Event || The Answer

[melodiesmods]

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

Comments

[wickedone]

Sheena, wait!

[And then she was running again, and Albel was surrounded. He grit his teeth.]

Worms! I don't have time for this! Syrreth, come forth!

[Raising a hand, Albel began to glow then summoned a dragon from the ether.]

Take care of them!

[With a smoke bomb, Albel teleported outside the ring of assailants while the dragon began to tear at them with claws and teeth. He ran through the streets, skirting flames and corpses, running enemies through as he passed.]

Sheena, stop! There is no one left here! We have to go!

[umslay]

[The fires don't go out. Good. Sheena and Albel can do whatever they want as long as those are taken care of. He's running low on water bullets, however, and he's not sure how well he can quell the flames just by stomping them. Someone among their group must have magic.]

Malik! Ellie! [He looks away from the fires for a brief moment.] I can't douse all of the flames; we need to--WAUGH!

[Just as he looks back, there they are again.

His robot stomps back to the group hanging back from the battle.] There's something wrong with these fires. I swear, every time I look away, it comes back like I never was there! I know I put out everything around that tower, it has to be an illusion o-or...

[He's not going crazy, he swears.]

[vonspielburg]

[The hairs on the back of Ellie's neck start to stand up. This isn't natural. In fact, this is starting to feel more and more like an elaborate illusion...and a trap. But she can feel the heat of those flames, in which case, this is a very good, very complete illusion.]

[Remaining outside of the city border, she draws an arrow to her cheek, aims, and plugs it into one of the soldiers advancing on Ales.]

Something wrong with the fires? There is something wrong with the city.

[She grumbles it to herself. Ales is in a giant metal robot, it's unlikely a bunch of measly foot soldiers will do much good against him. But she's prepared to clear a path for him with her arrows. And if her roommate is really that determined to chase his girlfriend, who is she to stop him? Have fun with that, Albel.]

[ninjainviolet]

[ Sheena's currently having the same reaction as Ellie. Having used the opportunity of not being attacked to make her way directly to the other entrance--putting out what fires she could with her weakened spells--the ninja is now halted, staring ahead.

There are no soldiers...

But, she can hear the battles behind her. And she knows how gifted Albel is with a sword. In seeming slow motion, she kneels and touches one of the bodies there and draws back a hand covered in blood. Not again. Catching a movement out of the corner of her eye, she rises, and sees Albel heading towards her.

The look she gives him, however, is one he probably has never seen before.

Haunted and looking in the distance. ]

It's my fault...

[ She's not entirely there right now, so he may just have to force her to move. Or carry her. ]

[answernpcs]

[ There was indeed something wrong with the city, it seemed as though it was irreal, as though it couldn't exist and the laws of logic didn't take place here. And yet, the heat from the flames and the falling bodies were all too real. Maybe this was real, maybe this was an illusion?

The only certainty at this point was that someone would have to move Sheena out of the way, as if she didn't move one of the burning and collapsing building would collapse upon her soon.

As for those that remained behind, they would be able to hear a voice, that of an old and wise man, coming from the flames. ]

It is indeed her fault- These memories are only taking shape because of her presence.

[ The voice would be familiar, but to Malik only. ]

[loyalrebel]

[Malik does, and it has every hackle on him raising.]

So is that why you are here as well?

[He forces himself in to the calm of handling a mission, hand curling around the hilt of the dagger he'd kept on him. If he has to fight, then bring it.]

[wickedone]

[Her fault? They'd just gotten here? Surely there was more to it than that -- and Albel didn't like the look on Sheena's face. But there was no time to chat about it right now.]

[In one fluid motion, he swooped down, wrapped his arms firmly around Sheena just under her butt, and lifted her over his shoulder. Girlfriend finally in tow, he began to run back toward the others, dodging the flames and enemy soldiers as best he could.]

[umslay]

[Ales' robot turns toward the voice, then back to Sheena. She's too far for running back there to be worth the effort, but it looks like Albel has is under control. He turns to the voice.]

Why her in particular?

[Then to Malik. Something had to be up if the old man was right and this city was influenced by memories.] Who is this?

[answernpcs]

[ It seemed the more time passed, the more the city fell in ruins. At the very least, there weren't any civilians left... But that was because they had all died, which in itself might not have been a good thing. ]

This is the product of Narayana's powers and your memories-- But all of yours mind you. The one who prepared for this lacked the wisdom and power to see his plans through.

