middleofsomewhere | So Familiar a Gleam: Finale

Entry tags:

So Familiar a Gleam: Finale

YOU R̴̨̬̗̞̺̖̣̱͌̋̅͊͒̃͘Ų̴̨̨̦͎̭̥̰͍̞͙̲̰̞̭̎̆̓͂́͒̑͌̆̉̕͝Î̶̲͖͙͍̮̮̯̭͘͝N̵̡̢̢̛̛͔̳̲͚̙͕̘̠̞̈͊̂̋̆ͅÉ̸͖̟̻̯̪̭͉̭͖̱̙̠̺͎̥̿D̸̥́͒̈́̔̓̅̋͛̉̀͒̇̚̚ MY WORLD

A TL;DR notes version of days/prompts: (click to show)

EVENT BASICS:

DAYS 8-9 (M11-M12):

Buildings had begun to disappear during days 7&8, facilities and even whole streets begin vanishing. There are signs of crumbling infrastructure everywhere they look.
In the early morning of Day 9 (M12), the cracks in the city - in this illusionary world - finally spread. The void sky above shines brightly in its colours. Chaos - also referred to as the Entity, or That Guy - is heard screaming of vengeance against the Voidtreckers, blaming all that has happened onto them. It shows what happened to the original Diagad: It was destroyed by blocky shapes in the sky that came down and destroyed it, while Chaos itself fell into the void.

There is also some light mind torture, as a treat, to really wake people up. Memories, visions of their past assail them. This is the sort of stuff the voidtreckers have been training against and it's a good time for them to put all that work to the test.
Anan's group then takes over any electrical device still left. She explains that they have a way to get the non voidtreckers (4th wall characters and npcs) home and also a way to temporarily seal the world. The entity takes offence at this and the screens smash. The entity appears as a cyclone of crackling colourful energy.
Illusionary creatures are sent around to find and attack Voidtreckers, but they're also going after 4th wallers/NPCS. There's also monsters from other worlds leaking through, real monsters. People will have to move around more carefully, as going out on the streets is dangerous.
However, there's word that buildings are disintegrating/disappearing farther out from the centre sector. People see where the city limits are as the illusion of there being more to the city has completely faded.
Their SCA's begin to work fully, including comms. Of course not everyone was wearing their SCA when they got pulled and the 4th wallers don't have one so it will be up to those who do to make sure everyone is kept in the loop.
The main tasks are as follows.

"YOU. YOU WISH TO RUIN MY WORLD. TO TEAR IT ASUNDER, BREAK AND CRUMBLE AND INCINERATE ITS EXISTENCE AGAIN. AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN. I WATCHED IT. THE END OF DIAGAD, PURPLE SKIES, THE CHILDREN WHO LAUGHED IN JOY, THE SMILES I BROUGHT TO LIFE. THE REASON I WORKED AND WOKE AND WHAT KEPT ME GOING EACH AND EVERY DAY. MY EXISTENCE. MY BEING.

FALLING. FALLING. FALLING. I FELL AS IT CAME, BLACK TERROR WITH A HUNGER. HOW DID THE CHILDREN CRY? DID THEY SUFFER? I CAN HEAR THEM ALL, I CAN IMAGINE THEM. SEE IT. THE POSSIBILITIES, THE MAYBES, THE TRUTH. THE WORLD-- MY BEAUTIFUL DIAGAD, OH! THE VOID HAS BLESSED AND CURSED AND DAMNED AND DESTROYED AND BROUGHT TO ME A CHANCE TO SAVE IT THIS TIME, I WILL SAVE DIAGAD, I WILL HEAR THE CHILDREN LAUGH AGAIN, NO ONE WILL DESTROY MY CITY AGAIN. NO ONE, NO THING, IT WILL BE BEAUTIFUL AND SAVED AND IT WILL PROSPER FOREVER.

ALL WHO HARM US! ALL WHO STOP OUR RETURN! I WILL FIX WHAT HAS BEEN BROKEN. NEVER AGAIN SHALL YOU YOU VOIDTRECKERS HARM MY WORLD AGAIN. TWISTING AND RUINING OUR HOME NO MORE NO MORE I WILL END YOU."

