melodiesoflife | Event || Doppelgangers

"Haven't used one yet." she responds as she starts to pass over one of her higher healing potions. She liked that little advantage of not needing to confront anyone directly... at least until now.

"So this lady, was she a friend then?"

'Mhmm.'

"Well, if she's not going to listen to reason, sometimes you just have to punch them a few times. Actually knock some sense into them. If we're even re--"

"Oh, I know. If you're not going to listen to reason, then you're going to have to listen to my fist Yunalesca! I'm not hitting you to hurt you, I'm hitting you so you'll snap out of this stupid despair! We're not backing down, so DEAL WITH IT!"

Chelsea sheathed her blade and made the first, easily the most foolish, charge at the barricade in her way, and with a leap she aimed to bring a fist into the woman's cheek. "WAKE UP AND LISTEN!"

Thoughts that she neither wanted or needed crashed like waves in Yunalesca's mind.

Rikku...
Doesn't it cause you pain to see family and friends like this? I will give them release...
That -- that's not what they want! The Onion Knight is right this isn't... what's in your heart, is it?
I will give them hope, in death.
The blond haired man with the long hair... did you hear him? By fighting together -- we can create hope. Not the false hope that their deaths would bring... but real hope, in uniting together.
They are blinded by their pain, they cannot see the truth through the veil of futility this world has cast upon them.
You're wrong... the young man with the light hair, and the dark haired woman... can't you hear the truth and feeling in their words? You can -- wait, w-watch out!

Yunalesca snapped her gaze upwards, just in time to see a fist aimed her way. Narrowing her eyes, she reacted quickly, lifting an arm into the air and flicking outwards with her wrist with an invisible strike laced with a Blind spell, meant to knock the girl back and away. She didn't waste a moment now, crossing her arms over her chest and lowering her head -- lifting it and casting both of her arms outwards as she lifted from the ground, her hair fanning wildly out behind her.

"Hope is... comforting, isn't it? It allows us to accept our fate no matter how tragic it might be. Sorrow cannot be abolished... it is meaningless to try. I will not let you drown in your own despair. Let me be your liberator." She beckoned with her long fingers, welcoming the next sorrowful victim.

Edited 2015-04-21 02:25 (UTC)

Rikku’s knuckles whitened as her grips tightened on the blades at the taunting. Same old Ahriman crazy mantra. It came as no surprise that Yunalesca betrayed them – Rikku hadn’t trusted the woman for hot Bikanel second.

As their former companion began revealing herself for the fiend she was, Rikku had to fight every fiber of her being not to just start screaming. It wasn’t fair, they’d defeated her already. Now she'd lost people she held dear, and their only hope was to get this nutcase to fight for them? Fate had a sick sense of humor. They’d be lucky to face her and live.

You have to try something, or you’ll never forgive yourself.

The thought rang of truth, as much as she thirsted to start fighting. Naïve hopeful Rikku had left the moment her companions fell, but perhaps the thief in her had a few tricks left. She stepped forwards slightly, taking a less aggressive stance – though her daggers were ready at her sides should they be needed.

She thought back to Yunalesca’s monologue in a time that felt far away. It had all sounded crazy, yes, but if she could find a pattern to the madness…maybe. It was a shot in the dark, but any shot was worth it.

“Yunalesca – you were the first Summoner that defeated Sin. When did you decide to start becoming it?"

She narrowed her eyes at the creature before her - no taking it back now, "Letting whole worlds get destroyed? You used to give people hope right? You did that with teaching, with granting the final Summoning. Now you want to turn whole worlds into crystal. If you let that happen, you’re no better. That’s not hope, that’s just giving up. Getting tired in your old age? You tired of helping people? Because there won't be anyone to help when everyone's gone - and I think that's probably your point. You just want a way out because you're a tired old hag. And what about him?”

She indicates Garland, “You know you can help him if you team up with us, that’s the only way you’ll be strong enough. Otherwise, you’re leaving him to suffer forever. Do that, and then you can still have your shot at us after. Or, are you too tired?”

Edited 2015-04-21 04:18 (UTC)

Gwen cries out and even reaches a hand out when Chelsea charges, but is too far away to stop the child. She gets batted away, only a single stroke, and Gwen breathes out a sigh of relief that she seems okay, not badly hurt.

Her blade does not rise. The tip remains hard in the floor, and she leans her weight on the length. She pauses, listens to Rikku's words, the other woman who comes from Yunalesca's same world. There's some sense to what she's saying. Keep them talking, build on it, but how?

