A Resolute Person [Aerith/Open]

[Fate]

Can something different happen in this place? Please?
[August 5, 2010]
A Resolute Person from Okami soundtrack.
--

Paris was boring. Well, Elaine thought so anyway. It was a different thought than probably more than half the population of the world --after all miss, this is France-- but the life of this world was mundane. Same routine each day: cook, laundry, watch after siblings, go into market, and go to church on Sundays. Oh, and hide the ability to do magic. That too.

She had to take a break from this routine, at least a little. As usual, she got sidetracked from her visit to the market, this time ending up outside of the cathedral. People were here everyday, going in and out of the building for masses. There wasn't one right now, but they were probably preparing for one-- Elaine didn't really care about that. She just wanted to linger around outside. Maybe if she was lucky, something interesting would happen.

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[Aerith]

Resolve.
--------

It was the morning of the third day since Aerith had been on this world. She was beginning to wonder how long she was supposed to be staying here. There was always the option to inquire through the alarm Jericho had given her, but part of her didn't mind having some time to herself.

Naturally, with so many people around, she was not really alone. And it had not been long before she had taken to doing, at least in secret, what she did best. The back alleys of the city were rife with dying people, physically and emotionally.

She could not resist the urge to heal them all.

Seeing the looks of happiness on the people's faces only made her want to work harder. One particular woman Aerith healed had offered her a place to sleep, so that was where Aerith had been staying for the past two nights.

This morning, however, Aerith stood in front of the great cathedral. Resting her cheek against her softly curled fist, she contemplated the structure and the meaning behind it. While not familiar with the specifics of this culture's religious icons, she could tell this place was meant to be a symbol of good, something those of the light should appreciate.

"They're all monsters, but none of them can see it. And I want them to know what they are. This is what humanity belongs to, not the light."

She shook her head slightly and, closing her eyes, clasped her hands in front of her.

No, brother. That isn't true. I'll show you it isn't true. Someday.

Someone brushed against her, and Aerith opened her eyes to find a woman holding a small boy by the hand. He was badly bruised and even bleeding from several cuts along his face, neck, arms, and legs. Though the woman spoke to her in a language Aerith didn't entirely understand, she knew a request for help when she saw it. Rumors must have been spreading.

With a gentle smile, Aerith knelt down to the boy's level and brushed his hair back from his forehead. The light from her healing magic was muted as much as possible to avoid attracting attention. After only a few seconds of exposure, the boy's wounds were healed, the bruises still there but far less severe.

She was rewarded with a hug from the little one and a string of foreign words laden with gratitude from the woman. Aerith smiled wider and put a finger to her lips, asking them not to make too much of the act of kindness.

Straightening up to her full height once more, she watched the mother and son fade back into the sea of people. Inexpressible joy welled up within her, and she looked back at the cathedral.

However much you destroy, that much I will heal. You might be better and faster, but I'm very persistent.

[Aerith used Curaga.
Posts until next use: 3
Uses remaining: 5]

[Fate]

Curiosity.
--

All sorts of people would come by the cathedral, crowds of people. Occasionally, she would see some enter when there wasn't a mass, most likely praying about their family or the state of the world. On the surface, this world looked safe and beautiful, but Elaine knew better than to ignore those creatures that appeared in the very cathedral itself. It wasn't the safe haven everyone thought it was and bad things were continuing to happen. This world didn't know how to deal with those creatures, struggling to get by.

Like that boy and his mother. He was bleeding and hurt, probably from those creatures. Elaine made a sad face as she watched them disappear, her eyes then going to other people in the crowd. Hushed whispers kept going through, something about a woman who was able to heal. She was in this world, healing people when they asked. Not much else was known, but her healing abilities weren't normal-- they were magical. Elaine's eyes widened. Someone else was able to do magic? It explained the hushed voices, sure-- the priests couldn't find out about that.

But if they had watched that boy that had come back into the crowd with his mother, they would have seen how he wasn't bleeding badly anymore and the bruises were less severe. He was muttering about how nice the lady in pink was, how she had helped him, and his mother was telling him to not say it too loudly. Where was this woman? Not out in the open, but... maybe back there in the alley. Not many really went back there, but Elaine was about to-- maybe this woman would be there.

And there she was. Elaine didn't know what to say-- did she speak French even? The other travelers that came to this world spoke English. Was this woman a traveler? She sort of looked like she was from a different place, but the young blonde couldn't say from where. Instead of staying put, she meekly approached the woman with a small smile on her face. ""I saw what you did for that boy. That was really nice of you." She didn't know where to go from there, not one bit.

