Broken Mirror

Broken Mirror
Date of Scene:	08 July 2013
Location:	Costa Del Sol
Synopsis:	One cycle of vengeance begets more vengeance. Go figure.
Cast of Characters:	Riku, Angantyr Vespar

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Angantyr Vespar has posed:
Angantyr arrives in Costa Del Sol...

It seems that either he was forgiven or that he was never fingered in the first place...which is good for him because this is a major port hub. He walks through the town, and towards the port. Yes, he can use corridors, but he is trying to minimize his use of them lately...he has enemies in the Shadow Lords now...and Garland not withstanding. Not that Garland has trouble finding him, but every little bit to spit in Garland's eye...

Of course, this makes him easier to track by Arcadia. Right now, he is focused on securing transport back to Traverse Town, and getting some food. The last trip was very good for his wallet...but now that he hasn't been focused on making an army....he finds he really only continues to fighting marks for...

He hasn't figured that out yet. It was something to do...while he tries to find the place in his dream...and think about what they showed him. Was it too late to step back out of the dark? And of course...the stuff with Maira...his feelings asside..

Ugh...stop thinking brain.

Riku has posed:
Ugh..

He needed to get away from Archadia for awhile. Just for a day or two before thoughts of the graduation exam exploded his brain. He was /worrying/ about it in a way he should not be worrying.

And Costa Del Sol was alway a place to get away. Riku strolled along the beachfront with a disposable camera, occasionally taking a shot of the coastline.

He wandered back into town after a long walk along the beach, the little box up to his face as he spotted something through the viewfinder. Riku lowered the camera to look over it in the direction the camera had been pointing.

His fingers dug into the little plastic box and then he mastered his expression. He moves along the same path, tucking away the camera and moving to get some food himself. "Angantyr." he says with an obvious attempt to keep a neutral tone. "Looks like you found that decurser."

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
"Yeah...cost me a pretty penny." Angantyr grumbles, "Stupid cats."

He looks towards Riku, and motions towards a cart.

"Street venders tend to have some of the best most unhealthiest food known to man." he says with a grin, and gets himself a Gyro from the vender, "But this stuff? I have no idea where it comes from but these things are delicious and filling for their price." he says, and hands one to Riku. He doesn't accept any money in return.

"So fancy meeting you here." he says, "Taking a break?" taking a sniff out of reflex...

He doesn't seem to have remembered Riku with Arcadia...but a lot was happening then. TOO much..

Riku has posed:
"With the various extremely scary guys roaming around in armor, a cat is at least variety." Riku says with infinite dryness. He walks along the town and then lets out a sour laugh.

"Yeah. World Travelers dilemma. Having no idea what the food is. So I guess as long as it doesn't try to crawl away." he shrugs one shoulder and takes the gyro from the mercenary. "Yeah. Mark chasing and adventure tends to give me a headache after awhile. I see your still in good with Fluorgis. What have you been up to ?"

He takes a bite of the Gyro, grimacing slightly and rubbing the side of his head gingerly.

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
Angantyr is walking right to the beach, he actually likes the beach despite his...

Yeah.

He takes a bite out of his Gyro, the lamb is really good, it almost reminds him of home with the high hills surrounding the sea...Lamb was almost as common as fish. He had been thinking alot of home lately...

"Variety yes. I have no love for the Chaos these days...especially with Scary Armor the Greater as you call him." He shrugs, "Eh, some of the crawling away food is okay if you know how to cook it. Sometime you just have to eat something...caring about what it is ...less important when you are hungry enough." He cracks a smile, "I chase marks less because of the money these days...it feels like I am looking for something, but no idea where to go." he says, "And...lets be honest, we both know what I've been up to. I assume you at least have seen the news, or are somewhat friendly with Arcadia given your actions." he pauses, "And yes...I am on good terms with Fluorgis. Helped them out against some Baren shennanigans."

Riku has posed:
Riku nods, taking a bite from the gyro and then looking mildly surprised. He picks some of the lamb away from the skewer and eats it, wiping off his fingers.

He looks at Angantyr thoughtfully for a long time and then away at the resort town. "..Well. That makes this a hell of a lot easier. I just want to know one thing." he takes another bite and emphasizes the next word as he looks back at Angantyr.

"/Why/?"

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
Angantyr looks out at the water for a long time.

"Look around you." He says...almost demands.

