melodiesoflife | Event || Genesis (Conclusion)

[Jade didn't try to interfere with Jack's death. If there was any chance it would work, sacrificing one person to save millions was something he couldn't disagree with.

That said, he couldn't bring himself to be optimistic. If it had worked, they would already know it because Aqures Tosf wouldn't have been destroyed in their present at all.]

Without us, there would be no one to fight the Calamity. That's probably why Palitutu is doing this. [His words were directed towards Yugi.] But...

[But according to the future Kalki, they were the Calamity, or at least a part of it. The crystallization of the planet hadn't started until Kalki had brought them all to the Heran Research Center. So then... Would anything have gone wrong without them here?

They were still missing something. Jade, too, turned back to the crystal. If Jack's plan didn't work, they were back to square one.]

[Kalki has been on the verge to reply to Yuffie when Jack went ahead and asked for someone to kill him. Her eyes widened and quite obviously she didn't seem this was an idea any sane person should go along with. Are these people really Heroes of Light?]

What are you doing?

[She screamed when Logan seemed more than pleased to comply and kill his partner and rushed to Jack's side. As it is, nothing changed for the crystal. Things didn't get better as the Heroes started arguing amongst them. More than hatred now, there was also fear in her eyes, as if the Heroes were crazy and dangerous people.

And really-- They were.]

You're insane...! You are no Heroes, you're just as foolish as she is...

[She took a few steps back away from them with the intent to go to another console, but in the confusion of the moment she forgot about the crystal's position and stumbled as her steps took her to the hole beneath the crystal, nearly falling within it--

Thankfully she managed to grab the ledge with a hand, but that was all that prevented her from falling into that seemingly never-ending pit.]

Ah! H-Help...!

[Sonic was caught sputtering and shocked at what had happened between Jack and Logen. What was the entire POINT of that?! Killing them wouldn't help, it was going to make things worse!

It was, then, he heard Kalki's scream for help. Pushing everyone aside, him and his Clone duplicate raced over, the real Sonic extending his hand towards Kalki while the other grabbed hold of him to hold him up.]

Grab my hand and don't argue with me! I'm not like the others - I'm not nuts!

[And the duplicate turned to the others]

Hey, little help here? And put your hatred for her aside or things are going to get REALLY worse!

[Yugi snapped out of it long enough to run on over. He felt somewhat insulted at being called insane when he hadn't done anything wrong.]

I'll help, it's the least I could do.

[He went over to the clone to help in whatever way he was needed in helping her out.]

I assume you want us to line up so we can pull her out, right?

[…she's inclined to agree. She's seen a lot, but this- What was anyone thinking?

She shoves it aside. She doesn't want to know. Whatever they're here for- she can't tell.

For what reason were we born…?]

All right.

[…there's enough death and dying already. She goes to Yugi and Sonic, with only a brief glance at the crystal, ready to lend her strength.]

[Yuffie wants to scream and shout at these idiots but more than that she just wants to cry. This isn't like her adventure before. These people can't work together. The heroes of light are just to different.

She backs up some, feeling to close to the hole in the ground. This is going all wrong.

Yuffie bites her bottom lip. She doesn't care anymore. This is all so stupid. This can't be the reason they were brought here. She wants to help, to do something but she's frozen in place.]

[He knew it. To charge a Crystal which was an integral part of the way that life energy on this World functioned could mean only one thing - a vast amount of energy had to be collected by it...or passed through it. It would have to be a large surge, all at once as well. An explosion such as what was intended, killing all life within such a large radius would create a surge of life energy...

Which meant that the Crystal was a something of a gateway between life and death where the energy passed into and out from the Planet...but to summon them from their respective worlds? Sephiroth's thoughts reeled in the wake of the information given in Kalki's information though really he'd a big enough hunch. It resonated with something else just half-remembered...

The flurry of activity, raised voices, clipped statements drew Sephiroth's attention back as the sound of a dagger being slipped into someone was heard. He tensed as if to pounce on the murderer, having not paid much attention to the others til then, but Sparks was already in Logen's face by then. As law enforcement - he'd expect no less.

