melodiesoflife | Event || The Night of the Thirteen Moogles

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...!

Although Sephiroth remained as outwardly calm as ever, something raw inside of him doubled over in pain from the bite in Reno's accusation before the Turk had taken it upon himself to approach Cloud. He caught Sparks eye contact as well as he explained before the once-General could form coherent words in reply, and as a handful other Heroes seemed at least to accept the possibility that Cloud might have to die to be saved he glanced over them. It was a bitter truth, and Sephiroth knew well what Cloud thought of him...but Cloud also knew that Sephiroth would do whatever it took.

Of course, if Cloud was knocked out and it would stop this madness that would be the preferred route but Sephiroth had a lot of experience within Crystallis which indicated to him that it would be a less-likely outcome.

The moogles congregated around Cloud and the disfigured figure then floated up and out of range. Sephiroth was just about close enough to make out what they were saying over the babble of all the other Heroes around. He stumbled over a thought; if only I could fly right now but sternly pulled his awareness back into the here and now, he wasn't that man who might be able to sprout a wing and continue the fight mid-air. So instead it was all he could do to tighten the grip on his sword as the glow from the Black Crystal spread all around them.

A crackle of thunder way above Sephiroth's head caught his attention skywards momentarily. He'd managed to keep his distance thus far and avoid the lightning attacks from Cloud but if the sky above them was to erupt...

He lowered the tension in his battle stance a little and reached around to retrieve his Dark Light from the side of the photon pack which was on a low-setting to converse energy for if it was needed. With a glance around quickly to communicate his intent to anyone who might be looking in his direction he cast the light skyward; it was time to see if the gathering clouds had anything to reveal to them that might otherwise be invisible.

Ales was in no mood to waste time when those Moogles have kidnapped one of their friends - Cloud was a reliable one, Ales kind of like him - and were planning yet another attempt to take over the world and cause ruin. If Cloud had to die, so be it, but plenty of others were focusing on him.

His attention, like Ventus', drew to the Moogles. Even with Ghostbuster equipped, he felt he was no match for the biggest target, but his small size could prove an advantage. Standing far from the main action, he sent his puppet after the White Mage.

"Arm Shot!"

The mechanical imitation of Ales rolled past the gang of Heroes to get a better aim on the Moogle. Once in view, it stood in position and fired at the healer.

Just as Odin was about to strike the enemies and as Arm Shot was about to hit the White Mage, they all disappeared and the light behind them faded along with them. The summoning of the Eidolon hadn't been in vain however, as a pained and agonizing multi-layered 'KUPO' could be heard right at the second they all faded, indicating Odin had managed to critically wound at least one of the Moogles. It was also possible the White Mage had been wounded, but it was impossible to determinate for sure.

With the Moogles and Cloud gone, the dark light Sephiroth turned to the sky revealed ghostly images of the now disappeared group. The White Mage seemed in pain, the Dragoon was covered in blood and the Thief was sliced into two halves. But the Thunderstorm reached its peak as the ghostly image slowly faded, as if they were disappearing from existence altogether. And then, two things happened simultaneously. From behind the Castle of Aqures Ixen, the Heroes of Light would be able to hear a massive yet dull noise. It was immediately followed by the ground shaking lightly, as if a weak earthquake had originated from somewhere beyond their sight. And at the same time, a massive and tortured scream rose from the Hospital of Aqures Ixen, as if a hundred of voices were screaming in unison.

This all only lasted for a few seconds, and before long the ground stopped shaking and the screams ceased. But just as peace seemed to have returned, the eerie dual voice of the possessed Cloud could be heard once again. It sounded as if the voice originated from somewhere in the sky above the Heroes, echoing all around them.

"Our Lord hath return'd and Those Cursed by the Planet has't awakened."

With these last words, Cloud's voice slowly faded away, for good this time. There was still nothing to be seen, yet the air grew heavy and everything was perfectly still… It was as if the world was waiting for something, something terrible that was on the verge of happening.

Reno jerked his hand back as if he'd been burned. Don't touch it! reverberated in his skull. It was just enough hesitation to throw him off guard. The lightning bolt hit him and threw him back, skidding to a stop a few feet away. It was still surely better than whatever would have happened had he grabbed the crystal.

"NO!" Reno screamed as Cloud disappeared. This was bad. And it wasn't getting any better.

As the otherworldly screams filled the air, someone would have to physically stop Reno from running to the hospital.

Sparks was already ahead of Reno in that regard. The cold chill he got from those screams froze him for just a moment, before he lets out a loud, sharp whistle. It wasn't long before Mercury was rocketing on the scene, swinging down to meet Sparks who jumps on immediately. With a command, a sidecar popped out of the side of Mercury's robot parts.

"Some of y'all stay here. Some of us need to get to that hospital now. If you wanna go, get in."

First person to hop on would rocket off with Sparks as soon as they were inside.

Reno didn't bother with niceties.

"Let's go!" he called, pulling himself in.

Worried though he was about the screams, Jade instead walked to the edge of the roof and and stared off to the west, where the castle rose above the rest of the city. What was that other noise?

