melodiesoflife | Event || Doppelgangers

Event || Doppelgangers

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Hylia's eyes met the Libriain. "You are mistaken." Her tone was calm but ringing of it's command. She was the goddess charged with protecting the people. She had made no secret of that through her time on Crystallis. "You are not saving anything if you kill all those who live of the world. Their lives are what we hope to save and I know that Ganondorf doesn't share you sentiments. You cannot see if the darkness blinds you."

Her glaze flicked to Ganondorf making it clear that the darkness she spoke of was him. There was nothing left to redeem the false hero. She could feel the darkness in him and with each passing moment she knew that their hope would end.

Her voice softened her gaze shifting back to the others. "I know your intentions are good but I can't let you regret this. I can't let you kill so many in hopes to save a lonely piece of stone." Death was inevitable but Hylia wanted to protect life.

"You must stop."

"I do that which my Goddess charges me with. I would never wish harm to come to any of you, but you give us no other choice when you stand beside a being who is more greed than he is a man."

The tip of his sword extends out, pointed towards the direction of the looming figure of the sinister thief who'd many times taken advantage of a situation in which they'd been the victim. Countless times had Ganondorf shown himself to be nothing short of a villain, and little more than a blight on the populace of those brought to this world.

"Stand aside, Librarian. It is not your blood which shall cover the floors on which we stand, lest I can help such a thing. The man you stand beside is the cretin I seek. It is his throat which I will finally claim, and be rid of this constant struggle between what is just and right and that which is dark and cruel."

His knees bend so that his stance turns on the offensive, raising his shield as he watches the swords match the height of the demon he poses himself to fight against.

"We end this, Ganondorf. Now, and forever. You shall not lead any more of my friends astray!"

[As the Heroes continue to try and convince them to stop, Blair's keystrokes slowed to a halt, the atmosphere growing heavy as an empty expression fixates upon the screen. She was halfway done. Each breath felt far heavier than before. What would Fayt say, if he were still here? She couldn’t do anything to avert his or Edge’s deaths. She may not have been there, but she felt just as responsible. Yet here, she could do something. She wasn’t useless. She wasn’t helpless.

What should she do now? If she continued, it’s likely people would die. If she didn’t, their worlds could be claimed. This cycle may only begin anew, as they theorized. That... too was a possibility.

Without even noticing, or maybe even not caring one of her hands slumps to her side. She shakes her head, barely even hearing the goddess and her knight’s words as she briefly glances back at the man they referred to as a villain, her expression still unfocused. The goddess and her knight who stood before an "evil" man consumed by darkness. The goddess… knight… a great evil…]

Faize offered Sophia a confused glance at Blair's comment. She should know? Know what, exactly? Suspicion bubbled up, an exhausted sort of wariness. Everyone here could have plans of their own, couldn't they....? What was the connection there....?

"Are you truly alright with this? With the deaths of so many innocent people, for a 'maybe'?!"

He doesn't draw his rapier, not yet, but he tenses, glaring at Blair in particular.

A virus?! [Sophia's expression quickly becomes one of anger, her green eyes unexpectedly hard for how often they were usually gentle and understanding. Those words, they sounded so much like his words—]

If we're harbingers of despair, then you're no different! It could even be worse, because as Faize said, this is a 'maybe' and to be honest, a 'maybe' isn't good enough for me. And it shouldn't be for any of you! That's why I stand here, not solely because of what Lady Hylia says.

[Her hand clenches tightly around her staff, feeling that the window for negotiation was quickly coming to a close. She didn't want to have to resort to drastic measures, but if she couldn't at least reach Blair then there was little hope of stopping them otherwise.]

Blair, please... Listen to yourself. Do you know who you sound like? [She looks to the Librarian as well, trying to look understanding even with her anger.] I know neither of you want to let it happen.

[An unnatural stillness enveloped the air, as Sophia’s words rang out to her. Those paying attention may notice her color slowly growing ever paler. It’s true she wasn’t in the best condition after spending many sleepless nights trying to come up with a solution. But here, she seemed even more paler than before, the hand that slumped before now covering her face, as if trying to conceal – to suppress something.]

Enough.

[And then it felt like a unsettling, bone-crunching snap rang through the ever growing tension.]

Don’t compare me to him. I’m trying to save all of you! Don't you understand that? Don’t any of you realize that you’re all trapped? Are all of you so stuck living compliantly within those "roles" thrust upon you that you won't even stop to consider this world for what it really is?!

