The Holy Trinity

[Twilight Path]

How comedic-- life continued to spiral from one irony to another; Here she was, speaking to a Taru who was possibly blessed by Ultimecia, although this midget is completely different and undeserving. This thing, miniscule as it was, had proven herself somehow to the previous Witch of Time, and it was upsetting the unversed which possessed the other half. Just half. Then, from nowhere arrives a light which drags her away from her prize and Shantotto, only to have her hover in place without control. She would glare over to Cosmos, appalled at this act, even worse when she was doing nothing. For support, she looked to Chaos, and finally to Shantotto at this injustice. She did not know that the Goddess of Light had also used her powers on the Taru, as they seemed to miss her completely... if anything, she saw this as an act against the Darkness... but then two and two came together.

Only Jenova of the two was affected by this-- did it mean that Shantotto was truly on the side of Light, as she was rambling about earlier? Was that why Ultimecia only gave her half, so that Time in itself was balanced and would cancel itself out to form neutrality?

... had she really... lost all neutrality?

Jenova remained hovered there with thought, and in self-disappointment. Perhaps this was meant to happen... and was all planned by the ex-Time Witch... she had much to learn...

[General Beatrix]

[can't log on to Secondary right now for some reason.]

[glow=Cyan,2,300]When the goddess power had done its duty and Cosmos was positive the message had been received by both parties, She let down the bind on the dark half.

"I do not want fighting here," said Cosmos solemnly, gazing upon the two halves of Ultiimecia's glory with a familiar frown.

And then She turned to Chaos, whose speech She had just heard and let sink in. To his accusations she sighed.

"My followers have free will," she began. "...but you are right. Good facing evil without provocation--simply because it is there...truly, I am the villain this time around."

She said this with such conviction to not only Her people, but greatly to herself, and the usual head droop simply wouldn't be enough to show her sorrow.

"I will never truly know the outcome of our battles, but at least this opposition you face now will offer the world as a whole a little more of respite afterward..."

Whatever the Goddess of Harmony had intended to say was lost with Her own thoughts, as even She could not truly defend the actions played out by a number of Her champions.

"However I will say that I am sorry--sorry for the guerrilla tactics..."[/glow]

[Secondary Characters]

Chaos let out a soft harumph before looking to Jenova. "She says she's sorry..." he muttered. Walking over, he reached up to take the half-witch's hand into his own, lowering her down and collecting her into his arms. "I wonder if 'sorry' would ever be good enough for anything my pawns might have done? Doubtful..."

Leading the representative of time over to her spot, the single chair of Ultimecia would split into two which were suspended by a single set of scales, Jenova's seat slightly crossing darkness and Shantoto's slightly crossing light. He eased Jenova into her seat, allowing the balanced seats to tilt lightly.

"However... I am going to be the bigger man..." Chaos mocked, then slowly and non-threateningly walked over to Shantoto, to whom he gave a polite bow and gestued to the (now too tall for her to reach) seat. Though his words were polite and sincere, his tone as he spoke, "Do you need a lift into the seat?" was ambiguously insulting.

With a glance to Cosmos after this gesture, Chaos chuckled once more. "All now is but to wait and watch. Can my darkness rise to the challenge and be the heroes? Will your side continue to oppress the balancing shadows? Or..." he muttered hintingly.

"I suppose only time will tell..." he chuckled, then took his place at the dark throne, resting his chin in the crook between his thumbs and index fingers while he observed the Rose in the vortex, waiting for their glorious "Final Run".

[Shantotto]

[glow=teal,2,300]By now the intricate puzzle that Ultimecia laid out was quiet clear to Shantotto now, and she was not leaving without Terra.

She was ready to take her leave, however the Goddess was to chime in shortly after. This only stood to irritate the little taru. Shantotto was still on Shantotto’s side; however with recent events she could only follow Ultimecia’s plan, and help keep the balance. By now the voice of Cosmos was starting to sound like nails on a chalkboard. With her ears drooping and eyes squinting from having to listen, she knew her plans for domination would once again be put… on hold.

The speech finally at an end, she thought now she would get a word in edge wise as to her demands. Chaos now stood from his throne and walked over to Jenova. Muttering to her about something the Goddess had said, (to which she paid little mind) as he took her and cradled her in his arms. Shantotto’s fascination with the God of Discord was something similar to that of Ultimecia. This… God was indeed powerful, but Shantotto only saw room for one destroyer. She listened intently to the words of Chaos.

