#katra peige

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He's such a fucking bastard, I'm gonna murder him/(affectionate).

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This line gutted me (/pos).

The lives of half the galaxy are on the line. That's not something you can handwave away. Many people would rather die than live under a dictatorship, but who are you to make that decision for them? You cannot in good conscience leave half the galaxy to die, not if you are anything resembling a good person.

Katra is suffering so much please someone give her a hug.

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Thirteen traumatized aliens and existential horrors: the fic

Long post, but divided into chapters

Warnings: Mentions of war, loss of loved ones, grief and trauma.

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Kiel's wandering souls

In my alien biology post, @cervidaecorpse (hi!) mentioned something that flipped the switch in my mind and made me come up with the basic outline of this fic.

"The fact both Potomuri and Sarjes somehow made it out from their dying planet as souls basically signs this idea [inhabitants of Kiel having magic]. Who knows how many more souls from Kiel still wander the universe."

I latched onto this like a moth to a flame. If there are other souls from Kiel still wandering the universe, who are they? What are their stories, and how did they arrive to such state? I imagined Katra needing to put them to rest —maybe with the help of Lalaya and Ixal Fleet—, and things evolved from there.

Potomuri's soul escaped from the blackhole, even though his body didn't. Sarjes, despite having died, still exists as a spirit that takes the form of Pixie. This leads me to wonder how many souls from Kiel still wander the galaxy, spirits bound to the living realm despite their best efforts to move onto the afterlife.

Very rarely do the spirits of the dead remain in the living realm. More often than not, souls —once deprived of their bodies— fade away soon. Perturbed, wounded souls may remain in the living realm, finding themselves and making peace with their passing, but almost never for more than a few days. This ability, however, is enhanced by the magic possessed by the inhabitants of Kiel and the despair caused by their doom, making it so that the wandering souls cannot peacefully fade away even after years have passed. Their situation is very much unique.

Some spirits —those of powerful magic users— are fully conscious and can hold full conversations with the living, even without a physical body. This is the case for Acrous and Sarjes in canon, and Potomuri to a lesser extent. Most souls aren't so lucky. They fade in and out of conscience, and can only communicate basic concepts, if they can communicate at all.

Putting them to rest requires a lot of effort from our protagonists. When the quest ends, they all come back changed in unspeakable ways, but without a doubt, for the better.

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Lost Galaxy

(I'm not 100% sure if I should include this. But it is a useful tool to show the worldbuilding and make the characters interact.)

In the post-game of Galaxy, the Galaxy Nauts malfunctions and Earth Eleven ends up stranded in a strange place.

It looks like the remains of a shattered world, yet it has a breathable atmosphere and a gravitational force similar to that of a regular planet. Some areas will cause you to teleport. The NPCs you find do not know how they got there, and mention they appeared in this place all of a sudden. When you step on certain zones, they make you witness events long past, lived by people who are long dead. It's as if this planet-but-not-quite is not beholden to the laws of physics.

This is the Lost Galaxy, a place described by Acrous and Sarjes as an anomaly in space and time that makes whoever sets foot on it witness to the memories of the dead. A graveyard of undead memories. On this place, spirits can take on a physical form capable of playing soccer — as seen with the Big Bang, Supernova and Space Rankers teams in canon.

Just like Earth Eleven, our main characters arrive to the Lost Galaxy on accident. They were headed somewhere else, a planet they hadn't checked for wandering souls before. But for no apparent reason, their navigator malfunctions and they show up in a place they have never heard of. However, their ship seems to be in perfect state. There is no logical reason for them to have ended up anywhere but their original destination.

Someone checks the current coordinates, and lets out a choked sound of surprise. According to the initial numbers, there should be nothing here. Yet, the form of a planet is visible through the windows.

Everyone is concerned, but nobody is as surprised as someone else might be. With the lives they've lived, getting stuck on a planet that shouldn't exist may as well happen. So, with a shrug, they decide to go exploring. Maybe they will find something interesting.

And find something interesting they do.

There are countless wandering souls here. The wisps guide the party deeper and deeper into the planet's remains and — as they travel — they get visions of times long past.

