Aftermath Briefing (1)

One hour after the events of the fight with the World Leaders, Sky had returned by the sides of his friends as Tavian carried Ellie's body down from the mound she was killed on top of. Noboki and Mandi had been in critical condition since they sustained their injuries from the fight and had been getting work from other doctors in the area.

As far as Sky had known, Zealous had a population of around ten thousand people, and three thousand were killed in the fight from indirect damage caused by Cole. The reports were all sent in by Jeff and Griff, who had watched everything for as long as they could before leaving.

Sky took quick notice of Faith, who had taken an indescribable amount of damage from the last bout of fighting between Cole and him. He wasn't sure what was wrong with her but knew it wasn't anything good.

Khalil, Raiden, and Acchi all stayed in Zealous to help with the recovery of the city, setting up shelters and moving in food from all across the world by boats and technologically advanced vehicles that Sky didn't understand. With everything brought in, the citizens of Zealous were in good hands.

Noboki and Mandi were placed in a hospital room with attentive care and two machines pumping their blood. The damage they sustained affected their heart rates, meaning that irregular heartbeats would kill them if prolonged for too long.

Sky trimmed his focus down from the relief efforts to getting Illya and Ellie to a grave site where he placed his parents, beginning to dig two holes for his friends.

Carl followed him while Dani helped out with the people who needed guidance and observations the most.

As Carl and Sky dug the graves of their beloved friends, they were both met with silence. Sky couldn't find words to say as the shovel struck the dirt, digging Illya's grave. Carl wasn't sure how to say what he meant to say to his friend. He stopped, watching Sky strike the dirt relentlessly as sweat dripped from his forehead.

"I'm sorry," Carl muttered, looking down at the half-dug hole for Ellie. Sky stopped, leaving the shovel in the dirt and turning to look at him.

"For what? You didn't get them killed, I did. Illya and Ellie would still be alive if I was dead," Sky mentioned, locking his eyes back toward the dirt.

"Their choice was to fight and follow you. Are you saying that your decision to keep them safe should've overridden their free will?" Carl asked. The dense atmosphere from the overwhelming presence of Sky's despair had sunken him down to a low point, equivalent to how Carl felt after Red's death.

"Free will, or life? Which is more important to you as a friend of mine?" Sky asked. He begrudgingly picked the shovel up, digging further into the ground.

"That's a tough question, even for me. It would be ignorant for me to even state that I know where you're coming from, Sky. It would be very ignorant for me to try to understand your pain, but as your friend, I want to try. I don't want you to risk your lifespan for me anymore... or for anybody. Your life is as important as mine is in my eyes. Our challenges are over," Carl said to him.

Carl knew that the World Leaders, besides Ultima, wouldn't try to kill Sky and that he could depend on them. With everything set in stone and Carl learning about Eirikr's short appearance, he couldn't help but wonder how powerful Sky had gotten if he had sent him away. All things considered, Carl was still impressed with the feats he pulled off during the fight with Quake.

"Not yet, not until Noboki, Mandi, and Faith turn out okay, and Ultima's head is on my wall," Sky mentioned. He broke the shovel head from the amount of force he applied, summoning one made from strands soon after to continue his work.

"I've learned my lesson, arguing with you about who to kill and who not to kill. Ellie was a beloved friend of ours, and I think killing her is the best outcome. We must do it with haste so she does not put any of us in danger," Carl stated. He briefly sat in silence as Sky nodded, before bringing up his other concerns.

Cynthia, his main opponent against Quake, had been one that mysteriously led him to believe that she knew more than she was letting on. Cynthia remained mysterious to Carl, but even more mysterious to Sky since he learned from Eirikr that she can see other dimensions. One Sky explained that to Carl, he proved to be even more confused than before by slightly tilting his head.

"I just don't get this at all... but what I do know is that these people are sent away, gone forever. Now is the time for us to start our lives after we're done mourning the dead. I'm sorry all of this happened to you, Sky. I'm just glad you're safe," Carl stated.

"I can't help but think it would've been okay if I just died. Do you blame me?" Sky asked Carl out of nowhere. It hadn't been a question Sky was dying to ask, but he wanted to know at that point in time.

"No, I don't... but living means living with guilt, because we all have it. If I was stronger, I could've saved Red. But, I didn't, so I live with that every day. It's getting better, because I luckily didn't know her for that long, but I can't help but think if I grew up with her like you did with Illya, if it would've hurt me this much," Carl explained to Sky.