melodiesoflife | Event || The Enemy Within

Entry tags:

Event || The Enemy Within

Characters: All characters who signed-up for the event.
Where: In their heads.
When: January 15th.
Summary: The Heroes of Light have a vision-- They are living through a hypothetical future where the Sage share his knowledge with them, and things went horribly wrong as some Heroes of Light became the villains in this timeline. Maybe they'll revise their thoughts on getting all of that knowledge.
Warning: The apocalypse, deaths, tragedies, overall a lot of very bad things.

Mingle Threads: The Antagonists || The Protagonists || The Others || General
Free Open Threads: The Two Years || Other Events

#01 Attempts at Negotiations || Trano Golsaucia
#02 Tactical Espionage Action || Aqures Ixen
#03 Judgmental Glares || Aerilon
#04 The Fight for the Crystallized Bodies || Aqures Tosf
#05 The Dusk of the Heroes || Mysidia
#06 The Fight for the Moon || Lunar Gate
#07 Conflict Above the Stars || Moon Base
#08 The Birth of a God || Crystal Life Tree
#09 The Death of a World || Moon Base
#10 Where Everything Ends || Pandaemonium

Conclusion || The Sage in Mysidia

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Even as tired as she was, K'pandolu spared a moment to pause and watch, eyes wide before she had to duck under another blow, striking out at the manikin in turn. But in that case, Vincent could take the rest of them out, right?

"Safety it is," she called back, keeping an eye on the fight as she worked her way towards the other two Heroes, blade still out. Taking out any that still managed to get near the injured Heroes seemed as good a start for that as any.

For a brief moment, Cloud's life flashed before his eyes. It was a short and simple life, but it was still his and he wasn't about ready to give it up. Knelt by Sephiroth's side he was limited in his options though. If he moved, Sephiroth would get hit. There was no way he'd get his own sword up in time to block this attacker either.

When Tear interceded it wasn't much, but it at least gave him a chance. The larger Manikin stumbled and its weapon struck the grown with a heavy blow. But clear of anyone who might have been broken by it. A few precious seconds had been purchased.

His eyes went back to Sephiroth. Moving him didn't seem like the best idea right now, but leaving him here in the middle of the fight was even worse. Carefully he hefted the First Class to his knees and then over his shoulder. He remembered the time they fought together back in Esdham. They were both stronger now. Why was this happening?

Cloud had only managed a few steps when he heard Vincent call out. Foolishly he halted to look over his shoulder rather than keep looking. His eyes widened as he watched Vincent transform. He knew a few things about the man; that they'd be allies in the future and what he was capable of, but experiencing was far different than knowing.

Sound and clarity of vision swam as a great portion of Sephiroth's lifeblood had already been spilled around him. He heard voices, yelling what -he's not sure how much he imagined- sounded like his name as more Heroes poured onto the scene to vanquish what were left of the manikins in the wake of the portal being finally closed.

With the majority of his attention first on Ace who had fallen just a few paces away, the drying blood on his face cracked around the edges some as he registered the words in reply. They had done it. The rift was closed. It was all about the mop up now. It didn't matter if they lived or died now as far as he was concerned. A familiar weight, his crystal digging into his tender side from within an inside pocket, promised in some way -should there be any doubt- that death would be only a temporary state. He was certainly no stranger to it.

Cloud, having been the one who'd skidded to his knees at his side, was the one that Sephiroth more clearly heard. Sluggish as could probably be expected, eyes tried to peer up passed the silver locks which had stuck to his face in some places and meet those of his comrade. The one that might one day be his arch-nemesis, yet one of those who had never faltered in standing by him.

"Cloud-" It was with a wet grunt that he tried to answer, but wasn't sure if he actually did say the word as volume in his ears seemed to cut out again. Attention was drawn to the deep fire-y throbbing of his wounds, specifically that area of his abdomen which was pressed into the floor still. There was no doubt that the only thing which still stubbornly clung to consciousness now was the fact that his Combat Mode was still activated.

His ragged breath, half-wheezing, caught in his throat as he saw a monster descend on the rest of the manikins that were left in the room. He'd only heard a little with regard to Vincent's ability to metamorphose, but wasn't able to keep his attention for long before the world jerked sharply to one side.

