"Don't waste your breath, Cid," Omega said in a calm tone. Raising a hand over the water, he shined a light down into the depths. The reflecting light projected rapidly changing images of a world scarred by war, two hazy beings fighting it out ending with the clearly feminine being disappearing into the skies, ending with the creation of the Pulse, Etro, and Lindzei. "We know the tale. Don't we, Bismarck?" When the light faded, he returned his arm back to his side. "The memories of Buniberzei, or whatever his name was, about that time were passed down to Pulse, Lindzei, and Etro when he created them which were then passed down to us upon our creation, in case you're wondering about that. Now if you're going to tell me something I don't know, get to it." Shinryu dropped to his knees, using his lance as support. His body began to shake violently. His breathing grew fast and was coughing up more blood. The adrenaline rush from his rage burned off and the pain from the attack before returned sharply, causing him to grab his chest. The Tonberry that hit him with Voodoo earlier was definitely not a Junior like these, but one of genuine article. He looked up at Grey weakly and nodded in agreement before darting his eyes at his surroundings to see any sign of the King.
I do not trust Albert Wesker as my bodyguard.
Shinryu regained consciousness for a bit. Though his chest was still in pain, he got up on his feet. An burning rage soon came over him, one of the few remains of his dragon self. To him in this state, it didn't matter if you were friend or foe. Everything needed to die. After sweeping any nearby Tonberries off the canyon with a Blitz, Shinryu jumped high in the air towards Lightning and Odin to skewer another Tonberry near them. He coughed out a little blood after he landed, a sign that his body was starting to give out again, but that didn't stop him from continuing the fight. When he pulled his weapon out of the ground he made a downward swing that sent the Tonberry flying into Grey. Making use of only Blitz, low swings, sweeps, and the occasional Launch followed by Smite, he began knocking most of the Tonberries off the canyon.
Get your Jabberwocky out of my Bandersnatch. Or was it the other way around?
Shin looked back at the others, unaware about a nearby Tonberry crafting a stone statuette of him. Odin's appearance into battle didn't strike him in awe, but just a necessary tool for survival. But everyone started to annoy him for all the little the things they were doing that he considered to be wrong. For example, never mass kill Tonberries in a short time or else the Tonberry King will show itself and take revenge on its fallen brethren. Everyone knew about this simple fact back in his day, but he wasn't sure if that was still being taught. He even remembers making this mistake himself during his l'Cie training one night. If he recalled correctly, the king was about ten times as big as a normal Tonberry with a large knife and lantern to match. And it's version of Karma was fueled by revenge and became amplified by how many of its kind were killed. He desperately wanted to shout for them to stop before physically stopping them but- "AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!" The sound of a sharp knife shattering solid rock rang through the air with Shinryu's scream. His chest was radiating excruciating pain, like someone impaled him with a giant sword. The Tonberry that attacked him with Voodoo sounded like it laughed as Shin dropped to the ground cold, unconscious and barely clinging to life. OOC: By "giant sword", think something along the lines of the Buster Sword. BIC: Just when I thought I got rid of him. He responded to Cid in a whisper, "Of course I know Muin. The conflict between her and her son was one of the first things Pulse informed us about. That was long before humanity even came to exist." He looked at Cid, trying to figure out his intent. "Why do you ask? Is that who the 'Calamity from the Skies' is?" he asked, remembering one of the titles people called that other Jenova he knew.
Shinryu rushed ahead of everyone in the group, making quick movements to avoid any incoming stabs and jumping over any that were in his way. He dared not to attack any as that would only make their grudge against everyone increase while making them stronger. They think Karma's bad? he thought. It had nothing against Deep-Seated Grudge, which hit every target in sight damage proportionate to the severity of its wounds while instantly returning to perfect health. A Tonberry lifted its lantern and did this right in his face. Given that all the ones around Shin were scratch free, he took no injuries and continued pressing forward. "Hello, Bismarck. It's been a while, hasn't it?" Omega sat down on the edge of the large island in the springs, ignoring Ren for the moment and watching the fal'Cie continuing to do its duty. He took a moment to take in the sounds of the area: The water, the wind, the annoying wildlife, everything. "This world's going to hell, you know," he spoke to whoever would listen, "One day, when the world ends, I will be there storing whatever life is left inside my own body. It could happen tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, ten years from now, whenever fate wills it." He laughed weakly to himself, covering up his despair. "But because of what happened at the Sea of Eden, everyone's future has already been decided so long ago..."
