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G'raha: "Hmm. And although but a few were witness to it, a new age of heroes had begun. Amidst days of uncertainty, a second spark was struck to carry the light. So began the days of the Eorzean Initiative." [THE END]

000

Kronke: "Aw yeah, let's do it!" Eric: "Morrigan would never forgive me if I sat out." Andyn: "For the people of Eorzea!" Eddard: "Hells yeah!" Rhauul: "For my new home." Arthur: "You already know where I stand. Bethany: "...all right, fine. It's the right thing to do, after all."

100

The others are silent at first, the weight of Sam's question hitting them.

100

Arthur: "If you're willing to have me, at any rate." Eddard: "Ay, there he is! Look at him, you'd never know he was a rotting husk just a moon ago." Sam: "I suppose, then, only one question remains. Will you all step up and defend Eorzea when the Scions can't? Will you be the last line of defense?"

100

Kronke: "Yeah, you said eight adventurers. Assuming you're part of that number, only six others were summoned here. We're one short." Unknown Knight: "That's what you think, Ser Kronke. After a month of no incidents thanks to a device it took four people to design, your eighth is cleared for duty."

100

Tataru: "Any questions so far?" Eddard: "Yeah, I got one. What's this boy band of ours supposed to be called?" Sam: "The Eorzean Initiative. Thancred and G'raha Tia are volunteering their time to assist you all with training and establishing contacts. Any more questions?"

100

Sam: "Once again, the Scions are overstretched against a threat not just to this world, but every corner of creation. The time has come for a small, determined group of eight adventurers funded by Tataru Taru and supplied by Garlond Ironworks to step up in this hour of desperate need."

100

Sam: "Some time ago, an experiment was attempted: ease the pressures on the Scions by forming a Grand Company of Eorzea to defend the Realm from lesser threats. This met with colossal failure, for several reasons, but that failure serves as a lesson for what's happening here today."

100

[INT - DUMP] Sam, Thancred, G'raha, Tataru, and Jessie stand waiting in a room clearly used for storage. Eric: "Sam, what is this?" Sam: "This, my friends is the beginning. You've been called here today because you've proven you're willing to go above and beyond for those in need."

100

Kronke: "Oh, hey! Gang's all here!" Andyn: "You all were summoned here by Sam as well?" Eddard: "Yeah, but it's a dump! I'm starting to think he pulled a fast one on us!" Rhauul: "Mayhap there is only one way to find out, mi amigos, and that is to enter the door clearly marked NO ENTRY."

100

Eddard: "AIYEE- when I get my hands on that Pendejo of Light! Not only does he make us come to the coldest city in Eorzea, the location he gives us is a rundown dump! And you grew up with this guy, Bethany? How did you not kick his teeth in? More importantly, WHY didn't you?"

100

Rhauul: "Phew, I don't think I needed the hat after all, Senor Kronke, my ears are sweating." Kronke: "Too cold without the hat, too cold with the hat- I'm gonna need you to make up your damn mind already." Rhauul: "Rather a strange place to meet with the Warrior of Light, isn't it?"

100

[EXT ISHGARD - ONE MONTH LATER] Andyn: "Dearest, aren't you cold?" Eric: "No, why?" Andyn: "Never mind. Did Sam say why he wanted us to meet him here? All the buildings around here look rather ramshackle." Eric: "No, just the location. My senses tell me he's up to something."

100

Bethany: "Is this your long winded way of telling me I'm still a good person?" Eric: "All people are capable of redemption. I am, and so are you." Bethany: "Did I ever tell you how annoying you were when you spoke in platitudes?" Eric: "Every time."

100

Eric: "Bethany, I need not remind you that you and I would never have even met if I weren't guilty of my own act of betrayal 1,500 years ago. Many people saw my actions as misguided, as traitorous, but I was doing what I believed to be right. Disagreements aside, you believed the same of yours."

