[IC] The Rebellion of Avenase: The Secret

[Krinos Solstice]

Cayenne

The rebellion had been over for a year now, and many people, both from Avenase and Tormin, had begun to rebuild the devastated nation. However, within the darkest, forgotten parts of Avenase, grew an evil born from the calamity of the Three Hundred Crater. Along with this darkness, came a secret that would unravel the very fabric that held all other secrets, including the darkest one from Doria's darkest time. While Tyme and Cayenne are two survivors of the final battle in what was once Western Avenase, they do not speak of the horror, wishing to never have a tragedy like that befall another. Cayenne had returned to Avenase after the final battle, though after receiving Titan, Tyme's unique Behemoth, he was forced to move away from the capital and to a place with more room. He had decided to settle close to the ruined town of Tevarin, the hometown of Misa and Tyme. The reasons for settling there are unknown, however, he managed to gather enough Gil to construct and open his own menagerie. News of a menagerie unassociated with the Empire spread fast, and soon Cayenne had all sorts of breeds and types of creatures to care for. The menagerie was so successful, it had to be expanded several times. Now one would believe a menagerie like this would be seized by the Empire, and of course, there was a point where soldiers tried. But thanks to Titan, the menagerie's guardian, the Empire has never been able to set foot on Cayenne's land.

Vin

Avenase. It took a long while, but the nation is finally getting back on it's feet, her people will once again flourish under the Empire's technology. However, there is concern among the populace, how can the country start to flourish again without a leader? Armond was dead, and his only successor, Princess Rebecca, had died months prior. There was nobody left of the Zeraltus lineage, and many had initially thought Tyme would rule once things were settled, but his disappearance threw the world into panic. People were desperately trying to find a suitable ruler, until a man who was once your superior had stepped forward, Dar Knight. Once he had been crowned the new king, he had chosen you as his only General of the New Empire. Currently, you are heading to the famous menagerie near Tevarin, in hopes of acquiring one of the many specialized mounts the menagerie is famous for. However, you are unaware that the person who runs it is one of the 'war heros' your new king praises so much.

Reynault

Avenase and Tormin. You know the history these two nations have, how there had been a bloody and long war. You've seen first hand what war is like, having survived the intense battles, and the machinations of the Empire. When the war and rebellion ended, you found yourself at a loss, fighting was all you knew. Fighting was your life. Now that there was peace, there was nothing left for you to do, you felt...empty. However, it wasn't long before you caught wind of a rebellion forming in Tormin and rushed off, deciding it was a better place than Avenase. Currently, you're on a large boat headed for Tormin, though you find yourself questioning the sanity of the captain. However, you are quite poor, so airship travel was out of the question from the get-go. It isn't long before someone above deck shouts that they've spotted land, more specifically, the port city of Moro Zera. As your boat comes to dock, you notice ancient looking piers that have fallen into disrepair, whether intentional or just negligence, you'll never know how they came to be that way.

Tyme

"There's no way to beat him...even though I'm stronger than before...I still can't touch him. Why? Is this it, is this how it ends?" he asked himself. Tyme stared at the massive mechanically armored man in front of him, he didn't like this, not one bit. "I've had enough playing around with a wimp like you, it's time to die!" Dark Tyme shouted, his chest popping open. Within the armored chest was a large cannon, which gathered energy from the nearby environment, charging it up for one final attack. Tyme narrowed his eyes, firing off both Mega Flare and Giga Flare from both gunblades. Dark Tyme laughed as the attacks had no effect on him, the cannon now fully charged, "Goodbye, Tyme Ishinara." he said. Tyme fell to his knees, no longer having the strength to stand, or fight. He closed his eyes and waited for the attack to hit him, though he opened them to find Misa standing there, taking the whole attack. Before the attack finished, she looked back at him, then fell forward. Tyme was in shock for a few moments, then it sunk in. Misa had sacrificed herself and their unborn child, so that he could live. Live? Live for what? There was nothing more to live for now, he lost everything. Misa, their child...himself. "Why Misa? Why? It should've been me...it should've been me! I should have died, not you!" Tyme shouted, holding his wife's body in his arms, tears falling. Dark Tyme laughed, "Do not be sad, Tyme, for she is now part of me. Her soul lives on within me now. You can be reunited again...in death!" he shouted, the cannon firing again. Tyme gently set her body down, slowly standing, "No. I won't let you destroy any more lives...I will stop you, even if it kills me!"