Omega watched Cid fly off. "About time he left," he said. Jenova? Like that parasite which infected that one planet I visited while in the Void? Great. After that thought he began to leave for the springs. "Well, I've said what I need to say. Try not to die from the small, green stabbing things. They hunt in packs," he told them as he left. As Omega faded from sight, Shinryu heard more shuffling coming from above coupled with the swinging of lanterns. The sun was fading under the horizon as night came closer. He grew alert and readied his lance when a small green creature with a knife and lantern dropped down in front of them. Here they come.
Oh, so that was it? That's their Focus? How simple. Omega looked off towards the sun, ignoring Cid's presence but listening to what he had to say. "Would you hurry, Cid? You know how much Tonberries love to come out here at night with their lanterns, knives, and hatred towards everything," he reminded, "Sure they're not a problem for us, but..." He examined the new l'Cie for a moment. "Have the six of you killed at least one Tonberry? Because none of you look like you have." He was surprised to see Lightning defend him, even after hearing what Omega said about him. Suddenly there was a fast shuffle up above the cliffs, causing some pebbles and dust to crumble down. Shinryu quickly looked up at the top of the canyon, ready to attack, but there was nothing. He was sure he saw something there, something small and green. They couldn't be out now, could they?
"Oh, right. Earlier, before all of you got here and after I left at Oerba, I went to check on him and found him like this. No brand, no other strange markings other than battle scars, nothing. He's human now and therefore no longer a threat. Of course I let him out. It's not like he's going to go out and massacre another, what was it...twice the combined population of Cocoon and Gran Pulse today?" Omega replied, "But he doesn't follow me. I just happen to know where he is." He took notice of Lightning's interest in the boy as she approached him. Not surprising. Shinryu looked at Lightning with an expressionless stare as she came to him, but avoided direct eye contact. No thought ran through his mind nor did any emotion enter his heart. But deep in his eyes, one might be able to spot a voice trying to break though.
"How would I know? Last time I checked on him was 10 years ago, so someone had to have removed the lance from back then and today but no one in this day and age knows about that chamber. So what most likely happened is that in his sleep he reflected on everything that he had done and, in the end, acknowledged his crimes and accepted his sleep as punishment for his actions. They say that when that happens, whatever binds that are placed on you are released and you are set free. Again, you'd have to ask him yourself," Omega answered. He didn't comment on his other question as he found it as something they had to decide for themselves.
"No questions? Alright then. There were many attempts made by the human population to bring down the dragon but they all ended in complete annihilation of the human armies and a few fal'Cie and l'Cie here and there. The most famous and disastrous battle against Shinryu was the Battle in the Sea of Eden, which happened about 14,400 years ago. Let's see...it was myself, the entire city of Chronopolis, the Magus Sisters, three l'Cie sisters residing in the Sea of Eden, and the Ruler of the Seas, the fal'Cie Leviathan, against Shinryu. End result? Shinryu killed everything, he and I fought nonstop from the sea to this continent, and time crashed, hurling the entire timeline of the sea 14,400 years into the future as an attempt by fate to correct things that should not have happened. Sometime after that, I tried to banish Shin into the Void. But something went wrong with the spell and I sent us both there. The two of us got separated and we wandered aimlessly, or at least I did. We were trapped there for a thousand years. But in the Void, time flows differently. That milleneum in the Void was actually only a second in this world. You'll have to ask Shin about what he did while he was in the Void. We never made contact until we got out. Our final battle was only a few centuries before the War of Transgression began. He was waiting for me in the chamber below Taejin's Tower, recuperating from our previous battle. When I entered I had his lance with me, since I kept it after our first battle where he became the dragon. Hours of fighting in, I made one last effort to take him down. Using his old weapon, I impaled his lance into his own heart. He roar shook the entire tower, his entire body was becoming crystal. After milennia of constant conflict and ruin, it finally ended. The Divine Dragon was put to crystal sleep and only to awaken if the lance was removed, possibly returning as a human since Lindzei had fled the world ages ago and cut off all ties." Omega finished with a long sigh. He purposely left certain things about himself out, such as his traversing into other dimensions and worlds while in the Void, the incident where he almost ended the world as Omega Weapon: Model VII, and that he also entered crystal sleep after their final battle. "Questions anyone?" Shinryu felt Lightning's gaze and turned away from it. What Omega said about his past before his branding felt like nothing but a story to him. But when he summarized the events about that battle, everything about it came pouring back. The screams, the gunfire, the drowning of the entire city's populace, everything. His face scowled up. It pained him to remember. OOC: I'm sorry, but I could not resist making Chrono Cross references in that first part.
