Altered Tundra

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

“No? Or are you simply embarrassed by my comment?” Jaakuna was aiming to ride this wave until it was redundant. However, something she would say about his personality did catch his eye - well, more like ear. The same principle applied, however. “So how does it work then? You said she saw me with Belias, so does that mean she knew what I looked like?” Jaakuna mused, slipping into a thoughtful mode as he pondered what people two hundred years ago thought giving Shion a bit of a smirk, though it was followed by a chuckle.

As he pondered on that, he seriously was thinking if she liked what she saw. Not that Jaakuna was the type to revel in what other woman thought of him, but it surely was an amusing thought to indulge, especially considering the reaction he got from Shion, if not quickly recovered. She thought she was being clever, but Jaakuna saw it. He knew that she had some sort of embarrassment. If not that, then it was in that neighborhood. Jaakuna wanted to get more genuine reactions from Shion. It was nice seeing her act like everyone else for a change.

---

Wesley had always found the conversations between Nadeline and Lorenzo an amusing sight to see. The two of them, no matter how different in their base mannerisms, were both father and daughter, so regardless of their differences, it was hard to ignore how alike they were. Both unwilling to let go of their stances and both enjoying egging the other on. Although it was obvious they each had different approaches to that. Nadeline liked to resort to ruining Lorenzo’s image of his innocent daughter and Lorenzo appeared to enjoy embarrassing it even if he didn’t realize it or not.

He closed his eyes briefly as he would clap a few times. “I do think that’s enough, children,” Wesley chuckled, lovingly smiling towards both of them, though he looked towards Lorenzo as he put his arm around his fiance’s waist. “Lorenzo, I assure you that whatever I have done to Nadeline, I did so as...gentle as physically possible.” He told his future father-in-law with an assuring smile.

---

As Savayna walked on the left side of Keiran and Grant on the right, she couldn’t help but feel curious why Grant couldn’t talk. She had her doubts it was legit and that he was just using it as an excuse to not talk to anyone. Occuria knew that, if it could be helped, he would stay silent forever. Whether that was the part of him that connected to Zeromus or not remained to be seen, but it plagued her mind almost as much as the fit she had earlier. This morning itself had been a shit one.

And, like with all things, Keiran wasn’t making it any better with his constant ramblings. So, Savayna would do something to shut him up. Casually, Savayna manipulated her mist into the ground under Keiran’s feet. When he would take his next step, he would find himself slipping and Savayna would give him an assertive, gentle push with just enough force to send him face first into the iced floor. When she would hear a noticable thud-like sound, she let out a chuckle. She then looked at Grant, who simply gave her what seemed like a nod of approval. No doubt he was thankful to have some sort of peace and quiet for a few moments.

No doubt that Keiran would be slow to get up especially with Savayna constantly re-icing the floor with the aid of Mateus who had slipped out of his own dimension and into the the walls and had been manipulating his mist into the floor each time Keiran would get up. It was only so Grant and Savayna could slip away.

Speaking of…

“Come on,” Savayna grabbed Grant’s hand and pulled him as she would take to a run, going to the first left that she found and kept running until they had unexpectedly ended up at the garden.

The rush of adrenaline going through her was so much that Savayna had completely forgotten about the funny thing called stamina, which she completely exhausted. As a result, she passed out on a nearby bench. Panting heavily, she let out a series of laughs through them. She looked at Grant and smiled while still laughing.

“Haven’t done something like that in a while,” she said panting.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

There had been a few thoughts that ran through Jaakuna’s mind as he heard Shion speak about Kyli and how she was a powerful sorceress and could see into the future and how she could see the exact moment that Jaakuna was chosen by Belias. The thoughts in his mind were of awe and absolute shock at how, even decades before the birth of his grandfather, before the birth of his father, before the birth of his brothers — he was the Chosen One. As Shion had put it, he was the Transcendent, though Jaakuna couldn’t fathom what that meant exactly. The whisperings of Belias simply told the blonde that he knew. If he searched deep down, he knew what that meant.

And then, as if breaking from the serious streak she was, Shion would once again throw in a subtle, mocking quip at Jaakuna’s expense. He then scowled rather obviously, crossing his arms as he huffed at her. He didn’t appreciate that. He wanted to retort something back at her but one of them had to be the adult here. It sure as hell wasn’t going to be Shion, now was it? “Did Kyli actually see me? Maybe she’s seeing me right now? If so, I should say hello, should I not?” Jaakuna looked up and waved. “Hello Kyli, I’m the Transcendent. You know, the one who is supposed to save the world? Yeah, well just so you know, Shion found me. And guess what? She’s just as hot as she was back then!”

---

“As much as it does pain me, my darling, I believe your father has a point.” Wesley stated rather surprisingly, earning glances from just about everyone. Most notably, he caught Lorenzo’s look of shock, though it was one that WEsley knew would have him regretting even agreeing with him. He turned towards Nadeline with an apologetic look. “Please don’t be too mad at me, but if you are indeed pregnant with our first child, I would never be able to live with myself if something happened to not only you but our child.” Wesley admitted, furthering his reason to be more sane and reasonable than Lorenzo’s overprotective father logic.

Naruto: Revival

^{Konohagakure | Chunin | NinTai-nin}

---

^{TIME: Present Day - Morning | LOCATION: Konohagakure - Exam Stage, Earth Challenge Room | INTERACTION: Cloudy Eyes with a Chance of Sweet Lavender@Ladyinink Leading Stick Man@Reflection Slice-and-Dice Windseeker@Syn}

Moments like these were the kinds that made or broke a team. First off, there was team morale to consider. Jaakuna complimented Kiku. She responded with a smile. That was good for Jaakuna's morale and what was good for Jaakuna's morale improved his attitude towards his other teammates. Like the sun, when it's bright, it shines upon all of those and brings great cheer to them. A sun that breathes life into those within its reach. That's probably something out of a motivational manuscript, but it's also something that's the absolute truth about Jaakuna. He's a smiling, loving idiot who also happens to be one of those guys that act rashly and often without thinking. Still, at least he can make his teammates feel like nothing could go wrong, especially when there's a giant laser coming straight at them.

