uccellodifuoco | 1st Rise of the Phoenix ஜ Action

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1st Rise of the Phoenix ஜ Action

[Ikki is walking through the village with relative calm, he's not pleased and it's obvious in his body language that he's stressed and annoyed. Who wouldn't be, having found himself in an unknown place, a place where he didn't intend to be?

The fact that no matter how much he expanded his Cosmos, he couldn't find his brothers' Cosmos or the Cosmos of anyone he knew didn't help in the situation. Still, he looks quite sure of where he's going, even if he's not, and only the loose-fitting white cotton pants he's wearing point out that he's new in the place.

Those particularly sensible to spiritual energy may notice his strong Cosmos -full of contained anger and hate, directed to no one but obviously there- constantly reaching out and basically checking everyone he can reach. Searching for something, or someone, that would explain him being stuck in that place. Unable to return to where he intended to go or contact his friends, so far he's not having any luck and the idea he's starting to get doesn't please him.]

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[She couldn't imagine what sort of training he had undergone, and the training of acolytes at the temple might not have compared, but she had seen how much work was needed, difficult or arduous as it may have been. But it was to be expected. And he was only a Saint by name, given his answer.]

Were you not were given a choice in becoming a Saint?

If you were indeed fighting to save the world, isn't that noble cause enough to be revered or in the least respected? Those who sit idle or indifferent are the ones who are undeserving of such honor.

[He chuckles, however there's no amusement or happiness there, only disdain.]

Yes, I was given a choice. Become one or die.

[He... Just looks at her quite plainly. No, there's nothing to revere in him, neither has he any wish for it.]

Look, I just do what I have to do. I'm an Athena's Saint and my duty is to protect her and fight for her against any enemy she may have. She wants to protect humanity's right to live, and so we fight for that. I don't see what's noble or worth to be revered there, it's all based just on selfishness.

[Warriors of justice... That's something Seiya and the others would have said and approved of. Ikki, however, doesn't have such a bright vision of the world or of himself.]

[It doesn't please her at all to hear of that so-called choice or how someone could propose such a scenario to others. How much context did she need regarding it, she wasn't sure, but she did feel that it hadn't been fair.

But he had his set of values, and she could understand how he could come to that conclusion. It also wouldn't be right for her to convince him or judge him otherwise.]

Selfishness is unavoidable, I won't argue with that. It's only natural for living beings. Despite it, however, I find your dedication to your duty and your diligence already admirable.

Speaking of which, I should have asked for your name a while ago. My name is Iris. What's yours?

[Even with the full context the situation hadn't been fair and in fact it could even go into the realm of being cruel. A man getting women pregnant just to kill them once the kids are born in order to take them and send them off to a survival contest, all to form an army for Athena. The intentions were good, maybe, but the execution and decisions are the main fuel for Ikki's anger.

Anyway Ikki's somewhat grateful to not have to listen to a pretty speech to get him to agree that they act for justice or some other crap.]

Well, if you want to find that admirable I won't stop you. Anyway it's not like I know what else to do in life, so even how much of duty and diligence I have, is also questionable.

[Yeah, excuse him for finding funny to be considered admirable even on that. He just can't understand it.]

Hn, I'm the Phoenix Saint, Ikki. You can call me Phoenix or Ikki, I'm used to both.

[ Ikki growling about someone throwing her life away to protect others makes Polka a little uncomfortable... because she's done the same thing. And would still do the same thing. But saying -THAT- would only make him angry so she shifts her weight awkwardly. ]

We don't have anything like Saints in my world. In a way, I wish we did... there aren't nearly enough people who would fight to protect others. Well, there's Andantino... [ Wait what? ]

The whole universe...? [ That's big. She can't imagine being able to do something like that. ]

[Well, he doesn't have the duty of protecting Polka so it's not the same. And Polka's sacrifice is different from Athena's, Athena sometimes just makes him think that she just loves to have them go after her to stop her from getting killed. He didn't mind that much during the Hades war, except because she didn't told them her plans and went basically alone -and then failed big time by going to the wrong place but that's another matter-.]

Maybe you do and they are just hidden. We aren't of public knowledge back in my dimension either. Which is probably for the best.

Andantino?

[Ikki smirks at her next words, probably she's thinking about the universe being big. Then again he did the same at some point of his life.]

The whole universe. In fact our bodies form a universe of their own in some sense, of course, this means that an universe doesn't have to be something huge. It can be something really small. Just consider than the universe looks big to us, but that ants look small, yet for the ants we are as big as the universe is for us.

[He shrugs, maybe he should just wave off the subject? Shiryu would be better at explaining those things, or Shun. He... Just knows how to explain things in the way he explained them to Esmeralda at times and who knows if she didn't sometimes feign to understand it in order to make him happy and help him relax.]