[That comparision still leaves her reeling – she’s quite clearly angered, if not hurt at this point. And within, the presence in her was growing far, and far more alarmed.

( "Blair, please! Listen to Sophia, listen to yourself! This isn't "saving" anyone and you know it. Is this really what you want?! Is this what Fayt would want?!" )]

I mean exactly what I say, Sophia. This isn't just a "maybe" - we are both at risk if we allow that virus to persist. You and I are connected. You understand what that means, don't you? As long as we are trapped in this world, the link between you and I remains.

[She of all people should know that better than anyone! This is why Blair didn't want her to come. Or Faize, for that matter. Upon realizing just where Edge and Faize were from; Sophia, Fayt, and herself all mutually agreed upon never ever bringing that matter up if they could help it, and here, it was growing increasingly harder to uphold that agreement.]

Until that link is severed, we remain connected. Therefore, think about it: What would happen to your world if mine were to be destroyed? [And then her gaze settles on Faize, her gaze unflinching at his own glaring.] What would happen to him for that matter?

[... This was going nowhere. She returns to her task, just about halfway done. Just what exactly was she supposed to do here?! To stop what she is doing, and allow this virus to spread and envelop everything they know. To continue, at the cost of this world and those dwelling within it. The presence within her, however, felt very differently. Whether Blair could actually hear her or not, Nel was determined to reach through her. No matter what. There was no way she was going to let herself become a helpless witness in this.

( "You can still do something, Blair! If you honestly hope to save anybody, then please, just calm down and think for a moment. What do you know so far? Start with what you can do and you'll find your answer. I know you can, Blair. It's not hopeless. You're not like him - you don't have to become like him." )

Or... there was that. For a moment, it seemed like all was quiet and still, at least within Blair. Everything else was drowned out as she pondered over her options.

Yes, there was that. It was equally as much a "maybe" as any of the other options out there, but still, there was that. She pauses, briefly considering it. Then, seemingly resumes her typing as normal, except this time with a far more determined look in her eyes.]

Edited 2015-04-28 07:22 (UTC)

"Are you so naive you continue to believe all life can be saved even now, child, at the end of all things? Don't commit my peoples' mistakes in adhering to an arrogant, irreconcilable philosophy that cannot be fulfilled." She doesn't sound afraid at the thought of death. There were much worse things than death that she got to see. "My blood will cover this floor in either case, knight."

There was little time that could be wasted, and the welfare of Blair was deteriorating faster and faster. If they didn't act now... if they couldn't do anything in this tense moment while they could... the answer to those questions came as brutally as the moment she saw her husband compose her children.

Guardianship for all living things lies with those whose evolution is most complete. The Mantle of Responsibility shelters all.

"There is no nobility in guardianship, only devotion to is duty. This is the truth I learned too late."

She slowly turns to Blair, then to Ganondorf, slowly walking away as if letting them fight, resigning herself to the blood that would be stilled today in ages-old rivalry spanning universes, idealism that had condemned the Forerunners' entire universe to a likened abomination.

But with a sudden movement as she nears her console, the Lbrarian casts Flare upon Link.

There are no words to tell Ganondorf nor Blair to give them time. Only movement.

No manner of shield of blessed blade is able to deter the oncoming attack, the flames consuming Link in a plume of crimson and orange as his body is tempered to a painful scorching sensation. He cries aloud, standing in the very spot where the spell is cast, swinging his sword wildly to try and dismiss the flames that cover him.

Moments pass to see much of his equipment and clothing singed and charred, his skin turning a bright shade of red while other markings on his face turn an almost bluish black. He's weakened, but the fight has not yet left him, not when the fate of the planet is at stake.

He coughs, struggling to step forward as his shield and sword maintain no evidence of the spell. His eyes remain their perfect depth of blue, looking to the Librarian as his feet barely keep him standing.

"Is.. Is that the best your.. your magic can conjure?"

His chest feels heavier, as if every breath of air puts a pound or more onto his frame.

"Blair.. Listen.. to reason. You stand with villains.. You are better.. Better than this! This isn't a debate of roles.. We were brought here for a reason, and right now I stand not because of that designation or calling. I stand because it is what is right, and it is what the Goddess Hylia wishes of me. I beg you.. stand aside or it shall not just be I who is injured by their treachery!"

