End.

[azumods]

RESTORATION. There's a distinct feeling that comes along with the knowledge that the world is about to die; you've experienced it once already, and you can feel it again now - another of those sensations that permeates your body clear through, shaking you to your core, and Arceus... Arceus doesn't hesitate. There's another burst of light, almost blinding as it shoots upward and splits into a myriad streaks of light coursing down toward the earth; it's almost beautiful in its impending destructiveness, though perhaps it isn't something that can be fully appreciated with the knowledge of what it's about to cause. All those people, all those Pokémon, reset to what they once were - to say nothing of yourselves. And then, suddenly and sharply, the world stops. Not the world. The universe. It isn't the first time you've felt time and space simply stop - but instead of the stagnation of the reset or the Distortion World, there's something very deliberate-seeming about this; it doesn't feel like stagnation so much as it does protection, keeping the world in stasis until something can be done. Exactly what that something is...well, it's difficult to say. But one thing is certain: even if they can't be seen or properly felt, Dialga and Palkia are certainly here, and it seems that for the time being at least, they're with you. Arceus shrieks out another of those primal roars, the sound harsh and agitated; the remnants of the incomplete Judgement remain bright and hovering above you, above everything. A reminder, perhaps, of everything that's at stake; after all, no one can defy the Creator forever. The frozen timespace doesn't seem to have affected you, nor Cyrus or his Commanders; you're all still capable of acting for yourselves while Judgement is stalled out. Exactly what that entails has yet to be seen. Best of luck to you.

Comments

[discutio]

['I thought I'd lost my second chance.']

[The world had crashed around them, and he'd gripped Noctis' hand as though that was all that mattered...because he was. 'Ignis Scientia' existed solely to support and protect 'Noctis Lucis Caelum'. When that had been lost, with him went the chamberlain's reason for living. When his king was regained and vanished from reach again, that terrible emptiness returned with a vengeance as an endless despair he couldn't shake.]

[Had it been a path he'd found contentment in? Of course. Nothing had made him happier than to be at Noctis' side. There were no regrets in serving his purpose, no matter how it had essentially been chosen for him. Ignis had loved Noctis more than he loved anything or anyone, and banishing the darkness alongside him had been a journey taken without a single step made in hesitation.]

[But had it been right, in the sense that one person should live their life solely for another? That they should have no real function, no individual self without that person? His cooking proficiency, combat expertise, political and historical knowledge--everything he was had been fashioned in service to Noctis and the crown.]

[An individual person named 'Ignis Scientia' had never existed.]

[It was, he now understood, a bit of a shame. He might have liked to seek out a reason to carry on, even without Noctis if that was to be the result. Still, he harbored no regrets as Cyrus called out to the god before them. He'd lived according to his purpose, known how this would very likely end, and been content in that. He'd done all he could to reach out to Cyrus, and now--]

[And now a second time, judgment was forestalled.]

[This wasn't the end. Perhaps it had been the end of Noctis' story, but Ignis had been left with a single order--'walk tall'. The rest was left to him, to bear the anguish left by the loss of his king and stand even beneath its weight. For Prompto and Gladio, for Iris, Cor, Cindy, Talcott, for Bucky, Camilla, Michael, Aya--]

[No. For himself. To write a story all his own, no matter how it ended.]

[Something trembled in the pockets of his Kingsglaive uniform, a Pokeball bursting open with a flash of blinding light that flew over his head. Favilla's horns unfurled into massive wings in a flash of embers, the Volcarona burning brightly above her Trainer in defiance of the end of all things.]

Cease this. [He snapped at Cyrus, unseeing eyes steady and calm no matter the restrained chaos that hung over their heads.] How much longer will you cower and hide from that which you do not yet understand, Cyrus?! Your 'perfect world' is no more than a house of cards that will collapse again and again, because you refuse to build a greater foundation upon which a truly great world may stand!

You fear compassion you don't understand, while taking no steps to even try comprehending it. You would sooner burn every bridge built over the distance between you and the world you love, instead of taking a step forth and truly living within it.

You're not a god, Cyrus. You're a lost child shrinking back in your own darkness because you fear the light. Stand tall and prove yourself better than that!

[perfectselfie]

[Aya isn't exactly surprised that her appeal didn't work, but she knew she had to at least try. She wouldn't have been able to forgive herself if she didn't say something.

She drops to her knees at the awful feeling, the one she hoped beyond hope she would never experience a second time, and buries her face in her hands. She can't stop the flood of tears, or the feeling of complete failure.]