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[Aerith]

Have I mentioned that I love meeting new people?
--------

The woman and her son had been replaced by a girl who spoke so that Aerith could understand. She immediately brightened further.

"Ah, I can understand you. But you look like you live here."

At the mention of having seen her healing of the boy, Aerith grew a little worried. "Oh, don't say that too loudly, please. I love helping people, but I don't want to cause a scene. I was admiring that building over there, and it gives me the impression that the people here are very centered around their religion. I've also picked up that being healed in such a manner as I can heal is not common here. I wouldn't want to be mistaken for some angel or goddess."

She blushed a little, then smiled. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Aerith."

[Fate]

I like meeting good people.
--

Elaine nodded in understanding. She knew it wasn't a good idea to cause a scene, especially when magic was concerned. "It is not. Almost no one here can heal like that. Some in the church thinks it's a gift, but a lot of people do not like it." This woman, her name Aerith, was right. It didn't sound like a name from around here either. But she seemed like a genuinely nice person. It was different to meet someone nice that could use magic-- Elaine didn't they existed, especially in this world. It was obvious to her that other worlds had different ideas about magic. It might even be seen as a good thing.

"It is very nice to meet you Aerith. I am Elaine." She then spoke in a lower voice to not draw attention to the two of them. "I can heal people as well. I just try not to since you can get in trouble for it in this world." She paused for a moment, thinking if she should ask this next question. She was really curious, so she felt the need to. "On your world, do they use magic?"

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[Aerith]

Perhaps you could ease the burden I've taken upon myself.
--------

"It's nice to meet you, Elaine." Aerith smiled before a look of curiosity spread across her face. "I could get into trouble for helping people?"

No, it wasn't that she was helping people. It was how she was. Magic was not commonplace here, and it was even looked down upon, it seemed. It was silly, in her mind, to dislike it if someone was offering aid, no matter the method.

"Oh?" Elaine mentioned that she could use magic, as well. But she had to be careful to keep it a secret. Mindful of that, Aerith kept her voice down while still retaining plenty of excitement. "Well, that's good! You cherish that gift and always use it for the good of others. You'll find that your happiness will increase greatly the more you help those in need."

[Fate]

Nothing wrong can come out of this, right?
--

Elaine nodded to her question. It was sad because Aerith seemed like a good person that was only trying to do good things, but this place didn't see it as good. Magic, even when it was only doing good, was bad because people didn't know where it came from. That was pretty much the consensus that Elaine saw from her own experience. Maybe in other worlds it was different. It had to be since other people came into this world and used magic. They weren't afraid to either like she was.

Maybe she should find a way to get to another world, she'd be able to actually use this magic for good like Aerith said. She couldn't help but smile when Aerith said what she did. It did make her happy to see other people healed and doing better, and being able to help them. "I will. Definitely." As they were having this conversation, another person approached them, this time an elderly woman. One could tell by the way she walked she was hurt, a large cut in her leg. Those black creatures must have hurt her. She was looking to Aerith, obviously having heard the news that she could heal.

"I will heal her," Elaine told Aerith. She took out her small wooden rod, concentrating before letting green healing flames come over the woman. Naturally, it didn't heal as much as Aerith's spell did, but it certainly helped make the bleeding stop and the pain dim some. Elaine's spell wasn't quite powerful yet, but it was getting there. She just needed to practice more.

"Merci beaucoup," the woman said, bowing her head slightly. "De rien," was Elaine's short reply as the woman walked away. She then looked back to Aerith, smiling. "Have a lot of people come to you for healing? Those black creatures seem to be coming around a lot lately, even in the cathedral..."

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[Aerith]

You could be the first of many.
--------

Aerith watched in fascination as Elaine worked her own magic on the older woman who came to visit them. There was certainly potential there. She could see that Elaine had a kind heart. In the right sort of soil, she could grow into a mature woman.

Perhaps this could be where she could start. Just a single person here, another person there. All on different worlds. Aerith could plant the seeds of altruism in a select few, and they could blossom and branch out to others, slowly but surely changing the attitude of mankind for the better.

After the woman left, Aerith turned to Elaine with a thoughtful expression still on her face. "Black creatures...? You mean the Heartless?" It was no surprise that they were surfacing here, too, but this was the most aggressive report of them she had heard in a while. It probably had something to do with Jericho. He had been here, after all.

