melodiesoflife | Event || In Your Worst Memory

Event || In Your Worst Memory

Characters: All Heroes of Light. Only those who signed-up can start a memory.
Where: Interdimensional Rift
When: May 27th - May 30th
Summary: The Heroes of Light relive some of their worst memories, with a twist. All characters participating in this will be physically missing from Crystallis for the duration of the event.
Warning: It depends on the memory.

Where you were or what you were doing— It does not really matter. Not any more. Everything around you freezes, nearly as if time itself stopped, as if the world was frozen in time. And before you have a chance to understand what is happening, you can hear a voice right behind you.

"Kali Shashidhwaja."

Should you turn around, you may see a child who seems to be the only one aside from you unaffected by what is happening. And as she stares right at you, it makes no doubt these strange words are aimed at you. But before you can reply to her, the world around you collapses. Reality twists and shatters... Or maybe you are the one who is collapsing and shattering away from reality as you know it. No matter what the answer is, it will only take a few seconds for you to find yourself sinking into a void, Crystallis vanishing into the distance. There is nothing but darkness as far as the eye can see.

And once again you feel different: all the powers from your Jobs are fading. Not only that, but you might find that your Crystal is gone and your clothes back to what they were before you woke up in Crystallis. It is silent, cold and before long it feels as though life itself is slipping out of you... And yet, slowly the world reforms around you. The darkness fades away and a new world appears, yet at the same time this is not a world.

This is a memory. The question is, is it yours or that of someone else?

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The battlefield was covered in various attacks and spells, and Anise wasn't able to see where Nebilim's attacks ended and their allies attacks began. Between the thunder and the fire and Nebilim's attacks, Anise was afraid to step out. Instead, she heeded the Colonel's advice and dropped down, putting Tokunaga between everything else and her.

She glanced at Luke; it was clear from her expression that she was physically okay, but was somewhere between really pissed off and really worried.

"Ugh, this is awful! We're gonna end up killing each other at this rate!"

Nebilim was already a big enough threat without the infighting. Judging from the way he was grimacing, Jade was really injured, too. If he was out of commission, they were screwed. They were so screwed.

The only thing she can do is glance around the room again, desparetly looking for some way to help or something to do.

Combined with Jade's order, that near-screw-up was enough to make Ven rethink his entire approach to this fight. There were way too many unknowns present, and they were all probably lucky to have gotten this far without seriously hurting one another -- but as the battle went on and they continued to wear down, those odds would only rise.

It took one glance over his allies once to make up his mind. Ven dismissed his Keyblade in a flash of light and took off at a swift run across the field, slamming a fist against the spaulder on his left shoulder. Another flash, this one bright enough to conceal him entirely for a brief couple seconds, and when it cleared he was donning his full suit of armor, still outlined in colors of flame. It had definitely reached the point where it was necessary, and he'd need the extra protection for what he planned to do.

Despite the added weight of all that steel, his speed didn't falter. With the other two confronting Nebilim directly, Ven cast another Mine Shield in front of Jade's group for some extra defense, just in case the replica changed course. A second later he slid -- half-dropped -- onto his knees beside the trio with a rapid double-cast of Cura on Jade.

The one-way glass protecting Ven's eyes was starting to fog with his panting, his joints aching with the familiar fatigue that served as a warning. That was three mid-level spells on top of two back-to-back forms of summoning. Hopefully, he'd have a lull for the next few moments to let his magic reserves recover; otherwise he'd risk passing out at best.

Nebilim didn't turn to look at Thanatos coming up behind her. The blade tore across her back, splattering blood on her coat; and still her eyes never left Elizabeth, coming down from above. In a swift movement, Nebilim thrust her stolen spear into the ground, calling out: "Sovereign Gale!" A strong gust of wind whipped around her, colliding with the cyclone encircling Elizabeth's heel. In that instant, as Elizabeth was knocked off balance, Nebilim struck again.

"Searing Sorrow!"

A massive ball of fire formed above Nebilim's head; and in the next moment, it fell at an angle and crashed right into Elizabeth. A pillar of fire burst out, illuminating the battlefield -- and behind Nebilim, Thanatos vanished.

