melodiesoflife | Event || The Answer

Event || The Answer

Characters: All characters who signed-up for the event.
Where: South Continent of Balance (Imperial Territories)
When: April 20th to April 30th.
Summary: The Heroes of Light have lost consciousness and now find themselves in the middle of nowhere, without their Moogles and away from everything they know. They will have to get back home, but what awaits them on the path? For more information, please check the First OOC Post and Second OOC Post.
Warning: Bad things.

Group 01: Team Hijinks House
Group 02: Team Brigands
Group 03: Team Discovery Channel
Group 04: Sephiroth's (In)Sanity Squad
Group 05: Team (Bad) Shipping Advice
Group 06: Team Blue-Haired Lords on Fire
Group 07: Team Mom and Late Sleepers
Group 08: Nothing Bad Will Happen
Group 09: The Hellhounds
Group 10: Loftwings, A Working Title
Group 11: Team Oni
Group 12: Team F.N.T.I²
Group 13: Team Name-In-Progress
Group 14: Team The-Mods-Couldn’t-Brain-A-Name
Group 15: Seraphim Shenanigans

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Yuffie doesn't wait for the others. Seeing the cave glint out of the corner of her eye is all she needs to beeline towards the familiar hued walls. It might be rash but she can't help but perk up at the sight. Materia has always been a weakness and it seems, try as she might, she hasn't completely lost her greedy eye when it came to the familiar glow.

She lightly places her hand on the wall, not yet noticing the voices that drift from deep within the cave.]

This is the second time I've see something like this here.

[It looks like she's talking to the wall but she expects that someone would have followed her.]

The other time was in the tower. [Johnny had been there.]

[Despite the fact that he's well aware that each of those Heroes that have been put here with him were more than capable of handling themselves however they pleased, Sephiroth's sense of duty doesn't allow him to wander off too far from the others as they've progressed. Whatever monsters they've had to fight before then, though, might well start to nag at him on an exhaustion-level within the next day or so and he knows that. Where he's been something of a leader so far, it would become harder to do so as their time out in the wilderness continues.

And so he steps a little closer to the inside of the cave as Yuffie touches the wall, quickly picking out the familiar hues almost as if the whole cave were made of materia. The veins of green-blue drawing his gaze deeper into the cave, Sephiroth's sharp hearing catches a voice echoing that he recognizes but can't place, snapping his gaze away from the wall and into the darkness beyond as if he might be able to will himself to know what lay in there.

There is no way he's stepping into an ominous cave like that without knowing more, even if the majority of his attention is now already focused on what --or who-- might be in there.]

The Mysidian Tower?

[An obvious question, perhaps.]

[ As they stepped closer, they could hear the voices slightly more clearly-- But lest they were to get in and pay attention to what was being said, odds were they wouldn't hear anything. ]

"Ha, ha, ha... This is perfect!!! It means that my experiment was a complete success. What number were you? Huh? Where is your tattoo?"
"Professor Hojo... I don't have a number. You didn't give me one because you said I was a failed experiment."
"What the--? You mean only a failure made it here?"

[ The cave itself didn't change, the hue of the Materia remaining the same. ]

"Yuffie!" Reno grit his teeth, exasperated. The familiarity of the cave hadn't escaped him, the glow akin to raw materia. But that couldn't exist here, right?

He stalked after her, set on bringing her back so they could get back to the task at hand -- getting out of here alive.

That was until he heard the voices. The words were unclear, but the tone... frighteningly familiar. He'd know Hojo's voice anywhere. Reno froze. No... it couldn't be him... That was impossible.

In the meantime Sephiroth remained as if frozen, having taken only one more stride into the cave while waiting for Yuffie in case she'd grace him with an answer.

Leveling a narrowed glare at the darkness deeper in the cave as those voices struck, well-familiar nuances of speech pulled like needles at the back of his alerted sense of apprehension for what might lie inside. That 'need-to-know' part of his character was already triggered well enough.

While he's not convinced of the other voice, he knows that Hojo is -not- here in Crystallis, like he knows in his gut that this is likely another set-up for them, another 'test'. But that damn curiosity urges Sephiroth to take another step inside the cave; as if he might be able to see further but still keep part of the group.