Kalki's scream as she slipped snapped his head back towards the arrangement nearer to the crystal and, without thinking, Sephiroth finds himself moving towards where Sonic and the others were. They are all much smaller than he is-]

Can you reach-? [He asks of Sonic before drawing closer, and if the distance calls for it has every intention of reaching over himself. Sometimes, being so much taller has it's advantages.]

[Cloud wasn't about to let another death go by so easily and pointlessly. He was already moving as soon as Kalki called for help and as he arrives at the edge he grabs onto Sonic's hand without any questions. Planting his feet and digging his heels in he held his own arm back for anyone else to grab.]

Yugi. K'pandolu, one of you grab onto him. The other try to get ahold of the lower one.

[A long chain wouldn't help as much as 'fanning' out the effort might.]

Sephiroth! Take my hand!

[At least some people still had sense! Hearing everyone gather around and help out, Sonic called back to them.]

Good, good - someone also try to get her other hand! If I can't grab her free one, the other'll be safe to grab, too!

[Kalki did her best to grab on to Sonic's hand and for a second, she looked reassured upon seeing all these people willing to help her-- Yugi, K'Pandolu, Sephiroth, Cloud...]

Thank you...

[And just as it looked as though they would manage to save her, something else happened. Someone from the shadows of the observation floor above the Crystal of Fire shot a spell-- And this spell headed straight for Kalki's and Sonic's hands. The pain would be much too important for either Sonic or Kalki to manage holding on, and the ensuing flash of light was too bright for anyone else to have the opportunity to do anything.

And so Kalki had no choice but to let go both of Sonic's hand and the ledge. As the flash of light faded away, the Heroes of Light could hear her scream as she fell into the seemingly never-ending hole, until her voice got too distant for them to hear it any more.

Whoever had shot the spell though, they were coming. Footsteps could be heard from the stairs on the right side of the room.]

[she's making for her position when that light blazes out, and she dives, making a last-effort grasp, to no avail.]

No!

[you cannot change the events you see, Minfilia's voice whispers, and K'pandolu clenches her hand, still staring down, eyes beginning to prickle. The city, these events… What good was it? What good are they?

She pushes herself to her feet again, a tremble in her shoulders, and looks for the source of the spell.]

[While he would normally have been one of the first to try and help, Ven is still severely outpaced thanks to his injury -- so as the others run forward, he does his best to hurry to a midway point, tensed and watching the surrounding edge of that pit and the crystal hanging over it instead. There's still an uneasy vibe to both of them...

And then that spell, a blinding flash -- and he cries out even as he has to throw an arm over his eyes, that scream telling him what undoubtedly occurred.]

No!

[His eyes need a second to adjust, but the sound of footsteps and the trajectory of that spell were enough of an indication. He's already pivoting towards the stairs with Keyblade raised.]

To the right!

[Things had happened so suddenly, at the pace of a lightning strike that even he could not process everything after all was said and done. The woman they'd long been searching for was now gone, and the world that kept them prevented Luffy from being able to stretch his arms to help.

What little he can do in this instance is see to it that whoever fired the spell be held accountable for their actions. It's the least he can do, and the conjured fires of anger that swell inside of him would be a fitting release to whomever it was approaching from their wing.

He turns at the sound of footsteps, hearing the other young man's shout to the direction in which the attacker emerges. He was more or less the sort to leap before looking, and this time was no different. A solid planting of his left foot pushes him off the ground as the pirate takes to a dash in the direction which Ventus decrees, moving as fast as he can so that his body is like a battering ram. He yells wildly as he charges, arms tight against his body as he puts the full weight of his attack into his right shoulder.]

[Yugi was about to move to help when the spell occurred and everything happened before his eyes. His eyes widened as once more he could feel the tears welling up. They couldn't do a god damn thing. As much as people tried they seemed unable to do anything. He slowly found himself sinking to the ground, not caring who it was that was coming down the stairs, at least for the moment. Instead he punches the ground, flinching slightly as he did. It hurt, but he just wanted to understand it all but just didn't seem able to.

At Ventus yelling, he looked up slightly, turning his head to the right to see who or what was coming down the stairs. Whoever it was he wasn't going to forgive them.]

[Yuffie snaps out of it and runs to Yugi's side. She gently pulls him away from the hole trying to get him to stand.]

Hey, come on. We already know she survives. That's probably how she manages too.

[She doesn't really want him to blame himself for this.]