[ Good thing! Of course Polka can relate to why Athena might have done some things. ]

Maybe you're right. Of course, I never actively looked for anyone like that either. Huh... [ Something to think about! ] Andantino is the name of a group of rebels who were fighting for peace back home. There weren't a lot of them, but they tried their very best.

[ And a thoughtful pause as she considers these universal concepts. She finally glances down at one of the flowers still growing. ] I think I see what you mean. It's all just a matter of perspective for everyone.

I wonder how many universes are out there though. Everyone I talk to here, seems to be from a different one, and each one is so fascinating.

[Rebels? Interesting.]

Hn, numbers mean nothing in a war. I've been at wars in which we were far outnumbered and still came out victorious... Rebels usually appear when the people in charge don't meet their expectations. Is your dimension in such a bad situation?

[Did his point get through? Still she probably would have got a clearer idea if it had been Shiryu the one explaining. Or maybe she would have end with her brain burn, that's also a possibility.]

How many? Infinite, there's no doubt about that.

[At least not for him.]

Even with all the ones that probably don't exist anymore, the number must still be infinite.

True, but it must make things easier and.. I don't know, if things had really gotten so bad for war to break out there would be no victors... just hundreds of dead. How can anyone consider that a victory? [ Still she knows that there are usually casualties... she just wished otherwise. And she nods at the next question. ]

Unfortunately yes. Count Waltz was behind it all, but only a handful of people knew it. No one else would believe them. [ ... it got so bad that she chose to sacrifice her life just to bring the peace back to the world. ]

How can a universe stop existing?

[There is always something positive about someone in her eyes, even if they don't believe it or see it.

It was refreshing too to listen to his perspective. As much as she did like someone who was positive and a bit idealistic, he reminded her to be realistic.]

Then I shall continue. As I mentioned before, it's better to do something, be occupied with, and be dedicated to something than to not do anything at all.

[When she heard his name, she did pause for a second. Not that she was surprised that someone out of all the different worlds would have the same name as someone she knew, but she did take that second to reminisce about home.]

Oh... It is a pleasure to finally know your name. But do you prefer one over the other?

[Ikki looks at Polka after listening to her answer before he snorts lightly.]

You're really just like Athena. She too wanted to avoid wars in order to prevent the deaths on both sides. But, you see, a new Saint can be trained and formed at any time, Athena, however, is unique. She's the only Goddess willing to defend humanity and not give up to thinking that humans don't deserve to be saved despite how horrible they can get to be.

If a Saint dies it's only a matter of time before a new one fills their position. If Athena dies, even if it's sacrificing herself to stop another God from destroying humanity, there will be nothing left to protect the world should yet another God come to destroy it. And so a situation where there was no war would end in the death of the whole humanity.

[He smirks, a hint of cruelty on it at his own words.]

So I consider it a victory as long as the humanity's survival is guaranteed, which requires Athena to be alive, even at the cost of all the Saints' lives. See? It's not even a matter of how many die or how many fight, but of who is left.

[Ikki doesn't know much -or anything- about music, but even he notices how her name and the name of the count refer to music. How curious.]

I'm not surprised no one would believe them. No matter what, there'll always be people who will believe lies no matter how crazy they are. I don't know if they use mental control or the followers are just stupid.

The same way a person can stop existing. It's a mere cycle of life and death, though probably a universe once it reaches the end of its existence just transforms into a new one. Still I wouldn't consider it the same universe as before.

Hn, I'll give you that. Thought I still doubt it can be applied to me, lack of action from the humanity is part of what brings problems to my dimension.

[How many times has he heard a God claiming that humans were destroying themselves and their world and did nothing to stop it, just sitting idle and waiting for the end? How many times has Athena claimed that, even if it may take them a long time to move, at the end humanity would act and fix everything?

He knows it's just a small piece of the whole puzzle but maybe if things weren't like that the Gods would have been more inclined to see things from Athena's point of view. And that would have saved them from a lot of fighting.]

Not really. Those who know me since little call me Ikki, but others call me Phoenix. I'm the only Phoenix Saint so it's just as unique and close to my person as Ikki is. Some even go as far as to call me Phoenix Ikki.

[He shrugs, well he should return the courtesy, right?]

It's nice to meet you, thought, Iris.

It's true that there are cruel people in the world, but I wouldn't say that humans don't deserve to be saved. You can't judge the whole of humanity on the actions of a few people. Even those who have done wrong deserve a second change at changing their behavior. [ At that latter- the casual disregard of human life - it's just plain horrifying to Polka. ]

I don't agree with that at all. [ She's such a hypocrite. It's okay for her to sacrifice herself since that's what she's born to do, but other people? No way. ] A real victory is the survival of humanity and those who protect it, by ending the war peacefully.

