Resolution

"I'm told you requisitioned an Imperial Assault Craft. Were you in need of an airship?" asked Nanamo, making polite conversation as a Miqo'te Maid skillfully cut her steak into bite-sized pieces. Miqo'te hadn't existed in the world of Final Fantasy IX a few months prior, but now they were a familiar sight around Alexandria, particularly within the castle.

Shaking his head, Andrew answered, "Not really. But it was the last ship, so I figured it would be better to hijack it so the crew could be taken in for questioning. I ultimately plan to gift it to the father of one of my Proxies from Spira. He wasn't particularly enthused to learn that his daughter had volunteered for the position..."

"Mmm...now that I think upon it, most of your Proxies are without proper parentage," remarked Y'shtola, punctuating her statement by taking a sip from her ornate porcelain tea cup.

"Yeah..." muttered Andrew, adopting an awkward smile as he scratched his cheek and added, "Though, as shameless as this might sound, that may actually be for the best. I can't imagine too many parents would be happy or willing to permit their daughters to become Proxies..."

"While I cannot speak for others, I don't believe that would be the case," contended Nanamo, adopting a narrow-eyed smile as she added, "You're quite the catch in terms of looks and the benefits to be had as a Proxy are beyond measure. So long as the Proxy candidate satisfies the provisions set forth by you and Garnet, I'm certain their parents and relatives would accept the arrangement without dissension. Those tasked with governing nations and guaranteeing the livelihoods of their people possess different values than most. That is why most engagements at the highest level are politically motivated, not built upon a foundation of love."

With her steak cut into more than sixty small cubes, Nanamo picked one up with her silvery fork, appending, "That isn't to say I'm dissatisfied with how things have developed. Quite the opposite. I relish our time together, and Queen Garnet is now my dearest, most cherished friend."

"I feel the same way," expressed Garnet, looking to Andrew as she added, "We should host a banquet in the near future. There are those among your Proxies I still know little about. A banquet or a ball should help to remedy that. If nothing else, it would serve as an excellent opportunity for those representing different worlds to socialize, form accords, and expand their interpersonal networks."

"My, what a grand idea~!" chimed Nanamo. Banquets, feasts, galas, and balls were the proving grounds of high society. They were also how those in power exhibited their wealth and status in a 'charitable' manner, a vital component to preserving a hierarchal institution. If Garnet hadn't brought it up, Nanamo planned to do so in the coming weeks or months.

"I'm not particularly fond of large social gatherings..." supplied Y'shtola, directing a side-eye at Andrew as she appended, "Though, considering the circumstances, I don't suppose I have much of a choice..."

"Sorry, not sorry," mused Andrew, genuinely unapologetic. Y'sthola had effectively 'goaded' him into impregnating her, but even if she hadn't, he intended to keep fucking her without protection or using contraceptives. The thought of 'breeding' the haughty cat girl was just too compelling to resist...

"Then it's settled," stated Garnet, interrupting Andrews' and Y'sthola's impromptu staring contest. Then, as everyone's gazes shifted to her, she added, "We will arrange smaller events for the time being and then host a grand celebration once the formation of the Interworld Alliance has been officially ratified. For events such as birthdays, we shall keep them small and informal unless they are major occasions such as someone's coming of age or a decennial milestone."

"What of our children?" asked Nanamo, stating, "The birth of an heir or heiress is an important occasion, something to be commemorated by the entire nation."

"I agree," replied Garnet, nodding in affirmation but adding, "However, succession is not a matter for the Interworld Alliance to involve itself. I am happy to celebrate the occasion with you, but we should keep such affairs localized to our respective worlds. At least until the existence of the Interworld Alliance becomes public knowledge."

"Then that's what we'll do," assented Nanamo. She believed the internal affairs of their nations were inseparable from the politics and policies of the Interworld Alliance, but she knew Andrew wouldn't want to hear such discourse. Thus, she would wait until after the luncheon had concluded to discuss the matter privately. There was a time and a place for everything, but discussing politics while people were trying to enjoy their meal was a quick way to despoil an otherwise jovial atmosphere...

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Parting ways with Garnet, Nanamo, and Y'shtola shortly after 2:20 PM, Alexandrian time, Andrew teleported to the penthouse with the intention of taking a long nap. He could stay awake almost indefinitely with the use of the Insomniac and Auto-Regen Abilities, but while physical fatigue was fairly easy to offset, mental exhaustion accumulated no matter how many Ethers he imbibed.

Unfortunately, even after lying in bed for half an hour, Andrew failed to fall asleep. He was definitely tired, but the room's ambiance, the frigid air, and the lack of warmth at his side made it impossible for him to sleep.

Rolling onto his back, Andrew opened his Correspondence Menu to check his DMs and the statuses of his women. He also thought to steal a peek at Thancred to see what the unintentional traitor was up to, but the man was just praying in front of a freaky, candle-lit shrine.

Noticing a (3) next to Etro's name, Andrew's brows perked as he opened the chat window to see what the Goddess had to say. It was her first time sending him a direct message, so it should be fairly important.

"Your quarry has arrived," Andrew read aloud, followed by the messages, 'I have appointed her as my Champion.' and, 'She has agreed to serve you as well.'

As he had only played the first of Final Fantasy XIII's infamous trilogy of games, Etro's messages left Andrew feeling confused. When he checked in on her, she was found seated atop her throne with her eyes closed, so he set aside his desire to nap and teleported over, prompting her to open her eyes and remark, "You've come..." in a faint tone.