The spiel comes in the early morning of Merriment 12, their ninth day on this strange world, though morning and night are indistinguishable now with the void-scarred sky burning above Jinnjar. Little exists of the sectors but the education and political district, and everyone has had to take shelter in its buildings, on cold tiled floors and with few blankets. There is no waking comfortable, feeling at ease. The city continues to crumble, and the citizens turned into the Entity's Heroes never quit their search and harassing of people who may be secret Voidtreckers, regardless of the ruinous world around them.

And then it speaks. The Entity's voices wakes everyone, enters into dreams, reality and the fake undefinable between one another. Scenes switch from one to another. A sky. Purple, serene and calm. A feeling of great contentment. But then come the shadows. Dark clouds filling the sky, blotting out that most perfect sky. A scream. No, a thousand screams. A world of screams echoes in every ear. A shadowed figure falling into the void. Pain erupts through the body, the mind, madness and grief suffocating every sense, every fibre of the being, and more attempts to fill and drown each and every person in Diagad. There is grief, there is love, there is despair. A longing and desperation that can never be fulfilled that cries out.

Once it's over, many have collapsed from the experience, and there are screams of those scared for their lives. Go out into the streets if you haven't already, and you will see the streets breaking, buildings being pulled like cubes, splitting people and trapping them. And there is a surge that hits people - Voidtreckers, others - with a brainwashing that makes them think of only one thing:

NO MORE. END. WE WILL END THE VOIDTRECKERS.

In amongst all of this chaos screens switch on. Any screens left working in buildings, on buildings, peoples phones. All show a young woman, a droid sat on her hair, metal legs curled around her head.

"Malin?"

A woman's voice. "Yes, go Anan. Now."

"LISTEN UP!" Anan isn't as loud as the booming voice echoing through the city, but she makes herself clear. "We need to evacuate and seal this world. It is falling apart." Stating the obvious, perhaps.

"We can temporarily seal it and we think there is a way to get the others back to their worlds. I know you Voidtreckers have had no training and this is advanced and really dangerous but everyone who is not a void traveller is in a lot of danger."

In truth, even the void travellers were in danger, but she doesn't want morale to be too low.

"Anyone willing to help meet me in the big park. You'll know it, it's the only park left!"

'HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU THWART ME. NO. NO. YOU DON'T. THIS IS MY CITY. MINE NOT YOURS. NOT YOURS TO DESTROY.' There's a huge crack as the sky itself seems to crack apart as colours twist and turn, a cyclone that forms at the edgez of the city, slowly beginning to devour it.

Over the camera Anan looks visibly shocked, terrified even, lost for words. An older man with reddish greying hair steps towards her, putting a big hand on her shoulder.

"Focus Anan. Voidtreckers. We do not ask it lightly. Please those that can, fight. Buy us time to set the seals. Buy time for those with no void craft to evacuate."

The screens flicker in colour before it cracks into static.

'NONE OF YOU WILL SURVIVE.'

A DISJOINTED REALITY

[ FALLING CITY. ] The city has been torn apart, fragments of roads, buildings and structures floating in a horrible mess. Friends and comrades split apart, some trapped in rooms that once had exits, or with no way out than to fall to nowhere. Pieces may stitch back together again at random, but with the same unpredictably, tear apart.

And if it couldn't get any worse, those core lights buzz around the environment, searching for individuals. They will do anything to hinder our heroes: turn into monsters from their minds, attempt to encase them inside illusions of their fears; even try to make them see pathways that don't exist, to make them fall into nothingness.

But for those who honed their resistances against illusions, this time may be different from the last. And with some experimenting, or just some lucky wishful thinking at the right time - some will find they can bend the illusions to do as they want, if just for a while. Stitch back together pathways so they can be crossed over, or make a weapon appear where it's needed.

It requires concentration, will be exhausting with too much use, but still - when isn't an axe or road on call handy?

[ HINDRANCE OR HELP. ] But it isn't only the core lights and environment they need to worry about. There are monsters coming out of the void - monsters they may recognise, monsters they may not. But unlike those of illusions, these are real, monsters - mechanical, ghostly, flesh and blood, something else entirely - slipping through from other worlds to rampage here.

There are also civilians, those who remain brainwashed, going after the Voidtreckers with powers of their own: telekinesis, pyromancy, superstrength and endurance, and so forth. Their skill levels vary, but the strongest of all are those who features have become twisted, chaotic. Streaks of colours dance under the skin, and they listen to no reason but their own. The entity - no their god, Chaos, is remaking the world. Remaking it the way it should have always been.

