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The destruction was seemingly total and complete.
White auracite, anathema to him and his people, broken up into shards and impaled into his being. The light of an entire world saturated in the stuff, all coalesced into solid form and hurled at a being of pure darkness. By everything that the mortals knew, that should have been more than enough to annihilate every trace of an Ascian from existence, even one as ageless and powerful as him.
But Emet-Selch was no mere Ascian.
The pain was unbearable, yes, the piercing, overwhelming light cleaving straight through his being, searing his nerves and body and everything until he thought it was finally his turn to be Sundered. The pure agony felt as though all the physical and emotional turmoil he had been put through during the past few millennia had been condensed and inflicted upon him all over again. His thoughts were gone entirely, mind only able to focus on the basal desire to make it through this and live .
And then, it was over, leaving him a wounded shell of his former self that could only deliver one, final message to the Warrior of Light and Darkness both before dissipating entirely.
...For the moment, anyway.
True, his mortal shell had finally hit its breaking point and his soul was too weak to latch onto another humanoid form to hijack it, but such a setback certainly wasn't enough to put him out of commission entirely. No, it simply meant that the Lord of the Underworld could return to where his influence held the most sway.
His tattered, ragged soul fled from the realm of the living, dipping itself into the cool, familiar waters of the Underworld. The streams had grown since the days of Amaurot, turbulent and swollen with the myriad of mortal souls pausing in the swift cycle of birth, life, and death. Still, even the relatively choppy waters of the present were comforting to him, serving as good as a balm for his battered being. So much so that he was sorely tempted to drift off into the years-long slumber that Elidibus had rudely awoken him from once he ended his reign as Emperor.
But no, not yet. He still had a duty, a personal one this time rather than one driven by Zodiark.
The Warrior of Darkness… He had suspected that his fragmented soul was a familiar one the moment he set his eyes upon it. While he was known to the mortals as Zelos, the same true name he held back during those halcyon days, he turned his back from those suspicions, not even daring to hope that it might be the case, not after the countless, countless disappointments the mortals had made him suffer through. But, when he saw him illuminated in the light of that summoning circle, looking so fierce, so determined , he could no longer pretend away the truth that blazed before him as bright as the sun itself.
Azem …
He had successfully proven his worth to him, proven that mortals had a place of their own in this shattered world. A man of his word, he would allow him to carry on with his life with but a request to remember their history.
And yet… Elidibus likely wouldn't be as content to stand down as he was. No, knowing how strong their conviction was firsthand, he would fight for the Rejoining till his last breath and, given how Zelos was just barely strong enough to fight him off… His outlook was bleak indeed.
With a mental sigh, he eased himself out of the stream of souls, effortlessly passing back through the barrier between life and death. He had to keep an eye on this wayward traveler somehow and, while he still couldn't take a humanoid body, he had another at his disposal, one he had already determined to be perfect for this task.
With their natural ability of flight and their small size, birds in general were wonderful for spying. Unfortunately, they were also anxious, fearful creatures, their instincts to flee from potential danger kicking in at the slightest of noises. Were he more powerful, he would have quashed such urges as easily as any other host's thoughts and feelings. But instead of risking such a thing, Emet-Selch chose to bypass it altogether by choosing a bird he had already tested before his defeat.
A shoebill.
Designed to wait in the muck for fish to flit within striking distance, they were patient to the point of lethargy, mellow compared to their flighty brethren. Such simple instincts made them suitable for his current predicament… and maybe, just maybe, he held a certain kinship for the creatures and their penchant for not moving unless absolutely necessary.
His chosen vessel was a small specimen by shoebill standards, one that hadn't yet reached the cumbersome size they do when fully-grown. What was left of his soul slid into it easily, gently nudging aside the shoebill's consciousness so he could take its place.
Regardless of how often he had done it before, it was always immediately unpleasant to take control of a body from a decidedly bodiless state. Without a shell, he could hear the words of others and even respond in kind to those with the Echo, yes, but it was as though he was interacting with the world through a thick velvet curtain, sounds muffled, sensations dampened. Now, it was as though that curtain had been abruptly yanked upwards, deafening him with a cacophony of noises, overwhelming him with the steady pump of a heartbeat, the roar of blood pounding through his veins, the filling and falling of lungs, and all the other bodily processes that become relegated to the realm of ever-present background noise to those accustomed to them. Thankfully, his eyes were spared too much strain as it was currently nighttime thanks to the work of the Warrior of Darkness. Even so, he was stunned for a few minutes as he grew used to having a body once more, not that it seemed out of place for such a sedentary bird.
