In a cataclysm known as the Nightfall, the worlds were almost completely destroyed by a harrowing surge of darkness.
In the shadows of the ensuing chaos a new group has taken shape. Led by an Aegyl named Kalos, the 11th Hour touts an esoteric knowledge of how to combat the darkness and restore the worlds. They might be the worlds’ best chance at survival; but nobody really knows enough about them to confirm or deny their claims.
On the brink of collapse, the universe holds its breath in anticipation. Of restoration? Of destruction? It is up to individuals like yourself to decide.
A special thank you to ChasingArtwork of Deviantart, who allowed us to use this stellar banner image.
There aren't enough praises in the world I'd like to give to wonderful coders for the Proboards community. The following have contributed to World Destiny in some way: W3 Schools for countless how-tos and countless of other souls who have helped get WD up to where it is.
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If there was a way to capture things just the way they were now, exactly the way he saw it - not just the sight, but the feel, the smell, the air, the whole experience - one could argue that such a thing had the power to bring an end of time. If one could revisit the past so completely within the preservation of those moments, what would happen to now? What would happen to the future when the present time was displaced by the times gone by? The past would become the present, and the future would be lost. The temptations of the frozen solace of better days that had been before would overwhelm the human need to progress, to move on, and time would stand still.
But, still, it would be pretty cool.
Novi was wishing for almost precisely that as he looked out across the patchwork streets of Radiant Garden from his vantage point up on the top of the castle tower. That recovering landscape of people coming together, connecting with one another to create a new community that inhabited the houses below. It was not back to its former glory, he knew. But why should it be? As time went on, things were supposed to change, to evolve, to move on. Wasn't there a beauty in those scarred cobbles, the ruffled rows of new flowers? Surely, despite being a collection of yet still-wounded buildings and tarnished memories, there was still something in the way the people went about their lives with perseverance and hope? A world of rebirth.
Surely, that was worth capturing, and cherishing forever?
Novi breathed a sigh as he simply snapped a picture using the camera on his phone. Of course, it wouldn't be enough to hold even a speck of the detail he saw now, but it was better than nothing. He typed in the caption, 'A view from the Castle Tower at Radiant Garden. A world of rebirth.'
The young auburn-haired chronicler scuffed his feet against the tiles of the spire. Looking down at the people at his feet living together made him miss being on missions. The sense of purpose, the excitement, the chance to see new things - all of these made a Chronicler's life what he lived for, but what he missed so deeply was the chance to experience them with others. He wondered if the whole reason he'd given for leaving the Castle wasn't the entire truth. Sure, he loved doing what he did, learning about the worlds and discovering new histories, but perhaps what had really driven him to get out there was something else.
Shaking his head vigorously, Novi rapped his knuckle against his temple in rebuke. 'No time to worry about stuff like that,' he said to himself. 'Those stories aren't going to tell themselves.'
He leapt from his position, descending down the edge of the roof inches below him. As he fell, out of the corner of his eye he noted even at the speed of his fall unsettled shadows that seemed to shimmer slightly, before actually rising up before his eyes -
Novi groaned inwardly. 'Come on, Heartless even up here? Can't you give me a break? And I don't even have a partner with me...'
As he reached the bottom of the spire, he launched himself off the castle wall face and hit the ground running, with several flying Heartless in hot pursuit. As Novi ran through the narrow alleyways in an effort to lose them, he wondered:
Am I always just going to be running away like this?
Yuna treaded softly along the cobblestoned streets of the Marketplace, her mind wandering as she let herself be guided by the familiar sights and smells of the town. The recent fine weather had spurred its residents into a flurry of activity; the tang of fresh paint still drifted through the air from a recent renovation. Radiant Garden was firmly pulling itself free from its period of darkness. It was a place for hope, now. And in her eyes that made its shabbier sites of reconstruction all the more beautiful. She couldn't help but wonder; Perhaps more so than before the place was torn into Hollow Bastion?
Shaking herself slightly, Yuna had to remind herself to stay focused. She had actual tasks at hand, and she really couldn't let herself get distracted. First things first - Rikku needed parts. Yuna hadn't been able to make heads or tails of the convoluted mess of component names her friend had listed for her, much less their purpose, but she'd written down the names of most of them. In town she would be very likely to find a Moogle mechanically gifted where she was utterly not.
And when that errand was run, she had a more personal purpose in mind. This one was much more vague, and one she felt she wanted to undertake alone.
