Event || Genesis (Conclusion)

[melodiesmods]

Characters: Everyone!
Where: Aqures Tosf.
When: Night of August 03rd, twenty-eight years in the past.
Summary: As the Heroes of Light were transported to the past, it is now the conclusion of their time travel adventure. It is the final night of the Festival of Light and the city is filled with visitors-- As such, it is estimated there are currently at least a few million people on the Island. Can they be saved?
Warning: Terrible things.

Princess Sarah
The End of Aqures Tosf
The Temple of Fire
The Crystal of Fire

Comments

Princess Sarah

[pastnpcs]

[It was the final night of the Festival of Light. By 23:00, the fireworks were meant to be shot from the castle for the very last time-- Yet nothing happened. Instead, it was eerily calm in the forest. That is, until the little girl came running to the abandoned church where the Heroes of Light had found refuge.]

P-Please...!

[She looked down and panted upon finally arriving, visibly terrified and shaken by what she had seen.]

It's the cha-chaos there... There are monsters everywhere! They've attacked the castle and-and...

[She marked another pause, unable to finish what she had started saying.]

Princess Sarah

[goddessofthesky]

[Zelda rushes to the princess's side. Her face is a mixture of worry and uncertainty, she hasn't come to terms with the fact that those here are going to die. There has to be something more that they can do, even if they were only sent here to watch.

She stops by Sarah's side and then nods.]

We'll go into town but let me get you to safety.

[She's positive that there are more than a few heroes who would help her with the task of protecting the little princess. Either way she wants to keep her safe.]

[pastnpcs]

W-Wait...!

[She shook her head at Zelda.]

The monsters appeared on the day you did... Why are you here...? Please, t-tell me...

Re: Princess Sarah

[gomu_ningen]

[He's not sure what sort of sense to make of the young girl's claims, but he's no reason to not trust that what she says is true. Luffy had been sitting against one of the overturned pews to try and get himself some rest when he heard the girl run in. A small crowd of people already forming around her, the young pirate was not one to put himself to matters that more beheld a "hero".

However..

Luffy was not the sort of man to turn away or put a blind eye to some one as selfless as to take care of the wounded and the hungry, especially to some one who had fed him such a plentiful bounty of food.

Standing sharply, the young man makes his way over to the few that have presented themselves to the young girl. Pushing past the others and seeing Zelda and Cloud kneeling before her, Luffy can only look to Sarah with eyes that are shaded in darkness from the hat atop his head. Slowly, his knees bend, his back turning to her as he crouches down in front of her. A thumb jutting over his shoulder motions to his back, offering the girl a perch of sorts.]

Zelda's right. We're getting you to safety first. Some of us here can head to the monsters. A fight like this isn't the sort of place for some one like you. Hop on, we're getting you out of here.

[pastnpcs]

W-Wait...!

[She shook her head when Luffy offered to protect her, and just her.]

I can't f-flee alone...! My parents are probably heading for the boats, b-but W-Wedge is probably in the city. I-I won't hide away without him!

Re: Princess Sarah

[neverfirstclass]

[Cloud had been looking forward to the fireworks that night. He was told by a few of the festival goers that the fireworks for the last night were the best and even knowing what he knew about this city's fate he was looking forward to seeing them.

Now it seemed it wasn't to be.

As soon as he hears Sarah's panicked voice his shield is already in hand as he moves to her side. He kneels down in front of her, getting at eye level with the girl. He's there to keep her safe and he wants her to be sure of that.]

Sarah, are you okay? Where are your parents?

[pastnpcs]

T-They are at the Castle... I-I think...

[She looked down and seemed to be on the verge of sobbing, but she managed not to.]

I'm scared...

Re: Princess Sarah

[fearlessherosheart]

How, monsters?

[Tazendra had not been wearing her armor, but she was already reaching for it.]

Then you must stay where it is safe. We will do what we can about this.