Upon getting a bit closer, they could hear more of the conversation, ever so slightly clearer.

"Professor... Please give me a number. Please, professor..."
"Shut up, miserable failure..."
"......................"
"Who... was that?"

The last line was pronounced by a third voice, who was doubtlessly familiar as well. It seemed as though they could find the origin of the voice if they only ventured a little bit further in.

The words drifting from within the cave finally reached Yuffie's ear. She turned her head waving a dismissive hand at Reno. She couldn't help her curiosity.

"Yeah, Mysidian" She replied to Sephiroth, not really paying attention to what the others were doing. She stepped a little deeper into the cave and then paused to look back at the group.

"You guys hear that right?" She couldn't make out the words. "What if someone's here? We should go see." They were still sorta close to the calamity anyway, if someone was here they needed to leave.

At least the fact Yuffie too seemed to have had her curiosity piqued was, kind-of justifying his own? That felt strange to consider since the ninja princess and him had been at odds more often than not.

Sephiroth cast Yuffie a quick glance as she came near to where he'd unconsciously edged a few paces further in trying to make out those voices that traced scratches just outside of his recognition. As always it wasn't possible to read on his face, especially in the gloom, but he didn't agree with her judgment, not by a long shot.

It was, however, something that they clearly needed to face.

"Whatever's in there, I'd go so far to suggest that its what we've been brought here to see. So lets just get it over with."

He had no intention on letting Palitutu, or who-whichever-other Avatar/not might well have pulled these set of circumstances on them, get the better of him this time. Too often he'd been played and, although Sephiroth's gut told him it was a bad idea to progress into the cave, it could well be the only way to bring this to an end.

Wouldn't that be purposefully going against what felt comfortable, or 'right', in himself? Simply put, the SOLDIER has had enough of the games already.

Johnny felt a bit lost in all of this, following after the others silently. He could tell that the others knew something he didn't, or at least it seemed that way to him. Whatever was going on, he didn't like it.

"Be ready to defend yerself, whatever or whoever it is who might be in there might not be on our side. I ain't trusting anything out here."

If they were to go deeper in, they would see a scene seemingly pulled straight from another world-- With people some of this group would be able to recognize. In the back of the cave there was Scarlet from Shinra, Tifa and a seemingly younger version of Yuffie, whilst in the middle they could see Hojo speaking to Rufus Shinra. Closer to their arrival point was Barret, but he didn't seem to notice or hear the newcomers.

Meanwhile, Hojo looked away at the walls while speaking to Rufus. By now, hearing what was being said should be much easier.

"... He's a Sephiroth-clone I created after the real Sephiroth died five years ago. Jenova cells and with my knowledge and skills, have been combined with science and nature to bring him to life. ... I'm not wild about the failure part, but the Jenova Reunion Theory has now been proven. You see, even if Jenova's body is dismembered, it will eventually become one again. That's what is meant by Jenova's Reunion."

"If it's who I think it is, he definitely won't be," Reno murmured to Johnny. What he didn't say, but what he really feared, was that this could be Sephiroth's major breaking point. And then they'd really be in trouble.

"Stay close to me." He hoped the honest worry in his eyes would convince Johnny without argument. He wouldn't tell him to stay and watch Lydia... Mostly because he was selfish and wanted Johnny with him. But he also knew there was no point. Sephiroth was right, the girl was a Hero and relatively experienced, she wouldn't just stay put. Might as well bring her and hope she's useful.

Then, since everyone else seemed to be going, Reno followed the others into the cave. When the figures became clear, there was no triumph in being "right." He remembered this... hearing about it, at least, but this was bad. This was the kind of shit that freaked him out about Hojo. Experimenting on people, cloning people... And instead of being angry, they begged to be recognized.

Cloud...

Bile rose at the back of Reno's throat.

"Oh shit."

Where the only two words that came out of Yuffie's mouth as they stepped closer. This wasn't what they needed right now and it was obvious to her who this scene might be directed at. She glanced between Reno and Sephiroth, keeping them both in view.

This wasn't good but Yuffie knew that she wouldn't be able to convince everyone to turn around now.

Sephiroth froze.

Just as he took one step into the larger cavern that had opened around them, it's as if the instant he'd put visual to those voices, it rendered him incapable of moving. Not a glance to Yuffie, or to Reno as he presumed the Turk would be somewhere behind him at this point.