***

Tyme woke with a start, sweating, "Damned nightmares, always the same thing..." he said, slowly climbing out of his bed. He checked the calendar, today was the day he'd have an audience with King Wargrave, after having been denied so many times before. He went to wash up before strapping his gunblades to his legs, making sure each was within proper reach. He stared down at the weapons, it had been a year since he touched these, would he still be able to use them after so long? He didn't know. He sighed, adjusting his pure white outfit, another gift from Bahamut. Tyme headed outside, stopping to stare at the massive barn that hid the massive airship known as The Leviathan from view. He then turned his attention to the third gift given to him by Bahamut, a sleek pure white motorcycle, the headlights were red to make it resemble the former Dragon Guardian. Climbing on the bike, he started it up and took off from his little hut, heading through the forest. Tyme had clearly mastered the bike, as he was weaving through the trees like they weren't even there. Eventually he came to a stop, hearing gunfire, frowning as he was unaware of any rebels in the area. Getting off the bike, he moved slowly to the treeline, crouching down to observe what was going on.

[Myst]

A small crowd was gathered in the courtyard of Wargrave Castle, the capitol of the country of Tormin. The king and queen were seeing off their daughter, the princess Arysta.
"I still am not happy about this," the king said, his face a dark frown.
The pretty young woman hugged her father with a smile. "I'm not a little girl anymore father. I can handle myself. If the rebels want to talk, it is important that we talk. It's too dangerous for you or mother to go."
"But how do we know they won't harm you?" the king asked.
"How can we expect them to trust us if we do not show a little trust in them first?" Arysta asked.
"Besides sire, that is why I am going with her," Chancellor Fredrick.
Arysta's smile vanished, replaced with a frown. "Actually you are going in a separate car along a different route," she pointed out.
"Of course, as part of the plan," the chancellor said, bowing his head to her. "I am going on the main road, in the royal car, whilst you, milady, go along a back route in an unmarked car. That way, if the rebels are planning anything treacherous, you will be out of danger."
"I am well aware of your plan," Arysta said shortly and turned back to her parents. "Everything will be fine," she assured them as her mother hugged her.
"Return to us swiftly and safely my dear," the queen said.

Arysta got into the unmarked car with just the driver for company and the chancellor got into the royal car with several bodyguards. The place where they wanted to meet was inside the rebel territory, but on the edge.
As they set off it gave Arysta time to think about what she was going to say to the rebels. She needed to be firm, yet kind. She needed to show them that the royal family did care about their subjects and were willing to discuss whatever they wished in order to keep the peace.
It really was a mystery to her how this whole rebellion got started. She didn't understand. They had always been a peaceful country. Her father was a good and honest king who care for his subjects. Then, suddenly, this rebellion sprung up, accusing the royal family of hoarding things and overtaxing the people in order to maintain their extravagant lifestyle, that the king watched as his subjects suffered. There had been a few lean years recently, but nothing to warrant such intense hatred of the crown. Maybe it was something she would be able to discuss with them, find out what the root of this upset truly was.

