Onward: Blue

[voidtreckermods]

On the second night the ground begins to shake. The islanders seem well versed in earthquake safety and there is no mass panic- from them anyways. They will help any voidtreckers who don't know what to do in such a situation. The shaking is over quickly and is not strong enough to do any major damage though there are some after shocks throughout the day.

More worryingly are the thick clouds that roll out, covering the sky. Despite the memories these might invoke in the void warriors they are normal clouds.

Or perhaps not that normal, dawn breaks into darkness, the sun barely penetrating. Shadows are deep and the temperature cooler. It is not too dark to see, more like an endless twilight.

The monsters do not retreat into the sea as dawn comes. Instead they continue their attack into the day, unrelenting.

The seas themselves are rough, large waves crashing down onto the beach. The current is strong, as if the very sea itself is fighting them.

Comments

Sleepy Ash - OTA

[sobothersome]

Maru had slept through the day, but on the second night he was woken by the world shaking.

He'd gotten up and while the rest of the train people were spooked. The natives didn't seem bothered. It was weird.

He continued fighting, doing his best to protect the people alongside Madoka and was ready for the day to roll in and they could rest. But the sun didn't come. Clouds did.

Maru stood on the barricade looking up at the dark sky... and at the monsters that were still coming.

"... This isn't good."

[magicurls]

"No...it's not..."

Mami has done her best to fight with the crossbow all night. Her aim has steadily improved, and she hasn't resorted to trying to transform yet, but this is a grueling fight.

"We need to change the tide. But how?"

[sobothersome]

Maru cocked his head to the side to see who was talking to him. Madoka's friend. That meant he couldn't just ignore her...

"We fight... I guess..." He replied slowly, his eyes turning back to the sky and the sea. There was something wrong out there. He didn't need magic or psychic abilities to know that. Whatever dampening effect was going on with the planet couldn't silence his gut instincts.

"And don't stop." He flexed his hand, it had started to ache. But that wasn't going to stop him. He needed to keep Madoka and her friends safe.

[happyends]

It really isn't good. Sure, the earthquake also.. wasn't great. But at least that is something Madoka is used to. And the villagers seemed relatively used to it too, so she figured it was something that just happened here - just like back home.

But these clouds.. they're different. And they're not just bad since they seem to keep the monsters from returning to the sea like they did before under the sun, but also since they seem just a little too similar to what happened during the last mission. Right before they were all violently thrown right back onto the train.

"Maru.."

Madoka has made her way up on the barricade too, right behind him. And although she does latch onto him much like she has done many times before, this time it doesn't quite seem to be born from pure affection and joy like those times. The girl looks visibly worried, maybe even close to shaken up.

"Stay close to me for a moment, okay..?" Granted, it's not like he was going to run too far off with those monsters still being active, but with the way she's holding onto him, she seems to mean a little closer than that. "The last time this happened, the train pulled us back.."

[sobothersome]

He didn't sense her approach, but he heard her.

Maru waited for Madoka to reach him, but instead of stepping to his side, she grabbed into him. He frowned and looked away from the sky and down at the girl holding onto him. He didn't have to be asked twice. Maru moved an arm and wrapped it about Madoka's shoulder, keeping her close to his side now.

"You're safe with me." He promised her before looking back to the sky. "... They're storm clouds. It's gonna get bad."

[sell_tickets]

Fighting through the night without a break would be tiring for most people, even under normal circumstances. His Jewels being drained so much more rapidly than usual didn't help. He had spoken with Yasi at length about his three day siege with the Jhinka. He had helped the village recover and work on repairs. He had been there for the funerals. Until now he hadn't fully grasped what it must have been like, though he had thought he had. How the **** had Yasi and Jaenelle managed three days? And was it terrifying or relieving that it took her three days of this to get pushed so far that she had killed all those Jhinka? He thought, as he fought, about everything Yasi had told him. But he couldn't pull Yasi's tricks. They weren't shielding a main base, too many others were out and about and he didn't have the strength to shield a whole village, even if everyone had been willing to fall back. So he couldn't use the psychic wires trick. And he couldn't swap shields to push. ****s fire he was tired. He still had some reserves in his Sapphire, and he could drop to his Birthright for his personal shields if need be. He was using the White, Yellow, and Rose for fighting, since these monsters had no shields of their own and the Lighter ranks drained him less. But even so he was going through his body's stores too quickly. Hunger was more than making itself known as he depleted his reserves. He had been looking forward to the dawn break, but it failed to come. He swore under his breath.

