melodiesoflife | Event || The Night of the Thirteen Moogles

And whatever shall the rest of us do?

[Mogmi wasn't here; so it wasn't like Tazendra could change jobs at the drop of a hat.]

Sheena looks from D back to Deadpool. Had that Idiot actually given them the clue they needed? She still has the Ghostbuster and Time Mage combination she had used on board the Ghost Ship equipped and immediately readies herself to fire.

Hearing Tazendra, she turns to her.

"What jobs do you have?"

Yuna reached for Celes just as the reflected watera spell hit her moogle.

"Celes?!" She looked up at Cloud her eyes narrowing slightly. "He has a shield, don't use magic!" She shouted in case no one else noticed the pain her little moogle was in. She quietly healed the little moogle using her beastmaster skill, her magic sinking into the creature in the form of bright silvery light.

When that was finished she smiled at the brave moogle. She knew that he wasn't the sort to want to fight. "You go. Be safe. I'll get this." Celes looked shocked at Yuna before nodding and leaving the top of the observatory for the safety below. Yuna then pulled the gun latched her proton pack and aimed. She didn't however aim at the moogles or at cloud but at the dark crystal in the dead moogles paws.

Other would focus on Cloud but it was the moogle and the dark crystal who were dead and most likely doing something to harm Cloud.

"Gods!" Robin called out. She glanced at the adventurer, then forward again. Tazendra's question hung in her mind.

"We have to stop this. Whatever's coming, be ready for it! Meteor can get its attention--those of you with the Jobs for it, support him!" she called out. "And do as much damage as you can. Cloud... we'll try to help him if there's a way."

She didn't like to think that.

"But we must be alive -- and it's as Major Sephiroth said!" she cried out. "There's one thing we can do here. I don't think Cloud would want any of us to fall here!"

Sheena shuddered as she was reminded of what Sephiroth said. She didn't want to have to go that route, but if there was nothing else they could do...

Wishing there was another way, she hefted her gun and joined D and Yuna in aiming towards Cloud and the moogles, her beam focusing on one side as the other woman concentrated on the Crystal.

Hopefully, others would soon join in and provide both a distraction and additional firepower--as it were.

And as soon as she thought it, the words were out of her mouth, shouted to those around her.

"If you can, distract them, keep them unfocused and confused. Get their guards down!"

Ramza felt his anger rise to see Cloud so cruelly used against his friends. If he could not be freed, Ramza was willing to do the young guard the mercy of ending it.

But if they could take back the Black Crystal and eliminate its power of Cloud, their friend might yet pull through. It took great fortitude to throw off mind control, but Ramza did not put it past Cloud to do so for the sake of those he cared for.

"We should separate them, if we can. Do not allow the moogles to act in concert as they desire." Divide and conquer was the tried and true method to achieve victory.

He drew his sword and started to maneuver himself so he could engage a moogle, taking the hits from the spells as he went.

"Stop this." Jack steps forward with the clacking of heels, fluffs his wig back into place from the ruffling it's taken from the lightning attacks. Still in Performer garb, but all of the joking mood that he had aboard the ship is gone.

"What's this about the Lady Kalki? She's fine, she's alive." Isn't she? Jack would be lying if he said there wasn't a deep fear right in the pit of the stomach at the idea that maybe their trip back in time has affected more than he thought. Didn't she disappear without a trace when they had gotten back?

"Tell us! And maybe we wont destroy you."

"Wait--" Ven's voice broke, and he had to repeat himself, louder, to be heard above the other conversations going on. "Wait! You all don't mean -- we can't just--!"

The relief he'd dared to feel upon noticing Sephiroth -- he knew Cloud, he was a friend, he could help set this right -- hardened into a knot of dread in the pit of Ven's stomach nearly as quickly. Why? Why were they all assuming that there was only one answer? That wasn't an answer at all!

His poise -- and resolve -- wavered as he looked around at the others. "We can't! If it's the crystal, or the moogles, that's what we need to go after!"

Reno couldn't believe what he was seeing. He should have kept better tabs on his friends, he should have done something. He didn't even know Cloud was missing -- what the hell kind of friend was that?

It didn't matter if it was practical or made sense. Reno hated it. He hated them -- those moogles. And he really hated Deadpool's cackling.

"Shut the FUCK UP!" he screamed at the masked hero, having no patience whatsoever for it. He was done. His blood was boiling. Only to be frozen in a second upon Sephiroth's arrival.

"You can't be serious!" He stared openly at the Silver General. "He's being controlled, you can't -- we can't -- !"

He grit his teeth. Even if it did end up being an "efficient" way to deal with things, Reno had to try something else -- anything else -- first.