Strangely, but luckily, not everyone is harmful. Amongst those out there are a peculiar sight: a short hybrid between child and woodland-creature. They're keen to help, particularly anyone young or good of heart. They will help to lead them to safe shelters - the safe-houses made by Voidtreckers, the protected rooms all that are left. They may even interrupt the core lights from harming youngsters, knocking and shattering them, and then staying close to the youngster.

[ THE EVACUATION. ] For those who manage to make their way to the park, Anan is there, looking grim. One good thing though, as voidtreckers rush towards the entity or get ready to protect those helping evacuate this world- those with SCA's will see them burst into life, comms online.

The evacuation area needs protecting. Those acting as beacons aren't able to fight for themselves and the evacuation process is intense, slow and there are many many people in this city. The main entity is distracted but the monsters are drawn towards this gathering of people. Holding them back is vital to this plan working.

It's going to take everything the voidtreckers and their new friends have, to pull this plan off.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Look, it's not like I can just charge up one before hand and hide it somewhere!" Goku retorted. It would be helpful, but where do you hide a big Spirit Bomb? Where do you sit a small one?

Goku's feet begin kicking and striking at the tendrils. It's getting harder and harder to keep fighting back. This stupid thing is just screaming at him and it's getting rougher and rougher...

There is some satisfaction in being able to hit the thing. Choosing to ignore the rants of a madman for now. It's not like he cares what kind of excuses they are going to give for why they are doing this. He manages to slice through the tendril that was going for his feet but he misjudged the one aiming for his neck.

He feels it wrap around and he reaches up to grip it with his hand. "You probably should rethink fighting against a sword with a vine."

He swings the sword up to try and cut himself free from the thing gripping him.

Vegeta lets out several ki blasts to try and block those tendrils from heading their way, but had to quickly change up plans as that magical energy shot towards them. The smart thing would be to dodge, but since he's acting as a shield he throws his hands up in front of him, taking the brunt of it against his forearms for both himself and Goku. It really didn't help he didn't have his armor thanks to the whole 'new life' illusion factor, teeth gritted to the impact as he felt those tendrils take hold.

"Get off!" He barked out, a shot of ki at those trying to wrap around him before he turned and did the same to those trying to grab Goku. That tug as well, the mental one, was not helping, pulling at those still confused mix of 'memories'. Vegeta tried to steel himself against it the best he could, shoving it away in an attempt to ignore it. "Just stay focused!" He snapped back to Goku as he kept himself ready for what was next.

Loki does pause, stop. It's Frigga's voice. And she solidifies in front of him. For a second he lets his magic fizzle. Then he regathers it, fire in his eyes.

"You dare to try to use my mother's form to trick me?! You will pay for that, defiler of memories."

He throws an even stronger spell in an arc in front of him, again meant to destroy any illusions. He's not watching, though; while he can attack his fake mother, he can't look while doing it.

Perhaps it's those exact words that finally bring Della to the forefront - after all, every world has some variation of "never get between a mother bear and her cubs". Also, with all her memories back, she also has remembered the device Tidus gave her which allowed her to do impossible leaps and jumps - which not only allows her to cover great distances in a small amount of time, but also slam down hard on those tendrils from out of nowhere as she lands.

A McDuck always has to make a flashy entrance.

She knows she can't do much - compared to all these gods and superpowers, she's just an ordinary woman with a metal leg and video-game jumps. But she's got a lot of anger to express, and that needs to go somewhere.

"You know, buddy, I might have felt sorry for you at some point. I might have even listened and offered a shoulder to cry on... anyone on the train can tell you I'm pretty good at that. But then you went and made the biggest mistake you ever could..."

She unhooks her prosthetic leg, once more willing and able to use it as a weapon.

"YOU TOOK AWAY MY BOYS!"

Allen hadn't been focusing much on whatever everyone else was doing as he had been more focused on the whole not getting grabbed thing. He would like to not have that happen very much.

Though with the ways things are Allen didn't think to attack, just avoid for the most part.

"You know, I do want to understand. Instead of doing what you are doing, I would like to talk."

He knew that was unlikely to work, but it was worth a try.

Kairi herself had been distracted by the voice. She knew it was falmiliar but she knew she should get back to helping the others. So looking back she watched.

"Anyone need healing? Or a shield?"

And suddenly, in a sparkle of red and gold, Sunset appears beside Loki. And then a shift, from pony, to human.

