Episode 34: Remember Me...

It was a very windy day in The Goblet and inside Fairytail, the house was calm. Not many of The Legacy members were around except for Shiva practicing an exercise of her own. Shiva had been reading a lot of books in the library trying to better her mind to become one with her element. After the training session with Master Akane, Shiva felt weak and uncontrollable harboring the primal within. With the training of her mind, Shiva was feeling the two souls within her coming together as one. It wasn’t an easy process but, soon she and Saint Shiva would be one entity with the same feelings and emotions; for now, she did what she could to train.


At the bar, Ljrn sat quietly to herself enjoying a large glass of red wine. As Ljrn had her drink, Trunks soon walked in and joined her for a drink of his own. As Trunks sat down next to Ljrn he asked if he could have a conversation with her for a few moments. Trunks as if he could talk to Ljrn about her work and some of the duties she took care of as of late. Trunks mention to Ljrn that he is finding himself backed into a corner. He doesn’t know who he is anymore and what he was fighting for in the first place. Trunks asks Ljrn as time has passed and throughout her journeys; what kept her going? Ljrn explains to Trunks that although her manors are harsh it is because she cares. The world that the group found themselves in was hard and made her job harder to do but, to do otherwise would be wrong to her.


Trunks mentions to Ljrn that one of the hardest things for him right now is knowing that his brother is in danger, and he feels trapped not knowing what to do to move forward. As Ljrn drinks her wine she reminds Trunks that she doesn’t want to babysit an idealistic troupe of reckless fools but, she understands why they act the way they do sometimes. Every so often someone may have a selfish choice at hand but, when it comes to those, they love the heart fights for what it wants. Trunks agrees and tells Ljrn of some of the experiences he and his brother have had over the years which is why he is so eager to save him. Trunks even reminds Ljrn that he fought so hard for Zakuro and Oghul to stay but they had to go as well. These actions would explain his recklessness and eagerness to get up and go which Ljrn reminds him that as hard as it may seem all will be right in time. For now, they had to deal with the chaos that they were given and try their best. Trunks knows that in the losses he has experienced he will get his brother back and he has a fiancé now by his side willing to fight. It would just take moments like this to keep his mind on the right track to victory.



While Trunks and Ljrn had their conversation about life at the bar, there was a commotion coming from the upper portion of Fairytail. The clanging of metal, the pounding of a hammer, and the stream of curses that nobody thought would be possible for someone as innocent-looking as Anthi. Anthi was working on a large project within the crafting room and the harder she worked the more extremities would fly from her mouth. Concerned of what was happening upstairs, Shiva decides to end her exercise and make her way up the stairs. As Shiva opens the door to check on Anthi smoke begins to rise from the table. As Shiva opened the door and the smoke rose higher and a loud explosion could be heard and Anthi flew back into Shiva landing both of them into the hallway.


Shiva carefully caught Anthi in her arms and asked what Anthi was up to in the first place. Anthi groans as she slowly opens her eyes and bends down to pick up the item at her feet. Anthi shows Shiva that she had worked on some modifications to her old rifle and turned it into a gun blade. Fascinated by the piece Shiva carefully observes the metal parts as she has never seen such a unique weapon before. Anthi lets Shiva know that weapons such as this have been around for centuries, even during the time of the Allagans. The weapon was mostly used by those of the Hrothgar culture but, they also need specialized ammunition compared to the other rounds she uses to fight with. Instead, they used cartridges attuned to aether to create various effects. Shiva was stunned by the knowledge that Anthi knew about the devices and listened carefully to her words.


As the two women spoke about the weapon Anthi created, an argument could be heard from the personal chambers. The confrontation was nowhere near violent but, that of a huge disagreement. The discussion was between Jayne and Dorion and it was not something normally The Legacy heard from the two of them. As much as Anthi wanted to talk on about her creation she could see Shiva was slipping into a place of concern just hearing the noise; she too wondered what the commotion was about. The two girls made their way down the steps to meet up with Ljrn and Trunks who sat at the bar also noticing the commotion. Ljrn wanting to keep the peace right now sat with her wine, while Trunks decided that the best course of action was to find out what was going on.

