Event || Doppelgangers

[melodiesmods]

Characters: All characters who signed-up for the event.
Where: Dreams.
When: Overnight from April 16th to April 17th.
Summary: The Heroes of Light have a shared dream— They find themselves in the body of a Hero of Light from two thousand years ago, both witnessing events and reenacting things that happened back then. But these Heroes of Light aren't just anybody; they are people from their homeworlds... And sometimes themselves. Please refer to the second OOC Post for details and plotting.
Warning: Battles, death, tragedies, bad things overall.

Common Dream || Mingle

Group A || The Dissensions
Group B || The Hacking
Group C || The Betrayal
Group D || The Enemy Within
Group E || The Plan
Group F || The Other Way
Group G || The End

Comments

[iknowtheconsequences]

"Oh, shut it, Frenchie! You wanna trade places, be my guest! Except I don't think these things speak surrender."

Okay, you're hilarious, can we focus now? There are more of these things coming.

The buzzing voice, it's getting more clear, and, for the life of her, Asuka would almost think that it sounds like-

"Kaji!?"

Oh, crap no, I didn't mean to distract you, keep going-

Except that even Kaji has to be silent as Asuka's gaze raises to stare in horror at one of the crystalline figures. It is very clearly himself. The features are all sharp-cut crystal, but it doesn't hinder his recognition, or hers. Her heart thuds in her chest from the shock of seeing him again. She falters, the blade of her sword drops.

No, no! Asuka! Pick up your sword! I don't understand it, either, but that's not me! Asuka!

The crystal Kaji charges, and Asuka barely snaps out of it just in time, raises her sword sideways, to block, hold him back. She braces, and she stands in place, not striking back at him, or the group of creatures behind him, but, for a time, she is successful at preventing any of them from moving towards the hackers.

assuming a bit of Jacques translation going on simultaneously for the sake of this tag

[demiurging]

Oh, you're right... there!

[Chihiro, with Jacques' guidance and Chiaki's added focus, continues to expertly navigate the system. Minutes tick by as they dig through the records. It seems that they've found the right folder, but...]

And now we just have to find the correct...

[File. But it looks as though they have, considering how Chihiro abruptly halts after hearing Jacques' translation. Uncomfortable silence hangs in the air for a moment until he's found his voice again.]

Every two thousand years...? The Heroes and the Calamity... but what does it mean?

[Unfortunately, they might not find out. At the moment Chihiro voices that question, the crystalline creatures come flooding into the room.]

(ooc: To the fighters - don't feel the need to hurry your side of things up just because I'm bringing this part to a conclusion. We'll assume they line up temporally even if one thread is longer than the other. It's just that I can't keep hacking interesting for as long as a fight thread stays interesting.)

[deadlyvu]

[Jacques expression was grim, as he read and read again. Translating and reading it again. Urging Chihiro to search but the same results came up.]

Two t'ouzand years, four t'ouzand, six t'ousand...it just goes on like zat...

[Puzzlement, as that hadn't been what any of them were expecting. Jacques was about to urge Chihiro to keep going again, but his attention was taken by the assault.]

Ohlala ...non! Not now!!

[iknowtheconsequences]

More and more of the figures are swarming, little nicks and cuts are making their way past Asuka's defenses, chipping away at her health one hit at a time. A slice at her arm, a stab into her leg. She slides back, and again, as blood streams down her leg and hinders her footing. But she stays, blocking the path. She can't raise her sword to strike back in any way, and her eyes burn with tears as she can't take them off of the one figure in front of her. Her head shakes back and forth ever so slightly in denial.

Kaji. Why? Why did it have to be him? He wouldn't hurt me, why isn't he here to help me? You're finally here, Kaji, and you didn't come to save me! Did you just come here to watch me die? Why won't you save me? What good are you if you can't save me!?

Asuka! You've got to fight him! Fight me! Something!

The facets of the crystal Kaji's face twist, into something like a grin. It grabs at Asuka's own blade, shoves with the force of all of the enemies crowding behind it, and it overpowers Asuka. The blade turns in her hands, and bites back into Asuka's side, slicing straight through her armor. The screech of pain that echoes in the room is far different from her outcries earlier. Pain, horror, betrayal, shock, all mixed into a single sound. Asuka's form slumps forwards, she even puts out a hand to lay on the enemy in front of her, barely with the strength to push him off.

"Look at me." But her voice is so soft, all the fight is gone out of it. "L-look at me." Asuka raises her head, tears fall as she stares into the empty eyes of Kaji in front of her. Her hand rises, touches the form on the cheek. "Look at me, Kaji. Look at me."

Asuka!