A small and familiar something-or-other bobbed in the corner of Yuna's eye. She turned, smiling softly, and made her way up to an open storefront advertising metal goods, at the front of which floated a hologrammed Moogle.
Yuna swung her bag off her shoulder while her left hand searched absentmindedly for munny in her belt pouch. The bag was lightweight and made of simple black leather, but she had embellished it with a thin chain of beads and a single feather. The feather was a strange one to her; it was tawny and slender where a Chocobo's would have been thick yellow fluff. Both it and the bag had been newly acquired since arriving in the Garden.
Almost everything she was wearing right then was, now that she thought about it. She'd sewn her pale, loose blouse and flowing skirt herself. For once the nice weather had coaxed her out of boots and into an elegant pair of sandals. Except for the familiar weight of her belt pouch and the dresspheres within it, she could be almost another person entirely. . .
These troubling thoughts were interrupted by a surge of sounds in the nearby alleyway.
Yuna frowned and peered down the street, puzzled at the commotion. Her eyes widened as she caught a glimpse of a young man shooting by the narrow pass. At the sight of his dark pursuers, however, she sprang instinctively into motion. Throwing her bag onto the Moogle's counter, the fingers of her left hand stopped fumbling for munny and firmly grasped one of the spheres in her belt pouch instead. After extracting it, it took only a few practiced motions with her garment grid to activate her Gunner abilities, and she took off at a sprint down the alley.
As she ran, a few of her strides became little skips as she grasped for the single Tiny Bee pistol in the holster at her thigh. Yuna thanked whatever stars had inspired her to strap at least one of them on that morning.
Moments before she caught up with the young man, though, the Garden's defense mechanism activated, and his assailants were rendered into wisps of darkness. Yuna allowed herself to slow to a walk. "It's all right, they're gone!" She called out.
Once the boy had slowed his flight and was close enough to warrant her normal voice, she spoke again. "Are you all right?"
Mar 8, 2012 3:03:13 GMT -4
Last Edit: Mar 8, 2012 23:05:32 GMT -4 by Zephiris
As the Heartless dived at him in an effort to catch up to his running speed, Novi leapt off the ground to avoid it before kicking off the wall on his right to throw off another pursuer by the sudden change of direction. He rolled to narrowly dodge a swooping maneuver executed by the Heartless, before continuing to run. He had to get to a place where there were Claymore installed, and it should be just around the next corner -
Sure enough, as he entered the new alleyway, white pillars began to erupt from the ground, and Novi somersaulted over one so that the Heartless directly behind him would collide straight into it, and leapt from wall to wall so that the mindlessly following Heartless fell prey to the phalanx of Claymores that rose to meet them. But Novi kept on running. This was, after all, what he was good at, and since he had no counteroffensive measures, the best way was to keep the upper hand during the chase.
'It's all right, they're gone!'
Novi skidded to a stop as he turned back to look at the person who had shouted out to him. The first thing that struck him was that she definitely had far too little clothing on for comfort, and he couldn't stop the burning sensation from rising in his cheeks as he tried to work out where he ought to look without causing offence. As he settled on her eyes, however, his initial youthful reaction settled as he noticed the different colours sported by her gaze. One eye was blue, while the other a sea-green. Two eyes which had seen the same things, but the nature of their different colours hid them behind the illusion of different pains. These eyes were filled with sedate emotions, and so it was slightly unnerving to note that behind the concern she was showing for him, she did not intend to show anything else. Such adamant restraint over the expansive uncontainable spectrum of human emotion perturbed him, and yet... they were the most remarkable things he had ever seen.
'Your eyes are beautiful,' he murmured.
But also sad.
Novi realised how strange he was sounding and the red rushed back into his cheeks as the moment passed. 'Ah! I'm sorry. Thank you for your concern. I'm just fine.'
He noted her munny pouch, where the clasp was askew - he guessed that she must have been shopping before hearing the ruckus and rushing over to help him. He was grateful for people like her, who didn't shave a second off the time required to help strangers in need - though he wondered if it was presumptuous to judge her willingness to aid others as naivete, especially in times like these.
'Anyway, I seem to have gotten in the way of your shopping - sorry about that,' he said sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. 'If you're looking for anything in particular, I can help you find the right shops as compensation for your time - there's a lot of shops and Moogles can be totally stingy around here.'
He paused as he thought about whether he was being to forward.
The running youth skidded to a halt and turned towards her. For a short moment their eyes locked and he was quiet, and Yuna's hand reached forward ever so slightly by an automatic impulse, concerned -
"'Your eyes are beautiful."
