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For what felt like the thousandth time, I wondered if what I was doing was right. I may be the Warrior of Light, but that doesn’t mean I’m infallible. I’ve made plenty of mistakes, so many actions I would do over if I could... but is that not why I’ve come to the conclusion I have, to avoid making the same mistake again? Is that not why I called my fellow Scions and the leaders of Eorzea together, so we all can avoid making the same mistake? But then why is my heart so heavy? Why does this idea that makes so much sense fill me with trepidation? I looked to Y’shtola. She’s the only one I’ve told. I had to talk to someone, make sure I hadn’t gone insane. I could tell by the look in her eyes she still wasn’t sure either, but at least she listened. Would the others listen? “Are you certain you wish to go through with this?” she asked. I nodded. “How could I not? It could save lives... could have already saved lives, many lives, if only someone had thought of it sooner.” “Thoughts are one thing, acting on them quite another. They won’t like what you have to say.” “I know,” I said with a heavy sigh. “But I have to try. If they will just listen, and think about it...” She placed her hand on my arm to reassure me. She may not like my idea, but she wasn’t going to abandon me. Truly, I could not ask for a better friend. I took a deep breath to steady myself, then stepped to the door that lead to the meeting room. Everyone was there. I could see concern, curiosity, and even some confusion in their eyes. The conversations fell silent as I took my place. My eyes swept the table as Y’shtola took her seat. Long had I earned their trust, many times over. Would I still have it before this was over? “Since the day when our paths first crossed,” I began, “before I even knew what a Scion or the Echo was, we have faced many trials. I have come to regard all of you not just as compatriots and allies, but also as friends. We have all risked our lives for Eorzea, and beyond. Many times over we have only barely averted a great tragedy by only the most narrowest of breadths.” I paused a moment for what I said to sink in. There were nods and murmurs of agreement, all I had said was true. It was clear I was leading up to something. “But, that does not mean that all tragedy was averted. While we have ultimately triumphed in the end, nearly every time there were many sacrifices made along the way, many lives needlessly lost that could have been saved.” I had their attention. They wanted to ask what I was talking about, but dared not interrupt me. In a way, that only proved what I was about to say. “I have long thought about what could have been different, what we could have done, how those loses could have been prevented. Long have I agonized, thinking there must be a way! And then it hit me - one thing that was so common, so frequent among our enemies, it made the solution so obvious... such a simple thing, how had no one thought of it? One thing, time and time again, we could have done that would have prevented so much loss. Something we must start doing...” I paused only long enough to take in a breath. These next words were going to be the hardest thing I had ever said, but they must be said. “We must attack our enemies when they are monologuing.” Bedlam broke out as a dozen voices cried out in shock and denial. Above them all Raubahn shouted, “what madness is this?” “Please, please, hear me out,” I raised my arms and pleaded. I caught the eye of Y’shtola while the room quieted down, this was not going well. I turned to the master engineer. “Cid, you were there when we were going after Ultima Weapon and first came across Gaius, we had a chance to stop him - right there. But instead we let him talk, and summon a magitek armor, and get away on an elevator. Twice more we could have stopped him before he reached Ultima Weapon-” I stopped when I saw the way he was shaking his head. “I left my homeland, fought against my people, because I was appalled at what they were doing. But this,” he pulled the goggles off his head, I’m certain he was thinking about how he had acquired them, “not even the worst of Garlea would consider what you’re saying!” I was shocked by what he said. I had expected resistance, but not this bad. I had to try again. “When we went to stop the Sahagin from summoning Leviathan, we could have prevented it if only we had acted! But instead we all stood idle and let the shaman complete his ritual. All of us,” I looked at the others who were also there. There was guilt on Y’shtola’s face, because I had talked to her already she knew the truth of what I was saying, “he was right behind us, we could have attacked.” I then looked to Thancred and Yugiri, “you could have thrown your daggers.” I then looked to the Admiral, “Merlwyb, if you had only fired your guns sooner... Leviathan would never have attacked all those ships, all those souls would still be with us.” “Enough of this!” she exclaimed. “What do you take me for? Pirate I may be, but there are some lines even the most vile pirate would never cross!” This wasn’t just bad - this was going worse than I had ever expected. Yugiri shook her head. “I would rather have stayed and fought in Doma had I known I would coming here would mean listening to this. At least there I would have died with honor.” Thacred spoke, denial in every word, “What you are proposing... I can not condone such a course of action. Better that I had never been freed from Lahabrea.” My jaw dropped. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Kan-E-Senna spoke up, “are these truly the words of the hero who has saved us several times over? Twas easier to face certain annihilation when Bahamut broke his restraints than to bear what mine ears are hearing at this moment.” “Indeed,” Raubahn said. “I would rather believe this is some Ascian plot, a change of tactics to destroy from within by striking directly at our very hearts!” he emphasized by hitting his fist against his chest. “What?” I heard come from my mouth. “Tell us this is a jest. Surely this is just a cruel jest,” Tataru said, her voice quavering. Was that fear I heard, was she actually afraid of what I was saying? I looked at Tataru apologetically. Wait, what was I apologizing for? “I never thought a day would come when I would be glad Papalymo is gone,” Lyse said as tears slid down her cheeks. The implication that death was preferable was clear. “I would have to concur,” Alphinaud said with a sorrowful sigh. “This is not what my grandfather gave his life for.” I snapped out of my shock. “By the Twelve, do you not hear what you all are saying? I’m talking about a way to save lives! All I need from you is to listen and think about it.” Merlwyb slammed her hand on the table. “Warrior of Light? Warrior of chaos more like! What you propose goes too far!” Nanamo spoke up, concern deep in the sultan’s voice, “Mayhaps some of the blame belongs upon us. Over this past year have we not become dependent on the Warrior of Light? Again and again asking a single set of shoulders to take such burdens in so short an amount of time, it has to be more than one person can bear.” “Quite so,” Alisaie said. “In all the time we have known our friend here, when have we ever heard such lengthly speech? It is completely out of character.” “What? I haven’t snapped!” Only after the words left my mouth did I realize how desperate I sounded. I looked to Urianger, who had found the time to join us. He aways had quote, some poem or saying that was perfect for the moment. I saw his jaw move as he searched for the words. “I... I knoweth not what to say.” This was it, the moment when I truly understood what people meant when they said they felt the world slip from under their feet. Even with all those flashes of the Echo, all the tragic and insane events I’d experienced, this was the moment. “I... I’m sorry,” Cid said, the tone of his voice let me know just how badly broken his heart was, “I can no longer be party to this.” Cid then stood and proceeded toward the door. In short order the others followed, muttering words of betrayal, confusion, anger, sorrow, even disgust. Even Y’shtola, who lingered the longest and gave me a hug on the way out, ultimately left. I was alone - only Cid’s goggles, abandoned on the table, a sign that they had even been there. How had it come to this? Is the inability to even contemplate interrupting someone so deeply rooted in the Eorzean psyche - not just Eorzea, but the whole world! - that they’d rather see the land burn? Is it not possible that our foes have realized this and use it against us? I only wanted to spare people unnecessary suffering.