After a minute or too, the chair of Ultimecia split and in its place stood a balance. After Chaos had gently placed Jenova in her seat, he then turned his gaze unto her. He bent over slightly to speak to the small taru.[/glow]

“Do you need a lift into the seat?”


[glow=teal,2,300]Shantotto’s first thought was quiet simple, “How dare you…” as her ears perked and fist clinched of such a mockery. Instead, she relaxed and crossed her arms while snuffing her nose to the God as she started to walk towards the chairs. Her attitude began to change slightly as she approached the throne of Chaos. With is back turned and speaking to Cosmos, she took a quick glance at Jenova sitting on the balance and made her own personal gesture. Raising her small hand to her mouth and with a smile laughed at the small witch. “O~hoho! It’s such a sad sight when one of her own becomes a pawn of a God.” She then began to levitate to the chair height of Chaos’ throne and took her place. “After all my dear Jenova, it is we who “they” should applaud.”

Shantotto, who now sat on the throne of Chaos, spoke out to him mimicking his ambiguous demeanor, “Honestly Chaos, do you really expect me to sit their? (Pointing to the balance) Why I believe to this throne I am its heir… do you not agree? You are after all the God of Discord; and for my great destructive feats you had to applaud. O~hohoho”
[/glow]

[Secondary Characters]

The dark god watched as the little one tried to make a grand gesture by taking a seat which did not belong to her. It was fortunate that the great god of mayhem was in a good mood, as the result if he wasn't would surely be disasterous. Instead he simply chuckled, and spoke a single word.

"Presumptuous..."

With that, Shantoto would be made to understand the nature of her condition. Cosmos' power did not affect the miniscule mage because of the nature of the power given to her. Just as the power of light did harm to HIS half of the balance, the power of darkness would make itself evident to Cosmos' little jester.

The chair itself seemed to lash out at Shantoto, dark power coursing through it like an electric current, willing pain and misery to any who sat unjustly where they should not. It would force upon the mind any regret, any secret pain deep in the heart of even the most strong-willed individual. For someone like Shantoto, the mysteries of the heart are manyfold and regrets are few, but not even she could hide the one true regret of her innermost self.

She had never married, and by now it was awfully late to be seeking suitors. Darkness crept all over her form, tearing at her body while eating at that little nagging voice in the back of one's head, reminding them of their own faults.

For who would have her now? She didn't have even a shred of tenderness to her. Dominion? Perhaps her desire to be a conqueror (or at least PRETEND to be one, at the rate she was "succeeding") was sprouted from a deep-seeded desire to be loved and wanted. What imbecile would even attempt for her affections when there was nothing but love for oneself? Perhaps in all her spellcrafting, she might have had the foresight to concoct a love potion that could have offered some relief before it was too late for even that to be rendered impotent.

Agony. Despair. Woe and self-pity. These are the tools of Chaos and the methods by which even the best of souls could be broken. Perhaps Shantoto could argue against the voices in her mind, the weight on her heart, and the pain in her form... if only those voices weren't her own, and that weight not justly founded. This is not an invading force trying to change her mind about things which she was determined. No, this was a catalyst for self-destruction.

As the God who commanded the powers of discord watched on, he couldn't help but chuckle. "You should keep a better leash on your minions, Cosmos... even now your half of the balance attempts to take more than their fare share. What better illustration for that which you now perfectly understand than this? Continue to struggle, my dear Shantoto, against my darkness. Be a conqueror and a destructor all you wish. In the end, it is your fault that the scales..."

Here he turned, gesturing to the horribly misbalanced former seat of Ultimecia. "...remain tipped in my favor."

With a knowing look to the woman who had remained so quiet, a somewhat wicked glint came to Chaos' eye. "Oh, how Ultimecia would be ashamed to see the state you of the light have left the world..." he said to no one and everyone at once...

[Twilight Path]

Jenova scoffed under her breath, her eyes changing to a silverish green from the lighting within that Neutral zone, her anger filtering through faulty cracks of her consciousness. While she sat comfortably upon her chair, the disbalance had caused her side to tilt, favoring it to darkness-- but even Jenova did not want this. Slowly, her eyes would look viciously to Shantotto-- wondering why in the WORLD was she given such power. She then turned to Cosmos, wondering what went through her mind when such events unfolded. Even as she watched the Taru suffer by her own emotions, she did not feel pity for this vile creature.

"Oh, how Ultimecia would be ashamed to see the state you of the light have left the world..." Chaos spoke, which gave the Unversed a very heavy feeling in her stomach.

