[Phone call to Terra]

[warkitoff.livejournal.com]

[Ring ring! It's before the meeting, at least. If only just before it.]

Comments

[heavenslament.livejournal.com]

Bartz! Where are you?!

[warkitoff.livejournal.com]

Huh? Dragging wagons of bricks around Lindblum. Why'd you ask?

[heavenslament.livejournal.com]

...because the Heads of State meeting is about to begin. I thought you were going to be here.

[warkitoff.livejournal.com]

Oh, uh. Yeah. That thing.

[heavenslament.livejournal.com]

[Sigh.]

I was looking forward to seeing you....

[warkitoff.livejournal.com]

...sorry. Didn't mean to let you down. Just kinda scruffy, you know? Wouldn't do for a guy like me to be talking to kings.

[...except his whole party were royalty.]

[heavenslament.livejournal.com]

Bartz...don't talk like that. You're as good as any of them. Even better.

[Well, except Edgar. But that's a truth Bartz will just have to accept.]

[warkitoff.livejournal.com]

S'not a bad thing. Just, you know, I know my place. And it's down here, lugging rocks around. Getting the city fixed up's more valuable than anything I could say anyway.

[heavenslament.livejournal.com]

Will you be going with us to the Chaos Shrine?

[warkitoff.livejournal.com]

Yeah. For sure. We started this together, we finish it together. Again.

[And the Chaos Shrine isn't on an airship.]

[heavenslament.livejournal.com]

[Relief.]

Right. That's how I feel, too.

...Cloud will return in time for us all to go. He has to, doesn't he?

[warkitoff.livejournal.com]

He ever let us down before? He'll show, I'm sure of it.

[heavenslament.livejournal.com]

...you're right. Even Golbez and Jecht are here, and helping us.

[warkitoff.livejournal.com]

See? No worries.

[heavenslament.livejournal.com]

I didn't think I would trust someone on the Chaos side, but...they aren't bad people. Besides, maybe they didn't have a choice about that.

[warkitoff.livejournal.com]

Maybe. I sure don't remember getting a choice about what side I was on. Not that Id've chosen different.

[heavenslament.livejournal.com]

[Lengthy pause.]

No. I wouldn't have, either.

[warkitoff.livejournal.com]

Heh, didn't think you would for a second. Can't even imagine you working with those guys.

[FOOT IS FIRMLY IN MOUTH.]

[heavenslament.livejournal.com]

[...and there's that silence again.]

[warkitoff.livejournal.com]

...you, uh, you okay? You're being awfully quiet.

[heavenslament.livejournal.com]

Bartz....

...remember what Kain said, about the cycle he was in?

[warkitoff.livejournal.com]

About beating us all up? Don't blame him for it, I guess. Why, you still upset about it?

[heavenslament.livejournal.com]

He...didn't beat me up.

[Pause.]

I wasn't on Cosmos' side, then. I don't remember any of it, but Kain...he said I was a Warrior of Chaos.

[warkitoff.livejournal.com]

...hey, uh. Not even I'd joke about that. Are you- serious?

[heavenslament.livejournal.com]

[Her voice grows a touch quieter.]

Yes. Kain said that Kefka was controlling me.

[warkitoff.livejournal.com]

...where are you going after the meeting? Back to Figaro?

[heavenslament.livejournal.com]

I assume so, unless Regent Cid says this plan needs to happen right now. But we still need people to open the shrines, first.

[warkitoff.livejournal.com]

Tell me when you know. We'll- talk about this in person, okay? The phones are no good.

[PHONES CANNOT HUG.]

[heavenslament.livejournal.com]

[NO, THEY CAN'T. ;-;]

Okay. If I'm right, then we'll be there soon. Within the next day, I think.

[warkitoff.livejournal.com]

I'll set off tonight, then. Gives them a few hours to find someone to replace me.

[heavenslament.livejournal.com]

...you're sure?