[good thing she'd healed up from the battles previously. ]

Princess Sarah [& Open to those who wanted a part in convincing Sephiroth]

[shinrasfinest]

[That long silence had grown heavier by the second as Sephiroth had been lying stretched out on one of the pews, staring at the ceiling and counting the fireworks. No one had that sharp of a memory but he remembered seeing the last night of the Festivals' fireworks in that first week he'd been brought to Crystallis. He'd been dehydrated and suffering from heatstroke at the time-

-seemed another world away from where he was now.

The abrupt sound of the door being swung open and now-familiar footfalls on the stone floor snapped him back to the here-and-now instantaneously. Sitting up, looking to a few of the other Heroes nearby before looking across to Princess Sarah.

So here it is, the beginning of the end. Hearing the others converse with her, Sephiroth watches for a little while before lying back down and closing his eyes - he's still very much listening though.]

Princess Sarah

[unyieldingspirit]

[K'pandolu goes to her swiftly, kneeling to be on her level.]

Monsters? In the town?

[why now?]

The End of Aqures Tosf

[pastnpcs]

[Indeed, the princess's words were no understatement. The Heroes already in the city would be able to see monsters appearing out of nowhere, monsters not even native to this region. Golems were smashing the residences in the Second District whilst Chimeras were causing chaos amongst the exposition. Wyverns were attacking the Health Center, Ochus were attacking the Blitzball Stadium-- There was even a lone Hamster standing by the entrance to the castle.

Oh, and there were a lot of treasure chests. As tempting as they may have been though, they were all Mimics.

Some lights could be seen flying away at very high speed-- Probably a few scared Moogles escaping. They didn't know it yet, but what could be seen as an act of cowardice just saved their lives.

Humans, Tarutarus and Hypellos weren't that lucky on their end and couldn't flee, especially with most boats either not ready or being smashed to pieces by monsters. Many were screaming for help while being killed by monsters--

But is there really a point to helping them if they cannot leave the island anyway?]

Re: The End of Aqures Tosf

[woman_of_strife]

[Words fail her. In the many sights she's seen in the few short years of her life, even the massacre at Nibelheim seemed like a fairy tale compared to the devastation and suffering she was now witnessing from the edge of the city limits. She stood and watched for what felt like an hour, only mere moments, just before dashing at full speed to minimize what little she can as dread and death take up residence where harmony and peace once lived.

It's futile. She knows that. It's all too difficult to not see when she passes by numerous persons and creatures that are too far gone to be worth any effort. If she can save a few, if she can get any to safety, it would be worth passing by alleys and homesteads that she knows are death traps.

Fire and ash surround her, dust settling on her face and littering her body with soot. She looks more like one of them, the frantic and hysterical citizens, save for her struggle against trying to topple a monster in her path. She shouts above the din, the crying and suffering drowned out for a moment as her throat summons the most important instruction she could ever bark above a fight. Her only hope is that her cry fills what few remain with resolve, emboldens them, sets them to their feet with what manner of weapons they can afford, and that the casualties are ceased with it.]

FIGHT! FIGHT WITH EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT! DON'T LET THEM TAKE THIS LIFE FROM YOU! IT ISN'T THERE'S TO STEAL! PICK UP WHATEVER YOU CAN GRAB AND FIGHT BACK!

Re: The End of Aqures Tosf

[fearlessherosheart]

[Tazendra didn't recall how large the destruction was/would be. What she knew was that even if the people here were doomed, they shouldn't have to die afraid and in pain from monsters.]

[And, if she was going to die (again) here, she wanted to do it with sword in hand.]

[she had stopped to explain this to a family she had rescued.]

You may try to flee, but what is coming may take the entire island. Or you may stay to stop the monsters, though you will most likely die in the aftermath.

[She was trying to sound serious about this; people of the Empire didn't mind when a Dzurlord seemed a bit giddy in a high-stakes battle, because that was normal behavior for them. Here she was learning that her enthusiasm was considered unsettling.]

[Open]

[greenmagick]

[There is fire and monsters and more death than there was before. She knows the cities fate but she can’t sit back and do nothing. It hasn’t been that long since she groveled beneath the weight of her uncertainty but she isn’t going to do that anymore.