These visions are the ones Earth Eleven gets during the post-game. The war that consumed Kiel in its last years, Katra's relationship with Sarjes and her people, the cruelty of King Ireid, Acrous' rise to the throne, Lalaya's relationship with her father and Acrous' death. But they aren't the only visions. They see the desperation of the people of Kiel when the blackhole consumed their planet, they see the misery Ireid inflected upon his own people. They also see the destruction of Ixal, and the desperate and in vain struggle of its people for survival.

The visions of the past serve to explore the cultures of the three planets and draw parallels between them. They also establish what life in the galaxy was like before Acrous took the throne, using a planet Faram Obius attacked, a planet that wasn't actively threatened and Faram Obius itself.

Since the Lost Galaxy is canonically established as a place where spirits can take physical forms capable of playing soccer and it is possible to witness events of the past, I thought it appropiate for it to be the place where most of the wandering souls can be found, and I could use it as a way to show the worldbuilding.

(It also gives me the excuse to have a scene where Acrous tells Lalaya how much he loves her and how proud he is of her before fading away for good.)

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Now that we have the basics of the action(-ish) side covered, it is time to dive into the more emotional and character-focused side of the fic with a small (well that was a lie) analysis of/ramble about the characters.

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Katra Peige — The weight of compassion

(Spoilers for the Big Bang post-game)

If asked to define Katra's character in one word, there is one that immediately comes to mind: compassion. She is the good character, the person that wants to save the galaxy most despite having little to no personal stakes, and is willing to do anything if it means saving everyone —even letting Ozrock take over the galaxy with the condition that he erases the blackhole. (Then Ozrock's betrayal happens, of course).

Moreover, we can see this compassion and kindness manifest in other contexts. Katra refuses to escape her doomed planet because it would mean abandoning her people, and insists Potomuri saves himself instead. She argues that, with his knowledge, other planets threatened by blackholes could be saved. She firmly believes every species in the galaxy deserves to live, and is willing to go great lenghts to save and —should the worst come to happen— comfort others.

In the Big Bang version of the game —which includes many appereances that weren't in the anime, especially the postgame—, we're shown in a flashback how young Katra encourages Sarjes to keep fighting in the tournament that will decide who becomes the new royal guard, despite him being at this point a complete stranger. She's also concerned for Sarjes when he's injured, and defends him when he's convicted of a crime he didn't commit.

Overall, she's an absolute sweetheart and is shown concerned and ready to make sacrifices for others since she was a child. From her hobbies and interests to her own life, there is nothing she's unwilling to give up if it means other people can be saved and comforted.

But, after playing the Galaxy games —in particular the Big Bang version, that gives Katra more appereances—, there is a second word that describes her character for me: grief.

In her childhood, her planet is torn by an internal war. It kills countless of her people. It takes her father, and a flashback shows us Katra and Sarjes mourning him. It threatens to kill Sarjes, who she adores, every single day.

When the war is over, Sarjes is framed for a crime he did not commit, and she isn't able to convince the court of his innocence. He is exiled from Kiel and, for the sake of her planet's fragile peace, Katra has to let him go.

Years later, a coup is staged against her. Sarjes breaks the conditions of his exile to save her and, while he is able to convince the enemy to lay down arms, he collapses immediately after. He was severely injured before coming to protect Katra and, now that the adrenaline has worn off, he cannot keep himself standing. Sarjes, her loyal knight and closest friend, dies in front of her.

Then, Kiel is swallowed by a blackhole. Katra, due to being saved/kidnapped by Ozrock, is the only survivor. From this moment on, her life's purpose is to erase the blackhole that threatens to destroy Faram Obius, like she wasn't able to do for her planet.

Grief has left her hollow, and she has filled this void inside her with light. Despite everything she's been through and all she's lost, she remains kind. She's experienced the cruelty of the universe in ways many cannot even imagine, but she has not let it make her cruel. She may easily be the strongest character in all Inazuma Eleven, where mind and spirit are concerned.

By the end of Galaxy, she's fulfilled her purpose. She's saved Faram Obius from the blackhole and, by extension, the entire galaxy from invasion. Sarjes and Potomuri have too fulfilled their purpose, and go to the afterlife feeling finally at peace.