What teams were the people he cared about on? Romeo? Eva? Nita? Elfnien? Could he get them back to the train in time? Because there was one thing Yasi had considered that he could still do if needed. He could give everyone here a clean death if it came to that.

But these weren't Jhinka, he reminded himself. There was no evidence they tortured captives or worse. Besides, if he took that option, Uncle Saetan would tear his remains to bits if he couldn't convince him it had been needed. So He wouldn't. But there had to be something he could do...

He was a Warlord. Not a Warlord Prince. He kept himself off the Killing Edge this whole time, refused to make this a Killing Field. It made him less effective, but without someone he could trust holding his leash he didn't know that he could step back from that if he took that path. He would go down fighting, and by the end he wouldn't know who or what he was fighting, he would become a killing machine... He couldn't do that. Couldn't risk it. Not when there was no one here who could stop him.

So he kept fighting with his bladed stick and his Craft. But to those who knew him... they would see the toll the battle was taking. He wasn't smiling, his eyes were halfway to glazed, he was somehow thinner than if he had starved himself a week, and his color was bad. But as long as the threat remained, he was going to remain. He was going to help....

[hotheadwarmheart]

The battle was wearing on everyone. Lea was still on his feet, but was definitely starting to look a bit rough around the edges. He still had some granola bars and water in his backpack, and had been grabbing something whenever he had a spare moment to keep himself going. It helped a little, but not enough.

Most of the monsters in the immediate area lay dead, a good number of them severely charred, but there was still one further on, being battled by someone with a bladed stick. It looked something like a cross between a huge carp and crab, and the guy didn't seem to be doing especially well against it.

Moving to an angle so that he wouldn't hit the guy directly, Lea launched a large fireball at the creature which quickly struck home. It gave a gurgling screech of pain, much of its left side badly burnt. Which incidentally left it both seriously hobbled and also thoroughly distracted from its more direct attacker, as it turned to face what it perceived as the greater threat.

[sell_tickets]

As soon as the beast, now injured, turned from him Kharry added some craft to his blade and drove it through the shell, embedding into the ground below. Panting, he had to use a bit more Craft to free the blade. "Thank you," he said, shifting the blade to a one handed grip so he could wipe down his face with the other. "Not sure how the **** Yasi did this for three days straight."

Sleepy Ash and Madoka Kaname - OTA

[sobothersome]

With the sun hidden from view, there were more monsters to fight. The sea beyond the monsters raged. Everything seemed to be against them and Maru found himself flagging at times. But Madoka was there for him. He hated having to take more blood from her than he would have normally, but these were strange circumstances.

But Madoka's determination gave him strength. Her resolve to fight and protect fuelled him.

He had stopped trying to be delicate now. He used teeth and claws on the monsters, calculated, surgical attacks that would take down the creatures quickly so he could move on to the next.

He would be up and down the beach with Madoka, jumping in to help those who needed it, protecting any who wanted it. For anyone who was in need of a quick escape he would be on hand to pick them up and carry them back to the barricade to be tended to by Madoka and the others.

[nobodys_puppet]

Two days in a row with a sunset and they couldn't enjoy it with ice cream? Somehow that hurt Xion more deeply than any of the wounds she was taking. But then Cureaga couldn't do anything about disappointment.

The waves were too strong now for her to hunt shells, so she was fighting and mostly just trying to find her friends again.

After the discussion with Roxas and Axel during the day though, she was no longer using her giant key. she was holding a discarded bit of driftwood she found as if it were a weapon, and was mostly relying on her magic. Thunder spells, Fire spells. And healing spells. Anyone need a cure?

[loveandduty]

Minako gripped the handle of the sword as she was prepared to continue to deal with the monsters. Movements swift as she swung the sword into another attacking monster.

Soon jumping back after a scratch from one of them she turned her head. "Can you attack from long to mid-range?"

