FINAL TRIAL

[strangerpeople]

FINAL TRIAL

[Soon enough, soon enough.

The ticking doesn't stop by the time everyone starts to congregate at the temple. It's ultimately not hard to find; after going north for a little bit, it becomes all too clear where the temple is.]




[The very top of the temple has a room, one of cold stone and blood. There is a stone table at the center; there is nothing on it but dried blood. There are no chairs, no food, no coffins-only small, hastily-scribbled circles to indicate where people might need to stand to face their captors.

And stand they will need to, as they wait for the Stewards to arrive. The time for what will very likely be a final confrontation is almost upon them. Now it's just a question of putting together the clues they've found-and seeing if there truly is a way out of this predicament.

Only one thing is certain-at this point, anything is possible.]



[It's time! The objectives are simple in this trial. It's time to finally answer the questions the Titled have about why they are here, and what, exactly, the route they all intend to take after five long weeks - especially when the Stewards arrive.

GOOD LUCK, TITLED!]

[EDIT: VOTING IS OPEN! This will close at midnight EST on May 25th!]

Comments

[joinhands]

Someone who looked just like you! Except a little—yes, different, but basically like you! He called me through a mirror just like this! He got a mirror and phone number in here through the barrier, so I had no choice to obey him in case he sent in a bomb! Not that he was so uncouth as to threaten me, of course, he acted nice and wise and authoritarian! Like you!

[She thrusts out the photo of Soul and Maka]

You have no idea who these sweet, precious children who trusted you are? We have their poor souls with us! And one's skeleton!

[necroyalty]

I hate to alarm you, but...

I tried speaking to the skeleton. Using my own world's necromantic art.

All it could do was make what I only assumed was its last sounds in life.

They were drowning.

[joinhands]

That's... that's what I thought might have happened...

[clenched fist

intense emotion]

In this world, souls and skeletons are both just helpless remains...

[incendiarize]

I saw what they did to him...it- it was bad. Not as bad as what happened to the girl with the angel soul.

[15unknowns]

If they are indeed from the future, as you claim that they traveled to the past, how could I know them!

[I mean. Krone. No offense. Time travel.]

And yet, that Arachnophobia would still harm them, regardless...what a cruelty. It doesn't matter where or when they came from.That is unforgivable.

[joinhands]

He knew them! Why would he tell a lie that our clairvoyants could disprove so easily? I had no reason to assume this mirror doesn't connect to the future!

Arachnophobia may use tactics that are wrong, but they're just trying to bring back Lady Arachne! After what you people did to her!

[15unknowns]

Then, if he knew them in the future, I can only do what I must to ensure they are given peace after their tragedy. And to ensure no one else suffers in such a way again!

[...]

I see. Then, do you condone what Arachne did to humans without provocation? Do you understand what allowing Arachne to return truly means?

[relieable]

What did... she do to humans?

[whiterosefoes]

Turning them into erasers, for one.

[15unknowns]

She would torture them, kill them, and turn those who survived into weapons, for a start.

[His face darkens.]

Her ultimate goal is to transform the world and any who might survive her madness, into a reflection of herself. For this, she betrayed even her fellow Witches, who themselves have the pull of destruction within them that compels harm towards humans.

[yonosoymaria]

So, then, this is a world where I would have been killed anyway? No, no, don't tell me, first tell me what a witch is to you!

[incendiarize]

Uh....I dunno if it helps any, but the lady's soul wasn't like any of the others we've seen. Hers was purple...

So it's probably a pretty big difference from non-witches?

[yonosoymaria]

Yes, and being able to set things on fire and spear them with ice using your mind is a pretty big difference, too. We are still human, we still bleed, we still die, we still wake up in the morning with a headache after drinking too much! Only superstitious idiots think we serve evil!

[incendiarize]

I think it's more than just having that kind of power... I do that kind of stuff using alchemy, but Armoroad's Zodiacs do it with power from the stars somehow, and the Runemasters of Tharsis can do it just by drawing in the air, and they're still just like everyone else. Hexers and War Magi, too.

Witch on this world might mean more than it does in yours.

[necroyalty]

There are many people capable of wielding magic in my world, but typical witches are either benign, simple folk who commune with the powers of nature, or fey abominations in the guise of the elderly.

It's more than a little confusing.

[joinhands]

"Without provocation"...

[She broadly rolls her eyes.]

Yes, Lady Arachne is a brutal warlord. But aren't you a warlord too, Mr. Shinigami? How am I supposed to believe you're truly an avatar of "peace and freedom" instead? Telling me I'm wrong about how souls work, without proof? Exactly what the last guy did.

[15unknowns]

I will never claim to be perfect, but regardless of what you were told by that false person claiming to be me, I have no interest in anything except to keep humans safe from the cruelty of madness. Humans have the right to free will! The witch, however, doesn't even care for that. She cares for nothing and no one but herself. Anyone who dies because of her wishes-whether they work for her or not-are nothing to her.

That is why she is dangerous. If left unchecked, no one would survive.

[yonosoymaria]

That is. But are we?

[Eric is not seeing Shinigami. There's been enough time travel talk that he's seeing someone altogether different....]

You lied to a boy once. Told him he'd find what he sought if only he fought. Should he believe a single word from you now he's a man?

[15unknowns]

[Shinigami stares at Eric for a moment.]

You are in the thresh of madness. On a dark road that may be difficult to turn back from.

I have never known you before this moment. I would never force a person to do something against their will. So I will say this.

No one is unforgivable, unless they choose to throw the chance away.

Whoever told you such a thing about fighting was a fool for saying it. To live freely is the most important thing.

[yonosoymaria]

So we're to believe you both magnanimous and our Saviour, then. When none of us has met you, so far as you say.

Can you grant absolution, then, to one who thought you were giving the orders?

[15unknowns]

I do not claim to be a savior, but to know whether there is absolution to be given, I would have to know their crimes. And whether they were truly willing participants or not. If they were not, just like with the other demons weapons who were forged by Arachne, forgiveness can be sought.

But ultimately, no matter what I may be able to offer, no matter how much I would wish to help them, the choice must be theirs to accept it. But if they were to throw away the chance, then I myself would be left with no choice but to fight.

[yonosoymaria]

Is that the threat it sounds like, "stop questioning me and I'll maybe offer you a chance to be redeemed"? My father's God doesn't demand such a thing! Even the Church in the East doesn't worship a God who hangs damnation over people's heads that way!