[Story] The Sovereign War

The mark upon her shoulder itched insistently, causing Oerba Yun Tia to reach around and scratch at it irritably. It had been a while since Dahaka had made them all L'cie and everyone's Brand had slowly gained more arrows. Tia was the only one so far to have an eye now in the centre of hers and that notion frightened the young woman. At five foot and two inches, Tia was the smallest of the women grouped together on the outskirts of Oerba. Her long, dark blond hair fell to her lower back and her soft brown eyes gazed at the others, concern etched into every inch of her face. What were they going to do?

Harmony, the gentlest of the girls turned to face her with a soft smile ghosting around the corners of her mouth. "What are we going to do?" she asked, voicing the question that had played through Tia's mind just moments before.

Tia said nothing. There wasn't a whole lot she actually could say at that point. She had no answers and neither did any of the others. The Focus given to them by Dahaka was still as foggy as it had been upon that fateful day and not one of them had any clue as to what exactly the vision had meant. A massive gathering of their Tribe at the foot of Taejin's Tower? It sounded simple, but what did it actually mean?

Selene, her dark brown hair and crimson red eyes making her appear decievingly malevolent, moved towards Tia and let out a heavy sigh. "We're still no closer are we?"

Tia shook her head and allowed her eyes to close. It was then that she felt gentle fingers pulling the material of her top aside before brushing lightly over her brand.

"You have less time then we do..." Oerba Sun Viktoria's voice was filled with concern.

"We need to figure this out... and fast," Rhapsody, dark purple hair flicking over her shoulder as she stalked over towards Tia and Viktoria. "We're not having you turn Ci'eth on us."

Jessica sighed, her deep oceanic eyes closing slowly. “She's right. If we don't figure this out soon...”

“We'll work it out!” Selene said adamantly, stamping her foot.

“What do we know?” Viktoria asked, still peering at Tia's brand.

“Nothing more than we knew from day one...” Harmony replied softly.

“No...” Jessica paused for a moment. “We know it involves a gathering at the base of the tower, right?”

“Right.”

“Then... why don't we try getting them to go to the tower?”

Rhapsody peered at the girl for a moment before smiling softly. “Can't hurt can it?”


>Background Music<

The Oerbans gathered around the base of Taejin's Tower were both confused and curious. Why exactly had the leader's daughter requested their presence here? What could possibly be so important and pressing that they had to all arrive as quickly as possible? It seemed no-one knew the answer to these questions, and so they milled around, old and young, waiting anxiously to discover what Tia had to say to them.

Tia took a deep breath before standing upon the steps of the tower and looking over her gathered people. She had never been one for speaking in public, and the fact she herself had no answers to their questions was more than a little daunting for the small woman. However, she had to do something or risk the fate of the Ci'eth.

Sighing softly, she spoke. “People of Oerba. We have gathered you here today, at the base of Taejin's Tower, to reveal to you...”

There was a rumbling as the entire Tower shook, the tremors ripping outwards across the ground, knocking several people off their feet as the Oerban's scrambled in sudden fright. The quake intensified and Tia found herself tumbling down the steps to land spread-eagled at the bottom. A roar echoed in the sky as Dahaka, fal'Cie of Gran Pulse erupted from the tower and turned his eyes upon the gathered Oerbans.

Another roar, bordering on a screech, tore at Tia's hearing and a small child, no more than five, stopped in front of her, shaking in terror. Pulling herself up, Tia grabbed the child to her, shielding her from the giant fal'Cie with her own body. Her eyes rested upon the girl's hand as a light shrouded it. As it lifted, the Pulse brand decorated her hand and Tia cried out in shock.


All around them, the Oerbans exclamations were filled with surprise and horror as one by one, Brands appeared upon them, marking them as accursed l'Cie.

“NO!” Viktoria's voice ripped through the air as she blocked an overhead swipe from a loping beast that seemed almost human in shape and form.

“Ci'eth!” Jessica's voice filled the air as she appeared at Viktoria's back, protecting her from a clumsy jab.

Tia glanced around. As quickly as they had become l'Cie, the Oerbans were turning into hulking beasts straight out of her nightmares. Ci'eth... what a l'Cie becomes should they fail their focus.

