VoidTrecker Express Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
voidtreckermods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
middleofsomewhere2021-07-21 06:04 am
voidtreckermods) wrote in middleofsomewhere2021-07-21 06:04 am
Entry tags:
- !mission thirteen,
- alice liddell (am) [ou],
- allen walker [crau],
- cassie cage [ou],
- devero [ou],
- katsuya jonouchi [au-crau],
- koumyou sanzo [ou],
- lapis lazuli [crau],
- little one [ou],
- madoka kaname [ou],
- nell ingram [ou],
- romeo [crau],
- taiki [ou],
- thanatos [ou],
- trunks brief (future) [ou],
- vegeta iv [crau],
- xue yang [ou],
- ~x~freeza [crau]
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.
- 1. Protecting people from attacks. Monsters have appeared, but people are also still brainwashed. Some even start to take on chaos features, streaks of colours dancing under the skin. These are so far gone it might be best to render them unconcious rather than trying to talk them round.
2. The non-voidtravellers need to be evacuated. As Anan explains, the 'unhooking' must be done by those with an SCA. Those that are evacuating people from the city will not be able to take part in the boss fight. Please note that those unhooking will suffer some effects afterwards and it will take them a good week or so to recover their full strength.
The city has many many people, so it is perfectly fine for the played 4th wallers to be the last to evacuate if they wish to take part in other things first!
3. The evacuation area needs protecting. Though the entity will hopefully be occupied by the main battle there will still be monsters targeting the area. Anan will encourage those who can fight to guard and those who are not strong combatants to take the role of evacuating people.
4. Getting people through the city- the city is unstable though there are strange creatures, almost children, partially animal who seem to be formed of the chaos all around them. However far from cruel they act as guides, mostly focusing on the children or those with pure hearts, helping them to safety.
5. Taking on the entity. There are two boss battle threads! Here and Here
"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.'
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:
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.
no subject
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.
no subject
"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!"
ROUND
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?
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“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
And if she fails, he will catch her. And that means all the world to her when she had once thought she could only be alone.
The tendril is then around her, a moment of fear, but there is no pain and she breathes. "They're listening, something is listening," she said.
Her hand stays with Loki, the other touches the tendril, gentle, careful, and she allows herself to show, flashes of solutions.
There are shadows and she offers solutions as she knows. Flashes of drones, communication, evacuation so the heavy hitters could defend.
A switch, telepaths, mentalists, psychics to learn.
Teleporters banding together.
An escape as spirits.
A switch to something of Equestria, ponies using magic and strength and air to defend their home.
Ponies made of crystal afraid and hurting, scars left on their minds from years of terror. Then a bright light, a crystal heart, an alicorn who gleams like a gem.
Sunset stands in front of her school, sees a girl suffering that all consuming emptiness and need for conttol, for understanding, that she knows so well, that is ripping reality apart around them. She knows the answer, she has to, or else everyone will die, their home destroyed, and the girl lost.
And she sees her friends, still fighting, helping as they always do, and she finally Understands why magic was acting up. A friend needed help. So she takes that strength, that magic in her friends, and lets it fill her. She fixed the tears in reality, saved the people, and finally convinced Twilight to take her hand, to escape that emptiness. To fill her with that same warmth her friends granted her.
"I could offer a dozen solutions. How to fight, defend, escape, reason. But right now, you're playing thd game of what ifs. What could you have done then to help. Surely there was something," she said aloud, pushed the words througn the connection. "And there may be more worlds to save from that same threat. It wouldn't be new, and there's always something to try....but that's not now."
Different memories, a story of time unraveling, until a single, desperately alone pony realizes she could choose to destroy every life in her despair, or let it go and be someone new. A torn spell, time returned.
Then Sunset filled with anger, rage, emptiness. She must be strong. She must be powerful. She must have control and maybe that will fill the emptiness. Maybe then she will be loved. She takes the minds of people, change their form....but inside, she doesn't change at all.
And once its done....so many look at her with only hatred. But a few do with forgiveness and she can endure. Live with correcting her mistake.