Her hand touches Loki's arm, briefly. "Watch my back. I trust you," she said as she steps towards the cyclone of energy, her form shifting again, her clothes changing, hair growing, pony ears appearing on her head.

"I can handle the truth!" She shouts at the entity because she has to try. She has to try. "You're hurting! You're suffering and alone and you're desperate for it to end! But you're going about it the wrong way! But I have traveled dimensions, I have been apart of chaos and harmony, and I am meant to take on the pain that drives people to madness so we can find a better way!"

She isn't lying, she can't lie about this. Its terrifying, there is so much pain, she knows there's so much pain, but before she can give up, she has to at least try.

She has to hope that the Elements were right to choose her for this burden.

So she walks towards the cyclone anyway.

"I don't want you to die, but people won't let themselves be killed or be dominated forever! You can't do this forever! All you have to do is lose once! So before you force everyone's hands, show me your pain and let me help you!"

Edited 2021-07-22 12:43 (UTC)

"Buddy, I hate too break it to ya, but we don't drive the train!" she manages to yell before the illusion swallows her. "We just go where there's problems, and right now you are the one causing the biggest ones!"

Then the world is replaced the the fall of Diagad. She stares in horror at first, but soon it is replaced with a frown. This isn't real, it is only memories.

While she could, Dairine doesn't break the illusion just yet. Rather she focuses, trying to get a better look at the shadowy enemy that's plagued the Voidtreck Express. "Humor me here," she quips. "If you're so powerful, why take out your anger on us and not the force that destroyed this world? Seems like that has caused far more problems for you than one Voidcraft crew."

Edited 2021-07-22 15:40 (UTC)

Van Gogh focuses on protection- not from the Chaos, oddly, but from the chaos of battle around them. Battle is dangerous. Attacks from others can have collateral.

Kiyoiri sucks in a breath, and in the outside world the starts of tears form in her eyes.

(She doesn't let go.)

(It hurts though.)

(It hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts-how could anything hurt this much)

In, and out, another breath.

She tries, rather than to break out, to push back with her own memory. The anger of the Chaos- the pain of the Chaos- is familiar.

So very familiar.

(If she can show them that-

The screams of Chaldea as they fled the Ice to flee into the Shadow Border. The mere handful of people, largely children, who made it. As it careened down ice and snow, and brilliant spears of light began to descend upon the world-

'Human History was Wrong,' declared a voice.

They would clear it without mercy.

Chaldea's feeble arc escaped but barely between the fabric of reality, 'Zero Space' as it was called.

When next they saw the world, the entire planet, its oceans, its forests, its people, were long gone, replaced by White. Husks of buildings left behind, with desperate written cries weeping for the inevitable end and slaughter. Mere ghosts of ruin, billions of people, animals, lives,

Reduced to fewer a number than the people fighting now.)

"...If you could talk, I would listen. I have seen your world longer than I have seen this train."

(She knows he won't talk. Well...maybe she doesn't. It's not an unfair guess to make here.

There is the feeling though, that this thing just likes to whine and show off though.)

"...But if you want to fight, we will fight for the same reasons. If you will not give these people the chance to fight, we will fight for them."

Letting his assertiveness to the forefront was not Demyx's specialty. His specialty was hiding and skulking around and not drawing ire. It would be stupid to let his emotions - ones that he'd argue he didn't have - take over.

He wasn't thiking calmly. The blast was deflected with a wall of water, and he responded in kind, sending more water at this monologuing asshole.

"Do you think you're special or something?" He cried out. "People lose stuff all the time, and..." He breathed. "Taking it out on people who have nothing to do with it isn't fair."

He recognized that, at least, because he knows. He did it at someone else's direction for years.

"Nothing you do is going to fix what happened."

MY DOOM HAS ALREADY HAPPENED. I AM DOOMED. YOU ARE DOOMED. ALL ARE DOOMED.

Tendrils are still grabbing at Goku and Vegeta though their shield is helping, slowing the tendrils down. Meanwhile the one around Xue Yang's neck tries to pick him up, to lift him clean off the floor whereas a second one tries to tangle around his sword hand. A blast of energy hits Curufin as he yells and a tendril reaches for Kairi also.

You are the one defiling memories. The voice is softer, coming from Frigga's lips as Loki's magic starts to undo her. You would destroy me? Loki? Her voice sounds in pain as his magic breaks down the illusion.

Up in the sky Danny was still fighting against the force pushing him into the cyclone and it pushed back hard, a solid force like a strong wind.