[ Besides, one life to save millions..? No question, as far as Polka's concerned. ]

Well, in our case, they thought our words were the lies, and it has nothing to do with mental control or stupidity. [ A universe dying. That just sounds bizarre. ]

You're chanting that speech to the wrong person, Polka. I fight to protect humanity, of course I think it deserves to be saved, and I'm perfectly aware that people deserve a second chance.

[He has been there himself, gone down to hell and back again, receiving forgiveness from everyone but himself. Yes, Ikki doesn't need anyone to tell him that people can change and make good use of second chances.]

A victory is real, no matter who dies or survives. What you describe would be a perfect victory, but an absolute victory would also require the survival of the one who's willing to die to save temporarily millions.

Say what you want but I fail to see the point of sacrificing one life in order to obtain just a temporal peace. I would prefer to fight and die, which is what I was born to do anyway, and attain a real peace. One that won't have a time limit, or at least not a visible one, neither one that creates an endless cycle!

[Ikki's flared, that is a major point in his and the other Bronze Saints' attitude of not letting Athena sacrifice herself or place them aside, unable to fight with her. Athena has been fighting against Gods since the ancient times and always all she has managed to attain was a peace that would last a hundred of years at most, locking herself and the Saints in an endless cycle until Hades was defeated completely.]

They believed your words were the lies because they first believed the lies that Count feed them. I've seen it, people serving the God of Death, willing to help destroy the whole world, and truly believing that such a thing would help humanity to progress and transform the world in a paradise.

[He talks about those people with great disdain, though also a hint of pity. Even him in his worst time was perfectly conscious that the destruction of the world would leave nothing but a dead planet. And at that time he pursued that simply because of selfishness of not wanting to see people live or be happy, and because he wanted to attain a senseless revenge against the man who had put them through a living hell, even if it meant to kill his own brother and himself to make the efforts of that man amount to nothing in the end. But Hades' Specters... And Pandora... They all truly believed they would get eternal life and happiness by destroying the world.]

[Her training had taught her that life is suffering and that everyone was so flawed. But there had been a way, albeit difficult, to eliminate as much of the suffering as possible and to become a better person, but it took work. She could sympathize with the lack of action.]

It seems no world or dimension can escape any problems with humanity. It's the lack of action, and also perhaps the lack of positive actions that is the cause, although what is positive in one person's eyes can be drastically different from someone else's view.

Even in a place like this that is a seemingly artificially-made world, there are still problems.

[It sounded pessimistic, but it was true. Luceti did have its share of problems besides the scientists.]

Oh, I see. Then Ikki it is, and it is nice to meet you too. You were given the Phoenix title at a later date, I assume?

[Ikki just nods as she talks about how something can be positive in one person's eyes and different in someone else's view. He has been there too. He stops and reaches down to pick up a book, his name imprinted on the cover.]

Is this the journal?

[Her next words, pick his interest again. Is she referring to the scientists or something else?]

What problems?

[A nod at her decision to call him Ikki.]

Several months ago, actually, barely a year since I got the Phoenix Cloth and with it the title of Phoenix Saint. There are others who got their titles and Cloths at a young age, thought, I suppose that in a way I'm one of the oldest when becoming a Saint.

[She nodded once he found his journal, glad that he found it.]

Yes, that is the journal. The Guide to Luceti is also in it if you have further questions we haven't discussed. For anything extremely private, it is better to discuss it with someone in person. The Malnosso monitor the journals. That is my understanding.

[This would be a good way to begin talking about the other potential dangers in Luceti.]

There are also a few dangerous individuals or criminals that have been brought here. Because of the difficulty to contain them since death is not a permanent solution, it's best for one to be aware of them. Two names so far are Aku and Yuber.

The residents here are also recruited to fight a war that is happening outside the barrier as well.

[She decided it would be better to call him Ikki than Phoenix since she knew of a Phoenix already, and his name seemed more personal than a title, even if that title was very much a part of his identity.]

Is there any special significance to the Phoenix Saint title? In my home world, one belief is that the phoenix is a mythical creature that, after it engulfs itself in fire, is able to be reborn from its ashes.

[ She smiles absently. ] Perfect victory and ...absolute victory? I guess I didn't know that there was a difference between victories... [ Understandable - she's not exactly a fighter. She pauses at the last flare up, taking a half step backwards. D: ]

What if ... what if you were born just to die? [It's totally a hypothetical question I swears! There's another pause, an uncomfortable frown on her face. Hrm. ] Well ... they didn't really have any reason to believe anything we said. I guess I can't blame them, it was pretty farfetched...