"You're whose now," she says, the care still there, the sincere want to help. And she digs further into the memories, because pain only comes from happiness and love and she wants to see Who This Is. Who is more then a memory.
Who can be saved Right Here, Right Now.
"I can offer so many possible solutions to save a world in danger...but right now, you're the one who needs saving. Let me see you. You're more then pain. You're love and care and there is a heart bleeds so much because it just wants something pure. You just need to open your eyes again, because I don't think you really want to hurt anyone. You just don't know what else to do. Let's figure it out together."
no subject
Vegeta has her- easily, and Van Gogh follows in pursuit, form altered, voice nothing but laughing. For a few moments, she can't say anything. She's not going to fight against being pulled (he's pretty clearly going to win there), but-
Tendrils launch out even as they flee from the cyclone, but they don't even somewhat hurt. The very knowledge of that has her eyes water, and gently she places her hand upon it. Through their connection, Van Gogh understands- and activating her third skill, 'Soul of Water Channels', helps to give her Master the final push needed.
"...We can't change the past. I could say so many things- about how I would have tried to take everyone away, or even fight that thing in the sky." Van Gogh's power surges through her, as she offers what she can however. "...Maybe we can, find it- to stop it from happening again. ...What seems most important now though..."
She offers love. Comfort. Everything she can.
(They were alone, and hurting- but her friends hurt most. She, who had so little- compared to those who lost Everything, and still pressed on with her. So for each other, they offered kindness. For each other, they smiled, and shared jokes, and played. And when one cried they sat there quietly holding them, so they wouldn't be alone. Because even if they still didn't have the answers- even if it felt like what they were chasing couldn't even be seen, blocked by things claiming to be their enemy in its place, they would do it.
If they didn't try to find what took Everything....then, in the event Everything was truly gone, how could they possibly look them in the eye?)
Memories of how they coped, how they stayed sane, how they were able to still smile, still laugh- and the most recent one Kiyoiri has...
'It's a singularity formed by the memory of a deceased director; his work is undone. To help him pass on, we need to finish it for him.'
Making a movie, to help soothe the lamentations of one who poured their life into it.
no subject
Before his shoulders slumps as he hears that shout to him from Goku, letting out a huff before barking back. "I'm aware!" Not the right time, Goku! Focus!
no subject
She wouldn't let go of her "weapon" just yet, just in case, but if it was time to Mom, she was all on board.
"Home isn't a place - home is people! The ones you love and the ones who love you back! That's why more than one place can be home! These are all good people here, the ones trying to hard to get their friends back, and to get people back to their loved ones! Even if I don't know all of them that well - I have faith in them! If you really want to find peace, to find happiness again, you have to stop looking back to the past! You need to take that first step forward to hope again!"
"It took me ten years to be with people I love - and I never gave up! If you can create such illusions, then you have to know our minds, and how stubborn we are! We don't back down! And we're not about to give up on you now!"
no subject
"If you hurt her at all, I will continue tearing apart your lies. I would suggest not creating more illusions meant to hurt us."
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
Loki has been thinking about that since the entity said it. Mostly imagining the technical details behind permanent, interactive, touchable illusions that could cover an entire city; despite his anger at the situation, he had admired the skill. It truly was impressive. But he's also thinking of Aurora and the residents, if any of their worlds had been lost beyond restoration. Or the prisoners of the fae who had considered even that torment to be an improvement over their previous circumstances. How many of them would accept an offer to live in a recreation of Diagad? How many others were there out in the universes who would do the same?
He knows Solar can pick up on his thoughts, so he'll leave it to her to relay them to the entity.
no subject
That was a slightly bitter pill to swallow and admit to honestly. He knew worlds worked in odd ways and no one really remembered that when people from his world came here, but to him it was something that was a fact.
More so after what he had just witness and that feeling of pain. He could tell that they needed help and this was his way of trying. By not at all using his weapon and instead raising his hands up slightly.
"What I have done is to continue walking. I made a promise to always keep walking till the day I die. To help and do my best to save everyone I can. To remember those I couldn't. That includes you."
no subject
She's holds back from swatting them away, even if she doesn't trust this. Maybe, just maybe, they are getting through to Chaos. Worse entities than then have been saved.