And dodge!

When Kiku and Shizuka had darted one way, Kurin and Jaakuna did so in the opposite direction, effectively evading death for the time being. However, that didn't solve the case that there was a giant monster wrecking their shit and they were split up. Ideal for attacking and making the big, bad golem confused on who to focus its attacks on but it did nothing for actually coming up with a solid plan. Jaakuna, being the one with the best hand-to-hand combat prowess of the four of them only needed to be told what to do and he could definitely handle it. Whether any of them wanted to admit it or not, it appeared as though Jaakuna was the one with the least amount of fatigue from the mechanisms in the other room and that meant, when it coming to using chakra for jutsu, he would be the one who could deal some major damage when the time came.

While separated from the rest, Jaakuna lost his concentrated lightning chakra when he and Kurin dodged to the left - at least where Jaakuna's perspective was, while the other two were on the right, but it was still a tad weird considering the shape of the room. Or at least, from where Jaakuna could see. It was far too dark to get an exact measurement of the actual shape and height/width. What he knew was that they were on one side and the other two were opposite of them. Thank the lords for the transponders that Kurin had given them. It was exactly what they needed. And it seemed Kiku made use of them too because she would tell Kurin and Jaak to try and damage the palms. Apparently, that's where the laser came from. Or maybe they figured out something that Jaakuna somehow missed. Regardless, that was a good plan. Though, Jaakuna couldn't help but feel off about the electromagnetic field he sensed coming from the golem. He couldn't sense where it was coming from exact but he had a good hunch it was around the back of the huge beast. Call it a gut feeling.

"Roger that," Jaakuna briefly said as he had turned to face Kurin. "Well, you heard her. We just need a solid attack plan. I can flame up, but I might need a push. You think you can whip up something like that?" Jaakuna asked Kurin. When/if that would happen, Jaakuna had it in his mind to use his hiden at the right time. Assuming he would get the right kind of push off of the ground, he would be able to send a wave of fire chakra from his hands/legs to do just as Kiku had suggested that the two of them do.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

After the vision had ended, Jaakuna honestly was at a lost for words. It wasn’t a common occurence but it was becoming one as of late. This was, of course, because of what has been taking place around him. From Emiri being under Venat’s control to setting up a worldwide treaty between the Three Great Nations of Ivalice, Jaakuna’s world and involvement in politics has been shifting towards a more active role. To think just a short few months ago, Jaakuna was a shame to his country, wanting for murder and treason. Now he was the sole person who could save the world not just from the threat of a lingering Occuria, Venat but from his own race and those who inhabit this world.

Talk about pressure.

Jaakuna was feeling overwhelmed and most of it had to do with the fact that he was a tad taken aback by the revelation that was centric to him about the Gigas, which obviously was Belias. Apparently, for reasons unknown to him, that specific Esper was the only one who could defeat Venat. Jaakuna’s big take away from it, however, was that he was being talked about several decades before he was even an afterthought. Hell, around the time Aloa was young(yeah Jaakuna’s still trying to process her as young), that was when Archadia committed the worst war crime in their long history. So it was obviously a lot to take in. Hopefully, Shion could give Jaakuna a few more moments to adjust to all of it.

And of course, just as he would hope that, there she would go and speak. “I mean, she couldn’t have known that Jackson Darcone was ‘the Chosen One’.” Jaakuna quipped with a snarky chuckle.

---

Despite all of the information that was compacted in such a short amount of time, Wesley was pleased to see that it didn’t really change his friends. For that matter, it didn’t seem to change him that much. What started out as Wesley wanting to confide in Emiri about what he suspected, he ended up forgetting his real reason for going there. He wanted to inspect whatever was going on with Emiri for himself, but things got away from him. By the time they were talking one on one, he had completely forgotten about it, and ended up divulging something he never thought he would. And then that’s when everything got so warped and out of their control.

This was why Wesley had been relieved to see an aura of familiarity return to the group. Although looking at Lorenzo, there wasn’t exactly a positive expression his face. There was also Nadeline erupting towards Keiran, apparently having enough of his antics. “She is right. You’ve done enough damage, Mitron.” Wesley echoed Nadeline’s sentiments, showing a rare expression of tired patience towards Keiran.

“Mitron? You mean the Scion of Light?” Savayna said, feeling out of the loop.

“It’s a very long story. I’ll be sure to fill you in later on, but now, Keiran was just leaving.” Wesley stated rather coldly, his eyes piercing through any and all verbal defenses Keiran might’ve had.

Crooked Young - An Altered Lies Production

---

---

“Right..”

Truth be told, Alexandros had no idea what to say about the kitchen. Yes, it was nice. Yes, they had the best of everything: best cabinet, best refrigerator-freezer combo, best countertops, best table and chairs, and they even had the best lights money could buy. But, you take all of the expensive stuff in it, there wasn’t anything really special about it. It was just as useful as any other Beverly Hills kitchen. So that left Alexandros wondering, of all things, that was what she chose to say. Not a comment about how touchy-feely his out-little brother was or some kind of angry retort about how he left her upstairs while he came down for food.

But sure, it’s a very nice kitchen.

He just let out a sigh, watching how starstruck Georgie was and how annoyed Ava was with both of her brothers. She was annoyed at Georgie because he was practically drooling as his idol couldn’t help but gaze upon her like a fan and she was apparently annoyed at Alex. The reason why was solely dependent on the day. One day, she showed anger towards him because he cut her off for the bathroom. Another day it was because he purposely did something to tick her off. So, you see, it was a mystery to him as to why she was annoyed at him at this very moment, but Alexandros didn’t have the interest to indulge in her moods, so he simply ignored her.

“So, Audrey,” Ava decided to break the five-minute silence after everyone had gotten their fair share of the food. “Tell me, what possessed you to actually want to crawl into bed with him? Was it the money? It’s no secret that our family is wealthy. You wouldn’t believe how many skanks he’s had in his bed that were after a good payday.” She spoke, seemingly glaring at Audrey.

