melodiesoflife | 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?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

CONTENT WARNINGS APPLY HERE: VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN, CHARACTER DEATH, EMOTIONAL TRAUMA.

The curbing cavernous pathway eventually opens upon a large chamber with a high ceiling. At the far end is what looks like the crumbling remains of a wall or stone dais, perhaps what was once part of the original castle. Rubble litters the ground around these ruins, and a short set of steps leads up to a long, narrow platform.

[FIGHT 1: MONARCH BAT x1, BAT x2]
"What is it, Sophie?" Asbel asks, turning to the purple-haired girl as she glances quickly around the room.

"This place is dangerous," she replies with a calm certainty. "It's not safe to be here."

The children stare around them, but nothing seems particularly dangerous at all. Maybe Sophie's being paranoid? That is, until Hubert tilts his head back, gaze drifting to the ceiling where a small flock of bats zip around overhead--

"Asbel, look!"

--and proceed to dive straight for them, webbed wings flapping and tearing. One bat in particular is impressively larger than the rest, and they mean business.

"Huh? What the heck?!" Asbel tries swatting the bats away with his bare hands, but to no avail. Hefting up his father's sword, he calls out to the others, yelling over the mounting screeches with a determined battlecry. "Everyone, let's do this! If we fight hard, we can take 'em!"

[PRELUDE TO CHILDHOOD'S END.]
Those with a keen eye for detail will notice that laid out quite still at the top of the crumbling steps is a blond-haired boy wearing fine clothing. He makes no sound and doesn't respond to touch or voices. Closer inspection may reveal that the boy isn't altogether well. His skin has taken on an odd pallor, and...

Sophie seems noticeably disturbed, her gaze more intently searching as she studies their surroundings, a frown on her face. "The air feels dense... whatever it is, it's getting closer. Asbel, it's not safe here, we need to leave right away."

"There's nothing to worry about! We already took out the monsters," he reassures her with a smile, arms spread wide.

"Asbel, look!" Hubert interrupts, pointing to the ruins at the back of the chamber. "There's somebody over there!"

The children all turn their heads. Asbel's mouth drops open in shock. "Hey, wait a minute... Isn't that...?"

"Asbel, don't go over there!" Sophie warns, but Asbel's already pushing past her and sprinting up the steps two at a time.

Kneeling down over the motionless figure, Asbel's stubby fingers grip the prince's shoulders as he gives him a shake, then another, shouting out his name. "Richard! Are you okay? Hey, Richard!"

Something moves. A shifting of shadow, a curling of black tendrils mixed with red.

"Oh dear... What do we do now?" Cheria frets, clasping her hands tight.

"Why did this have to happen to him?" Hubert cries, the worry plain in his trembling voice.

The darkness builds, a presence, danger. Something isn't right.

Sophie whips around, and then she sees. Her eyes open wide as she calls out a warning. "Cheria! Hubert! Look out!"

"Cheria, Hubert! Get out of there now!!" the second shout belongs to Asbel, the Hero, voice cracking with desperation as he shoves past any other Heroes who might be standing in his way.

The two children turn with a frightened gasp to face whatever's behind them, but already it's too late. It takes only an instant. Hubert flies into the cave wall overhead, back slamming into the rock face with a sickening thud before he falls like a weighted sack onto the floor far below. Cheria crashes into one of the crumbling stonework walls, then flops ragdoll limp over onto her side. Neither screams, neither does so much as twitch a pinky finger.

Edited 2015-05-29 16:21 (UTC)

The black and red tendrils swirl slowly like smoke about the towering creature. It has no lower half or legs, instead tapering into nothing like a nightmarish genie. Its long limbs and impressive spear-like claws more than make up for it, though. Oily black quills grow from the monster's body, arranged up and around one shoulder, revealing powerful muscle and sinew beneath. It has no visible maw, no nose or ears, but its eyes are two angry red slashes set in a mask of bone and tissue.

It seems as though it may attack again.

~~Tossing this in just because!~~

It was almost funny how in synch Sophie and the memory-Sophie were throughout this entire dream sequence. At least it would be if she hadn't lived the experience entirely. She hadn't remembered at the time, but as she watched the events play out, she realized how familiar it was. The throbbing pain in her head only grew worse the more she saw, until she saw Richard, unconscious and Asbel rushing over to his side.

Asbel, don't go over there! she watched herself warn the boy, to no avail. Sophie's attention locked onto something else - the shadows. They were moving. "Asbel..! Cheria.... Hubert...!" The sight of that thing - the enemy. She knew it. She knew him. She threw a glance towards the other her, and read the answer in her eyes. For what he just did to her friends she could never forgive him.

"Wh-Wh-What the heck is that thing?!" Asbel's eyes were round as saucers, his mouth hanging uselessly open as he tried to process what had just happened. His eyes darted from the monster to his friends and back again.

Richard... Hubert... Cheria... none of them were moving.

W-were they..? No, no they couldn't be, right? They'd just defeated those monsters they--they'd just been talking five seconds ago!!

What was he supposed to do? What could he do?
Why was he shaking so bad?

Asbel's fingers tightened on his father's sword and he grit his teeth to keep them from chattering, to remind himself he wasn't afraid. Knights didn't get scared. Knights protected people!

In the end it had all been useless. No matter what they'd tried, no matter what options came to mind, their efforts had been foiled by his own inherent stubbornness. And now here they were.

Asbel knew what would happen, and he knew he had to stop it at any cost. He couldn't let these events play out the same way again.

"Damn it...!" he muttered under his breath, adrenaline kicking in, heart beating out a hollow tempo on the insides of his ears.

What could he do? How could he change things?
He just needed to think!

"Sophie, stay back!! No matter what happens, you can't fight him!" He knew it was a long shot, especially considering this was Sophie, but it was the only way he could think of.

Asbel tossed a desperate look over his shoulder. "We need to get them out of here now! I'll take care of things--and Richard. The rest of you find someplace safe and wait for me there."

(Because that plan is guaranteed to fly.)

Event || In Your Worst Memory

Location Three: Barona Catacombs; Final Chamber (!!!)

[Childhood's End] Enter "Cuddles", Your Boss Fight.

[Childhood's End] Enter "Cuddles", Your Boss Fight.

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