And the Moon never shined... (Plot Thread 4.3)

[Claire Equinox]

Claire turned to his voice and the look she had Eli could not describe, it was sadness...and joy at the same time. When she turned to him it bore no hostility, but of kindness. She had made her way to Eli he would have drawn his blade, but he found it hard to...then she pulled him into a hug: that may as well been a jaw dropper.

"We finally see each other again..." she said to him. "It's so hard to believe the last time we met...was thirteen years ago years ago, and you always wanted me to chase you...so long ago."

[Eli Ventus]

Eli spluttered and pushed away from her, not only a little freaked out and unsure about what was going on...but her hug was smothering him against her chest and he wasn't quite sure about how he felt about that!

"What are you talking about? Are you telling me we met before?" he asked, body tense and hand hovering over his weapon.

[King Roxa Hiaten]

Roxa unsheathed his swords upon seeing the monsters and gritted his teeth, he was unsure if he was capable of a proper fight. But all the same, he was not going to just lay down and die! He couldn't afford to, not when he had so much to lose. He started hacking through the monsters that had been unleashed upon them. He was plannig on reserving his magic so as not to waste it, but then he realized... He didn't feel all that drained.

"What the..?" he muttered to himself before blasting a monster back with magic, feeling little to no drain much to his own surprise, still he wouldn't turn down this strength. Noticing Eli being pulled into a hug by Claire, he smiled as he pushed her away.

"Be right there Eli!" he yelled, blowing more monsters away.

[Vash, the Angel's Moon]

Following Tidus' attack, I laid another volley of Lunar bullets into Volkmar. Realizing that my blast did some good, I sent another one forward, again attacking with my cross, hoping that I could draw and purify some of the energy Volk was feeding on. Noticing that Sayara had left, I nodded.

Best keep her out of the fighting. In the state she was in, she wouldn't be of much help.

Ketu, I prayed, Luna... goddesses of my people, keep Sayara safe, and help me to see clearly.

I returned my focus to the battle at hand.

[Claire Equinox]

Claire did not react with her own weapon but merely nodded, "Yes...I knew your father, Sagat Harvey."

When Eli froze in shock she continued, "Your father...was my closest friend, he looked after me when I was a young girl...even though he had his own family on Allorum he would come back to the station to be with me...and what was left of our people..."

"Our...people..." Eli spoke, "Wait, if my father knew you and what you say is true, then he was a-"

"Ketulunaian yes...making you part Ketulunain too Eli," she said, walking to him. "You carry half our blood and half of the wretched Allorum blood...but that doesn't matter, I was hoping to see you again Eli."

[Eli Ventus]

Eli's mind was reeling, his father was one of them...a Ketulunain? But what's with the change in her attitude, first she wanted him dead now she's happy to see him?

"Hold on...you wanted me dead!" he said, "If I was that important to you why did you to kill me?!"

Claire hesitated, "I...I didn't recognize you...ashamed as I am, I didn't know you were...not until I was told."

"Told...?" Eli asked, "Who told you, was it the Shade?!"

Claire shook her head. "No, not the Shade. I met with him a while back, when you were still in Ghiaccio. I met him once...years ago..."

She trailed off, "An arrogant man...who got Sagat, your father, killed for his recklessness. I hated him ever since, but he came to me...with what was intended with a deal, but after I heard what he wanted it was more a mutual want than a deal."

"Deal...what deal..." Eli asked.

"The crystal and your safety, we will take you aboard my station and you will survive the doom of Allorum."

"Who?!" Eli yelled, "Who made the deal?! Who was the one told you about me, tell me!!"

"It was me," the person spoke, causing Eli to turn and choke.

"No...not you...it...can't be!"

[Seth Dezari]

Seth Dezari stepped out, handing the crystal to Claire.

"It was me kid...calm down."

"No!" Eli yelled.

"Seth!" Andy's yell could be heard, he dropped down from the cliff ledge next to Eli. "You bastard! Why!?"

"To keep Sagat's kid alive," Seth responded.

"But they're gonna destroy all of Allorum!" Andy yelled, "You are a Lunar Knight, how could you-"

"Lunar Knight!" he yelled, "That damn accursed word! Wake up! The Lunar Knights are finished, there's nothing left but a broken view of how they used to be! Face it, the glory is over, we're not heroes anymore...just scum looked down upon. Can't change that...but what I can do is make up what I couldn't do for your father, keep you his son alive."

Eli's eyes were widened with shock, anger, and hurt as Seth held his hand out. "Come with us kid, it's where you belong...with your people."

[Andy Jammer]

Eli seemed really torn and confused about the situation, Andy turned to him sensing that confusion.

"Eli what's..."

"They told me I was part Ketulunain." Eli said, Andy's eyes widening. "And that my father was a Ketulunaian. I...I don't know what to do...what I'm supposed to do..."

"You have to listen to your instincts," Andy said, "Nationality doesn't mean anything when it comes down to making a decision, you gotta make the one that's not best for you...but for everyone around you."

"But..." Eli said, "I..."

"Hey, you know how they told you I'm from a planet called Earth?" he asked, Eli nodded. "Well I am not. I'm Alloruiam, born here in Ignis."

