[Voice]

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

[Vague apology is going to be vague, but that's how Kain does these things. He'll leave it public partially as an act of penance, partially because he's still readjusting to these devices and their filters. He isn't even sure that all of these people are here- he's been gone from Gaia for only a couple weeks, but to him it feels much, much longer. Don't worry Zidane, when he realizes you're not here, he'll bother you when you arrive.]

Cecil. Squall. Onion Knight. Bartz. Firion. Zidane. I apologize to all of you, especially.

I should also extend that apology to the other warriors of Cosmos as well.

I'm... sorry.

[He's still recovering, but he can't finish this without offering:]

...and if anyone has need for another fighter, I can be there at once.

Comments

[voice] loool you know i always mentally forget to add the kid to that list *fixes this*

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

...No, it was something worse than that.

[He decides to stay vague with this, for the moment.]

You recall fighting in the conflict of the gods, don't you?

[voice]

[alittletoosmart.livejournal.com]

Why would I have forgotten something like that?!

[...except for the part where he. Did actually forget the bulk of it.]

[voice]

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

[Sighs.]

I suppose, this is to be expected. Forgetting is the very nature of the cycles we were involved in.

[voice]

[alittletoosmart.livejournal.com]

'We'? ...what are you trying to say-? I've never seen you bef-

[...wait, two and two successfully put together.]

...the old cycles?

[voice]

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

...Ah, then you're at least aware of the nature of the conflict. I was there from an early cycle, although I doubt you would remember.

[It's not like early cycles are exactly clear in his mind either, if anything. It's really the last one he was in that he has any clear details on.]

[voice]

[alittletoosmart.livejournal.com]

...I don't.

[He sounds irritated about it. People he doesn't know keep showing up from places he's supposedly been. But at least Kain remembers him.]

So what'd you even do that was so bad?

[voice/filtered]

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

I enacted a plan for the good of the group, at the expense of its individuals. I don't expect anyone to forgive me for it. Although I know now that at least you had success in the following cycle.

[voice/filtered]

[alittletoosmart.livejournal.com]

At the expense of...

[He still has no idea. But he's rapidly starting to think he won't like this.]

-What did you do?

[voice/filtered]

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

I betrayed you.

[voice/filtered]

[alittletoosmart.livejournal.com]

Betrayed-

[Kain might not be able to tell, but his hand flies to his sword. Yes, even though this is a phone conversation]

-did you hurt Terra?!

[voice/filtered]

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

No. I didn't hurt Terra.

[voice/filtered]

[alittletoosmart.livejournal.com]

...you better not have.

[voice/filtered]

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

[He's going to deliberately leave out what happened to her, for now. It's not his to tell anyone but Terra herself.]

...I only did what was necessary.

[voice/filtered]

[alittletoosmart.livejournal.com]

So spit it out. What's 'what was necessary'?

[voice/filtered]

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

To see that you made it through to the next cycle... I knocked you and the others out, and stored you in a safe place. It was a betrayal of your trust in me. I realize that. I don't even expect to be forgiven, I just... needed to apologize regardless.

[Because it's a little different being able to apologize when you're all actually conscious.]

[voice/filtered]

[alittletoosmart.livejournal.com]

You...what?

...how was that necessary?!

[voice/filtered]

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

We faced terrible odds. I didn't see any other choice.

[voice/filtered]

[alittletoosmart.livejournal.com]

[He's getting more annoyed about this than he should - he's always (he thinks, anyway) been in favour of playing it smart when the odds are against you - and he isn't sure why. Like there was someone important who didn't get saved.

Of course, Terra's the only person he can remember who's ever been that important.]

And what about Terra? If you didn't 'protect' her then what happened to her?

[voice/filtered]

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

[Kain really doesn't want to be the bearer of some truths.]

She lived to see the next cycle, didn't she?