However, Katra is still alive, without the drive to save the galaxy that pushed her forwards all these years. Things have finally slowed down, and the princess is being crushed by the grief she didn't have the time to process before.

It's at this point in Katra's life that the fic begins.

Putting Kiel's wandering souls to rest is closure for Katra. She's not happy, not yet, but she's at peace. She's done everything in her hand to help others —her people and aliens alike—, and now can focus on herself and her journey towards healing with no interruptions.

Her story is a bit open-ended, but for the first time in her life, she is able to put herself and her own well being first —or at least high in her priority list— and focus on her own healing.

It's not a happy ending yet, but it is a hopeful one.

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In an earlier rendition, this would have been enough. But considering Katra is the center of this fic and how much I've already spoken about Ixal Fleet, I've decided our princess deserves more love.

The reason I think she's willing to sacrifice her hobbies and interests for other people is the recruitment item "Stardust Music Box". It conjures the image of an abandoned music box gathering dust in a corner, which could imply Katra is so focused on helping others she's started to neglect her own downtime and hobbies.

On a lighter note, this same "Stardust Music Box" could imply she enjoys listening to music. Something similar to what we call "classical music" on Earth, perhaps. Maybe Katra rekindles this love for music after the Grand Celesta Galaxy, as she heals.

The photo "Throne" in her recruitment section is pretty obvious. She's a princess, and that is an important part of her duty and identity. Her responsabilities as Kiel's princess shaped her character and made her who she is now.

Sarjes and Potomuri call her Princess Katra. Ozrock adresses her as "princess", even if it seems to be in a condescending manner. In some dubs, Katra introduces herself as "princess Katra, from Kiel" to Tenma. From this, I imagine being the princess of Kiel was a very important part of her identity and how others perceived her. Perhaps she even defined herself by it, and now she doesn't know who she is outside of a title that's been rendered meaningless by the destruction of her planet.

"Throne" could also represent the weight of her duty, and how seriously she takes her responsabilities. For her, her position is not a privilege, but a burden. One she carries with honor, but a burden nonetheless. With great power comes great responsability, and that is something Katra knows very well.

The photo "Makeup Mirror" stumps me a little. It is something I struggled to spin in a direction I liked, but ultimately I settled on making the makeup Katra puts on something tangible and literal, and a metaphor of how she handles her own emotions.

On the metaphorical side, Katra may put on a mask to hide her more unpleasant emotions. She sets aside and even represses her grief, because she fears it will get in the way of erasing the blackhole and saving the galaxy.

Outside of her goal in Galaxy, she's willing to hide her negative feelings towards others in order to keep the peace, and you'd never know how angry or upset those people make her. Likewise, she may hide she's frustrated with people —those she loves, most of all— and accept to do stuff she's not comfortable with to avoid hurting their feelings.

On the tangible aspect, Katra could wear makeup to cover up the tells of her grief and unhealthy coping mechanisms, like the bags under her eyes, the hollowness of her cheeks or the tear marks on her face. It fits very well with her characterization as someone ready to sacrifice herself for others to hide her own pain if — she thinks — it gets in the way of helping people.

Moreover, if she does it around Ozrock, it adds an additional layer to her character. She's composed enough to hide the way she really feels around those she doesn't trust, and doesn't show people she knows have ulterior motives any vulnerabilities. However, Ozrock manages to earn her trust and deceive her. Whether this speaks of Katra's desperation or Ozrock's manipulation skills is up for debate.

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In the Big Bang version of the games, you can recruit not only Katra in her regular form, but also the child version of her. This young Katra has a recruitment section of her own that doesn't overlap with that of her older self. I've decided to use child Katra's scouting requirements to dive deeper into her character.

The first requirement is the item "Pixies Doll", obtained after defeating Galactic Rivals in Space Alien's competition route. Light-hearted but limiting, it represents Katra's relationship with and love for Sarjes. If we stretch, we can imagine Katra loved an animal similar to Sarjes' Pixie form, which he took after death due to his love for her and his desire to keep protecting her.