She didn’t know her that well—only by reputation. She was a hardass and strict with her dance team. She was even more so in her personal relations, yet somehow kept it all together under the persona that wasn’t subtle to anyone who happened to know even a little about her. Luckily for Ava, Georgie knew everything there was to know about Audrey Huntsberg. If it has to do with her, no matter what it was, he was on top of it. He follows her on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram. He’s the president of her unofficial fanclub. And if that’s not bad enough, he attends every single one of her dance recitals. He’s cheering for his idol each time she performs at any event, be ti pep rallies, games, or whatever. It’s a bit weird and bizarre, but Ava was at least thankful that she knew about Audrey without actually having to speak to her, which made her assumption of her questionable.

“Or perhaps he drugged you.”

“Ava, come on. Give me a bit of credit.”

“So, you didn’t drug her.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“What then? I’m curious exactly why one of the most dignified, if not just slightly bitchy—no offense—girls at our school decided to get with you.” Ava truly was puzzled by this. She couldn’t, for the life of her, understand Audrey’s reasoning.

Dance With The Angels - A GFX Shop by Altered Tundra

ANNOUNCEMENT

I've recently been feeling the inspiration as of late, so I will be opening up my shop but with a newly-added rule: Instead of taking 5 at a time, I will only be accepting 3 requests at once. This is just to keep my own sanity.

In either case, if you want a request, drop a line below~

Naruto: Revival

^{Konohagakure | Chunin | NinTai-nin}

---

^{TIME: Present Day - Morning | LOCATION: Konohagakure - Exam Stage, Earth Challenge Room | INTERACTION: Cloudy Eyes with a Chance of Sweet Lavender@Ladyinink Leading Stick Man@Reflection Slice-and-Dice Windseeker@Syn}

At first, Jaakuna was unsure exactly what to expect when he put his hand into the hole of the mechanism. It felt weird having his chakra being sucked out of him in such a forceful way. It was like this thing was a vacuum and his chakra was dust that had been collected at one spot and it, along with all surrounding dust particles, was sucked up so fast that there was a loud noise within the machine that could be heard as the dust settled inside it.

After it was all said and done, there was just an eerie silence, leaving nothing but the after effects to be felt. What Jaakuna wasn't anticipating was how costing the whole ordeal was. Immediately, Jaakuna felt it. He could feel that about a fifth - maybe more - of his collective chakra reserves were taken. And he felt as though he was slightly more prone to chakra overuse than he was before it happened. Though, as he would note the conditions of his fellow teammates, he wasn't nearly as fatigued from it than they were. Kiku specifically seemed to have suffered the most. He couldn't place it because he wasn't one of those sensor types, but there was something odd about the frequency of her deep panting that gave off the impression that she was way more fatigued than Jaakuna and Shizuka were.

Well, it didn't matter who was more fatigued. Okay, maybe it did a little bit, but Jaakuna wasn't going to focus on the negative; that wasn't his style. Instead, he would press on as he followed his team's suit into whatever direction the rest of them had went. As they would arrive, however, it was as if someone forgot to leave the light switch on because, as far as his emerald eyes could see, Jaakuna couldn't see shit. He smelled a lot of different scents - mostly death. Though, he caught the aroma of lavender. That was a welcomed fragrance, especially amidst the putrid vibes he got from just his sense of smell. But that did nothing for his sense of sight, so he would rely on the others to help with that...at least until Kurin so kindly requested for some light.

Jaakuna thought about it just for a brief moment and then he obviously remembered he had raiton. "Oh right," Jaakuna would say quietly, mirroring the same, low-hushed tone that his team had used. He gathered lightning chakra into the base of his left palm. It wasn't much, but it was enough to illuminate a few feet around Jaakuna, which gave Jaakuna a visual of his team. When he looked around, he took notice that the lavender scent came from Kiku. "Oh, so that's where it came from," Jaakuna said, finding himself sniffing the air again. "You smell nice." He complimented Kiku, giving her a grin, though he would get back into serious mode and look towards Kurin. "I've got lightning nature, though I'm not as skilled with it as I am with fire. I'm capable enough to use it in small doses, so if you give me an opening, all will be well in the kingdom." Jaakuna assured Kurin and his team about what he would be able to do when the right time came.

Baybridge: Halcyon Days [Superpowers/Semi-Sandbox]

---

_{@Altered Tundra and @Surtr}

DOVE/RAVEN Joint Headquarters, White Coast

---

---

"Ms. Zhao is currently unable to speak to you," The receptionist said, "But, Agent Jean-Pierre may be available." She explained.

"One moment, please," the receptionist told Jackson, picking up her phone and pressed a few of the number keys. After a few moments of anxious waiting, Jackson heard the receptionist speak. "Agent Jean-Pierre, my deepest apologies for bothering you. I know you're very busy, but there's a man in the lobby asking for you." She said, muttering something that Jackson couldn't make out. After a full minute of hushed whispers, she hung up the phone and smiled at Jackson. "He'll be down shortly."

And shortly after, Francis came stepping into the main lobby, wearing his uniform, and having a curious look on his face. Before his eyes settled on Jackson, and he smiled, "Jackson! What can I do for you, friend?" He said quickly, and in accented speech.

He was expecting to see Zhao, but this was even better. At least Francis was friendly, so maybe this could go a little more civil than Jackson envisioned in his mind. "Is there some place we can talk more privately?" Jackson asked Francis.

"Of course, of course, we'll go talk in my office," Francis said, before he lead the man to his office. Which wasn't as grand or exquisite as some of the other RAVENS ("Like, seen Captain Zhao's?!"), but this is his office that he earned by proving himself to Maximilian. Hell, he wouldn't have been selected to work on the Devil's arm case if he hadn't! Still, that was a story for another day. It was merely a wooden desk, in a small - somewhat cramp - room. With a chair on the other end, and lots of filing cabinets on the other end. Francis slide in, and sat down, folding his hands.

