Scenario:Tien - I Understand Your Fear

I Understand Your Fear

One day, the Ten-Wolf Gun demands that Tien surrender her body to the Revenant weapon so that it may continue to live for its own purposes. Although Tien sympathizes with the gun's personal history, she has too much to live for and refuses to give in. Unable to accept Tien's pity and refusal, the gun severs its connection with the Eternal.

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Some time later the crew receives a request from a village to stop a monster horde that is about to attack their fields.

Tien offers to go with them to help keep the crops safe for the next harvest.

Tien: Hmph.

Monsters: ...!

Tien: Next!

She lines up another shot at a charging monster and pulls the trigger.

Tien: ...!

Tien: ...!

Monster: Groooar!

Vyrn: Watch out!

Tien: Gasp!

(Captain) slays the monster just before it's about to decapitate the distracted Eternal.

Tien: (Captain)?

She could've sworn she saw (Captain) get shot. Looking back at the target she felled, it's clearly a monster and not the captain.

Tien: (What just happened!)

Vyrn: Hey, hey! It's too dangerous to be daydreamin' right now!

Tien: Yeah, sorry! Thanks for saving me. Let's wrap this up!

Pretty soon the monsters have had enough of seeing their comrades drop. They flee back into the safety of the forest. Job done, the crew returns to the airship.

Tien: (Captain), can I talk to you?

Lyria: Hi, Tien! Good work today. What's on your mind?

Tien: Thanks, Lyria, you too. I wanted to tell you about something strange that happened during our last job.

Lyria: Something strange?

Tien: Mm. One of the monsters I shot at looked like (Captain). But when I checked again, it was definitely the monster I originally sighted.

Tien: At the same time, I think I heard a familiar voice... The voice of the Ten-Wolf Gun.

Vyrn: What! That lousy thing's still houndin' you around?

Tien: Well, I'm not certain, but I'd love to find out.

(Captain) walks over to a weapon rack and grimly removes the Revenant weapon from it.

Ten-Wolf Gun: ...

Tien: Ten-Wolf Gun. That was your laugh I heard, wasn't it?

Ten-Wolf Gun: Yeah, I admit it.

Vyrn: Yipes! It actually talked!

Vyrn: Uh, not that I doubted Tien or anything...

Vyrn: Listen up, Ten-Wolf Gun! Why're you still harassin' Tien! Choose your answer carefully!

Ten-Wolf Gun: To expose her true nature.

Lyria: Her true nature?

Ten-Wolf Gun: How did you feel inside the instant you realized you shot and killed a friend, lass?

Tien: ...

Ten-Wolf Gun: Don't act like you don't know, you hypocrite. An intense rage swept through your body.

Ten-Wolf Gun: So much wrath that you wanted to explode in a fit of rage! That's your true nature!

Vyrn: The heck! What do you know about Tien—

Tien: Ten-Wolf Gun. Assuming what you said is true, what does it matter to you?

Ten-Wolf Gun: Hand your body over to me! It's easy. Just walk away and escape into death. I'll put your life to good use for you!

Tien: It seems you don't wish to die.

Ten-Wolf Gun: Of course not! I'll never die! Not until I've snuffed out every life, leaving me as the sole survivor!

Tien: To be the last one, huh?

Tien: I want to be the last one too. The last link in the chain of hatred.

Ten-Wolf Gun: Now there's a laugh! If you lost your loved ones, you'd chase your enemies to the ends of the world seeking vengeance! The chain would only continue!

Tien: That's exactly right. In other words my life has to end in order to break the chain.

Lyria: Tien!

Tien: That's what I used to think anyway.

Tien takes the gun from (Captain) and looks at it with pity.

Tien: But everyone else tells me they want me to live. Thanks to them, I've decided to stick around until the very end.

Lyria: ...

Tien: Sorry, you can't take control of me. But let's say you did manage to do it.

Tien: After you scream for my death and pull the trigger, you'll be lonely forever. Can you really call that living?

Ten-Wolf Gun: Damn you!

Tien's grip on the gun tightens. Her hand suddenly jerks upward and jams the muzzle flush up against her temple.

Vyrn: Stop it, you stupid gun!

Tien: It's okay, Vyrn. Listen, Ten-Wolf Gun.

Tien: You hurt others because you're afraid of being hurt yourself. I've seen it many times with my kids.

Tien: But the more you hurt others, the more it'll be reflected back onto you.

Ten-Wolf Gun: You don't know anything! Stop acting like you do! The calamity that came... The pain... No one could understand...

Ten-Wolf Gun: They sacrificed me just so they could continue indulging in their ill-gotten peace!

Tien: Ten-Wolf Gun...

Ten-Wolf Gun: Stop taking pity on me!

The gun flies out of her hand and lands on the floor with a heavy thud.

Lyria: Are you okay, Tien!

Tien: Mm. Sorry for worrying you. I feel uplifted in a way. Like this load on my chest is gone.

Tien: I think I formed a kind of... connection with the Ten-Wolf Gun when it took control of me, and it's been with me ever since.

Tien: Now that the gun has rejected what I've become, the connection disappeared. I don't think I have to worry about having hallucinations anymore.

Lyria: Ten-Wolf Gun...

Tien: I have no idea what it's been through.

Tien: The weapon probably didn't have a strong support system like I do in Feower, the children, and you guys, among others.

Tien: That's why it felt surrounded by enemies. It couldn't rest until it killed everyone in sight. That type of perspective isn't lost on me.

(Captain) picks the gun off the ground and examines Tien's expression carefully.

The Eternal seems happy to have declared her will to live. The corners of her mouth are turned up only slightly, but a smile is still a smile.