Event || The Empire Strikes Back

[melodiesmods]

Characters: Everyone participating in the event
Where: Aqures Ixen
When: July 27th to August 02nd
Summary: The battle for Aqures Ixen is about to begin! The Heroes of Light are going to do their best to defend Aqures Ixen, but will this be enough? Feel free to participate and reply to appropriate threads. New top-level threads will be posted regularly as the battle progresses.
Warning: N/A, will be updated.

July 27th || Mingle
July 28th || Bomb Defusing / Imperial Assault
July 29th || Mingle / Attack on the 13th District / Aerial Battles / Imperial Camp
July 30th || 14th District on Fire / The Hospital / Mognet Office Attacked
July 31st || The Fire Spreads / Betrayals
August 01st || The Second Wave / Ultima Weapon
August 02nd || Final

Comments

July 30th || 14th District on Fire

[melodiesmods]

[First thing to happen is one of the house going on fire: namely, A-10. And mere minutes after that, it looks as though the entire District is on fire.

The heat is very real as is the panic induced by the flames, however there is a way to find out fake flames: upon touching them they do not burn, as if they didn't exist. However, it's too dangerous to do such tests and finding the one behind this should be a priority.]

Terra - OPEN

[greenmagick]

[Terra feels the knot in her stomach grow as she moves through the housing district. She remembers her promise not to be alone but she has to see. Those happy memories, everything that she held dear, were burning. Her housemates were gone leaving Terra completely alone in the large empty home. She hasn't gotten used to it but she wants to protect it, for the day they might come back.

She walks slowly up to the house that's kept her safe all these months. There is fear and horror on her face as she watches the house in front of her light up the surrounding area.

It's burning...

Horrible memories flood forward and Terra found herself shaking. She looks down at her thin fingers watching as the flames dance off her pale skin. There's blood, slick and hot covering her fingers and then in a blink it's gone.

No...

Terra's breath caught in her throat as she looks up at the burning building.]

NO!

[Her hands are shaking as she casts waterga at the flames. A great cool wave washes over the area and yet the flames flicker untouched, an illusion; placed as if to torment the young Esper. She feels her knees buckle and her body crumples to the ground. She is shaking as she attempts to gasp for air. Her small frame silhouetted against the burning illusion]

[bag_has_snapped]

[Tsubomi hated to split off from the others, but she needed to try to help others elsewhere. Racing towards the housing district, her own red eyes went wide seeing it catching on fire and began trying to put it out with Blizzara. A lot of that would just end up coating houses with ice.

However, it's the scene of the panicking Terra, the girl she saw at the flower shop, that catches her attention.]

Oh, no! H-Hang on! A-Are you alright?!

[greenmagick]

[Terra can't respond, her body is shaking and her voice is lost to the tombs of her heart. She looks up at Tsubomi, her face is contorted in pain as she attempt to make sense of the fear and confusion rising inside of her chest. She doesn't know what it means and she can't remember every feeling this way before.

She swallows looking back down at her fingers as if to affirm that the blood is gone.]

I don't...[It's burning, it's still burning... I made it burn. Terra clamps her eyes shut, her soft voice horas as she tries to say something.] ..know.

[bag_has_snapped]

[Tsubomi hops off her Chocobo and quickly throws her arms around her. She's scared. Deathly scared. She isn't sure what else she can do, but the only thing she can think of is to embrace Terra and reassure her.]

It's okay... i-it's okay. We can make it through this. Y-You're not alone. I-I'll help you... a-anyway I can!

Re: Terra - OPEN

[neverfirstclass]

[Cloud was trying to help as best he could while keeping himself out of trouble. So of course he wound up in the middle of the burning district. Something told him something was wrong with the fire, but the flames that took down a wall in his own home certainly seemed real enough.

He needed to get help if he was going to put the fires out so he was running to find someone when he hears Terra's cry. Waterga! That's what he needs!]

Terra!

[He doesn't notice something is wrong until he sees the girl begin to collapse. As if that isn't enough to make him worry it looks like the house next to the one she was trying to put out is beginning to fall apart. The fire she was trying to put out may not have been real but that one could be and a falling house is a serious danger.