Turn one on the other, then get out of the middle. Daleks and Cybermen. Remember? It's the best shot.

"He is the one consumed with despair the most," Gwen uses her free arm to point at Garland. "He's spreading it loose in the world. He can't just drown in his own despair, he has to force it on everyone else, drag all of us down with him, because one hope is enough to make him think all his pain isn't real. This world won't be freed from it while he is still standing."

"We won't fight against you." Louder, hoping that she can get her point of view through to the whole group. "Because you're still a hero, just like us. You're still trying, damn it. You're trying to stand between this world and destruction. But if your fight is to free this world, you have to start with him." She lets her arm drop. "We'll fight with you. You don't have to stand there alone."

The Onion Knight had to stifle a cry of frustration as Chelsea launched a rash attack at Yunalesca. He'd really been hoping negotiations wouldn't break down quite so fast. He's about to put his back up plan into motion. It's better than nothing.

But then Rikku and Gwen are trying a different tactic. It seems like a long shot, but he'll wait. If there's the slightest chance they'll succeed, he'll take it. For now, he keeps focused on his options. Thancred mentioned healing potions. The Onion Knight himself can cast Curaga....

As his mind flies through various possibilities, he keeps his eyes on their opposition.

Richard inclines his head slightly. "I understand."

So they are not completely without healing items, but still dangerously low. The tension in the air is easily felt, a thin line drawn tight, and weary dread seeps into him. Yes, the words of his comrades are beautiful and noble, but they cannot hope to stand around exchanging ideals forever. Eventually, something will snap, and he's willing to account for the very real possibility that it's going to be one of their necks. Yunalesca is already in a position to attack them, and unless Rikku, Gwen, and the others succeed in changing her mind, she has a distinct advantage, hovering in the air with each of them well within range.

'She must have some reason for doing this... I can't believe anyone would want to have her comrades killed!'

Yes, it's flawed logic, surely... But to her it must be truth. That it's better to...give in now and die peacefully than continue to suffer knowing that...that they're dead.

'Then, we just need for her to see our truth. To see that there's a different way!'

He takes a few slow strides towards Chelsea to make sure the girl isn't badly harmed, gaze flickering warily up at Yunalesca.

"Hope isn't the same as acceptance of what is. Hope is believing in something better and having the courage to reach for it."

Chelsea could've nailed the landing.

Chelsea could've not tripped over one of the bodies of a fallen ally.

Chelsea could've been patient and not gotten herself blinded.

But she failed all of those things. At the least she managed to brace her fall and be thankful for her helmet, which, were it not for that, she might've hit her head on the ground, and might not be trying to wipe things off the visor as if that were the issue at hand.

"Well... I would've done the same thing. Just get up and keep trying"

"And hope is thinking that you'll realize that your way isn't the right way. No one way is, but at least, giving up and just dying is the WRONG way! If we die, then what about the people we leave behind, and the people they leave behind. You're asking for a spiral of despair and that's just STUPID!"

"Indeed." Thancred reached for one of his remaining potions, glancing quickly over the others to see who was most in need, and moved a little closer to them. "I've well lost my taste for despair by now, and care not to revisit it." Though Minfilia and K'pandolu were dead- he could, at the very least, do what he could to ensure they had not died for nothing.

-Which, in turn, meant he'd best be prepared for whatever came next. The potion wouldn't forestall the inevitable, but as long as he could stay up for long enough…

"We shall, at the very least, make the attempt. This- our companions' efforts- must not be for naught."

The spiral, Spira. Yunalesca's thoughts turned inwardly again, her head bowing just slightly, strands of her hair slipping forward.

Perhaps she was tired... Their idea of hope is too fragile, too easily crushed under the weight of their own expectations. What do they fight for? A way home? And end to the suffering this world this had caused them? It is too much to ask for, that they could attain all these things... the only true end to their pain and sorrow... is for it to live on in their deaths.

No, that... that can't be. I don't... I don't really believe that you could feel that way! Can't you hear them? Even now, all their words of encouragement... they all want to fight, and they wan't you to fight too. Giving up their lives here for the sake of the false hope for a tomorrow they'll never get to see... It's not right! Everyone that's fallen before now... you can't let their deaths be in vain!

Her eyes shifted just slightly to the side, catching one last glimpse of Garland before he was out of her line of sight, swearing above all else that he looked like Zaon in that moment.

My father, my love, they both made this choice.
Your...