Jenova did not want time to favor anyone, but then again, she was using time selfishly for her own reasons. She should have listened to that small voice itching at the back of her mind; Regrets began to fill, even her heart, at the thought that both, whom Ultimecia trusted with her powers, were soiling everything she worked for. She then turned to the still confused Terra, and hoped to seek some sort of support from her eyes, but found none. The creature never felt so low-- she should have stopped herself from being such a child.

Slowly, she now faced Chaos, her mind rushing now with assurance that what she had done was right. Atticus was trying to take power that was not his own, and so this justified that the Darkness needed a new ruler-- but again, she had interfered in what was not her concern. Growling, she raised a hand up and covered her face with it, trying to make justice of her actions. She sank her gloved nails against the sides of her face in disgust of this horrible image-- or the idea that she had failed Ultimecia.

...All she could do now was... fix it before the witch was born again. That's right! --

Jenova pulled her hand away and relaxed it, looking to Terra with a glimpse of hope-- it was not over. She still had time to correct what Ultimecia wanted. Of course, nothing could be done of Chaos, but she could fix herself now. She could be neutral-- she could balance out this horrible, foul mouthed midget. Realization had struck the woman in that it was not too late- not late at all!

She stood from her seat, and caused the two balances to return to normal posture. She didn't know what she was doing just yet, but starting off with balancing time seemed right. Disgusted, she turned to Shantotto, and began to talk closer to her, muttering under her breath profanities. She reached with a hand, and grabbed the small Taru by the scruff of her neck, and pulled her off the chair to set her down standing upon the ground.

"I may not like it-- but we were given a mission." she bluntly stated, "I don't want you to start messing it up, so behave... she must of chosen you for a reason, so think-- what reason could there be!? What reason for all of this?!"

[Secondary Characters]

[glow=cyan,2,300]The goddess Cosmos sat on the very edge of Her throne, hands still clasped together in Her laps while she silently brooded over current events, all the while evaluating the efforts of Her beloved Forces of Light; indeed Chaos was right in saying that they were on a more aggressive offensive than ever before. To Herself Cosmos mused mildly If I cannot defeat Him, why not join Him at least once? She quickly dismissed the thought and turned her attention to the vortex in which the war waged on.

Jenova made for a much-needed respite, which allowed Cosmos to think a bit more about Her next move. After all, a gods' chess match took much longer than the average.[/glow]

"You should keep a better leash on your minions, Cosmos...even now your half of the balance attempts to take more than their fair share. What better illustration for that which you now perfectly understand than this? Continue to struggle, my dear Shantotto, against my darkness. Be a conqueror and a destroyer all you wish. In the end, it is your fault that the scales...remain tipped in my favor."

[glow=cyan,2,300]Cosmos did not like the fact Chaos would be so callously arrogant even now as his victory seemed right in grasp; at least show some mild decency, won't you? she thought, shaking her head.

"Chaos, unlike you I do not guide my followers down the path of my choosing; that is a Chaos original that will live on as your legacy until the End of Days. Your side has been manipulative, shrewd, deceitful and a range of exceedingly worse traits I won't delve into any deeper. Who are you to say that the goddess of Harmony is not welcome to revel in at least a bit of offense? I am no coward, and need not settle to defend myself each cycle. The Forces of Light have their free will to conquer your enhanced cheating methods, and that is that. There will be peace by the end of this cycle, I can assure you. What you should worry about is how terribly your minions have torn up the balance after Ultimecia's demise--planned or otherwise. Your arrogance will not win you the day. Shantotto, please relax now."

Turning back to the vortex she watched the events unfold once more.[/glow]

[Shantotto]

[glow=teal,2,300]All but a few minutes had passed since Shantotto took what she thought was her rightful place on the throne. Her ears twitched slightly, as a single word was uttered from Chaos. Very soon after, a dark rising engulfed the small taru as she feel to her hands and knees. The witness of the past she had once put behind her was everything but cloudy. The vivid memories were indeed anything but pleasant; however, time is the greatest cure of all.

By Shantotto’s perspective she had felt as though days had past within the darkness of the throne. In actuality on a few minutes had passed and with them came a hand that scruffed the neck of the small taru. At the moment it happened it was a welcomed gesture and caught her breathe, until the vision of who grabbed her crossed her sight. Her demeanor which was of calm relief had now turned into a raging typhoon. Her personality at times could be compared to that of a light switch. Now with an aggressive tone she spoke to Jenova. “You…” as she suddenly stopped and took a deep breathe. She continued. “…shall learn here and now, you do not touch those whom you are to bow. Ashes to ashes and dust to dust, I shall rip you apart with a simple gust.” She quickly regained her composer, and with a simple smile she looked to Jenova. “The warnings I issue are few and rare, so be a cleaver lass and do take care.”