She leaned back in the seat, closing her eyes and relaxing for the trip to the border...

~~~~~~~~
[i]The little girl sat in her room, humming as she drew in her sketch book. Her father, the king, entered.
"What are you doing my child?"
"Drawing."
The king's smile faltered. "I thought we talked about your drawings."
"They aren't real," the child said automatically, reciting what had been told to her countless times. "They are only in my mind. But Daddy, I can't help it. He asked to be drawn."
"He?"
The child nodded, holding up the drawing with a smile. "His name is Belias. He's my new friend."
The king looked upon the drawing, trying to hide his disgust. It was of a large red creature that looked to be part bull, part ram and part man. How could such an ugly creature come from the mind of his sweet child?
The king took the sketch book from her and closed it. "I think you are spending too much time with your... 'friends' Arysta. I do not want you to speak of them again. If they appear in your mind, you are to push them away. Do you understand?"
The child nodded sadly. "But Daddy-"
"I am serious. No more creatures. No more drawings. It isn't safe."
The little girl held back tears and nodded. "Yes Daddy..."
After he left, her friends roared inside her head in protest but she pushed them away as she had been told.
"I'm sorry," she whimpered, crying as their roars grew fainter. "I'm sorry..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Arysta jerked awake. It wasn't just the bad dream that had awoken her. The car had come to a stop.
"Stay here milady," the driver ordered. "The tires have been shot."
Shot? By who? And why?
The driver pulled a gun from his jacket. But the next instant his body jerked as a shot came through the window. Arysta screamed as blood sprayed across the seat from the bullet hole in his forehead. She clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle the scream.

Moments later footsteps could be heard outside.
"I heard her scream. She's in there."
"Well then go and get her. We don't have all day. And try to be gentle. She's not supposed to be hurt. Not yet anyway."
"Gentle. Right." These words were followed by a chuckle that made her blood run cold. Arysta looked around for some kind of weapon. All she had within reach were her shoes. The heels weren't that high, but they were thin enough to harm someone. She pulled off one and held it ready. She jumped when the door handle was shot off, destroying the lock. It was then wrenched open and the head of a large ugly man appeared. "Come out, come out princ-"
He was cut off by a blinding pain to his right eye, He fell backward, clutching his face and howling in pain. The heel of the shoe had cut the side of his face. An inch more over and she would have hit his eye.
"Bitch!" he shouted as she scrambled past him and tried to run. She threw her other shoe at the second man as she went, but didn't notice the third until it was too late. He caught her in his arms and held her firmly as she fought. He laughed. "And here we thought we were going to get a whimpering female. Nice surprise eh boys?"
"Speak for yourself," the injured one said. "I'm going to make you regret that you little bitch."

Arysta clawed at the arm of the man who held her. "Behave," he said, smoothing her hair back from her face. "Or we might have to disobey those orders not to hurt you."
"I am not going to roll over and play dead for you," she stated and threw her head back.
Her captor shouted in pain as the back of her head struck his nose. She heard it break. Her head was pounding and she felt dizzy but she took the opportunity to run anyway. She managed to make it to some rocks large enough to hide behind. But she knew it wouldn't be long before they found her, and they would be very, very angry as well.

Arysta began to pray to whatever god or goddess that happened to be listening. She prayed for help.

[Krinos Solstice]

Tyme watched as a car came into view, followed by several men, one whom shot the driver. He continued to look onwards as another struggled with someone inside the vehicle, perhaps the woman he had heard screaming when the driver was shot? Either way, he got a glimpse of the woman, and upon recognizing the type of clothing she wore, he realized that she was someone of importance. Slowly standing from his crouching position, he drew his gunblades, both unfolding and snapping loudly into place. The noise had drawn the attention of the three men, the only uninjured one confronted Tyme, "Look at this boys, A foreigner. You should be on your way, boy, unless you want to get hurt." the man said. Tyme's blue eyes flickered between the men, he knew he could easily take them down, "I suggest you three drop your guns and leave quietly, otherwise you'll be the ones getting hurt here." he replied, the tone of his voice cold and emotionless. The men looked at each other and laughed, "Apparently this freak doesn't get it, you two deal with him, I'll find that bitch myself." the uninjured man told the other two. They drew their guns and fired at Tyme, who sighed and raised his white gunblade, "Be still, and freeze the air. Let them know true fear and pain, come forth, Ice Maiden Shiva!" he shouted, the revolver spinning rapidly. As he pulled the trigger, icy blue bullets shot forth from the chambers of the gunblade's revolver, deflecting the oncoming shots. Eventually they exploded and formed a pillar of ice, which shattered to reveal the summon, Shiva. Tyme nodded and whispered, "Diamond Dust."