"In the moment? I'd do whatever I could to save them." Probably best to be honest with the highly powerful telepathic being when they'd in direct contact. "Sometimes it's not enough. Or it makes things worse."
Dairine knows all too well. Her mishandled rush to cure her mother by pure luck didn't have disastrous results... but it could have. In the end, Meets was only able to buy more time. While the pain was no longer as raw, it was still there.
"So you learn to move on, to find a new normal. Itdoes hurt, and often it's messy getting there. But you aren't doomed. All people living in entropy will go through the same struggle. You are not alone. You just have to move forward."
ROUND
Being doomed means being LONELY.
The shadows in the sky loomed closer, everyone fell through everything and nothing, the screams of a million souls echoing in their souls.
BUT YOU TOOK IT AWAY. YOU TAKE IT ALL AWAY. EVERYTHING. MY BEAUTIFUL CREATIONS. YOU ARE THE OCEAN.
A sigh that could almost be felt. A BEAUTIFUL OCEAN. PLEASE. JOIN ME. PLEASE.
A pleading in all their hearts, but especially those who had spoken, who had reached out with feeling and empathy. Join the storm. They can see it again now, those colours, almost still. But still.
I don't want to be lonely. YOU WANT TO HELP ME. JOIN ME. NONE OF US NEED EVER BE LONELY AGAIN. Not ever.
no subject
“I mean, sure, we lose people every so often, but we gain new ones all the time! And who knows? Maybe your skills can help us and even help you find a better home!”
no subject
She took a hard sigh, now feeling a little bad she'd reacted so violently in the beginning. Sure, she still wasn't in quite a forgiving mood, but if they could truly solve this with a good talk instead of fisticuffs, wasn't that for the best?
"You don't have to drag us into a world of lies and illusions - we can find a new home for you on the train! If the train really did do something that bad to you before, think of this as its' second chance! It's never too late to start over! I missed out on years with my family... but I know I can still make more memories with them! Come make memories with us!"
no subject
He was at least for the most part lowering his hands and keeping them solely by the side.
"It's easy to run away, hide yourself and just want to try and force what you need. But it's much better to take that step and actually try."
no subject
She hasn't been on the train very long. She wishes, quietly, she could share those sorts of memories- of places they saved that had nothing to do with the Chaos, of the cheers. But she has an idea of something else.
Memories of Singularities resolved, even knowing they could never see the other again. Their fate restored, their paths moving forward. Memories of Shimousa- a whole other dimension and world she'd fallen into through a dream, so narrowly saved from the machinations of the Caster of Limbo. So many missions, taken not out of obligation but because They Could Help-
The memory of waking up on the platform, Ayumi, her first real friend, her girlfriend, tackling her into a hug- 'It's like Chaldea...but bigger.'
Videos of the heroes as shown in Jinnjar.
"...Why not...come with us? As separate people," she says, doing her best to hug the tendril comfortingly, "...Being separate people is what lets us help you this way. What lets us talk, this way. We could help each other. And help others, too."
(Diagad is gone- Her world, as well, is gone. But they can carry on the spirit, the memory, and hold each other together and upright with held hands and embraces.)
no subject
"You shouldn't blame us for wanting out though. Look, I've been taken before from my world by someone who wanted allies. I wasn't really asked. You can't just steal people from where they belong, it makes them really mad at you and doesn't...end well." He shrugged.
"But I like to think that if you're alive, there's always somewhere you can end up, somewhere you'll belong. You don't have to be alone."
no subject
But you will never be lonely. You already know that.
Just as the chaos wants to draw her in, so does harmony keep her grounded, an anchor in the form of Loki's hand in her own. There is a rainbow of color inside her heart, bright and shining, but instead of a chaotic storm, its a gentle, pulsing wave. Ever present, and shines through the more she seeks to help others.
Fire gathers at her back, wings of flame, gentle, and warm, they don't burn anything, and her hand squeezes Loki's. "Help me," she says. Not a frightened plea, just for Loki to help her do what she thinks is right.