"This is a town...not too far removed from my own home. It rested on hills, large hills...next to the sea. We weren't a large country. I wasn't treated the best by my family...but I loved my home. I loved my brother..."

"All of that was taken from me by that /man/. That greedy old man that launched war on my home for his own desires...for his own greed. He destroyed everything I held dear, killed everything about my home that made it great..." he says, "I was honest when I was there, I did not want Arcadia to be destroyed...I did...do not want the normal person to suffer as I have...But.."

"That man. That monster destroyed my home, he turned my brother against his home...against me. Because of him and his pet dog I had nothing left but darkness. Because of him I fell into Garland's service..."

"That's why."

Riku has posed:
Riku listens to the story, occasionally taking a bite of the gyro and picking the meat away with his fingers. It was the great thing about food. You had a perfect reason not to talk.

And he had to enforce that on himself to keep from spluttering out a series of extremely unpleasant curses in the middle of the mercenaries explanation. That completely was against his sensibilities as a storyteller, so he bit into the gyro, finishing it up and putting the skewer aside whiel Angantyr completes his story.

He stretches his arms up above his head and something pops as he lets them fall down to his sides, one of him resting on the hand and a half sword at his hip. "I see." he says quietly. "Thank you for telling me that. Now let me you a story in turn."

Riku gestures to the water. "..I didn't come from a place even half this. I came from an island world so becalmed that storms rarely visited it. Where the tide was gentle, like the people. Not too many adventurers come from there because everybody was happy. Everybody knew where they belonged.. except for a very few.. who never quite fit in."

He takes a moment to compose his thoughts and continue as a simmering trail of dark smoke rises from his hands that he quells almost instantanously, getting control of himself again.

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
WELL NOT ALL OF US ARE STORY TELLERS YOU HIPSTER.

HIPSTER!

HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIPSTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!

Angantyr listens, silent as he eats his Gyro, and nods to indicate he was listening. Yeah...he knew the feeling, he knew about not belonging. He knew all about that...but then again, Angantyr DID feel like he did belong in his home...just not in his home. He shifts...and continues to listen.

"Sounds nice, actually. I've always had a love of the ocean."

Riku has posed:
The sound of a pair of bongos flying across the fourth wall in Angantyr's direction is loud and obvious. There are fish painted on the hipster bongos. FISHBONGO HIPSTER ATTACK.

And then 4th wall spackle is applied and the story continues.

"But I lost that home. And I wandered a long time without another one, being passed from hand to hand. I stayed in Hollow Bastion because it was nice to have a place, even for a moment, where I didn't have nightmares. She used me until I decided I wasn't going to allow her too anymore."

Riku glares at Angantyr, his voice raising. "You know what that /MONSTER/ I got in your way for did after you had gone? He took a boy too afraid of what his darkness had done to others and gave him something to believe in. Not the flaming empire that you remember.

I've read the slanted histories and heard the lectures. I've seen the entitled nobles and the empire that COULD have been. But Archades was not that place under Emperor Gramis. Not NOW, with most of that world lost to darkness. Gabranth believes.. no. He believed in what Archades COULD be. Because it was his home and he loved it. He gave me a home. An actual place to BELONG. And you took that from him. You took that from /ME/."

Riku is now shouting at this point. "Let me tell you a tale, VESPAR. About a mercenary so greedy as to put the ghosts of the past who murdered the emperor of a sleeping kingdom and aided in the deaths of so many people FOR HIS OWN DESIRES. For his own /vengeance/. No matter that it wouldn't bring his home back. No matter that his brother made his own damn choices." He takes in a breath, darkness beginning to boil off him in a palpable wave.

"Angantyr, You destroyed everything about my home that made it /different/ than the way it used to be. Do you know what Lord Vayne is going to do to Alexandria? And who knows who else will get involved then? He dissolved the senate. Any political book I've ever read says that means BAD THINGS. You did WORSE than destroy my home. You maligned it. You /crippled/ it and left no other option than you had with GARLAND. I bet he must be SO PROUD. And so, I think I am going to indulge in a little vengeance myself." He takes a breath and unsheathes Avakyr, the shimmering sword gleaming with energy.

"/Angantyr Vespar/. You are under arrest for the murder of Emperor Gramis. I have no illusions that you will STAY imprisoned, so I am just going to kick the living shit out of you for my satisfaction as a Judge of the Archadian Army. Ready a weapon, Vespar. That's the only warning I am going to give you."