He runs over to her side, concern apparent on her face.]

Terra! Are you alright?

Terra - OPEN

[greenmagick]

[Terra is shaking and her eyes look as if she is trying her best to hold back a cascade of tears. She doesn't want to cry, it's been so long since she truly cried. She slowly shakes her head back and forth, her throat dry from the efforts.]

I can't...

[She can't fight. She can't do anything and everything is still burning.

It's all my fault.

Sephiroth had been right, she should have left and because she stayed everything was burning.]

Re: Terra - OPEN

[neverfirstclass]

[This feels all too familiar in Cloud's mind, even though he knows objectively that it isn't. It's that quick flash of awareness that protects him from the memories that push into his mind.

Tifa kneeling on the ground, sobbing in front of the ruins of her house. He can't move. The smoke is too thick. The heat is too strong. Everything hurts. Confusion. Pain.

A man in black with a long sword.

Cloud shakes his head. This isn't his memory. This might be his future but it hasn't happened yet.]

We choose for ourselves.

[His mumbled words might not be directed at Terra, but they're still the first thing he says in response.

Kneeling low he does his best to get under her arm to get her back up on her feet.]

Come on. We can't stay here.

Terra - OPEN

[free_spirited_wind]

[Bartz is almost more concerned about Terra's reaction to the fire than the fire itself. At a loss for what to do, he walks up behind her and very gently puts his arms around her.]

Terra? It's.... it's gonna be okay...

Terra - OPEN

[greenmagick]

[Terra freezes at the warmth of Bartz hug. She isn’t expecting the physical contact and it’s enough to pull her from the nightmare that plays before her sight. She slowly shakes her head, her fingers clinging to his arm as she speaks.]

Bartz… [Her voice sounds weak and unsure.] Why is this happening?

[It’s as if the Empire in her dreams and her past where here and she was paying for that little piece of happiness that she thought she found.]

Terra - OPEN

[free_spirited_wind]

'Cause those empire guys dunno when to quit...

[There is an uncharacteristic bitterness in that remark. He's so sick of the stupid empire and their stupid attacks. But he's still quick to turn back to optimism.]


But, hey, you know what? I think this fire is fake. So your house... I think it'll be okay.

[Her water spell didn't work, so it's a good bet this fire is courtesy of the elusive illusionist.]

[victorix]

[The spectacle of the hungry flames was enough to pull the young assassin in from a respectable distance, as she dashed over to check for any one in need of aid. Rikku's heart sunk to her stomach when she easily recognized it was her friend on the ground by the tendrils of the woman's telltale hair.]

Terra!

[Light armor scrapes across the ground as the blonde plants herself beside the florist, searching for clarity in Terra's eyes as she reaches for her friend's shoulders. The slightly older woman's discomfort with touch completely forgotten in the turmoil.]

Are you ok? Are you hurt?

[greenmagick]

[A hand slowly raises to rest over Rikku's as Terra looks up at her friend. Her gaze is distant as if watching the flames from her memories as they come alive before her. She can't speak and she knows that her weakness is reflecting in the empty void that can be seen in her bright blue gaze.

She's lost.

Terra shakes her head slowly. She isn't hurt but her memories. Once again they are slowly slipping away due to a flame that she can't touch or stop.]

[victorix]

[The gloved hands tighten on Terra's shoulders in reassurance at the haunted look Rikku receives. The young thief's brows knit together in concern, her lips forming a line.

There's a pause as realization, followed by sympathy passes over the Al Bhed's features.]

Hey...stay with me. I know, it hurts. It's hard but.

[She turns to look at the building, lost in the inferno, then back to her friend, the dancing flames reflecting on her spiraled pupils. Unaware of the other demons of the past Terra's fighting and attributing the girl's state to the shock of losing her home.]

Buildings can be rebuilt. It's people that matter -- everything will be ok in the end, I promise.

gosh I am so late sorry D|

[dammit_flynn]

Hey, get a hold of yourself!

[ Yuri's been woken up by the sudden flash of fire and everything sort of went downhill. Not to mention, Flynn miraculously disappeared on him again. He was going to try to find the imperial knight where the Crystals were but at this point, it was more important to see to this girl that was on the ground. ]

Can you walk?

