Event || The Night of the Thirteen Moogles

[melodiesmods]

Characters: Everyone!
Where: Aqures Ixen (Old Observatory, others).
When: Night from the 31st of October to the 01st of November.
Summary: Midnight is approaching, ghosts are everywhere and clouds are slowly gathering above the old observatory... What does it all mean? This post is open to all characters, there are no sign-ups for this.
Warning: The destructor has come.

Mingle || Before Midnight
Confrontation || Midnight
The Cursed Heroes
King Moggle Mog XIV

Comments

[makingfriends]

[With head and heart both reeling, it was hard to process anything. The first thing to register through all the painful static was the winding impact of hitting the ground, several of his bruises and cuts throbbing sharply -- but being against a Keyblade, Ven already knew he'd gotten off lucky.

Saori's voice broke through his stunned confusion and he reacted with a start, realizing just what she'd done to protect him.]

Saori--!

[Past her, however, he could already see Kairi about to follow up with another attack -- one that could probably kill them both, given the weapon she was using. He twisted quickly out from under Saori, nearly falling over as he forced himself up onto one knee -- but Ven managed, and Keyblade met Keyblade as he brought his weapon up in both hands. The resulting clash seemed too loud, somehow, too high in tone for metal-on-metal. His arms shuddered under the impact, but Ven carried through, taking advantage of the difference in their speeds: he rotated his grip, locking the teeth of his Keyblade against the body of Kairi's, and twisted hard with all of his strength.

The effort wrenched Kairi's weapon from her hands -- and while Ven would never have done so under normal circumstances, he reached out and snatched her Keyblade from the air. Even through his glove, he could feel the familiar hum of warm life in that hilt; her Keyblade was alive, as it should have been, not dormant and empty as his was now. Kairi's response was to cast another dark-aura spell -- but Ven had chosen right, and he blocked the attack with her Keyblade rather than his own. His balance wavered and he stumbled back a few steps, but the Keyblade held fast under the assault.]

I can't hang onto it for long!

[He chanced a concerned glance back at Saori -- only for another spell to hit him and redirect his attention as he blocked again. Whatever magic these Heroes had, either it wasn't affected by Slow all that much, or the duration of status effects was reduced dramatically. Whatever the case, nothing good.]

Can you stand?

[needsteaplz]

I can. Can't say the same for her now. Don't worry, I'll just incapacitate her.

[Well at least that didn't hurt as bad when her soul and body got ripped apart by force. It still hurt like hell though. From what she could tell, her shoulder wasn't broken, but close to dislocation. Too close for comfort, she thought to herself as she got up.

The usual warmth in her kind eyes went cold. The boy who she valued as an adopted son, while clearly capable in battle with how he turned Kairi's weapon against her, was in trouble. Kairi just made a powerful enemy.]

I may not be a goddess here, but I can still show you Fortune Doesn't Favor Fools!

[In the distance, the sound of fox cry could be heard. Ven wouldn't have to worry about defending himself from Kairi now. In a fast blur, Saori charged at Kairi only to sweep-kick her at her legs. With her balance thrown off, it gave Saori the opening she need to throw Kairi skyward. Saori jumped as if she was back in her Dragoon class and followed. Even with the opposite side of her katana being used, it's evident the flurry of attacks is working. The more she attacked, the higher they went into the air. At the last second at maybe twenty feet in the air, it looked like it was over but a shimmer of light appeared behind Kairi that turned into Saori. In that brief second, a sad smile was on Saori's face.]

Kairi, if it's really you, I hope you can forgive me for this.

[With her apology said and done, she slammed both of her feet into Kairi's back and sent her flying back down to the earth. Saori made it back down, landing on her feet with the grace of a cat. True she wasn't able to use all of her powers in that window of time her limit break provided, but she hoped it would be enough to stop Kairi from attacking them. She looked behind at the impact crater where Kairi should be.]

D-did it work?

