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?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ashelia gasped as the Ultima Demon swiped at her. She hadn't been expecting it, but managed not to take the brunt of the attack. Her clothing ripped, but light armour underneath intact, she danced away, circling the beast as she planned her next attack.

The Gigaflare hit her, but she was made of harsher stuff. She looked around at the others and saw that they wouldn't need to be tossed any potions yet. Instead, she opted to move in for another attack against the Ultima Demon, faking an attack to the right and ducking left. She didn't want to give the creature any time to cast again.

The first archaeodaemon fell to its knees after taking successive hits from Zelda's sword and MarKus's jump. It was still alive, and dangerous, but it was obviously weakened. It skuttled back to the other side of the altar, chanting a lifebreak spell. The spell, should the demon be allowed to complete it, will deliver a magical strike equivilent to the life the demon had lost.

The second beast roared when Kidd struck. Her blade was not meant for piecing a monster's hide, but catching it from behind increased both the success and the damage of the attack. As the beast turned to respond to her assault, K'pandolu's attack also hit it from the side. It spun again to counter the attack, before beginning to summon up an Unholy Darkness.

The Ultima Demon danced back and forth as Ashelia attacked, countering each hit with a broad swipe of its claws. It leaked blackened blood from several wounds, but they were not deep and seemed not to hinder the beast much.

Ramza charged through the battle as if it was no more concern to him than some tawdry play put on to please a crowd. He hastened after Zalbaag.

"Lord Brother! Heed not the false feeling in your mind!" he begged. He rifled through his pockets and produced a vial of Holy Water. He had seen such potions used to cure undead possessions. He threw the vial at his brother, where it shattered and bathed Zalbaag in the liquid. The Holy Water bubbled and burned where it touched his skin, but it did not free the elder Beoulve of his affliction.

"I-I beg you, Ramza- kill...kill me," he pleaded. "The pain- it's blinding. I cannot feel my arms or...or my legs, and yet-and yet somehow they burn! And my memories- they turn to smoke. I...I am afraid, Ramza, as I...as I have never been before." The vampire seemed more human when he spoke, nearly in control of himself again. But the moment he stopped speaking, his eyes went unfocused and he launched himself at Ramza once more, biting and clawing before Ramza was able to shove him back again.

Zelda had to focus on her own fight but her eyes kept looking back at Ramza. She'd never be able to win this way. Their crystal powers were gone which meant that the powers of the goddess were with her but that light seemed small compared to the darkness they faced.

She took a few steps back looking at the others before sheathing her sword. She brought her palms together and began to pray. It was slow but she gathered the light and powers in her heart if only to weaken the darkness on Zalbaag and those they faced. This was her power as a goddess and in this situation she could use it.

Except that with each passing moment Zelda was using her life force to wash the darkness away.

She could sense that power at work, and chanced a glance over her shoulder at Zelda, wondering. Was that- the blessing of Light…? Something close enough, at least, she decided, for there was not the time to ponder further- save that they needed to take advantage of this.

"Press the attack! Send these creatures back to the void that spawned them!" she called, and moved back on the attack herself, moving to attempt another stun and then move on with her next skills.

Ashelia panted quietly as her battle with the Ultima Demon continued. They traded blows, but she was able to down a Hi-Potion here and there to mitigate some of the damage. She glanced behind her as she felt the effects of Zelda's prayers - and noticed the affects it had on Zelda herself.

"Look alive!" she called, tossing an X-Potion in the young woman's direction. The distance was great, but Ashelia had no problem aiming the potion accurately.

The demons all turned to Zelda, hissing and growling, as her prayers began to weaken the darkness. The lifebreak spell from the first archeaodaemon struck out at the nearest Hero, a powerful blast that would leave most on their knees.

The second demon's Unholy Darkness was weakened by Zelda's prayer, but it struck K'Pandolu still. It began another Gigaflare, directing it at Zelda. The spell was almost instantaneously released.

The Ultima Demon was unable to stop Ashelia from healing, but it retaliated with an Almagest spell. A rift opened above Ashe, stars twinkling in the darkness, and life force equivalent to her usual magical power was drained from her.

Ramza's voice grew near hysterical as he continued to grapple with the corpse of his brother. "Do not give in! There must be a way for you to overcome this! We will find it! Please, do not abandon hope!"