Her dress, which was once bright and vibrant, is now marred with soot and dust and blood. Her arms and legs are littered by small scratches that she’s dismissed as the fight wages around her. Her bright blue gaze locks on the dark element before her as she casts ultima towards the creature. A dark orb crashed into the element and it was gone. Without waiting Terra turns towards the next thing getting ready for another attack.

She’d protect those running from the city, no matter what it took.

Terra’s gaze is determined as she moves forward. There are so many things giving her strength to fight but there is something more than that behind her actions. A feeling of warmth swells in her chest as she steps forward, fighting for herself and those she cares about. It doesn’t matter what sort of love it is because she knows it’s real and that gives her strength.]

Re: The End of Aqures Tosf

[ninjainviolet]

[ Whether or not she had succeeded in convincing Sephiroth--or anyone else--Sheena wasn't about to just stand around and do nothing. So, with a simple "I'm going!" she was out the door and in the thick of battle before anyone could possibly stop her.

Thanks to her new abilities of evasion and counter attack, she managed to follow the cries for help relatively unscathed.

Intellectually, she knew she shouldn't do this--save anyone who hadn't survived before--but emotionally...

If what the Princess had said was true, weren't they responsible for this slaughter in the first place? Coming up to a group being attacked, Sheena immediately went into action, putting herself between the monsters and their intended victims, barking orders at the townspeople. ]

All of you! Get out of here! Find someplace safe--like the church! GO! NOW!

[ If anyone following her had lost her, she'd certainly be easy to locate now. ]

[zodiac_brave]

[Of course there was a point to helping. Ramza dove into the chaos, anger giving him power. Too many of the Heroes were willing to sacrifice these people, to write them off as a lost cause. As long as the people lived, there was hope for them. Ramza was not willing to give up on them, despite the odds.

He was willing to give up on his damned sword, though. He would do more damage with bare hands than with the Excalipoor blade. He sheathed it and grabbed a rock from the ground. He threw it at the nearest monster. It turned from its victim.]

Come on! Face me if you dare!

[dammit_flynn]

[ Oh well screw all the rules, right?

Heroes of Light, his ass. He can't believe this is a thing. This was why that title left a bad taste in his mouth. It was ironic how this all turned out. Of course, Yuri wasn't the type to run with his tail between his legs, much less leave innocent bystanders to be fed to the monsters.

He rushed at some of the monsters and sent them flying with his quick sword movements, while turning around and shouting for people to get the hell out. ]

Hey if you seriously value your lives, I'd make a run for it before they get you! Go!

[ He snapped, while turning to focus on being a shield for the population of people that he probably couldn't protect at all on his own. ]

The Temple of Fire

[pastnpcs]

[The entrance to the Temple of Fire is a battlefield, with a fierce battle being waged between the soldiers of Aqures and the Monsters. There are by far more monsters in this place than in any others. The Knight of Aqures a few Heroes met a couple days ago can be seen killing a Malboro before going inside the Temple.

Inside of the temple, three different paths are offered to anyone deciding to venture in. Going to the left, the corridor has a sign indicating "Personnel Quarters". This path seems to lead to rooms and offices where the different scientists live and keep their personal affairs. Going to the right side on the other hand, the sign indicates "Laboratories" and leads to various laboratories where the scientists work.

Finally, the path in the middle indicates "Crystal Room."]

Team Ransack Palitutu's Office

[scriptrix]

[It's a hard decision to make with the townspeople in trouble, but Levy wants to get a look at Palitutu's research notes and some of the books she wasn't able to check out at the library. And with the chaos in the Temple and the city in general, now is probably the best chance to do it. Despite the relative physical weakness of her Jobs, with the aid of a few friends and her somewhat diminutive size she's able to make it through the wave of monsters at the entrance to the Temple.]

The offices are this way - let's go!

[Making a judgement call, Levy heads down the corridor marked 'Personnel Quarters.' There might be something to learn in the labs as well, but she's reasoning Palitutu's personal room is probably where she's keeping most of her more important books and notes. She seems like a private person, so it's a chance Levy is willing to take.]