"So, Jackson," He started. "What can I help you with?"

Jackson took a seat opposite that of Francis' and let out a low breath as if to prepare himself. "I've had a lot to think about since I came back to Baybridge. Though I never intended, I kept on getting myself involved in things I knew were way above my pay grade. Despite that, after what happened at The Golden Throne and most recently, the mall, I think the universe is trying to tell me something." Jackson was rambling. "What I'm trying to say - what I'm failing to say - is I want to become an agent of RAVEN."

"Oh...?" Francis said out loud with a raised eyebrow. This was some news. Francis didn't even know if he was equipped to deal with it! He was an agent, not a recruiter. Still, he smiled at Jackson as he said, "I'm not that accustomed to RAVEN training, but I heard it was a tough one, one that requires, ehhhhh..." Francis looked at Jackson. "The right mindset."

He wasn't sure of how he wanted to explain this to Jackson, there was so many things he could say, and so many ways it could be misinterpreted. "Even then, I'd give it more thought. Maybe the universe could be telling you to chill out!" He joked.

Jackson had been uncharacteristically silent. He didn't offer up a chuckle at that bad joke Francis had made. "Believe me, I know what goes into becoming an agent of RAVEN. I've heard the stories. I know it's hell, but I've visited hell once or twice. I can handle it." He stated with an unyielding determination. "Listen, I'm not good at a lot of things. If you asked me to try and solve some advanced math problem or build you something, the odds aren't in my favor to do it. What I am good at is fighting. I've spent most of my life doing it, so this is the only thing that makes sense to me, Francis. I know it's what I was meant to do."

"No, no, no," Francis put both of his hands up. "There's a difference between superpowered street fights, and what RAVEN - a world of difference, n'fact." He didn't think that Jackson got it - he didn't think that Jackson would ever get it. But, Jackson would learn the hard way if he decided to go through with this.

"Keep saying things like that, and the recruiters are gonna show you the door," Francis warned, that smile of his turning upside down, as he narrowed his eyes at Jackson. "You gotta take this seriously... I know that RAVEN doesn't want another hotshot knucklehead in their ranks."

Jackson heard what Francis was saying. Even if the older male didn’t think so, he did. But, maybe Francis wasn’t hearing what Jackson was saying. He knew what RAVEN dealt with. He knew exactly what kind of world they dealt with on a daily basis. He knew exactly what sort of creatures and things from the shadows they fought. Hell, Jackson saw them at both that nightclub and the mall. He knew what was out there. What’s even more, he could handle whatever else he didn’t know about threw at him.

"And you don't think I'm not? People I know and care about got hurt because I wasn't strong enough to save them. My parents died because I wasn't strong enough to protect them. Then there's Levi. I wasn't around to help him, so don't imply that I'm not taking this seriously, Francis." He said, looking Francis directly into his eyes. "I can handle it, but I won't be able to show you - or anyone else at RAVEN - if I'm not given the chance." Jackson stated, "that's all I'm asking for: a chance to show everyone that I'm more than meets the eye."

'Everyone's 'more than what meets the eye, friend.' Francis thought, nearly speaking out loud, but held his tongue out of fear that he'd just fall on deaf ears again. Such as what he said to Jackson thus far... begrudgingly. While Jackson probably did feel as if he was taking it seriously as he could be, Francis didn't get that impression. That he didn't exactly understand what he was getting into, and RAVEN was some super hero club. Francis tried to explain it, but the man had to be blunt if Jackson was going to learn

"It ain't really up to me," Francis began his explanation. "I could put in a recommendation for you... but, I have to be honest here if you really wan' go through with this..."

He took a sigh. "I ain't an expert on American customs, but you don't really sound like someone they want to put out on the streets. You sound... headstrong, cocky. Just because ya' survived two little incidents doesn't make you experienced... nor does it mean you're gonna survive against like the likes of ZODIAC."

Before he would say anything, Jackson thought for a few, long moments. Maybe Francis was right. Perhaps he truly didn't understand what was out there. Or maybe he was way in over his head. Maybe what he wanted to be wasn't necessarily the right path for him. Or, perhaps, hearing the doubts as he sat in front of them was going to drive him even further to prove everyone wrong. Right now, they saw him as some cocky brat. That's what he heard from almost anyone that held any position of authority or power. It didn't stop him from proving them wrong then and it wouldn't stop him now.

"You said you're not the one who makes this decision. Who is it? Who do I have to prove that I'm serious about this?" Jackson asked, determined to pursue this despite Francis' previous statements.

"The recruitment officer," Francis matter of factly answered. "Never personally met 'im, but I heard he only picks people that'll be the best RAVEN has to offer."

Jackson thought on it for a moment, then he would shrug slightly. "Just point me in his direction. I'll take care of the rest." Jackson stood up from his chair, though he kept his eyes on Francis.

"Before you can even talk to 'im, you'll have to fill out a form," Francis said. "And to do that, you'll have to ask the nice lady at the front desk, and see where it goes from there...."

With that, Jackson stood up, thanking Francis with a handshake. "I appreciate everything you have done for me, Francis. I do understand becoming an agent of RAVEN is no easy task, but I am determined. I shall prove you that I am ready." Jackson told Francis studiously, taking his leave from Francis' office.

Jackson made his way back to the front desk receptionist and explained his situation and his meeting with Francis. After a few back and forth, she gave him the form he needed to fill it out. "Alright, so I just fill it out and bring it back here? What happens next?" Jackson asked before he would leave. He wanted to make sure he had everything understood before he made the journey back home.

"I'll schedule an appointment with the recruitment officer if you meet our qualifications." The secretary said.

Jackson gave a nod of understanding to the secretary...receptionist - whatever they were called, he gave that nod to her, and took a seat a nearby chair.