I'm so sorry, I -

[And then things just stop, and it's all she can do to not go into hysterics. She wasn't around during the trip to the Distortion World, and the feeling is almost overwhelming.]

- what the?

[greydients]

[Unlike the first time their group suffered this, Rey finds she almost feels at peace. From the second that Arceus appeared, completely under Cyrus' control, she knew that there was no chance they were leaving the Hall of Origin as they entered it. This was all a fool's errand from the start, but for some reason, she doesn't feel any anger, or misery.

If this is how it ends, at least I can say I tried. We tried.

So when everything just...stops, it's almost more jarring than the attack itself.

Opening her eyes (she had, admittedly, squeezed them shut), Rey gingerly reaches to her belt, feeling a wave of comfort as she finds her pokeballs still sitting there, intact. The relief itself is also enough of a signal to tell her that - for some reason, likely related to the energies of Dialga and Palkia that she can feel - this Judgement hasn't been delivered.]

...is this not enough of a sign for you?

[She can feel rage building, and it's beautiful - she'd always taken her emotions for granted, but not any more.]

Did you think it was just us, Cyrus? That we were the only ones who would oppose you? The true gods of this region are pushing back on you with all their might! What will it take to get you to stop all of this?

[niceoppai]

They're -- they're here! Aya, they bought us some time!

[Chelsea takes a deep breath to calm herself down.]

I'm never making fun of Palkia again.

[enjoymyatelier]

[ah, well, they're actually going to die this time, so he might as well just let it all out because...]

You absolute braindead wanker, what is your problem!? Are you so dedicated to your stupid, stupid idea that you throw a tantrum and try to murder us all because people are being nice to you and making you realize that yes, your ideas on how to fix the world's problems are indeed absolutely fucking idiotic, so-

[...oh... oh, wait... oh... everything stopped, Dialga and Palkia are giving them a save... oh.....]

...

...

...right, I'm going to go back to biting my tongue and not ruining this for everyone else.

[semistableman]

[It happening again isn't much of a shock to him. Maybe Cyrus really isn't one of those people who can be helped, but Bucky doesn't want to think that. Not about anyone, not after he considered himself beyond saving.

Bucky breathes in, eyes falling shut for a long moment, finally opening once it's clear there are gods present even now. It's not the first time, either. His hand goes to the pokeball containing Flora, just a reminder that she's still there, safe and sound despite the looming end of the world.]

The gods of this world don't like this any more than we do.

[Sensing that the world has not ended, that Judgement has been halted, his team leave their pokeballs one by one, the mismatched set of unevolved Pokemon crowding around him, with Flora in front, looking as determined as her trainer.]

[discutio]

[...god bless you kayneth, because he was sure thinking it for the past ten minutes or so]

[hyruglyphics]

[ The light of this sees Zelda glaring at the sky as it comes. Vali, perhaps trying to prove himself, had stepped in front of her to make a fruitless barrier. Bosphoramus has curled around all of them. Saber had scooped Daroh up into her mouth (ewww) and Miphanus and Urbin had gotten in closer to Zelda. But when the end doesn't come, when space and time pause...

Well, first things first the Porygon-Z curls on out of the Lickilicky's sloppy mouth? Whining?

But Zelda focuses up at the god before her and Cyrus as well, ]

Do you really think you know best, at this point?!

[takestheblame]

[Kiryu didn't look up when the judgment was descending. He kept glaring at Cyrus all the way. When time and space stops, he finally looks up.

...well looks like they have a bit more of time. Kiryu takes Daigo out of his Pokeball. Daigo stays behind Kiryu, gruffly glaring at Cyrus. Still, Kiryu tries to initiate conversation]

It still isn't late to do something else. What'll it take for you to stop this madness already?

[Bargaining, yup! Don't make them try to fight Arceus, that's not a good idea and Kiryu knows it, hah!]

[hyruglyphics]

[ Oh no, a crying girl!

.. Vali the Shiny Mr. Mime (really) decides to try to make her feel better by way of walking over to her, silently tapping her shoulder and then holding out a flower for her! ... And invisible flower. It's not there. It's a mime, what do you expect. ]

[radiantflame]

[AT LEAST IT WASN'T HER THIS TIME]

[eudaimonikos]

[Though he knows it's fruitless - they've seen this before - Michael lurches forward a step as Judgement begins to descend.

He can't protect them from this. Not with his little human body, and probably not even with himself. That god is stronger and older than him. He couldn't take Arceus on in his true form. If he's honest, he might not have been able to challenge any of the deities here that way. It just felt better to believe he could have. It would feel better now to die first, and not see it happen to his friends.