"Hope...abandons me. I ask only for...for mercy, Ramza. Someone whispers... in my ear. Whispers, beckons... cries, taunts... Oh gods, end it...please! Grant me...grant me swift mercy!" Zalbaag seemed to be rapidly losing himself to the dark power animating him. His pained pleas degenerated to pants and growls, and he threw himself at Ramza with renewed enthusiasm.

Though there was no sign of the human within the corpse, the body that had been Zalbaag's had the muscle memory of an expert fighter. He hooked a foot around Ramza's and threw him down. He looked at the the younger Beouvle, vulnerable in his graceless sprawl on the stone floor, but Zelda's prayer drove him to distraction. The vampire turned his bloodstained maw toward her, crossing the chamber to launch himself on her.

[[OOC note: Responses may be slow as I am headed out of town for a week. Zalbaag attacking another party member will be the point of no return for Ramza. He'll actually join the fight after this. Characters can feel free to intercept the attack, and/or attack Zalbaag, but Ramza will need to deliver the killing blow.]]

Zelda was only slightly aware of the battle around her. She focused on her prayer using the power of light that the goddess had granted her to seal the darkness. This was her role. She was to weaken the darkest evil so that the heroes could have an advantage against the power that evil possessed.

Each moment she prayed her life slipped away. Ashelia's healing helped but soon a crystal would form around her body to keep her alive as she focused her life energy on her prayer.

Her shield didn't form in time.

Flare erupted around her scorching her skin and making her nerves scream in agony. She fell to her knees feeling her body shake at the pain that moved through her. She didn't stop praying. Even as the demons attacked and even as Zalbaag moved towards her.

She would never stop praying.

Ever the reckless hero, he took no heed to Ramza's prior threat, his own skewed, heroic logic taking priority! He wouldn't make Ramza fight his brother... But be damned if he'd let someone attack Zelda whom could not defend himself.

The others fought, and held their own, but both the princess and the unwritten hero needed someone to watch their back. Such is the duty of heroes!

MarKus didn't know well the skills of a Tactics Monk, so he throws himself at Zaalbag, tackling him and wringing him to the ground in his momentum, a roll and a toss that both were easy to pick up from; a typical tokusatsu move really.

"I said before, you're my opponent. Come at me!" MarKus throws another punch, but he's not really the most... ideal at attacking directly, and finds that he's being hit by Zaalbag punching and clawing more often than he's getting to land a punch himself.

Weaker though it was, the demon's attack was still painful. K'pandolu staggered for a moment, and made to attempt to shake it off, and froze as the second spell was released. "What- no!"

She moved swiftly, focusing on the power within herself. "Have strength!" she cried, and used Mantra to spread what strength she could. The creature was still alive, and she made for it again, delivering the strongest punch she could.

Stubborn girl! Ashelia thought, glancing over at Zelda, but the queen had her own problems. The Ultima Demon's Almagest spell ripped into her, leaving her in a heap on the floor. She groaned, but her hand was already going for her item pouch. She downed an X-Potion quickly and jumped back up to her feet, twirling her swords expertly. If she could do nothing else, it would have to be enough to draw the Ultima Demon's attacks. She jumped in for another dual strike.

End this, Ramza...!

Edited 2015-06-17 21:35 (UTC)

Ramza watched, stunned still for a moment, as Zalbaag attacked MarKus, tearing at the man's flesh as he attempted to get around him to maul Zelda. The Goddess was weakening, he could see that, and he was struck, not for the first time, by how much she reminded him of his little sister.

Zalbaag would never hurt her, not if he had the choice. The Ark Knight had made mistakes in the past, had let Tietra die rather than treat with her captors, but he was a noble and devout warrior who detested taking life where it was not necessary. He would hate what he had become, what Ramza had allowed him to turn into.

Something sank deep within his gut. There was only one thing he could do. "Damn you, Folmarv!" he cursed, his vision swimming through a haze of unshed tears.

All at once, he was closing the distance between himself and his brother, who was still clawing and biting at MarKus. Ramza brought his sword up to strike, but he could not, not from behind. Surely, after all the indignity Zalbaag had suffered, he at least deserved a proper death.

Ramza seized his brother's shoulder and spun him around. Zalbaag would die facing his foe head on, like the soldier he had been in life. Ramza's blade pierced his belly, and Ramza gave it a sickening twist.