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
Angantyr listens to the boy's rant. He takes it all in, he doesn't say a word, he doesn't frown, smile, laugh...anything. He just stares at Riku, listening to this surreal statement...these words...this richous indignation pointed at him. He listens to the boy's words...if this had come from anyone else...ANYONE else...he'd have drawn his weapon and already started swinging...but this boy...this boy with darkness just like he...this boy who did not know the atrocities...did not understand what the Empire had done...how many nations? How many ruined lives...killed loved ones...broken families? But in his quest for revenge...in his desire to take back from the Empire that was stolen from him...he has created another person.

The revilation struck him like a bolt of lightning...Even the words make him angry, but the soul crushing horror of what he has done...Angantyr looks down for a moment, he had created someone like him at the end. Anger and hate has just created another cycle...could he stand and fight this? What about if he let him take his blood? Would not VALKYRI want Riku's head? Riku too had...

Angantyr sighs...he could not talk sense into the boy...no more than anyone could into his own head. "Oh fates...you laugh at me so. To see something I had created...just as I have been." He mutters... Angantyr wasn't easily moved to tears, but this was almost there...

"Will you fight me here, Riku? Fight me in such a place where others will get caught in the cross fire? A fight between us will wreck the area, might even create someone who will come after you as you come after me. You do not want that on your concious." Angantyr says solemly...but he realizes that he will probably not convince the boy..

The weapon, slowly, and with great weight comes into his hand, slowly lowering into a battle stance.

"I will not allow myself to be captured....and lest you forget, I shared no hand in Alexandria's perversities...I warned them of the incoming attack...and Garland's goals. I did more for Arcadia than it deserves..." Angantyr tries to stroke the fire of indignation in his own heart...that hate he felt for so long... "You were not there to bare witness to the Empire's deeds before the World of Ruin. They only reason they did not expand...was because of the lack of Magicite, they focused on keeping their own resources up...their own citizens happy and placated...well, the ones that matter. Nevermind those in the slums that will wither and die from disease, hunger, or being killed by each other in their sick desire to ascend."

"You say the Emperor was a good man? That man ordered many contries such as mine destroyed and absorbed...one of which still exists. Go ask a survivor of Rabanastre what happened....if they are not too afraid of you because of the colors you ware. I killed a monster...I regret that innocent people died and were hurt to give me that oppertunity...but I took advantage of what I could not prevent...and had tried to prevent. What you are angry about is their suffering, and that...you will have to look at your own..." he sighs. "I can't even say it. I do not have the heart any longer for this Riku. Simply let us be done with this meaningless cherade. Let my blood quench your thirst for revenge...lest another victim of this pointless cycle be born."

Riku has posed:
"oooh no."

Riku says softly, gritting his teeth so hard that his head aches. "We'll go somewhere /private/ let me assure you. If I have to build the arena myself. Nobody has to get hurt but us." He shakes his head. Darkness still boils off him in waves, the surroundings becoming smeared as if the area around them was painted in watercolor instead of being a real place.

"And I never said he was a good man. I never said Archades was a good place. I'm not that foolish.. and people like me go to places like they deserve to go, but it was /sleeping/ and the Judge Magisters were for a MOMENT permitted to dream of what it COULD have been instead of what it was." Riku lowers the sword a little, although it's still kept ready. The anger starts to seep out of his voice.

"And that dream died with the emperor, and so many others that suffered for unknown whims..I barely even believe Alexandria was behind the attacks either because why did they STOP? Why haven't they come again? No.. you were just an opportunist with time and blood on his hands. And that does not excuse what you did."

Riku lows the sword further. "...I stood up for you." he says quietly. "..It was wrong. What they did to your home. It could have been mine. I /RAGED/ at them.. about these same things. But I hoped.." he takes in a shaky breath. "..but I hoped to make a difference. To see fairness and justice where there had only been death if I had to carve it out myself." He shakes his head.

"I still hope that. But it is a dying one, seeing how people have been twisted by the assault. Now every voice is turned back towards war. Congratulations, Angantyr. The Dragon of Archades is awake again. And since it was not slain.. it will trample, and claw and consume others in it's wake."