Eli's eyes widened as Andy crouched low for him to hear him speak, "But you know what...that doesn't mean a thing to me, my home is where I make it, this and Earth are my home and I make the choice that's best for both of them...not just one."

He put his hand on Eli's shoulder, "You may be a Lunar Knight, but you got the guts and mindset like a Hero Eli. And maybe Lunar Knights are meant for you, did you consider that?"

[Eli Ventus]

Eli looked at Andy and thought about it, looking at Seth and his outstretched hand he thought about everything the Blue Moon warrior said and everything he really was hiding behind cruel words. His berserk energy flared up and he rushed forward, tackling Seth down the crater.

-"What Heroes Are Made Of"

"No way Seth! I won't join them and I won't let you join them either, I'm gonna open your eyes!"

"Damnit kid!" Seth yelled as he fell, "I'm trying to save you!"



"No!" Claire turned to them only to be blocked off by Andy.

"I don't think you're going anywhere," he said, his gauntlets forming.

"Out of the way Alloruiam," Claire threatened, pulling a small stick out before it ignited with blue Lunar Energy.

"Make me," Andy taunted, leaping at her and using Tatsumaki Sempukakyu.

[Volkmar Gamlxltoe]

Volkmar roared as he got hit with the onslaught of attacks. Before the dust settled, he jumped out, and swung in scythe around him many times, making an infinite amount of arcs flying everywhere and exploding on contact. He then ran towards Tidus and threw a punch towards him.

Sayara was far enough away from both fights to be able to pray. She drew some markings in the sand and kneel in the sand. She just started to pray to the goddesses."Ketu, the Celestial Champion of the Blade, the Omega, the Wolf. Luna, the Celestial Sage of the Spell, The Alpha, The Owl. Mothers, Please hear my plea, your daughter is in need of help. Can you bless me with my wish?" She continued with her prayer, not realized or caring that the moon started to flare up, or the area around her, started to flare up with darkness.

[Kurai Horo]

Suddenly, a fair majority of the monsters attacking them started to distort in shape, their bodies seemed to twist inwards towards it's own centre mass as if they were caught in a torrential whirlpool. Then, theor bodies were sucked into themselves and were ne
never seen again, transported to somewhere else completely. Or maybe even dead, Kurai honestly didn't know. He stood there with his Sharingan but it looked... different... To say the least.

"Seth!" Kurai called out upon hearing his comrades true allegiance

"How could you?! The Lunar Knights are an order with a proud history! People have died for this order! I'd do it happily and you spit on their names" focusing his eye on more monsters, they were warped away. He was fighting his way to the crater, he needed to help Eli talk Seth back onside.

[Vash, the Angel's Moon]

I felt Ketuluna respond to Sayara; my sister's prayers have an unmistakable edge to them. She always has been good at getting our Mothers' attention. I grinned, dodging some arcs, blocking others, before leaping forward, swinging for another strike with my cross, this time charged with my own particular brand of Lunar energy, and I drank in the power that was growing around me.

Keep it up, sis, I thought silently. Mothers... watch over her.

[Yuna Kaname]

Yuna continued to try and flank Volkmar, attempting to keep him caught between the three of them. She loaded a special armor-piercing round and shot, trying to weaken Volk's protections and allow some of the others' attacks through.

She noticed a strange light beginning to gather around Vash, but she didn't have time to ponder what it meant.

[Seth Dezari]

Seth pushed Eli away from him and his magic activated, the rocks below them shoot before sharp spouts of water shot out to Kurai like spikes.

"The Lunar Knights are finished Kurai!" Seth yelled, "We're an extinct order now, there's nothing worth continuing!"

He felt a rise of power and saw Eli going into berserk mode, however as the youth charged at him he fired his own energy and canceled out Eli's untrained energy.

That should hold him back. Seth thought, only to be wrong. Eli continued to charge, head on, dodging the spikes Seth set up for Kurai.

"Eli what are you doing?!" Seth yelled, "you're gonna get-"

He was cut off when Eli jumped at him, swinging his blade. Seth pulled back but received a cut on his cheek. Eli landed on the ground, end of his sword dripping a small amount of blood.

"You got hit..." Eli said, "The Seth I knew wouldn't have let me gotten close to him! Why is now different?!"

He charged at Seth again, swinging at him. "You're holding back Seth! Are you absolutely sure you want all of Allorum to die?! Do you even believe in what Claire wants?! Answer me Seth!"

Seth didn't respond as he dodged Eli, however he yelled out when Eli's blade hit his leg, slowing him down a bit.

Eli was right, Seth's head wasn't in the game. He was usually much better than this.

[Kurai Horo]

Kurai leapt towards the spikes "Fireball Jutsu!" he yelled blowing a fireball towards the spikes of water, turning them into steam he burst through the cloud before landing in the crater next to Eli.

"You'd give up centuries of tradition, just because you think it's a finished order?" he asked calmly with a shake of his head, pulling out a kunai knife.

"Seth, please don't make us kill you, not here... Not today..." He started making flurried hand signals, before halting.

"Three gates" he whispered as lunar energy suddenly flowed through his hands, unlocking his third inner gate and giving him more access to his reservoir of energy.