songerein | closed ⚡🌠 burn it down one more time

[It was a bit of a gamble, but he also needed to say it to break his own mind from the darker, heavier thoughts, to give them that breath of air they needed to continue through this. So he doesn't answer except for a soft, quiet hum as he briefly closes his eyes and nudges her a head a little, taking in her scent and warmth.

Then with a breath, he straightens and looks back at the kirin in front of them before glancing back at the other still waiting. By now he can definitely see the shadows of others, and whether or not they can understand...]

We'll create the opening, but we need the rest of you to use your powers on him.

[There's silence, and for a moment he feels a little awkward as perhaps they really didn't understand, but then there's the pawing of hooves as an older kirin emerges from the shadows to stand by the foals, the mother now stepping forward with a nod of its head. Several more appear, a small ring around them. Seeing them, he can only hope they make this, so he looks back at Tifa.]

On three, we channel our dreamotion into the necklaces and break them to pour it over him.

[She waits patiently and silently while Eustace addresses the others, her own eyes settled on the black kirin. It tries to fight, albeit weakly, when it feels the dreamotion swirl around the two of them, the starflowers beginning to bloom, and with its broken voice, it cries out... though it doesn't sound angry anymore.

Instead, it sounds terrified, and Tifa can see that fear and the guilt flicker in its red eyes when it sees that it isn't just the three others there, but a whole herd of them. A whole herd to see it like this, but... who might be able to save it.

It's only when Eustace speaks to her again that she's able to pull her attention back, his words making her heart sink.]

...Break them...?

[The one and only time they had been broken was that day...

But this is what she wanted, and she can't even say she's totally sure if this will work or not, but it had been the way she helped Eustace, so it makes sense that this is the next logical step for this, too.

Still, she lingers on the glow shimmering from between their hands...]

Okay.

[They can get them put back together again, right? This won't all be for nothing, right?

Slowly, she begins their count.]

One... two...

[As soon as he finishes for them, Tifa will let all of her dreamotion flow into her hand wrapped firmly around his.

For her, her thumb fidgets with her ring as she recalls their wedding day. How he looked at the end of the aisle as she walked. How soft his eyes were as they danced their first dance as husband and wife. And how his eyes shimmered with stars during the finale, Flamek lighting up the sky with lights.

Her heart filling with hope, that warmth that enveloped them grows, unfurling in a wave that ripples outward from her fingertips. Eustace will feel the glass charms grow hot, but not too hot that it will burn his skin. It's comfortable, like being wrapped in a blanket, or in her...

And those starflowers at their feet slowly begin to bloom and spread, a blanket of blue gradually making its way to the ice...]

[Although he feels a little guilty at her voice, knowing what she's thinking, he remains firm in his decision. He has no idea what other way to get the liquid out from the charms, and this creature will need more than just the "feelings." It will need the substance, the product of their love, hopes, and dreams.

...And he caused this. He is the reason. So it's only right to sacrifice something so precious to make it right. He'll just make sure that they fix it and build it even stronger than before.

As he feels her warmth, he can only smile softly as he looks down at the kirin first staring at them and then at that small little family waiting for it, crying for it. The longing, remorse, despair. He can see it so clearly in its eyes. With that empathy, he shares his own memories and faith as he pours it all out. Of the time when he had been in his deepest, darkest moments, but how that beautiful, dazzling warm light had reached out to him, never giving him up. How that light pulled him into her warm embrace and thawed all that despair, anger, and hatred away. Helped rebuild him anew. And how he now has that precious person with him, bound by not the rings they wear, but the one in that had been forged in their hearts.

The light glows brighter around them, the heat surging, and while it doesn't burn it does make him grit his teeth before he clenches his fist, pouring out everything through his fingertips. The small cracks of the glass can be heart before it all shatters in his hand and pours out onto the kirin now bathed in that light. The liquid, now a golden white color, trickles down at first before it seems to stream down its cheek and neck, into its open mouth. Cracks form along its hide, the light starting to pour out from it, and soon there is a loud crack as the ice that had been used to bind it breaks.

Not wanting to take any risk, Eustace hastily straightens and pulls Tifa back as they've done their part. Now the kirin's mate steps forward as the fallen one begins to thrash around. Fearlessly it lowers its head and the hearts meet the broken ones...

And a blinding flash of light engulfs them, Eustace holding Tifa close to him as if to try and shield her.]

[The small sound of the glass breaking makes her whole body stiffen, her eyes screwing tighter as she tries to focus on the why's of what they're doing, and that they could just have them fixed... that their glass charms are repairable, but what this kirin has, and what this family needs is not. Tifa would have sacrificed anything to save Eustace, and she doesn't want these creatures to suffer the same loss that they are so clearly affected by.