In mere moments two massive diamond-like sawblades appeared on either side of the summon, the right one shooting forward and slicing through the man Arysta had injured, his blood splattering over everything near him. The second man had already started to run, but it was too late, as the second blade cut through him as well, leaving several body parts on the ground. Dismissing the summon, Tyme turned to the searching man, "It's over, leave now, or die." he said, his voice still as cold and emotionless as before. The man turned to see the carnage Tyme had caused, "You'll die, you bastard! I'll make sure 'he' knows it was you!" he shouted, taking off. Tyme followed him with his eyes, then raised his gunblade as bright blue bullets formed in the chambers of the revolver, "Careful what you say, you never know what might make a stranger snap." he said, slowly turning his head. "Mega Flare." was all he said, pulling the trigger. The bullets shot forward and made a large explosion, tearing the man to shreds until he was no more, "Stupid people these days." he muttered, holstering both gunblades. He turned to the rocks where Arysta was hiding, "You can come out now, they're all dead." he told her, crossing his arms.

[Myst]

Arysta covered her ears against the screams of pain. A stranger had appeared once she had hidden. From the way her attackers reacted he wasn't one of them. Then, when they had attacked him, he had slaughtered them quickly. Blood splattered on the ground near her and she covered her mouth to keep from crying out. The world spun for a moment and she was afraid she was going to be sick.

The last man died as he was running away, threatening to tell 'him' about what had happened. She wondered only briefly who 'he' was before the man who had dispatched them so easily called to her. He wanted her to come out, but the question was : would she listen?

He was dangerous, that much was certain. He had no qualms about killing, that also was certain. He had helped her, but for what reason? Was he worse then those men? Would he kidnap her as well, using her for ransom? Did he even know who she was? Would he do worse then hold her ransom?
She bit her lip. There was really no other option. She doubted he would just leave and if he did she would be stuck out here alone with no weapons and no idea which way to go. Knowing her luck, she'd walk right into the rebel's hideout or come across a bear or some other large animal who was enjoy chewing on her bones.

With a sigh, she stood and came out slowly from her hiding place. The ground hurt her feet a little as she walked towards him carefully.
"Thank you," she said with dignity, as though she wasn't standing before an extremely handsome man barefoot, with messy hair and disheveled clothing. She held her head high, not just because she wanted to look like she was calm and collected but because he was taller then her.
"I am Princess Arysta Wargrave of Torin," she told him. "Thank you for your help. Now, if I could impose on you a bit longer, could you please be kind enough to take me back to the capitol? My father will gladly reward you for your kindness and bravery."

[Shurikai]

Even, gentle, steady.
Cayenne hummed softly as he brushed one of the coeurl in his care. His morning started off normally, a leisurely stroll around his property accompanied by Titan, a grand white behemoth and his chocobo, Watermelon, a green variant with red spots all over her. Next he fed his charges and played with them as best he could without getting bitten or pecked. Now, his evening was spent brushing them down for the night. Today was a busy day for him and tomorrow would be no different.. except the volunteer that was coming in. She had a way with the animals unlike anything he had seen before. Even Titan behaved around her. The few hours she was here was the only time he was free. Which was usually spent reading and responding to letters he received. They were usually inquiries about what he kept in his menagerie. Cayenne was the first to tame the Coeurl and Fenrir to use as mounts and currently the only one that was able to do it. He rarely let them go as mounts but he allowed the pups to go to families as pets. It was common he received them back from the parents because they got too destructive and they couldnt handle it.
So he hummed along, brushing each and every creature.

Later that day Cayenne sat in the most comfortable chair he owned and relaxed. He read over the last letter Tyme had sent him. Looks like he finally got an audience with King Wargrave. Damned fool should have granted it the first time. Tyme never specified in his letter what his concern was, but whatever it was, it was important. Cayenne sighed and leaned back. What the eff was going on?

[Krinos Solstice]