"Elaine, there are many things I have to tell you, but I don't know how much time I have. Those creatures you see are called Heartless, and they are attracted to the darkness in people's hearts. If you let them attack you, they will take your heart, and you will become just like them."

She slowed down a little and put a hand on Elaine's shoulder. "I don't mean to scare you, but it's the truth. Do not let them near you. I want you to stay safe, Elaine. I can see that you're compassionate, and I think you can help me."

Was this too much to ask of one girl? Even if it was, Aerith needed to start somewhere.

[Fate]

I liked it much better when I didn't know these creatures had a name.
--

Those creatures had a name, Heartless. Why were they called that? Every creature had a heart, did they not? Unfortunately, these creatures did not, which made them even more frightening. Aerith explained what they were, creatures that were attracted to the darkness in people's hearts. And if you let them attack you, they'd take your heart away and become one of them. Elaine brought a hand to her mouth, gasping. These were the creatures that were attacking her world? Where did they even come from? Why were they even here?

Aerith knew that it frightened her though, and told her not to let those creatures attack her. She wouldn't, now that she knew what they were. But for all of those other people that didn't have a choice that were daily attacked, what would they do? How many hearts were already taken? Was anyone safe from this? "Help you keep these people safe you mean to say? she asked.

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[Aerith]

Try to understand.
--------

"That is one aspect of it, but there's something more. Something even more important than keeping them physically safe."

Aerith tried to be mindful of dumping too much information on the girl too quickly. "The darkness isn't going to go away through the use of force. I don't think so, anyway. It's up to people to change their hearts so that darkness does not continue to have such a strong hold on them."

She hoped Elaine would understand what she was asking of her. This went far beyond a request to keep people safe and healthy. People needed much more than their physical wounds mended.

"Negative emotions such as hatred, anger, fear, and greed increase people's susceptibility to the darkness. Unfortunately, these emotions seem to be more natural to humanity. It is far easier to succumb to them and far harder to exhibit more honorable feelings such as courage, hope, compassion, and love. People must be taught to behave from the time they are children. It is no different after they have reached adulthood. If humanity is not taught and continues down this path..."

Everything would crumble around her. And she would be left to watch it all, unable to stop it. That would be a far crueler fate than if Jericho simply destroyed her along with everything else.

No. She refused to let that happen. People could change. She knew they could.

"Do you understand, Elaine? I need to teach them, but I'm just one person. Show the rest of them that they must keep at least one foot in the light if they don't want to end up destroyed."

[Slash]

Did someone say something about destroying?

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The conversation was interrupted by tendrils of darkness rising lazily from the space between Aerith and Elaine. They formed into a doorway, from which Jericho walked slowly out.

His green eyes flashed as he surveyed the surroundings. He could smell the faintest trace of pain and blood, a scent that had but recently gone cold. Along with Aerith, there was some other girl.

She didn't look like much, and he decided to mess with her for the hell of it. Slowly going through the first phase before his Anti-form activated, he changed his appearance by gradual degrees. His hair darkened from brown to near-black as his irises became a bright yellow and a black stigma crept up his neck and a small portion of his face. The Heartless insignia that dangled from a chain on his suit seemed far more appropriate now.

He laughed, revealing teeth more akin to a shark's than a human's. "Sister. You've been busy? It's time to go- we have someone else helping us. She might follow me through, along with the others. Might not."

[Aerith]

Of course. He would show up now.
--------

Aerith knew the moment her senses spiked that she was out of time.

Not now. Please not now.

Her internal pleading was futile. Not only had Jericho arrived on the scene, but he was also changing his appearance. Elaine might have been kind, but Aerith didn't think she possessed a lot of inner fortitude.

"Brother. Your timing, as always, is impeccable." Sarcasm was rare from her, so she had to think about it for a moment to get the tone right.

Nadia also stepped out of the Corridor and took to leaning casually against the alleyway's wall behind and slightly to the right of Elaine. The first thought that went through her head was that this girl had better not also be coming with them. Instead, perhaps they would kill her. Slowly.

[Fate]

This is not quite what I had planned for today...
--

What Aerith was asking was a little more than just helping people. It was about helping keep the darkness away from their hearts, teaching them how to do it, and keeping yourself in the light compared to the darkness. Elaine had to set an example and be courageous, be a person of hope and love and all of these other good qualities. She would have to work on the courageous part since she never did venture much out of her comfort zone, but it was possible, right? Someone had to help keep these people from getting their heart taken.

