Scenario:Maria Theresa - Newfound Justice

Newfound Justice

Theresa reunites with the crew, who help her sneak into the Loman Empire for a chance to speak with her sister. Theresa is now more determined than ever to reclaim the throne but decides to join the crew for the time being.

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Some months after the incident with Theresa and Justice...

An assignment calling specifically for (Captain) and company comes in one day. The crew pays the client a visit.

Curator: Hey, great to see you! I've been waiting!

Lyria: Hello!

Vyrn: Nice to see you too, Mr. Curator! It's pretty rare that we get an assignment directed right at us!

Curator: Of course! This is something that I can ask only of skyfarers I trust.

Vyrn: Hm? Whaddya need us to do?

Curator: This will be a convoy escort mission. The goods are to be delivered to the imperial palace.

The curator busily places items into a wooden box as he continues to speak.

Vyrn: You were so crazy about this item back then. You sure you wanna just give it away to some empire?

Curator: Mm, not quite. I'm simply returning it along with a bunch of other curios to their rightful place.

Vyrn: Hm?

Lyria: So, Mr. Curator, who will we be escorting?

Curator: That's, well, she should be here soon enough—

Maria Theresa: Long time no see, everyone!

Vyrn: Huh?

Lyria: Theresa!

Maria Theresa: It's been much too long! You have no idea how hard I've been looking for you!

Vyrn: Took the words right outta my mouth! I'm so glad you're okay!

Maria Theresa: I'm so sorry for making you all worry. After that incident, I lost the power of Justice and had to live on my own strength.

Maria Theresa: Which made it difficult to look for you all openly.

Maria Theresa: It wasn't until recently that I was able to contact the curator to help me set up this meeting!

Vyrn: So that's what happened. Anyhoo, Justice's card is in (Captain)'s bag right now.

Vyrn: We were pretty creeped out when we just found it in there all of a sudden one day.

Vyrn: We were hoping it'd help us find you, but no dice.

Maria Theresa: So you hadn't forgotten me either... Thank you.

Maria Theresa: I'll need your help again for today's assignment...

The details of the assignment turn out to be rather startling.

They are to deliver works of art to the empress of Loma—who happens to be Theresa's sister.

The crew will jump to the empress's protection in case "something" happens, creating a chance for Theresa to get close enough to speak with her sister.

Vyrn: You make it sound like a cakewalk! What kinda empress is gonna let us just waltz in there to say hello?

Curator: Truth is my family has a long history with the imperial court. We've had the occasional opportunity to present our pieces in the palace.

Curator: And I've procured an official invitation from the empress herself just for the occasion. We'll be able to march right in just fine.

Vyrn: March right in, he says...

Maria Theresa: Sorry if this assignment might be a bit of a burden.

Maria Theresa: But I need to speak to her... To see how she truly feels... Even if it's only this once...

Maria Theresa: If the throne is too much of a burden for her, I'll need a plan that will allow us to smoothly slip into each other's roles.

Maria Theresa: But if she refuses to give up the throne, then I will have to stand against her.

Maria Theresa: Either way this is a problem that she and I can only solve face-to-face.

Maria Theresa: So please... I know this is asking a lot.

1. If there's no other way...
2. We're going in full-bore.

Choose: If there's no other way...

Vyrn: Yeah. It's sure to be a toughie, but there's no way we're gonna turn you down on this one!

Go to "Continue 1"

Choose: We're going in full-bore.

Lyria: Absolutely! We know how hard things have been for you, so we'll do everything we can to help!

Continue 1

Maria Theresa: Thank you so much, everyone!

Justice: Theresa.

Maria Theresa: Justice...

Justice: On the day that you broke your vow to uphold justice, I was forced to perform an execution rite to sever our pact.

Justice: Afterward I found a new pillar in (Captain), and I bided for the chance to form a new pact.

Justice: But it seems I am unable to forge another one just yet.

Justice: Because when a new pillar is unneeded, a new pact also need not be brokered.

Justice: The most logical conclusion would be that my bond with Theresa still stands.

Vyrn: You finally show your face, and all you can talk about is yourself?

Vyrn: Heh, Justice my foot!

Vyrn: I still haven't forgiven you for how you tried to kill us for your data!

Lyria: That's right—we deserve an explanation! If we can understand what your goal is in all this, we just might be able to forgive you!

Maria Theresa: I was wondering the same. How about you fill us in on that before going on about pacts and all?

Maria Theresa: Tell us everything you know about what you and the other Arcarum are after.

Justice: ...

Justice makes up her mind to explain everything.

Justice: The Arcarum, including myself, were all created by The World.

Justice: We originally lived as different primal beasts before perishing in the War.

Justice: It was The World who took the cores from our corpses and reconstructed us into our current forms.

Justice: We are programmed in such a way so as to never oppose The World.

Justice: We collect data only because The World orders it.

Vyrn: Whaddya use the data for? Theresa mentioned some world for you Arcarum guys and girls to live in.

Justice: The World's goal is to create a new realm in which only we Arcarum exist.

Justice: So that the next time a great battle on the scale of the War should occur...

Justice: We will have all the data necessary to come out victorious.

Lyria: It scares me to think we were helping such a frightening cause!

Maria Theresa: Um... I'm not trying to defend Justice or anything, but...