The surroundings of Costa Del Sol shatter like thin sugarglass, leaving a dark and silent place behind with a shimmering golden light at the far extreme. "You want this to be finished? Fine. So do I.. but what did I say? I said beat the living shit out of you. I do not require you to die." He spins the sword around again and levels it at Angantyr, smirking.

"That would let you off too easy." He then sprints forwards across the endless darkness, cutting low at the knee and then high at the shoulder.

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
"Do you think I know not?" Angantyr says, "Too late did I realize what I had done when it was my former master's words through my Ma Belle to tell me what I had wrought." Angantyr says, mellow...he was focusing on something, letting the words flow from him...so the boy did not require his death, maybe...there was some glimmer of hope. Faint as it maybe... "I do not...nor will I ever regret the death of the emperor...nor will I back down from putting down the Dog of the Empire. Somethings will not...no must not be forgotten.."

Riku comes in with a quick strike, Angantyr swings the mace to catch the blade with his own, the two weapons clash for a brief moment, before Angantyr swings again, aiming to try and catch Riku in the weapon's range...but the boy was quicker than he gave him credit for...

Angantyr does not stop, he steps forward to follow the boy, aiming to swing his weapon down in a merciless strike for the boy...while he might regret his actions, he can not fall here...

"War was going to come no matter what...but let it be known, Garland's hands are at work in Arcadia...with or without my actions...this would have happened. The result would have been the same...does it escuse me? <GOOSEHONK> no. But if you are...so keen on trying to change Arcadies, then maybe you should be better armed than you are. I have no desire to see you..." he shrugs, "Destroyed."

Riku has posed:
Riku shifts his stance and using his other hand, clashes with the downswinging mace in a clean arc that snaps the mace to one side as he is already in movement. He grunts faintly in pain as the shock literally numbs his arms for a moment but he literally steps into Angantyr's range, pressing a hand flat against Angantyr's chestplate.

"I don't know.." he says vaguely, his eyes going distant for a moment as if he is searching for something, reaching down.. and a flare of brilliant light explodes outwards from his hand as he attempts to grab Angantyr by one shoulder and kick him straight into the air.

Riku marks the air with a rune that flares to life behind him and then shatters as he swings the sword straight for a double slash for Angantyr's ribs before fading backwards.

"I'm still waiting on that part. So I suppose I have to make due." he snorts. "And I would NOT be surprised. Scary Armor the greater seems to be everywhere these days."

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
Angantyr is surprised by the brilliant flare, the kick sends him flying...which isn't something he's used to by something half his size. Riku has a strength beyond his years...and that is something that is going to be interesting as he matures...

Angantyr corrects himself midair, just in time for Riku to come at him. The double slash hits his armor, causing Angantyr some pain...but he immediately dives towards the ground, aiming to use the mace to drag the young boy with him, and plant him right into the earth.

On the ground, Angantyr finds his stance again, and swings the mace in a powerful arch towards his legs, aiming to try and hit the boy where it would hurt the most...his nimbleness.

"He is more preverlant than you realize. His hands are in Arcadia and in Alexandria..." Angantyr says with a moment to look around...

Good, he didn't burst into flames, nor is his former master here to strike him down. Small miracles.

Riku has posed:
Riku appears to be ready for something like that and the sword whips across the air, a shimmering aura around it as he attempts to fend off the blow.

He miscalculates the timing though and the mace crunches into his leg, causing him to topple over into a loose roll with a cry inbetween grit teeth.

"Aggh.." he curses softly. "I .. ugh.. suppose that's why you think it's inevitable." he snorts painfully, staggering painfully to his feet. He lowers the point of the sword and extends a hand to the surroundings. A tangle of dark thorns explode in several places, not under Angantyr's feet but in places around him to the sides.

The tendrils reach out for him, attempting to wrench him off his feet and slam him bodily into the 'walls' of his shadow enclosure. "There has to be some way to stop him." Whether or not the thorns actually grab anything, he capitalizes on the distraction to try and make up for his lessened mobility.

He tries to lay into Angantyr with two more slashes, runic images flaring and then shattering like glass in his wake.

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
"It is." Angantyr says, as he tries to adjust for the next strike. Riku was fast, but so was Angantyr...Riku could not use his speed to escape him, while he came in, he would brutally follow...

