Elemental Movements

[Nephrite]

Moore nods. "It shall be done."

[Anastasia]

Romiel rises and leaves, a few moments of silence after.

"Is it really that bad if this goes to war?" Kaja asks.

"It is," Cresiel says, voice quiet. "Various and opposing moralities keep to certain limits. We do not have all out war, but closer to skirmishes and competition. Yet you see all the battle and bloodshed that brings. All out war is a dreadful thing, a chaotic thing, an uncertain thing. It has occurred at times in various intensities and scopes."

"No limits, eh?" Kaja rubs his chin as he sits back in his chair, "Why not, then? Why not open war if everyone disagrees?"

[Nephrite]

"I think most of the leaders, even the ones in Hell, don't want to rule over nothing but an empty wasteland." Moore says. "It's about surviving along with their own ideals. Something like that, anyway."

[Anastasia]

"Yes. It's about the ideas, not total destruction. Evil will be ended one day," Cresiel says, "That day will come. But it's about the idea of evil, overcoming the ideas of hate, of destruction, of meaninglessness." He turns his gaze to a window, eyes on the wondrous light that spills in from outside. "Once I asked my father questions like this, why we simply did not seek to raze Nessus, to lay low the Crawling City and to crush all within Abysm."

Looking at Cresiel, a soft hum before Jetina asks, "What did he tell you?"

"He told me that as long as mortals lived, as long as forces Competed for them," You can hear the capitalization, feel it. "As long as mortals were mortals, that even doing that would not be the true answer."

"Bullshit," Kaja snaps, "What can they do if we crush all of them? Let them do evil with our blades at their throats."

[Nephrite]

Moore nods. "It's one thing to say you've toppled Baator, but... even then, the mortal idea of evil won't just go away. That doesn't mean it's pointless to face off against evil, or to do good things... I think it just means that one act, no matter how significant, is never going to be the final answer. There's more to it than just that."

[Anastasia]

"It is always a good thing to do good, to fight the good fight," Cresiel says, "But that is a byproduct of the true struggle. The true wars take place here," Cresiel pounds his chest once with his fist. "You want to lay evil low? Reach out to others. Support them, show them the true path. Feed the hungry. Protect the weak. Be the example that forges others and leads hearts to repent. Let it be said that they will repent."

Understand Bahamut's lesson to the Authority of Generosity.

Xandra looks up at that, "Yes, I understand," she murmurs, "That is why we fight. Ours is not the ends, but the means to establish the ends."

Kaja glowers at all of you but sits back with a steaming hiss. "Harsh words for one who revels in being a cleansing blade."

"They are, and they are offered in love." Cresiel's voice is softer here, "I railed against what my father told me for some time. I sought the strength to defeat even the Lords of Hell, the Princes of the Abyss and the dark deities. Yet I barely progressed for ages, until I grew to understand the truth and meaning of what my father told me that day."

[Nephrite]

A glance upwards and then over at Xandra, but a quiet nod follows.

"Your way isn't wrong, Kaja." Moore says. "The thing is, you don't fight with hatred in your heart, you fight for enjoyment, you fight to defeat evil... you fight for those who can't fight. There are many opinions in Celestia and you have to follow your own path to what you see as righteousness."

A smile at Cresiel and then back to Kaja. "I'm with you on whatever path you follow, just remember that."

[Anastasia]

Kaja hms at that, silent. Pondering, perhaps, lips tightly pressed together.

"And with that, rejoice. Another step closer, another step higher," Xandra states, putting a hand on Kaja's shoulder. "The taste of wisdom is sometimes bitter, but the fruit it grows is always sweet in the end."

With a half hearted sigh, "I think I liked it before you added platitudes to it, archon." Kaja says, no heat in his words. "I like to imagine one day I can stop this. All of this," he gestures widely, "Hell. The Abyss. Gehenna. Everything in between. I can stop it with my blade. I can find a perfect battle and strike all of them down. That beyond my enjoyment of it, beyond the good my battles do, that I can finally DO something. Make a real difference on the cosmic scale. Kill someone important enough that it changes everything."

Xandra nods to that, a slight inclination of her head. "I know. A daydream that has come on me, of standing victorious over the Serpent Throne. We fight, we are warriors and it's only natural to think that. To strive towards something we could concievably do with our own hands. We can believe in our hopes and hubris that we could one day stand triumphant over fiend lords. But to change the hearts of uncountable mortals? Who can do that? Who can even begin to imagine the scope of that task?"

[Nephrite]

"All of you could, if you tried." Moore says with a bit of a smile. "Imagine how inspiring your actions are, and how much of an impact you've had on the countless slaves we've rescued? Don't you think that's changed their hearts and given them something they never had before? Imagine a rock that skips over a pond and all the ripples that one stone makes."

A gesture all around. "I think you're not giving yourself nearly enough credit for the impact you're already having - all of you, really."

[Anastasia]

"Moore's right." Jetina says, "Those we help and those we heal will bear the mark of our kindness for a long time."

A lull after that, Kaja's head bowed and the rest quiet.

Finally, "You have a good grasp of the philosophy here, Moore." Cresiel says, "Hard won wisdom for you?"

[Nephrite]

Moore chuckles a little. "I don't know whether or not I was shaped by Celestia's wisdom or it's always been like that for me. But I think there's a reason I'm here rather than working as an agent of Titania's court, you know? My ideals don't really mesh too well with the eladrin's. That's not to say that they don't also want good things to happen, but... mm."

A consideration for a moment. "It feels like they're less passionate about it, I suppose is the way I'd put it."

[Anastasia]

"But it's not where you're supposed to be," Xandra shakes her head, "You understand what they don't."

[Nephrite]

Moore nods with a small smile. "Still, I think Her Majesty is proud of me, even if I may not want to ultimately be part of her Dream."

[Anastasia]

"Eladrins not being passionate," Kaja snorts, "Have you ever attended an eladrin revel, Moore?"

[Nephrite]

"They're passionate in a different way." Moore says with a grin. "Hmm, maybe I could visit Arborea and see if any of them would be interested in working more closely with us. That may not be a bad idea after this operation, as we'll have a lot more clout than we do now."