Scenario:Leona - Why the Lioness Roars
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Why the Lioness Roars
Bags still not packed, Leona leads a monster-hunting mission on another island whose monsters have been affected by the Otherworld incursion. Her soldiers are stunned by the ease with which she single-handedly fells a huge alpha monster.
Days go by, and Leona's packing remains unfinished.
Leona and her unit head out on a mission to a nearby island.
Soldier 1: So there've been monster sightings here too... We've been getting more monster-hunting missions than usual lately.
Leona: All the recent chaos in this skydom has made the monsters a lot more violent.
Not long ago, the Nalhegrande skies were darkened by an incursion from the Otherworld.
(Captain)'s crew managed to send the invaders back where they came from, but their influence did not end there.
Leona: Even if we drove off the Otherworlders, they left behind some of that strange power that clung to them. That might be the cause.
Leona: This is a dangerous situation.
Leona: This island is a trade hub. I'm sure they have their own defenses.
Leona: If they're having trouble, it's because these are no ordinary monsters. Let's keep our wits about us.
Soldier 1: Yes, ma'am!
Monster Mash: Graawooo!
Leona: Enemy sighted! Fan out and push them back!
Leona: Haaah!
Monster Mash: Whine...
Soldier 1: Take this!
Leona and her soldiers take down the monsters with skill and precision.
Soldier 1: Monster pack defeated. That was hardly any challenge at all.
Leona: Don't speak too soon... There must be another pack, or a larger monster we haven't encountered yet.
Leona: If this was all of them, the island wouldn't have needed to ask Idelva for help.
Leona: Remain in formation and stay aler—
Massive Monster: Gruwaaarhhh!
Soldier 2: What the hell is that! Did it eat all its friends?
Leona: I knew it!
Leona: Assume arrowhead formation! Stay on the defensive until you have a clear shot!
Soldier 2: Yes, ma'am!
Massive Monster: Graagaaawww!
Soldier 2: It's so fast!
Before the soldiers can shift formation, the huge monster attacks one of the soldiers standing further apart from his comrades.
Soldier 2: Damn it! Take this!
Soldier 2: Agh! My sword!
The monster swats the sword straight out of the soldier's hand, sending it flying.
Massive Monster: Gyaaaraaah!
Cruel claws descend toward the isolated, disarmed soldier.
Leona: Haaahhh!
But before the soldier can be torn to shreds, Leona leaps in front of him and deflects the blow.
Soldier 2: Ma'am!
Leona: Quick! Go join up with the rest of the unit!
Soldier 2: Y-yes, ma'am!
Monster Mash: Grrrr...
Soldier 1: More monsters heading this way! The large monster may be their leader.
Leona: If we take down the alpha first, its pack may scatter and end up wandering into the towns.
Leona: I'll handle the alpha. All units, execute pincer movement! Don't let the monsters get past you!
Soldier 2: You're going to fight that behemoth alone? That's too reckless, ma'am, even for you!
Leona: I'll be fine. This is nothing to me now!
Leona readjusts her grip on her spear and dashes toward the beast, landing a series of vicious slashes to its side.
Leona: Haah!
Leona: Take that!
Leona: Hrraaaah!
Soldier 2: How... is she doing that much damage on her own? I feel like she's gotten even stronger since the war ended.
Soldier 1: Pick your jaw off the floor. We need to deal with the rest of the pack.
Leona: Hngh! Cough!
The faint taste of blood rises from Leona's throat—her body attempting to signal its rapidly-approaching limits without the expedient of pain.
Leona: (I don't think I can last much longer... I need to finish this!)
Leona: Daaaah!
Massive Monster: Graugh...
The towering beast falls to Leona's final, stupendous blow.
Soldier 1: Hyah!
At the same moment, her soldiers finish off the last of the monster pack.
Leona: Huff... Pant... That oughta... do it...
Leona: Let's clear away any monster carcasses that fell into the road. Then we can get back to town.
Soldier 1: Yes, ma'am!
With practiced efficiency, Leona and her soldiers clean up after the battle and begin putting the area to rights.
Soldier 2: ...
Leona doesn't notice that one member of her unit is performing his duties with a clenched jaw, and a frown furrowing his brow.