Yuna halted her advance, surprised. Then her lips curved into a gentle smile. "Thank you," she replied, heartbeats before blood flooded the young man's cheeks.
And his next words seemed to ring true – he didn’t seem hurt at all, and didn’t even display signs of much exertion. His eye caught on her belt pouch. Following that, his words took a different tone, one that Yuna observed curiously.
Was he. . . apologizing? What in the world for?
In any case, the boy was observant. Though. . . he seemed caught up in the notion that he owed her some small service. Yuna almost tripped over her words, certain she hadn't done anything worthy of it; she was realizing the boy must have known about the Claymores, and he couldn't have been in any real danger.
“Oh! I was hardly being productive anyway. And that is sweet of you –“
Suddenly Yuna had the strange and abrupt impulse to bow, as if her muscles retaining the memory of the old Yevon guesture demanded to be put to use again. Almost immediately she felt her new muscles – the ones built since joining the Gullwings, and honed since leaving Spira – combat the nostalgic pull. Their savagery astonished her.
The feeling came and swept away in a blink of an eye, and it left her shaken. But she remained upright.
“- but I actually only have one bag with me, and I don’t think a few gears will make it too heavy. Really.”
Only a small, nearly imperceptible break marked the disorienting moment. The rest of the sentence trailed flat in her ears. A small sigh. I think I just need some water.
She used to love water.
Yuna shook her head – second time that afternoon, what was up with her? – to focus it. The young man’s proposition did sound inviting. Yuna hadn’t given herself many opportunities to explore the Marketplace, and she would enjoy the company. And perhaps he would have heard of her.
She smiled again, but this time it was more relaxed, almost playful, her eyes bright with the idea. Already her body was turning around, to the point where her next words were almost spoken over her shoulder. “Oh! I’d love for you to join me for a bit, actually, if you'd want to. The Moogles I can handle. There’s just someone I’ve been looking for, and you may actually be a help figuring out who or where she is."
Her fine eyebrows flicked upward slightly as she recognized her lapse in courtesy, and she paused. Luckily the urge to bow was gone. "It's Yuna, by the way - my name.”
While the pause went unmentioned, it didn't go unnoticed. Novi's sharp eyes caught the tension in her neck and arm muscles, as well as the subtle shift in her gaze that confirmed that the change had not been intentional. She had been about to do something, but had stopped herself, and while the movement had been slight, involuntary, and almost unnoticeable, that fleeting sense of silent violence did not fail to jar against Novi's perception of the apparently ordinary gesture. It made him wonder if she had been about to lash out.
It was a strange position he found himself in. He was drawn to unusual things, as they were often synonymous to interesting, and therefore valuable. He had never been faced with an abnormality which he had not found pleasantly intriguing. But this was one which he was almost reluctant to touch - like a puzzle box made of porcelain, where even moving a single panel might shatter everything, he found himself wrestling with his usually single-minded drive to solve things and the peculiar unbidden wish to keep it pristine and untouched, while all the while he found himself wondering why he was feeling the way he was. While Novi was curious and inquisitive, they were youthful traits that had not been cultivated as of yet into empathy and emotional maturity - he did not know how to go about the process of unravelling the emotive complexities of the human psyche. All he could gather was that there was something not quite well with the person before him, and for some reason, it made him want to cry.
For the first time... I'm afraid of knowing.
It was not a pleasant feeling.
He half-opened his mouth to ask, 'Are you okay' but she'd already turned and a smile was back on her face - but now that he'd noticed what she hid behind it, her bright expression made the urge to shed tears even stronger. But he obediently smiled as she outlined her request, and he answered brightly, 'Sure! I can take you anywhere you want. I'm Novi - my name.'
Novi laughed at the sensation of connecting with someone new. Perhaps it was more so because he wanted to hold onto these happier moments than returning back to that strange state where he felt he was drowning in Yuna's sadness. What had happened for such a deep-set unsettlement to have been embedded into her that her cheery expression seemed like she was being deluded by her own smile?
No, you're falling into it again. Anyway, she's just...
'By the way, why are you going to Moogles to buy gear parts?' he asked as he led the way back out of the alleyway. 'They charge a bomb for those things. What are they for, anyway? If they're common, it might even be worth seeing if the item shop has any going spare.'
"Novi," Yuna tried the name on her tongue. It was pleasant sounding. She laughed with him, and found she was enjoying herself. They meandered their way out of the Garden's back streets. She was following him, entertained by his earnestness.