“It... can't be...” Harmony collapsed to the ground, hand drooping.

“Our Focus...” Rhapsody gazed around her, agony reflecting in her green eyes.

“This? … Our Focus was THIS!?” Selene shouted her question to the massive fal'Cie circling overhead, venom and pain in every syllable.

The little girl stumbled from Tia's grasp and right before her eyes, morphed into a deformed, pain-riddled Ci'eth. Tears in her ears, Tia looked the once-child straight in the eyes as she slipped one of the circular chakram from her hip. The projectile whistled through the air, stoppng the Ci'eth in it's tracks as it rushed forwards at a charge. As the Ci'eth crumpled and it's last rattling breath faded, Tia fell to her knees, body racked in sobs.

“Selene...” Rhapsody's words caught in her throat, causing the others to all turn their attention upon the dark haired Oerban. The look on Selene's face was calm as she held out a hand to Rhapsody.

Shimmering lights materialized around Rhapsody's form, brushing against her almost familiarly as the Oerban's eyes fixed with Selene's. She lifted her arm and reached out to brush her fingertips lightly against Selene's, a single tear trailing down her pale cheek. The lights clung to her form before slowly covering Rhapsody in a crystal casing.

Selene watched with a gentle smile pulling at the corners of her mouth as Rhapsody turned to crystal within the cocoon, the soft lights spreading up her own arm from where her hand held onto that of the other Oerban.

Harmony's eyes were glazed with tears as she gazed upon the crystal form of her twin. She turned slowly to Serene as the older girl looked to her, acceptance in her dark red eyes. So this was it? They had fulfilled their Focus? Bringing the others here to this dreadful fate was what Dahaka had ordered them to do? Jessica let out a choked sob as Selene turned to crystal, decorations like flames spreading from the foot of her protective coffin.

“I'm sorry...” Tia's words were soft as she turned her head upwards from where she knelt, lights glittering around her. As her tears fell, they formed crystals at her feet that spread up her legs. As the crystallization spread to her face, she closed her eyes, refusing to let them see the raw anguish that played within them.

“I am truly sorry,” she said again as she completely transformed, her focus complete, a halo wrapping around her head almost like a crown to show her title.

Jessica and Harmony looked to Viktoria, whose face was almost emotionless bar the slight twinkle of dampness in her eyes. Taking a hold of each others hands, Harmony and Jessica embraced each other, transforming to crystal together, comforting each other even in eternal sleep.

It seemed, however, that Viktoria had not yet completed her focus as she gazed upon the serene faces of her friends and sisters. They would forever sleep in this place, surrounded by the cries and agonized screams of the suffering Ci'eth. The people they had brought to this place and cursed. Their people.

Was she meant to live amongst them? Or would she soon follow their fate and become nothing more than a sorrow-filled monster?

There was a flicker of something at the very edge of her eyesight, which caused the red-haired l'Cie's head to snap around. A sad smile tipped her lips slightly as the boy, barely a year old than she, stepped towards her and pulled her close in an embrace.

“I co...-”

“Shhhh, Viktoria. Your pain is at an end. You have completed your focus...” he whispered softly. “You can rest.”

“I can't...”

“You can. Sleep, dear one. Protect them in your eternal slumber,” he kissed the crown of her head as he took a step back.

Tears rested in his eyes as the process of crystallization began. He rarely showed such emotion. But there were none left to see his sorrow as he lost the remnants of his people. There would none to bear witness to what he was about to do, either.

He turned to the giant fal'Cie, held out a crystal and crushed it in the palm of his hand. Runes and shapes flared around him as a huge, demonic looking beast swept down from the skies. He leapt upon the beasts back, and together, l'Cie and Eidolon went to their deaths against the fal'Cie, Dahaka.

A single tear slid down Viktoria's cheek as she took up place before her friends. Her legs folded as she sat upon the remains of a broken stair, the process forming around her. Within seconds, Viktoria sat upon her diamond throne, forever lost in eternal rest alongside her former Oerbans.

The Oerbans were no more.