   Shiva and Anthi were closest to the hallway unsure if they should go check on Jayne and Dorion in his personal chamber. Trunks was ready to head down the hall himself when he saw the door swing open and Jayne made her way to meet with the rest of The Legacy. Worried that she had hit Trunks with the door Jayne asked if Trunks was okay. Trunks reassured Jayne that he was fine but, he was majorly concerned about what was heard from outside in the main hall. Trunks suggested that he knew that they had their differences in choices but, he felt that he could be the mediator and that they should go upstairs and talk about what was going on.


Shiva expressed to Jayne that even from the crafting room she and Anthi could hear the commotion and the boom in Dorion’s voice caused major concerns for her. Shiva unsure of what was happening between Jayne and Dorion questioned if Dorion was getting out of hand or close to violence which Jayne shut down immediately. Dorion would never raise his hand against a woman in a disagreement and she admitted that the conversation between the two of them were merely just choices the other wasn’t willing to accept. Just as Jayne was to dive further into the conversation Ljrn received a ring on her linkpearl.

   The voice on the other side was shouting if anyone could hear them which Ljrn replied with a dry response that she was deaf. The voice on the other side asked how she could hear in the first place which prompted another voice to take over the linkpearl. Suddenly, Ljrn heard the voice of Leric and he sounded desperate. Leric explained to Ljrn that he was tracking some beast tribe members but, discovered that The Legacy had a huge problem in Little Ala Mhigo. A demon has appeared and it's stronger than he could handle on his own. He had Zena helping where she could but, he needed the help of the others. He explained that Death had been here trying to capture the hidden Eorzeans in this area and they were able to fight the demon off for a short period of time but, it was stronger than expected.


Ljrn listens carefully and reassures that The Legacy will leave shortly to meet with him. Jayne listens to what Ljrn has to say and with sad eyes, she knows that her conversation with the group will have to wait for now. Jayne excuses herself from the room so that she can get Dorion to join them knowing that Zena and Leric are already out on the field. As Jayne leaves the room Trunks too also feels unsure about the situation being that the last demon, they fought was a possessed spirit of his own father. With Trunks being reluctant to do anything, Anthi decided to give Trunks a piece of her mind. Anthi reminds Trunks that as a member of the Maelstrom that he should get his act into gear and get going. Anthi’s military-like words calm Trunks and revitalizes him to get going and ready to fight.
   
Once The Legacy got outside Dorion was already preparing Azul’s carriage for the journey awaiting everyone to climb aboard. Trunks helps the women onto the carriage and gets on the ride himself this time leaving his motorcycle behind. The ride was silent for the most part just brief conversations between Shiva and Trunks and him thanking Anthi once again for telling him the things he needed to hear. While they spoke among each other Dorion sat in the front seat smoking a cigarette and holding on tightly to Azul’s reigns. Trunks finally turned around to ask him if he was alright to which Dorion shot the answer down quickly.


Dorion didn’t mean to be silent to his friends, he just didn’t know how to separate his thoughts for the moment on the topic he and Jayne discussed. He knew her heart was in the right place; it was just not something he was ready to hear just yet. Dorion knew that his silence was probably bothersome, so he decided to finally speak up. Dorion asked what the call was about to which Ljrn let him know of the demon in Little Ala Mhigo. Dorion was surprised to hear another one popped up but, he understood Lady Death was desperate to collect souls which is why she was summoning so many odd creatures. Shiva agreed and reminded it, everyone, that it would be a matter of time before they ran into another one of Death’s traps so they should be on alert.


The group arrived a modest distance away from Little Ala Mhigo and Dorion carefully hid Azul so that they could return later. Before heading into the situation, they were in Trunks pulled Dorion aside in front of everyone and asked once more what happened back at Fairytail between Jayne and him. At first, Dorion wanted to avoid the topic all together but, the group all gave their opinion on the matter and felt that he needed to get it off of his chest. Dorion explained that Jayne’s aether was returning through Yue’s treatments and she wanted to return to the battlefield as soon as possible. Dorion wasn’t always right on certain matters but, the group did agree that it was way too soon for her to be on the field again. Shiva suggested that maybe when they could train with her again and see if she was really ready. Dorion agreed with their statements but right now their focus was ahead of them. A plume of smoke filled the air letting The Legacy know they needed to stop that demon and help Leric fast.