"Well, that's the thing. . . I haven't the slightest idea if they're common or not. They may not even all be gear parts. I don't even know how to pronounce a few of these, much less know what they are." She shrugged hopelessly. "When we get to my bag I'll show you the list. Maybe you'll recognize something."
As the approached the Moogle front where she had abandoned her bag, Yuna suddenly became conscious of the fact that she was still holding her pistol. Surprised, she moved to surreptitiously stuff it back into the holster at her thigh - and then remembered the accessory disappeared when she changed dresspheres. With a sigh she slipped it onto her belt instead. She disliked having the weapon in Novi's full view. It reminded her of the children before the horrid Operation Mi'ihen. . . sparring in the camp at Mushroom Rock, wielding weapons no child should in an attempt to save Spira. She had danced for their souls afterwards.
"Oh," Yuna said softly, remembering something when they reached her trusty leather carrier. She took it from the counter (a bit grateful nothing had been taken), led the way to a shaded wall a few feet away, extracted the list. "I completely forgot. You won't be able to read this, will you? It's not written with the letters of this world."
The paper was inked in Yuna's dark handwriting, and the familiar symbols were that of casual Spiran script. She had never thought to learn the writing systems in the Garden, since she understood nearly everyone's spoken word just fine.
Her brow creased slightly. "Hm. I guess I can just read it out loud. Gear components A and C, epicyclic gears, crankshaft, iron, spark plugs, um. . . small karborater, scratch that, karberator, . . . solenoid? I don't know, Novi, these really don't seem like things we can get here. Only other time I've been around these types of shops, I was looking for a sprocket, and the guy tried selling me a thunder gem."
Yuna sighed and reclined against the wall. She was starting to toy with the notion of sending Rikku after some of these parts herself. In any case, Yuna was much more interested in finding the flower girl.
She had caught word of a lovely young woman living in the Garden. As the birds told it, she sold beautiful flowers, many of which had begun to line the streets of town as they were renovated. Yuna had been curious towards the rumors of her for a while. And now's a good a time as any to look for her, I suppose. Novi seemed eager enough to help. But if our looking leads us out of the Claymores' range. . . . Who knows to what extent he's learned to protect himself?
(( Attempted to pronounce carburetor. And the woman she's heard about is Aerith. ))
Mar 10, 2012 2:27:00 GMT -4
Last Edit: Mar 10, 2012 2:30:11 GMT -4 by Zephiris
It seemed that everything that Novi noticed about Yuna with each passing second seemed to be something that slowly added to the strange burdened feeling in his heart. She carried a weapon, but it was certainly with no love for it - it wasn't the kind that belonged to one who disliked combat, but to one who saw it as a kind of shame, as if the sole reason of necessity did not seem sufficient a purpose enough to be carrying a tool of battle in their hands. Novi was suddenly struck with the idea that everything Yuna did seemed to be hurting herself, but the thought was just so deeply depressing that he pushed it back inside - only for the burdened sensation to become even stronger.
Therefore, he was grateful when Yuna showed him a paper of hieroglyphs - finally, something concrete that he could stick his mind to, an innocent problem with a one-way solution. But, then of course, she didn't know that decrypting and translation was practically his job, so she kindly read it out for him - Novi couldn't help but feel a little let-down at being deprived of a chance to tackle the challenge. He was, nevertheless, slightly taken aback by the stuff that was on the list. A carburetor? A solenoid?
'And you want to carry all this in your tiny bag?' he asked incredulously. 'What're you trying to make, a tank?! There's no way you're gonna find any of this at any standard retail store. Your best bet's probably a gummi engineer or something.'
Although, it seems to be a totally different kind of technology than gummi engineering, he thought. From the sound of it, it looks like parts for a machine got to do with motor systems. Like maybe a land-based vehicle or something, but man, you're not going to find much of those parts around Radiant Garden when everything's run on electronic circuitry and data systems. They're probably more common in places like Traverse Town. Why would anyone be using such old tech with all these gummi ships around?
He glanced sideways at Yuna. And she obviously doesn't really know what she's talking about, so it can't be her who's building all this. What in the world is it all for?
She smiled apologetically, then slung her bag over her shoulder in exasperation. "Uh, not a tank. I think - but, seriously? These things are that clunky?" Oh, I give up.
Her bag wasn't tiny, really, and it was stronger than it looked, but Novi's reaction indicated even that didn't matter much.