She wanted to turn her attention towards Chaos to finish her small quarrel, but this would have to wait as Jenova had something to speak.[/glow]

“I may not like it, but we were given a mission. I don’t want you to start messing it up, so behave! She must have chosen you for a reason so think, what reason could there be!? What reason could there be for all of this!?”

[glow=teal,2,300]Shantotto looked over hear shoulder back to Jenova with a baffled look. “Do tell me that is but simple joke. I did not expect my counter to be as dense as a pole of oak. Take but a minute, stop to rethink. Her plans are obvious, so try not to blink.” She simply waved Jenova off once she spoke. Now she had to find a way to take Terra from deplorable place.[/glow]

[Secondary Characters]

When the little one let her huffiness show once more, Chaos' eyes shifted lightly from the Goddess lamenting her position to the other girl in the room. A light smirk crossed his features, even if they were concealed behind a mask.

"Who says I am out to disrupt the balance?" Chaos muttered, in reponse to Cosmos' accusations that he was a liar and a cheater. He took it all in stride. To him, this was the dawning of something entirely new, something Cosmos had never considered even once in her existance, a peace born of darkness.

"Sometimes, you have to tear down to build anew... Sometimes old stone needs replacing, and sometimes new fields need to be sown before they can be harvested..." he hinted cryptically, his eyes never leaving Terra nearby.

"But fertile futures require seeds in the present..." he added, now turning to look to Shantoto. "I know the real reason you're here, little one. I know of the ever-turning cycle of the time witches. I've seen countless changing of hands, after all..."

He looked again to Cosmos, nodding lightly to show that he wasn't attempting to trick her this time... maybe.

"Perhaps, my friend, it would be prudent to have your diminuative fulcrum take your future somewhere less hostile? At least so she can calm down a little and stop being such a nuisance..."

[Twilight Path]

Jenova only huffed at the little creatures stubbornness; Here she was, trying to extend the olive branch to the midget, and in return was receiving banter equivalent to a slap in the face. The grip upon the crystals was tight enough to draw blood from the delicate fingers which held them-- but it did not seem to bother the new time witch. She took a deep breath, and looked to Chaos has he spoke his dark wisdom, and suddenly all thoughts of anger left at the sound of Balance working.

Now, if only this little spec of a Taru could only see that they were all...in a matter of ways equal, this would go along smoothly. Hues darted from the three in the room, to the one hanging at the corner, confused and obviously in a bad mood. She took this time to go and comfort the expecting mother, a smile upon her face as she did so, " Listen, Tera, my sweet, time is of the essence, as I should say, um..." she cleared her throat, wondering what to say at this rather awkward point, "... what I mean to say is-- that you, my dear, are the essence that holds the future for all of us-- and the universe."

Jenova looked down upon the round belly, and with permission granted, rested a hand upon the top curve, " Your child, that is to say, our child-- I mean, the universe's child... um--" She huffed, and shook her head, " Look, what must be known is that you hold a VERY important, irreplaceable piece to the universe and existence- and it is PREROGATIVE that we keep you safe and in the balance of Light and Darkness so as to not to create bias. Time is what lingers above the air of the scales, you see, it does not weigh for, or against ANY force... After all, time stops for no one, so why would THIS be any different."

The unversed creature sighed when she was at a further loss of words. Right now, Tera was probably confused as to what was being said, so she gripped a little at the girl's shoulders, and looked her in the eyes before whispering, in a motherly tone, "Everything will be alright."

[General Beatrix]

[glow=cyan,2,300]Cosmos watched, her own schemes forming while Chaos planned quietly. She glanced back and forth between Shantotto and Jenova, wondering just exactly what it was Ultimecia had seen in them that made her entrust her life so easily.

"We should not wage war of words, feelings or any other such nonsense within this realm any longer. The last wave of this cycle is on-course, and should we miss even a moment it could prove fatal to our plans."

What exactly was the goddess planning? Even she did not know, but She would be damned if She let Chaos' head-start to glory take her down so casually.

"We must take special measures," she whispered to herself and the Warriors of Light, gazing into the image projected before the sets of thrones.

"let the game recommence."[/glow]