As Della screams at the mass of colours three figures appear, her boys. Wrapped in tendrils and lifted high in the sky. THESE BOYS? THESE ONES? I HAVE TAKEN THEM LIKE ALL WAS TAKEN FROM ME. KNOW MY PAIN. FEEL MY SORROW.

YOU SAY. YOU ALL SAY YOU WANT TO UNDERSTAND. ITS NOT FAIR YOU SAY. WELL WELL. I WILL SHOW YOU. I WILL SHOW YOU.

A moment later Demyx, Allen, Dairine and Sunset find themselves stood in a busy square. A little girl runs towards them, her braids swinging as she smiles. The sky darkens. They fall. Endlessly fall, screams fill their ears and pain, so much pain fills their hearts. Loss yes, anger, grief. Until they are drowning in it. It can be broken out of, but the pain seems almost physical before they do so. I'm not special. WE SHALL ALL DIE TOGETHER. DOOM CAN LEAD TO OBLIVION.

You know The voice whispered to Kiyoiri. Join with me. Share your pain.. She is out of the illusion now, that cyclone looks very very inviting.

Edited 2021-07-22 20:18 (UTC)

The tendril had caused him to drop the shield. Zelgadis spotted Danny up in the sky, and cast his own flight spell to get the boy away from the cyclone. Hopefully the currents of air wrapped around him would disrupt the entity's own winds.

"Stop making this all our problem," Zelgadis growled. "It's not a competition of 'who can be the most miserable'." And maybe if this thing was so certain it's doom would lead to oblivion, it could get right on that, but he had the good sense to not say that aloud. "At least when I run into demon lords, the 'destroy everything' makes some sense for motivation."

"Ya'll really wanna try the 'friendship speech' method?" She couldn't say it was a big fan of it, considering that this abomination was now taunting her with the idea of her CHILDREN BEING STRANGLED. Sure, by now she knew it wasn't real, but boy that'd be a fun addition to her usual nightmares.

Still... nothing else seemed to work, and they'd been throwing everything at it but the kitchen sink. At the very least, maybe it would buy time until whatever Goku was building up was finished. Della sprung into action, hitting every tendril in sight, trying to keep them at bay.

"Yeah, seeing that hurts a whole lot, not gunna lie!" Della said as she swung. "Did it make you feel any better? Did it make YOUR PAIN any less? Even if you take down every single one of us, it's not going to bring back what you've lost! The biggest illusion you've made here is the one you gave yourself - you've deluded yourself into thinking you'll feel better by hurting everyone else!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Goku growled. That's it. That's all the energy he can gather. He might not be able to kill him with it, but he'll certainly try enough to hurt him. Throwing his hands down, the massive ball of energy will come down on top of Chaos before he turns Super Saiyan, using the force of the transformation to try and blow the tendril away.

"We could have talked this over, but you chose to fight; to manipulate; to control." Goku said, using his power to push the Spirit Bomb towards Chaos. "You talk about how we're evil and monsters, but deep down, you're the monster!"

He tries to fight against the tendril holding his sword hand. As he gets raised into the air, one sword disappears so that he can use that free hand to reach up and pull at the tendril around his neck. He doesn't want to be choked or hung to death if he can help it.

"You think you are the only one who has lost something? You want to take your anger out on something else I get it. Did enough of that myself. So I'm not going to judge you for that. But we have a job to do to stop you so you might as well accept that you might stop a few of us, but you won't stop the majority."

Xue Yang is not usually a team player but he knows he has to be in these situations.

Danny was a little distracted at the moment, and had completely missed all the speechmaking that had been going on. Probably for the best. Literally no one needed puns right now.

He'd been pouring all of his speed and flying ability into fighting against the wind, and this was not working.

He gets caught by surprise when the wind kicks up around him, losing focus enough to be forced a few feet closer to the cyclone. And finally decides that this is enough. He refused to end this fight by being eaten by a rainbow tornado.

Twisting around, he sets his feet as best as he can, inhales, and screams. It was a terrifying wail, that echoed and reverberated in the air, tinging the very sound waves green as they pounded against everything in front of him.

This was an attack that had brought down buildings and flipped cars when he'd used it before. He just hoped it was enough power to break free of the wind.

Oh.