"That kid adores you!" he yelled at Sephiroth, gesturing at Cloud. "You might be the one person who could snap 'im out of it, if anyone could -- if he could recognize anyone from in there! An' you'd just go in an' take 'im out without even trying?"

Sparks stepped forward, his proton gun whirring to power, being held by his hands donning his robot fists. He's not going to mess around now, and was already aiming at Cloud.

"Reckon it's nothin' personal. If this is anythin' like what happened last year, nothin' short 'a slapping him silly ain't gonna bring him back 'round, if that works at all."

He shoots a stern but level look to those around him. His voice is a little quieter this time.

"This is their plan. Just like last year too. Pit us against each other."

Deadpool's headbutting came to a complete stop as he's been told to shut up twice and everything's descending into a mass of "Don't kill Cloud!" "No, we gotta!"

Mental note to self, I'm requesting a TV, a DVD player and a bunch of movies and we're going to have a MOVIE NIGHT, RP problems be damned!

"You guys can argue over what to do. I'm going out Bill Murray style! Just keep your mind clear, folks!"

And with that, Deadpool goes for his Proton Thrower and aims at the nearest evil Moogle, preferably the one with the Black Crystal to shoot at him.

Reno, do you want to chance letting whatever's controlling Cloud to succeed?

[D wanted this to not be the answer, but he was prepared. Just as he would accept if he needed to die. Life was never fair. Training one hand on Cloud and the other on the Black Crystal, D concentrated. Besides, the Proton Beam would only hurt any spirits possessing Cloud, not the Hero himself.]

This might be the only way to save him.

"We're not going to kill him, if we can help it!" Robin called out. "But... if he's incapacitated, it will be easier to deal with whatever the cause is."

Reno's chest hurt thinking about it all. "But...!"

But there really was no arguing with D. Or Sparks, if this had happened before. If taking down Cloud was the only way, he'd do it. He'd killed before. It just wasn't anyone he'd really liked before. Which sucked.

His mind raced as he tried to think of any alternatives, the sounds of shouting and Proton Throwers around him, spells reflecting...

Spells reflecting.

"Yuna!" he called out to her and anyone else who would listen, running ahead (damn Sephiroth, he'd do this himself). "They cast Shell!"

No one had tested for Protect yet. Well, it was about time someone did.

"Cover me!" he shouted, for anyone really, sprinting ahead.

Twelve take them all, K'pandolu thought, glaring around the room- the absolute foolishness of calling out fears hardly anyone else knew of-

She'd speak of that later. For now, she moved into position, casting Haste for Reno. "We're on it," she said simply, reaching for the proton gun. If they could separate the moogles, perhaps…

Logen nods at Robin, and hurtles forward a moment after Reno, as fast as his creaking knees can take him. As he closes, the sword of the maker sweeps toward cloud in a two-handed swing, trying to [Armor Break] through the shining crystals that festoon cloud's form.

"Uh."

That's his big pithy line as he closes on the attack.

Sheena has no idea what this "Shell" is, but if Reno thinks he can take care of it, who is she to argue?

Following Logen, she covers him as well as Reno, doing exactly what she had encouraged the others to do. Distracted the Moogles by firing between them the best she could to separate them and break their ranks.

Billy didn't know Cloud, and he'd heard if people died, they came back to life, so he did not get what the fuss was about.

But it didn't seem like his place to get into the ethical debate about what to do with the sparkly Hero. The moogles seemed to be universally reviled, though, and Billy aimed a Status Bullet at the head of the nearest one.

[D watched as these people raced to save their friend and almost wished he felt the same. But the weight of an entire world shifted in his shoulders. There could not let whatever these Moogles wanted, whatever this creature possessing Cloud demanded, to come to pass.

They would lose more than just one Hero of Light if they failed. Used to making these hard decisions, D was prepared to do the unpopular one.

This new Cloud world need to kill D to make him back down.]

Reno's heart raced as he dodged lasers and bullets and gods knew what else. It was familiar, but not exactly in the most comforting way. Knowing Sheena was behind him alleviated that anxiety, though -- and the extra pep in his step was helpful, too. Reno didn't know that purple-haired chick, but he approved.

Closer... closer... closer!

As Logen prepped his blade, swung forward, and aimed at Cloud, Reno forced himself to press on. He couldn't afford to lose this gambit because he decided to attack Logen instead. He just had to hope Cloud was strong enough, or protected enough, to take that hit. Instead, he reached out in an attempt to [Steal] the Moogle doll in Cloud's arms.

The possessed Cloud raised an eyebrow upon seeing the chaos that was unfolding before his eyes. How sad. These Heroes of Light were all speaking out of turn, some trying to reach out to their friend, others trying to plan on how to kill said friend while some just wondered what his words met. For an instant it seemed as though Cloud smirked at the words spoken by Sephiroth and Sparks, but slowly he shifted his eyes and looked at Jack.

