"Noel, we have urgent matters to attend to, return to me at your earliest convenience if you please." A hologram of the Emperor stated as Merin Noel looked at it alone in a hidden area of the compound. It had been so long that he'd been in disguise, that if it wasn't for the constant reminder of his out of control powers...he would have forgotten that he was even in disguise in the first place.
But as tantalizing as sticking around the compound was, he knew that he had to return to the emperor. By this time, the masters would have realized that he'd been away so long something was up. And they had known of his out of control powers, so it was only a matter of time before the masters had connected his disappearance with the strange conversions of the Princess as well as the resistance fighter that they had went to interrogate.
Word had reached the ears of the resistance that the barrier surrounding the Bellstar was down since it was near completion. Perhaps this was the urgent matter that the Emperor was referring to, or perhaps like with Polaria, he had caught wind of the resistance's upcoming attack. Either way, this proved to be a valuable cover for Merin as he hopped aboard one of the Cane Wings readied for battle, and followed the troops as they made their way toward the Bellstar.
"Tell Emperor Claus that I'm on my way, and to help provide a distraction so that I can slip into the Bellstar unnoticed." Merin commanded on his hologram communicator (which showed him in his real form to the person on the other side). "Yes sir." The Merryman on the other side acknowledged as he began relaying Merin's order to the troops before making his way to the emperor with the update.
Merrymen appeared in droves outside of the Bellstar on their own Pie-fighters as well as various ships of Jolli design known as Joy Jets (which were the ships that shot beams of Kristma light in Polaria). The Joieux began attacking as the Merrymen fought back, Merin seeming as if he was joining the fight.
But he had noticed some of the Merrymen near his area move away from the Bellstar, as Joieux resistance fighters near him had followed. He took this as the provided distraction as he quickly changed course, making his way toward the nearly-completed Bellstar.
Making his way inside, he immediately shed his disguise as he was greeted by several Merrymen on patrol. They escorted him to the nearest elevator that led to the Emperor's room, both parties getting updates on the situation.
Some moments later, the elevator reached its destination, as Merin stepped out to see the Emperor gazing out his window away from his throne. "It's perplexing, isn't it? Why do the Joieux reject peace as if it's a plague? Why do they desire the need to rebel against the light?" Claus asked as Merin approached. "I do not know your excellency. I've fought with these feelings for so long that I barely understand my own. Is peace really the right choice? Is it really right to sacrifice one's free will for the light?" Merin asked, as the Emperor turned away from his window.
"It must be, it has to be. Why wouldn't anyone want a brighter future where everyone could be happy? Sure, some might take more solace in being miserable and emotionless...but what good does that do the universe? They'll die, forgotten by history and potentially making it worse rather than doing anything to make it better." Claus explained, as Merin seemed somewhat unconvinced.
"But what is better? The Joieux fight for what they believe is the better future. One where...sure, they might enjoy being more chaotic, but they're being what they choose to be. The Jolli fight for their version of the future, but their vision believes in making everyone happy even if they don't choose to be. Sure, the universe is steadier with everyone working together, but is it really right?" Merin explained, as the Emperor walked over to him.
"Isn't it? Aren't you the least bit curious as to why I haven't used such power on you?" Claus asked, as Merin seemed genuinely surprised by this question. Sure, it was obvious that Claus in any one of their outings could have just used the same light on him that he had accidentally used on others. But instead, he had chosen not to...but why? "It's because I wanted you to see the light on your own. You saw how the Joieux killed their own without hesitation just because they assumed their soldiers were Jolli in disguise simply because they expressed different emotions. They even went as far as to call the simple act of crying a "defect" which was punishable by death." he explained, as he stepped back a bit.
"Sure, this light will take something away from the people...but it's not free will as the masters have made you or the others believe. We cherish free will, and embrace it. What we want to take away is the desire for evil, the darkness in hearts. That's what the light does; it cleanses the heart of darkness."
"But what about the Princess? When I accidentally used my light on her, she basically became a robot, and then went off just to convert more people to your side." Merin explained, as Claus thought to himself.
"Yes, she was an odd case...but again, she didn't become a "robot" as you say. Her heart was just covered with so much darkness that she had to, in a sense, re-calibrate herself the moment it was gone. As for her converting basically all of Laurentia, that's not entirely how it actually happened. You see, when she was cleansed of that darkness, she worried for her parents as well as the people. So one by one, she helped cleanse them of their own darkness. Just like the council was surrounded by a thick veil of that same darkness that the Joieux masters have reveled in, and I had to resort to barbaric methods to help them see the light." Claus explained, as he sighed and walked toward his throne.
"But I've spoken far too much at this point. I need you to oversee construction on the Bellstar. I know that your heart still searches for the real truth, and I only hope that in time, it chooses wisely. But for now, I only hope that you see that the Jolli aren't these evil free-will sucking monsters that the masters want you to believe. We just want to restore the light that was splintered so long ago." Claus added, as Merin was still a bit hesitant. He simply bowed, saying "I'll see how construction is going." simply before making his way back down into the main area of the Bellstar.
The Apprentice's heart has been swayed more by the Emperor, leading him to trust the Jolli more and the Joieux less. His win is now tied to the Jolli's win only, but as he's not completely "bad", he does not need to die for the Joieux to win.
It's time for another Planning Phase! Once again, the battle was a failure, as the Bellstar still stands. In fact, with Merin now helping with its construction, the Bellstar is very close to completion. Soon they'll be able to test the Light Ray on an entire planet, converting them all into Jolli. As the Joieux, you must not let that happen.
So let's sit down and discuss what needs to be done, and figure out who the last two Resistance spies are before it's too late.
This planning phase will end on 12/16 at 8:30AM PST.
