Meeting with Madness (Kefka)

[garland]

A giant, armored man began walking through the alley, dragging a large, mighty sword behind him, scarring into the floor of the path. The weapon was huge, and looked impossible for anyone else to wield, and it was clearly used recently, as blood clung to the weapon and trailed behind him. The owner of that blood was somewhere in the corner of this alley, and the less said about his current state, the better.

The man seemed aimless, wandering the path, darting his head back and forth, tensing the grip on his weapon, as if he expected someone to attack him at any moment, and when nobody did, his shoulder's slump over disappointingly.

"This hovel... clearly not a place for battle..." The man muttered, and then slammed his weapon into the side of wall, creating a large hole in the side, splattering blood over the alley. He stopped for a moment, breathing in deeply as if to calm himself. Then, all of a sudden, he roared in rage, and then began slamming his sword into the walls, the floor, everything around him, smashing into everything he could, splattering the blood all over the alley. He ended his rampage by slamming his sword into the floor, smashing it nearly into the hilt.

After a minute of sheer destruction, the knight stopped, and breathed in deeply, looking oddly serene for a moment, a strange disconnection with his blood covered armor. The moment of catharsis calmed him for a moment, yet it quickly faded. Garland ripped his sword back out of the ground, the blood dried onto the weapon, and slung it over his shoulder.

"No... destruction is enjoyable, yet not the same without the thrill of battle," he sighed, and looked toward the end of this path. He knew it was pointless to stay, yet he felt like he needed to stay for just a few moments more. He knew that the conflict was going to start soon, and he had to meet someone first before he walked off. While he loathed the idea of waiting, he knew it was for the best. There will be time for destruction, and Garland would just have to eagerly wait for it.

[skycoston]

"There just isn't anything here! No villains, or even a decent amount of victims!" Kefka complained, shooting a small fireball from his fingertips at a box as he walked by just to watch it explode. He sighed, shaking his head.

"Stupid recon jobs are the pits. Can't recklessly destroy anything," Kefka muttered, then perked up when he heard the sweet sounds of destruction. The jester tiptoed to the edge of the alley, peeking his head from around the corner. His eyes widened, the sight of splattered blood and the carnage brought about from a powerful weapon bringing a grin to Kefka's face. What pleased him even more was the man who caused it.

"Well, well, well! Look what the cat dragged in! Kefka called out to the armored man while he obnoxiously marched into the alley, "Garland, my friend, it's been a while! Been knocking plenty down I hope! Surprised to find you here, I'll admit, but oh so glad! You're exactly the kind I've been looking for!"

Kefka stopped just a few feet away from Garland, planting his fists against his hips. He was sure Garland would remember him from the days of their wars against Cosmos, he'd always had a better sense of what was going on. Garland had been the right hand of Chaos, for goodness sake, making him a very capable ally for the scheme Kefka was trying to hatch.

[garland]

Garland immediately perked up when he heard a voice in the alley, and turned sharply towards it's source, weapon at the ready as if he was going to charge straight into a battle. He relaxed, to his surprise and disappointment, when he saw Kefka bounding toward him with that annoying gait of his. He remembered the clown, always childish and insufferable during the war against Cosmos. However, he could respect a person who worked for Chaos and loved blood shed as much as himself, even if it was likely for different circumstances.

Garland walked over to Kefka, his incredible height and stature allowing him to loom over the jester, yet knowing the clown was so unhinged meant that he likely wouldn't be intimidated by his height. "Kefka? It has been a while hasn't it?" He said dryly, sizing up the clown. "Knocking people down? Well..." Garland used his mighty weapon to gesture at Kefka's feet and the blood surrounding him. "You are standing in a person who I 'knocked down' just a few moments ago, or at least his insides, if that's what you are referring too." He knew that wasn't going to upset the Jester in anyway- disappoint him, perhaps, in that he didn't do the honors- yet he felt it was worth pointing out. Regardless, the blood wasn't just there but on his own armor and weapon, so the warrior walked over to the stream and cupped water in his large hand and poured it over his sword.

Something Kefka said intruiged Garland about him being 'just the kind of person he was looking for'.

"You are looking for people like me, jester? I can't decide whether I should be honored or mortified," Garland quipped in a surprising moment of non-seriousness. "Regardless. Looking for Warriors of Chaos, correct? Seeing how that and our love for destruction are our only other connection. Well, for what reason? I am sure your search isn't for nostalgia's sake."

[skycoston]

Kefka looked up... And up at Garland, though obviously not intimidated in the slightest. When Garland showed the remains of his victim to Kefka, the jester pouted; his shoulders slumping while he spread his arms.