Link extends the sword above his head as the blade begins to glow brightly. A tint of sky blue surrounds the edges of the magical weapon, growing brighter and brighter as he lowers it and points it towards the Librarian. He holds it there, his hand shaking so that the blade becomes unbalanced in his grip. Thrusting the blade with a swing, he brings it over his shoulder before whipping it back around as he slices at the air, sending a beam of energy in the shape of his attack towards the woman who attacked him. The light imbued with the purity of Hylia, despite his condition, is sent towards her with trained and focused accuracy.

Edited 2015-04-30 15:46 (UTC)

Ganondorf chuckled as the Librarian attacked Link. What a glorious display. He didn't even have to jump into the fray, by the look of it the Hero would be killed by the Librarian regardless of his intervention. But that wouldn't do. She was needed to finish their plan, as was Blair. It was his part to ensure both of them would survive-- At least until their usefulness ran out, which would be soon enough.

"And yet this is clearly a debate of roles. Look at yourself. Are you not following your role as a knight? As a Hero of Light?" A shake of the head. "You are nothing more than puppets whose strings are pulled by a long-dead people."

He stared at Link, Faize, Hylia and Sophia with disdain.

"We were brought here for a reason, and we chose to walk our own path instead." With that said, Ganondorf rose his sword above his head, nearly mimicking Link's gesture with his own sword. However, rather than a blue glow, a dark aura emerged at the tip of it, forming into a ball of darkness. "If you refuse to severe your strings, then death is all that awaits you!"

And without another warning, he slammed the sword down and cast the ball of energy toward Link. Discussion time was over as far as he was concerned, if Blair wanted to keep discussing-- Good for her so long as she played her part.

Hylia moved in front of her hero holding out a hand and forming a barrier of light. It shined and glinted in the air holding back the darkness. She had been caught of guard by the first attack but she wasn't going to do that again. Her stare was determined and she realized now that the time for talk was over.

"We will stop you."

It was a fact and stated as one as light shimmered around her form. If he was fighting with darkness then she would fill the world with light. A shining orb of yellow and gold formed in her palm slowly stretching out to form a bow.

It is the moment he needs, the precise chance that would allow him the ability to strike. When the Goddess stands before him, the hero sidesteps out beside her. With opportunity and purpose, the battered hero lunges forth into a sprint. His blade is pointed forward, directed at the man who sought to reign in the fate of so many misguided heroes, keeping the tip aimed for vitals that aligned to Link's height and level. Every large step he took felt as if it were draining a gallon of energy from his finite well, every step a step closer to his end as the effect of the spell cast on him was truly taking its toll.

Feet away. So close. Just a bit more.

Mere inches were left in the distance between Link and Ganondorf, a final thrust is all that is needed to make good on the hopes of plunging the blessed blade into the chest of the accursed thief. Wrists twist as both hands grip the handle of the blade, shoving the sword forward as he aims the thrust of his sword towards Ganondorf's chest. Whether he pierces past clothing and skin is unknown, for the brute could so easily block the blade, but if his attempt is for naught, at least Hylia would have an opening to finish what had been started.

[Did the words of the Hero ring through? Who knew for sure - Blair remained silent, typing away at the terminal. Though, for a brief moment, it almost seems like she paused upon Link's words: that she was better than this.

Yes. She was better than this. And that's why this cycle needed to stop once and for all. In the event of a problem, it fell to the programmer to eliminate flaws, after all. Whether it was flawed code, or in this event, flawed "roles" to play in a flawed, twisted game. A game that had no winners, no "true" heroes or villains. Only despair. And that's how she truly saw it, putting it in the simplest of terms as a resident of the Fourth Dimension. It fell to the programmer to eliminate that flaw. The flaw of despair. ... Yes. That's right.

... Good. With the rest of them occupied, this should give her time to finish up what she needs to do. Truly, this job certainly helped make things run a little smoother. It wasn't difficult to seize control at all - with her knowledge of Ancient technology and her inherent talent at hacking as well as programming it comes rather simple.

It won't be much longer. Now, all that was left were the finishing touches. Then it would be complete.]

Faize watches with narrowed eyes as Blair continues to type, heedless of their pleas. That pause was noted, but that she continued to work proved to Faize that though Blair might be hearing their words, she did not want to see reason. She had decided to give up on this world, no, perhaps even reject it, with the way she'd spoken to Sophia in such a cryptic way. His eyes flashed an odd pinkish red hue as the turmoil built. He'd trusted them.... both of them, and yet they were still keeping secrets after so long.