When the smoke and steam finally cleared, there was no sign of Elizabeth.

Jade forced himself unsteadily on his feet. Ven's Cura spells had healed his wounds somewhat... but that wasn't much of a comfort. They'd just lost a fighter, Luke and Ventus were not in a good shape, and Jade himself was not at his best. Sephiroth and Anise were the only ones able to fight the replica directly.

For the moment, however, Nebilim was paying them no heed. She was watching the spot where Elizabeth had been, sadness etched on her face. It looked far too genuine, far too much like the real Nebilim--

"Keep her busy." Jade's voice was sharp. With no thought of retrieving his glasses, he prepared to cast. If there was ever a time for a Mystic Arte, it was now. Knowing that an unrestrained Indignation could backfire horribly made no difference -- this needed to end.

The flash of a ray of hope that Thanatos' appearance and attack had afforded them turned quickly in on itself and a weight of dread fell in the back of Sephiroth's mind as he observed the massive fireball forming and promptly fell down onto Elizabeth...all while his boots remained deep in the snow. It was so cold even he could feel it through the thick leather and for that moment Sephiroth felt rooted to the spot.

How could they even hope to come together against this nemesis with more than half of their force clinging onto their last threads of energy? Sephiroth sternly shook it off and flexed his grip around the handle of his overlong sword. Jade didn't need to tell him twice-

He brought his other hand across to wield Masamune two-handed...but then paused, re-thinking his first reaction. Calling upon the magic within another of his equipped materia Sephiroth's fist became outlined with a green fire and then was raised with his cast. All members left of their party would find a multi-colored protect-and-shell shield going up around them (link: Wall) and once cast Sephiroth returned to his initial intention and -keen edge singing in the frigid air- dashed back in to assault Nebilim with a fresh combination of attacks, each one nearly surgical in their precision but mindful of his defense should he need to block as well.

Edited 2015-11-25 20:39 (UTC)

"You've got it!"

Anise's voice sounded significantly less sure than it did before, especially since she was pretty sure that the white-haired lady wasn't coming back. Nebilim had been terrifying before, and she was getting stronger with each form. She'd never really heard that tone of voice from Jade before, but it was clear that things were about to get very messy, very quickly.

As she unleashed a string of words that even a sailor might not touch, she dove back into the battle, full force. This time, she wasn't using artes, but rather focusing on stacking physical attacks to distract Nebilim and cover any gaps in Sephiroth's assault.

The disappearance of an ally was unnerving, to say the least, but Ven had seen a lot of death in the last few days, or hours, or however long this had all been going on. Later, it would hit him that he had just seen a real person expire, not another memory figment, but for now his adrenaline was running high enough that he pushed it aside. If they wavered now, more of them would die, without a doubt.

He hated to waste it, but he decided to let Firestorm go. The flames around him quickly flickered and died out, but the Shell/Protect combo was reassuring. As the others moved to attack, Ven stayed where he was, still recovering but remaining alert, his focus following Nebilim first and foremost. He still hurt, but he could feel the threat of lethal overexertion swiftly ebbing away. He moved onto one knee, his right hand flexing experimentally.

"I can do a full heal on all of us if I have to," he said, risking a sidelong glance at Jade. As focused as the man was, Ven didn't know if he would be acknowledged, but it was worth throwing it out. Better safe than sorry. "A group Curaga, but I'll need everyone together. It should hold her off, too, for a little bit." It would be on par with the Faith he'd used earlier, but with one condition given his current state: "Only once, though."

And given Salvation's level, that might be the last thing he could manage in this fight.

Jade wasn't paying attention to Ventus. His mind was filled with little else besides the surge of strength as he gathered fonons from the chilly air, and a vicious urge to lash out. Without his fontech glasses to act as an inhibitor, his eyes were prickling with gradually increasing tension as they charged up his powers into heights he could otherwise have never reached.

It was suicidal and he knew it. Even Jade couldn't control the Fonic Sight easily, and to attempt casting a Mystic Arte like this, when even normal artes ran the risk of becoming unstable... If his spell rebounded, he'd likely either die or go blind.

