[Action in Lindblum (I think?)]

[dualcast]

[Anyone could be forgiven for thinking there wasn't a forest full of the birds at the base of Mount Ordeals with how Porom's been jumping at every little sound and demanding to know if Ursula thinks it's a chocobo. Apparently, hearing that they're expected back soon only managed to make her fret more. Which is quite the achievement, considering how much she was fretting already. In fact, she's so busy wondering if non-chocobo-related sounds are chocobos that she almost manages to miss their actual return.

Almost.

It's probably a good thing that she managed to get some rest and that wearing herself out isn't an immediate danger anymore. Because, well. Doublecasting curaja before actually checking if anyone's injured.]

Comments

[petalwhirlwind.livejournal.com]

[Ursula frowns, but nods, not completely surprised. Garland has a lot of tricks up his sleeve, after all.]

And...what else?

[There's something more. She can tell that much from his eyes.]

[lunarianlegacy.livejournal.com]

Lilisette's dead.

[Blunt and right to the point. If Ursula's paying close attention, it's pretty obvious that he's blaming himself for that.]

[petalwhirlwind.livejournal.com]

[Urusla bows her head, blinking back tears. She remembers Lili well from her rescue and the Wind Shrine expedition.]

...I'm sorry, Ceodore. She'll return.

[Stubbornly ignoring rumors of the Iifa Tree not being what it was, for now.]

[lunarianlegacy.livejournal.com]

Yeah...

[He's thinking about those rumors too.]

Shouldn't have happened though.

[petalwhirlwind.livejournal.com]

[She nods, unable to disagree with that.]

I know, but dwelling on what should have been won't get us anywhere. We'll just have to continue with what needs to be done...and she'll join us, when she's returned.

[lunarianlegacy.livejournal.com]

[He pauses, then withdraws enough to place his hands on Ursula's shoulders. She deserves to know the rest.]

She was trying to protect Lufene.

[petalwhirlwind.livejournal.com]

[She stares at him, dumbfounded.]

What? Why?

[lunarianlegacy.livejournal.com]

I don't know; she never said. But... Garland did something to Lufene. It... it reminded me of Father when we reached the moon. It was like she was empty.

[His brow furrows, still trying to make sense of it all.]

I tried to shield them both.

[And failed utterly at that.]

[petalwhirlwind.livejournal.com]

Oh, Ceodore....

[She remembers that time well, when it seemed that nothing could be done about Cecil's awful zombie-like state. With that, she holds him tighter.]

[lunarianlegacy.livejournal.com]

[He rests his forehead against Ursula's and sighs again, although he's drawing comfort from her being close.]