The form itself was pretty traditional. He'd filled these kinds of forms plenty of times in the past. So it was really just about putting down the right information: name, age, gender, what he did for a living, physical stats, and that sort of thing. There also seemed to be the additional bonus of a metahuman-specific section that covered a variety of subjects. That's where Jackson had a bit difficulty filling it out. He honestly didn't know the limits of his power; not really, anyway. Still, he'd fill it out to the best of his abilities. Regarding the name of it, his best guess was some kind of fire wave emission-like ability. After that, there was a bit about his insurance and what fighting abilities he had. He put that down too. Jackson didn't have great insurance. Given his low income, he could only afford the basic, welfare-level insurance. As for his fighting abilities, he put it in great detail how he spent almost ten years in Brazil learning capoiera. He wasn't necessarily a master, but he's well-versed in the art.

After about ten or so minutes of concentrating on finishing the form, Jackson got up, and approached the lady at the front desk, handing her the form. "Here you are. I hope everything checks out." Jackson commented with a half-nervous smile.

The receptionist took one look at it, before she took the form. "I'll make sure this gets to him soon as possible, and I'll definitely give you a call if he wants to go somewhere from there."

As he would leave, Jackson was feeling good about this. He didn't want to jinx it or anything, but for the first time in a long time, he actually was hopeful about his future. Whether it would last remained to be seen, but after the shit week he had, there seemed to be a light at the end of the bleak tunnel he had been lost in for quite some time.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

He made sure to listen intently to Shion, but he caught the disappointed glance from Emiri. He knew how she felt about all of this, but she could probably sense it in the air. Something about this felt like there was no avoiding it. Destiny wasn’t something Jaakuna liked to accept, but when there was a flame in front of him that seemed to be closely related to him, even more than he probably knew. He had a theory, but that wasn’t going to be made public until he had all of the facts.

And as Shion explained that she made this from her own soul and how she didn’t even know who it was going to be fore, Jaakuna scratched his head. “That still doesn’t explain why you think it’s my weapon.” Jaakuna stated, feeling like a broken record. “I understand it resembles Belias a great deal and being a primary fire magick user, it makes sense, but you aren’t telling us everything, are you.”

“I’ve told you enough,” Shion started.

“No!!” Jaakuna snapped, cutting Shion off. “If this is truly going to be the one thing that makes me the only person who can defeat this Venat person, you owe me the whole story.” He stated, sternly looking at Shion in her amber eyes.

“Only isn’t the right word for it,” She told him quietly.

“Then what word would you use?”

For the first time in a long time, Shion visibly hesitated for a moment. She seemed to think of quite a few things to say, although for the moment, she said nothing. Her lips parted for a small sigh as she looked at her hand, still contemplating. At that point, Emiri let out a huff, crossing her arms. “Quick to throw your responsibilities at others at a whim, yet someone asks you for the same respect and you say nothing!” She couldn’t help but snap.

“Of course. This would be the first time I’ve asked someone for anything,” She replied slowly. “Although...if I must speak the truth, the phrase I mean to say is...you would be the second choice.”

Second? “So much for ‘made for him’,” Emiri scoffed.

“Because it is. As I said, this was a long time in the making...and at first, I had hoped I would be the one to take him down…” She closed her eyes, a rather forlorn expression on her face. “I’m not giving this to you out of a need for the world. I’m giving this to you because I want to.”

Color Jaakuna surprised. This was the first time that he had actually heard Shion open herself up to him. Actually wanting to do something for him without something in return or having it be her last choice. This was something she actually wanted to do. And yet, as Jaakuna contemplated that, there was still something that was left unanswered. “If you are the first choice and you can’t use it for whatever reason, then tell me why you made it in the first place and for what reason? I think—no, I know—you owe us the whole story. We trust you Shion. I know it doesn’t seem like it, but we do. More importantly, I trust you. It’s time you return the favor.” As Jaakuna speak, he could feel it. This...weapon was more than just a weapon. Sure crafted from her own soul, it was something that Jaakuna felt change him, but for the better.

He likely didn’t understand what it was that he was asking for. Or maybe he did and just didn’t care. “That’s not it. I...I wasn’t the first choice,” She started slowly, though she seemed resigned to it. “I should have been. There was...hm. I suppose now is as good a time as ever.” She muttered, closing her palm for the moment, although the marks on her arm remained visible--clearly due to Jaakuna’s will.

She crossed her arms, staring at the ceiling. “I suppose the truth is...I feel responsible for his rise of power, considering that I let it get so far. Of course, at the time, I was his prodigy.”

“By ‘his’ you are referring to Zodiark--I mean Venat?” Wesley intervened, musing aloud.

“Yes.”

Emiri’s eyes widened considerably, though she instinctively walked up to Jaakuna, taking his hand in hers nervously. Grant raised his eyebrows, interested, though he seemed more intrigued than surprised, though once again he would catch Keiran’s too-giddy smile. So he knew. Nadeline looked curious as well, though she wasn’t entirely sure how to respond.

Jaakuna would take only a moment to think about what she said. It was shocking, to say the least but that didn’t stop him from wanting to know the whole truth. “Please continue, Shion.” Jaakuna uncharacteristically remained calm, letting Shion continue with her tale.

“You’re probably too young to remember, but I come from a town that no longer exists thanks to your country--Nepal. The short of it is that after its destruction, I developed a craving for more power. And so I went to him, to the false Zodiark. But...I suppose the truth is a bit more complicated than that. That is indeed how it began...though I was not alone in my hunger. It was primarily myself and two others named Rio and Avria...and Zodiark--Venat would decide to give us our ‘gifts’. I had no trouble with it--I still believe I exceeded even his expectations. But power only leads to greed...Rio would not have it that I was stronger than he.

When we were young, he was an idealist. But he was also extremely protective, he wanted to be the hero everyone worshipped. I think...with power, he became obsessed with the idea. I didn’t see it until I had surpassed him. I never thought he would turn his blade on me...It’s chilling to see someone you love to raise a blade at you.”