[ The man stepped outside of the flames and stopped by the group, though once again it was unlikely anyone but Malik would recognize who this was-- If that was even him. ]

[loyalrebel]

[Malik isn't sure if it's really him or not, time is apparently flexible here and while Rashid is five years dead and burned to ash that doesn't mean he wasn't also grabbed here before that.]

Even the best laid plans can be torn asunder by a single man in the right place an willing to do what is necessary at the time.

[To Ales he just gives a tiny shake of his head and tightening of his expression, not here and not now.]

[vonspielburg]

[It isn't long before Ellie comes trotting over, still holding her bow and an arrow just in case any soldiers decide they'd like to leave the burning city with the foolish hope of doing so alive. This new arrival isn't familiar to her. Is the commander? He doesn't seem like he's presenting a threat to Ales or Malik, so Ellie hangs back, just within earshot, so she can hear what they're talking about. At least, that's the plan until they either invite her over or shoo her away.]

[ninjainviolet]

[ Meanwhile, Sheena is being carted off like a sack of potatoes over Albel's shoulder. At first, she doesn't respond, but as he runs along, the jolting finally brings her to her senses, and she starts hitting his back. She has to get back. ]

Albel! Stop! Put me down! Albel!

[ And she lifts herself to turn to look at him, and sees the newcomer. ]

Who the hell is that?

[wickedone]

Shut up and stop flailing!

[Like hell was he about to put her back down right now! He finally just caught up to her, he didn't want her running off again! Besides... her eyes back there haunted him. Something had been very wrong.]

[Seeing the stranger brought him to a halt when they finally reached the relative "safety" outside the town. The man couldn't have been in the blaze. But then where did he come from? The entire thing was suspicious. But apparently the stranger hadn't directly threatened anyone yet, by the looks of things.]

[Though it also looked like Malik might recognize him... Either way, Albel was not letting go of Sheena until he felt more confident about the situation. Even if it meant keeping her over his shoulder with her butt to the world.]

[answernpcs]

You would know that better than anyone, wouldn't you?

[ He shook his head and walked around, stopping by a dead corpse. ]

Memories... This world and ours are the same. Caught in an endless cycle. Nothing will change lest the cycle is broken. But none of you have the strength to do it.

[vonspielburg]

[Ellie's been listening. But at this point, her eyes narrow with suspicion. This sounds like manipulation, not assistance. Her gaze flicks to Malik, studying his face for a moment, before moving back to the older man.]

I hope you are not suggesting that our only option is to murder Garland. We have heard that sermon before, so allow me to save your time and ours.

[He hasn't said as much, but if he's talking about 'breaking the cycle,' then she strongly suspects this is going to involve the one man who can reset the time loop if they all fail miserably.]

Who are you truly?

[loyalrebel]

[Malik's expression is hard, warily calculating even if he is keeping his tone fairly mild.]

If you are not an illusion of memory... you did teach me well, Rashid. Even if I was never the favored one.

[There's something bitter there along with a quirk of smugness.]

[answernpcs]

Why would you have been? Till the very end, you were the tool for men of greater skills and power. This world is no different.

[ He then turned to Ellie. ]

The Guardian has nothing to do with this. Not that you could hope to defeat him.

[vonspielburg]

I have no wish to do so. I will consider the point moot, then.

[She's still suspicious, but a little less aggressive about it. As much as she'd like to demand a straight answer, Ellie decides to back off and see what Malik has to say, because that's interesting. This man, Rashid, was Malik's mentor? And Malik was not the favored one? Surprising, considering his talents. She refrains from looking at Ales to gauge his opinion; this is something they can discuss later.]

[wickedone]

[Rashid? So Malik knew this man. Albel did put Sheena down then, if only because her stillness was more suspicious than her flailing. The ninja was likely plotting revenge already. But if Malik knew the stranger, then Albel felt a little safer releasing his girlfriend.]

What do you mean we aren't strong enough?

[He glowered.]

What do we need to do to get stronger?

OOC: Mod wrap up - if missed.

[ninjainviolet]

The thread was for the most part done, save for the conclusion. Al-Mualim would have explained that this all is born from their memories, and that even he is nothing more than a memory. He isn't the one who made all of this, but an "avatar" who wanted to point out their flaws and weaknesses, which he would have pointed out, are particularly strong in Sheena and Malik. Should they have protested, Al-Mualim and the city around them would have faded, except for the corpses of the soldiers they killed. It remains unclear whether these soldiers were actual people they killed because of the illusion, or part of the illusion.