There's always a lighthouse

[wheremst]

And just like that, you wake up in the basement of a lighthouse in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. There's a circle of 25 pods in the middle of the room, and two more in a room off to the side, and you can imagine who is in which.

An elevator to the side of the room leads up to the ground floor (or to the first sub-basement, if you want to check out the machine that brought you here), where you can for the first time in weeks look out a window and see the sky. Its a beautiful sunny day, with a strong breeze on the grassy ground of the island where the lighthouse stands. Have you ever been this happy to hear seagulls?

You're free. Whatever comes next, you're free and you won. Take some time to relish your victory, won't you? Reunite with friends you thought you had lost, go forth and just... well, enjoy this.

Comments

[archboxer]

The heat I do not mind. It is quite nice.

[She is, after all, a lizard.]

...Otherwise, frankly, I do not know. I feel twice my age.

[emberserker]

I suppose in a second life, one would, wouldn't one?

[She opens her hand and looks at the shards of her earring.]

I do hope you've got an idea of where you're going from here out.

[archboxer]

I suppose. I am not old for my kind but...

[She eyes the earring. Ah... they both are in the same situation.]

Retiring, at least for the time being. Maybe that will be enough to sate Edelgard.

[emberserker]

I should hope so, if she wants you gone that badly. If your world's headed to disaster, there should be some way to iron it out.

[archboxer]

If she hates me personally that should help things along. I know there are policies that need changing as well and a new Archbishop could help that along.

[She just. Sighs.]

After that... I do not know.

[emberserker]

That makes the both of us. I know I wanted to win more than anything, destiny or not. I still do, but the entire thing was rigged, and... well. If I went back, I wouldn't be able to stop myself.

[When she told Rhea she was just as much a puppet as Angel...]

Which I hate, don't get me started. I still despise that girl for taking everything away. But at this point, she can have it.

[archboxer]

In the end we both killed for the same thing, Anna.

[What is a saint if there's no church (or cult)?]

If I cannot revive my mother then there is no reason for me to go back. Yet...

[emberserker]

...I'm not going to be the one who tells you you have all these other people who care about you and all these other things you could do. I know that when you only want one thing for so long, none of that matters anymore.

["You shouldn't be disappointed by the world that you see."

But she is. Is that so wrong?]

But if you have something, then go for it. You did seem happy sometimes.

[archboxer]

[She'd been going on that one thing for longer than Anna has. For longer than most people who were in the experiment were even alive. Yet.]

I suppose I was happy at times but it has been a long time since I was free of being the archbishop, of being Seiros, that I could not tell you exactly what it was.

[...]

That, perhaps, is a bit of a lie. I... do like trying to help people. [... She means being a mom. She likes mom-ing people.]

[emberserker]

Perhaps that's what she meant. Some people do feel more free like that. At least you weren't trying to go about saying everyone ought to. ...It is good, though. That you've got something.

[archboxer]

Perhaps. ...I do feel responsible for what happened to you. If I had only thought for a moment more.

[emberserker]

[She's about to say something, but pauses and shakes her head.]

Hmph. It isn't as if I didn't do the same to you. You said it yourself.

[archboxer]

I would like to say I do not give my blood easily, for what it is worth.

[...]

[emberserker]

And here I thought you were judging me for accepting your terms. ...Very well. I suppose it's fair.

[archboxer]

Anna, my kind were killed over their blood and flesh. I might have wondered about your motives but that I offered it at all speaks greatly of my thoughts towards you.

[emberserker]

I suppose I'm just surprised. But I am flattered, I'll give you that. I'd thought for sure it would help break the seal on our abilities.

[archboxer]

Yes... I saw that. [If she weren't trying to fight Kirei to get off her back on her being the second killer she would have responded to that... whole debacle.]

If we were not in a simulation it might have worked.

[emberserker]

Probably. Not with my old magic stone. [She indicates the earring in her hand with its shattered teardrop gem.] But the one I have now, it's much stronger. Mother always said it was far more than I could handle, but I believe I'm more than qualified.

[...crying blood or not.]

[archboxer]

You seemed quite capable but I believe... well. You may need a teacher.

[Please, don't cry blood again.]

[emberserker]

["I'm fine" is her first reaction, but for once, she bites it back. Stares for a bit.]

Do you think?

[archboxer]

I do, actually. Your magic may be different than mine but I do believe that it should be possible.

[emberserker]

...Well, far be it from me to decline you. You know a great deal, after all.

[archboxer]

The basics should at least similar between our methods. Can you sense your magic now?

[emberserker]

Let me see.

[She closes her fist on the broken earring again, even if it's powerless now -- she's got another stone, everyone knows that now. Anna focuses.]

It feels like there's something here. Enough to let people use whatever it is they've got. I couldn't summon my ARMANOX or anything like that, it's not some concentrated hotbed of magic, but there's something. Do you feel that?

[archboxer]

[She closes her eyes. Yes... it's there.]

Not a strong base to work off but enough just enough to feel like myself. I could feel my own natural abilities being restored. Your ARMANOX may be tied to your world.

[Rhea's curious, though, and focuses her mind as she opens her eyes. What looks like a very elaborate magic circle appears in front of her as an orb of fire flings out and... sizzles in the ocean.]