How unexpected. Kiyoiri blinks briefly in shock, but there isn't much time before the cyclone makes itself apparent to her. Beckoning, bristling, swirling-

'You Know'. (Ah. Well, her message was received then.) 'Join with me.' (Is that what the cyclone is? Is this one person? One being? Idly her mind goes to people that had to be fought- all repeating, repeating...)

'Share your pain.'

There is one thing, helping to slow the pull- (as the prompt strikes at her, she can remember Nightingale's teachings, and the teachings of so many others. She swore not to cause an End. No more of that. No more. A Doctor doesn't bring Pain. If she shares anything it cannot be that-)

Two things- (Van Gogh has not quite changed focus, but her perogative is clear. Protect the 'Master'. Streaks of paint flash through the sky, but more importantly she activates the second of her skills- 'Het Gele Huis: The Yellow House'- while it's unlikely that it will have much effect on any defenses Chaos bears, it'll at least bolster Kiyoiri's own.)

Three- (The core of her soul, her Origin, was 'Opposition'. She refuses to spread pain. But....)

Kiyoiri walks forward. One step after the other, slowly toward the cyclone. It would be so easy, for someone to pull her back right now. She's one small girl, with no power of her own...except to take what's turned upon her, and try to change it, however slightly. "You already have so much pain," she murmurs as she walks. "What if I shared something else?"

(Everything was gone. The world erased, disappeared, reduced to nothing, but- If they forgot how to smile, how to be kind, if they let their pain overtake them, how could they bring everything back at all the same? If she must share anything, she wants to share how they Coped.)

It hurt.

It might not hurt as much for Demyx as it might for someone with a fully formed emotional centre, but it hurt all the same.

The world being destroyed and consumed by darkness didn't even phase him. He put his hand to his chest, but he's not one to linger here in this illusion. He leaned on the power of his amulet to help and summoned up his indifference.

Demyx stepped forward, pushing forward towards him. "So. What." He bit angrily. He could definitely be cold and callous when he wanted to be and he was going to pull that here.

"Your world ended? So did mine. You're never going to fix it." The only sign of his lingering discomfort was his hand on his chest. "Can't change the past. You can only go forward and none of us are going to let you drag us into your misery. We've all got our own. Stop messing with our heads to make yourself feel better." He fell into step next to Xue Yang, holding his sitar firmly in his free hand. There was a slight tremble with how hard he was holding onto it, gripping it to ground himself.

Edited (ugh tense issues) 2021-07-22 22:33 (UTC)

The instant he starts seeing that Spirit Bomb fly Vegeta drops playing bodyguard, a blast of ki out as a final push to get any lingering tendrils away from him before leaving Goku's side. He can take care of himself now. Instead he focuses on those with them, those that might be in trouble. Vegeta had spotted some during that game of defense, having wanted to go and get them but resisted in hopes the Spirit Bomb would do it's job and end this all. But now he's free of that responsibility, and he can see someone getting pulled in.

Dropping to the ground in an instant, he races forward and grabs up Kiyoiri in one arm, sweeping her back behind him as he brings his other hand up and lets out a ki blast in the direction of that cyclone. "Focus, here and now." He snaps out to Kiyoiri. "Whatever it's telling you is just lies."

The emotions hit and Sunset falls to her knees. The sobs leave before she can stop them, as it all hits, goes through her mind like an eternity and a moment. It hurts, it hurts, it hurts-

She was made for this.

She is breathing heavy, tears falling, and her form glowing as she pushes herself to her feet. It hurts, it feels like a heart attack, it feels like its tearing her apart-

Its an empty void. Rage and hurt and emptiness and she knew that. That feeling that had made her lose her mind to corruption, that made her want to hurt any and all who got in her way. That made her dominate and control others-

For her own fantasy.

"I'm still standing!" She shouts, voice tough and rough as she forces herself to be here, to help.

She remembers what came after. The light, the warmth, the promise that there was another way. She didn't have to be empty, she didn't have to hurt, she could have warmth in her life again.

"And you don't have to be special. You just. Have to accept a hand offered to you-" Like she was. When Twilight dragged her out of that pit. When her friends stood beside her when everyone hated her. When after losing everything over and over, there were still people who were willing to accept her.

Pain and all.

And she pushes back. Back along the connection into her mind. Sharing the warmth of her friends. Twilight's forgiveness, the understanding of another. The genorosity of Rarity after all she did. Fluttershy's kindness aftet fear. Applejack's gentle honesty after years of harsh lies. Rainbow Dash's loyalty after so much backstabbing. Pinkie Pie's laughter after so many tears.