He couldn't bring himself to care. If he could take the replica down with him, that would be good enough. Jade raised his arm. "I, who stand in the full light of the heavens command thee, who opens the gates of hell. Come forth--"

A thud snapped his attention back from the angry haze and he turned just in time to see Luke collapsing. "Luke!" A brief spike of fear passed through him, but on closer look it seemed the younger man wasn't in immediate danger. Yet for that short moment, Jade had forgotten his anger -- and when he turned back to the battlefield, the first thing his eyes landed on was the Professor, locked in combat with Sephiroth and Anise. Still smiling.

The will to fight left Jade as reality dawned on him. Even if they beat her, so what? The scene would just start again, and this time it wouldn't be his younger self performing the fomicry -- it would be him, exactly as he was now. As though he hadn't changed at all. And they'd have to fight again.

That was it, then. All of this... It was to make him watch Professor Nebilim die, again and again, until she finally got her revenge. Jade's arm fell back to his side and for once, he didn't know what to do. He couldn't allow anyone else to fall in battle for him, but... Seeing that smile again, after all these years...

He couldn't kill her.

It was then that he remembered Ventus, and what the boy had just said. It might only delay the inevitable, but what choice did they have? "Do it." Jade watched the fight, trying to focus. As soon as either of them needed healing--

Nebilim met her two opponents blow by blow, spear clashing against sword before swinging to keep Anise at a distance. To their credit, she was soon on her heels -- between Sephiroth's skill and Tokunaga's powerful fists, the onslaught was forcing her to move back.

This didn't seem to upset her. On the contrary, the more they pushed her, the more she brightened.

"You both fight so well... I'm impressed." With an almost mischievous glint in her eye, Nebilim suddenly jumped back and landed a few feet away. "Then... I won't insult you by holding back, either."

The battlefield faded away. All around them, tiny specks of light shimmered into view, until it was clear they were stars. Everything seemed to become distorted, spiraling around Nebilim, as though the center of the universe was right at the spot where she stood. An intense pressure pulled the Heroes towards that spot; the stars gathered, pressing together until they looked like a single entity that was trying to shrink into a tiny, tiny space...

Nebilim's voice rang clear: "Big Bang!"

The stars exploded, sending out powerful scalding shockwaves that burned through the snow and collided into everything they touched with an enormous impact. They reached as far as Nebilim's burning house, causing the already fragile structure to collapse; the few trees in the distance cracked and bent before the wave of destruction.

Push. Push. Push.

Sephiroth's attacks remained almost a constant though he remained mindful always of where Anise where punctuating his own movements with her own advances. Edged steel met spear with a sharp ching every single time; give this monster it's due, he hadn't yet had an opening wide enough to swipe in with a strike that might prove more substantial.

He had to halt his momentum abruptly when she leaped back out of melee range, taking another step forwards as Masamune completed an empty slice at the frosty air.

As the scenery dropped into darkness which then became lit up with stars, Sephiroth took a quick glance around to verify that it wasn't just him; he could have been transported into another's dream again, for all he knew. Not that there was much time to contemplate that before he felt a distinct pulling and braced himself against it by crouching some - grounding his stance while pushing boots deeper into the snow.

Big Bang The declaration sounded out in the compressed gravity in the second before the specks of light all exploded.

"Nugh-"

A great deal of the initial shock waves shook at his wall but it was much too intense to hold up. It shattered and there was nothing preventing the damage from smashing into him then. He took one shock and then was knocked back and away as significant digs were gouged out of his health pool; landing a good ten feet back from where he'd been stood, on his back as Masamune was flung a little further away.

Not one to remain down for so long, despite how the dull throbbing of whole body told him this might hurt more later, Sephiroth hefted himself to a knee and then looked for Jade.

"Jade." His comrade seemed to have just...stopped. It almost seemed as if he were giving up. "We need to finish this."

"Oh, no way!"