Glaring for all intents and purposes at that scientist that just wouldn't stop speaking. Rattling on in drilling tones that Sephiroth had never been able to stand to be in the presence of for very long. And that was before he'd learned that the man was actually his father.

Five years ago...Jenova cells...Reunion theory...

To a few people in the cave with him, the resulting curl of leather-gloved hands into tight fists would be no surprise.

Johnny hovered just behind Reno, watching the scene with annoyed confusion. Why were they seeing this? Why was this happening?

"What? Clones? Are we, like, hallucinating or somethin'?"

He wasn't sure how to explain what and how they were seeing this scene. He at least had the presence of mind to keep his voice low, though.

Lydia had been quiet, and staying to the back herself. Observing--as it was one thing to read in a file, shared as a sign of friendship and companionship. Another to see people in...well, in person maybe? Somehow.

Still, and yes--she knew Sephiroth didn't like to be touched--Lydia moved closer to the silver haired-soldier. Almost close enough to touch. "It's meant to get to you, Sephiroth. It's not real." Quiet, and she wanted to reach out for his hand--but she didn't. Yet.

"Yuffie...are there any other ways out?" Seeking help from the older girl, as she didn't seem as affected. They had to find a way through this.

Reno shook his head. "No," he whispered. "This happened before. On our world."

He glanced toward Sephiroth again. Not good. But pretty much as expected. He was probably one of the last people Seph wanted to hear from right now, but this convinced Reno beyond a doubt that this whole fiasco was aimed at them. If it wasn't an outright trap, it was something likewise unpleasant.

"Sephiroth, we need to go." Even in hushed tones, his voice echoed eerily against the iridescent cave walls. "They're baiting us -- don't give in."

Please.

In the meantime, none of the participants seemed to notice the presence of the newcomers. Hojo turned to Tifa, Barret and the younger Yuffie before continuing his speech.

"I have been waiting for the Reunion to start. Five years have passed, and now the Clones have begun to return. I thought the clones would begin to gather at Midgar where Jenova is stored. But my predictions were not correct. Jenova itself began moving away from the Shinra Building."

He then looked up at Cloud above them.

"But being a genius that I am, I soon figured it out. You see, it was all Sephiroth's doing. Sephiroth is not just content to diffuse his will into the lifestream. He wants to manipulate the Clones himself. I wondered where the Clones were going, but I was never able to figure it out. The one thing that I did know was that Sephiroth was at their final destination."

With these final words, an strange electric crackling was heard throughout the entire cave and all of the participants to this reunion froze, as if someone had pushed the pause button on a recording. The only ones who could still move were the image of Hojo, still looking up at the ceiling and the Heroes of Light themselves.

"Yeah... " It left a bitter taste in Yuffie's mouth. This sucked and she assumed that watching it continue would only make it worse.

At the static she almost jumped, expecting an attack. When the imagines froze she knew that something else was happening.

"Oh, no..."

Yuffie pulled her blades from her hip, not knowing if you could even use them on things like this. "Is it a projection? Where is the tech?"

It felt longer than it probably was, Sephiroth standing there looking for all appearances catatonic apart from the steady tightening of his fists. As if he might be able to get a firmer grip on himself and the rising, rotten feeling which wanted to wash over him from somewhere deep in his gut. Keeping his eyes firmly fixed on that man and the scene as it continued to unfold.

As Lydia came closer, almost passing that physical barrier again like she'd done before to try and express support-No, don't touch me.-the spikey first-reaction he had was caught before his arm even moved more than a twitch. The movement stayed by his own willpower winning out, and the fact that he knew Lydia were only trying to help.

But another person commenting -didn't matter if it was Reno or not- quickly renewed any tension within himself that he'd managed to squash but this time it came with a prickly underside. Did these people have NO faith in him at all? Clearly they all thought that the worst would happen regardless of the fact he intended to keep the issues he had, they had, with his future firmly compartmentalized.

The look that Sephiroth sent back over his shoulder wasn't friendly at all, as a result.

"I'm fine. I know. It's only here to-"

The sudden electric crackling startled him more than he'd later have wanted it to but served to snap his attention back forwards. It didn't take very long at all to find that his gaze was being drawn vertical, though.