"I got your messages," explained Andrew, floating through the air to make himself comfortable atop Etro's crystal throne. The stone-faced Goddess immediately made way for him. And then, as if it was completely natural, she sat atop him in a straddling position, linking her pale arms around his neck and shoulders before asking, "Will you be making use of us?"

"You need to fix how you say things..." remarked Andrew, adopting a wry smile. What he didn't expect was for Etro to promptly sprout a pair of cat ears, her eyes becoming more angular as she emulated Y'shtola's voice to express, "We have longed for your return..."

Blinking in surprise, Andrew was tempted to point out it had only been a few days since they last met, but for Etro, who endured much of her life in isolation, he imagined a few days might feel like an eternity. Even more so since she perceived the flow of all timelines in their entirety...

Interrupting Andrew's thoughts, the sound of metal against stone echoed through the spacious throne room as a familiar woman with spiky pink hair intruded from the front entrance, her body garbed in silver, gold-trimmed armor that consisted of pauldrons, a breastplate, gauntlets with spikes on the elbows, pointy-kneed greaves, and a wing-like hip flourish over what looked like a black leotard. She also sported a circular shield on her left arm and an ornate, ivory-white, transforming gunblade in her right hand.

Genuinely surprised by the woman's arrival, Andrew's expression was one of abject shock as he telepathically inquired, 'The Champion you spoke of was Claire...?'

Linking her arms around Andrew's body and resting her head against his chest, Etro replied, 'She isn't just any Claire. This one originates from the Central Axis. She is the original from which all other Claires are derived...'

While Andrew and Etro were having their telepathic exchange, Claire, or, more accurately, Lightning, knelt before the throne, setting her gunblade to the side before placing her hand over her heart and lowering her head to state, "Your humble servant has arrived..."

With the pointed tips of her greaves forcing Lightning to balance on it and the tips of her toes, her bow was more awkward than solemn. Fortunately for everyone involved, she didn't have to hold the position for too long as Andrew said, "You can raise your head and stand."

"As you will," replied Lightning, picking up her gunblade and rising to her full height, her aquamarine eyes meeting Andrew's before the slightest of frowns marred her face. Etro had vested her with knowledge of Andrew's existence and circumstances, but it bothered her seeing him seated atop the throne of the Goddess that presided over their world...

With Etro providing him knowledge of how Lightning had ended up in Valhalla, Andrew took a moment to collect his thoughts before asking, "Are you certain this is the path you want to walk? Due to my arrival in this world, the onset of the Apocalypse has been delayed many years. So long as you're within Etro's Local Group, you can-"

Shaking her head, Lightning asserted, "I have already formed my resolve. Your arrival spared my sister from a future where she would be separated from her love before dying in vain. I wish to protect and observe the new timeline as an unknown future unravels..."

"Then that's what you should do..." said Andrew, reluctant but feeling it would only cause problems if he put his hands on Lightning when Claire was back in Alexandria, serving the Kingdom and protecting his wife. He wouldn't oppose the matter if she 'insisted,' but with Etro in his court, he didn't exactly 'need' a Proxy for the world of FFXIII.

Sealing her fate, Lightning resumed kneeling, bowing her head as she implored, "Please permit me to serve you. By becoming your sword and shield in other worlds, I hope to gain the power to amend the fate of my own. The Apocalypse may have been postponed, but even Lady Etro's power cannot avert it indefinitely..."

"You make a fair point..." conceded Andrew, prompting Lightning to raise her head as he added, "However, if things reached that point, myself and several others would take action to prevent this world's destruction. You don't need to shoulder the burden of its fate on your own."

"But it's better to have the means, even if they're not required..." reasoned Lightning, her resolute expression and tone making it clear she planned to keep arguing until he relented. Fortunately for her, Andrew was sporting a chub as a result of his and Etro's positions. The latter could also sense his thoughts, so she promptly dismounted him, floating away from him as she said, "We would use this as an opportunity to accumulate experience..."

Following her words, Etro surprised Andrew and Lightning by assuming the latter's form, albeit with blue hair. Then, like a phantom possessing a person's body, she overlapped with Lightning's form, suffusing the pink-haired heroine with divine power.

"What is this...?" muttered Lightning, gazing down at herself with eyes as round as saucers. In response, Etro's voice echoed in her mind, declaring, 'We lack an understanding of the emotions surrounding intimacy. We shall experience them through you.'

Before Lightning could question or refute Etro, Andrew garnered her attention, causing her eyes to widen even further as he remarked, "This ought to be interesting..." before unequipping his pants, freeing his dick from its confinement.

Though she felt a wave of apprehension roll over her, Lightning swallowed hard and rose to her feet. Etro possessing her body and Andrew's actions made it clear he had accepted her appeal to serve, so as she approached the throne, she undid the clasp of the armor hugging her waist, permitting the wing-like attachment adorning her hip to fall to the ground with a loud clang as the metal struck stone. The sound startled her a bit, but she did her best to appear calm and resolute as she ascended the throne and sat atop Andrew's lap. Her breastplate prevented their faces from getting too close to one another, but Andrew remedied that quickly by simply placing it into his Item Box, smiling as Lightning's bodysuit was remarkably similar to a bunny suit, albeit without the tail.

"This is your last chance to change your mind..." said Andrew, reaching up to caress Lightning's face with his right hand. In response, a severe frown marred her face as she placed her gloved hand atop his glans and stated, "I made my choice..." in a stubborn tone. As a result, not only did Etro get to experience the sensations and emotions of mortal intercourse, but she also got to learn what it was like to lose her virginity...

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