And the longer this dragged on... the longer they fought.... He couldn't place his trust in Blair to do the right thing, to hear their words. Not anymore. Not with the risks at hand.

So while Link had Ganondorf occupied, it gives Faize the opening he needed.

(What are you--)

He calls fire using duelcast, flinging both Firaga spells at the Librarian. They're only a distraction, however-- He's rushing forward as soon as they're launched, rapier drawn, straight for Blair.

(...No! Stop!)

Edited 2015-05-11 08:09 (UTC)

[This was it. With that, she finally enters in the last command and hits enter. It's right then the keyboard in front of her is dripping in blood. Blood from a sword. A sword that's been run right through her. Blair chokes, trying to gasp for air blood seeping from her wound, her mouth....

( "Blair...!? No!" )

She doesn't have to look behind. She can already tell who's charged at her - for a moment, a sense of guilt washses over as she barely manages a faint smile followed by her next (and last) words.]

... Good. This-- this is how it should be.

[The blade is still run through, but she's already feeling her consciousness slipping away quickly. In the end, the whole group will likely realize Blair had her own agenda, particularly as a mechanical voice rings out through the room.]

Commencing shutdown.

[Followed by that, power off. Should the blade be removed, she'll soon slump to the ground in a pool of blood, already dead. After all, there was still a third option in the end. One that was a gamble, but one last theory she and the Librarian shared. To eliminate despair, the solution of course were to plant seeds of hope in its place.]

[Everything was happening so quickly. Sophia took her duty as a healer and protector seriously, so throughout all the exchanges her eyes flit from one person to another, trying to keep her head level with everything going on. Then Link was injured, and she had to move fast if she wanted to save him or help Hylia with her plan. Already her staff was glowing with the oncoming spell, but—

« Stop him! »

Faize, Blair.

Her body moves of its own accord before her mind finishes registering the Eldarian's plan, feet pushing her after him as the glow of her staff dissipated. Even in those first steps she could already see the crimson, knew she was already too late, but that isn't going to stop her from trying.]

Blair!

[ « Wait, look around you! Don't go any closer! »

The last command is nearly lost to her ears as she focuses on all her might on what she wanted to be a recovery spell, she needed to get Faize away from Blair...!]

Edited 2015-05-11 09:18 (UTC)

The moment the Librarian saw the console, it was the one when she heard the taunt of the protector she injured.

Too late did she try to dodge, only to receive the cut of the weapon and fall to the floor with her own blood showering the blood and the console in front of her, falling limp for a moment.

Her ears rang. Only a year without her combat skin, and yet she knew she wasn't going to live long.

Blair continued. The Librarian dragged herself to lean over the console, trying to climb up as the sounds of the skirmish sounded distant even as the clashes of weapons and energy resonated over their bodies.

Fire--

She crouched down only in time as she held her bleeding side. The shot went too far to have been thrown with intent to put her down.

"Blair! Take cover--!"

More blood. Unfinished commands. In only a few moments, she felt that hypercognizant state, and without any ancilla to aid her, she felt truly alone. She felt fate repeating over, and over again.

While she could, she casted Enlightenment on her allies, as part of her final acts, and grasped onto Blair's leg with one still working arm.

"Child... I beg of you... finish this job... Don't let me see the end again."

A part of her, hope lost when she saw the Gravemind taunting her, nearly begged Blair to kill her if everything failed, and the chances of saving all worlds was lost forever.

[It's too late. Blair was already dead, her form that was previously slumped over the terminal now falling to the ground at a single tug of her dress.

No healing magic would reach her, no matter what they did. Sophia's cries would not reach her. The Librarian's pleas would not bring her back. Nothing from Blair would be able to kill the Librarian or finish her off. Even if Blair had been alive, she may not have been able to bring herself to do such a thing to a fellow companion who seemed like-minded in ways she could admire.

All that was left was a corpse slumped to the ground, the color red tainting the then sterile ground beneath it. A former shell of a being that staked everything on a gamble. A gamble she wasn't even sure would work but if it did, it could bring forth seeds of hope in place of despair. Neither of the two initial options presented before her would have been viable - whichever option she took, it surely would not end well were she to remain alive.