Blood, and who-knew what else fluids, rose up without hesitation as Cloud hefted him onto a shoulder and spilled out thickly from his mouth. A new raging sensation punched deep into his penetrated guts as the pressure from his own weight was removed. The agony stirred anew flashed thick black spots across his already failing vision.

"G-get out of here-" Words were difficult to articulate and took a great deal of his focus to be wrenched from his severely wounded state.

"Just go-"

Though the manikin's strike toward the ground nearly made her stumble, it allowed her the opportunity she needed to push past what was left of the others so she could reach her goal, ignoring the instinct to look back at what Vincent had transformed into; whatever it was, he was dealing with the manikins more effectively than they could alone and with their depleting strength, therefore it was better to focus on their fallen comrades.

"We won't leave the two of you here if we can help it." Tired as her voice was, it was firm in her declaration. With Sephiroth now being taken care of, Tear took it upon herself to focus attention on Ace, kneeling down next to the cadet and holding back the urge to wince as she silently registered the extent of his injuries as she took him into her arms the best she could without further aggravating them. Even if she had more effective healing at her disposal, there would be so much to repair for both of he and Sephiroth.

"Jade!" Feeling her heart clench, she looked away from the wounded and toward the other soldier, her eyes beseeching. Temporary or not the wish to save them was strong, and afterward they would only have so much time, thus she resented the enemies still standing that would hinder that process all the more.

Tear's attempts would be met with no resistance whatsoever, the body in her hold more akin to a rag doll than a living person, if it wasn't for his chest still heaving with little breaths. For a while, Ace was just that, looking almost serene in his unconscious daze as his mind, devoid of vision, nonetheless fought to place together the sounds and voices that had gotten tangled in the chaos.

"... is right." Suddenly, bruised fingers dug into the melodist's arm before the hand they belonged to fell helplessly to the ground. The cadet hissed through his teeth, already feeling his body shutting down of its own accord, as if only holding onto the soothing promise of the crystal stasis at this point, while his eyes, bleary with exhaustion, sought the girl's understanding. "Tear."

You can't help, and you know it. Even if he couldn't bring himself to speak so bluntly, or muster up enough strength to make his voice clear, there was no stopping the hot streams of blood seeping out onto the other soldier's arms and knees.

"Status?" As much as he struggled to get a better look of their surroundings, it was a pointless attempt.

Terra took a small step forward as Cloud moved Sephiroth to face up. She watched ripples fan outward with each step through the scarlet liquid. Ace... Sephiroth... She couldn't pull her gaze away from the pair.

"Sephiroth?" Her voice was weak and shaking. "Ace?"

They'd come back, it'll just take a few minutes if she remembered correctly. After their death they'd turn to crystal and come back. For some reason it felt like hours passed as they clung to life. How much pain are they in? It wasn't fair.

Terra couldn't even sooth that pain.

Ifrit's flaming flacid balls.

This. This wasn't supposed to happen. But the rift tore open and before they all knew it, the situation fell into madness. Sticking somewhere between Reno and Rufus, Elena served as support in trying to keep the hoard to manageable levels. Yet they continued to struggle, the numbers increased more and more until there was a loud crash, confusion, screaming of names.

Sephiroth was down. Another one - Ace? - was down as well.

"S-Shit!"

Sending another barrage of bullets down into the hoarde, Elena glanced over, looking to the fallen body of Sephiroth and the two - Cloud and Terra - standing over him. As little as she might have cared about him - she'd not become comfortable with the man he was here, not with a history that she couldn't forget - a flicker of something passed through her.

Concern? No. Couldn't be. Had to be for Terra. For Cloud.

"Terra! Cloud! Now's not the time! We've got to get this under control first!"

Tear's call didn't fall on deaf ears -- the problem was that the remaining manikins seemed to be making it their business to get in his way. Maybe they had enough awareness to realize he was the healer, or maybe they just went for an easy target. Jade backed away from an incoming attack that cut him off from the others.

"I'm coming! Just hold on!"

Time was running short, but even if Sephiroth and Ace did die, the crystal stasis wouldn't trigger for a few more minutes. He could still bring them back with Life. A shot from Elena made the manikin stagger; Jade seized the chance and took a moment to cast Flare, one of the only means of offense he had available to him. The manikin exploded in a shower of crystal shards, allowing him to finally reach Ace.

One look at the young man's injuries told Jade it was too late. Even a Curaga spell wouldn't heal all that damage quickly enough to keep the organs from failing. The best he could do right now was to start repairing the damage so that when Ace was brought back, he'd be able to fight.

