By the Force.  The young Jedi had seen conflict and betrayal, but it never grew easier.  It certainly felt less simple with Tena involved.  Lavi felt his muscles tense as the air shifted around the fiery sand cat.  This really hurt her.  Worse, he knew more to it than Tena was saying -- more than he expected her to say in the here and now.

"Te," he murmured, wariness in his very bones.  He had learned long ago that if one thing bothered Tena, it was anyone feeling responsible for her wellbeing.  She was too independent, too possessive of the freedom she had barely grasped, to ever accept it without a fierce fight.

With a heavy sigh, Lavi squared his shoulders.  Slowly, he turned his chocolate gaze onto Rin, still uncertain of the new Magna.  "We all made that oath, Rin.  Or did you forget?  And I know you probably don't want to hear this, but how about the end of that oath?  'To never forget yourself and your well-being'?"

"Te's right.  You don't know us.  You don't know what we've seen, what we've been through, what we've fought against before.  But it isn't really about if we're capable of protecting ourselves, Rin.  It's about you deciding we don't even get to know.  It's about you forgetting that Elysium is a community -- we're in this together."

"I know what it's like to lose everything.  Everyone." His friends, his master -- Lavi breathed in deeply.  "I know."  He even knew death.  Lavi would be lying if he said the memory didn't scare him.

"But it does not, and will never mean, I get to decide what's best for someone else's safety without a single word to them because I'm scared of losing them.  That is not my right, and it is not yours either." She reminded him of Lessa, in a way.  So fiercely believing she had to protect everyone like it was somehow her sole responsibility and stars when something bad happened, when she 'failed'...  "It's not fair to yourself, and it's not fair to us."

"We all swore to protect each other.  Let us, for stars sake.  You are not the sole guardian of all of Elysium."

Patient. Oh, so agonizingly patient she had been. Silent, invisible, watching, waiting. Waiting for the day that she could finally awaken. For the day where Rin would finally open up. Would finally shout to the stars with all her emotion and all of the power that lingered inside, and Nemhain would finally be free. It had taken so long. So awfully, awfully long. It was hell, being the persona of one who refused to open up. Refused to ask for help, refused to use the mask, refused, refused, refused. For so long she had festered in the shadows, just waiting for this day, and now it was finally here and Nemhain was elated. Even as the chaos erupted around them, the persona felt no hostility, no fear, no remorse. Just sheer joy at finally being allowed to reveal herself. The emotions that were being experienced by Rin ran through Nemhain's bones, and the large fenghuang couldn't help the grin that lingered on her beak as she teleported behind Rin, invisible as always. Always watching. Her voice would echo through Rin's mind, powerful and mysterious as her words boomed, "I am thou, thou art I. From the sea of thy soul, I come. I shall lend you my strength..." The words held the untold power of centuries upon centuries of agony and watching, not only with Rin, but with the world itself. Nemhain was finally here, and she would not be silent. She continued her words within Rin'a mind, her eyes moving over each of the souls present, "Look at them... anger... agony... chaos. All wrought by you. For so long I have waited... and now you must finally open up. You must finally face that you need help." Nemhain's words might have been harsh, but they were also true, and she felt no need to pull punches. After all, they were connected. They were one. Rin would understand.

The fenghuang opened her brilliant blue and silver wings wide as she let her invisibility fall, the mythological bird so massive she stood at nearly ten feet tall, her claws hooked deep beneath the earth. She stood protectively behind Rin, soaking in the emotions of the crowd below them as she looked at each of them. Tena, Lemy, Lavi... she would need to remember them. After all, they were her kin now. She couldn't help the grin that curled on her face as she took in their tiny forms, her voice booming as she finally spoke aloud, "Mortal creatures... such anger in your hearts. I had forgotten how strong you all could be. How determined. Rin has forgotten too, clearly. She feels such pain... such worry over all of you... she forgets that she too is nothing more than a mortal. That she can't protect everyone..." She stepped in front of Rin, looking over Tena and Lavi, her eyes lingering on Lemy before she turned to face Rin, tucking her massive wings in close as she grinned, "Rin... Rin, for so long I have waited to introduce myself to you. My name is Nemhain, and I am your persona. I am the manifestation of everything that makes up your personality, and I have been waiting... watching. And now... now, blissfully, finally you have begun the process. You have finally admitted your inner desires to protect everyone here, and now... now you need their help. You have been so stubborn. Now it is time for you to finally see the truth." Turning back towards the crowd, Nemhain spoke slowly, not wanting to frighten them, "She needs your help. Rin needs all of you, yet she has been too scared to ask for it. She thinks she can do everything on her own... but I have been watching all of you. And I know that she needs you. I... apologize for... intruding. On this conversation. But I have been waiting for so long, and... and I was terrified that if I didn't intrude, she would never admit she needed assistance." Perhaps emerging now had been born out of a selfish desire to not remain in the shadows, but truthfully, Nemhain did want Rin to finally obtain assistance... besides just her, of course.

Stretching her wings out slowly, Nemhain stepped back behind Rin, glancing at Tena, "Tena... she wished so desperately to protect you that she didn't even think of how you would react. She felt backed into a corner..." Her eyes then trailed over to Lemy, "Lemy... you are right. She was being selfish. She thought she was doing the right thing by protecting you all, but she wanted to do that so she wouldn't have to go through losing everyone again..." Het gaze then moved over to Lavi, the persona practically vibrating in excitement over the fact that things were finally changing. She then said, shifting her claws a bit, "You are all so right... I am so glad this is finally happening. Rin... Rin, listen to them." She looked back at Rin, shifting her wings and looking at Warringkingdoms desperately. Rin was still being so desperately stubborn, yet even the manifestation of all of her personality was asking her to change the way that she was viewing her group, as well as how she needed to protect them. Nemhain was overjoyed that she could finally manifest, but if she had been in less of a good mood, she probably would've been similarly furious with Rin.