As the group runs into Southern Thanalan they finally come across a demon and Leric fighting it off. Leric shouted to them that he needed to go and help Zena because she was trying to protect the locals and that the demon was far stronger than he expected. Trunks and Anthi jumped in quickly to distract the demon giving Leric an escape route to help Zena. Dorion shouted to Leric for him to stay with the locals for added protection and that The Legacy would take care of this creature for now. As Leric tried to get away the demon tried to strike him which led Anthi to jump into battle. Anthi slipped the gun blade from her back and channeled her aether into it, making it suddenly burst into a white fire. As Anthi’s attack strikes the creature unlike burnish flesh the creature has a musky smell.
 
With Anthi’s attack in play, Dorion flew up to the creature and as he got closer to the demon the scent that Anthi had noticed came from the demon; the scent confused Dorion almost messing with his balance and vision. This left Dorion exposed and gave the demon the advantage of using its chain on its arm to strike Dorion down. Seeing Dorion in danger Trunks takes a moment and feels the aether within him beginning to return. Trunks could see his own breath in front of his face as if it was freezing in front of him. He turns to Shiva asks for her assistance with an attack as he used the air element in front of him. Shiva nods and captures the air creating a glacier-like ball above Trunks.


Upon seeing this massive block of ice Trunks embraced Shiva and pressed his lips to hers. As he pulled back, he stared into her eyes and turned to the monstrous demon. Mimicking the Saint Within Shiva he used her magick to create an ice storm attacking the demon brutally. The demon snarled back swaying from Trunks deep cuts...as Trunks sliced the demon the sounds of children laughing filled the air at first gentle than demonic...it would seem that with every blow the nature of the creature would be revealed. Following Trunks' move, Shiva slowly had her hand slide down the side of Trunks' waist and as she walked behind him the air grows cold. This time...Shiva's eyes went white her hair cascading down her shoulders revealing the Saint and Shiva as one entity. Shiva focused on the creature with one swift move Shiva snapped her finger and flew into the air...she pinned down one of the legs of the demon and a loud howl fills the air. As the demon took another hard hit, the air echoed with unusual sounds, this time the sound of classical music fills the mind of The Legacy.

   Anthi stared at the demon for a moment and began to think; she assessed the situation for a moment and instead of charging in at the moment, she instead aimed her blade at the creature and fired three times after spinning the chamber. At that moment three shots of light spread out and broke apart to cover the group in a shield. Dorion tried to move forward to strike the demon, but the scent of the demon began to make him choke. The feeling was unusual, and he couldn’t understand how he was becoming so overcome by this creature.


Seeing Dorion out of place, Trunks ripped out the drill cannon and took aim at the head of the creature. Trunks fired the cannon and as it's made contact just under the glint an item comes springing out and Trunks leaps up into the air to catch the flying item. As Trunks holds the small white auracite in his hand; it was shaped oddly almost as if it was veins wrapped around what looked like a black crystal ball. As Trunks held the items a voice enters his mind telling him to not be alarmed and that his brother is protected. For a moment he is confused but, stays focused on the battle ahead. The energy continued to surge through Shiva as she and the Saint were becoming one. The air around the party grew extremely cold and Shiva walked forward towards the demon with her head held high. With her left hand, she tossed her weapon over and stabbed the other leg of the demon leaving a high pitch sound into the air. As Shiva turned away to go back near the party her normal calm expression was cold and almost excited for power.

   Upon Shiva walking back Anthi took this moment to run towards the creature and prime the next cartridge. Once she got in range she spun around and pulled the trigger to create a line of explosions all around her. As Anthi moved around, Dorion finally shook the scent clouding his judgment. He finally broke free and brought his staff into the air. Allowing the dark clouds above him to crack down a lightning strike on the demon. As his magick strikes, he feels his vision begin to blur again; he looked to Shiva and the others for help. He let them know he had no idea what was happening. Seeing Dorion in danger, Shiva tried to attack the monster again but, this time the creature wrapped its chain around her waist, and with its other chain it whipped her in the back. Shiva cried out in pain as she tried to break the chain off of herself.