The photo "Dirty Graffiti", however, gives more room to work with. Based on what @cervidaecorpse and I have said about Ishigashi and Ymir (who have "Dirty Graffiti" in their recruitment section as well) doing art, Katra loves painting. In particular, I imagine her finger painting and drawing on the castle walls as a child. Clumsy, inexperienced and colorful, Katra's drawings appeared in all parts of the castle, even spaces too high for someone her size to reach without help. Until the final days of Kiel, nobody was sure how their princess could paint the walls so high up when she was still a small child.

When he joined the royal guard, Sarjes became her partner in mischief. He lifted her up, helping her reach new places to draw on, and even let her draw on his armor on ocassion. If there were gift-exchanging holidays in Kiel's culture, Sarjes gifted her painting supplies. He was not merely her guard, he was her first and best friend, and Katra was very happy to have Sarjes in her life. (Considering Sarjes also has "Dirty Graffiti" in his recruitment section, he probably got into painting because of her.)

I found it difficult to come up with any reason for the topic "Accessory", however. The NPC that gives you the topic is showing off her earings. She tells you how a simple accessory can change your whole appereance, and that you should always wear accessories that enhance your personal style. I'm not completely sure about this, but perhaps Katra has an interest in fashion, or —since this is a past version of her— used to. She likes a style that doesn't clash and enhances someone's beauty, and prefers things to be neat and orderly. Maybe she used to wear an accessory she lost sometime before the destruction of Kiel, and now feels her reflection looks strange without it.

The final scouting requirement for Katra's child form is the record "Miracle Performer", which you get by obtaining 30 celebrations. In my mind, this means Katra enjoys competitions, either as an espectator or a participant. Canon sorta supports this, since she's watching the tournament that decides her future royal guard despite being so young, and seems enthusiastic about it. Maybe she loves watching soccer matches, and could have enjoyed the Grand Celesta Galaxy —a clash between the very best the galaxy had to offer—, was there not so much at stake.

Goal celebrations can be —and often are— showy. Therefore, this record can also imply Katra was a show off in her childhood, before the years —and trauma— mellowed her out. Some translations of the game describe young Katra as bossy, which could be read as supporting this idea. A kind and compassionate princess, but also a bossy and slightly rebellious child. Although I am not completely sure of this.

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Ixal Fleet — Healing the wounds of the past

Ixal Fleet's characterization: Part 1, Part 2 (I suggest reading through the reblogs, because further detail is added in them).

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Initially, Ixal Fleet's role was smaller. They would not have any relationship with Katra, beyond a deep awkwardness that would serve as slight comic relief in an emotionally charged story, and their own healing and realizations would happen in the background. However, as I was yapping about Katra, I realized I could draw interesting parallels between them and the situations they find themselves in after the end of Galaxy.

Revenge was the only purpose Ixal Fleet had after the destruction of their planet, the only reason they found the will to live. For Katra, her sole purpose and reason to live was saving the galaxy and preventing tragedies like the one that happened to her planet. Katra succeeded and Ixal Fleet failed; regardless, all twelve of them are left without a clear purpose after the end of Galaxy.

Moreover, the reason they all clung so hard to a single purpose was because they had nothing left. They suffered the same loss, with the destruction of their respective planets. Their very different purposes and actions resulted from this shared loss.

Ozrock deceived Katra and betrayed her trust, and her distrust towards him extends towards the rest of his team. Yet, they understand her, they get her in a way nobody else does. They have known the trauma and grief she's experienced intimately themselves —which means they understand Katra herself better than anyone else alive.

And this understanding goes both ways. Katra understands Ixal Fleet as well as Ixal's eleven survivors understand each other, better than aliens can hope to understand them.

Katra's grief is so similar to their own that, with time, attempting to alleviate it becomes as instinctual as relieving the pain of their teammates.

If a friendship ever blossoms between them, it will be many years down the line, when they are all better and happier people. But even if it never does, if the weight of Ixal Fleet's past actions creates a wall between them forever, they know they can trust the others to understand them and not use their trauma and grief against them.

(One day, when the Grand Celesta Galaxy is long behind them, a pair of older and happier artists will paint the walls of the Faram Obius palace in shades of blue, green and gold, decorate the once sterile and lifeless walls with memories of Kiel. The planet's rich blue oceans. Its deep green forests. The rings that surrounded it. Breathtakingly beautiful landscapes that no longer exist. Extinct lifeforms brought back to life from Katra's vivid memories. All painted in the halls, for everyone to see.