Eventually, however, he shook his borrowed head, fluffing up grey feathers as if trying to throw off any lingering feelings of discomfort. When that didn't work, he instead spread his wings and took flight, figuring that the act of trying to figure out where that mighty hero was now would serve as a suitable distraction.
Amaurot was out of the question; it was a land for the dead and nearly forgotten now, no purpose to its existence but to eventually fade away as his enchantment did. No, he would likely be found in civilization of some sort, still continuing to help people despite the ordeal he had been through. The Crystarium seemed orderly enough from his unwelcome visits there, so that left Eulmore, the coastal city in governmental shambles after Vauthry met his end. Yes… that seemed the perfect place to find his altruistic little wanderer.
Turning on the air currents, he aimed himself towards Kholusia.
Once he found himself just outside the former city of sinful delights, he settled himself atop one of the many hovels crowding around the entryway, scanning his surroundings like any normal bird would. Soon enough, he noticed an oddly-familiar blue-haired mystel heading out of the city, looking as though he was on a mission of some sort. For a moment, he didn't know why he seemed to recognize him, but after a bit of wracking his brain, he suddenly remembered; ah yes, that was the stubborn one who made such a fuss in front of Vauthry, who unintentionally put the full horror of Eulmore on show for the Warrior of Darkness and his companions. He was honestly impressed that the mystel managed to survive all this time after a fiasco such as that.
However, he wasn't the only one sizing up the people around him.
A glance down and off to the side revealed the wayward hero himself, apparently having been following after the mystel… though now he had stopped and was staring up at him, white brows furrowing as if he was thinking hard… a rather terrifying thought to Emet-Selch given how familiar he was with the not-exactly-bright warrior.
"Y'know, I swear I've seen you before." He muttered more to himself than the bird.
For Emet-Selch's part, he merely played the role of a random wild bird that just so happened to be in the area, casually looking back in the direction that he had been. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Zelos following his gaze, frowning, then looking back up at him again.
"You look like you're plotting somethin'." He said, definitely talking at him this time if the raised voice and accusatory finger pointing at him was any indication.
All he did in response was give a slow, lazy blink of his eyes, acting to all the world as though he hadn't understood what he had said. Zelos squinted at him for a moment longer before shaking his unruly mess of white hair.
"I gotta go help Eulmore get back on its feet, but you can bet that I'll be keepin' my eyes on you, so you be good, okay? No menacing bird plots about… whatever birds make plots about."
He simply fluffed up his feathers, an action that wasn't even necessarily acknowledgement, much less denying or agreeing to his demands. Even so, Zelos seemed to take it as the former, giving him a smile and determined nod before heading off in pursuit of the mystel.
And, once he had gotten far enough away, he spread his wings and followed after him, making certain that he wasn't spotted this time.
It was as he suspected; Zelos had arrived here to help them rebuild their society after practically their entire way of life was toppled before their eyes. From his eavesdropping with that blue-haired mystel (Kai-Shirr, apparently), he was currently helping to work out a way for Eulmore to monetarily sustain itself. There was a lot of talk about various commodities they could produce and experiences they could tantalize outsiders with, information that was dull enough to him to go in one ear and out the other. Honestly, he could likely just leave Zelos to it and fly off to do something else.
Then again, with his goals now going against those of Elidibus, he didn't exactly have anywhere else to go at this point.
So he watched.
And waited.
And, inevitably, Zelos' duties took him to the bottom of the Kholusian sea. Not to Amaurot, not immediately, anyway. Instead, he was found inquiring the local Ondo population, the creatures that mistakenly (or perhaps, fittingly) thought of his city and its people as some ancient, sacred deities. Close to the settlement, there were too many eyes, all ones that would be suspicious of a bird at the bottom of the sea. So, instead, he wheeled towards what he guessed would be the warrior's next destination after hearing snippets of conversation drifting up; the caves to the northwest where there would be plenty of nooks and crannies to hide and observe.
Or, at least, that was his thoughts when he arrived and settled on a vantage point… up until he found himself face-to-face with one of Zelos' companions.
That girl, the one who had been trapped in the cycle of being the Oracle of Light before breaking free of it, was the one who found him first. Everything about her, from that perky smile on her face to her very aether itself, was so damnably bright that it took all his power to maintain his stony composure when she crouched down to his level and leaned in close, staring at him with all the pity one might show to a wounded animal. She even slowly reached her hands out towards him and began to make gentle clicking noises, as though he would ever possibly be drawn in by such things.