Anise had been hit with Big Bang before, and while it wasn't something she had forgotten, it was something she could do without experiencing ever again. As soon as she saw the stars light up the backdrop, she ducked under Tokunaga for cover, but that didn't really help. She was still up, but only in the most technical of terms. That last one had hurt.

If things had looked bad before, they looked even worse once Anise had caught sight of Jade. Was he stopping? They were at their limit as it was, if they stopped fighting now, there was no way that they'd make it out of here.

"C'mon, it's not over yet!"

Had Anise thought more carefully, she would have been kinder with her words, but most of her attention was currently being occupied trying to stave off the pain.

The moment the Big Bang started, Jade had thrown himself down to shield Luke the best he could. Here, outside the physical restrictions of Crystallis, the younger man was once again susceptible to fonon separation. Any more strain on his body could be too much.

A hastily thrown up Magic Guard absorbed a part of the shockwave -- though Jade still had to grit his teeth through the pain. Once it was over, he managed to rise to his knees and looked around. There was no sign of Ventus.

Damn.

Sephiroth and Anise's words hit Jade harder than he wanted to admit. They were both on their last legs, looking to him for an answer, and he had none to offer. What could they do? Keep fighting until they all died? Would that end the memory, or would it just repeat itself again? Would they still come back if they died here? Without knowing that, Jade couldn't tell them to keep going and possibly get themselves killed for good. There had to be something else, if he could just think clearly...

It was only now that Nebilim seemed to take notice of the wound inflicted on her by Thanatos. She looked down at the blood dripping from her white coat, then crossed her hands as though in prayer. A soft blue glyph appeared beneath her feet as she cast a healing arte on herself.

But that couldn't be right. The replica had never bothered to heal itself... Jade shook his head, hand rising to his forehead. Was he still mixing them in his mind? One moment he was watching the violent monster of a replica he had created, the next his eyes told him it was the real Professor Nebilim. It was as though his memories had blurred together.

Memories...

Jade forced himself on his feet and took a few steps forward, staggering towards Nebilim. He said nothing until he was about to pass Sephiroth.

"...Sorry. Could you take care of Anise and Luke for just a bit longer?"

Nebilim had continued casting, though this time she wasn't preparing a healing arte. Jade kept walking, each step a little more resolute than the one before. There was a chance he was wrong about what he had to do, in which case he'd most likely die -- but fighting back had failed, and so had cold, hard logic. That left him with only one option.

It seemed like both he and Anise watched Jade from a distance for an age. For long enough for the deep pain set in by Big Bang to begin to become more apparent, in the same way that bruises take time to blossom. Where Sephiroth had fully intended to continue to pull himself back up onto his feet, it was taking longer to convince his body that this was a movement that needed to happen.

It looked as if the advantage they'd managed to get thanks to Thanatos would be short lived indeed, not that there had been much of an advantage to take in the fighting just before that particular arte Nebilim executed.

He remained on one knee, as Jade staggered closer to him, the freezing air whipping at his hair while intensely glowing eyes searched those details of Jade's profile that he could make out from his angle of sight. Sephiroth tried to make eye contact- but it was no use being as Jade were allowed narrowed down to the monster that still kept itself a fair distance in front of them.

At a mention of their names, Sephiroth dipped his head down out of the wind, to look back to where Luke had fallen; he hadn't even seen where Anise was after that last super-attack. It didn't look promising, it was impossible to tell even if the red-head were still breathing, from his distance.

"I don't suppose you're going to share the plan-"

But it was already too late, as Jade had moved passed him and kept going, towards Nebilim.

"What the-!? Hey, what're you doing!?"

From where Anise was sitting, she could tell that Jade had a plan. This was usually something that would make her feel better, but after the way this battle had unfolded (and even just looking at his expression), she instead felt uneasy.

She didn't really enjoy being somebody else's responsibility, even if it was someone Jade trusted. But no matter how times she tried, she couldn't get herself to stand up, much less move. Tokunaga had shielded her from a fair amount of damage, but Nebilim's attacks had been really strong, and she was really beginning to feel it.

There wasn't much she could do in this situation, except to ready Tokunaga and her staff if worse came to worse.

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Event || In Your Worst Memory

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