Tyme looked at the mess he had made, three more lives to add to the total. It seemed he couldn't live anywhere for long before trouble found him, such was his fate, ever since that day. Sighing, he drew his attention to the princess when she addressed him, their eyes meeting for the first time in both their lives. Tyme let out a sharp gasp, falling to one knee, Misa?! Impossible! I saw her die a year ago! I'm the one who got her killed! How is it she's alive?! he thought, slowly looking up at Arysta. No. That's not Misa, but...how is it she has her eyes? Is this some trick the Goddess' are playing on me? Some sick joke? he thought again. He shook his head clear, whatever the reason was, he doubted he'd ever know. He slowly stood, "Arysta Wargrave? Then your father must be the King. As luck would have it, princess, I am on my way to the castle at this very moment. I heard gunshots and stopped to see what was going on, I'm glad I did. Come, I'll bring you back to your father without any further delay." he said, snapping his fingers. Moments later, his bike came to a stop near them, the male climbing on. "As for a reward, I don't need one. Money is useless to me, has been for a long time now." he told her, motioning for her to climb on behind him. Once she was on and secure, he took off through the forest again, weaving between the trees once more. It wasn't that long before they left the forest, the plains before them stretching far and wide, the large castle coming into view. As Tyme pulled in through the castle gates, he came to a stop and looked at the princess, "I forgot to introduce myself back there, I apologize." he said, though he was stopped when several people approached them.

***

"Unacceptable! We can't just sit here and let this rebellion continue! Does no one remember what the Avenasian Rebellion did? Whatever fertile lands they had are now scarred and burned! Not to mention that massive crater that now exists! No, I say we take up arms and fight back!" a councilman demanded. Several others clapped in agreement, Tyme watching from where he sat, hands laced together in front of him. He watched the man sit down, "A foolish idea." he said, slowly lowering his hands. The room looked at him, "Fighting only causes more fighting and death, is that what you want? Have you already forgotten the war Avenase and Tormin had prior to the rebellion? Both sides lost many lives, which could have been prevented had Armond listened to Luna. The rebellion only came to be because the people of Avenase refused to have a tyrant on the throne, they needed to rebel to be free again. This rebellion, this isn't real. Someone is behind it, pulling the strings, and you're all dancing to the tune. Do you want another tragedy like the Three Hundred Crater to happen again?!" he shouted, standing. The room was silent for several minutes, "How do you know all of this? And for that matter, who are you?" another councilman asked him. Tyme narrowed his eyes, drawing his gunblades and placing them on the table for all to see, "I know all this because I lived through every moment of the war, and the rebellion. I am the Hero of Avenase, Tyme Ishinara! I know what it's like to lose someone you love, it's a horrible thing!" he replied, glaring at the man, who had gone silent. The room was filled with whispering, many unable to believe the missing man from a year ago was now standing before them.

---

Artemis

The rebellion has been over for a year, the nation is rebuilding itself still, it's people finally free from the tyrant, Armond. With many of the capital's defenses still being repaired, it has fallen upon you and several other individuals to keep the workers safe from monster attacks. Today, you're patrolling the eastern wall, which is almost finished with repairs. An easy job for one like yourself, yes? However, there have been extreme delays with this particular wall due to a pack of Behemoths that have recently migrated in due to the Three Hundred Crater's creation. While these particular ones tend to keep to themselves, there is an odd one or two that manage to get too close. Once they do, the panic sets them off into a rampage, usually resulting in plenty of injuries and several casualties. Today, you happen to notice the entire pack edging closer to the wall, though the reason for this is unknown. Since Behemoths are usually top of the food chain, it seems unlikely that they're being stalked by a predator, yet their behavior would suggest they were. You're now faced with two options, go investigate and leave the workers undefended, or stay put and hope the pack doesn't charge. Either way, you don't have much time to decide.

[zaga2575]

"Hmm, they are getting braver each day." Artemis thought to herself. It would go against her normal judgment to leave her post, but she knew something wasn't right here. As if sensing something was approaching, she went to the foreman in charge of repairs. "Sir I implore you to remove your men from the wall and get them to safety. These behemoth packs are going to feel cornered soon and attack I'm afraid. I need some time to figure out what it is that is making them act this way. Either way I am going out there, so I leave their fate up to you."
Artemis leapt down off the wall with ease, running off to investigate what it was that was making them act this way. Behemoths didn't earn their name lightly, with their massive manes, and claws that could rip anyone to shreds. She could handle one or two but a pack wasn't to be taken lightly. "Azure are you ready girl?" She gently patted her wyvern. Azure growled playfully in return and gently nuzzled Artemis. As long as she had Azure with her she always felt safe.
So off Artemis went in search of what could be making these beasts so nervous. She circumvented the behemoths thinking that whatever it was making them this way would have to be behind them. She hated the idea as well, because it put the beasts between her and her safety. But she had years of training and wasn't as good as she was for just any reason. So she climbed up the tallest tree she could find and scanned the horizons ..... searching.....