"The battle isn't over yet," said Jade, kneeling by Ace and doing what he could to alleviate the pain. "I'll be bringing you back to join the fun in a moment. We can't have you just lazing around, can we?"

He was worried about Sephiroth, but reviving Ace shouldn't take long. Jade could still save them both.

Brutal honesty had its soothing ways, especially in circumstances not allowing for any better promises to be made.

That said, Jade's declaration couldn't quite manage to erase the tension Ace felt, not with the knowledge of what was happening behind their backs and the muffled cries of desperation that occasionally cut through the ringing in the cadet's ears. It did, however, bring a ghost of a smile to his blood-stained features, a non-verbal acknowledgment akin to a grimace that would have to do for the time being.

Bringing back. Access to magic this powerful had always been considered a rare comfort to have, back in his world and Crystallis alike; most of the time, it wasn't even a choice, but a necessity to give that up if a mission required management of available supplies. Having not expected much for that reason alone, the boy was grateful for that act of kindness, even if there obviously existed more practical aspects to keeping the entire fighting team alive.

That's right. "Others." A shudder ripped through him as Ace spoke, in case the healer needed any more proof of futility of such temporary measures. It almost seemed like his body no longer absorbed the healing waves, the cold flowing in his veins completely different from the refreshing breeze he knew. "...'s fine.... Go."

Sephiroth was the only one he had registered, but there might have as well been more who had joined. More people that could potentially benefit from getting such treatment more than he did, at that moment. From the corner of his eye, he spotted a figure that he recognized as Terra, hazily wondering why the flower girl had chosen to make her appearance in the midst of it all.

Not just her. The blond's attention snapped back to the soldier keeping him in her ever-secure hold, unable to fight back the conflicting thoughts forming in the back of his mind. Not only she was putting her own life at stake, it was also not how he'd ever wanted to be seen, not like this. At the same time, it all felt so unnaturally long, so slow, to deny himself that tiniest spark of solace her presence brought him.

With all the shouting and fighting going around him, Cloud kept himself focused on a single goal. With the rift closed the worst was behind them and now it was a matter of stopping this incursion here. He could leave that to the others. Vincent himself seemed more than capable of picking up Cloud's slack now.

But even if resurrection was something so easy for the Heroes that didn't mean that Cloud saw it as an acceptable way to deal with a wounded ally. It was more than Sephiroth being his hero or a fellow Hero or even a fellow ShinRa trooper. The wounded were not left in harm's way in a fight. Especially not if you had the ability to save them.

He pushed his way through the melee, using the buster sword to brace both his and Sephiroth's weight against as well as a shield for oncoming attacks. He couldn't fight like this, he'd just have to count on the others. Eventually he broke clear, or as clear as one could be in the confined space of the lap. Kneeling down he tried to settle Sephiroth down as carefully as he could, keenly aware of the blood that was now staining his own SOLDIER uniform.

He laid the other Hero out on his back, seeking the worst of his wounds so he could put pressure on it until help came. "Jade! Over here!" If they got Sephiroth back on his feet then they could fight at full power again. He'd be able to turn the tide and clean all of this up and no one would have to die. With desperation clear on his face, Cloud put his hands on one of Sephiroth's wounds, trying to keep the blood inside.

He didn't know why he was this worried. But something in his gut told him that this battle was more desperate than they knew. "Come on...hold out a little longer....we'll get you back up on your feet in a minute."

As Cloud had fought on to at least get them a distance away from the continued fighting, Sephiroth's world had started to close in around him as all of his weight was ended up rested over the majority of the smaller mans shoulder and back; having lost feeling in his legs already they were so much dead weight. Consciousness hung on by a thread, equilibrium jerked to one side or the other as Cloud took steps, almost as if it were rocking him to sleep.

All the while his pulse sounded thickly in his ears, hammered unforgiving against the inside of his chest and against Cloud's back. Along with the moist, grunting sounds of struggled breaths which continued to hold the would-be SOLDIER's hopes high in that Sephiroth's condition could be salvageable.

The world moved again, dangerous in it's heavy slow spinning as Cloud made to put him down and lay him out on his back. There wasn't any resistance. One hand, leather slick with blood, dropped lifelessly away from the fatal pair of wounds at his abdomen; revealing to the air where they'd slipped between the belted parts of his SOLDIER regalia.

