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

[answernpcs]

Lest I doing t for myself and mine land. And this is what thee reply to me?

[ She shook her head, brandishing her staff once more. ]

Is that thy answer? Then begone to the depths of hell itself!

[ This time, the fake spell she cast was an imitation of meteor, very impressive looking but little more. ]

[forcegalactic]

[This time, Mordecai hops forward in imitation of a dramatic leap from an explosion. The sword remains sheathed, and his hands with his arms folded.]

You can't make me go there that easy!

[But despite the evil empresses' taunts, he doesn't look like he's going to participate in a fight without outside influence.]

[answernpcs]

[ She charges up another attack upon hearing this, albeit this one takes time charging. ]

Then death is all that awaits thee.

[ The next attack might be the final blow at this rate. ]

[zodiac_brave]

[Ramza might be getting to involved in this play. He turns to Rialynn with wide eyes.]

Are we to let her kill him? Those children should not have to witness that. [What a terrible play. Think of the children, Empress and Barkeep.]

[rialynn]

[Rialynn turns to Ranma, her mouth open to remind him that it's just a play. But the look of sheer concern written all over his face just about breaks her heart. He just seems so upset. All right, then, looks like they'll have to jump in and 'save the day.' So to speak.]

Happy ending or sad ending?

[She needs to know to decide whether the princess lives or dies. Once Ramza gives her his answer, she gives him a single nod before taking his arm to haul him around to the right side of the stage. A deep breath, before she shouts.]

ENOUGH!

[Rialynn dashes forward, coming to a stop in front of Barkeep with her arms spread wide, facing down the Empress with a determined frown.]

If you're going to kill him, you'll have to kill me first. Your son can't marry a corpse!

[forcegalactic]

Princess?!

[Thank god Rialynn showed up. That drew him back into the land of fiction. Time to be the dramatic uncle again.]

Nooooooo!

[answernpcs]

[ Most unfortunately, when Rialynn goes between the two of them and speaks, the spell is already charged and flies right at her. ]

Motley-minded wench! What art you--?

[ It might be powerful enough to kill her. Theatrically speaking, of course. ]

[zodiac_brave]

[Noooooo, happy ending. Ramza said 'Happy ending'...for the children! He takes a deep breath and runs out onto the stage too.]

Ria...Snow Black! My...love. [It was a spur of the moment decision to rejoin the play, and the moment Ramza had to deliver cheesy dialog, he remembers just why he had been so relieved to be safely backstage. He forces himself to keep speaking.]

L-lord Regent...a s-spell. With your...great power, you must have a magic spell to...heal my...lover's wounds.

[forcegalactic]

[Barkeep collapses onto his knees, holding out an arm towards the scene before him. His beloved niece!]

Oh, if only I could have stopped her myself! [Making sure to avoid looking at the visage of his wife, he shuffles across the stage towards Rialynn, then bows his head towards her dying body.] Please, let this be enough!

[He raises his hands towards the skies.] Cure! Please, cure!

[rialynn]

[Rialynn grits her teeth, tightening her jaw as she braces herself for the spell to hit. The lights and stage magic wash over her, and she shuts her eyes tightly before arching with a strangled cry...then she drops, spilling to the stage floor in a pile of taffeta and pastel netting.]

[She makes herself lie still, slowing her breathing enough that it isn't automatically perceptible unless someone is watching her very closely. If Ramza had chosen a sad ending, she could have gasped out some heavy-handed moral-of-the-story last words before going limp. But he picked happy ending. Therefore, when Barkeep shouts his Cure spells, she stirs slightly with a pained groan.]

Nngh...uncle...? Djidane...?

[Her head lolls slightly to the side as she draws in a shuddering breath. She's not out of the woods yet, because there needs to be at least some dramatic tension as to whether she'll make it or not, but at least she won't make any kids cry for thinking that she's dead.]

[forcegalactic]

Snow Black!

[He reaches out for her hand, but flinches back dramatically. Now that his near-wife with the doppelganger can be ignored, he can focus on actually acting the part of Cideo. So to add to the drama, he scrunches up his face to look like he's crying.]

Don't leave me, my niece! [He tucks a hand under the back of her head.] Why did you risk you life like that? I can't rescue you from a marrying the man you don't love just for you to die!

[zodiac_brave]

[Ramza is happy to let Barkeep take center stage. He takes Rialynn's hand and brings it to his lips, not quite pressing a kiss to it, but looking to from the audience's vantage point. He looks up to the Empress.]

I-is this the end you seek, Empress? Striking down all who oppose your will? [It is a little easier to deliver lines if he pretends she is an actual villain. He has no trouble delivering dramatic speeches to real foes.]

I-I beg you, turn from this path of destruction...and help heal the princess.

[rialynn]

[This is putting a lot of pressure on the actress portraying the wicked queen, Rialynn realizes. Ultimately, it'll be up to her to decide if her character is redeemable or not. ...And maybe she tenses slightly when Ramza takes her hand, but he'll feel her fingers relax once he proves that he's only faking a kiss. Doesn't stop her face from flushing with color, though.]

Because of love.