Zelda had been watching the fight, waiting to heal those that might have gotten hurt. As the figure vanished she stepped forward. Her fingers moved to her lips and she whistled for the large loftwing to appear. As if it had been practiced the bird lands at the edge of the tower, it's large wings sending gusts of wind over the area.

"I'm going to go."

She was worried about those cries and she only hoped that it might not be too late.

Ashelia sank down, closer to where the Heroes were on the roof. "Keep on your guard, everyone. This lull will not last." Her voice was tinged with bitterness - she could have done more, stopped whatever ritual the moogles had 'repurposed' Cloud for. If only I had more power...

She looked over at Sparks and Reno, and glanced at Zelda on her loftwing. "I'll be along if I'm not needed here. Proceed with caution - I'll not lose more Heroes to these creatures. Understood?"

The sound of the screaming voices rang loudly in Minato's ears, and he freezes in place. What everyone did, it wasn't enough...?

He breathes again, into the unsettling silence, brought back into reality, but the conversations of the other Heroes around him were blurred into white noise. The foreboding of things that are probably only going to get worse hangs over their shoulders... This wasn't over, and they weren't just talk. Minato began to think more on their words: Cursed? Awakened?

An earthquake, the moonlight, and a sense of emptiness. This all seemed familiar, somehow...

Minato stays put where he was, and stares ahead of him, unsure what to do. As if--merely waiting for what comes next.

Everything remained still for a while, yet the thunderstorm didn't calm down. Besides the sound of thunder cracking, there was nothing to be heard or seen. That is until a voice erupted from the Castle of Aqures Ixen, or rather from behind it. The voice was enormous and deep, as if a giant was speaking. Yet it didn't speak words, only something they all were familiar with—Something people generally thought of as adorable, yet they probably had never heard it in such a manner before.

"Kupooooooooooo!" And so something emerged from the shadows of the Castle—A white and gigantic creature who was looming over the city of Aqures Ixen, a Moogle. The imposing figure was at least over a hundred feet tall and was wearing a resplendent golden and red crown, while it was wielding a massive and dangerous staff. The staff was made of gold and crystal, and its tip represented a Moogle sitting over a Chocobo. While it was unlikely anyone had seen him before, there was no doubt as to its identity: he was the wicked King Moggle Mog XIV spoken of in the legends, the one who had allied with the Calamity from the Skies and cursed the Heroes of Light.

Why he was so massive was a mystery, but as its wings flapped and it landed, the ground shook once again—More violently than ever before. If the evil king was left to do as he pleased, it made no doubt he would destroy the city and kill all who dared to cross its path…

> For fighting King Moggle Mog XIV, please go to this thread.
> For what's happening at the Hospital, please go to this thread.
> For reacting to this while on the Observatory's roof, just keep replying to this thread.

Ales called his puppet over during the silence, waiting for Cloud and the Moogles to attack again. He would be ready for them. He'd-

His train of thought was interrupted by the shaking ground, and his eyes turned to the giant Moogle emerging from the castle. If he wasn't from the Glade of Dreams, he'd swear this whole thing to be stupid, but the threat of a giant stomping all over Aqures Ixen needed to be dealt with.

Holding his hands together, he thought. If he could run to the airship port fast enough, he could attack it from the air. However, if there wasn't enough time, he could always assist with his Proton Pack. But his puppet wouldn't be of much use.

He turned to the rest of the group. "Anyone willing to escort me to an airship?"

An airship...of course! Ashelia flew down to Ales, landing on the roof gingerly. She gave the giant marshmallow moogle only a cursory glance, even as the air shook from the tower's destruction. "I'll carry you - we'll save time."

She looked around at the other Heroes, her gaze lingering for a moment on Minato. Too inexperienced...

"We've got to split up, distract it, keep it stationary." She chewed on her lip for a moment, squinting at the marshmallow monstrosity. "We could use a few more on the airship. Ales will make sure it's ready for take-off - if you aim to accompany us, we'll wait no more than ten minutes once the engines start. Yes?"

The Queen stooped over to pick up the Teensie before levitating once more. "I expect to see all of you at the end of this, alive and well. Are we clear?" She looked especially at Ven and Minato, seemingly the youngest of the group.

She was meant to be a leader, Ales thought to himself. He called for his puppet - also small, but slightly heavier than him - to latch onto his pack. Ashe would be carrying more weight than expected, but he trusted the queen to be strong. Teensies typically were annoyed by larger species' attempts to carry them around, but he didn't mind being held this time. It wasn't as if he was being treated as useless.

He added another proposition: "If you change your mind, I might let you hop on board when I return. No promises, though, and you'll have to find a way to jump on board from a building." Stopping an airship mid-air was near impossible, but the more people that could man the canons, the better.

"Let's go," he said to Ashe.

Jade watched the gigantic Moogle rise from behind the castle for a moment before turning back to the others. His face was grim, but nevertheless quite calm. Given their luck so far, he really should have expected something like this.

"I'll see if I can slow it down for you from ground level." He nodded to Ashelia and Ales as they prepared to leave, then glanced at the rest. "Anyone who wishes to join me, feel free to follow."

Without wasting any more time, Jade strode out of the observatory.

Edited 2015-10-29 16:41 (UTC)

Event || The Night of the Thirteen Moogles

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