Why the Lioness Roars: Scene 2
Leona's soldiers urge her to reconsider her decision to leave Idelva, but are reassured when she insists that the cooperation of many, not individual heroes, is what Idelva needs. Their conversation, however, makes her realize that she has become unsure of how to use her power now, and that she lacks an objective for her upcoming journey.
Once the road is clear of monster bodies, and the area as close to restored as can be hoped, Leona leads her soldiers back to town.
Leona: Good work today, everyone. The sun's about to set, and you've earned a good rest at the inn.
Leona: Rendezvous tomorrow morning as discussed earlier. Does anyone have anything to add?
No one seems to. Leona is about to dismiss them all when someone speaks up.
Soldier 2: Ma'am... Is there no way you'll reconsider your decision to leave Idelva?
Leona: What?
Soldier 1: Hey! This is neither the time nor place!
Leona: It's all right. Go ahead and speak your mind.
Soldier 2: Forgive me. It's just that when I heard you and General Cain were going to leave...
Soldier 2: I began to wonder if Idelva could get along without the two of you.
Soldier 2: I'm training as best I can to try and support Idelva, so the new republic can flourish...
Soldier 2: But seeing you fight today really rammed it home for me. No amount of training will close that kind of gap in ability.
Leona: A gap no amount of training will close...
Leona: (Well, he's right. My strength is a twisted gift from Bai Ze, after all.)
Leona: (But no one else knows that. So seeing me use my full strength has been making them all uneasy.)
Leona: (I was so focused on myself, I didn't realize they felt that way.)
Soldier 2: I can't help thinking that Idelva needs your strength, ma'am.
Soldier 2: Is it too much to ask that you continue to devote yourself to Idelva?
Leona: (It's all right. I'm sure Cain's and my choice is the right one.)
Leona looks from soldier to soldier, forcing a bright expression onto her face.
Leona: I understand you're all worried about Idelva's future.
Leona: But please don't forget that our country is no longer a kingdom, but a republic.
Leona: Idelva needs to be a country forged by the people, for the people.
Leona: The era of the hero with the strength of a hundred is over. It's time for a hundred people, no matter how weak they are alone, to pool their strength and do heroic deeds together.
Leona: The ability to work with others that way is a special kind of individual strength.
Soldier 2: The ability to work with others...
Leona: Look at the battle we just won—that was a victory born of cooperation.
Leona: If I'd been alone, I couldn't have dealt with all those monsters before they scattered and caused all kinds of destruction.
Leona: You all have a great strength that I'll never have. And that's what Idelva truly needs now.
Leona: That's why Cain and I trust you enough to leave Idelva in your hands.
Soldier 2: You... You really see us that way?
Soldier 1: To tell the truth, I think we were all feeling anxious about you leaving.
Soldier 1: I kept quiet because I thought it would be selfish to ask you to stay for our sakes.
Soldier 1: But now I understand that you truly believe in us. Now we'll really have to train hard so as not to let you down!
Leona's honest explanation fills her soldiers with a restless energy.
Leona: Someday, when we've adventured enough to take a break for a while, we'll come back and visit Groz Island.
Leona: I'm looking forward to seeing how Idelva has grown into a great republic.
Soldier 2: You will! And I hope you achieve whatever it is you're questing for! I'll be rooting for you!
Leona: What I'm questing for?
Soldier 2: If someone like you is leaving Idelva...
Soldier 2: You must have some goal in mind, besides stepping aside for the good of the country, right?
Leona: Hm... Well... I think I might like to join (Captain)'s crew...
Soldier 2: Ohh. That crew that crossed the border between skydoms in their quest to reach Estalucia.
Soldier 1: So you want to become a skyfarer... Are you hoping to reach the Island of the Astrals too?
Soldier 2: Hahaha! Only you would take on such a crazy mission! You truly stand alone, ma'am. Imagine leaving the skydom to find the ends of the skies!
Leona: Aha... ha... Yeah...
Leona: (My goal, huh? I hadn't really thought about it.)
Leona: (It was Cain's idea to leave Idelva, and to join (Captain)'s crew.)
Leona: (The Grandcypher crew is on a dangerous path, so I'm sure there are ways we can be of use...)
Leona: (I'm not sure why, but just thinking about it is making me incredibly anxious...)