Therefore, she had to die. That much she had known in her final moments. Perhaps no one would ever understand her actions as a result. But that was part of the risk involved with such a gamble - a gamble thrown together at the last moment. ]

It was as if the world had shattered and was reforming around Hylia. She was only vaguely aware of those fighting around her, her gaze trained on the daunting figure that stood before them. Would they lose so much in this fight?

She trusted those she fought with. She trusted those by her side and so she chose to believe in them. Link had presented her with an opening and she would take it. Her right arm moved out towards the side, light gathering in her palm as she prepared for her chance to fight back. In her left hand a bow shimmered like golden light fitting perfectly in her grasp.

She brought the orb from her left hand forward and drew back the taut string of the bow. An arrow slowly formed in the air, aimed at the darkness she sought to save the world form; Ganondorf.

Hylia released the arrow hoping it would at least weaken him long enough to assess what else was going on around them.

This incarnation of the Hero was skilled with his sword, but so was Ganondorf and he had outlived more Heroes than he could count. The sword hit the armor and pierced through, but the wound wasn't of nature to take him out, not yet and the Demon King was quick to step away and swing the massive swords at the Hero, until he noticed what madness Faize had unleashed on Blair.

"You fool! Defying us shall be the last you will do." It was too late to save Blair, but even then Ganon rose his sword and charged it with electricity, only to unleash it on Faize, should he still be nearby. But he fell on a knee as the light arrow shot by Hylia hit him, adding to the wound inflicted by the Hero.

"Curse you...!" With Blair dead and the Librarian... He couldn't accomplish the plan on his own. This world and Hyrule both were going to be lost because of these fools. "... This is not the end. Even if you win today, all that means is that the cycle continues. Others sharing your divine blood and carrying the spirit of the hero shall fight on this ground again..."

He got back on his feet, visibly weakened and he dropped his sword.

"But then-- Another carrying my hatred shall rise as well..." He chuckled, his hands glowing with dark energy. "You have accomplished nothing today... You have only cursed future Heroes to wander a blood-soaked sea of darkness for all time!

And with that said, he levitated for a moment before releasing all of the dark energy he had left into a massive attack, slamming his fist into the ground. He would die following this and he fully intended to kill the Hero and the Goddess with this-- Though what would happen to them and whoever was left alive was yet to be seen.

It's a gambit, a risk he's willing to take, if it means keeping the one whom he loved safe from the darkness that would surely pluck her from the living world. The injury he takes from the dual swords is enough to drop a lesser man, enough to see his limbs far weaker than they had been from The Librarian's attack. Yet, his will gets him to his feet, gets him steady enough with the last bit he's got still in the well, and sets him into a leap that puts himself between the short distance of the blast and the woman he gladly gives his life for.

The sword he carried is planted into the ground, the light of the blessed blade growing up from the submerged tip and surrounding him and the figure behind him like the jutting bow of the front of a ship to the waves. He remains there until the explosion dissipates, unsure before his passing that the maneuver might safe Hylia from a terrible fate. His last thought is one of hope, and so his figure remains vigilant as the charred flesh and worn limbs keep close to the sword.

The Librarian tugged at a corpse, only now still loose, as she lifelessly fell with her bloodied body coating the console in red, and falling like a sack of meat against the ground. Unfocused, open eyes, staring at the Librarian as if in its last moments as consciousness ran out.

She released her hold from what was Blair, her child, with a hand coated in blood.

From the corner of her eye, only barely did she see Ganondorf surrounded, and the green knight lying in a moribund stage. In these last moments, she remembered the words of her husband, and forcefully closed her eyes.

"Forgive us."

Her arms slammed over the procedures, controls coating in red, attempting for a rushed activation not in a full activation that she couldn't do with consciousness running out. Instead, she tried activating the mechanism, locally, until she lost all of her blood, and her last arm couldn't raise itself anymore.

Hylia wasn't watching anything else anymore. She stared at Link's back, her shot clear as his name leaves her lips. She could feel the light of those around her dwindling as Ganon's attack swept the small room. Hylia ran forward hoping to catch her hero should he fall.

"Link!"

He had protected her and because of him she was able to look at the aftermath of Ganon's attack. They were dead.

Her delicate fingers lightly traced Link's cheek. She couldn't cry. Hylia wouldn't let herself cry knowing that it had been his choice to jump forward. She felt a hole in her heart grow but she was strong. She would be strong for him.

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Event || Doppelgangers

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