"Having fun without me?" Kefka asked, then let his arms hang half cocked at his sides. "You should've invited me to the party, we could've had so much fun!" He followed Garland towards the stream, then leaped into the air to hover at Garland's height and place an arm on his massive armored shoulder.

"Exactamoondo! You always were quick to figure out what was going on," Kefka chuckled, "You see, I was furnished with a thought... It seems that wherever we go to have fun, that heroes will swarm there for little to no reason at all just because it's 'the right thing to do.' Ugh!" Kefka tapped Garland's chest plate with his free hand.

"But that's where you come in! You see, though we all have different goals, we all have the same enemies: those former pawns of Cosmos, and more! That's when I thought... Why not bring back the Warriors of Chaos? Or even better, especially with Cosmos's absence... Bring back Chaos himself! What do you say?"

With Garland, Kefka thought the direct approach was best. Garland never had been one for conversation like himself, but with the mentioning of Chaos Kefka was sure it would be enough to get the former Second In Command on board.

[garland]

Garland watched Kefka's hands carefully. He knew the jester was powerful, as he had seen his magics before in the field of battle. If the clown had snapped all of a sudden and decided to attack, Garland would be prepared. However, hearing the clown mention Cosmos and Chaos caught him off guard. Cosmos and Chaos were absent? Perhaps the cycle had ended? No... why would Kefka and and himself be back, in that case? Even if that was the case, then he was still fated to become the God of Discord, both due to common sense that he still remembered Chaos, and his intuition. He could feel it in his veins. However, Kefka didn't know that, as far as he remembered. Perhaps having allies, then, to complete that goal would not be an unfortunate thing.

"We are fragmented. Yet perhaps Chaos could unite us under one goal." He muttered to himself absent-mindedly, then quickly focused back on the task at hand. "You desire to bring back Chaos? Well, that would be difficult..." Garland said, and hesitated for a moment. "...yet perhaps I can assist in that goal. I have a connection to the God of Discord that is necessary to both he and I." He realized that Kefka would just ask questions, yet he still tried to seem casual. He looked at his sword, and saw it was as clean as he could get it, for now. He then moved on to his armor.

"Kefka, what do you suggest would be useful to those not brazen enough to believe they could handle their respective rivals and everyone else alone," Garland said, completely aware that this was unfortunately the case with most of their allies. However, this idea had interested Garland, and perhaps he could assist in making it work. "However, the power in numbers could entice some to our side. What candidates do you have in mind? And, I'd assume I have a purpose as well in creating this reunion?"

[skycoston]

"Of course it's difficult!! If it was easy don't you think I, The God Of Magic would've done it by now?!" Kefka demanded, flailing his free arm about.

"But that's exactly why I was looking for the best there is, including you! If anyone knows how to bring back the ultimate baddie it's you! You were his favorite minion, after all." Kefka then brought a hand to his jaw, looking quizacal for a moment as he thought.

"Well, for them I would have to figure out their goals use them as leverage to get them on my side. Maybe even secretly sabotage them, force them to accept that I'm right and they need me! Oh it's so much FUN to do that! Kefka laughed, then continued. "For others just beating them to a pulp may suffice, not many can take me or Mama's boy on mano y mano," Kefka nodded confidently, then started to count on his fingers.

"Let's see... I just spoke to Sephiroth, now I've found you... If I can find Ultimecia she'd definitely be of some use, that'd make four of us... Not including whoever you and Sephiroth decide to bring to the party. Not sure how many of us are left, that's why I'm also looking for new recruits," Kefka nodded. "Heard about a place with gods, I'm headed there next to try to find some baddies for the cause."

[garland]

Garland mentally sighed as he heared Kefka. At the very least, he wouldn't have to deal with the questions the jester would have about his origin. However, if Kefka was honest about this goal, then he may have to trust his secret to him. Hopefully not today. The warrior then turned away from the stream, his armor as clean of the blood as he could tolerate, and listened to Kefka speak of his plans to add new blood to their ranks, and also, perhaps old as well.

"Sephiroth, I'm assume, is what you mean, correct? You were able to bring him back in our ranks?" Garland rumbled. To have the swordsman on their side would be a powerful asset, even with his bigger concern in his old enemy. If they focus that rage into something beneficial to their cause, then perhaps he might be useful after all. "A good start, but hopefully we can expand, as you say." Already Garland realized that he was getting enthusiastic about this plan, considering the possibilities of people who they could bring in, perhaps even the fiends of the elements that had saved him all those years before. Perhaps he had misjudged the clown; he was still brash and impetuous with a love for destruction, but perhaps he had vision as well, or at the very least vision on how to destroy.