Her subordinate's comment was little more than pleasantry, but it sets Leona's heart racing.
Leona: (This is just how I was feeling before...)
Leona: (I guess I'd realized a while back that I had no objective for this journey.)
Leona: (Before, I always had the clear goal in mind of bettering Idelva. But leaving the island means losing that.)
Leona: (The idea of setting out on a journey with no objective in mind, not really knowing what good my power would be, is what's making me so anxious.)
Soldier 1: Ma'am? I'm sorry. Did we say something to offend you?
Leona: Oh. No... No, not at all.
Leona: We've all had a long day. Let's get some rest so we're fresh for tomorrow. Dismissed.
Soldier 1: Huh?
Leona rapidly changes the subject and makes her retreat.
Why the Lioness Roars: Scene 3
The night of the monster hunt, Pholia visits Leona in her rented room. Leona reveals to Pholia and Bai Ze her uncertainties about how to use her power. The two declare that they will have to execute her before she becomes dangerous.
Leona: Zzz...
???: ...
That night, in the inn where the Idelva troops are staying, a shadowy figure slips into Leona's room as she sleeps.
???: Someone seems to be sleeping soundly for a change.
???: Well... Well, well...
Leona: Mmh... What is it, Cain? Why can't you wake me up like a normal person...
Leona: Wha... Who are you! When did you get in here?
???: After all the years of loyal service you've given me, that seems rather rude.
Leona: I know that voice... Pholia?
Pholia: The very same! It's been quite some time, Leona.
Leona: Huh? Whaaaat? What are you doing here?
Pholia not in crew, Cain (Grand) not in crew
Pholia abdicated her throne when the war between Idelva and Rhem brought to light the grave sin she had committed.
For a while it had seemed inevitable she would be handed over to the True King—her father.
But Cain contrived to have her banished, thereby allowing her to elude the True King's minions, and now she journeys freely through the skies.
Pholia: Humph. You'd think you'd seen a ghost, the way your hair's standing on end.
Leona: I think anyone would react that way. What in the skies are you doing here?
Pholia: This is one of Nalhegrande's preeminent trade cities. Where else would I come to shop?
Pholia: As I was perusing the marketplace for rare finds, I happened to hear rumors that your unit was in town to deal with some monsters.
Pholia: Pretending to be a sweet young child, I asked around to find where you were lodging, and slipped in to gaze upon your sleeping face.
Leona: You... You shouldn't be risking your safety for something like that!
Pholia: It would be rather troublesome if the True King got wind of my location.
Pholia: But there aren't many people who can overcome Bai Ze's power to confound perception. And you won't give me away, will you, Leona?
Leona: Well no, of course not, but...
Pholia: Then I fail to see the problem!
Leona: Ugh... Easy for you to be so flippant about it...
Pholia: Enough of that. Why are you still abed? You have preparations to make. Be up and about it.
Leona: How do you know about that? Besides, it's the middle of the night!
Pholia: Coming from the woman who used to prowl the palace halls like a vengeful spirit, that argument lacks teeth.
Pholia: Come, follow me. We'll take in the beauty of the night sky as we catch up.
Soundlessly, Pholia leaves via the window.
Leona: Sigh... She hasn't changed a bit.
Pholia leads the way with a sprightly gait, Leona trailing in her wake, all the way outside town, where Bai Ze is waiting.
Bai Ze: Good to see you, Leona.
Leona: It's been a while. I never expected to see you here.
Bai Ze: Quite. I implored my sovereign not to show her face in town.
Bai Ze: But my pleas fell on deaf ears. Thank you for humoring her.
Pholia: You're the one who's been saying you wanted to know how Leona was managing with the power you gave her.
Bai Ze: That is true...
Leona: That's very kind of you, even though you said when you gave it to me that we were neither enemies nor allies.
Bai Ze: The responsibility for bestowing it upon you still rests with me. How has your health been since then?
Leona gives a relieved sigh, and begins to relate what's been going on recently.
Leona: I've gotten pretty used to not feeling pain, no matter what happens.
Leona: I think I'm getting pretty good at realizing how far I can push myself even without it.
Leona: My military duties have been going smoothly. No major problems.
Pholia: So it seems. I heard you easily defeated a monster maddened by the power of the Otherworld.