The first High Summoner closed her eyes, what were these voices that played through her head, now of all times? And why did they sound like the words of Braska's daughter? Snapping her neck upwards, she opened her eyes, banishing anymore doubts from her mind. Garland would succeed. Her father and Zaon's legacy would be protected. She didn't have to be alone, indeed. Without saying another word, her resolve steeled, and she held out her hand, suddenly making a fist as she cast Absorb on the nearest target, stealing even more of their energy in order to build up her own.

No, stop! Please, Lady Yunalesca, don't...!

Rikku had known it was hopeless, like crying at the dark. Her breath catches when she sees Yunalesca seem to struggle. Had something really started to get through? The cry that results when the spell strikes is quickly choked off as her body convulses, a precious portion of her remaining lifeforce leaving in a spark. She collapses to one knee, gasping. A ruse, it was all a ruse! In her foolishness, she’d let hope get the best of her and what had happened? Her guard went down.

So many steps closer to death, the grief and adrenaline no longer numbed the pain of her injuries, it laced the words to her comrades, “You’re all wasting your breath!” She clawed at the ground in frustration before pushing herself up to her feet, “Stop thinking you’re talking to a woman, and realize what stands before you – is nothing more than a fiend!” First making a fist, she holds two fingers up to her lips, casting Stealth.

As though cut from film in an editing glitch, the girl is gone. Barley a moment passes when, without a sound, a whirlwind of daggers appears above Yunalesca, hurling down at the creature in razor sharp rain as the ninja casts Throw.

Edited 2015-04-25 20:42 (UTC)

No. No. What part of 'we aren't going to fight you' is no one understanding?

Gwen, it's too late. She's going to cut you all down if you don't fight back!

No. This woman was their ally. That was always Jack's job, to kill those who turned on Torchwood. It's Suzie Costello all over again. Gwen shouts her reply, angrily, to the thought that has filtered into her head, as well as to her other allies at the same time. "I'm not going to kill a woman who's just lashing out because she's afraid!"

Gwen moves to stand by Chelsea, to hold guard over the kid. She can protect her allies, even as she refuses to strike back at her other ally. "You can stand up against your own damn despair, you don't have to hurt us just because we won't!"

Well, that's it, plan B it is. The Onion Knight casts an apologetic look at Gwen, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, it's too late now. She won't listen to reason and we're out of time."

Then he turns to Yunalesca, and activates his limit break. Hurling a shuriken at her a la the ninja class and then vanishing and appearing behind her for a back attack. It helps that the shuriken throw is enhanced by a little skill he picked up from the archer class: River of Blood. He's hoping for enough support from his allies to move on to step two in his planned combo.

"Gwen... She has made her decision. I'm afraid we have little choice but to find a way to stop her. Otherwise, we won't be able to reach Garland at all." He glances her way, feeling tired and knowing that he must fight once again, whatever the outcome.

'That's it? You're really going to just give up?'

No... It may not be necessary to kill her, he thinks stubbornly. But they're running precious short on time and energy. They must act, even if that action isn't his preferred one. Richard lifts his rapier, shivering with electric energy as his mind whirls through possible battle tactics. She will be strong, he knows.

Asbel, Sophie... Wherever you are, I hope you'll lend me your strength and your courage... this one last time.

'Richard...!'

The prince shakes the voice from his head painfully and focuses on Yunalesca, his steps slower than he'd like as he leaps around the forms scattered over the floor, swinging the blade up towards her, crackling with a Thunder Blade.

Was this fear? No way to be sure- but it seemed too much thought through for an impulsive response, at the very least. No more time to think it over, though. If they were lucky, they'd have something left over- assuming they made it through.

Thancred swallowed the potion and reached for a set of his own daggers, moving to ensure they wouldn't interrupt the paths of the others' attacks before casting Throw himself. In the next moment, he activated Stealth, waiting to see what would come next.

The attacks came suddenly. Especially the back attack from the feather-helmed knight, and since his hit connected, so too did the subsequent blows. The daggers and shuriken all carved paths in her bare skin -- legs and an arm -- which took her down to a knee. But there was no reaction, other than the blank look she used to look upwards as the eletricity of the thunder attack coarsed through her body.

Did these heroes truly have so much strength left?

Yunalesca crouched there for a moment, then suddenly shot up from the ground, a mass of hair coming up from beneath the earth as she ascended. With the long strands came large-snake like appendages for her to perch upon as she readied her next spell. Turning, she cast an arm outwards, trying to catch the Onion Knight with Curse to prevent him from using his limit break again. She quickly flicked her gaze back towards the group, her other arm reaching upwards to cast Silence trying to head off another magical onslaught.

everyone.. going to... their best...

