron has a theory about this: the reason the Fayth were able to dream both Jecht and Tidus into the future was because they'd been famous blitzballers, and enough of the Fayth remembered them to reconstruct their memories. It's only a theory, but he assumes that's why Spira ended up with two blitzball stars and not simply some random person.

"And yes. The Farplane..." He pauses, and his voice is thick when he continues. "It exists, and the sent exist there too. They're waiting for us in the light."

"Thank you. Thank you for telling me."

Auron was sometimes a teacher that withheld the answers to his lessons in order to let his students come to their own conclusions, so she considered it a favor to be told in such a straightforward manner. Perhaps he felt free to speak now that his own ordeal was finally over?

"I was in the middle of something back home, so it's a bit frustrating to suddenly be somewhere else, but... This place isn't so bad. I think I can find a way to have some fun in the meantime."

This doesn't seem like the kind of lesson that requires a drawn out conversation. Auron knows it would hurt Yuna not to know, and wouldn't benefit her either. Besides, she knows that he was unsent the whole time now, so there's no reason to hide anything.

"You're welcome."

Now that issues of the Farplane are settled, Auron looks around them. The two Pokemon are playing happily, everyone around them is smiling, and there's a sense of peace in the air that Auron has never felt.

"Yes. This place... doesn't seem so bad."

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER TEST DRIVE MEME

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New Bark Town

I'm getting some strong Trystan vibes here? am I right?

lol what gave me away? :^Y

we've done thousands of tags together, I know what you sound like! (mostly your paragraph breaks)

that and my recent love for rping grizzled old men

oh yeah, around 40 is totally a grizzled old man

he's supposed to be 35! practically an infant!

lol right? he looks at least late 50s. wandering the world as an unsent for 10 years ages the soul

meanwhile that historian unsent just keeps rocking the old man look forever

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