Shiva was in danger because of Dorion so with what vision he had Dorion channeled his magick to carefully break the chain around Shiva. As he focused the magick he could Dorion began to hear a lullaby that almost sounded familiar to him. He figured the demon was trying to enchant him and so he rushed forward shocking the demon in the open wound Trunks created earlier. Blood pours from inside the demon however, the chains not breaking free from Shiva. Shiva feels the chains tighten around her and with her magick she used the ice within her to break free as the chains breaks shards of ice fly into the demon.

  Anthi quickly presses a switch on the gunblade and watched as the now empty cartridges fall to the ground. She quickly slammed a quick-loader to the metal and snapped it shut. This time around she fires once at the creature. The demon lunged towards Anthi after a series of shots. Dorion sensing the danger rushes over to protect Anthi and a chain from the demon swung and slammed into Dorion’s neck and temple; Dorion became unconscious. Upon seeing the lifeless body of Dorion slumped over on the ground Trunks opened his arms wide and high into the air. His fury grows unrelentingly unstable as he surrounds himself in a vortex of the wind allowing himself to be cut all over, his blood doesn't flow, but seems to burst out of his wounds infusing with the vortex which seems to launch back into the clouds high above out of sight. As Trunks remains standing, he slams his fists into the grounds and now a tornado of blood jets down from the skies surrounding and tearing limbs from the demon and begins to gut it from back to the neck.

Shiva looks to see Dorion down and moves him over for safety. As Shiva shields, Dorion of the flying limbs and chains shiva uses her own staff and strikes the demon with a ring of ice. Anthi sees Shiva’s protection of Dorion as a chance to do what she does best. She analyzes the situation and looks at the bag on her waist.  Anthi puts away her gunblade and reaches into her back pocket and pulls out a  metal box that had a  keypad that she pushed a few buttons on. At once the box begins to beep and what can only be a timer appears on the front. She loses up her shoulder, takes a few steps forward, and chucks the box at the creature. As Anthi walks back towards the group as an explosion expands the creature to near bursting from the inside out. She slowly just looks at it as she flicks a few ashes off and tilts her head.
 
The demon was defeated leaving the group to return to check on Leric and Zena who were with the locals of Little Ala Mhigo. Leric and Zena managed to keep everyone safe and treat the injuries of those who were hurt by the demon. As they made their way into one of the caves, Dorion began to come to once more and tried to access what happened when he went unconscious. Dorion explained how the scent was familiar to him and it seemed to put his mind into a trance. As Dorion discussed what he was feeling, Trunks mentioned that he kept hearing a female’s voice call out to him and let him know that his brother was okay once he grabbed the item that fell from the demon.
   
Leric looks at the item that Trunks is holding and notices that it begins to glow an odd hue. The two men take the item to the side to examine it when a light shines out from the item. A tall woman in a large white dress appears before them leaving Leric to gasp right away. Unsure of who the woman was Trunks notices that Leric turns fast to Zena and Dorion.


The minute Dorion sees the woman he drops to his knees, his body trembling while Zena bursts into tears. The rest of The Legacy seems confused by their actions but, Leric lets the group know that the woman before them is their mother, Queen Estelle Castellano. Estelle tells The Legacy she is grateful that they set her spirit free from the hold that Death had on her. Estelle explained that Death used her spirit to power some creatures in this realm and she had been trapped in Eorzea for some time. Although her spirit didn’t have much time left in this world, Trunks suggested to the group that they give Dorion and Zena some space to talk to their mother.

   The group stood over by the fire in silence unsure of what to say or do. Shiva noticed that Leric stayed close to the Castellano siblings but, did not interfere with the conversation. After some time had passed Dorion walked over and explained that his mother let him in on some information about Death and it was a matter of time before more primals sprung up. As much as he wanted to go onto the next fight, Ljrn stepped in saying that she wanted to examine everyone and see what was really going on with each member of The Legacy. Ljrn expressed that they have been on the go for so long and their bodies were beginning to break down or have some sort of new change. As Dorion listens to Ljrn he agrees before they do anything else the entire group that resides in Fairytail would go under deep treatment from the doctor and let her do a full evaluation before they head onto their next time. For now, The Legacy would return to Fairytail once more.