Loki's belief in her, that he still trusts her after seeing her at her worst.

She pushes that warmth back, with the understanding of what its like to feel hollow, to have nothing, and to find something else to live for that didn't have to destroy.

"So please, just accept help!" Sunset shouted through tears and pain and a glow that would not leave her form, a warmth that bolstered her through pain, as she steps forward, hands extended.

Dairine suspected this Entity would not accept help. They were too proud, too lost in their own head. Perhaps it is this, or perhaps it is the searing pain coursing through her body that brings back a memory back into crystal clarity. Her Ordeal. As her battle with the Lone One grew longer, she had dragged It into a fierce confrontation, grabbing onto Its metaphysical presence within her mind. The screaming had been so loud, the pain, both hers and Its.

She can do this, she's done it before.

The memory grounds her through the pain. With a gasp, she breaks free, dwelling the urge to delve deeper. As valuable as these memories might be long term, she had more important matters at hand.

"Yeah, yeah. We're all doomed, entropy is running. Tell me something I haven't heard," she says sourly as Dairine gets back on her feet, hands tight around Spot. The laptop is still glowing intensely blue, an indication of spells in the works. "So why are you contributing to it rather than doing something about it?"

Loki snarls at the false Frigga's voice, eyes still closed. "Mother- the true one- would never support pulling innocents into this perversion of remembrance."

Once her voice fades, he opens his eyes, glaring at the battlefield. "Using her to cause someone else pain goes against everything she is. You can mimic, but you have no understanding. Of us or of what we want."

He gathers energy for another spell and addresses his fellow combatants.

"Everyone! This thing has nothing but illusions and lies! If you have trouble remembering that, I can help remind you. I will stop it from using your pasts to torment you."

Is Solar within reach? He'll try to reach for her with his free hand. If that contact, that trust, gives her magic any boost, he has to try. Even if he would rather destroy their enemy. This is her area of expertise, after all. And even if he can't help her turn the being, he can keep her from being pulled into its despair and hate.

Curufin is knocked down by the blast of energy from the entity, but he soon gets up. It is hard to defeat an Elf of the First Age of Arda. He rises, springs forward, and and starts slashing at the tendrils that are reaching for or already grasping the other combatants.

"YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO WHAT IS BEING SAID TO YOU," he shouts at the entity. "WE VOIDTRECKERS DID NOT DESTROY YOUR PLANET! YOU SHOULD OFFER US AN ALLIANCE IN ORDER TO KILL THOSE SHADOW BEINGS THAT ATE YOUR WORLD!"

Edited 2021-07-23 04:48 (UTC)

I NEVER DESTROYED. YOU DESTROYED. THIS MASTERPIECE. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN PERFECT YET HERE YOU ARE WITH YOUR SMASHING AND YOUR GRABBING. NO. NO MY MOTIVATION WAS LOVE. PEACE. A WORLD. FOR ME. FOR US ALL. YET YOU! YOU RUINED IT ALL. YOU ARE THE ONES WHO MAKE IT HURT. YOU HAVE BROUGHT ME NAUGHT BUT PAIN.

Everything happens quickly, the attacks all hit, exploding tendrils, distorting the mass of colours. Kiyoiri is grabbed by Vegeta and Danny helped by Zelgadis breaks away from the pull.

As Kiyoiri, Dairine and Sunset spoke, pushing their minds, their hope and care towards the entity tendrils came down, to wrap around their waists. Unlike before these weren't violent, more curious.

Can you help? CAN YOU REALLY? The landscape changes, now everyone is stood in a park, flickers of people wandering around. There is no sign of the tendrils, the cyclone, or colours at all. The sky changes, darkening as shapes begin to gather.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Edited 2021-07-23 05:04 (UTC)

“But, that’s just it - we had no intention on destroying anything.” Goku said. “We’re just warned of something happening and we came to investigate.”

“Your desire and intent is good but your actions are terrible. And the people you grabbed; do you think they want to be here? To be taken from their homes and lives to be put into these? You’re playing God and doing a really lousy job at it.”

At that, Goku turned to Vegeta. “I dunno if you felt that earlier, but it seems like Trunks got stronger… I’m impressed!”

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

CW: FGO Lostbelt vaguespoils!!

no subject

ROUND

Re: ROUND

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

folks are free to snatch her fyi

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

ROUND

no subject