Worse still was the fact that her behavior attracted a certain other someone.
"Hey Ryne, did you find that sack of livers yet—Woah, is that a bird ?" The determined look on Zelos' face quickly melted into one of curiosity as he knelt down beside his companion. Great. Just what he needed, another close encounter with the person he was meant to be spying on.
"It sure looks like it, doesn't it? I don't know what it's doing here, but I guess it's not the strangest thing we've seen." She furrowed her brow, lips puckering up as she studied him. "...I think it might be lonely. I know I would be if I was a bird at the bottom of the ocean."
"You really think so?" He asked before turning his attention to the "bird" in question. "Are you lonely here, little fella? ...Wait a second." His own brow knitted together and he placed his palms on the ground in front of him so he could lean in closer.
"I've seen this bird before…"
Oh, this wasn't good. With how suspicious Zelos was of him, he'd likely try to catch him and keep him until he figured out just what he was. Given that Elidibus was likely pulling the strings now, that would take far, far too long for his liking. He had to get away, had to be sure he had enough strength to aid him when it was going to matter.
So he did what any cornered wild bird would do.
He opened his beak and bit Zelos square on the nose.
The reaction was immediate; a loud yelp as he yanked himself back so quickly that he lost his balance and Emet-Selch very well would have tumbled back with him had he not let go. Still, Zelos ended up flat on his arse, grumbling indignantly and cursing up a storm as he rubbed at his nose. Ryne was even distracted by it, all her attention turned to her friend to ensure he was okay. The whole scenario was so ridiculous that he would have laughed had he been capable of it. Instead, as he took the opportunity to fly off, the two parts of his beak rapidly clacked together, sending loud, banging laughter of a sort echoing out across the dry seabed.
If he knew the mighty Warrior of Darkness could be felled by a mere bird, he would have integrated them into his troops long ago.
Ah, but upon sobering up, he realized it would be far, far too risky to spy on him directly any longer. The danger of getting caught was simply too great at this point… and he certainly couldn't keep an eye on Elidibus to plan out his actions—the man would see through him in an instant. No, he would have to blindly ready himself for what was to come… and that meant preparing for the absolute worst.
So, he turned towards his old home that was now a mere shell of its former self, towards Amaurot.
When he lighted down on the edge of a rooftop, there was one of the many shades standing there, just as he knew it would be. A masked face tipped down from where it had been admiring what constituted as a sky nowadays, corners of lips quirking up in a smile both so familiar and so horribly mischievous.
"Ah, Hades… Your soul is the same, but you look just a touch different . Did you happen to get a haircut?" Hythlodaeus' teasing voice was unmistakable to him even now and, though he hemmed and hawed about it, he did treasure every playful little snipe.
...Still, he had to keep up appearances, which he did by puffing up his feathers.
A teasing chuckle served as his response, along with the tip of an oversized finger gently stroking along the top of his head. "Now, now, no need to get your feathers in a ruffle over me." A sigh then, wistful yet happy. "I do admit that I was saddened by seeing that clash of light and dark over our not-so-fair city, but I should have known that our Lord of the Underworld would be resilient enough that such a simple thing as death would not defeat him. Even so, I never would have expected this particular side effect.”
Hythlodaeus shook his head. “Ah… but enough of this old shade's concerns. You must have come here for something, yes?"
He gave a nod and the shade's lips turned downwards into the slightest of frowns.
"And I presume it is not to simply reminisce about the old days given your change in form?"
Another nod before he leaned forwards and, using his beak, tugged on Hythlodaeus' robe where he knew a pocket lurked beneath the fabric, clinking sounds emanating from it with his action. He knew that mortal flesh was weak and prone to injury, not fit to hold onto things that were so terribly important to an immortal… and besides, who would be both willing and able to painstakingly search every shade in this city below the waves until they found what they were looking for?
Hythlodaeus' head tipped down to look at the offending pocket before he dug around within it, eventually withdrawing a carved, orange stone with a simple engraving of the sun set within it. "Ah… is it time for them, then?"
Hm, birds couldn't quite shrug, so he tilted his head to one side and spread his wings to lightly flap them. Close enough, given the shade's next words.
"You are uncertain?" A nod from the bird and he hummed, slipping the stone back into his pocket. "Very well. I will be certain to keep an eye on things for you, maybe even two! Rest assured that our wayward wanderer will receive all the help that I can provide him… all in due time, of course. It simply would not be theatrical enough for you if I was to aid them well in advance, after all." He could practically hear the wink in his voice before he reached down, holding his palm level with him. "Now, I am certain you have preparations of your own to consider, no?"
