24th moon [It is a 4th, and it is a wall]

[vibrafinal]

[Today, on the roof of house 9, there is a Cecil. A Cecil that is quite possibly staring at you, wondering where you came from, and pondering whether to invite you in for lunch. Bother?]

Comments

[paladinlost]

That is no way to live. How could you keep fighting, knowing that you might lose those few recollections at any time?

[rising_drive]

That was why we sought an eventual true end to the cycles.

[paladinlost]

You've found it, I hope.

[rising_drive]

We did... it was a difficult road to get there, but we found a means to the end.

[He doesn't quite look him in the eye, not exactly wanting to go into detail about the whole "traitor" thing.]

[paladinlost]

I'm glad. You deserve much better than an endless war.

[rising_drive]

Likewise. I'm glad you also escaped it... eventually.

[paladinlost]

...Eventually. Better late than never, I suppose.

[rising_drive]

Yes, even if it took some time. Many cycles had already gone past by the time of the one I remember.

[paladinlost]

...Who knows how long we were caught in them...

[rising_drive]

I dread to consider it. Those of us with more memories were there the longest, is all I can determine.

[paladinlost]

That'd make it hard to tell who arrived first, unless everyone shared all they knew.

[rising_drive]

Even worse, defeat in battle meant that memories were purged as part of the revival process... I suspect I had been through many cycles, yet even now I still only recall the latest, with any clarity.

...Golbez remembered far more about the cycles. Chaos had the upper hand for a while, it would seem.

[paladinlost]

How long it's had the upper hand matters not. It must inevitasbly lose in the end.

[rising_drive]

...and it did, or so I was told.

[paladinlost]

Good. Otherwise I'd be quite upset with ourselves.

[rising_drive]

You've nothing to be upset about... for the most part.

[paladinlost]

I'm glad. I'd feel bad if I'd not done my best without even knowing it.

[rising_drive]

Of course you did your best. Everyone did.

[paladinlost]

Including you, of course.

[rising_drive]

Yes...

[Quietly brooding because that involved backstabbing of a sort. For good reasons, but still, backstabbing again, oops.]

[paladinlost]

I hope you made good friends at the same time. Other worlds are rare opportunities.

[Let's twist the knife a little more.]

[rising_drive]

[Kain looks down, a bit gloomy on considering that he ruined man of those friendships. Better that they did forget him, really.]

...I did what I could...

[paladinlost]

That's as much as anyone can ask of you.

[So innocently proud of his friend here.]

[rising_drive]

I know but... It was a difficult road to walk down.

[Sorry for stabbing you in the back. Again. :(]

[paladinlost]

All important roads are, but that's how we know they are worth it.

[This is the what, second time? Third time? :|]