A low scream, human once more, rang out as Zalbaag fell. The dark spell Folmarv shattered, and the demons disappeared. Ramza's sword fell with a clatter, and the younger Beoulve dropped to the ground beside his brother.

"Alma...please...save Alma. You are her...only hope. You must not...fail her...as you did me. Farewell, brother." Ramza heard his brother gasp out before he stilled for good. It was not the truth of what he had heard that terrible day, but Ramza had no recollection of those words at this moment.

He knelt over his brother's corpse as it disappeared once more in a flash of thunder and unearthly red light. "Zalbaag..." he whispered hoarsely. His words had wounded him more than the still-bleeding wound upon his neck.

Zelda looked up at the gathering feeling Ramza's pain like a sharp knife against her skin. She knew that people died in battle but having to fight family was cruel. She glanced at the other demons and then collapsed to the ground.

To keep Ramza and her friends safe she needed to fight but without her shield it was hard to keep up the spell. Her fingers were laced together as her eyes slowly closed. She had a few more moments where her consciousness was sharp and she used those moments to pray.

MarKus's arms were bloody and clawed, and whatever weird 'status' or 'curse' that came with it was barely fended off by will alone.

When Zalbaag eats it, MarKus lowers his arms and backs off, letting his arms go limp. Blood trickles down but... he appreciates Ramza's save despite that he was trying to avoid letting him do it.

"Fuck..." he groans. "Some hero I turned out to be." he gripes as he drops to his knees and simply tries to focus on... keeping conscious. Sure, good thing for Chakra but, let's take it easy for now...

Mary bit back a curse as she stumbled over to the others. Bad luck had kept her focused on the demons while the rest were fighting Ramza's brother. Her agility helped her to survive but she was as beaten and bloodied as everyone else was. A hand was held to her side where a claw had raked open her vest and her skin, doing what she could to hold the blood back.

She hurried to Zelda's side, kneeling next to her to see that she was okay. Thankful to find the young woman alive she placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. MarKus' words on the other hand made her glance up with a sour expression on her face. "There was no heroism in this. This was a battle for survival. Ramza's fight." She'd have to have a word with MarKus later about such things. If they ever escaped this place.

She looked then to Ramza, her expression softening as she watched the young man, "I don't know what he meant, but there's no failure or shame in what you had to do."

"You did what you thought was best," K'pandolu agreed, coming over to join the rest of the group. She reached into her pockets for a few more x-potions, holding them out for the others to take. She turned to Ramza for a moment with a decisive nod. "And that goes for you as well." No doubt it had been meant as a trial- but so far as she knew, those who were undead were all but gone already.

The words they others spoke to console Ramza somehow twisted before they reached his ears.

He heard from MarKus, "Fuck, some hero you turned out to be..." Ramza cringed. It was true.

"There was no heroism here," he heard Kidd tell the monk quietly. "This was a murder. Ramza's kin-slaying."

The pirate said louder, for his benefit, "I don't know what he meant to you, but you should have saved him."

"Did you think killing him was best?" K'pandolu asked, agreeing with Kidd. "And that goes for the rest of them as well. All those others you couldn't save."

Ramza turned to his companions, shocked, an expression of betrayal on his pale face.

"Please, don't say such things," he begged, even as he heard them whispering, "Couldn't you have saved him? Why didn't you try harder?" He was still on the ground, and he crawled backwards to get away from them.

Zelda could barely focus having drained herself. Her eyes slowly opened looking at the group as she pressed her palms against the floor to rise.

"This wasn't so easy as all that." Her voice was soft. "I could sense the darkness in him. It was taking him over. It was the only way to save his soul from its grasp." Zelda could feel the darkness and she knew that something was taking over the man that was in front of them. It wasn't so simple as those around them made it sound.

Zelda's arms buckled and she fell to the floor again before trying to rise herself up.

Ashelia stumbled over to Zelda, holding her own side as the red stain grew. The queen crouched next to the other young woman, putting an arm around her shoulders as she helped the young goddess up. She held out one of K'pandolu's potions for Zelda to take, having exhausted her own supply in the battle.

"It is done. He rests in peace now." Ashelia's voice was solemn, heavy with emotion. "We must rest and regroup, but not for long - Alma still waits. Ramza...I'm sorry, but we must continue on. There will be time for grief, but not now."