Still, some people did believe, and I suppose that's the part that matters.

[He opens the journal and checks some pages as she talks to get a better idea of what it is. He raises an eyebrow at the voices that filter through the pages and nods at the part of the Malnosso monitoring them. It would make sense, no point in allowing the people locked to communicate without at least one way to keep an eye on them.

Iris' gets his full attention again as she mentions death not being a permanent solution.]

What do you mean with that death is not a permanent solution?

[Ikki chuckles at her question, a special significance? That's a tricky question.]

The phoenix is the same in my dimension, and so I am. [Which means that, yes, he is basically immortal as after death he revives by himself.] It's also significant to my attacks and powers, I suppose, I've never really stopped to question it. And it means that the Phoenix Cloth is mine, but besides that I don't think there's anything special on it even among the Saints.

[Other than the fact that he's the first Phoenix Saint in... What? More than two hundred of years? To the point where no one really ever expected to see the Phoenix Saint ever again.]

[That's how he sees things, however he doesn't see those perfect and absolute victories as anything else than an utopia. Even if he has seen something close to the perfect victory. That doesn't mean that when he fights he doesn't aim for the absolute victory thought.

He eyes Polka as she asks her "what if" before he smirks again.]

Born to die? You mean born to sacrifice oneself for a greater good? Then that person would naturally try to fulfill their destiny. But what if others are born just to die protecting that person and to stop that person from dying?

[Ikki hums at that.]

I suppose that's something that can happen, not something I've ever seen myself. Though it's true that many people wouldn't believe anything about Athena and her Saints if we were to tell them, fortunately we don't need to do so to protect them.

.. then either way, one of them would not be able to fulfill their purpose, I guess. [ She didn't consider the possibility of the other people dying to protect the first person. Of course she knew that her friends hadn't died, so that wasn't so bad. ]

I guess there's no way of really telling since these are all hypothetical situations.

[Ikki snorts.]

I'll tell you what happens in the scenario situation I told you. Athena rushes to sacrifice herself before we can die to protect her and we rush after her to save her before she dies. We defeat the enemy, rescue her and return home.

Sometimes some of us die, but that's our destiny and decision so it's received with pity but not regret. And so the world can see the sun rise one more day.

[He shrugs lightly, he really wasn't talking about hypothetical situations. Which is probably the problem of why he's so adamant on the subject.]

Death here works differently than in most worlds. If someone were to pass away, that person would eventually return in approximately a week, revived. However, as a price to pay for their return, they lose something, whether it be the loss of a sense such as sight or loss of memories.

Those who have passed away in their home world can also be brought here to Luceti alive.

[The story of the phoenix was the same in his world? How interesting, all the worlds were again connected in more ways than she had expected.]

The symbol of the phoenix is one that is well-known and respected in many cultures, and most have to do with fire and rebirth. If it is the same, perhaps what I mentioned of death may not so easily apply to you due to the powers you possess.

You also mentioned the name Athena. She is a goddess or powerful, spiritual being in your world? It is known that one deity by the same name was revered as the goddess of valor, wisdom, and war in some ancient civilizations.

[So death isn't eternal here, interesting. He wonders how that would affect him, he can revive by himself in a short time, thought the amount of time depends on the wounds and general condition of his body upon dying. Will he too lose something by reviving by himself? Will he be capable of reviving by himself at all?]

It may not apply. I suppose we won't know until I die, which I have no intention to do anyway.

[He frowns at Iris, this is starting to be more than a curiosity, not that he cares much thought.]

Athena is a Goddess, known to the world as a Greek divine being thought by now many believe that her and the rest of the Gods are just old myths and legends. She's real, the Goddess of valor, wisdom and war, but one that has reasons and helps the world progress, not the senseless war. That would be Ares' territory.

Athena became the protector of the Earth when Zeus, the leader of the Gods, left for a journal, where and why I don't know, neither I care, but it happened in the ancient times. Since then Athena has been fighting the other Gods who have tried to take control of Earth or have tried to destroy humanity. The Saints are her army for those holy wars, thought she despises seeing us die for her so she prefers to sacrifice herself if it can bring the war to a peaceful end.

What else fits with how things are in your dimension?

[ Hn.. In Polka's time, her friends didn't even know she was going to kill herself. It was right after Frederic had tried to kill them, so they had been tired from defeating him. THey couldn't have stopped her - they didn't realize her plans until she was already at the cliff's edge. ]

And you remember each time it happens? The cycle, I mean...

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1st Rise of the Phoenix ஜ Action

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