Heart-aching, the last princess of Kiel's teary eyes cannot bear to look away from the paintings. "Thank you" she manages to say. Ymir doesn't comment on the way her voice breaks. "Thank you."

The memorials for Ixal and Kiel are painted next to each other. Separate enough for aliens to know they are different works. Close enough that you cannot see one without seeing the other.)

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Putting Kiel's spirits to rest gives Ixal Fleet closure as well, although their closure is different from Katra's.

There is a sort of peace in giving to others what you never had. They give the souls from Kiel what they wanted someone to give to them and their people. They give Katra the opportunity to say goodbye to those she loved. Thanks to them, Katra and the spirits of Kiel get what Ixal and its eleven survivors never had.

The quest gives them feelings, and the feelings hurt. Like breaking a bone that once healed wrong, so this time it can be healed right. Ixal Fleet has done a masterful job holding themselves and each other together, stopping their wounded hearts from breaking further, but now they can do more than keeping themselves from falling apart.

The eleven survivors of Ixal take their first step on the journey towards happiness, with a long life ahead of them.

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Lalaya — Legacy and moving towards the future

Just like Katra, Lalaya is a deeply compassionate royal woman who wants what's best for her people. However, unlike Katra, Lalaya's arc in Galaxy is a coming of age story that focuses on her growth as a queen and as a person.

Our first impression of her is not very favorable, since she orders Tsurugi's kidnapping and tries to make him marry her. However, an interesting aspect to her character is that —although she pressures him— she ultimately leaves the choice to Tsurugi and has not decided consequences if he refuses. This leads me to see early Galaxy Lalaya as a spoiled child who is used to getting what she wants, but isn't actively malicious. The Supernova post-game seems to support this, since it (spoilers) shows Acrous (the focus of the postgame) teaching her that looking for their people's happiness is their duty as the royal family and her taking it to heart, and him attempting to be stern with her but ultimately melting. (end of spoilers) (I'm not sure if warning for spoilers was necessary, but just in case).

Yet, when she's giving Tsurugi a tour of her planet, we are given another glimpse into her character. In the anime, she orders Minel to console a crying child and makes no fuss about it when the child's mother apologies. The scene goes a bit differently in the games, with Lalaya and Minel helping a mother find her son, who got lost in the crowd (if I'm remembering correctly, it's been a while since I played this part). Regardless, we're shown she loves her people and genuinely wants them all to be happy —she goes as far as stating it's her duty to ensure their happiness. She's sheltered and naive, but also genuinely kind and compassionate.

In contrast with the calm and mature Katra, who delivers most of her lines in a soft and gentle tone of voice, Lalaya is shown as cheerful and childish and delivers many of her lines in an excited tone.

(While this may fall into headcanon territory, I believe the games imply it enough that it deserves to be included). Acrous is considered a great king by the people of Faram Obius. In the games, several NPCs praise him and worry for the future of Faram Obius with Lalaya as the queen, or compare her to him. Thus, Lalaya is grieving for her father, while also struggling under the weight of his legacy. Hence, why she's drawn to Tsurugi —her father's lookalike. Acrous set the bar very high, and Lalaya finds herself unable to live up to him.

In the end, Lalaya's character arc is about growing up. She steps out of her father's shadow and leaves her naivety behind in order to fulfill the role of the queen Faram Obius needs. However, her compassion and cheerfulness are traits that stay with her, despite all she's been through in Galaxy.

(I absolutely adore Lalaya, but I've found it hard to word this analysis because my mind refuses to cooperate. I've been revising it for several days, but finally decided to leave it as it is. Let me rest brain, this is a hobby, not a thesis.)

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The recruitment section for Lalaya is, unfortunately, limiting. Regardless, I will do my best to write down my thoughts in a coherent manner.

We'll start off with the light-hearted items "Nice Meteorite" and "Planet Watashiboshi". The two are half of her recruitment section, and both refer to astral bodies. Therefore, out of these two scouting requirements we can guess that Lalaya loves space.

