Hope Against the Directive

It seemed as though the ominous ambiance of the Fallen Lands had finally pierced Evermere. 

Perhaps is was the innumerable army that stood watch outside the walls. Perhaps it was the Russian Roulette game that had just transpired between the three of them. Whatever the cause, it was clear that Evermere was no longer the impenetrable bastion that people thought it was. 

The three of them sat in complete silence on the 42nd floor of Evermere's Tower - the Grand Archives. It was the largest known repository of information that existed in the Fallen Lands. They had spent several hours there, rhythmically going through the motions. 

Yuna moved about the Archives, grabbing tomes and writings at Itsuki's behest. Amane guided her from a nearby chair - unable to easily walk about given her injury. Itsuki himself sat near Amane, absorbing the information as fast as he was able to. 

At first, he had thought about just running rampant and trying to absorb everything he could, He quickly found, however, that would be a bad idea. As the information in his head began piling up, it made his mind feel ready to explode. If he didn't take time between books to process the information properly, the maelstrom of knowledge and voices would overtake him. 

He had finally found out the downside to his power. Absorb too much of the world at once, and your identity will be lost in the process.

"Why don't we take a brief break so Itsuki can relax a bit?" Yuna asked after watching Itsuki absorb the most recent tomes she'd brought over. 

"I'm okay..." Itsuki feigned, actively rubbing his temples. "I haven't found anything meaningful, yet. I haven't found anywhere on these maps that would strike me as an obvious place for the Directive's base to be hiding..."

"The Fallen Lands is a gargantuan place," Amane pointed out. "Even your journey from Velmoria to here only encompasses a small distance within this region - and there are several regions beyond us that aren't well-documented here..."

"That might be true," Itsuki processed while he spoke. "I'm doubtful that we'll find the Directive outside of this region, though. It seems like the Directive has really only been active for the last fifty years. If they had global influence - they would have had no trouble wiping Evermere off of the map. Especially prior to your arrival."

"That seems optimistic," Amane rebutted. "The Goddess of Life has always ensured the survival of this city. Even with a worldwide influence, the Directive would not be capable of defeating a god..."

Itsuki dropped the topic from there. Hypothesizing a Gods vs. Directive conflict was not useful to their decision on how to act. The army was here - and they would undoubtedly storm the city to capture him before Amane regained her powers.

"The city would not survive an invasion," Yuna spoke up, echoing Itsuki's thoughts. "Fleeing could spare Evermere, but we would get captured anyway. We barely avoided capture at Firefly Pond, and Amane can't bail us out this time. Me going with them is the only option that keeps Evermere safe as well as you, Itsuki..."

"What if it is a trap, though?" itsuki questioned. 

"Oh, now you want to think about traps and danger?"

Itsuki had no response. Yuna simply smiled and giggled a bit at his defeat. It was the first lighthearted interaction anyone had seen all day. 

"I appreciate your concern, Itsuki," Yuna continued. "This is the best path forward we currently have, though. My powers are granted to me by the Dragon of Wisdom. If I go with them, then Lord Bahamut will know where the Directive is operating from..."

"And if something happens to you..." Itsuki finished her thought. "I can rain Judgment on their people regardless of whether I'm the one who knows their location..."

"Is that really how it works, though?" Amane questioned. "You've not opened that tome once since you arrived here. Do you really think it will open simply because you have a vendetta you want fulfilled?"

Itsuki thought about it for a moment. It was a valid point, but he believed it was not one to be worried about...

"My job is to explore this world and Judge it," Itsuki explained. "The Fallen Lands is massive, as you pointed out. I will not be able to travel this world and gain information if Yuna is killed. I don't have the powers or armies to do so without her by my side."

Amane seemed to uncomfortably shift in-place a bit at Itsuki's comment about Yuna always being by his side. She said nothing, though - now was not the time or place. 

"The Directive, as intelligent and calculating as they are, must be aware of that fact," Itsuki continued. "If they lure Yuna in and kill her in spite of that, it would clearly be an attempt to modify and manipulate my Judgment. That outcome is one that the Dragon of Wisdom would most certainly lash out against."

Amane looked to him, and then to Yuna. 

"If what Itsuki says is true, then I am in agreement with Yuna's plan," she declared. "Evil or not, their best outcome involves allowing Yuna to return to you unharmed. Any outcome outside of that risks annihilation on their part."

"If they weren't hoping for a peaceful solution, then wouldn't still be patiently waiting outside," Yuna chimed in. "I will go to the front lines and speak with them. If they accept our terms, then this whole situation could diffuse without anyone being killed."

Yuna exchanged glances with Itsuki. At this point, Yuna knew him well enough to understand what he was thinking. 

-- This is the best path forward with the information we have, and I hate it. I don't want to put you at risk...

That was what Itsuki's eyes told her. She responded not with harsh words or remarks, but with a genuine smile. 

"I'll be sure to be back soon," Yuna assured him. "If anyone can bring some Hope back to this situation, it should be me."

***

The eyes of the Directive's soldiers came online, one at a time, as Yuna approached the army in the fields. It was as if they have proximity sensors dialed in to awake them if anything drew near.

Incredibly creepy, but Yuna continued forward regardless. Her wings were out and her bow was in-hand, but she approached with as little hostility as she could manage.

It paid off, as they seemed to have little interest in attacking her.

"We are here to escort the Judge back to the Overseer..."

"Yes, I know," Yuna cut the lead soldier off. "My name is Yuna, and I am the Judge's primary advisor. For reasons that should be obvious to your Overseer, we cannot simply have the Judge trudging off into unknown territory. As such, I will go with you instead as the Judge's representative. If all goes well, then perhaps a direct meeting can be arranged."

"Negative," the robot responded. "That is not an acceptable answer. The Overseer's orders were explicitly to ensure..."

Before the soldier finished, it abruptly stiffened and silenced itself. Lights flashed across its eyes as it twitched and shifted in-place a bit. Yuna was unnerved by it's unnatural motion, but it seemed like it was having a problem.

After a moment, the erratic motion stopped and the soldier retrained it's gaze on Yuna.

"Apologies," the soldier continued. "I have just been notified by the Overseer that the conditions of your request are acceptable. We will bring you to meet with him in lieu of the Judge. Are you ready to depart?"

A quick change. Perhaps the Overseer had a means of seeing what his soldiers saw? Similar to the Goddess' ability to influence everything in Evermere?

Yuna left the thought alone for now. She took a deep breath, and prepared herself for other matter.

"Yes," she affirmed. "Let's go and meet this Overseer."