Kaji's hands raise right back, but the cold crystal doesn't embrace her as she hopes. Strong fingers wrap tight around her throat. Asuka's whole body tenses, and she grips at Kaji right back. "L-l...loook..." Her words are cut off with a high-pitched croak.

I see you, Asuka... I fucking see you. I've always seen you.

A wet snap, and a startlingly loud clang sounds as Asuka's heavily-armored form crashes to the ground. The final warning the hackers get that their defense has fallen. But there is no one left to hear the echoing scream in Asuka's mind, until the real Ryoji Kaji wakes back up in his bed.

[demiurging]

Asuka...!

[Chihiro turns around, tears streaming from his eyes as he watches her heroic last stand. Asuka was never nice to her, but she didn't deserve an end like this. He's about to burst into tears again, when...]

Don't look.

B-but, I...!

You have to get the message out to the others. I know it hurts, but they need to know the truth of this world.

[Chihiro stares past Jacques and toward the fracas happening in the door for a long moment before nodding and turning back to the monitor.]

Right... yes, that's right. I have to tell the others. They need to know. This might be our last chance. Jacques... I'm sorry, but can you hold them off for one more minute?

[He hates to ask, especially when he can't help, but this is the best thing he can do to help right now. Desperately fumbling with his crystal, he tries to get the message out.]

Everyone! Can anyone hear me? This is Chihiro! Someone, please answer me!

[deadlyvu]

I will give you all ze time I can, Chi-Hiro.

[Jacques was already moving, expression grim as he placed himself between his younger friend and the swarm. Asuka hadn't deserved a death like that, but there was little he could do now save to make sure it wasn't in vain. They would mourn later.]

Be strong, you can do zis, my friend.

[Grim, but determined. Starting with the one that had dealt the blow to Asuka as a fist lashes out towards crystalline face. A solid punch, then another, and the countenance cracks. As he'd mastered the Monk-job, Jacques went into a flurry of motion as best he was able, putting all his determination behind it, taunting as he went to try and keep them focused on himself.]

Hah, you all are nozing but glass! I 'ave faced worse zan you, and come out stronger in my bones each time!

[Too many, there are too many! For every one or two Jacques takes down, there are more coming to replace them. Lydia in his head is watching, cheering him on the whole time before she yells a warning.

Jacques!

His attention was taken by a younger crystalline form, only the faintest resemblance to his younger friend still behind him throwing his timing off. Allowing the entity to slide in and hit him in the gut, winding him before it moved away.

Lydia's warning in his head came at the same time, too late, as his eyes went wide at the smaller crystalline entity smirking as it came towards him. Familiar ponytail bouncing high on her head, and a wickedly jagged long dagger in her hand.]

Sacre bleu...zis can not be.

[Barely dodging the first strike, as the purple-crystalline Lydia continued to smirk at him. Jacques regained his feet, but could not fight back. Not against his friend, one of his older ones here from Crystallis. Had it worn Be-atlejuice's face, it would have been difficult, but not impossible.

But he could not strike back at Lydia...]

Jacques, no...it's not me! Get up...fight!

[Even the small voice in his head that was pleading with him could not break through, as he was a second too slow, didn't pivot fast enough, before a blade was slicing through skin and muscle. All the way until it felt bone, and twisted.]

Mais...non...Lydia...

[A gurgle, as the entity smiled sweetly, and twisted again. Jacques' vision going swimmy, then black--and Lydia saw no more through Jacques' eyes.]

[demiurging]

[As Chihiro hears Jacques' cry of pain and anguish, he completely abandons his efforts to contact the outside world. There's no way he can focus after something like that, and not even Chiaki's voice can reach him now. He lets out a scream as he turns to see his friend, blade pierced through his ribs, slumped over next to his chair.]

Jacques... n-no... you can't... don't die!

[Fear and panic in his eyes, Chihiro tries to back into his seat as if it will somehow take him away from all of this carnage. As he looks past the crystalline Lydia, he sees his other comrades, dead or dying at the door. He opens his mouth to scream, but it catches in the back of his throat as he sees another figure advancing.]

...!

[It's a face he recognizes, but not one he ever came to know in his own world - the face of Chiaki. The culmination of all his research into artificial intelligence, though she never told him as much outright. Still, he recognized her voice in his head during all of this, and the word 'father' somehow floats to the forefront of his thoughts as the realization clicks into place.]

Ch-Chiaki... you're...

[It's all he has time to vocalize, his eyes going wide as the manikin produces a razor sharp crystalline playing card seemingly out of nowhere and slices his throat with one quick motion. Blood spills out as Chihiro's hands reach up in a futile attempt to cover the gruesome wound, his mouth producing only choking and gurgling noises as he slumps out of the chair and hits the ground.

And before the dream ends, Chiaki hears the last thoughts of her father and creator.]

...I've failed you all. I'm sorry...