Event || The Enemy Within

[melodiesmods]

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

Comments

[line_piece]

I'm doing everything I can to bring them back together. We can't give up now.

[melnics]

Mm. ( there's a curt nod at that. ) Meredy knows... that you are working hard. So that's why... that's why all the terminals will be ready to go. Meredy believes in you, so this way you should be able to communicate with both sides, no problem! The more points of access that Chiaki has, the more people you will be able to reach. ( a smile brightens, all the way into her eyes here, finally. )

Right?

[line_piece]

Meredy...

[Chiaki smiles at that too. It's very soft, thankful, and genuine as she bows her head happily.]

...Yeah. That's right. Thanks for working so hard.

[melnics]

You bet! So until next time, okay? ( she starts to pack up her tools into her bag. ) Meredy will be at the next site before you know it! Bye bye for now!

[line_piece]

I'll be there waiting. Take care, Meredy.

trano golsaucia terminal.

[melnics]

( it's weeks later than she said it would be. it seems that she had a bit of a hard time getting to trano for some reason. and when she inputs the code, its more clumsy than she has been at it up until now. by the time she finally get it, the camera is pushed at an odd angle, showing the gauntness that's been creeping into her face. her eyes slightly sunken...

but here she is, still trying. ) Good morning, Chiaki! Meredy is late this time, sorry, sorry!

[line_piece]

[Shortly after the display comes up, Chiaki's moogle Mogomi comes walking into the room after Meredy.]

...Hey.

[Chiaki herself sounds worried, Mogomi standing quietly aside and trying not to fret or fidget too much.]

[melnics]

Meredy has -- ah, o-oh! ( she turns at the quiet sound of the moogle, moving to try and hide her left hand in her sleeve, pulling it down and over. a glimpse of something burnt-looking and black can just be seen as she wasn't fast enough ) G... good morning to Mogomi, too! Aheh.

I am... just finishing up here in Trano Golsaucia!

[line_piece]

...This is the last one, right?

[There's a double meaning there, and Chiaki spares a glance to Mogomi as she says it before turning her eyes back to Meredy.]

Is there anything you need me to do?

[melnics]

J-just one more! Meredy will travel to Aqures Tosf, next. Then... Chiaki should have access to all of the places the heroes have gathered.

( she tilts her head -- ) It will be okay, do not worry, Chiaki. We are here -- to keep hope alive, remember? ( she uses only her right hand to tap tap tap at the keys -- ) Everything is working okay?

[line_piece]

Aqures Tosf, huh...

[It's still pretty dangerous there. Chiaki honestly isn't sure if she's going to make it in such a state.]

Yeah. It's all for hope.

[There's nothing more important than hope in Chiaki's mind, but she never wanted her friends to die for it. Not at home, and especially not here.]

Everything's working fine.

[...]

Do you have to set out right away, or can we have one more sleepover? A real one this time. Mogomi can switch my Jobs for me, so I can stretch my legs a little.

[melnics]

Ah... Um. ( oh chiaki. she wants to say yes. so much that she turns away, trying to avoid both the gazes of her friend and the moogle at once. )

No... that -- ( it's a bad idea. meredy is actually in much worse shape than even those small glimpses have let on. instinctively, she pulls her sleeve over that useless looking hand nervously. ) That is okay. Meredy does not want to get in the way of progess...

Why... Don't we have a nice night of games after the terminal at Tosf is complete?

[line_piece]

[Chiaki frowns, having expected that answer. But she had to try anyway. It might be her last chance to really connect with Meredy before she burns herself out.]

...Okay. After that, we'll finally relax a little. I think we've both earned it.

[melnics]

You bet. ( she wants to believe it, too. it's what's keeping her going somedays. but -- she seems to be coming to the realization that there's no going back, now...

if only she could have been stronger... controlled it better... ) And -- this time we will be able to beat that co-op top score for Dancing Dancing, no problem!

Chiaki's choice of song, any you like best. Ah... ( oh no, that burning in her throat is back... )

M-meredy will be off again, now. Goodbye... Chiaki.

[line_piece]

...See you soon.

[And the screen goes dark.]

aqures tosf terminal.

[melnics]

( it's chaos this time, as the feed clicks on. it's not even meredy at the wheel, after several dozen failures at inputting the code, a frantic-looking quickie, meredy's faithful pal, was finally successful.

an alarmingly piercing -- ) Kwii!! Kukweee! ( meredy comes hurling into the scene, grasping at her stomach and skidding to a stop. there's cuts all over her body -- which is moving slower than ever. the darkness that was creeping from her fingertips is now pitch-black, going well up to her arms and down her legs...

the dark fibrill... it was too much for her body. and now, boy... was she ever in a bind. )

[line_piece]

Meredy! What happened?

[Chiaki's voice and face are frantic as the monitor clicks on.]

[melnics]

Ch... Chiaki... ( she winces, a knee to the ground. it takes her a moment to muster up the strength, but eventually meredy pushes herself up again. there's a painful expression on her face as she holds her flank, the dress around the area turning a deep red. )

The terminal -- is working. Meredy is so glad...

[line_piece]

Meredy... what's wrong? Should I call someone?

[From the look on her face, she already knows it's probably too late.]

[melnics]

Do not worry... Meredy... can handle it... ( she looks off in what seems like the distance, the terminal's camera not yet revealing her pursuer. looking down, she removes her blackened hand from her side, the red of her blood barely changing the colour of her palm... )

Chiaki... do you remember... when Meredy asked to read about the Dark Aurora?

[line_piece]

I remember.

[Chiaki nods gravely.]

It's the last thing we talked about before you started looking... thin. And pale.

[melnics]

Shizel... that was... Meredy's mother. ( she's back to trying to stop, or at least slow, that wound on her side. ) That is why, Meredy thought that she could control it too...

( it's shameful to admit, and she bows her head as if to indicate that's not the case. )

But... long ago, I decided... to use this power. If it means that saving others is possible, then...

( finally, something seems to come into focus in the distance. a small creature, a swinging lamp... )

[line_piece]

Meredy, behind you!

[Chiaki reaches out, as if desperately hoping that she'll be able to reach through the screen to help save her friend.]

[melnics]

( there's a small smile here. she's grateful for your warning, chiaki, but... she knows. wrestling with that tonberry ever since she'd arrived... that was the reason for her physical injuries. there was nothing left to do now but to use the dark aurora. no other way out of this situation... )

Take care... of Quickie, okay?

( she's standing tall again, starting the creature down with an intense look. ) I will not... let this one hurt anyone else. Nng. ( she winces, assuming an offensive stance, her hands in front of her.

in a blast, a great void seems to appear at her fingertips, gaining energy, feeding off of the dark fibrill emanating from her. a sweat has broken over her brow as the charges the attack, but just before its release -- she flashes one last smile in her friend's direction. )

Meredy is glad... that we were able to be friends. Goodbye, Chi... a -- ( it's too much. the sheer force of it is too much, and her body seems to explode into millions of particles in the blink of an eye.

and when the dust finally settles... only a whimpering quickie can be seen or heard. a black crater in the place meredy had stood moments before. )