Emiri shifted uncomfortably from one heel to the other, her eyes darting at Jaakuna nervously. Shion would continue, either not noticing or not caring. “He was always kind...I truly thought we would be together far longer than we were. I still believe that Venat had given him more power on purpose, and it drove him to insanity. He would slay Avria before my eyes...and I took it upon myself to kill him. Venat was...satisfied to see my suffering. His sadism knows no bounds.”

She seemed to catch herself, shaking her head. “I suppose the truth is that I had hoped Rio would help me slay Venat, but...that wasn’t how things were meant to be. I would forsake the power given to me, instead forging a blade from my own soul...but it isn’t enough. For someone that lives and breathes for battle, there’s only so much one can do. It isn’t until you gain a certain passion...a zest for life itself that you can see what power actually is. Perhaps, if I had an Esper to guide me, I would have gone to face Venat by now. But I decided...it was best left in someone else’s hands. You grew. You changed. So I took my sword, combined it with the Occuria’s power, and forged your weapon.” She said, shrugging. “Satisfied?”

“‘Satisfied’ isn’t the right word for it.” Jaakuna laughed at the irony of things. In their physical appearances and assumed mannerisms, Shion and Jaakuna were different from one another, but just as much they were different, there were similarities between the two.

Still, the tale she told did answer some questions he had, but the name Rio stuck out to him. And the name of the Forgotten Village of Nepal was something every student of the Archadian Imperial Army learned about. There was a lot of things in Archadia’s history that, when they looked back on it, they regretted—most of which were under Emperor Vayne Solidor’s rule. Following the undertaking from the Darcone family, Jackson’s ancestors tried to correct them. Though a few slips in the cracks, there was a silver lining when Lady Guinevere had went from Judge to Emperor and made harsh calls regarding old policies that had still remained in effect from the Solidor era, such as mining oil from the Sandsea furnaces. It was deemed inhumane and in violation of a treaty with Rozarria. It was a show of goodwill between longtime rivals. However, there was a lot of animosity between the two already. And the constant trekking into Nabradia didn’t make anyone feel any better.

When Guinevere's son, fifteen-year-old Niles Darcone took over her role after she passed just ten years after she assumed leadership. He was a ruthless bastard, they said. Jaakuna couldn’t believe exactly what his motives were, but he wanted to control more of Nabradia’s territory, which led to the first Ivalice Civil War with Archadia against Nabradia and Dalmasca. This conflict lasted for ten, gruesome years, and cost a collective of five-hundred-thousand lives. It caused so much death that some often refer to it as The Naught of Nabradia. Many smaller countries, villages, and towns were brought to their knees. Either they showed support for Niles or they got destroyed and pillaged. Some bent the knee and some joined the opposing side, but one was so defiant that they were wiped off first.

“Nepal,” Jaakuna said as if in disbelief. “You can’t be from Nepal. That was...” Jaakuna shook his head, trying to gather his thoughts. “It was destroyed three hundred years ago.”

“Two hundred ninety-four years ago,” Shion corrected him with a straight face.

Nadeline blinked a few times, a hand to her chin. She peered at Shion, examining her face. Not a single wrinkle in sight--she couldn’t have been that much older than her own mother. “You’re telling us you’re three hundred years old?” She asked in disbelief.

“Three hundred and two,” Shion corrected Nadeline, her expression unchanging.

Grant’s jaw dropped. He looked positively bewildered--how was that possible? “Do viera even live that long?” Emiri asked, trying to make sense of things. “I thought that was biological…”

“I’m not a viera,” She corrected Emiri. “I’m still a hume...mostly,” She coughed at her last word.

“That’s not possible! The longest a hume has ever lived on record is only a hundred and ten years!” Nadeline couldn’t help but burst out, clearly baffled.

“Might want to write it down in that great big book of everything you carry around.” Savayna said to Nadeline. “Now it’s three hundred and two years--maybe add about forty to fifty years.” She looked at Shion, sizing her up from her face to her body. “Yup, definitely fifty.” Shion gave Savayna a glare in return.

“Lady Shion, I have to admit that you kept your form in your...experienced age.” Wesley stated, choosing his words carefully.

“Mistress, does my father know about this?” Michel asked curiously.

Shion stopped glaring at Savayna long enough to answer Michel, “I don’t know. Ironically, I’ve always found myself attracted to older men...fate can be cruel,” She lamented for a moment, lightly flipping your hair.

As much as she wanted the conversation to get back on track, Emiri couldn’t help but ask, “So you’re...immortal? Was it a spell? Pact with the gods? How is your skin still so flawless?!”

“You can do anything so long as you’re determined enough,” Shion replied cheerfully, giving Emiri a fake smile. “Eat right, drink lots of water, and exercise~”

“That’s...not a real answer, is it?”

“Does it matter?” She asked, dropping the act almost immediately.

I actually want to know why, too… Grant lamented mentally.

“You told us this much, so might as well as tell us how you lived this long.” Wesley added, feeling as though it was moot to stop now. Grant was eternally grateful for Wesley’s equal curiosity.

“It happened after I was forced to kill my beloved,” Shion stated, her hand to her heart. “To be torn away from your lover is worse than death--and so rather than die, I am cursed to roam Ivalice...forever suffering from heartache…”

“That’s not it either, is it?” Emiri asked, deadpan.

Shion raised her eyebrows, pointing at the brunette. “No. But if you don’t watch your step, that’ll be where you end up.”

“I beg your pardon?” Nadeline asked.

“The more I think about it, the more you remind me of him,” Shion admitted. “Kind and gentle...and yet, a thirst for power unlike any other. You’d do well to watch yourself, Scion of Time. Or that could very well be your fate.” Emiri froze in place. She wasn’t sure if Shion was being serious or not, but it definitely struck a chord. Was that really how others perceived her? She took a step back, uncomfortable. Shion clucked her tongue, seemingly deciding to change the subject--or rather, return to the topic at hand. “I made a pact. Until that pact is fulfilled, I will continue to live in Ivalice.”

“With whom?”

Shion placed a single finger on her lips. “That’s a secret.”