"You said I looked like her," she says to the entity. "And you changed the story. A caretaker in an orphanage. I wonder if that has to do with it, your loneliness. I know something like that was part of mine."
And she shares it, years of loneliness. From family who only fulfilled obligation. Of a mentor who suffered her own burdens, unable to give the guidance to make friends. Of manipulating, controlling, domineering through magic and wit and underhanded tactics, as a unicorn, and as a human.
She had power. She had control. She was surrounded by people who admired and feared her. It was almost loud enough to drown out the screaming emptiness of her loneliness.
"I don't know. But....if I am like her....I think she would want better for you then this. A storm, an ocean, they're so loud, but all it is, is stagnation. And loneliness doesn't vanish with it. Because you can be surrounded and alone," Sunset said, her hand still on the tendril, still gentle.
"You're right, to be alone is to be doomed. But you're only doomed if you stop trying. I know its hard. Its so hard-"
She would hurt everyone in front of her, destroy them all-
And then she was surrounded in color, a blinding light, and an all consuming warmth. What Twilight had accomplished in three days. She had torn apart all her machinations, she had healed broken hearts, she had given magic to five girls who had none before.
By being a friend.
"But its possible, with the right people. And then....you learn. You learn all the things about them, what makes them different, what makes them special, things that sometimes drive you mad, and make you love them more."
Moments, of love an annoyance of her friends. Learning surprising new things from Fluttershy's intensity while gaming, to Rainbow's books, to Twilight's quiet understanding. To celebrating a winter holiday with a family as her friends invite her to sleepover after sleepover once they learn she's on her own. To waking up on the Aurora with Loki worried over her, the efforts others made to save her enough of a bond to slam her memories back into her mind all at once.
"Taking people, dominating them, curating an existence, it isn't fixing your loneliness. Its just control. And if all you are is control, you will always be alone. You have to let people in...and there are people. If you can't join the train, if you can't let go of that pain, then be a safe haven. There are people who have lost so much. Who have nothing worth returning to. Who would love to help make a new world. But you have to let them choose."
"You could join the train, give each other a second chance. Or you can offer a second chance to others, you just have to let them in, let them choose, let them help. Let them be your friends instead of people you control," she said and she stared at the cyclone.
"My name is Sunset Shimmer. Some friends know me as Solar Flare. And I'd like to be your friend."
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She stares into the dark abyss, wondering in the back of her mind if it was the earth opening up or the darkness consuming this Entity. Had they survived both darkness and Void? Were they even mortal?
"Rather than joining, couldn't we just be equals? Sunset's right, the best way to keep connections isn't to tie folks down but to let them be free to chose their own way. Even if life takes us elsewhere, that doesn't mean you'll be alone. There are are thousands upon thousands of other people to meet. And there will always be the memories you make along the way."
She would bring up Timeheart, but that might be a bit too close to death talk for this conversation.
"Whichever you choose, please know that we'd love to have you as an ally. We have a common enemy. The shadows of destruction have brought great pain to us as well and many other planets besides. Someone aught to stop them." And knowing their luck, it'll probably end up being the Voidtreckers. Eventually.
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Snippets of thoughts and memories swirl in his head. Talking with Thor, apologizing for- killing him, and Thor just smiling and telling him that as long as he wants to make up for it and make things better, Thor will always accept his efforts. How happy he's been with Thor since then. Imaginings of his apology to Agent Romanov for betraying her trust and how he hopes he will accept it if she never wants to talk to him again, as long as he's said it.
Thinking more specifically about the current situation. He wouldn't have accepted an invitation right before the kidnapping, but when he had been a prisoner of the fae... He might not only have accepted, but also tried to convince the entity to extend the invitation to all the Stolen, and convinced them to accept.
He won't help the entity build a new Diagad now. The wounds are too much. But he could have. He could still even help solve problems, as long as there's some middleman to go through. He's still angry, but he will walk away if an accord can be reached, and encourage others to do the same. There's something of a warning in there, too; "the Voidtreckers have defeated you time and again, if you take advantage of mercy, they can end you for good". But with that is a tacit acceptance of the possibility that they'll receive mercy.