Despite his arms bloodied and weak, MarKus still had his legs and just fought through the pain. He would've really liked to just knock him out but... Zalbaag had gone beyond the point of being tamed by a hit to the head or three.

As much as he hated it, sometimes TV shows don't have good endings. At the same time, Ramza was surely furious with him for even considering dueling his brother even after his warning. He left Ramza be to give him space from the hot-blooded hero, rather than exacerbating the issue he'd started.

Mary glanced over at Ramza. They needed to get out of this place, whatever it was, but she wasn't about to up and abandon the young knight. She wasn't in as bad shape as the others but she was in no position to help take care of them either.

But the young man was acting odd. He looked scared still. And what did he mean by 'don't say such things'? His expression and his words weren't matching up. They were trying to support him.

Chewing it over for a moment she chanced approaching him, offering her hand for him to take. To help him to his feet. The glint of her hidden blade up her sleeve was visible from his vantage point. "Come on. It's over. We should find a way out of here. We can discuss this all later if you'd rather."

"You took the easy way out." Zelda whispered, and there was a malice in her voice he'd never heard before. "I could sense darkness in him. It was taking him over. Why didn't you save his soul from its grasp?" She collapsed. God, how far had Ramza fallen that his actions caused a Goddess to fall like that?

Ashelia went to nurse the fallen woman, but she looked up and her cool words chilled Ramza. It is done. He is beyond salvation now. We must rest and regroup, but not for long. You'll get Alma killed next if we tarry."

MarKus hung back, obviously too disgusted by Ramza's actions to even speak to him. The blond could read the accusations in his stiff stance, though. MarKus did not wish to be in the same room as a kinslayer, he who had slain his brother rather than save him.

When Kidd came over to him and flashed those hidden blades at him, it was almost a relief. "Come on. It's over. I should end you like you ended him. Or we can wait until you've gotten Alma killed, too, if you'd rather."

Ramza's eyes were wide with unshed tears. He had murdered his brother, perhaps damned him to Hell, and all his friends knew it. If he had done the right thing, they would never have said such things to him.

"I...I have to save Alma..." he choked out. His throat felt raw, and his voice cracked. "I cannot abandon her." He met Kidd's calm gaze with a pleading look. "Please, I just need long enough to...to see her free. Then, whatever punishment you see fit...I will abide by it." That was what Kidd's Brotherhood did, stop those corrupt and sinful individuals who harmed others. It was what he deserved.

Zelda heard Ramza's pleads but it felt like a dream. Even with Ashelia trying to heal her she felt her vision blur and her head swim. Her breathing slowed as each breath became harder than the last. She didn't want to end it like this. She wanted to tell Ramza that it wasn't his fault. She wanted to tell Ramza what she had seen but her words caught in her throat and were unable to leave her lips.

It was her own fault. She shouldn't have used her prayers without the protection spell but that would have taken to much time to cast them both.

Zelda's head fell against the cold floor. Her bright blue eyes lost their light as her consciousness slipped away.

Edited 2015-07-02 02:45 (UTC)

"Zelda? Zelda!" Ashelia kneeled down again, cursing under her breath as the other young woman dropped to the floor, falling from her weak grip. She gritted her teeth, looking away for a moment before carefully closing Zelda's eyes. The worst is that she awakens from the stasis in a week, the queen reminded herself. Didn't make it sting any less, though.

She breathed in and out deeply, once again cradling Zelda's head in her lap. "Punishment? Ramza...I don't understand."

Punishment? Some of those things he was saying were, of course, not making any sense. "Nobody said we were punishing you. I know you just... had to do that but get your head on straight man. I'm supposed to be the designated weirdo here."

By comparison, he was; the others all from worlds of high magic and monsters, his own one of technology and science. But still... a grown-up kid. "Focus Ramza, we gotta go get your sister still, right?" MarKus hakes a half-hearted gesture to lift his arm, only for it to kind of just... wobble in his direction.

Mary frowned as she started to catch up with what was going on here. This was like the tales she heard of what the Apple could do to a man. Make him see and hear things that were not necessarily the true. She glanced around, wondering if someone was still about and playing puppetmaster. It seemed only Ramza's brother's strings were the ones cut.

"Ramza. Listen carefully to me. What is it you think we're going to do?" She shifted her hand with the blade back, trying not to threaten him any more than she was. She took care not to mention his sister for fear of what he might hear instead.

Event || In Your Worst Memory

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