Maria Theresa: I doubt she really wishes for such a world.

Lyria: Huh?

Justice: ...

Maria Theresa: You'll probably find this hard to believe...

Maria Theresa: But she could have finished me off for good to free herself of the pact, yet she chose not to.

Maria Theresa: Do you recall how she tried to void my pledge of loyalty when she pierced my heart?

Maria Theresa: Within the manifestation of Justice's psyche, she could have terminated me anytime she wanted if she had truly wished it—perhaps even by way of meteor.

Maria Theresa: But she didn't.

Justice: ...

Maria Theresa: I've been around Justice long enough to know. She resembles Charlotte so much.

Maria Theresa: In fact I bet Justice isn't even following The World's orders to begin with.

Maria Theresa: The fact that she never returned to The World despite already having gathered most of the necessary data during my father's generation proves it.

Maria Theresa: If she couldn't bring herself to kill (Captain) or me, I can't possibly imagine her participating in a worldwide purge for the creation of a new realm.

Maria Theresa: And last but not least, Justice thrives by the righteousness we pillars hold in our hearts.

Vyrn: That so? I kinda took her for the cold and heartless type.

Lyria: Me too...

Justice: As my namesake suggests, I live for justice, and justice lives by me—nothing more, nothing less.

Vyrn: Looks like you two have quite the strange relationship going on.

Maria Theresa: I command you, Justice.

Maria Theresa: Promise me that you will accept me as your pillar and lend me your strength so that we may mete out justice together.

Justice: I swear it upon my blade. May our pact be a long-lasting one.

On the fated day...

The curator and Theresa guide the crew to the imperial palace.

Current Empress: ...

Maria Theresa: ...

Current Empress: How gracious of you...

Just as the audience with the empress is about to come to a close...

Count Eugene: What's happening!

Guard 1: We're under attack! Prepare to evacuate!

Current Empress: ...

Vyrn: We'll watch over the empress! That's what we're here for!

Lyria: Over here!

Maria Theresa: ...

Theresa takes advantage of the confusion to approach the empress.

Maria Theresa: I'll protect you. This way, please...

Current Empress: Thank... you...

Maria Theresa: Marianna...

Marianna: Eh...

Maria Theresa: I need to know your true feelings. If I may, I'd like to ask you to create a chance for the two of us to speak our hearts.

Marianna: ...

Maria Theresa: ...

Vyrn: Guards! The empress is over here!

Lyria: Please take her somewhere secure!

Guard 1: Thank you for keeping her safe! We'll take it from here!

Guard 2: This way, Your Grace...

Marianna: ...!

Maria Theresa: We should head out too.

Vyrn: Phew, this is tougher than taking out monsters. Must be what they call mental fatigue?

Lyria: Yeah, I'm bushed too...

Vyrn: So did you get to talk to your little sis?

Maria Theresa: Yeah, thanks for your help, everyone! This turned out well!

Lyria: Did she say anything in particular?

Maria Theresa: There wasn't enough time to discuss everything that mattered, but I told her what the next step would be.

Maria Theresa: She'll have to make the next contact, so all I can do is take a wait-and-see approach for now.

Maria Theresa: Whatever happens, I have no intention of leaving the throne to her. The same goes for the man she wed.

Maria Theresa: After all, I was born to lead that empire.

Vyrn: Right! That's what we braved these dangers for! You'd better be empress by the time this is all said and done!

Maria Theresa: Hehe, you can count on it!

Lyria: Ah, that's the first time I've ever seen you smile!

Lyria: I always thought it was a shame I couldn't see your smile given how kind and gentle you are.

Maria Theresa: Thank you, Lyria. You too, Vyrn, (Captain).

Maria Theresa: Meeting you has allowed destiny to make strides.

Maria Theresa: And well, actually, I have one more request to make.

Lyria: What might that be?

Vyrn: Again? The next one better not be this risky!

Maria Theresa: I was hoping you'd let me join in on your adventures across the skies.

Vyrn: Huh?

Maria Theresa: There's no telling what might happen from now until the time I complete my objective. Who knows—an assassin might even pop up.

Maria Theresa: As shameful as it is to admit, I wouldn't be able to protect myself in such a situation because I've never been trained for battle.

Maria Theresa: That's why I'd like to go with you all... What do you think?

1. Sure, welcome to the crew.
2. We'd love to have you.

Choose: Sure, welcome to the crew.

Maria Theresa: Haha, thank you. I guess I'm one of you now.

Go to "Continue 2"

Choose: We'd love to have you.

Maria Theresa: I'm so happy... I thought I would have to live alone for the rest of my life, but you've proven me wrong!

Continue 2

Maria Theresa: To repay your kindness, I'll do everything I can to make myself useful.

Maria Theresa: I'll likely make lots of mistakes at first...

Maria Theresa: But I'm sure I'll be useful to you one day.

Vyrn: With your appraiser's eye, I'm sure you'll be able to be help us find lots of rare goodies!

Maria Theresa: Leave that to me! I'll dig up what I can.

Lyria: Haha, we're counting on it, Theresa!

Vyrn: What she said!

Destined to one day reclaim her place as empress and become known throughout all the skies, Theresa sticks with (Captain) and company for now.

It will be some time before she can finally fulfill her true role in life.