"I doubt a gummi engineer will help. Rikku's machina is a bit. . . different." And Yuna made no effort to embellish her words. Not only did she have very little understanding herself, but Al Bhed machinery still connotated dislike for her, and even though it no longer held fear she avoided it where she could.
Now that I think about it, Rikku never actually specified the things were going to be small. She sighed mentally. Next time I guess I'll bring a basket or a cart. Hopefully she won't be too upset about not getting it parts today.
Though a little specificity would have helped.
Yuna recalled the key component her friend was looking for - an orichalcum, the star of whatever spectacle she was working on. It was known around here, and actually something she and Novi would be able to find from a Moogle. Problem was the price. Rikku and her were going to go hunt the thing down after she had returned, rather than waste a perfectly good arm and a leg for something they could fetch themselves. Wonder what world we would look for one on? If the Moogles' multiple digit prices were anything to go by, it wouldn't be an easy find. . .
Caught up in her musings, Yuna didn't catch Novi glancing at her from his peripherals. They were in a temporary stall. She had the strangest feeling something was about to be set into motion, and right then their lives were just in a temporary lull. The sun was growing brighter and warmer every passing minute; it felt nice with the breeze. Novi's company was pleasant.
Yuna addressed him then distractedly, light catching in her lashes as her gaze drifted along the line between marketplace and sky. Her voice was thoughtful. "Mm, Novi? Do you know where those flowers come from? The ones lining the streets - I haven't ever seen any like that growing here."
He probably thought she was speaking nonsense now. Ah well. It really was a lovely day.
Mar 13, 2012 0:53:55 GMT -4
Last Edit: Mar 13, 2012 1:56:46 GMT -4 by Zephiris
Novi followed her gaze over to the flowers in question. 'What, you mean those yellow ones there?' he said, squinting in the sunlight. 'Uhh... I don't know. I'm not that knowledgeable about flora. Maybe you could go ask a florist...'
Why on earth is this coming up anyway? he thought, slightly baffled at her choice of subject.
'Maybe... well, I know that one of the Committee members is a huge fan of flowers,' he said, scrunching his eyebrows together slightly in an effort to remember. 'She might be able to tell you - though I've heard the Committee's been awfully busy lately, so I don't think she'll be an easy find...'
First it's old-tech gears, and now it's random flowers - man, it's really tough following her line of thought.
As a Chronicler, being confused by something was a frequent occurrence, but the one Novi was facing now was something completely different - even though he'd spent less than half an hour with her, he felt that Yuna was an incalculably complex and impossibly inaccessible equation that patience, perseverance and deductive prowess alone would not be able to solve. From what he could see, she both felt and thought in ways that to him seemed utterly illogical, and he wondered if she was suffering from some kind of trauma.
Well, judging from her clothing, it doesn't seem like she originates from Radiant Garden, he observed. It uses some of the local materials, but it's deliberately different from the norm - seems to be a fusion of pseudo-tribal or native inspirations and tropical-inclined patterns applied to a modern dress base. And I know for a fact that we don't get THAT much sun around here. If she's wearing that outfit despite that, then maybe her reasons for dressing as she does is... hm, I don't know. Nostalgia? Homesickness? Individuality? Wait, I'm looking at her funny again.
Quickly redirecting his gaze up to the sky, he resumed his thinking. Yuna wasn't from Radiant Garden, which meant that she was a world-traveller like he was. But he didn't get the same vibe as he did when he came across other like himself - no, Yuna was most certainly different. He just couldn't figure out what. It was both frustrating and fascinating - frustrating because it was fascinating and vice versa.
Well, plenty of time to work that out later. Right now, he'd promised to help Yuna out, and that was what he'd do.
'Well, we might as well get started then,' he said, stretching himself out. 'You wanna find her, don't ya? The weather's nice, and we might as well take a walk enjoying it on the way, right?'
Yuna blinked for a few seconds, and then blushed lightly. "Sorry," she shook her head, trying to dispel the warm fuzz and remind herself she just met this boy. "That probably sounded a bit out there -"
But he knew of her - the flower girl! Suddenly all of Yuna's attention was focused on the auburn-haired teen beside her, not too powerfully intent, but he had rekindled her curiosity. He fell silent, however, and Yuna found herself watching him think. He was definitely a thinker, she was starting to understand. Smart for his age. Or. . . maybe not just smart; perhaps he's seen more of the worlds.