100

Bethany: "Why-? Why WOULD I? Eric, I betrayed you! I betrayed everyone I loved my whole life, I betrayed my family! Everything that happened to me, including the aftermath, was my own doing! I DESERVED to be-...exiled." Eric: "Tastes bitter in the mouth, doesn't it?" Bethany: "Yeah. Terribly."

100

Eric: "Do I need to be wary around you?" Bethany: "Why not? Not like I paralyzed you and left you in a cave while helping Samhael's father stage a coup against Cailan and getting myself exiled." Eric: "Sam told me the truth." Bethany: "Oh, damn him." Eric: "Why didn't you come to me, Bethany?"

100

Bethany: "Won't you get in trouble for having that helmet off before an enemy?" Eric: "Did you not once walk among the Dacia as one of them? Were we not master and pupil for nigh on a decade? All of that would disappear in a flash?" Bethany: "OKAY! Spare me the guilt trip, forget I asked."

100

[INT - THE HOURGLASS, THE NEXT DAY] Bethany returns to her room at The Hourglass, but soon finds she's not alone. Eric: "Unwise to leave your door unlocked in Ul'Dah, especially a woman on her own such as yourself." Bethany: "AH- how did? Wait, no wonder I smelled a miqo following me. Damn him."

100

Thancred: "...Sam, darling, what will the neighbors think seeing you live with TWO hunks?" Sam: "That I'm back on those vitamins again."

100

Thancred: "Ah, won't the people of Revenant's Toll be disappointed? Mayhap not too much, he is rather likeable." Sam: "I'm glad you think so, Thancred." Thancred: "Why?" Sam: "Because he can't stay here forever and we have a guest room that's always empty. At least until he gets on his feet."

100

Tataru: "Isn't it, though? Hmm. Arthur, you wait right here and I'll be back with some tea and a nice egg sandwich! Samuel? Care to come with me? I'd like a word." Sam: "I already don't like this." Arthur: "Actually, before food, could I get a shirt? My body temperature appears to have regulated."

100

Arthur: "The best I've felt since awakening. Was that woman with the other people in the Respite?" Thancred: "Yes. All those people came together to help you by building that device on your wrist." Arthur: "Device on my-? Oh, this. Wow, amazing what happens when people like that all come together!"

100

Tataru: "Arthur! You're awake! How do you feel?" Arthur: "Quite hungry, actually." Bethany: "Perfect, Little Miss Caretaker here can deal with that. I'm out. Tell Eddard I went back to Ul'Dah when he wakes up, would you?" Arthur: "Who was that?" Sam: "A real piece of work. How are you feeling?"

100

Arthur exits Dawn's Respite to find Sam, Thancred, Tataru, and Bethany talking. Thancred: "-certainly allowed to take a rest, Bethany." Bethany: "No thanks, I just want to be sure Golden Boy wakes up before I take my leave- speaking of which, here he comes now." Arthur: "Um...hello?"

100

Arthur: "What's this?" Arthur gets up and heads for the door. As he passes by G'raha Tia, G'raha starts to mumble. G'raha: "Oh, Rora, you naughty boy- not the feather again." Arthur just keeps walking.

100

[INT - RISING STONES] Arthur suddenly awakens. Arthur: "Wha-? Where-?" He sits up to find Eric, Andyn, Kronke, Rhauul, Eddard, and G'raha Tia asleep around him. Arthur: "Who are all these other people? What happened?"

110

The two Arthurs share one final look.

110

Older Arthur: "They think me changed, irrevocably, but I still retain some small part of before- before they changed me into the monster I am now. I need you to remember something for me. Remember who you are, and remember your name: Arthur Pendragon. Can you do that for me?" Arthur: "I promise."

100

The image of the unknown man clears, revealing an older Arthur. Older Arthur: "Can you hear me in there? All of you? I'm well aware this is my last act, with Calamity nigh upon us and the Empire in a state of decay, but if that is the case? Let it be an act of rebellion."

100

[UNKNOWN] Unknown Man: "-remember." Arthur: "It's my dream again?" Unknown Man: "-can you remember-..." Arthur: "You there, show yourself!" Unknown" "Remember for us-" Arthur: "Wait...I know you! Unknown: "Remember for the ones who can't anymore."