"He doesn't answer because he cannot. Everyone calls him 'Shinryu' or 'Shin' for short, but the latter is under more or less the same conditions of people calling you 'Light'. His real name? It's long forgotten. Now, on who he is...that's going to take a while," Omega told everyone. He sheathed his swords and began to recollect his memories. "How long ago was it? 18,000? 20,000 years? It was just a long, long time ago when Pulse and Lindzei were still around and Cocoon didn't exist yet. Around that time, there was still a village north of Oerba. One night, the Undying came and razed it into the ground. The next morning, Pulse sent me in to exterminate any lingering Cie'th and look for survivors. But when I got there, I was too late. Lindzei was already there, and she had taken in the only survivor of the attack: a four-year old boy who was buried under the corpses of his parents. He was crying when Lindzei found him, but the crying was soon stopped. Right in front of my eyes, she branded him as her own personal l'Cie. I can still see that...evil smile on her face as she was branding him. You've seen the brand of a Sanctum l'Cie, haven't you Lightning? Because the stage one of it was what was on the back of the toddler's neck. After he was branded, Lindzei left and took her 'prize' with her. I never saw him again until a few months later when he was out hunting in the middle of a forest with a lance. I approached him, asked his name and what he was doing out here with that weapon. He didn't answer, so I asked again. He just ran off, but the look in his eyes told me to follow him. It turns out, he led me straight to Lindzei so I went to her for answers. That was when I found out that she wiped nearly his entire memory clean upon moment of branding, leaving him with only enough just to understand speech and follow commands but not to actually speak. That was when I found out that she had renamed him, 'Shinryu'. That was when she said that the two of us will cross paths again. A few months after that, word finally got out about Lindzei's 'new' l'Cie. Pulse ordered for his elimination and erasure and sent me to do the job. We did meet again, as Lindzei said we would, but this time we fought and kept on fighting for days on end. Even though he was only five at this time, his skills, both physically and magically, were nearly on par with mine. But his body at this age couldn't hold all that power within him, so what happened? Lightning, do you remember how Fang took the form of Ragnarok during your battle with Orphan? Think of that, but instead of Ragnarok appearing, imagine a great, crystal dragon emerging from the light and rising into the skies to rain down utter destruction. From that day on Shinryu, the l'Cie, permanently became Shinryu, The Divine Dragon. But just because he's a dragon now doesn't change my orders. 'Bring down Shinryu using any means necessary,' Pulse ordered. And His word is absolute." Omega stopped there, giving everyone a moment to take it in. "Shall I keep going and list some major events that happened between then and until I sealed him beneath Taejin's Tower? Or do you want me to stop and answer any other questions you have about him?" he asked them. OOC: Long post is long. Very long.
Omega was building up energy to put down Leo with Heartless Angel, leaving him hanging on a thread, but Ryou already took care of it before he could make that action. "Who said anything about me giving my side of the story? You want answers about this kid? Ask away. It's not like he'll answer them himself."
Once Lightning raised her weapon at him, she no longer became a person in Shinryu's eyes, but a target. So in response he did the same, the tip of his lance almost touching the tip of her gunblade, and completely ignored her demands. While descending, Omega kept an eye on things over there and when they both drew weapons... "Dammit, Lightning..." he quietly muttered to himself. "I'm making a quick detour, Cid. I'll be back." Snapping his fingers, he casts Warp on himself to send him directly between the two opposing blades. When he emerged from the Void, he immediately drew both swords and diverted the directions of both lance and gunblade. "Enough," he told them, "Allow me to explain things. Is that alright with you, Shin?" The boy nodded to give permission. But Omega appearing out of nowhere and without warning might give everyone else a bit of a fright and not listen to him. "Good. Now where to begin..."
Shinryu facepalmed. Act first, think later? It's a thought process like that that gets you killed in the end. But his thoughts were interrupted by the fading light of the sun. Night was approaching fast. On Gran Pulse worse things came out at night, Tonberries immediately came to mind. He looked at Lightning with an urgency to keep moving.