[nobodys_puppet]

She hesitated as she considered, then nodded. Firaga had some good travel on it, and the fire spells did seem to be doing well. It didn't occour to her to speak to the strange Somebody who asked her a question. She gave that one simple nod, then lifting the stick as if it was her Keyblade aimed at the monster. "FIRAGA!" she called, sending the huge burst of fire at it.

Lea - OTA

[hotheadwarmheart]

Lea, Roxas, and Xion had managed to catch some rest and get something to eat during the day at least, even if it wasn't quite enough to erase all of the previous night's fatigue. Lea had been forced to actually change into a wetsuit though, having fished it out from where he'd stuffed it in his pack and ducked into a convenient empty hut to change so his other clothes could dry a bit. He did keep his normal shoes though, however damp, for traction and protection.

He was startled by the earthquake, belatedly wondering if the island they were on might be volcanic, but since the locals didn't seem worried about it, he opted to follow their lead as much as possible. He'd also made sure to inform Xion and Roxas about the toll using their weapons took; magic seemed to be the order of the day in this battle. If they were going to pace themselves at all, they'd have to use their weapons sparingly.

Night came, and with it the expected return of the monsters. Lea helped wherever he could using primarily his Fire magic, and only resorting to Keyblade or chakrams if he had to. When morning came again, however, the expected tropical sunrise didn't. Instead, heavy clouds left the area in perpetual twilight.

On one hand it was cooler, which was nice. On the other, it meant that the monsters didn't stop coming, which wasn't. And the sea itself seemed to be joining in on the attack as rough waves battered the shore. There wouldn't be any rest today, it seemed.

Well... there was nothing for it. If the monsters kept up, then so would Lea. He was just... rather less inclined to smack talk as the battle wore on. And might need a bit more of a hand than usual later in the day.

Re: Lea - OTA

[nobodys_puppet]

Xion had been surprised when Axel told them that it was their Keyblades not their magic draining them that badly. But she had been too tired to do more than just nod and agree. It had taken all she had to not fall so deeply asleep that they'd be unable to wake her. She did her best to stick with them again, having found... you guessed it... a stick. She was focusing on her fire spells, her thunder spells, and her healing. More and more as the night went into day that was still sort of night she was using her her healing...

[loveandduty]

Minako couldn't recall how long it had been since the fighting began and she had honestly hoped that it would stop once the sun came up. But when that didn't happen she still found herself rather tired.

With a sword in hand, she was doing her best to slash at those who come her way. "One has to wonder what causes them to be so relentless." She asked out loud slashing at another before turning on the balls of her feet to swing and hit another before she found herself pausing, if for a brief moment.

That was one good looking guy, but right now was not the moment to be staring, there were monsters to be slain. So shaking her head she focused on the task again. "So. We haven't met before. I'm Minako, your fellow monster slayer."

[shutupnail]

Piccolo wasn't unfamiliar with earthquakes though it would have been nice to be warned about them before experiencing one whilst in the middle of combat with sea monsters. Piccolo had the advantage of being able to leap into the air and levitate through the tremors even though using his ki abilities did feel a little strange here. He kept to easier techniques just in case it became a problem somehow. His strength wasn't weakened at all anyway so punching the monsters to death worked just fine.

What did bother him was the lack of ki sensing. That one was completely useless here, which startled him greatly whenever they first arrived on this world. It still bothered him but he kept fighting despite what felt like a handicap. It wasn't the first time ki sensing couldn't pick up his opponents though it was much worse since he couldn't even sense his allies or anything else on the island. That was much worse than simply not being able to sense specific ki signatures.

However, that was all at the back of his mind as the days continued. Piccolo didn't mind resting during the day and fighting at night either. But when the clouds rode in and didn't leave, causing the day time to turn into twilight, Piccolo felt uneasy. It wasn't any premonition this time but his gut was definitely not liking the turn of events. Still, he was stoic as usual.

"Watch out!" the Namekian called out to one of his fellow train passengers. Piccolo dashed forward to stop the oncoming blow from a rather large tentacle that tried to slap downwards onto the beach and hit anyone not paying attention as they fended off other monsters. He held the massive tentacle in place as anyone unfortunate enough to be beneath it got to safety.

"Looks like another giant squid wants to play," Piccolo said. "Anyone down for a dive to hit it at the source?" Someone sounded a little eager to fight the biggest creature on the block.

