You know it instantly: in the flow of history, there are those with a tragic role to bear.
Some may be the same as Yasuhira and Yoritomo - to fulfill their place in history, they must kill their dearest friend. Minamoto Yoshitsune. Their brother, whether it be by blood or by bond. They must destroy their own heart, for the sake of humanity.
In many courses, the will of the Time Government is imposed by you Touken Danshi - you blades made manifest into Sword Warriors. You will cut down the enemy, and impose your own will upon history. This is the proper course, you are told. This is the way things must be.
Humanity never gets to choose.
Until you tell them.
Sometimes they do not listen. Some will call you a madman, a fool. You do not mind this either. But you have your duty - to ensure that history follows its course. No matter the cost.
But your way of doing things is different from the rest of your comrades. To walk hand in hand with humanity, rather than to treat them as puppets.
Each time, you will make these friends again… and again. You will stand by them even as they commit these atrocities again… and again. For this is part of your duty - to remember, and to love unconditionally.
[ ... cloud looks out into the garden after that, frowning pensively. this isn't really a situation he can relate to, any of it. that means it mostly leaves him... curious, maybe. ]
... You never get tired of it?
[ he's not even sure which part he means. watching over humans? making sure they follow history? talking them into it? befriending people that will die or forget him, maybe. ]
[ he's trying to guess, so he sounds more skeptical than he means to. it's more a question of wondering how much of it is smiling despite the pain and how much of it is learned resilliance, maybe ]
I have bestowed a duty... for this form was summoned for the sake of fighting in a war. So I suppose you could say that compliance is required regardless, for at the moment, my life is not my own.
[ . . . ]
But I do find ways to have fun, and act as I please.
[even if it means going against that very same duty]
... I'm probably the wrong person to ask that. [ there's something wry in his tone ] I'm not changing the past, but... Some actions we took changed a predetermined future. Who knows what history's gonna be now.
No way to know until we get there. We don't know exactly what the future was, but the only way to stop someone trying to mess with it on purpose was to go ahead and fight it ourselves. So we are.
[ he tilts his head a little to look out at the flowers ]
Whatever happens now, we need to do whatever it takes so the future's something we can stand for. But we gotta live with the decisions we took to get there, too.
Precisely so. I think it a matter of that opportunity... that possibility to let something new happen, as long as it is brought about by humanity, that is so precious.
[and it is simultaneously why he cannot perform his duty, and only his duty]
... You know. There were things trying to stop us from changing anything, at first. They're called Whispers, or arbiters of fate. They enforce that the planet's path doesn't change.
Funny how similar you are to them, based on your duty alone. Whispers don't really talk, though.
... arbiters of fate. [ . . . it is said softly, with some amusement.] Yes, that is another way to say it, isn't it?
In comparison... our enemies are those belonging to the Historical Revisionists. Those who wish to change the past... even if we cannot communicate with them, not truly.
We're trying to stop someone who's probably closer to your historical revisionists. Or at least he'd like to think he is. So maybe we're somewhere in the middle, between you keeping fate intact and the ones trying to change the path for their own gain.
.... fate is not always meant to be kept intact. Sometimes, it is these pockets of in-between, somewhere between something new and something known, where the myths and legends begin.
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I didn't say that. [ he snaps it first, but then the implication is terrible, so he's just-- ] She's a-- friend.
[ no that's worse. ]
[1/2]
Mm... It is good to have friends.
[and cloud will get a memory from mikazuki that also has to do with flowers and friends]
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Answer: ”I’ve visited this era countless times, I’ve met with you countless times, and we have admired these flowers countless times.
Of course, you don’t remember any of this.”
You know it instantly: in the flow of history, there are those with a tragic role to bear.
Some may be the same as Yasuhira and Yoritomo - to fulfill their place in history, they must kill their dearest friend. Minamoto Yoshitsune. Their brother, whether it be by blood or by bond. They must destroy their own heart, for the sake of humanity.
In many courses, the will of the Time Government is imposed by you Touken Danshi - you blades made manifest into Sword Warriors. You will cut down the enemy, and impose your own will upon history. This is the proper course, you are told. This is the way things must be.
Humanity never gets to choose.
Until you tell them.
Sometimes they do not listen. Some will call you a madman, a fool. You do not mind this either. But you have your duty - to ensure that history follows its course. No matter the cost.
But your way of doing things is different from the rest of your comrades. To walk hand in hand with humanity, rather than to treat them as puppets.
Each time, you will make these friends again… and again. You will stand by them even as they commit these atrocities again… and again. For this is part of your duty - to remember, and to love unconditionally.
For if you do not… who will? ]
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... You never get tired of it?
[ he's not even sure which part he means. watching over humans? making sure they follow history? talking them into it? befriending people that will die or forget him, maybe. ]
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... at times, I suppose I am a bit tired.
[he has lived well over a thousand years, visiting the same eras again and again. witnessing the same struggles, the same pain.]
But never of my friends.
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[ he's trying to guess, so he sounds more skeptical than he means to. it's more a question of wondering how much of it is smiling despite the pain and how much of it is learned resilliance, maybe ]
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I have bestowed a duty... for this form was summoned for the sake of fighting in a war. So I suppose you could say that compliance is required regardless, for at the moment, my life is not my own.
[ . . . ]
But I do find ways to have fun, and act as I please.
[even if it means going against that very same duty]
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[ heh. he shakes his head. ]
... So you do your duty... to a point. That it?
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If you were told to 'protect history', Cloud Strife... What do you suppose that would mean?
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[ hilarious to have this next to swords ]
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[he sounds terribly amused, but pleased. like that's precisely the type of answer he wanted to hear]
Do you believe that your actions have changed that fate for the better?
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[ he tilts his head a little to look out at the flowers ]
Whatever happens now, we need to do whatever it takes so the future's something we can stand for. But we gotta live with the decisions we took to get there, too.
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Precisely so. I think it a matter of that opportunity... that possibility to let something new happen, as long as it is brought about by humanity, that is so precious.
[and it is simultaneously why he cannot perform his duty, and only his duty]
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Funny how similar you are to them, based on your duty alone. Whispers don't really talk, though.
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In comparison... our enemies are those belonging to the Historical Revisionists. Those who wish to change the past... even if we cannot communicate with them, not truly.
I wonder if it appropriate to be amused by this.
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[ or at least ironic, but cloud shrugs ]
We're trying to stop someone who's probably closer to your historical revisionists. Or at least he'd like to think he is. So maybe we're somewhere in the middle, between you keeping fate intact and the ones trying to change the path for their own gain.
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[yeah, he does think it's funny.]
.... fate is not always meant to be kept intact. Sometimes, it is these pockets of in-between, somewhere between something new and something known, where the myths and legends begin.
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[ sometimes you go okay this is going to mess with destiny but i am doing it because i REALLY hate this dude ]
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Oh my... He sounds like quite the troublesome individual.
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Troublesome is one word for it.