(ooc: Since we've got seven people, I figure we can keep the tagging order a bit loose to accommodate the large group. Just try not to tag again until the other six people have done so, but within each 'round' of seven I don't think the exact order needs to matter much, if that makes sense.)

Team Personnel Quarters

[whereishe]

[It doesn't take long for Yuna to realize that something is wrong. She is late when she arrives at the Temple, having fought many monsters on her way here. She's tired and sore but she keeps going.

She knows that everyone is scattered and the chaos is making people frantic. So she's trying to keep a level head. She knows this place from when she visited with Ramza and Ashelia, though it was ruins then. She pulls the map from her memories heading towards the Personnel Quarters to see if she can find some clue that might help them in the future.

By her logic they will either die here or be sent back so Yuna wants to do what she can to gather more information and it's probably best to go towards the places less likely to be checked. She just hopes no one is back here and those in the Temple have thought to escape.]

Is anyone else back here?

Team Labs

[nomorecowbell]

[Nanami tore down the corridor towards the labs. Someone would cover the offices and quarters, but surely the scientists would keep some sort of clues in the area they worked.]

Come on. You weren't doing this because you thought it would be fun to ruin everyone's lives...

The Crystal of Fire

[pastnpcs]

[Before anyone has a chance to reach the Crystal Room, an explosion will be heard. Going in, they will find the Crystal of Fire floating above some sort of pit-- A hole with no end. There are things akin to multicolored pyreflies coming from the pit-- And every eighty seconds, there is a muffled noise coming from the hole as if someone was trying to break through sealed doors with a battering ram, as if something was trying to emerge from that hole.

The Crystal itself seems to be behaving in a dangerous manners. Its color fluctuates and slowly grows in intensity, the effect of which are slowly shutting down all machines around.

Aside from this, the room is plunged in darkness. There are stairs around indicating there is a second floor where scientists can watch the Crystal from above, but the most striking thing may be the younger Kalki. She seems to have lost her composure and is frantically typing on one of the ruined console surrounding the crystal, as if she was despairing at what was happening.]

The Crystal of Fire

[thegreatninja]

[The moment that the chaos hit is the moment that Yuffie beelines for the Crystal of Fire. She knows Kalki is there and she feels a burning need to know what happened. She can't keep blaming the woman for all of her failings, as Vincent said, but it's hard for her. So she runs. Through the crowds of frantic people and monsters. She tries not to pay attention as she skids through the Temple of fire's doors and down towards the room with the crystal of fire.

When she sees the large hole and the pyreflies she skids to a stop with her mouth hanging open. She has her blades at her sides but Yuffie has a sinking suspicion they won't do any good.]

What the fuck did you guys do?!

[She looks over at Kalki wondering what in the world she's frantically typing. Yuffie really isn't sure if she's trying to stop it or make it worse.]

Letters

[melodiesmods]

[Certain Heroes of Light have come up with the idea sending letters to certain NPCs in the past. There will be no replies to these letters, but there is a chance the NPCs will receive them and therefore, it may affect their future behavior or motivations.

Reply here with the the content of your letter and the recipient if you want to try sending a letter to someone in specific in Crystallis, twenty-eight years in the past. With the ongoing Mognet strike and upcoming disaster, the letters will be stored in Mognet Central and distributed a few weeks or months after the destruction of Aqures Tosf.]

A letter addressed to Princess Matsya

[zodiac_brave]

To her Highness, Princess Matsya of Hera,

I have known several princesses in my lifetime. Their path required of them far more strength than their subjects realized. To place the people’s needs above one’s own, to shape one’s self into the leader they need…that is the lot of a royal.

You possess great fortitude and bravery within you. You will not be defined by your title, but by the sum of your deeds. I have faith that no matter what the future holds, you will serve and protect your people to the best of your ability. The true path is never easy, but I pray you walk it unwavering. You will not be alone.

[There is no signature or indication of a sender.]