[ He quickly questioned moving towards her. ]

That's alright!

[greenmagick]

[Terra looks over at Yuri looking as if she's seen a ghost. There is so much happening and her thoughts are slipping away like sand through an hourglass. She doesn't understand.

She can't say anything, her voice gone.

Terra shakes her head slowly feeling the heat of the flame against her pale skin. She can't keep fighting.]

:33

[dammit_flynn]

[ Yuri decided to take matters into his own hands when she looked at him that way.

There was no way he was going to leave this girl here to burn since she already gave up on everything.

He knew those kinds of eyes and he wasn't going to let it happen. Yuri reached over to pull her to her feet.

Kobato | Open

[kobatonotdobato]

[Kobato had seen placed burning and she panicked. What was going on, how did this happen. What caused it. She ran around checking that there was no one else around and trying her best to think of a way to stop it. In her mind all she could think about was who would do such a thing and where were they right now. But first things first the fire should be dealt with.]

Is anyone around?! [She raised her voice, checking one last time if anyone else was about.]

[forcegalactic]

[On the eastern side of the district, and lone man and his Moogle run back and forth between a burning house and the water pump, desperately dousing all the flames. But no matter what they do, the fire continues to spread. And spread. Whose bright idea was it to store a cabinet of liquor in here?

Once half of the house burns down, the Barkeep drops to his knees, and Annie follows suit. His new home, ruined. If they had any hope of stopping this fire, they-]

Huh? [A voice!] Who's there?!

[kobatonotdobato]

[Kobato was busy running around, still in a panic and still no closer to an idea to help, however she would gesture to those who needed to get away towards where she knew it was safe. While she was running she tripped over a rather large piece of rubble and fell over ass over face, nearly finding herself in the fire.]

Ow! [Slowly sitting up, she started to rub her nose before she spotted the other.]

I'm sorry... But you should perhaps make your way out.

[forcegalactic]

[Barkeep pushed himself off the ground and ran over to Kobato as Annie watched. Why was she here? She's too young to put herself in danger!]

Can you get up? [He tugged on her arm with one hand as he held his staff in the other.] Lemme patch you up first.

[A nearby building became to flame, yet the air around the two Heroes did not get hotter.]

[dammit_flynn]

Hey what are you dilly dallying around here for? The place is burning.

[ Yuri caught wind of her talking and turned around to see why she was still there. It was burning. They had to figure out how to put out the fire obviously, but he had to find out how to get water to here.

Not to mention his excursion to find Flynn in the Crystal was put on hold. ]

[kobatonotdobato]

What's dilly dallying? [She could tell it was burning as she puffed her little cheeks slightly.] But I know it's on fire, I am trying to help. But idea wise, I don't have a lot.

[She paused looking at her staff slightly as the flames kept on. She didn't know what to do with her ideas though, or even if it was a good idea.]

[dammit_flynn]

It means standing around like this and possibly getting injured.

[ He replied in a sarcastic tone. Did she really not know what that meant. She puffed her cheeks at him too. ]

We can get folks who can use water based spells on it or get water ourselves. There's plenty of options, actually. Maybe some idiot decided to play a prank and it isn't real.

[ Even a water pipe. ]

Hey, you some kind of mage?

[ he mused noticing her staff. ]

Ramza | District 11 | Open

[zodiac_brave]

Ramza, looking filthy and exhausted after his battle at the Hospital, took one look at the burnt remains of his home in District 14 and gave a bone-weary sigh. He could here Heroes moving around the residential district, casting spells to quench the fires and searching for the Illusionist responsible for the false flames.

There would be no rest for the freelancer, it seemed. Ramza pulled a potion from his belt and drained the bottle in a long sip. Then he turned away from the little house he'd called home since October and marched purposefully toward District 11. The other Heroes had the search here well under way, and Ramza knew the area around his Weapon Shop in that District better than the others. It was a place to start. Besides, many civilians lived there, and if Ramza could do anything to prevent them from losing their homes, he would. This was not the first time he had lost everything to a fire, but it was not something that got easier with practice.