100

Arthur lies still, a device now attached to the wrist.

100

G'raha: "How?" Thancred: "He knew of the facility?" Sam: "Given it's nature, you think that they wouldn't have shared information about it with him." Jessie: "That's what I thought, but those were his access codes." G'raha: "Yet another mystery buried with Ancient Allag, it seems."

100

Jessie: "Biggs and Wedge were finally able to take a look at the data in the terminal at Azys Lla, and found a record of everyone who accessed the terminal in the facility before the fall of the Empre. The last person to ever access that terminal was General Artorious himself."

100

[LATER] Jessie: "The device is fixed in place. Now to see if the work of the others pays off, at the very least." Tataru: "I sent the others to rest up, especially those who gave aether." G'raha: "Then all we can do is wait. Wait and pray." Jessie: "Yet, there's still one mystery that remains."

100

Kronke focuses intently as he crafts the device. Jessie, Bethany, and Eric wait patiently. Kronke: "Right, imbue the aether!" Eric and Bethany channel their vast aether stores into the device, which glows brighter. Kronke: "Oh yeah, it's all comin' together."

110

Eric, Bethany, and Jessie discuss the particulars of the device while Kronke takes notes. Meanwhile, Eddard and Rhauul do their part to keep Arthur stable as G'raha and Andyn monitor his condition. Tataru ensures those in need of tea, like Sam and Rhauul, get it.

100

G'raha: "Where's Tataru? Has she taken a break?" Tataru: "No, more like a very embarrassing trip to the floor- oh, oh dear! I'm going to need LOADS more tea to keep up all this aether!"

100

Sam: "Rhauul, I need you and Eddie to help Andyn keep Arthur stable. Listen well, everyone, we all have a part to play. If we're to have any chance of saving this man's life-" As Sam continues talking, Eric and Bethany make eye contact from across the room. Sam: "Eric? Are you good?" Eric: "Yes."

100

Jessie: "Who ARE all these people?" Sam: "People who wanted to help. Jessie, this is Kronke and Bethany, the large man to my right and the woman trying to hide to my left." Eddard: "Hah! He got you, Bethany!" Bethany: "Hush up, I'm not hiding!" Sam: "They'll help you and Eric with the device."

100

Enter the others, at long last. Thancred: "Apologies for the delay, but we recruited a menagerie for this." G'raha: "How is he?" Sam: "Still holding on." Kronke: "Told you Rhauul was here." Eddard: "Damn Bethany, his boobs are bigger than yours!" Bethany: "You're out of line, but you're right."

100

Rhauul: "Worry not, my friends!" Tataru: "WAH-" Andyn: "Good heavens!" Jessie: "WHO are YOU?" Eric: "That's Rhauul, he does that." Rhauul: "Hehehehe- but be at ease, for help has finally arrived at your hour of need!"

100

[INT - RISING STONES] Tataru: "Oh dear, I think Arthur has a fever! His forehead feels awfully warm!" Jessie: "That's probably from where you keep touching it, Miss Tataru." Tataru: "Oh." Eric: "He-...he's a sponge. I fear the decay is too strong to delay much further." Andyn: "I'm afraid I agree."

100

Sam and Thancred glance at each other. Sam: "Word of advice from a fellow exile? Fuck redemption. Do things because they're the right thing to do, not because you're trying to redeem a past that can't be changed."

100

Bethany: "Barely a moon in, she tells me about a prospective recruit for the new prize fights hosted by the guild: Eddard Barrett, who has potential but not the skill to unlock it. That was to be my task. I truly believe that by helping Eddard, I will erase one of the many blemishes on my soul."

100

Bethany: "By chance, honestly. I sold my armor and staff for less conspicuous items, and used the rest of the money to get to Ul'Dah. My first night in the city, I jump in to help a woman getting mugged, and it's Mylla of the Gladiator's Guild. She offered me a job as a conjurer in the coliseum."

100