"You are considering gods into our ranks, jester?" Garland asked, a slight tinge of a laugh in his voice. "As a 'god' yourself, you should realize that deities tend to be a fickle bunch." He realized that in sense, this included himself, but he thought nothing of it. He then considered Kefka's methods of recruitment. "Understand something, Jester. These recruits need to think that they need us. Their will surely be... opportunistic members inducted, and the last thing we need is for them to rally most of ranks into mutiny because of prior treatment. Sabotage and treachery if need be, but in secret."

[skycoston]

"Yes, hopefully that one wing'ed pretty boy won't turn his back on us again. If he does again, well I'll just have to put an end to his games! Ho ho ho ho!" Kefka rubbed his hands together then dropped to Garland's side. He listened to Garland's warning, nodding uninterestedly while he spun his hands in boredoms.

"Yes yes, I know already! Don't worry my friend, I know what I'm doing!" Kefka assured him, "Just remember to follow your own advice, not all us baddies are on the same side. If you run into the remnants of Sephiroth, remember that they want him dead, and me to! It'll be a shame if I have to destroy your recruits in our first meeting..." With that, the jester started to skip towards the entrance of the alley before he suddenly stopped. Without warning he spun on his heel, raising his finder finger into the air.

"Aha! Before I forget! We will be meeting in my favorite place to be, The Edge Of Madness to coordinate our assault! I don't call myself the leader, but well, I've already planned everything for us to do! Outside of resurrecting Chaos at least. Do be a dear and be there, after all you have to tell us how to bring Chaos back!"

[garland]

Garland sighed as he heard the jester. He had the uneasy feeling that if he wanted to rampage about, he would do it, with gusto. He was also aware that the people he had made enemies with always seemed rather hard to kill permanently, so he had to be careful to pick those who wouldn't try to get in a squabble with the jester.

"Very well, Kefka. I shall find others for our noble cause. Hopefully, they won't try and betray us. These remnants you speak of may be be useful, however. If they do hate the fallen hero and he becomes a liability, then perhaps they could be useable in that case. However, they hate you as well?" Garland was about to ask a follow up question, but then decided against it. "I'm not particularly sure I even want to know what you did to anger them, and doubt that the answer would lessen the apathy toward the reason."

"A meeting at the Edge of Madness. Fitting, Jester," Garland rumbled, watching the clown bounce away. "Good, Kefka. Calling yourself leader would likely undermine the ability to recruit others, if I could be so bold. I doubt many would be willing to follow a mad leader. Or, to be precise, a leader with a madness different from their own." He then heard the clown mention his importance to reviving Chaos. "Yes, I understand. We shall communicate more on the subject at that location," He said hastily, trying to move on from the subject. "Now, is there anything else?"

[skycoston]

Kefka just grinned at Garland's question and following quip.

"Oh, I'm sure they didn't like being in the crossfire when I blew Cloud and his friends to smithereens in Deep Jungle, or as I now like to call it: Ashville. I completely destroyed it, it was a GLORIOUS day of ruin! Whoa-ohohohohohohohoho~!!" Kefka's laughter was filled with his insanity, and he slapped his knee while he laughed. "A shame they escaped, but there's always next time!" Kefka ignored Garland's remarks about his madness and turned his back on the knight.

"Nothing more, see you in madness!" Kefka said cheerfully, then happily skipped out of the alley.

[garland]

Garland sighed heavily as he watched the jester march away. He was now left to his own thoughts.

Revive Chaos? Well, that works just fine. It was bound to happen, eventually. However, the jester, the fallen hero, other minor gods, they all sounded like things that could quite easily get in the way of his plan. He was not going to discredit them, however. They could be need later down the road. For now, though, he had to focus on finding others, and more importantly, finding Chaos. When that was complete, everything would fall into place.

Garland stared up at the sky of Traverse Town, seeing the boundless stars covering the horizon. Plenty of worlds dotted the infinite scape, and surely, the avatar of Chaos would find his desrie somewhere in his reach. It was simply a matter of finding and taking it. Not only that, out there, his greatest enemy awaited. He would deal with him eventually, and no matter the result of that battle, the ending of this war was quite clear; the story would conclude just as it was foretold. The gears of fate simply had to be pushed in the right direction.

Garland's head bowed down for a moment, and he then proceeded to disappear into the other exit of the alley. He had much to do. Chaos awaited.

Garland has left the thread. The thread has ended.