He'd read about what would be up there, but it didn't stop making him feel sick, seeing it play out before them like this.

Before long, the image of Hojo looked down and stared at the real Yuffie, at Reno and ultimately at Sephiroth. The other characters remained frozen in time, but it seemed this Hojo was different- Not only he wasn't frozen, but now he seemed to be aware of everyone's presence.

"It's only here because you are."

Hojo marked a pause after finishing Sephiroth's sentence. before turning back to the wall. "Narayana's power and your presence combined are what brought this memory to life."

"Oh, fuck."

This was so, so bad. Not only because the Sephiroth they were with might snap (despite his arguments against it), but the Sephiroth encased in that blue crystallized mako was its own threat. Not to mention Hojo -- very much aware, very much an enemy.

It didn't matter if Reno was Shinra. Here, he was a Hero of Light. He'd be just as much a target as anyone else.

"Narayana?" Reno's brow furrowed and he glanced at Yuffie. "That crystal cult? That's why we're here?"

It was a long way up into the ceiling of the cavern but eventually his eyes found it. Cloud upside-down and seemingly frozen against a deep mako-blue crystal that was so much larger than just to house a person; the cocoon of Sephiroth's own future god-like form. The cradle from which he enacted Reunion...

Frozen, just like the other inanimate members of the cast to another scene taken from events that had not yet happened as far as Sephiroth present in Crystallis were aware. Or perhaps they had already happened, and he just didn't know it. Those things he remembered upon coming back from stasis once had haunted him ever since; how he didn't know, what else he should know but didn't.

Sephiroth sharply snapped his attention back down to Hojo so quickly that it made the edges of his vision blur with the motion. Back to narrowed, glaring eye contact with the man who had been ultimately responsible...for all of it. Hatred roared deep and hot inside of his gut; sparked for the first time in Hojo's direction as his sentence was finished for him.

Not what he wanted to say, but he knew well enough that the scientist had to be right. It told on the scowl that threatened to come alive across the bottom half of his face.

"Narayana....Jenova..." Sephiroth looked pointedly away from Hojo then and turned in a step to at least face Reno and the others a little more directly. "It's the same thing, with a different name. The Calamity of the Skies."

"It isn't exactly the same thing..."

She whispered the words softly. Yuffie didn't consider Hojo's goal and the goal of the calamity to be the same. They might be similar but in her mind the two were very different.

She watched Hojo before her gaze flicked to Reno and inevitably Sephiroth. She had no idea how this was going to go.

Hojo didn't even look at Reno this time. His words seemed to exasperate him if anything.

"Dreadful ignorance. Evidently a Turk's duty is not to think, so remain silent until your part comes."

With that said he walked toward the main group and looked at Sephiroth once more.

"Narayana is the Calamity from this world, yes. There are glaring differences, but the similarities with Jenova are quite fascinating nonetheless. Both exist for the sole purpose of destroying worlds, both can be infused into otherwise regular beings to enhance them in every aspects. Weak-willed individuals fall to Narayana's powers, whereas those with superior wills harness its power." He marked another pause. "From that perspective, Heroes of Light are this world's SOLDIERs."

It might well be as if Sephiroth were wearing his soul as an outer layer of clothing, so visible was the tension which had started in his fists and was gradually spreading up his arms, across shoulders and quickly taking hold of every fiber of ever muscle of his being as he stood there and listened to Hojo -no, not real Hojo; this apparition of Hojo- reveal one of the darker thoughts he sometimes had but buried as far into the back of his head as it could go.

Genesis had been the first to illustrate such a connection, but that was before Sephiroth had known what he did now. Too often, perhaps, he'd told himself it was a pointless coincidence; something not worth pondering over. It certainly wouldn't help him to keep a clear head.

"Typical." There was a telltale grit in his tone, where Sephiroth's tone had tightened significantly. Yet he still fought hard to keep his cool under an anger which was still smoldering just underneath his skin."Why don't...you tell us something that's not as obvious as mud?"

"Such as why you feel it's so necessary to rip these facts out of my future and wave them in my face."

Event || The Answer

EVENT #01: MEMORIES FROM SHINRA

EVENT #01: MEMORIES FROM SHINRA

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