Event || The Empire Strikes Back

[melodiesmods]

Characters: Everyone participating in the event
Where: Aqures Ixen
When: July 27th to August 02nd
Summary: The battle for Aqures Ixen is about to begin! The Heroes of Light are going to do their best to defend Aqures Ixen, but will this be enough? Feel free to participate and reply to appropriate threads. New top-level threads will be posted regularly as the battle progresses.
Warning: N/A, will be updated.

July 27th || Mingle
July 28th || Bomb Defusing / Imperial Assault
July 29th || Mingle / Attack on the 13th District / Aerial Battles / Imperial Camp
July 30th || 14th District on Fire / The Hospital / Mognet Office Attacked
July 31st || The Fire Spreads / Betrayals
August 01st || The Second Wave / Ultima Weapon
August 02nd || Final

Comments

[nomorecowbell]

[Nanami had been running behind, and she just... stopped, seeing that one of them had just been stabbed.]

[She nearly dropped her weapons in shock, before immediately summoning a clone and darting in two different directions. She couldn't stay in too big of a crowd, or that... that thing would hone in on them.]

[empirenpcs]

Enough!

[After Kobato casts her Life spell, but before Ramuh and Barkeep could proceed with their attacks, Jenni waved her hand and Odin disappeared, but then a wave of darkness crashed onto the battlefield and everything went black-- Before long the darkness vanished and was replaced by a maze, a maze made of mirrors. Each and every one of the characters present would find themselves isolated and alone, with nothing but the images of Jenni on the mirrors. The Heroes can no longer communicate nor can they see each other.

However, that is all nothing but an Illusion. They're all at the exact same spot than they were moments ago and if they can realize, they'll know where Jenni is to attack and where their comrades are.]

[whereishe]

[Yuna's eyes widen as the world fades to black. She knows of the skills of an illusionist but she isn't sure how to break it. She shouts at the air but hears no answer in return.

She closes her eyes and tries to rely on her memories. Where is everyone? She can't hope to break the illusion.

Yuna raises her guns having aimed her spell before helped now. She can't hit and target precisely that she can't see so she uses scatter shot in the area that Jenni would be standing. She can only pray that it won't hit her friends.]

[charming_jerk]

[It's about this time that Johnny awakes, revived by Kobato's spell. He is back on his feet fast, mostly out of the sudden shock of not only being alive, but apparently being somewhere else entirely. It takes him a few moments to process everything. He can remember what happened, and how he could only stand by helplessly as Odin attacked.

He couldn't think on that now and tried his best to push it out of his mind for the time being. But now he was surrounded by mirrors on every side, and he wondered for a moment if he actually was alive again or not.]

What the hell--!?

[kobatonotdobato]

[Kobato had been in this situation before, she it didn't take her long to realize what is going on and that they were in the illusion. However trying to figure out where the other might be is much harder than she first imagined. She had no way to attack except to use a summons but she already knew she couldn't do that right away. She just had to hope that the others would figure it out themselves and do something about it.]

[forcegalactic]

That does it!

[The light around Barkeep glows more brightly, and he stands still, facing the illusions.]

You barge right in, burn down a third of the city, kill Johnny, and now this?! I had a lot day, ma'am and you keep on makin' it worse with all this extra trouble you're causin'!

[His voice lowers and he points a finger accusingly at an illusion:]You know what people say about me? What I hate the most? Trouble.

And I!!

Don't!

Want!

No trouble!

IN MY PLACE!!

[The light congeals into a glowing orb in Barkeep's chest and the moment the words leave his mouth, he releases a laser beam that breaks through the mirrors in front. Without thinking -- probably from the adrenaline rush -- he rotates in place, destroying as many as he can. Illusion after illusion disappear, until only a handful are left. One Jenni remains in the very spot they last saw her. The real one.]

[unyieldingspirit]

[She's seen something of what an Illusionist can do, but nothing on this scale. She stops and stares for a few moments, confused and frustrated, and would have lashed out at as many mirrors as she could if that light hadn't struck first.

She blinks several times, trying to clear her eyes, and narrows her gaze at the remaining mirrors. A handful of targets, now… She's not certain. But the field is definitely narrowed, and she picks one- the closest to what she remembers- and casts Fire at it.]

finally ^^;;

[wickedone]

Damn!

[Albel rubbed his eyes. Now what had she done? When the darkness passed and all he could see was mirrors, he took a step back with alarm. His comrades were gone, and Jenni... everywhere Jenni.]

[This was just an illusion, he told himself. It had to be. Still, it was disturbing. In the distance, he thought he could hear voices -- his comrades were still there, somewhere. And only one of these Jennis must be real. He heard the crack of gunshot and then, before he could make another move, a strange shining beam practically exploded through one of the walls of mirrors around him. Albel shielded his eyes with his gauntlet, squinting against the piercing light.]

[A moment more and it was gone, though Albel was still seeing floating stars. On the bright side, he saw a lot less of something else -- Jenni. Only a few mirrored images remained, but judging by where his now-visible companions were, the truth was still right in front of him.]

There you are!

[He hefted his sword and used Shunshin, charging forward in a flash.]

[forcegalactic]

[The Barkeep remains standing in the same spot, surrounded by broken mirror shards where the illusions once stood. He's in shock after seeing the Force Galactic -- something that was taken away from him and he was unable to access -- form a laser and obliterate everything it touched.

His robes flutter in the wind as Albel runs past. This is real, right? That was the familiar feeling of the cosmos flowing through his body, but why? How?

...He's not paying attention to anything happening around him.]