He nodded before stepping onto the offered palm, waiting a brief moment before that hand jerked upwards, launching him up into the air. From below, he could make out that wonderfully, damnably teasing smile on Hythlodaeus' face.
"I will do my part, so you do yours too, Hades! Make certain our traveller comes back safe and sound!"
Oh, he was planning to.
Still, there was nothing he could do right now but wait, so he did just that. Tucking himself away somewhere safe, he abandoned the shoebill's body and returned to the peace and quiet of the Underworld. There, he slipped himself back into those familiar waters, drawing upon them for the strength he knew he would need for whatever would be coming next.
And then, he waited.
Days, weeks, maybe months, he couldn't tell—time was always hard to keep track of here. There was nothing but him, and the mortal souls keeping him company.
And then, a tug, an inexorable pull on his very soul that was so familiar, so nostalgic that he could have wept tears of joy had he a corporeal body to do so with. Instead, he followed that pulling, drawing on the ancient power imbued in that connection to manifest in the waking world.
Not as a mere bird, not as the fallen Emperor of a fallen nation, but as himself .
Standing tall, taller than any of the mortals who have walked the lands throughout the centuries, he reached large, strong hands out to his wanderer, bound by chains coursing with Elidibus' power. Bowing his head to avoid that look of startled recognition in Zelos' eyes, he instead focused on those shackles, easily pulling them apart with a metallic whine that turned into a resounding snap . With him free, he moved back a bit, preparing to send him back to his proper realm and away from this void as dark as Zodiark himself.
“Hades!” The outburst, not his title, but his name spoken in that voice made him pause, however. Looking at his face, it was still full of that stubborn determination he always attributed to Azem, but there was also grief, also something else that he thought he would never see etched in the lines and curves of his face ever again.
Love.
“I’m gonna get you back for real, old man! I dunno exactly how yet, but I’m gonna do it! You just sit tight and nap or whatever and I’ll handle it, okay?!”
Ah… that eager purpose, that will to go on no matter how impossible things seemed. It was so like him that he couldn’t help the fond smile breaking out across his face. “Very well. Just do be sure and do it sometime before your mortal lifetime is up or it will be me greeting you the next time we come across one another, hero.”
With that, he raised his hand to the air and snapped his fingers, teleporting himself to the seat of the Crystal Tower. Another snap brought Zelos to his side where he smashed his fists together, clearly ready to hop right back into the fight. He only spared a brief glance at Elidibus, as shocked and startled at his appearance as Zelos had been. His friend-turned-god reached his hand out towards him, letting out a breathy, unbelieving, “You…” , but Emet-Selch turned away. Though he knew it was for his own good, he had no desire to witness the last of the Unsundered fall to someone who had formerly been among their ranks. Instead, he raised his hand again, not to snap, but to give one last flourish of a wave as he walked off and his form began to dissipate, the summoning magic from Azem’s soulstone only able to sustain him so much. A blink, two, and he found himself adrift in the Underworld once more.
But he had no plans on staying there.
A brief respite was all he needed before he hopped back into the body of that shoebill, spending a moment to try and shake off the uncomfortable feeling of having a body again. With that done, he took flight once more, heading to a very particular building in the Crystarium.
Upon his arrival, he found that the window he was looking for had been left wide open and its occupant was currently out and about, much to his relief. After fluttering inside, he hopped on the bed set against a corner and settled down beside the pillow to wait.
When Zelos finally returned to his inn room and closed the door, he slumped back against it, face downcast, head whirling with the heady knowledge of just what he had done, heart heavy with a million and one emotions.
He had ended the Ascian threat, giving reason for countless citizens across the shards to celebrate… But at what cost?
For once in his lifetime, he felt like sleeping, taking a long, well-deserved rest to try to ease the ache in both his body and mind. But, when he looked at his bed, he jumped, seeing a familiar-looking bird casually nesting there, looking as if he owned the place.
“Hey, what’re you doing—” He trailed off then as his gaze settled on what had been left on his pillow, presumably by the shoebill. There, settled atop the cushion, was a familiar teardrop-shaped earring with a golden clasp. A promise. A symbol of love from someone part of a civilization that history forgot.
A plea for him to keep remembering for the sake of those who could not any longer.
As he shuffled his way over to the bed and picked it up, as the shoebill watched him put it on his ear, he knew his answer to the unspoken request.
Amaurot— Hades —would not be abandoned to the annals of history. Not while he still lived.