Consciousness was yanked back, momentarily, once Cloud started applying pressure to the area which, though it still wept, now had very little blood left to be spilled. The edges of Sephiroth's face and the sides of his nose were starting to look drawn in, his eyes sunken as dimly lit green dots of color peered down through barely-opened eyes. As breathing started to slow, lips tried to move, but shuddered before he might be able to conjure anymore speech; he knew, vaguely, that Cloud had shouted, that the movements of his mouth had to have been words but he couldn't hear anymore.

Just passed Cloud, he could see Terra standing there and as if she commanded it, all other vision tunneled around her. Everything else became a dim blur of not-even shapes. At least she was safe. They'd all be safe now, again. A tiny twitch of movement to one corner of his mouth was all that he could do to attempt to smile.

He'd be back before long-

Then Sephiroth simply didn't see anymore.

A single pulse movement of an item within the inside pocket of his leather coat accompanied the sharp prick-feeling that some Heroes might feel as his body gave out.

It seemed Ace still had a few moments left. Jade glanced up at Tear. "Keep an eye on him." Then he stood up and hurried over to where Cloud had laid Sephiroth down on the floor, trusting their fighters to cover his back from the manikins.

Hovering one hand over his old comrade's still form, Jade focused and called upon his magic, just as he had done countless times before. The worst should be over now. With the two of them back on their feet, cleaning up the remaining enemies would just be a matter of--

The soft light of Life magic shimmered over Sephiroth's body, and faded away.

And then, nothing.

Jade stared, bewildered. Then he tried again. Nothing. Why isn't it working? He reached over to Sephiroth's neck to search for a pulse. Nothing. It should have worked, he wasn't doing anything differently from before. And yet, Sephiroth didn't move.

A third attempt, and nothing. "Sephiroth?" Jade's chest tightened as reality began to sink in. It couldn't be...

Terra moved to Sephiorth's side as if in a trance. If someone was in the way, she didn't care. Jade and Cloud would have to move or be pushed aside. Thin fingers lightly reached for this curve of his jaw, her palm holding his cheeks while tears began to gather in her eyes. He can't really be dead, the heroes always came back.

"Sephiroth." She only whispered his name before looking towards his pocket. Everything was fuzzy and unclear and yet Terra knew what jade was doing. She knew that it wasn't working and she knew that it meant that something different had happened.

Her fingers lightly slipped to where she knew he held his crystal. She had lived with him long enough to watch him slip the curious little item into the same pocket. If anything else Sephiroth was a creature of habit. She felt the cold crystal and then she felt another and another.

"No..." Her voice was broken and soft as she pulled the pieces from Sephiroth's pocket. She held the pieces in her palm and it felt like she was holding his life there. She looked down at him and then lightly began to shake his shoulder. "No. No! Sephiroth!"

Tears freely fell down her cheeks as she desperately tried to wake him. She couldn't lose him, not now, not after she finally found him. Not after she finally understood what love was. "Wake up." Her voice was growing louder as if she could command the SOLDIER to open his eyes and smile up at her.

She couldn't see exactly what Terra had done, but the desperation in her voice told enough. She blocked a strike from the manikin she was facing, swearing as it forced her back a few steps, and threw her weight forward, bringing down a strike of Thundara to blast it. "What happened!?" She turned, trying to take in the situation before the manikins were on her again, dread beginning to gnaw at her stomach. "Sephiroth…?"

… He'd be back. He had to be, surely, and she turned her head to look at Ace for a moment. Her spells weren't enough- but if Jade could help him…

No more time. "Beat them back! Who'll take the controls?"

The 'consciousness' or however it was best imagined, that was Vincent Valentine existed--but almost as if hearing and seeing everything through a haze. Locked inside his own mind and transformed body, with the demonic Chaos in control, and feeling rage. Rage and indignant pride that these things, these manikins were hurting those whom were his--with Vincent's conscious exerting enough control to remind the demon--his to protect. Allies, not enemies.

Wings spread more as the demon-form alighted on the ground, making itself a target that the healers might have more time, the fighters might fall back. Rage and pain, and ignoring increasing wounds. Only Vincent's willpower made red-eyes that glowed turn towards the fallen SOLDIER, turn and watch the other warrior and mage that knelt by him, trying to heal. Another great roar, and a charge forward--still with wings spread and drawing enemies to hold the line. Beat them back, buy them time, and ignore wounds inflicted on itself.