Leona: Yes, thanks to Bai Ze's gift.
Leona: It's certainly been helpful, but...
Leona: (Before, I always had the clear goal in mind of bettering Idelva. But leaving the island means losing that.)
Leona: (The idea of setting out on a journey with no objective in mind, not really knowing what good my power would be, is what's making me so anxious.)
Leona: ...
Bai Ze: But there's something the matter?
Pholia: You see? I told you it was a good idea to check up on her.
Leona, don't hold back. Speak your mind.
Leona, don't hold back. Speak your mind.
Leona: Thank you...
Leona: I wanted this power in order to expiate my sins. To me, it was a way to sort things out.
Leona: I had to do whatever I could, no matter the sacrifice. That's how I felt when I chose to make that deal with you.
Leona: But once I decided to leave Idelva, the reasons for accepting that gift, and how I should use it, became a lot less clear.
Leona: Something bad's going to happen if I keep on this way. I can feel it.
Pholia: I see. I knew we were right to come see you.
Pholia: I believe we should step in before that premonition of hers comes to pass.
Bai Ze: Yes, my sovereign.
Before Leona has a chance to respond, magic begins to radiate from Pholia and Bai Ze.
Leona: Pholia! What are you—
Pholia: You say you've lost sight of how your power should be used, and are frightened of what you might do.
Leona: ...!
Pholia: We can't turn someone as dangerous as you loose on the skies.
Pholia: I may have abdicated my throne, but I still consider the power bestowed by Bai Ze my purview.
Bai Ze: Indeed... I believe it is time to take responsibility for a gift given too lightly.
Leona: Wha... Wait, no...
Pholia: I expected more of you than for your resolve to be so easily shaken, Leona.
Pholia: I can't have you running wild with that power at your command, and confusion in your heart. You will die by my hand!
Her cold words are even more chilling with the magic filling the air around her, its power intensifying every moment.
Leona: (She's... not bluffing.)
Pholia: I'm not in the habit of plucking the legs off helpless insects. Defend yourself, Leona!
Leona: Agh! What is going on here?
Leona: I don't like this, but... You're forcing my hand, Pholia!
Why the Lioness Roars: Scene 4
Leona defeats Pholia and declares that she will not allow either of them to die—and that she accepted her power from Bai Ze in order to protect what's important to her. Satisfied, Pholia reveals that she was merely trying to help Leona reach that conclusion. After her visitors depart, Leona resolves to use her power justly as she forges her own path forward.
Leona: Haaaah!
Pholia: Ngh!
Leona: Pant... Pant...
Leona: Hrk... Cough!
Pholia: Cough... Please. Is this the terrible power that's such a burden on you? What a lot of fuss over nothing.
Bai Ze: My sovereign.
Pholia: Yes, yes. I've fairly well exhausted my own strength, if I'm being honest...
Leona: Pant... Pant...
Pholia: Well, Leona. What do you plan to do to me with your lukewarm spear skills?
Pholia: You've had ample opportunity to take my life, had you so chosen.
Pholia: And yet here I am, still breathing. This is a fight to the death, Leona. If you're too much of a fool to finish me, then—
Leona: Stop right there! I refuse to lose anything else!
Leona: Not the people I treaure, or my own life! Protecting all of that is the whole reason I accepted this power!
Leona: So if you try to kill me, I'll face you as many times as it takes to change your mind!
Leona: Because I refuse to die, and I'm not going to let you die either!
Pholia: Is that so? Very well. I'm satisfied.
A look of contentment spreads across Pholia's face, and her magic begins to recede.
Leona: Huh?
Bai Ze: Do not misunderstand. My sovereign was never serious about executing you.
Leona: She... wasn't?
Pholia: Don't be foolish. I'd have to be mad to kill you.
Pholia: I thought I'd use a little drama to help you sort out your priorities. Now do you understand?
Leona: Not really.
Pholia: Even in the midst of what you thought was a fight to the death, you chose to protect both yourself and me. I don't see any cause for alarm.
Pholia: If you were the sort of person to use your power irresponsibly, you wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice others for your own safety.
Pholia: Sacrificing yourself for that power is just as bad—only the target has changed.
