[Action in Lindblum (I think?)]

[twincasting]

[Anyone could be forgiven for thinking there wasn't a forest full of the birds at the base of Mount Ordeals with how Porom's been jumping at every little sound and demanding to know if Ursula thinks it's a chocobo. Apparently, hearing that they're expected back soon only managed to make her fret more. Which is quite the achievement, considering how

Comments

[for_cosmos]

[The healing is only mostly not needed. It's pretty much impossible for the warrior to emerge from a battle with Chaos/Garland completely unharmed. The worst of the injuries had been healed soon after the battle, after magic had tried and failed to revive those who had died, or had woken those who were knocked out.

The healing isn't as surprising as seeing who it's from, though. His dismount is probably the fastest and most ungraceful in the history of chocobo riding.]

Porom!

[twincasting]

You're back! Are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened? Do you need anything-

[...yeah, that might be continuing for a while. She's just a little frantic as she checks him for injury.]

[for_cosmos]

I am fine. I promised you.

[Curespamming probably had something to do with that. He's not about to tell her the rest of what happened yet, since it will probably only make her more worried, instead of less.]

[twincasting]

[-it takes her a few seconds to process that. Because she's already worked herself up into a bit of a frenzy with worry. But eventually she calms down, at least enough to remember how breathing works.]

...thank goodness you're safe.

[lunarianlegacy]

[Ceodore's eager to dismount the moment his chocobo hits the ground, and even before that landing, he's scanning the faces of those waiting for their return, trying to pick out a blonde head. The moment he spots Ursula, he's urging the bird to hurry up and as soon as it's close enough to the ground, he's off and running for her. Porom's curespam goes unnoticed even because he's doggedly focused on getting to Ursula as fast as humanly possible.]

[petalwhirlwind]

[Of course Ursula is there. She seems better off than went he left her...physically, at least. Granted, she didn't fall to pieces after he left, but some concern was inescapable. Upon spotting him, though, she sighs in relief and rushes toward him. There's so much she wants to know, but at the moment, she's just glad she's alright.]

[lunarianlegacy]

[First things first, he catches Ursula for possibly the tightest hug he's ever given anyone, and then hides his face in her neck and does nothing more than breathe. He's taking the outcome as hard and serious as can be and losing Lilisette when he'd been the one to protect her was shaking him to the core.]

[petalwhirlwind]

Ceodore....

[She says his name softly, concerned but not prompting him to speak before he's ready. She also doesn't let go, wanting to give what comfort she can.]

[rebornaninsect]

[Meanwhile, Golbez is waiting at the edges of the group for the party to return. His first concern- that Cecil and Rosa didn't make it back- is assuaged the moment he sees the group arrive. It's also a relief to see Ceodore and Kain safe, though the last merely because the death of his friend would do little for Cecil's well-being.

He waits until the rest of the greetings and activity has died down, before beginning to approach his younger brother.]

Cecil.

[trinitycrusades]

[It's not difficult to spot Golbez, and Cecil turns to greet him as he approaches. The Warrior and Porom were a momentary distraction, but there's now a noticeably sombre mood about Cecil, after Lilisette's death... and what happened to both Zidane and Lufene. Even if Lufene had been an enemy, even if she'd personally tried to kill them aboard the Lunatic Pandora, and all her other crimes, she hadn't deserved such a terrible fate. Lilisette had deserved hers even less.

He's still carrying the pouch with Lilisette's belongings, and he's not about to let it out of his sight. Even if he couldn't protect her, taking care of it is the only thing he can do, now.]

Brother. [He decides to get straight to the point -- because Golbez would want to know.] Garland has escaped us.

[rebornaninsect]

[The solemn mood is obvious as Golbez approaches, so he expects bad news- hearing this of Garland isn't what he expected, or wanted, to hear, but it doesn't completely shock him. After a moment he nods, and gets right to the point himself.]

How?

[trinitycrusades]

Before we could defeat him, four monsters appeared -- not unlike the four Archfiends of our world. I don't understand exactly what happened, but somehow, they changed Garland into Chaos, and allowed him to flee.

[What bewildered Cecil is that those four fiends were exactly the same as those he remembered battling from the crystals on the Creator's Moon. Not to mention...]

It's almost as though Garland and Chaos are one and the same, but that makes little sense. Garland was a Warrior of Chaos himself, wasn't he?