"I understand," she said, nodding her head. This was a lot to absorb, these things about light and darkness. It was sort of like religion, but sort of not. It was the only thing she could equate it to in her head. One had to help others from falling too deeply into sin by being a good example and teaching them, which seemed to be similar to how this darkness and light worked. Though, darkness seemed to be a lot more dangerous. Sin didn't exactly have the ability to form these sorts of creatures.

But before they could continue this light conversation, two other people showed up. The first one to show, and the first one to speak, caused her to gasp and back away a few steps. He had that same symbol that some of those creatures had. And the way he looked was just... there were not many words in her vocabulary to describe what this man was. But he seemed to know Aerith, as did the other girl that followed him here. And he called her sister for some reason. Were they related? She didn't think Aerith would be related to a man who just seemed so... evil.

Maybe he wasn't all evil though. She shouldn't judge. And she shouldn't be acting so scared. But she shouldn't intrude on their conversation-- that was rude. "Sorry to keep you Aerith. I can leave if you wish. Thank you very much for your help. She did a short bow, as per custom, and then turned to the man. "Nice to meet you sir. And miss." Just because she was scared out of her wits of him didn't mean she couldn't be polite.

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[Oathkeeper Emi]

Siiiiiiiiiigh.
--

Emi stepped out of the Corridor just a few seconds later and stood quietly next to Nadia. She glanced at the older woman from the corner of her eye. And then she turned her attention to Jericho, who (as usual) was being real showy with the darkness. Always theatrics, that man. With the mind control and darkness and Keyblade and what not. Show off.

She recognized Aerith, but not the other young woman standing there with them. Emi wondered momentarily if that girl would be joining them, too, but judging the way Jericho was scaring the crap out of her, it didn't seem likely.

Then again, Jericho had traumatized Emi too. That was probably just because he needed her Keyblade but hated her. He seemed to be pretty friendly with everyone else. Emi sighed.

She didn't remove the cloak yet. Her new friends seemed to be in a hurry so she figured it was about to be right back into the corridor as soon as they had retrieved Aerith. And that was fine with her. This world, that cathedral... as pretty as it was, and even though the incident had turned out to be a positive influence in her life... being here again unsettled her.

Shifting her weight to one leg, she crossed her arms.

[Administrator]

And so he appears, the Paladin of Justice, here to solve the worlds' ills.

This world was rather...uninteresting. People without power, mostly, and the injustices went on behind closed doors, rather than out in the open. There had been a few Heartless he had been able to eradicate, though. And so, Lysander walked through the crowds, a polite smile on his face as always, not pushing, but rather allowing himself to be guided through to where he was going.

...which was someplace else, somewhere he had not decided yet. Lysander looked around, seeing not much around, excepting a cathedral...and the cathedral seemed to be occupied. By someone who positively exuberated darkness. Clenching his gauntleted fist, Lysander moved forward slightly faster. He noticed there was also a woman of the light, and one of lesser light, in addition to a woman of lesser darkness in comparison to the man, and a woman who seemed to be an intermediary force, erring on the side of...well, he couldn't tell. She may have arrived with the man and woman of the dark, but she obviously hated both. Strong emotions were always easy to see.

Taking in as many facts as he could through his vantage point as he approached, he noted many more things. For instance, the woman of lesser light looked as though she was from this world, while the other four were outsiders. In addition, the two outsiders were comfortable around each other, and obviously familiar with each other. The woman who was of this land was not comfortable with the man. The outsider woman she seemed to be perfectly all right with.

How could one of such pure light and one of such pure darkness abide the presence of each other such as this? The only explanation was some form of strong positive emotion, whether it be familial or romantic, or something else entirely, Lysander could not tell. The other individuals, the lesser dark outsider and intermediary outsider, appeared to be waiting for something. Not much else could be seen by their posture, besides the keen look in the lesser dark's eye. She had a hawk-like look, and it was focused at she of lesser light who originated on this world, or so it appeared, by manner and dress.

As he approached, he made certain to position himself so he stood directly to the side of the woman of lesser light. He noticed, obviously, the man's dark transformation, for it had to be a transformation. If you were a Heartless, you either were one or you weren't. There was no in between with them, that he had seen. "It seems I am opportune in arriving here. Good day to you all." The man gave a small bow before continuing. "I am Lysander Gnaritas. What are your names, if you might not my asking?"

A spider, who was in his new favorite locale, Nadia's pocket, made a mental link with the speaking man. "I am Predisrruel." Shifting slightly to become more comfortable, Predis opened a channel with Nadia at that point. "I am not shifting too much as to be uncomfortable for you, correct? I would not want to impose."