She opens her eyes at the kirin's shrieks and lashes, so scared and confused, and for a moment, she wonders if they failed, but seeing the light, and the way it shines through the black armour chases that pang of doubt away. And, feeling Eustace pull on her, she lets herself stumble back to him, holding onto him for safety and comfort as they wait with bated breath...

It's a scene that's all too familiar to her. The way that its mate lowers its head, the sounds it makes sad and confused while the other still battles with both sides of itself, but she is fearless and determined, and when the light surrounds them, she thinks... no, she knows that they've done the right thing.

Tifa shields herself against Eustace, holding him tight as well as the light grows too blinding to look at...

...

But when it finally fades, they're greeted with a rare and beautiful sight. One that she thinks they would have never seen otherwise... A sight so beautiful that she feels those tears forming again.

With the ice gone, they can see it in full. Brilliant gold, soft fur that has the same pearlescent shine, white horns that could pierce the skies, and equally sharp blue eyes that open to look at them before it's nuzzling the green one again. Around them, a small bed of starflowers covers up the black dirt, although... they are noticeably smaller than the ones that Tifa is used to seeing, and they tremble still as black wisps of smoke still linger.

Under a careful glance, Tifa can see that even under the gold and white, there are still remnants of the nightmares, just like there had been with Eustace. Black veins, although faint, cling to its white body, and there are fresh burns and bruises as well from where they had hit it. But there's only so much that they can do...

Tifa turns to look at Eustace with a hopeful smile.]

... She'll have to do the rest.

[There is relief upon the sight. While he had been confident, he had also kept some wary expectations that it might fail and they would need to do more. So his arm tightens around her waist as he holds her close, glad that they managed.]

...Not just her.

[He nods towards the rest of the herd that's gathered around them and slowly approaching.]

But hopefully...it'll be enough.

[His eyes then cast towards the lake, the waters still murky and ominous, and frowns. He had hoped the energy they used could have spread towards the once small oasis... But perhaps it all needed to go to the kirin instead.]

The next problem will be that. We'll have to figure out a way to purify it unless the kirins can... However, perhaps it's the reason why this one changed to begin with.

Edited 2023-03-28 21:12 (UTC)

[Her own arms wrap around him as she watches the smaller kirins leap in to join what she can only assume are their mother and father, judging by what she sees. They leap about, one of them running circles around while the other chirps and rubs its head against them, and although the white one appears hesitant at first, it eventually returns the favour.

But her attention follows his to the lake, its rippling waters still foggy, and the dirt around it still desolate and dry. She hoped that what they had would be enough as well, and though she didn't want to set the bar too high, she thought that they would at least see some flowers flourishing there, but the ones that did make it that far, their petals have already withered and dried up.]

You think...? I thought it was the other way around...

[The kirin transforming it into what it is now, but what he says makes sense...]

We could try and help with our own dreamotion...? Not sure how useful it would be, though.

[As her mind briefly wanders to the broken pieces of those glass charms...]

[He also thought it was the other way, but... Well, there's really no way of knowing. But he just shakes his head.]

I was in there.... It won't be enough.

[Even the other kirins are wary and keeping their distance from it for now, and they have a whole herd of numbers that could technically strengthen them. Then again, they have their own member to worry about, one that seems older approaching the still fallen kirin and seeming to cast its own magic on it.]

For now we can only try to put a warning to leave this area alone, maybe seal it somehow....

["I-I can help!" The small voice of the wisp can be heard near them a sit floats over.

"I can sort of... Understand what they're saying maybe because I'm kind of dead and like this. I can... Try to talk to them? After all the help you did and... Seeing what happened... I want to return the favor and help somehow.

And when I return to normal, I can help keep watch!"]

[The voice of the wisp startles Tifa again—she isn't forgetting that it's there, but there's something about disembodied voices that even now, after all the time she's spent with it, sends a dreadful shiver up her spine, and she stiffens, pressing up closer to Eustace as if to use him for protection while she listens...]

You can understand them?

[She peeks out from behind his arm.]

We... we can come back and check up on things, too... when we have time?

["Sort of... Not words, but their emotions?"

The wisp hums in thought as Eustace looks at it, noting its color and atmosphere seems a lot better compared to before, before noticing how close Tifa is up against him.

...

He shouldn't be thinking how cute she is, even if it's just a brief thought.]

Perhaps it's because of your current state... If we are truly made of dreamotion energy, you are likely in its purest form.

["Oooh, maybe!"]

