melodiesoflife | 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

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.

Event || The Enemy Within

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

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