Again, as if it was intended, she looked away and did not see him shift his gaze to contemplate her in turn. Her mind was starting to wander, a bit. She found herself questioning herself now. Why on earth do I want to meet this girl so badly? . . . It really is just because those flowers are so beautiful, isn't it? They almost symbolize the Garden's rebirth. I. . . have a feeling she realizes that. I want to meet someone like her.
Before her thoughts could drift too far from her again, though, Novi caught on to that very notion. Yuna's head whipped around.
"I do want to, as a matter of fact!" she smiled, then frowned, but her voice remained playful. "How did you know? I'm not that readable, am I?"
She laughed, nodded at his next words as he stretched, rising from the wall herself and straightening. As she did so she noticed she was still in her Gunner costume. Hmm, she thought. With the Claymores, this really ought not be necessary. "Wait just one second," she said to Novi, and her slim fingers reached for the pouch at her waist.
With a few familiar movements, Yuna successfully unlocked the Gunner sphere from the grid without so much as looking. In a whirl of color she was suddenly sporting the longer, flowing skirt, pale blouse, and sandals of the outfit she had been wearing that morning.
"Much better," she said cheerfully, stretching too.
Her pistol gently grazed her side as she did so. Yuna ignored it. She would slip it into the holster at her thigh when Novi was looking away.
They both began to head down the street. It then occurred to her for the first time that he had mentioned the Committee. The woman was on it, too? Why hadn't Yuna met her before?
"Do you know where we ought to start looking, Novi?" She looked at him curiously, questions suddenly dancing to her tongue. "And what were you doing, anyway, to get those Heartless on your trail?"
Mar 16, 2012 1:29:46 GMT -4
Last Edit: Mar 16, 2012 1:35:09 GMT -4 by Zephiris
Novi took in the whirling lights as Yuna's outfit seemed to unravel itself into iridiscent ribbons and reform into another - he made no attempt to hide his amazement. He'd never seen this kind of transformation - it seemed it used that odd sphere as a medium. He wondered if it was something from her home world - he knew that the use of magic different from around the worlds, but it always filled him with wonder to discover new ways and traditions that were integrated into the plethora of cultures that made up the universe.
Even as Yuna headed off down the street, he sprinted after her and skidded about to come face to face. 'That was amazing!' he exclaimed, ignoring Yuna's questions in the urge to ask his own. 'How'd you do that? What's that sphere? That's got to be a totally rare item! How does it work? Does it have a residue of a re-summonable spell? Does it actually change the properties of all the materials used to make your outfit? I've never seen transformation magic work like that - it sort of disintegrates, and reintegrates... so cool!'
He bounced closer, getting lost in his fascination in her interchangeable clothing. 'That must be a form of magic from your home world!' he mused out loud as he circled her obliviously. 'What a way to harness it, too - and to succeed in integrating that with an item! Sort of makes you wonder how far we've got to go with synthesising, huh... actually, looking at the materials here, it doesn't look like it was made in your home world, seeing as all the fabrics used can be acquired locally. I actually thought that about the outfit that just vanished, but maybe I was wrong - though the style's definitely similar. Hey, wait, would that mean that you use that sphere to tap into some kind of storage space? That would be awesome!- ack!'
That last sound was made upon his realisation that in his attempt to get a better look at the nature of the make-up of her outfit, he had his face rather shamelessly almost right up against a slightly (no scratch that, extremely) awkward section of her anatomy, and the colour rose into his head at a dangerous pace as he backed away at top speed, his face practically steaming.
'I - I - I'm so so - so sorry!' Novi stammered out, his expression utterly agahst. 'I tend to totally lose control when I find something from another world, but that was way overboard - I didn't mean to like er... well you know.'
You know what?!
'A-anyway! Er, yeah! Sure! Heartless! Um! I, er... uhh, I was hanging around the castle, cos there's a good view of the city from there, except the only problem is that the Heartless can see you too, and since there's a whole load of Heartsy-fartsy stuff inside the castle as well, I think it's sort of a hotspot for Heartless to pop up, and I guess I picked a bad time and stuff... er... uhh... yeah! Hey, in fact, let's go there now!'
Grabbing her hand, he went off at a sprint back towards the castle.
Just keep moving, just keep moving - if you're running, then you won't have to keep talking. And that's good. Very good. Oh man...
In a different part of her life, Yuna would have been embarrassed. She would have blushed lightly and stammered her next couple of polite sentences. As it was, years later, she was smiling from the comfort of her own skin, amused and highly interested in the words tumbling out of her new companion's mouth.