[Everything had spiraled out of control fast, and Vincent couldn't say he was surprised. He had some answers now, but not enough. Filed away in his brain, as he like other shifted his attention with the sound of the footsteps. Drawing his gun, ready, but not firing yet. Taking note of who was turning with him to face this possible new threat.]

[When Luffy charged to attack, something happened. Before he could strike at whoever was coming, his right arm crystallized-- And the crystallization process spread slowly throughout his entire body. It would take at least a minute to be complete, but by the end, Luffy would be in Crystal Stasis.

And then, a familiar voice came from the shadows.]

You can't change the future. This is why Crystallis won't allow you to harm me.

[The person who stepped down from the stairs couldn't be mistaken-- She looked exactly the same, and for a good reason since Tarutarus didn't physically age the way humans did. Only her clothes were different, but it made no doubt it was Jessie.

Behind her, a Moogle was following her, holding a now emptied Mognet bag. He looked pretty scared and uncertain, but even though his fur was not dyed, some may recognized him as a younger Artemicion.]

[Kidd bit back a curse. Her instinct was the same as Luffy's but the younger pirate had been quicker and she got a very good view of what happened to the lad. As the tarutaru came down the stairs the anger on her face only grew more palpable. This was the woman at the center of it all, and one that they had been helping up to this point.]

Some of us damn well might try. I don't know if you noticed but we don't seem to be the most sane lot.

[She flexed her wrist, readying her blade once more...but she didn't move. The odds were too highly stacked.]

No! Hold on!

[She stares as Kalki goes down, then she turns to look at Palitutu. Her eyes widen, before she looks back at the Crystal.]

Can this be stopped? Can this--can you stop a crystal from overloading like this, if it were to ever happen again? Because for whatever reason we were brought here... I can't imagine that it would be worth the deaths of thousands!

[…she doesn't understand any more. That's Jessie, surely? Her senses can't be lying to her. But all this…

She steps towards and a little in front of Ven, hands loose.]

…I should have thought… the reason we were brought was to prevent that. But this world…

[she shakes her head, gaze flicking between the two figures, wondering at the moogle. What part has he played, exactly?]

[Jade had been about to speak to the tarutaru -- Jessie? Palitutu? -- when Robin's words sank in.]

The Imperial assault... It was all to cause enough deaths to charge the crystal again, wasn't it? [That was the only explanation he could think of for such a foolhardy attack. What did that mean for Aqures Ixen when they got back?]

I suppose you're planning to have quite a laugh at our expense over the next few decades, Jessie.

[Sonic held his hand in pain, burned pretty good. Hearing "Jessie"'s voice was enough to grab his blade and turn to face her.]

Are you happy?! Are you happy with this?! Are you happy with the blood on your hands, the blood you forced on us?!

[He stood up and pointed the sword at her.]

If not here, then we're gonna kick your sorry butt when we get back!

The Ultima weapon...

[Everything that they've missed in the present. Did Kalki really want this to happen? She wants to think poorly of the woman but Vincent's stupid words keep ringing through her head.]

When we get back... will it all be gone? What is Kalki and everyone doing?

[She hasn't time traveled before and she doesn't think they'll get back at the time they left. Can they really just watch as it plays out as planned?]

[…oh. Oh. The blood drains from K'pandolu's face at that, and she reaches for her soulstone, holding onto it tightly. She's no idea if time could have passed in Aqures Ixen, but if it has… Hydaelyn forgive her.

Her voice is soft, when she speaks.]

… We'll see. And we'll think of something. We have to…

[Ven shoots a brief glance at K'pandolu, but makes no move to go around her. Honestly, that's a good thing; the more that's said, the more he's tempted to rush at Jessie despite that previous display.

If Jade's guess is right, then the attack -- all that pain, those meaningless deaths, all that horror and loss -- all for this? For the sake of someone's ambition?

The war. Jessie's push for the Ultima weapon... This whole scenario is way too familiar, and far too personal for that reason. He should have followed his instinct and done more than just walk away at that time -- he should have said something, voiced his concern to others who would listen--

But he can regret that later. For now...

...his anger flares.]

What's the point? Why bring us here to help if it means killing so many people? What's gonna be left to save in the end?

Just -- who are you? Why would you do this to your own world?

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