Jaakuna found himself quiet during this whole ordeal. He had been trying to remember where he had heard the name Rio before. He knew he heard it from Vincent and his father when he was younger. “Your...Rio wouldn’t be Rio Corona, would he?” Jaakuna asked, still unsure if he was even right.

Savayna jerked her head around and looked towards Jaakuna. It seemed as though he might’ve caught on. She was surprised that he had actually paid attention to the history lessons during their younger days. Weirder things have happened, so maybe she shouldn’t be all that shocked.

“The one and only,” Shion confirmed his suspicions rather wistfully.

“Now it makes sense.” Jaakuna felt like he was just hit with a big hand right in the fact. “The one who nearly drove Archadia to its brink and almost sacrificed everything my ancestors worked towards and everything that Emperor Larsa hoped would be his legacy. Your…beloved nearly brought Ivalice to its knees. And for what? For power? For useless power to make himself feel strong? He wasn’t strong, Shion. I’m sorry to tell you this, but I’m sure you know this more than anyone. He was weak because he thought power gained through a false prophet was real power.”

The more Jaakuna spoke, the more he was understanding everything and why this was meant for him. But also he was beginning to understand why this was his responsibility. He got that now. Rio Corona, known for his strength and unyielding bravery in the wars he commanded, was no better than Vayne Solidor. Hell, at a time, he was no better than Jaakuna was. But that was a time when Jaakuna was lost and sought for answers. Now it was clear.

“To defeat this false prophet, one has to have been one of his willing puppets and overcome his influence. I understand now.”

Shion imitated the sound a bell makes, wagging her finger with the sound. “Ding! Ding! We’re fortunate you’re able to catch on eventually,” She stated, though her expression fell back into its usual, more serious tone. “And so here we are. Will you take it?” She asked as she would stand from the bed, extending her hand out to him.

Jaakuna nodded, getting closer to Shion as he looked at it intently. This was one of those once in a lifetime moments where a man came face to face with their destiny. And though he knew he had to take it, there was one more hint a doubt. He understood, yes, but the doubt still lingered. Shion would take her outstretched hand, beckoning for him to take it. Whatever doubts he had, he needed to accept them, and move on.

He knew he should, but Jaakuna’s mind still kept him from accepting it. No, he had accepted that he was the one to kill Venat. It was obvious to him that he was the only one left alive who could do it, but something else kept him from doing it. He wasn’t sure if it was his fear of what would happen should he take this power or how it might change him. Something about it all was...overwhelming. There was also one last thing about Shion’s story that Jaakuna needed to know. Though, before he would ask that last question, he looked around the room. “I understand everyone is curious, but I need to speak to Shion alone.” Jaakuna stated rather surprisingly.

Nadeline nodded in understanding as she would stand, smoothing out the wrinkles in her shirt. “Alright, we’ll give you some time, then,” She stated, pulling both Grant and Keiran with her, giving Jaakuna a smile as she would shove the pair ahead of her. Grant gave a (soundless) protest, though he did let out a yelp as Keiran would accidentally step on his foot. He blamed Nadeline, though he had little time to protest as Nadeline would continue to push them both out into the hallway.

“Very well. I hope you will be able to decide one way or another.” Wesley said to Jaakuna, offering the blond Archadian a smile. Savayna would look at Jaakuna longingly before just nodding to him. There seemed to be nothing else to say. And shortly, they would follow Nadeline out of the room and into the hallway.

Emiri looked at Jaakuna with a concerned expression, though it seemed she wasn’t sure what to say. She reluctantly looked at Shion, who simply gave her a rather intense (and admittedly cold) stare. Emiri frowned, though she seemed defeated, Shion’s words still ringing in her ears. She tried to give Jaakuna a smile but ended up giving up, instead simply walking right out of the room.

Jaakuna would stop Emiri from walking out, making sure she looked at him. “It won’t take long, then I’ll come find you, alright?” Jaakuna gave her a reassuring smile followed by a quick kiss.

She was speechless, although at least she nodded, able to return his smile as she would leave. Shion watched her for a moment, though she wouldn’t speak until the door was closed. “Venat would have made it so the two of you would have fought. He enjoys that situation,” She said as she would give Jaakuna her attention. “I warned her, so i suppose I should warn you as well. He’ll use any means necessary to cause you pain...and if it means using her, he won’t hesitate.” She paused for a moment, letting out a sigh. “What exactly is it that you want to know so badly you’d have the rest of your comrades leave?”

He let out a deep breath and looked at Shion. “So you can be completely honest with me, or did you not think I wouldn’t notice.”

“You’ll have to be a little more specific than that.”

Jaakuna sighed, “you should know, of all people, I know when Venat’s mist has infected a soul. It happened to me. It happened to Emiri. ” Jaakuna would say, pointing to Shion’s abdomen injury. “As you are with a lot of things, you’re rather skilled at hiding from those you do not wish to worry. Making it seem like it was just a flesh infection, but you and I both know that the reason you can’t hold onto your soul weapon--the real reason you have to give it to me now--is because if you keep it any longer, it’ll become infected.” Jaakuna deduced, “isn’t that right?”

Shion actually smiled, crossing her arms. “And here I thought the princess was the only one to notice. Admittedly, it wouldn’t even be too much trouble, however…” She half-shrugged, clearly motioning towards her blackened arm. “Courtesy of your girlfriend, my hand was forced--no pun intended. I was given a week to live--three if I used magicks. So either my pact will have me bear unimaginable pain...or I’ll drop dead in another two days. We can see which will happen first.”

Jaakuna usually didn’t hate to be right, but this was one of the few times where he truly did hate his gut feeling. And as he had one single thought on his mind--two if you count the question he had in mind--Jaakuna knew that this was going to involve more than he would want it to, but, like Emiri did for her, Shion has forced Jaakuna’s hand. “Since your time is precious, I won’t bore you with politeness.”

“The fact that you’ve managed to stay relatively pleasant was a dead ringer that it wouldn’t last,” Shion replied in earnest. “Out with it already, then.”