Pholia: You chose to do neither. And you revealed how determined you truly are. You passed my test with flying colors!
Leona: You pushed me to use my power in order to test my resolve? Despite the danger?
Pholia: No one died, did they?
Pholia: Power itself is neither good nor evil. That value is determined by the wielder. Do you understand?
Leona: Yes... In theory.
Pholia: That will do. It was worth coming all this way then.
Pholia: You said you wanted power to protect the things you cherish. See that you don't lose sight of that again.
Leona: Are you seriously telling me that's why you came to see me?
Pholia: Are you really only realizing that now?
You know, your misgivings are not foreign to me.
You know, your misgivings are not foreign to me.
Pholia: I grew up being used by my father for the powers I was born with. I, too, came to question how my abilities should be used.
Pholia: I can only imagine the turmoil is magnified when it's a strength suddenly gained as an adult. Don't you agree, Bai Ze?
Bai Ze: I do.
Leona: Thank you, Pholia, Bai Ze...
Pholia: Haha. Think nothing of it.
Pholia grins as if revealing the secret behind a magic trick, and lets Bai Ze's long tail slide through her fingers.
Pholia: Bai Ze is an excellent judge of character, you know. He was the one who identified me as being fit to rule.
Pholia: He only trusted you with that power because he saw your true worth. I'll thank you not to insult his judgment again.
Leona: You're right... Forgive me, Bai Ze.
Pholia: Yawn... Well, water under the bridge.
Bai Ze, I need somewhere to sit. I'm too tired to stand.
Bai Ze, I need somewhere to sit. I'm too tired to stand.
Bai Ze: Yes, my sovereign.
Leona: Pholia, are you all right?
Pholia: Of course I'm not. Have you forgotten that battle already?
Leona: Daaagggh!
Pholia: Ngh!
Pholia: (I knew Leona was a force to be reckoned with when she lost herself in battle, but I didn't realize just how strong she was!)
Pholia: (If I don't use every bit of magic at my disposal, this might turn bloodier than I planned for!)
Leona: Rgh!
Leona: Too slow!
Pholia: Hnh!
Pholia: You could hold your own in single combat with me before—I'd have to be some kind of monster to be unscathed with you wielding Bai Ze's power.
Pholia: Even if your conviction was born of anger, you can harness incredible power when striving toward an objective.
Pholia: The gift Bai Ze gave you is the key to fully developing that potential of yours.
Pholia: Being so chary of it seems an almost criminal waste, wouldn't you agree?
Leona: You knew everything from the start, didn't you?
Leona: Sigh... I'm starting to feel extremely foolish.
Pholia: Then the next time that foolishness threatens, remember the strength of your conviction to protect what's dear to you.
Leona huffs out a breath then nods.
Pholia: At the risk of repeating myself, you are strong, Leona. Who knows that better than your erstwhile sovereign? I know you have the power to protect what's dear to you.
Leona: Thank you. I won't lose my way again.
Pholia finally seems content with Leona's answer.
Pholia: Yaaaawn. After all that exercise, I need a good night's sleep.
Pholia: Your back is looking extremely comfortable, Bai Ze.
Bai Ze: My sovereign, this is no place to sleep.
Pholia: Mmmh... I want... muffins for breakfast...
Leona: She conked right out, didn't she?
Bai Ze: She forwent sleep to come see you.
Bai Ze: But your resolve vindicated my decision to give you that power.
Bai Ze: I am certain you, too, are tired. Please return to your lodgings and get some rest.
Leona: Yes, I will. Take care of yourself too, Bai Ze.
The stately primal beast takes his leave, moving carefully so as not to dislodge the sleeping Pholia.
Leona: The strength to protect what I want to protect...
Leona: Deciding to go on that journey with Cain was what set off all this uncertainty. It seems like such a simple thing...
Leona looks at the countless wounds she suffered during the battle with Pholia. She nods, determined.
Leona: (I'm about to say goodbye to Idelva, my home for the last five years. Everything is going to change.)
Leona: (But the most important things won't change. No matter what happens.)
Leona: (I have to use this strength that everyone admires so much, and I have to use it well—to move forward.)
Leona gazes up at the night sky, thoughts flying along the course of her upcoming voyage, renewed conviction burning strong and steady in her heart.