[faithfulsupport]

He'd helped usher the unfortunate souls that almost got trapped by the tentacle that Piccolo had saved them from. Ignis didn't want to admit how damn tired he was from all the fighting. Fortunately he had the sword Duo gave him and was able to use that instead as a substitute.

Serious green eyes looked up in time to hear the other call out about a giant squid. Honestly these nasty creatures kept coming and he wondered how long the parade of monsters from the sea would keep coming. It didn't matter at the end of the day though, they had to keep this island safe no matter what. He'd seen the children's faces and the women had huddled together at hearing about the sea monsters. Men had put protective arms around the wives in concern as well.

With a determined sigh, Ignis pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and summoned his drain lance. Bending down, he leaped into the air and landed right on top of the creature.

[blitzcheer]

Second Day: before noon:

Tidus is late rising after the night of fighting, dealing with one nuisance and then off to find another. With the ground needed to be covered, the villages and the rock pools to be protected, it was hard to know from one end how the other was doing. But everything seemed as fine as it could be, save for the wounded.

Anything too grievous, Tidus didn't dare to get involved with: his magic just wasn't that great. But for anyone getting treated for minor wounds--cuts and sprains that don't run too deep--Tidus has thrown his hand in, settled under a tent set out to deal with people not in need of beds. It's awkward, he's a sports player at heart, not some mage or healer. But screw it--wouldn't it be worse if he let that stop him from helping?

"I should be able to make it easier," is all he'll promise, throwing in just to lighten the mood: "Hope you gave the other guy worse."

Or, for another conversation starter:

"When's the last time you saw the sea?"

after noon: elder village

But really, playing healer isn't Tidus's thing (if only Yuna was here), and it's a mental exhaustion he should relax: there'll be fighting again that night. After some rest, what was important was putting together new fires for the night, and also dealing with the issue of excitable kids getting more excitable in disagreeable ways. Like deciding they can pick up a weapon and fight the monsters too.

Moving them to the elder's village had been proposed, and putting up whatever fortifications could be offered there. The bonfires they could prepare would be limited with the surrounding jungle, and the better plan was to try and keep the monsters from reaching them in the first place.

But in case of emergencies, on weapon had been introduced: conch shell horns, which a few of the kids were happy to test out noisily.

And it was noisy, sure, but standing in the midst of the racket grimacing, Tidus couldn't help but wonder out loud:

"Think that's gonna be loud enough to hear from the beaches?"

before sunset:

He continues moving around, checking up on jobs that are being spread around and where he can help, warming up with a blade along the beach, testing how well he can put his magic into quickening how he slices the weapon. He can also be seen testing something: a hand held out, energy drifting like small orbs from it, trying to spark and light like a fire. ...that's it. That's totally what he's trying to do.

When it comes to dinnertime, the community coming together with the Voidtreckers to make sure everyone's ready for the night, Tidus is among the group often looking out to the sea, his brow knitted.

night:

And then the chaos begins.

Working off naps scattered through the day, Tidus is glad for the practice with his blade earlier, his sprint quick and his swipe matching in speed. He's aiming for the shark head beasts when he can, to stun them with an attack from his blade. Any around him long enough will be able to catch this tactic, contact with his blade causing monsters to become stunned, and if they want to, they can bring in a finishing blow of their own, working with the blond to get through their enemies quicker.

Tidus will also dish out haste spells to those of the physical upfront fighters with him, wearing familiar or not. They may get the warning of "Here!", and then feel their bodies become imbued with a new swiftness, help them along the fight. The opposite can be granted to the monsters with a slowing spell, slowing a speedy cast of crabs coming from out the water.

Speed is his speciality, the easiest magic for him to use, and he's going to give what he's got. Help him watch his back, and he'll help watch yours.

dawn:

"Where're all these things coming from!?"

First the shaking, now this! It has to be dawn, he keeps telling himself, but the actual signal he's looking for in that--in the presence of the sun, the retreat of the monsters--doesn't come. Guess Inigo wasn't far off the mark about disliking the big ball of light after all.