One final thought, which causes him to shed tears. What if Solar wants to stay? Will he accept that? It's hard to answer that question, but in his heart, it's Yes. For her.
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He speaks to the entity. "Listen to what the other Voidtrecker Express crew members are saying! They speak for friendship and peaceful alliance. You do not have to be alone, and I believe that everyone deserves a second chance. Please do not continue your present course of action, using illusion to create a world in which you aren't alone, or at least one in which you don't suffer as much from being alone, but at the cost of pulling other people out of their worlds to keep you company and fooling them into thinking they belong here. Change your course! And to answer your question, as to what I would do, I would take the advice that others are proposing here. We can help you. Let us."
ROUND
But the voice sounded calmer now, petulant rather than furious as they all spoke, wove their song of friendship around colours.
Yet still elsewhere the chaos was still unfolding, the world crumbling, illusions folding into themselves.
HOW CAN YOU ALL SPEAK SUCH WORDS. WHAT THEATRE IS THIS? A REDEMPTION PLAY? AM I SUCH A PITIFUL VILLAIN? NO NO YOU WORDS SOOTH ME. WE CAN CHANGE THE STORY. BUT ARE YOU SURE? SEPARATE MEANS DOOMED TO LONELINESS AFTER ALL
TOGETHER IS SO MUCH BETTER. ONE MIND. NO. NO. I SENSE IT. NONE OF YOU WANT ME. NOT IF IT MEANS LOSING YOURSELF.
SELF. HA. BUT A SAFE PLACE. I CAN BE SAFE. THE SAFEST. NO ONE WILL BE SAFE BUT WITH ME BUT I NEED A CAST. SINCE YOU REJECT MY OFFER
Within the tendrils figures appear, more illusions. But those here would recognise them as themselves, copies appearing within the tendrils.
For those voidtreckers who wore their SCA there is a frantic series of beeping and booping before a voice sounds, Jin-Roh, the man from before.
"We are almost done here, if you are with anyone not tethered to a voidcraft get them to the evacuation point, as quickly as possible."
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(She's said goodbye a lot. Musashi, lone survivor of a vanished dimension, traveler across space and time by the force of all realities forcing her away with time- confessing that she had died and returned a spirit carrying on that trend of travel, promising she would see her once again, one day.
DantesThe Count of Monte Cristo, so dedicated to his hate that it defined a new class- Avenger- forcing her to fight against him, but then in the end whispering that perhaps thanks to her care, they could meet again- and they did, time and time again thereafter. Jeanne D'Arc Alter..."You knew I'd have to go eventually. No Heroic Spirit can stay here forever- and hell. Look at me. I wasn't even a real person- you did that, you little brat. You put enough love and care and belief into someone who could only hate, hate, hate..."
She didn't want her to go though. Her Jeanne-nee. Her-
"Hey. Wanna know something?" The woman had given her one last hug in the airport. She would eventually see her again in that movie singularity, a full year later, but she had no idea that she would. In the moment, at the airport...
"Here in Hawaii, the word they have for Goodbye? It can be 'Hello', too. So, Aloha, okay?")
"...An ending is never really an ending, right?"
It's easier to hug 'herself'. The illusion of her. She puts as much of 'herself' into it, and as much as she can to help Chaos in turn.
"'Aloha'," she says quietly, watery smile on her face. "...Even if we don't meet again...lets write stories for each other, okay?"
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With a nod to her own SCA, Della looked around to the less familiar faces, the ones she knew weren't Voidtrekkers.
"Go ahead, guys. We got this." She said with a smile and a raised fist. "But don't think this means we won't see each other again... if there's one thing I've learned on this train, it means nothing is impossible! And we came this far because of you - so we have to find a way to pay you back. Hang onto those I.O.U.'s!"
"We'll see you again! And until then... thank you, for everything, from everyone!"
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"Time for us to leave before we are stuck as its playthings? Well then, let us be off. Solar?"
He pulls on her hand, but loosely. He's afraid she might choose to stay.
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