“Two things: First, I want to hear the full story of this pact you have.” Jaakuna practically demanded of her. “And given your state of health and the odds of you seeing it through is unlikely, I suppose I will have to, along with accepting my weapon, I will bear your burdens.” Jaakuna let out a sigh. “I don’t know how we got here, but if you can’t do it, then I will avenge your friends and your people. As an Archadian, allow me to do this. It might not be able to make up for the horrors you have gone through--the horrors you continue you go through--but, at the very least, it might be able to provide you with some comfort in your final days.” Surprisingly, Jaakuna actually sounded almost like a man of honor and not some quick-witted knuckleheaded idiot.

Now it was her turn to scoff at him. “I have too many things to do before I die. Don’t go writing me off so easily,” She scolded him as she would glare. After a moment, it would soften slightly. “This is no longer about revenge. My home will never come back. My family will remain dead. Nothing I do will ever bring Rio or Avria back; they live only my memories. If it’s personal, it would be making sure Venat dies and I get a chance to dance on his grave for all his wrongdoings.” She placed a hand on her cheek as she spoke, though she let out a sigh. “Besides...I will take responsibility for my own suffering. If you’re going to take on anyone’s burdens, it should be hers.” She told him, looking at the door once more.

He let out an annoyed groan. It became evident to him that she became pig-headed in her old age. “Usually when someone offers to make another’s last days easier for them, they say--oh, I don’t know? Thank you.” Jaakuna clearly was irked by her stubbornness. “I am not trying to write you off, Shion. Anyone who knows you wouldn’t dare do anything like that, but maybe see it from my perspective. I am trying to right the wrongs my ancestors did. You are the sole survivor of Nepal and I am the heir to the Archadian Empire. We both have the power to do something great and wonderful here. So, maybe instead of fighting me on this and holding onto whatever notions you have of bearing the burden of your people on your own, allow me to share those burdens. I’m not asking you as Jaakuna Hinoko, the Sky Pirate who has given you one too many headaches; I am asking you as Jackson Darcone, rightful Emperor of Archadia.” Jackson took Shion’s hands as if pleading with her but without actually begging. “Let me help you.”

“What a serious expression. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were about to propose to me.” She raised an eyebrow at him, though she would look him right in the eye. For a moment, she would say nothing, although she would nod. “I’ll have to add to the deal, then. If I tell you about the pact, not only will you take your weapon, one of the first things you should do is take care of that problem in the hallway,” She would tell him, looking back at the door. “I can’t ask for much, but if that problem is taken care of, then I can help Aloa in her search.”

Problem? Jaakuna wondered what she meant. He gave her a raised eyebrow expression of his own, curious by what she meant. The thought of Emiri came to him, but what if that wasn’t just it? Jaakuna had to think about it, though he simply brushed it aside. Had he gone deep into thought, he’d space for hours.

“You mean Emiri, right? She’s hardly a problem.” Jaakuna assured her.

“She is a problem,” She corrected him. “Kind and gentle...and with a thirst for power. As they say, the best intentions are the most dangerous. Watch her carefully. Stay by her side. And whatever happens...if it comes down to it, you’ll have to be the one to keep her safe.” She seemed to change her thought mid-sentence.

There was obviously something he was missing, but Jaakuna knew all too well that when Shion said something, no matter how crass it came across, it was right. Before he would have fought her on it, but he knew all too well about the dangers of Emiri. Regardless, he simply would nod. “I won’t let her end up like Rio. You have my word.”

Shion closed her eyes, though she would take a few steps back away from Jaakuna. She extended her good hand, though rather than Belias’ Sigil, another foreign symbol would appear. This one, however, would appear not only on her arm, but her chest, legs, and two marks on her cheeks. She opened her eyes, though rather than amber, they shined red. “It’s time I told you about the pact. Though it’s easier shown than explained,” She stated as she approached him, her hand extending towards him, a single finger hitting his forehead.

Naruto: Revival

^{Konohagakure | Chunin | NinTai-nin}

---

^{TIME: Present Day - Morning | LOCATION: Konohagakure - Exam Stage, Earth Challenge Room | INTERACTION: Cloud Eyes@Ladyinink Stick Man@Reflection Our Windseeker@Syn}

Funny how the tables were turned. As if like the flick of a wrist, Kurin, though he seemed reluctant to admit it, was forced to give up leadership to Jaakuna because of the simple and pure fact that, out of all of them, Jaakuna was the only one with the means to light it up. But, of course, as Kiku mentioned, Jaakuna was impulsive. Usually he took that as a compliment, but the way she worded didn’t make that sound like it. Still, he let it go because that’s what a leader did. They thought the better of the team. He was trying to figure out exactly what to do. He took the advice of his team to heart. He was probably their best asset against the golem when it was activated—if it activated. Jaakuna wasn’t clear on the details, but one thing he knew was that he had to think long and hard.

Weigh out the options and try to come up with a plan of action. You’re a man of action, Jaakuna Hinoko. You’re a proud man of the Hinoko Clan. You’re the one who has the strongest display of your clan’s hiden technique. If anyone can think of a way to solve this with the least amount of collective fatigue and or damage, it’s you. After all, you want to be a jonin, don’t you? Well prove it; prove you think of a decent course of action. It’s your time to man up. Make up for that shameful screaming in the previous room. “You. Are. The. Man. You got this. You feel great! You. Can. Do. This.”

Oh, did he say that out loud? Whoops.

Jaakuna shook it off, looking at his team. It seems two of them—Windseeker and Cloud Eyes—already took the initiative. “Well fuck me.” Jaakuna shrugged, then looked to Kurin. “Make sure we don’t die, kay?” He gave him a smile and took the unoccupied hole on the left. He glanced towards Shizuka and Kiku, giving them the a-okay. “On three. One, two, three!” when he gave the command, each of them would input their own chakra, equally distributing it throughout the three mechanisms. At this point, they could only pray for the best and prepare for the worse.