But we can return as well to check, assuming they don't move elsewhere.

[Purest dreamotion energy form...

She's going to try and think of it that way, but it doesn't make it any less strange or disconcerting to be talking to a little ball of light...

Still... She feels she owes it a little more than her fearful peeks.]

Thank you... for coming to find someone to help. I—

["Ah! Oh gosh...!"

The wisp flits away a "pace", and Tifa hears the sound of heavy footsteps coming up behind them. When she turns her gaze back, the large kirin has approached them, and is staring down at Eustace through her green eyes, like she's trying to convey something to him...

"I think... she wants you to come closer...?"]

[He stiffens for a moment at the sight of the kirin, guilt rippling through. After all, were it not for him, this wouldn't have happened...

But rather than shrink away, he hardens himself and steps forward, silently waiting.]

[Tifa remains cautious, but... there's something in the kirin's eyes that tells her that they have no reason to be afraid. It seems to sense the tension still plaguing Eustace, so it looks to Tifa with the same look, and she obliges, stepping up carefully behind him.

There's a moment of utter, intense silence between the three of them as they exchange stares, the only sound the small kirin's curious chirps and the rippling of the lake, and Tifa can feel the other kirin's sharp gaze on them...

She isn't sure what to think or what to do until—]

Oh—!

[The female takes another step forward and lowers her head and nudges it gently against the top of Eustace's head. Or... as gently as a massive kirin can manage.]

—!?

[Honestly, he wasn't sure what to expect. If this kirin held a grudge against him, it would have been fine. He would have accepted whatever it wanted to do. But when it nudges his head instead....

It's not rough or hard at all, but he still feels as if the air is knocked out of him. In that one simple gesture, he understood.

Forgiveness. Reassurance. Comfort. Understanding. Gratitude.

It's a little overwhelming, and as he stands there, he can only stare before he raises a tentative hand to rest it lightly against the kirin's soft muzzle, the breath warm and almost feels as if he's being healed. He can also hear some troubled snorts and restless pawing from another, so with a slight wry grin he lifts his hand.]

...I wish you all the best.

[And he silently vows to figure out what happened and to clear this place of all traces of that nightmare for good.]

Edited 2023-03-29 03:37 (UTC)

[There's a soft chirp from the kirin, and she allows him to touch her, and even nudges her muzzle into his hand a little, not quite realizing her strength still. She turns to Tifa next, and while she doesn't do the same, she does stare down at her and greets her with a soft noise...

As if she understands and is seeking something from her. It's a strange feeling, meeting those brilliant emerald eyes, and feeling like she knows what it might be implying. Is it the kirin's magic at work here, or something more than that? Something that runs deeper than any magic could reach?]

It'll be okay. I promise.

[She offers it with a nod, and that seems to satisfy the kirin, because she gently pads her feet on the ground and chirps at her.

At least that much, Tifa can be sure of. If there's anything that she's learned in this world, it's that no matter how bad the nightmares are, there is only one thing that can overcome them, and as she watches the family of kirins interact—not just the mate and the children, but all the others that start to wander in—she's sure that they have a great capacity for it, too.

With that in mind, Tifa's hand searches and finds Eustace's again to take, a light wince leaving her now that she can feel the ache in her knuckles returning.

The kirin must have spotted it because it looks between the two of them before it closes its eyes, and its long tail curls around so that it can touch where their hands are joined. The sensation startles Tifa through her glove when she feels something suddenly flowing within her from her fingertips, and Eustace will, too.

A comforting warmth, not unlike the magic that comes from her materia, but it's more potent, and within seconds, she can feel the aches leaving her body, and the wound on her shoulder starting to heal, leaving almost no trace of it behind...

Flexing her other hand in surprise, Tifa gazes up at the creature.]

... Thank you.

Edited 2023-03-29 20:45 (UTC)

[Eustace is also surprised by the sudden action, and he feels his own wounds and his general spirit and dreamotion become lighter, as if some of that nightmare that had been released was once again pushed back.

But the kirin doesn't end there. She then tips her horn to where the chains and fragments of their necklaces still remain in Eustace's hand, and there's a brilliant white light, enough to momentarily blind them. When it clears, Eustace blinks a few moments... Before realizing he feels a weight where there wasn't before.

Opening his hand, he stares wide-eyed at the repaired pendants now resting in his palm. They're empty, but look as if they were never damaged.]

...This...

[Tifa is equally bewildered when Eustace reveals the little glass charms, no longer broken but now whole. Even the wisp gasps.]

They're fixed...!