Rikku’s feet make no din as she lands to the side of her companions, appearing once more as stealth diminishes. She lets out a breath of relief that they joined in her fight – if she’d stood alone against the fiend it would have been short lived – or rather Rikku would have been.

There’s no look of surprise as the monstrous snakes burst from the ground, though the assassin braces herself with her daggers with a steady determination. Whatever blows Rikku has left to deal, she will make count for every life this woman claimed from Spira.

Rocking to the balls of her feet when Yunalesca raises her hand, she narrowly dodges the Silence attack. “Lulu, this one’s for you.”

Nonono what are you doing? Don’t!

The black mage that once tried to help a young thief overcome her fear of magic would have been happy to see her now, as the assassin holds out an arm. Summoning Magic Burst, the non elemental attack thrusts forwards in a beam of blinding light towards the enemy with a gesture.

Unfortunately, the voice in her head has not overcome such barriers.

Ahhhh!

The blonde stumbles slightly, shaking her head as if that would dispel the thoughts and the foreign yet familiar terror she fells, she mutters to herself, “Would you shutup? Dang you're so loud, you're gonna get us killed!”

The Silence would have been debilitating, if not for the Ribbon ability from Gwen's Gunner job that grants her immunity to status ailments. She isn't sure who all else got affected, but the spell washes over Gwen with no change. Unfortunately for Yunalesca, that gives Gwen the idea to try the tactic right back to her. It won't harm her, Gwen tells herself that, but maybe it will help this entire situation de-escalate.

"You're too strong to be this afraid! You've come this far, why? Why let yourself fall now?" Pointing out that even a spell isn't going to stop Gwen Cooper from trying to talk the situation down.

Welsh Stubbornness: 1, Magic 0.

"I can make you get out of the way without harming you!" She is still keeping close to Chelsea as she finally, finally lifts her gunblade, and fires a Status Bullet: Silence.

Chelsea should have been beside Gwen but she suddenly wasn't. Only seconds ago did she disappear. It was soon that something else light up the upper part of the room, as gunfire echoed, distracting from the status bullet coming from below as a hail of handgun fire gave way to no body causing it.

Even as she emptied both clips of 14 and threw the empty guns at Yunalesca, she stood atop the ceiling, invisible for a good while still. Clearly words had failed for the time being but even now, still, nobody had landed a single good hit on the woman.

Blame her dad, but she still felt that a good punch, with all her feeling into it, would at least get SOME of her point across, some of EVERYONE's point across.

"If you're going to be the big damn hero, then be the big damn hero already! If you're really my girl, you know what needs to be done!" For once in nearly 10 years, 4 of them in Crystalis, Chelsea agreed with the voice of her dad, entirely.

Gunner is one of the many classes the boy mastered on his way to completing the onion knight class. So Ribbon protects him from her status effects.

And everyone else focusing on her gives him enough of a distraction to move to stage two of his plan. Now that he's behind her, his attention turns to Garland.

"Don't think you can just walk away you coward!"

And with enhancements from Dualcast and In the Red he drops the crowning spell of the Black Mage class on the retreating Garland. Twice.

"Ultima!"

The Onion Knight also has one more little surprise for his opponents, but that will have to wait.

It was just dumb luck Thancred managed to evade the Silence spell, though the appearance of the appendages certainly took him by surprise. He took a moment to refocus, eyes flicking over to see what he could take advantage of. Better to keep some ammunition with him, if she should use Silence again, he decided, but if they could still keep Yunalesca occupied, so much the better. He casts a thunder-based ninjutsu before looking for an opening where he can strike a direct blow.

The fact that every one of them had somehow evaded both of her attacks was enough to garner an unimpressed sneer from the lady. How did they have all of this prowess remaining? The attack prior to their engagement should have nearly finished them off and here they were, making a mockery of her attacks.

She was too agitated to avoid the next assault headed towards her, the first Magic Burst hitting her full on as she counter-attacked with another Silence, her best answer to any magical attack, aiming for the Al Bhed outright this time. She would be trouble if she wasn't dealt with -- and when the rain of bullets from Chelsea came down, she cried out, not in pain, but in frustration as she didn't have the time to counter attack, wondering how the young girl had already lifted the previous Blind she had cast -- and following up the physical strike with yet another Blind. Yunalesca's style of fighting had always mostly depended on countering...

But there was a laugh as the next bullet aimed her way, readying to Silence her. What a fool, the one that insisted she wouldn't fight! The status bullet dissipated just before making contact with her, since she was immune to such effects. She would not be going down here of all places...