Only problem with the onslaught of queries was that she felt obligated to answer them all. Because she had been caught off guard by his sudden burst in enthusiasm, she was late in her replies, and found herself rushing through her words nearly as much as Novi was. Yuna's voice was naturally softer and lighter, tinged with laughter, his intent with discovery.
"I - oh, it's called a dressphere, see -," she held out one of the faintly glowing orbs. "Huh, totally rare? You could say that, I guess, here, but - um, I put it in this Garment Grid, and depending on which one I've got - that's a good question, I never really stopped to figure out how it worked. You should ask my friend Rikku, she'd know better than I -"
"That must be a form of magic from your home world!"
Her voice faltered at that one, but she recovered quickly. He didn't seem to notice as he continued his entranced study of her clothing. She smiled to herself. The funny thing is, these are my normal clothes - made from cloth I bought here. I'm sure he'd find the materials of my Gunner or Mage outfits much more interesting.
A second later he came to that conclusion himself. Yuna gave up and fell silent, settling on just listening to him talk, fascinated by his observations and marveling at the energy of the teen.
And then he came to his senses and recognized his subconscious invasion of her space, and his words reached another pitch altogether in energy, practically spilling over themselves in an awkward rush. Yuna started laughing. Even as he explained what he was doing in the castle. She couldn't stop.
Suddenly her hand was grabbed by his, and she found herself flying beside him towards the castle. Her breathless laughter echoed through the streets as they sprinted along their cobblestoned lengths.
Eventually they reached a ramshackle courtyard blatantly in construction. The efforts were going along well, however. It seemed the residents were intent on making the renovations just as beautiful, if not more so, than they had been before. A massive pile of whitewashed stones lay nearby. Yuna considered it curiously; were they planning to build a wall? A dam? The Garden still had strange water configurations about areas like the Castle. From what she had heard, they were remains of the mysterious waterworks of Hollow Bastion. Falls had fallen up, then.
They had slowed to a walk. Ambling up to the broken monument, Yuna found herself mulling over the flood of information exchanged a few moments ago, and something occured to her. "You like finding things from other worlds, Novi?" She asked curiously, with the slight feeling she was making a grand understatement. "Have you visited many?"
Novi was also looking at the castle with a strange kind of pride. What had been a symbol of darkness prior to the defeat of Xehanort's Heartless, was now being rebuilt with hearts that were intent on restoring it to its former radiance. He was once again struck by just how beautiful this world was - not for just its outward appearance, but for the single-minded optimism of its citizens in undoing the terrible atrocities that had tarnished the Gardens ten or so years ago. It was stories like these that he wanted to capture forever.
I wonder... was my home world ever something like this?
He gave a slight start, wondering where that thought had come from. Inwardly shaking himself, he focused on answering the question posed by Yuna with a grin. 'You kidding? Finding things from other worlds is what I live for!'
He swept his arm over his surroundings. 'Look at all this. This is all just one world. There are so many things to learn, so many secrets to uncover, so many new things to just waiting to be lived and breathed, you know? I wanna be able to see all of it. I wanna capture every single moment just the way it is. Then, I'll visit them all over again, so I can think, "Wow, this place has changed!" or "You've grown a bit from before!" - because you'll never see that same moment twice.'
Novi breathed a blissful sigh. 'I can't say how lucky I am to be able to do what I do. I wouldn't give it up for the world.'
Stopping himself, he turned back to Yuna. 'But hey, there's just me going on and on - you won't really get it unless you see it for yourself. Come on, I'll lead the way.'
Running up the nearby pillar, Novi leapt back and forth from the scaffolding and the swinging cranes about the castle walls to ascend higher and higher. He paused briefly to hang off one of the scaffolding rods to steal a glance a the city below, and already he couldn't stop the smile spreading across his face. 'Come on! You've got to see the view from the top here!' he called down to her before continuing his ascent.
Yuna watched him with wide eyes. His words had effectively captured her imagination. After joining the Gullwings, she had relished the adventure every new place and world provided, and the emotions its people manipulated within her - but she had never felt as powerfully towards the world itself, its inner workings or its progress. Before the Gullwings. . . she couldn't have afforded to think in either way, assuming she was going to loose it all regardless.
Novi wouldn't give it up for the world.
What does he see?