Lalaya loves watching the night sky. She can identify many constellations seen from Faram Obius. Knows multiple facts about astral bodies and spacial phenomena. Has memorized the days of the Faram Obius year when meteor showers happen. This could be a casual hobby without much more depth, but I like to think it's very meaningful to her.

Maybe she used to stargaze with her father as a child before going to bed. After his death, when the grief became too much, Minel could have sat to starwatch with her to give her a semblance of familiarity while her world was changing at huge speeds.

The photo "Stylish Dress" is taken in Lalaya's room in the palace after an invasion of privacy worthy of Pokemon Sun and Moon, and shows multiple colorful dresses. While this is not shown or mentioned in-game, I imagine them as beautiful and elaborate gowns that Lalaya uses for special ocassions. For important holidays, parties or state funerals (if Faram Obius has them), Lalaya wears these dresses, while the purple dress we see her wearing in canon is her more casual outfit.

If this photo can give us a glimpse into Lalaya's character, it's that she loves fashion. She loves cute and stylish dresses, and has one for every ocassion that demands it. This is something she shares with Katra, according to my headcanons analysis of her. Perhaps it can serve as a building block for their future friendship.

The final recruitment item in Lalaya's scouting section is the photo "Eccentric Hat". It seems to support Lalaya's love for fashion, but in a different way than the previous photo. We never see Lalaya wearing hats in canon, so my first thought was that it's not something she would wear herself, but finds aesthetically pleasant. However, since the photo is taken in Lalaya's room, the idea doesn't seem to fit.

Then, while I was mulling it over, something new came to mind. Lalaya does not wear these hats often. Although she finds them aesthetically pleasant, they unfortunately don't suit her. But, while they don't fit her usual style, she has found an interesting use for them.

Her planet is undergoing an unprecedented social reform that — while popular — has many nobles seething. The changes Lalaya is trying to implement will greatly reduce the difference in quality of life between rich and poor, and many nobles feel like they are losing their status and privileges.

Lalaya has many allies that fully support her in her quest to make Faram Obius a better planet, with Minel and Katra at the lead. However, there are many corrupt and self-interested nobles in her court that will try to keep their privileges at the expense of the people, and Lalaya is fully aware of this. Even if she gives them an order, how does she know they followed it through? They are smart enough to cover up their abuses of power from their kind-hearted queen.

So, Lalaya picks up an old dress that passes as one a commoner would wear with ease, covers up her hair with one of these hats and —after making sure she won't be recognized— sneaks out of the palace to check on her people and see if the nobles have implemented the changes she ordered them to. Nobles don't bother to hide their greed from someone they think is a commoner like they do from her. Moreover, her people are more willing to speak up against their rulers if they do not recognize the young woman amongst them as their queen.

Lalaya does not make any direct move against corrupt nobility, however. She has her hands full, dealing with the taxing job that is reforming a planet as big as Faram Obius. Plus, this is a responsability she trusts Minel with —and she is right to do so.

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Just like with Katra in Big Bang, the Supernova version of the games allows you to scout not only Lalaya as the teenage/young adult (how do alien ages work?) queen we know in canon, but also the child version of her we see during the post-game. This child Lalaya has a recruitment section of her own, and I will be using it in this analysis/headcanon.

The first requirement is the item "Pixies' Doll", obtained after defeating Galactic Rivals in Space Alien's competition route. It symbolizes Lalaya's relationship with and love of her father. Unfortunately, it doesn't offer much as far as characterization goes.

An NPC in the Faram Obius palace mentions Lalaya is very attached to a doll her father gifted her when she was younger. Perhaps, this doll has a form simiar to a Pixie, hence the "Pixies' Doll" item in young Lalaya's recruitment section.

The photo "Makeup Mirror", on the other hand, offers us a deeper glance into Lalaya's character. Looking at it as a metaphor, it is my impression she is not only seeing traces of her late father in other people, but she attempts to imitate him — even down to physical looks. As I've said before, Acrous set the bar very high, and Lalaya is afraid of not living up to him.

She constantly wonders what her father would do, what he would think, and how he would react to the situations she finds herself in. What would he have done, if the blackhole had appeared during his reign? What would his opinion of the Grand Celesta Galaxy be? Would he be tormented by needing to invade other planets in order to save his people, like she is?