"Everyone on this world is fat'd to die. What doest it mattereth to thee if 't be true some wend 'ere others?"

Once his reply uttered, Cloud chuckled but the laugh was short-lived as many of the Heroes started attacking. But as the Heroes approached Cloud, the lifeless Moogle and as such the Black Crystal, they would feel more and more compelled to go for the dangerous Crystal, to grab it and take it for themselves. Reno in particular would feel this urge as he was aiming for the lifeless Moogle, but before he could do so, a voice would ring in his head. It was a strong and alarmed feminine voice, completely different from that of the Moogles.

"Don't take it!"

No one else besides Reno would be able to hear the voice, and it soon faded. However, Reno might be able to recognize it as the very same voice that told him to wake up when he first arrived in Aqures Ixen. In the meantime, the Paladin Moogle jumped in front of Cloud and took all of the physical attacks destined to hit Cloud. The high resistance of Paladins added to the peculiar skills meant to protect others made of this Moogle a very effective shield, but he was visibly worn down by the attacks. The White Mage Moogles moved in to take the streams and flied back upon being hit while the Red Mage took the projectile attacks, swearing as it hit him. That was, until Cloud once again unleashed a lightning on the Heroes of Light, pushing them all away. The Moogles were agitated now and the White Mage angrily spoke to Cloud as she returned to the group.

"Stop playing with them, Kupo!"

The Thief Moogle moved closer to Cloud and shook his head.

"Dammit, we kinnot take on them indivijoolly! Fry mah hide! We'll jest lose, Kupo!"

The Dragoon Moogle nodded strongly, waving her spear before the group before looking back at Cloud.

"We need t'go drough de fusion now, Kupo! Right on!"

Needless to say, Cloud looked noticeably annoyed at this turn of event and at the impatience displayed by his companions. But the Heroes proved to be far too dangerous as they attacked them individually, and he had no choice but to nod.

"… So beest 't."

With that said, Cloud started floating high above the Heroes of Light, the Moogles following him. They were too far for physical attacks and mid-range skills, but long-range attacks could probably still reach them. Even so, the glow of the Black Crystal started surrounding the group, a Thunderstorm now starting from the clouds gathered above the observatory.

"Great, now what?" Saori lowered her proton gun. She doubt she could outrun this Thunderstorm even with the Ninja job equipped. The words spoken earlier did trouble her. Sure, everyone will eventually die, but they shouldn't under those circumstances. A life cut short before its time is always a tragedy that shouldn't happen.

"I mean we can't let them get away but I doubt this Crystal will just let us go."

Minato had been quietly casting backup attack spells in the wake of the battle, quietly calculating the best time it would be to do a summon, knowing full well it was a trump card that he could generally only use once each fight.

In a situation like this, with knowing their target, Cloud, had friends among those fighting... he hesitated.

But it would also be best to stop this situation before things got any worse, wasn't it? And he wouldn't have wanted to harm his friends... in Minato's mind, fighting with all their might was the right thing to do. In the chaos, he remained calm and attentive; the urgency in the Moogles' voices meant that they indeed, were planning on moving to the next step of their plans. Thankfully with his job set-up, so long as he remained careful about his dismal physical defense, he was able to stand firm even in the face of Cloud's spells.

As the enemy Moogles rushed to fly above and almost entirely out of reach, Minato realized there was no time to doubt his instincts further.

The boy shut his eyes, and took a breath.

"Odin!"

"Reno!"

It was to late to say anything more. Yuna watched as everything played out; to fast for her to react. At least Celes was safe for the time being. She felt the pull of the black crystal though it was slight and while her gun trained on the little lethal object her eyes widened.

It's the crystal controlling him.

Except they probably shouldn't touch it to move it away, if only they could get him to drop it. She began to use the gun for that purpose, ignoring the chaos around her. There wasn't enough time to talk or guess. Yuna was going to try and then keep trying until they were able to get Cloud back.

The movement of the moogles caught her eye and she only hoped that someone else might see there movements.

While the others debated, Ven still didn't move, emotion and impulse inwardly warring with the logic of those more collected than he was. He was glad to see that someone else was opposed to the majority vote as well, but at the rate things were progressing, it would be all too easy for someone to act out of their own accord...

Tensing again, Ven took quick stock of the Heroes moving forward -- and, selectively, starting casting Haste, specifically on those who seemed willing to try and spare Cloud in all of this, who at least weren't on the lethal offensive, or whom he figured he could trust: Robin, K'pandolu, Yuna, Saori, Ace, and -- after some hesitation -- Deadpool as well, for starters. If something could just be done about those moogles...!

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