The summoner could feel it, the attacks that had made their mark, biting into her skin and slashing past her, the unfriendly magic coursing through her as she felt the tingle of thunder and lighting. Barring teeth from her perch, it was time to do some biting of her own...

With a sweep of her arm, Yunalesca's snake-like companions dove into the ground, unpahsed by the solid floor, each targeting their own prey as they lept upwards and downwards, no one present would be safe or unreachable -- as they sunk their razor sharp teeth into the heroes, sometimes multiple times -- as she unleashed her devastating Hellbiter attack.

Once the serpents had disappeared again, any hero that had been bitten successfully would be inflicted with the Zombie status -- an effect that the most of them had likely never even seen the likes of before now...

Edited 2015-05-04 19:19 (UTC)

On a better day, Richard might have made light of the woman's most impressive hair, but now hardly seems the time. Richard continues striking forth with the rapier and doing what he can to quell his lingering unease. An unease which seems entirely justified, given those appendages - or are they separate creatures? - have begun to move.

'Watch out!'

"Look out!" he yells at the same time.

No sooner does the warning leave his lips than one of the serpents is already upon him, tearing through the prince's sleeve and digging deep into his arm. Richard lets out a stifled shout, warring against fear as he corrects his grip and attempts to ward off any more of its brethren. Unfortunately for Richard, it's too late to counter the status ailment - one he certainly has never encountered first hand before now.

Edited 2015-05-05 00:23 (UTC)

The silence attack finds its mark. The assassin furrows her brows at the relief she feels, first voices in her head and now she’s happy she can’t use vital attacks? Is Yunalesca’s madness contagious? Distracted with her thoughts, Richard’s warning snaps her attention to the burrowing serpents.

Ur hu!

Criss crossing the daggers in front of her face, Rikku hunches defensively, bracing herself for the inevitable. The fiend lashes twice, finding exposed flesh at the girl’s neck, then pulling back to bite a second time into her chest. She cries out as the creature pierces through her like paper.

When the snake slithers back she slouches forwards, raising a hand to the seeping gouge in neck. Why hadn’t she thought to tell everyone to heal as much as possible as soon as they started fighting? Now, it was too late. The sick deep ache of zombie, her stomach turns sour. She could never forget it.

As the dust of the attack settles she cries out a warning to her comrades, “Don’t use anything that heals, nothing! Anything that normally helps will hurt or kill you now!”

Edited 2015-05-06 05:16 (UTC)

Gwen sees her bullet disintegrate, not just miss, but be completely ineffectual against Yunalesca. Damn. But. But the Onion Knight seems to have the correct tactic, he's gotten past Yunalesca, and is attacking Garland, their real target. They need to keep Yunalesca off-balance, stop her from preventing him from completing their real goal. Maybe. Maybe if he keeps standing and Garland falls? Then they can stop all of this? But how are they supposed to do it?

Yunalesca's next attack is a shock, and Gwen barely has time to crouch back, throw up an arm in front of her face. She shrieks out loud as the snakes bite deep, more scared than anything else.

Gwen. Gwen, come on, you've gotta keep going.

She feels no change, just damage from the attack, her Ribbon ability has protected her again, but she doesn't realize how, tactically, not having the status is going to be her downfall. Her head shakes as she starts to stand again. No.

Gwen. You've got this, just stick to your plan.

They need to stop fighting each other. She needs to get to the Onion Knight, but what does she have left to help?

Gwen, I-

A surge of anger shoots through her, before that thought can finish. Her jaw grits, and she stands firmly. "No, you don't. No, you bloody don't, Jack Harkness, so don't you go saying it now! That's what you say to people when they're about to die. And nobody is dying today."

No compromise, no giving in. One didn't work, choose another. She raises the gunblade again, and, again, there is no lethal attack coming for Yunalesca, but another Status Bullet: Sleep.

Those snake bites hurt a lot, but ribbon has once again protected the boy from unfriendly status effects. But it looks like the other could use some help. It's time to pull out his trump card. The final skill of his class.

“Melodies of Life!”

His sword flares with the energy gathered from all the fallen heroes of light. All their power, all their hope, all their determination to fight on, all pulled into this one strike. He slashes at Garland, bringing the man to his knees. No, it's not enough to kill him. Not without support from his fellow heroes. But as he stares down at his foe, at least he knows Garland will remember this day.

Event || Doppelgangers

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SECOND PHASE.

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HELLBITER.

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COME AT ME WITH YOUR REMAINING LIMIT BREAKS IF YOU FEEL ITS RIGHT, YO

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