Tidus rests when he can, but it never feels enough. He's less generous with his spells, trying to space it out so he doesn't knock himself out from exhaustion. But for when people are seen being dragged into the waters by the squids (or more accurately heard screaming), he'll ask the nearest person, "Aim the squid! I'll get them!" before darting for the water with blade in hand.

Luckily for Tidus, he's not just stupid: he's stupid and good at moving in water.

But how long can this go on...?

Night

[faithfulsupport]

Seeing what Tidus was doing made sense. Ignis made sure he dragged his tired limbs with him, sparing a glance to keep an eye on his daughter whenever he could. She seemed safe enough for now and for that he was grateful.

The shark things were nasty and he summoned his lance to skewer them more often than not, as exhausting as it was. But then suddenly he felt faster and less tired. Not knowing where the burst of energy came from (his beloved Ebony wasn't present nor had he had any coffee lately) he looked over at the blonde. There seemed to be that ever cheerful smile on his face and Ignis nodded in acknowledgement.

Finding a sloping rock, the advisor moved up on it preparing to jump. Out of the corner of his glasses he saw Tidus move and did he just get hit? With a silent promise, the man leaped onto the head of the shark, gave it a good gash on the head and jumped down.

Moving quickly, he turned and grabbed one of the healing potions infused with his own healing technique. Swiftly he applied it to the other and went right back to the fray.

elder village

[longforgottenpromise]

Taiki knows only too well that children want to be helpful and useful. And if they feel they cannot help those around them they are likely to take matters into their own hands. So he has been enlisting them into helping prepare by gathering wood and water.

They really are a help honestly, they all know how to build and light a fire, which is more than Taiki knows. But he is learning.

He is returning to the village, carrying an armload of wood, with two children following, their own wood quickly dropped messily in a pile as they rush over to the crowd of horn playing children.

"I think so. They can probably hear it from wherever the others have gone."

inigo

[blitzcheer]

The beaches were crabby--that is, littered with crabs unusual in their size, but also probably crabby too, the waves sloshing with discontent along the shoreline. Equipped with shielding taken from the bodies of these same monsters, the islanders have started to get the hang of dealing with them, using shields made from their brethren to knock back their pincers while aiming for their mandibles with spears tipped by sharks teeth.

For the nuisances that come along, these foes aren't the worst. But they're distracting for those that are, the appearance of the long-limbed squid coming in the form of a scream as a villager is swept off their feet unexpectedly (and very unromantically) and held high in the air.

Tidus snaps his head to the source, punished for the slip in attention by a claw that fights him for his blade before Tidus thrusts it into the seafood. He then turns properly, spotting the person being swung, and starts making a run for it, but not without calling out--

"Inigo!"

A call for support.

Ple Two - OTA

[pleple]

A - Shaky shake

You know what you don't get in space? Earthquakes. Things shake, but that's usually... combat. Not just the entire ground, underneath you, deciding to eff things up. So, no matter how she tries to keep her shit together, despite being distantly aware of earthquakes existing... even a mild quake has her hitting the deck, wide-eyed.

That is disorienting as all hell. "W-well. Um. ...that's interesting?"

B - Nasty monsters

...they aren't just leaving this time, huh? Ple Two has picked up extra weapons to try and compensate for her sense being screwed with, but at this point chucking fishing spears and nets only seems like it's going to slow a few monsters down.

Especially with the waves crashing, harder and further up the beach than before

[magicurls]

" We weren't told about this being a volcanic region..."

Mami's eyes are a little bloodshot. She hasn't stopped fighting. The creatures are relentless, and it's only getting worse. But so many people will suffer if she can't help, even as a normal girl.

A - Shaky shake

[sobothersome]

He didn't like earthquakes. Though could you really call them that if they weren't on earth? Planetquakes. That seemed better, if more intense...

Maru didn't like them. Really didn't like them. But it looked like the people around them didn't mind so much. They were use to it?

Somehow that bothered him...

"Here..." He held out a hand to Ple Two. "... I can get you somewhere safer than here."

B

[loveandduty]

Poking them with the sword wasn't doing much of anything. She knew that she had to do more So she had managed during all the commotion to run off and perhaps try once more to transform.

This time it had been successful. Sailor Venus was in play and she was ready to help, even if she was a tiny bit drained after doing so.

Making her way over she was ready. "Hey you over there, need a little help?"