"Oh, I don't know. Does it involve destroying something or destruction in general? Because I can't exactly heal things or bring things back to life," Omega answered to himself, "New task, same abilities." He followed Cid down the tower to get his answers. But before leaving, he turned to Snow and, giving Omega Weapon full control over his body and mind for a moment, reached out to Snow's mind very briefly and spoke of only one thing to him in voiceless words: "Open your eyes, Snow Villiers, and become aware of your crystal dream like so many others have before you, lest you be overcome by your own regrets." Shinryu rolled into the ground, but quickly got back on his feet. He noticed a new rip in his already worn out shirt that was too small for him. He sighed displeasingly. A new set of clothes would be a nice change, but if he recalled correctly the nearest town wasn't for, what, a mile or two on the other side of the tower which itself was oddly crystallizing?
His name? No one's ever asked him that before. Then again, all the people who knew him died off and a new population took over. Shinryu opens his mouth to reply, but nothing came out. Then he gave Jaden a look that seemed to say, "I'm sorry you can't control your emotions."
Omega chuckled at the threat of becoming Cie'th, not to cover up his emotions but because he found it truly amusing. "Again with the Cie'th threats?" he replied. Suddenly, something came over him. His voice was mixed with the voices of two others, one male and one female and both familiar to him. It was is if the minds of the two forced themselves in and combined with his own. "Tell us, if something without a soul is branded into a l'Cie, doesn't it mean that it is already a Cie'th? A special case, probably, but Cie'th nonetheless?" he continued lightheartedly. As the tower below him crumbled, he stayed afloat. The brand over his right eye burned back to life, revealing that the central eye had fully opened. "Our brands have long since run their course as have our bodies. What can you possibly do to us? Strip us of souls that we never had from the very moment of our creation? That is what happens when a l'Cie becomes Cie'th, no?" He continued to laugh for a bit. "We are l'Cie, yet we are also Cie'th. Never one or the other, but both." Shinryu was the last off the of the tower as it crumbled. The last image he saw was Omega acting very strangely, but the strangest of all was that his brand was in the final stage. But if his brand was in its last stage, why wasn't he a Cie'th? Or was he the entire time and he's somehow overcome it or hiding it? He wondered about that as he ran down the side of the tower, using his weapon as a brake whenever he needed to. On the way down, he spotted everyone riding Dahaka below. The fal'Cie wasn't far from him, so he went and leaped forward, landing near Lightning. In response to her question, he nodded. He soon returned to normal, though his brand was still active. "Besides...who made you the Goddess of Fate? You only control the fates of your l'Cie, not all!" The crystal parts of his body began to resonate with a bright blue light. Omega was prepared to take the form of Omega Weapon: Model X should Cid or Freyja interfere.
"Because that place is where the crystals of my brother and sister rest," Omega told her, "Is that enough? And if you're going to do something you'd better act fast. The 'Divine Dragon' is about to-" Frustrated with the stupidity of Jaden's decision, Shinryu swiftly swung his lance full circle to land a crushing blow on a major pressure point in Jaden's neck to knock him out cold, similarly to how Fang did with Snow when she captured him in Lake Bresha but with a lance. Was it the most glamorous thing to do? No. Effective? Absolutely. "-strike back. I do believe that's your cue," Omega finished.
"This is not a battle that you can win or even walk away from when it's over. Don't fight because you feel the need to fight or else you'll end up like me: A living weapon," Omega continued, "Look around you: one of them is almost dying from major blood loss due to a head injury, another is trying to stop everyone else from wasting their energy fighting an impenetrable barrier, not the fal'Cie or god or whatever she is inside it. It almost reminds me of those times in my dream with Snow and Barthandelus...anyway, the ones fighting are fighting not only because they're enraged but also because they don't know what to do, no doubt you're feeling the same right now. You're their leader now, Claire. Guide them with a clear mind. My advice to you is to get them all out of here so that they can calm down and assess the situation rationally, but it's your decision in the end. Leave Snow to me. I know a place to keep his crystal safe. Ask Titan about it in The Faultwarrens." He turned to have a look at battle, seeing Shinryu getting pushed out of the way and was waiting to see him retaliate. "One more thing: Doesn't the new kid look nearly exactly like Hope when you last saw him?" he mentioned.