But they don't die. They've had so many stays of execution so far, it almost seems a little unreal. It's good, though. He really wasn't done.

Michael straightens himself out and takes another, deliberate step.]

First of all, you are such an enormous dong! Both of you, actually - [He points at Arceus.] - so great to see you stick up for the people you made instead of helping one dickhead beat them into the ground over and over, forever! I can see why humans love their creator gods. Such wonderful, loving protectors.

Second - [Back to Cyrus] - where do you get off telling them they're not good enough? There's only one person here who's thrown a hissy fit and tried to commit mass murder two out of the three times we've met. You've made Aya cry twice. And why, because they're the only people left with enough emotional intelligence to see that you've got issues? Is this your perfect world? One where kindness is met with death?

[He could probably go off more, but Jane Doe pops out of her Pokeball - having apparently sensed that Judgement did not in fact occur - and puts both big claws on his shoulders.]

[ventulus]

You call this protecting your world?! You're just destroying everything just because you don't like it, like you're just someone having a tantrum, and just because you can!

[ At the heart of it, he's just a kid, and all of this frustrates him. What's the right word to say, he doesn't even know. He just doesn't think he could really just excuse all away what Cyrus is done and stay silent. Not right here, not now. ]

There's a reason it's not just us who're fighting back so hard. It's because how you're doing things isn't the way to go about it! And your "perfect world" isn't really something that should be shoved down everyone's throats just because you want it so badly!

[anythingforyou]

[Camilla really can't help but close her eyes at what's about to come--her arms are wide, in a protective gesture that's ultimately futile as she tries to protect what little she can before the world ends. She's ultimately been living on borrowed time since she came to Sinnoh, and if even once, she could just protect the people she loves, that would be enough and it'd be for something she believed in for once--

There are muttered words, soft and frantic and blurred together--"Please, oh Gods, just this once allow me to protect them, or yet grant us some miracle if by your grace alone, please--"

But then Judgement doesn't come. It's stopped, and there's more pressure in the room that causes Camilla to open her eyes and look, seeing the white light of Judgement above them and the fact that Arceus is very fucking angry. Her eyes widen and she can't even begin to describe the feelings within her, some mixture of relief and dread filling her as she doesn't even begin to put her arms down, and she hears one of her own Poke Balls open beside her--Arion perhaps flinching a touch at the pressure in the room, the roar of the creator, but floating beside his trainer with every bit of composure and confidence that still stands.

She's supported him for this long, along with the others. Perhaps it was time to give her that level of support, the same adoration she so gave out, as the two stare at Cyrus and the Creator. Arion stands alongside Camilla as a shield for the others, the brainless hands reaching out to meet her own. They can't do much, but they will do their best.]

The gods you've so horribly enslaved are acting against you--against even the highest of beings, their very sovereign and creator, in order to ensure that this world isn't torn asunder once again. They're expending everything that they can in order to keep this world safe out of sheer defiance.

Truly, it's a beautiful endeavor.

[Camilla's expression is firm when she speaks up.]

How much is it going to take to get you to realize that what you're doing isn't helping the world at all? That these beings are willing to go against even their own principles to stop all of this? Is what they're attempting to do not even a slight indication that there are avenues that you haven't considered trying, that this isn't the best way forward?

[perfectselfie]

I - I don't believe it...

[OKAY, no more - well, Aya is at least going to attempt to stop crying.]

I think that's probably a good idea.

[semistableman]

[You're getting a very pointed nod in your direction for that.]

[anythingforyou]

[kayneth, despite everything, you are so utterly valid right now]

[eudaimonikos]

It's all true, and you should say it.

[perfectselfie]

[OH NO a good friend. It's enough to snap her out of it, at least a little, and she manages a giggle.]

Thank you, friend.

[ventulus]

[ Oh my god, Kayneth ]

[takestheblame]

[Kayneth is so right about this, yup]

[perfectselfie]

[All of this is valid and that may be a tiny bit of applause from Aya.]

[radiantflame]

[Morag doesn't flinch. Her team stands around her, visibly shaken but staring forward in solidarity with her.]

So this is what you're reduced to. Resetting everything the moment something doesn't go your way. You are no creator, you are a destroyer. This world will never be perfect so long as you continue down this path.

[hyruglyphics]

[ He smiles on his weird creepy green clown face, spins a little in place, and the "flower" blooms into now a bouquet of flowers! ... I mean, presumably. It's all still pantomime. ]

[greydients]

[#characterdevelopment]