[makingfriends]

[Even with Time Mage and Haste at Ven's disposal, Saori was still a blur. In one moment both woman and girl were in front of him; in the next, they were airborne. He instinctively leaped back, both Keyblades still in hand as he watched with a blend of torn concerns. Concern for Saori, hoping she got out of it okay -- and concern for Kairi, underlined by that strangely foreign yet familiar feeling that he couldn't quite place, the desperate hope that the real Kairi inside that shell couldn't feel and wouldn't remember any of this.

He had to look away when Kairi was slammed down into the road, although part of it was to close his eyes against the small wave of dust and debris that the impact created. When he looked up again, there was Saori, looking well. He jogged over to her with a weak smile, glad for her safety, at least.

At the question, Ven followed her gaze. There was neither sight nor sound for a few seconds, and he dared to hope that Kairi had been knocked out and nothing worse; but then the Keyblade in his left hand suddenly flashed, jerking itself from his fingers with enough force to make him stumble forward a step. As soon as it was out of his grip, it disappeared in a flash of light -- and a matching flash could be seen in the depths of that crater.]

...No. [His answer was deadpan as he glanced up at Saori.] Listen -- she's a Keyblade wielder, but there's something... something's off. [He was paying attention as they fought, and during Saori's Limit Break. There had been openings and opportunities, spells and maneuvers that other wielders -- seasoned wielders -- could and would have used in those situations -- moves that Terra, Aqua, or himself surely would have, and the one-sided fight with Sora earlier proved that he'd earned the title as well.]

She should've been a lot stronger, but -- she was mostly using brute force and those weird dark spells.

[He was doing his best to talk quickly, but movement could already be heard from that hole in the ground, and soon the top of Kairi's head was visible as she shambled her way upward. Wounded and slowed, but still coming. Ven looked at Saori again and cut to the chase.]

I think -- it's hard to say for sure, but she fights like she's still in training or something. She caught me by surprise the first time, but -- I think I can keep her distracted. I can keep her attention and buy you and the other Heroes some time. If I keep my distance, I should be fine.

[needsteaplz]

Tch. That still wasn't enough, huh?

[She wasn't sure why exactly wasn't enough. A god's strength was powerful and yet Kairi still managed to get up. Was she getting soft or did something from tonight's events made Kairi even more powerful? Ven's observations and plan stunned her.]

Are you really okay with me leaving, Ven? Just don't linger here too long. If there's a window of importunity, make a break for it. I don't want to hear that we lost you tonight.

[She pulls out two more potion bottles and presses them into his hands. Once she's sure he has them, she plants a kiss on the boy's forehead. If she had her powers back, it would've blessed him but the sentiment was still the same. It would've been easy to object to leaving Ven behind like any well-intended parent would, but after what she saw here, Saori knew Ven could hold himself in a fight. She did often state she hated the idea of children being dragged in as new Heroes of Light, but she realized not all of them had to be coddled like newborns and Ven isn't one of them.]

When this is over, I was thinking maybe we could adopt a pet or two for the house. But let's save that until after we deal with this. Do we have a deal?

[makingfriends]

[Ven nodded once, firmly, to say he'd decided. Even here, stripped of his usual speed and agility, he could run if nothing else, and one of his current Jobs was good for that, at least. Unlike Sora, Kairi seemed at least somewhat predictable -- and the fact that her Keyblade hadn't rejected Ven as soon as he touched it was a good sign. He wasn't just acting sure of himself for Saori's sake; he was confident he could survive this.

So he took the potions and the kiss with a grateful smile, and it was sincere despite his sweat and blood and mangled armor. He couldn't help looking a bit surprised at that remark, but then only nodded again, more gently.]

Deal! I think I know just where we can get some, too. [Kairi was just about level with them again, her Keyblade held in both hands. Ven turned to face her, holding his own Keyblade up -- one-handed, backhanded, but with a learned degree of expertise to it that the girl lacked. Whether that was more so a fault of her current state, he couldn't say, but he would take advantage of it all the same.]

Stay safe! I'll see you soon!