Riku's blade digs into the Mercinary, drawling blood and nearly knocks the wind from Ang...but he steps forward, through the tendrils...they slam him, but on the ground it is hard to move Angantyr anywhere...he weathers the blows, even as Thorns tear through his armor...and he steps through finally, and drives the weapon down, aiming to take Riku's last advantage from him.

"If you think there is a way to defeate him...then let me give you a taste of what his lessons bring!" Angantyr shouts, before darkness starts to wash off his body in waves... He does not summon the armor, he was not given enough time...or desire. This was not to be a killing blow, but a painful one.

Angantyr swings once, aiming to try and bounce Riku off of the ground with the blow, while his right hand shifts...darkness pouring through his body as he aims to GRAB Riku by the front of his armor...

And then the blood spilled by the Dark knight can be seen all around him, pooling into a series of red claws that aim to repeatedly strike out and up at Riku, aiming to tear into his body and drain his very life into the Dark Knight...

"This is but a small drop in the bucket compared to Garland."

Riku has posed:
Optional BGM: http://www.listenonrepeat.com/watch/?v=dE1eCoj2D1s

Again he saw it coming. He raises the sword to block and is battered aside, the mercenary tearing through his guard like tissue paper. His back rebounds hard enough against the theorhetical 'floor' of this dark space with enough force to jar his senses and knock the wind from his lungs. His head cracks against the unyielding darkness and stars swim in front of his eyes. He's jerked roughly forwards and into the waiting grip of the bloody claws.

They claw up the sides of his legs as he struggles and thrashes, gasping in shorter and shorter breathes as the claws reach up towards chest level in a roiling red barrage.

Riku locks eyes with Angantyr, his body twitching and convulsing as he swallows scream after scream that batters against the inside of his mouth. He never looks away, even when his eyes become glassy with shock and pain. A foot slaps ineffectively against his armor as if Riku was trying to get his body to respond to him again and push him away from the fel grasp.

The teenager twitches and struggles a final time before going completely still, dead weight lolling forwards limply as his eyes go dark. A second later it seems the fire that had gone out was rekindled, flaring to life behind his eyes as Riku attempted to slam a foot into Angantyr's chestplate as he hands struck a numbing blow at their wrist, attempting to flip backwards into a crouch. He tries and then fails to return to his feet, digging the sword into the ground to help him wrench himself to his feet.

He retrieved the sword from the darkness, the same unyielding expression set on his features as he spins the sword and levels it at Angantyr.

"..I guess you're going to have to get a bigger eyedropper then." he heaves in several ragged breaths, a dark wind blowing around him. The many tearing gouges and slashes begin to close and heal. Slowly the sword lowers to the ground again and he just stares at the mercenary, face set in an expression of quiet defiance to the urge to pass out.

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
Angantyr pauses...

That look...that defiant look...

He remembers that look because it was a mirror, that look he had when he stared down his brother and Gabranth...that look when he stared down Garland on their first meeting. Angantyr has been moving from battle to battle...strife to strife...only after meeting...people had he realized what it was to live, and he forced himself to push on. And here he was...staring at another...

Angantyr lowers his own weapon. This fight had lost all meaning...in reality, everything probably just lost meaning. What was the point, he had become what he hated in the end. He was the harbringer of destruction like Gabranth was before him. The difference was he did so out of hate fuled revenge...instead of blind loyalty. The mace lowers, to the ground...

"You're better than before. You've found something to believe in, to fight for. Something to die for." he says slowly, "Don't...never ever /EVER/ lose sight of that. Don't give in to stupid revenge...petty hatred." he says, "Don't become me."

And then Angantyr turns. He doesn't care of Riku strikes him from the back. He can't take this anymore.

Riku has posed:
And the thought appeals to him. He could do it, and the only way he WOULD be able to do it is now. He had turned his eyes from Angantyr once, several times before. Had stood up for him. Had believed..

Riku narrows his eyes and his shoulders relaxed.

He looked hard at Angantyr for a long time, staring into his back for even longer. What would it cost him to do this? What would it cost.. so many unknown others if Angantyr decided to veer once again into vengeance?

Riku closes his eyes and shakes his head.

No.

It...

It wouldn't be just.

And wasn't that what he had aspired to? Had strived for? He had to be better. "Hrrrn.." he growls between grit teeth. Riku turns before he can say anything else, snapping out a hand to the surroundings. It shatters like glass, returning the world to the resort town surroundings as he steps into a dark corridor without another word.