[Her words are strained as her head rolls slightly toward Barkeep as she offers a tired smile.]

The stories are always filled with love...between a man and a woman...of romance, and passion. But love for one's family...that's important too.

[She swallows hard, wincing as if she's in pain.]

And love for one's people...of not wanting to see them hurt, or changed. If my death puts an end to this power struggle...if plowshares are not traded for swords...then I can meet my end with pride. I love you, dear Uncle. And I love my people.

[Rialynn smiles, and she manages to summon moisture to her eyes.]

I loved my father too. I didn't...didn't get to tell him...s-so...

[Her breath turns to a gasp, and she stiffens slightly with a choked whisper.]

Djidane, I...I loved you too... I am sorry. I am so sorry.

[Her fingers tighten...then her hand slips from his as her head falls back.]

[All right now, Empress. It's your show, she thinks to herself. Don't let the kids down.]

[answernpcs]

[ Unfortunately, all this talk about "love" seems to be angering the empress more than it helps. Not that she wants the princess to die, she needs her to marry her son, but... ]

Love? Naught but an illusion waved ere the eyes of clueless children. Reality is far harsher. Love won't save our people and prosper our land. Love is nothing, this is wherefore I has't to...!

[ She marks a pause as the princess seemingly dies. ]

Curse and alas thee all!

[ With that said she steps forward and kneels next to the dying princess, closing her eyes to cast a spell. ]

Curaga.

[rialynn]

[The light of the false spell washes over Rialynn's still form. Dazzling sparkles cascade onto the stage, and when the light fades, the princess suddenly draws a sharp gasp, lashes fluttering as she stares up and around her, as if momentarily disoriented. Then she puts a hand to her forehead, weakly trying to sit up.]

I... I'm...?

[Hooray! It'll be a happy ending after all!]

[forcegalactic]

Snow Black! [He clasps his hands together and raises them to the heavens.] Thanks all the gods that you're alive! Thank them!

[He lowers his gaze to get a better look at the actress playing the Evil Empress. Sitting right across from his, just one Rialynn-width apart, he can see that she's the spitting image of his wife, down to the creases around her tired eyes. Is she an actor in this world? Does that keep her busy for most of her month? If only to know his fellow cast member, he wants to talk with her after the show. He knows it's not Harriet; she never saw him in her life.

But it's been a year. He would take anything if it meant being briefly reunited.]

Don't you see, Empress? Even you got somethin' withing you tellin' you to look after my niece. There's a bit of love in all of us.

[answernpcs]

... I only didst so because I needeth that lady alive.

[ With that said she turned away from them, but at least she didn't attack them any more. ]

Bethink nothing more of 't.

[zodiac_brave]

No matter what motive you ascribe thine actions...you have restored my love. Though it doubtless means little to you, I offer thee my most sincere gratitude, Empress.

[Still kneeling near Rialynn, Ramza's bowing motion brings his head almost touching the ground. He hopes the others will find a way to bring a happy resolution to the play, since the Empress seems unswayed despite her show of white magic.]

[rialynn]

[Rialynn is less hesitant to kneel, though it's appropriate for 'Djidane' to do so. Showing submission now, as a princess, could leave them back where they started.]

[But what she can do is something Barkeep is all too familiar with: matchmaking.]

Uncle!

[She stage-whispers to him, so that the audience can hear what the Empress shouldn't.]

Go to her. You've always admired her, haven't you?

[Rialynn smiles and jerks her head a little in the actress's direction.]

[forcegalactic]

What?!

[It's partially the character being shocked at such a proposition. It's partially because the Barkeep knows this is a sudden turn of events. His mind flashes to his acting a few minutes earlier. His face must have told too much. There was no way he could have hidden his admiration for his wife while looking at the empress. No way.

Good save, Rialynn, he thinks at her.]

Isn't this not the best of times? [He stage whispers back at her.] She is no longer the woman I once knew, the young ruler who hoped to unite the land not with blood, but with peace.

[He turns to look at the actress, bringing his real life hesitance into the fictional story.]

[rialynn]

[Rialynn's head dips slightly.]

'Tis true, she's changed.

...but...

[She looks up at Barkeep once more.]

But perhaps she is in far more need of healing than I was.

[Rialynn smiles warmly, and gestures with her head once more.]

Go.

[forcegalactic]

[With that, the Barkeep sits up straight and looks at the Empress with steady eyes and shaking hands.]

Empress H...Hilda?

[He's glad he caught himself before saying his wife's name.]

You used to be a lot different when you were younger.

[zodiac_brave]

[Barkeep and Rialynn are brilliant at this play-making endeavor, so Ramza is going to leave them to it. He lifts himself up and backs away so he is a little behind Rialynn, able to watch the proceedings.]

So, the stories are true? [He stage-whispers, hoping to be helpful.]

[rialynn]

Yes. They were children together. My uncle loved her in his youth. But then...

[She stops, her jaw working silently before she swallows, stage whispering back.]

But then something really sad happened.

[She looks at Barkeep and the Empress. It would be rude to impose a story on them, so she'll let them decide how they grew apart. It'll make for a better tale that way.]