[Her voice is almost breathless with wonder. She expected them to have to go back to the jeweler to have them restored, but this... these kirins truly are beautiful, magical creatures. It really is a shame that one of them had to turn, but she's confident that they'll pull through.

With that, the kirin looks between the two of them again before turning around to join the others, a few more of them now moving in.

As for the other thing that's been lingering on Tifa's mind...]

And you? [Her attention moves to Eustace.] How are you feeling...?

[He stares after the kirins for a moment before her question prompts him to look back at the necklaces. He then slowly takes hers to start putting it back around her neck before he finally answers.]

...Been better.

[Just a quiet admittance as he hooks the clasp around her neck before his fingertips trail down the chain to lightly touch the empty star, his mind cycling through everything that just transpired.]

...But I'll get better, too.

[She tucks her hair back when she senses what he's doing, and there's a brief moment of silence as she watches his expression carefully, noticing the subtle changes as his fingers run over the chain.

There it is again, that pang of guilt. That little seed of doubt.

But she ignores it and slowly, she slides her glove from her hand so that she can finally reach up and press the warmth of her palm against his cheek. Tifa rises up on her tiptoes, but that's as far as she gets before she hesitates, and with a small, unsure noise, she drops back down to the balls of her feet as her other hand clasps around her pendant.]

Yeah. I know. We got this, yeah...? We always do.

[He had leaned into her palm, eyes half closing both to momentarily allow himself that bit of respite as well in preparation for the expected kiss...

...But when it doesn't come, his eyes open in some surprise...and then to stare down at her. He wants to ask her what's wrong, why she seems to be pulling back... But before he can answer or ask, the wisp comes up to them all abuzz.

"Aahh... I can't thank you two enough!" it hums, the once dark gray wisp now a brighter white. "Truthfully I wasn't sure if you two were gonna make it, but boy am I glad to be wrong, haha!!" It even bounces a bit in mid-air before it moves to between them. "But you two look pretty beat. Better get back home, yeah?"

Eustace gazes at the wisp before sighing a little and looking past it to Tifa. There are questions in his eyes...but.]

...Yeah. Let's go home.

[She can see the question in his eyes when they look at each other, and her lip twitches slightly with a somewhat reassuring smile... but maybe it's for the best that he didn't ask now because the wisp swoops in and flies about with little to no regard for the way the silence seems to hang between them.

So, she pulls back immediately with a sigh, her fingers curling into fists as she drops her hands to her sides. She turns sharp on her heel and stalks away back in the direction they came, away from the lake, leaving Eustace and the wisp behind.

"What's up with her? Tired, I bet...?"

Hearing it, Tifa pauses but doesn't turn back.]

Yeah. Tired. [A pause.] If you find anything, let us know, okay? You'll probably find us at the same place. And come visit when you're back to your old self.

[With that, she keeps walking.]

[The wisp mutters in confusion and turns to Eustace—only to find that he had already disappeared to follow after Tifa. There are some shouts and exclamations, but it just huffs to go back to the kirins to see what it can do since there was no safer place than with them.

Meanwhile...

Eustace lets Tifa walk ahead until they're back in the trees and only then does he reach out and grab her hand, stopping her.]

Tifa.

[It's just her name, a quiet calm, but his voice and his grip carries the unsaid question of what's on her mind.]

[With the wisp and the kirins taken care of, she doesn't look back. Not even when she hears Eustace's long strides coming after her. If anything, it makes her pick up her pace until she feels him grab hold of her hand, and the sound of her name makes her heart flip.

It is enough to make her stop, but she doesn't turn to face him. She remains still, except for the small shake of her head.

Now that they're in the security of the trees without the eyes and ears of the kirins and the wisp...

There's a long stretch of silence before she finally breaks it with another sigh.]

... Did I just condemn you?

[...What?]

What are you talking about?

[Condemn...?]

[There's another stretch where she says nothing, the only sound her steady breaths.

Her own fingers curl around his hand, silently seeking out his reassurance, testing the waters again as that small voice in the back of her head whispers to her.]

... Guilt.

[It's all she says at first, so quietly that perhaps she hasn't even said it at all.]

About wanting to save the kirin.

[Biting her lip, Tifa turns to look at him. She doesn't wear anger or sadness, but uncertainty.]

The way you looked at it...

[His eyes widen upon hearing her words before he's closing whatever distance between them, his fingers gripping hers tightly as the other raises to her arm.]

No, that wasn't it. Rather...

[He would have felt the guilt regardless, whether she agreed with his methods or not. So he just shakes his head.]

The guilt I felt was already there. We just had a difference in opinion, but neither were wrong choices.

closed ⚡🌠 burn it down one more time

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