Lalaya puts on a mask to look and behave more like her father. This includes covering up her own traits and quirks if she feels they don't align with what a ruler of Faram Obius — her father in mind — should be.

Another spin "Makeup Mirror" could take is how corrupt nobles intentionally pulled a wool over her eyes and disguised what the people of Faram Obius were really going through, like how makeup can be used to cover up facial "imperfections".

But remember, this is a past version of her. Her regular form does not have "Makeup Mirror" as a scouting requirement. Lalaya has moved beyond her father's shadow and begun to stand on her own feet. She has opened her eyes to her people's plight and intends to do everything she can to help. She has grown a lot.

Lastly, the record "Prominent Coaches" makes me think of the characters that guide Lalaya, and how Lalaya applies their lessons to become the queen she is now.

Her father Acrous, who taught her what a good ruler should be, by lesson and example. From him, she learned it is her duty to ensure the happiness and well being of her people.

Minel, her most trusted advisor, who guided her when she was taking her first steps as queen. He is the one she turns to when she isn't sure of what to do, and deeply values his input and wisdom.

Tsurugi is the most obvious, as the one who shows her the truth of her planet and encourages her to keep fighting for her people. He guides her on the final steps to become the queen Faram Obius needs.

However, despite how much all of them taught her and mean to her, Lalaya is not defined by them. There is a reason I love that Lalaya forgave Ixal Fleet — beyond me loving these space wizard terrorists —, and it's that it's a decision she makes herself. Nobody nudges her into it, she does it because she believes it's right. She even goes against Minel in doing it.

All three of them are her coaches. They give her input based on their knowledge and wisdom, but it is she who makes the final choices.

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Despite being the youngest of the thirteen, Lalaya is the most level-headed member of the party. She acts as the mediator between Katra and Ixal Fleet, and helps difuse the awkwardness and tension between her companions when it gets too uncomfortable.

Because Lalaya is not as emotionally affected by the quest, she takes on a more supportive role. Lalaya is the party's support, understanding the others' feelings and offering a third person perspective. She doesn't understand everything the princess of Kiel is going through, but her kindness feels like a balm on Katra's soul.

Lalaya is very respectful of Katra's feelings, and only wants what's best for her well being. She has forgiven Ixal Fleet, but fully accepts Katra may not. At the same time, she acts as Ixal Fleet's advocate and defends them when they are being targeted unfairly.

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For this fic, legacy will be an important part of Lalaya's character.

I want to portray what Acrous achieved as a king, where he fell short on, and what he left for Lalaya to inherit. I want her grandfather Ireid to be more influential to Lalaya as the perfect example of what not to be, and explore what his legacy to future generations was and how Lalaya handles it. But most of all, I want Lalaya to reflect on what she wants her legacy to be, what she wants to leave Faram Obius and the galaxy with after she's gone.

Lalaya comes back from the quest with hope settled deep in he chest. The certainty that Faram Obius can change for the better has hit her with all its might. She —queen of a planet with a history of war and destruction, descendant of some of the greatest monsters in the galaxy— has held souls wounded by destruction in her hands and healed them. She has given others peace. To her, this is proof that she is not defined by her predecessors and — by extension — Faram Obius is not defined by its history. (She firmly believed she would not be like her grandfather before. But now, she has the confirmation, the knowledge, that she is nothing like him.)

Lalaya will not fall down the spiral her grandfather did. She is not him. Faramian royalty's legacy of terror died with him, and she will bury it into the ground. She will not follow in Ireid's footsteps.

Her legacy will be one of compassion. She will heal the wounds of her planet — left by a past of war, destruction and abuse of power —, so everyone can enjoy the happy and peaceful future ahead. The future they all deserve, and one she will create with the help of her allies and friends.

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This is a first draft, and some details may be altered in the future since I'm not fully satisfied with it. Feedback is very appreciated.

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Space princesses my beloved <3

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The anime does this better in my opinion. They actually show you Ixal Fleet's dark life energy and how it negatively affects people nearby (nearby being the entire stadium because my alien wizards are stupidly powerful…).

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My girl is here <3

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The craziest but one of the most awesome plot point in Inazuma Eleven.

[brightblueflare]

I love how smug Ozrock is. He's winning and he knows it.