Curiosity pulled her forward to follow him. His path confused her a bit, but she was able to jump and climb after him without too much physical difficulty. Her sandals' soles weren't as grippy as she would have preferred, but they were well wrapped around her feet and ankles, and didn't slip as she flew after her companion. They were also feather-light; compared to her boots, it was like leaping above the construction site barefoot. There was the small issue of wearing a skirt during this flight, but by the time it occurred to Yuna she didn't particularly care. There wasn't anyone below her. She'd just politely decline if Novi decided to be a gentleman and let her climb a ladder first, or something else of the sort.
Up until then she'd been too focused on the journey upward to remember the view. But when Novi mentioned it, it was all she could do not to swing around herself and steal a peek before she got to the top. When she reached the place Novi had called to her she refused to look, her jaw set, and continued upward. I'll save it, she thought to herself with determination.
At one point, high up, the various struts, rigs, supports, and catwalks ran out, and she reached a pale balcony part of the castle itself. The rail was above her head, and a small gap separated her from the wall. Novi was out of sight, but she assumed he'd gone over it - it was the only place to go. She shut her eyes briefly.
Then, she opened them, and jumped. He hands grasped the edge firmly. Her foot found friction as it hit the wall and gave her the boost to get her elbow over the rail, then her abdomen. . . and she swung over to land on her feet.
"Oooh man," she exclaimed the moment she felt solid ground under her feet. She was exhilarated, flooded with adrenaline. "Oookay, let's wait a bit before going back down, yes? Oh, I suppose I can - " Look now.
Her voice trailed off. Her impatient eyes had beat her to it.
It poured out in front of her, the whole, beautifully small city. . . the crystal ravines and the Great Maw. . . the crumbling, darkness-strewn remains of the Villian's Vale. . . a brilliant red horizon, the sun plunging downward, painting the lower sky rose even though it was early afternoon.
It took her a good couple of minutes before she spoke. It wasn't that she was entirely struck dumb; she just didn't want to be distracted from the sight by conversation. Eventually, though, her excess adrenaline won out, though her voice couldn't tear her eyes from the skyline.
"It's beautiful." Her forearms rested on the balcony edge, chin on the backs of her interlocked fingers. Her voice had adopted a contented hush, though her energy spike still caused the words to spill out much too incoherently. "Novi, you talk like that - about the worlds - with such familiarity. Can you tell me about another place where you've seen something like this?"
(( Methinks I'm imagining around here. I always picture the Castle as in a better state than that picture for the most part, except for the higher tiers, which wouldn't have had the opportunity for construction yet and will therefore still look creepy xD. ))
Mar 21, 2012 0:47:53 GMT -4
Last Edit: Mar 21, 2012 0:50:58 GMT -4 by Zephiris
Novi scratched his neck and pulled an awkwardly apologetic smile. 'Er... ehehe, actually I haven't been to that many worlds,' he admitted. 'Most of what I know came from pictures, reading books and researching the archives and stuff. As for actual visiting, what, I've been to about... I don't know, three? I mean, I've only just started out on my journey, after all. But er... a view like this...'
He leant back on the railing, looking up at the spires behind him and the clouds that formed the blue backdrop, thinking about the places he'd been to so far. 'Well, it's impossible to find a place like this anywhere, I think. I mean, worlds have been recovering from all that mess that happened over the last ten years, but I don't think there's one that's been hit as hard as Radiant Garden. For me, a lot of the beauty is in the fact that so many people have come together to rebuild their lives - all these construction sites, patchwork houses and broken streets are all signs of world forcing its way out of the ashes, and of all the worlds, I think this world of rebirth is something that's so so precious.'
Giving a laugh, Novi ruffled his own auburn locks before continuing, 'I mean, that's not to say that there aren't other amazing worlds as well! I took a brilliant picture of Traverse Town while I was there, right from the top of the clock tower - now there's one town that looks good at night, just as well, since it's nighttime there like every time I go. But actually, come to think of it, my home world -'
A briefest of pauses as the thought 'at least the one I lived in' was pressed back down, before Novi went on, '- is pretty incredible as well. The town's always so lively and festive, it's like there's an event on every day. All the people bustling about with their lives, and there's never nothing to do. And the Castle... oh, wait till you see it. Right at the top of the town, it's straight out of a fairy tale book. Tall white towers, crystal windows, it's magic. That's where I lived with while I was training to be a Chronicler. That's someone who goes around recording things for the Castle archives. And I want my addition to be the biggest one of all.'
Novi breathed a content sigh, then started to laugh. 'Haha, sorry, somewhere it turned into a massive reminiscence session,' he apologised. 'How about you? What's your home world like?'