Tear did as she was told, allowing Jade to move on and tend to the SOLDIER while she took care of the cadet as best she could, adjusting him in her hold so she could better protect him should one of the manekins dare to come closer. With every shudder she cursed her inability to do enough to at least ease his pain, silently praying that he wouldn't still be when he was brought back.

Then Terra's voice reached her ears, unmistakable in its increasing despair as Tear turned her head sharply toward the small group. Each plea begging Sephiroth to wake up drove the chilling splinters of dread into her heart, overtaking her with the the fading warmth of the boy's life's blood spilling onto her. It couldn't be...

Without even thinking she fumbled around to take his hand in hers, only looking back to Ace when it was secure in her trembling grasp.

"Ace...?" Her voice was small even as she whispered his name, mustering up the strength to cast Cura into that frail connection.

Maybe it was simply a delay, a result of the extent of Sephiroth injuries that was keeping him from opening his eyes just yet. That had to be the explanation as she casted the feeble spell again, the other girl's cries being the only sound registering to her as she pulled him even closer.

"Ace, you have to stay awake...!"

It was a bold task she was placing in front of somebody who could no longer respond with anything but a frail squeeze of the offered hand, a motion that lasted for mere seconds before he lost that means of communication as well, as weak as it had been. Again and again, following a scenario well-known by that point, the incantations met with invisible opposition as the healing particles dissipated into the unexplained void.

Even as his vision had finally failed, eyelids falling shut under the weight of fatigue, the boy's consciousness still picked up on the voices around him, if vaguely. Perhaps, just perhaps, it was for the better. Not knowing, not realizing the severity of the truth that had slowly begun to fill the air with dreadful stillness, something that concerned him no more as the last of his tension left him, and the body in the melodist's grasp became completely still.

Like an echo of the first wave, came another, sharp, stinging sensation, perhaps already uncomfortable in its familiarity to some of the Heroes. Shimmering remains of what had once been an intricate, crystal feather rolled through the opening of the cadet's bag and onto the blood-stained floor, before abruptly stopping as the light enclosed within faded entirely.

Cloud felt that prick in his heart and a sympathetic pulse from his own crystal. Or perhaps he imagined it. But in that moment he knew that whatever effort Jade was trying to offer wouldn't help. He stood there dumbly, his fingers still trying to staunch those open wounds as he felt the magic trying to pass through the prone man.

"Sephiroth....come on...you know you're no good at making jokes...you're too serious for that..."

He leaned back as Terra pushed her way in, waiting for the man to turn to crystal but it wasn't happening. He knew this process. He'd seen it before. It shouldn't take this long. Frantically he looked around, eyes settling on Jade .

"What's going on? Why isn't he going into stasis! What happened?" Tears began to come to his eyes, but he was too panicked and scared to cry as Terra was. The roar from Vincent broke through his haze and he looked to the man fighting for his life. He looked to Ace, who was now laying prone just as Sephiroth was.

The blood drew from his face as he realized what was happening. He tried to scramble to his feet but his numb legs didn't make it easy. "Vincent! Back off! You can't do this yourself!" He looked around frantically, trying to find where he had dropped his sword. He couldn't let him fight alone, no matter how demonic he was right now.

"I..."

Jade couldn't think of an answer. For just a split second, he had latched onto the idea that perhaps it was just Sephiroth's Custom Job interfering with healing magic, unlikely but possible -- but that theory had crumbled the moment he saw the remains of the shattered crystal. His mind cast for an explanation--

But even if there was one, it didn't change the fact Sephiroth wasn't entering crystal stasis. This time, he wasn't coming back.

I did it again. The confusion in Jade's mind gave way to sickening clarity. It was his arrogance that had caused this, that had made him discard all caution when meddling with the Rift. He'd made a mistake and someone else had paid for it, just like... back then...

No... I've done it again...!

Tear's desperate cries drew him back to the present. Ace. Jade stood up, almost numbly, and returned to the younger man's body, ignoring the battle around him. Yet, even as he crouched down and called upon his magic once more, he already knew.

The Life spell faded away, ineffective and pointless.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Event || The Enemy Within

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Ouch...my feels guys. Glad I'm channeling 'rage' as Chaos...

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