So is it over now, or is there still a bit to go?
((This is a post to effectively remove my characters from the line for the rest of this RP, since I will not be present for its conclusion. Zei, we’ll say, has effectively escaped captivity with his allies. If I do return, and find that the RP is still going, I will play through for the other characters I’ve got. Either way, Xiao and Zei are gone off, and out of bounds. Otherwise, I’d like them all to be left out for as long as this continues)). It had been so simple, convincing the sergeant to relinquish the children, and now, Xiao could feel at least some measure of power flowing through her that she had not felt in a long while, not since she had emerged alive and well from her eons of travel through the realms of darkness and nothingness. But it was not true power, the kind that was physically manifested. It was a power far more potent than that, for it had far fewer holes and restrictions. She had the power, now, of knowing that she could turn everything that was happening into her own favor. Either sooner, or later, she would be able to exploit the war… or so she had come to believe. For now, she had left the children, her greatest treasure, in the hands of some of her own ‘cohorts’, and had begun her flight over the barren landscape of Sunset Horizon. It was not much different than it had been when she had come to it before: The camps still stood as well as could have been expected, flouting their charred and ransacked tents with an eerie sort of honor. But these places were all empty, for the thought of camping out had escaped the minds of the people that were so steadily arriving upon the desert plains. They had no need, or rather, no desire for a group strategy on either side, to say the least. “Nothing more than a wild man’s brawl,” she spat. Yet it was in fact somewhere far off from the clashing of blades, and the blasting of cannons that she came across a being that peaked her interest. From a nook etched into the side of a plateau, she felt a small surge of energy that was inverse to her own, and seemingly of an equivalent level of power, if not slightly weaker in terms of maturity. Nonetheless, she was interested in just such a character, and felt it best to have a look see. Even one person such as this one, who gave her such a feeling of threat, could easily swipe power out from under her nose. “Let us see what this is all about, shall we?” It had been a long run, and a narrow one as well. This, Zei Je, and Renee Savian knew well enough as they sheltered themselves in the confinement of the plateau’s cave. It wasn’t the ideal hiding spot; but when they considered the truth that the battle was miles away from them, they counted that as a blessing, in any case. “Well,” Zei said, calling the attention of the liberated Twilight Town Defense Force and Renee, “Now that you’re all settled, I think that I would do best to take my leave for the field of battle.” He was met by a wave of disapproving glares and shakes of the head, that he almost chose to ignore. “Why the long faces?” “Because,” Renee said, inching close in to his face. “Because you’ve no reason to go out there now! We can’t survive this on our own.” “Calm yourself,” Zei said reassuringly. “You are an elite team, even without Keyblades of your own. You can manage in this place. I’m sure of it. So long as the X-Blade keeps away form here, you’ll be fine. Besides, my reasons for going are just that!” “Just what?” “The X-Blade. I was given a mission, by my highest elders, to maintain the balance between light and darkness. I believe that the X-Blade can help me accomplish that, if I can just get my hands on it. Now there will be no more talk on the matter. I am going to join the battle, and that’s the final word on it, Lady Savian.” “But who will help us if the Kyebearer Elites come this way? Hmmm??” “Then I suppose that would be me!” Stated a blunt voice from the shadows. “Can’t a man find any resting place anywhere these days?” The face, and soon, body, of Cornelius Boroughs stepped out from a corner, apparently having taken shelter there before any of the others had arrived, and been stirred by the conversation. “Cornelius Boroughs,” he said to them. “And why trust you?” Renee questioned. “Does the name Adrian Savian ring a bell with you?” “Yeah,” Renee said, puzzled by the sudden statement, though not by his knowing her last name. “He was… my husband, until he died in combat. Why?” “Let’s just say that he died so that I could live. I owe him that favor.” He held his hand to his heart, which was as tempted to seek the X-Blade as Zei’s was. “On my honor, I’ll keep you well and safe as long as this battle lasts.” [Outside] Zei’s need for presence had expired. Silently, with his weapon in hand, he exited the cave, taking his first steps back onto the shifting sands. Giving himself a quick mental bearing, he set off towards where he could feel the battling the strongest, and set course in that direction. Near instantly, he could tell that he was not the only one headed that way from the plateau. Another entity, versed in spiritual matters, was hot on his trial. “Hmmm. I know you’re there. And I am not particularly thrilled to be meeting you again, mysterious woman.” “So you DO remember me, don’t you?” Xiao landed in the sand in front of Zei, standing about ten feet away from him. “Might I ask what brings YOU back to this forlorn place?” “It is quite simple. I seek to take the X-Blade back to my order, and use it to achieve a true balance within existence. What brings YOU back to this forlorn place?” “Tsk. Tsk. It would seem that both of us are after the same thing I suppose. I do hate it when things pan out that way. Don’t you?” Her tail slithered out form behind her back, like a serpent striking out from tall grass. In HER hand, Judgment had manifested, letting out a portion of spirit energy. It would be easy to lay waste to the man’s soul, even if it was a potent one. Zei, however, had already been in anticipation of such a tactic, and put out a wave of his own. Like any conflicting forces, Zei’s Chi, and Xiao’s Chi, both collided, and cancelled out. And it was Zei who fallowed through into the next move, bringing his blade into a thrusting position as a plowed forward towards the demon. He knew but one thing: The X-Blade had to be his destiny, and the only way to that destiny, was through this woman, or beast, or whatever she was. But Xiao, just as well as he, had anticipated his move, and had prepared a counter of her own. Eclipse instantly forming in her right hand, she jumped both herself, and Zei to another location, one far from Sunset Horizon, in fact, in a realm other than Light or Dark. It mattered, in that case, very little to Xiao, if she was to lose the battle, for Zei would be incapable of returning from where ever it was they went. At least, he would not be able to directly. The bottom line was that they were both gone, opposites, attracted to one another in the end, and finally, meeting in their destined clash. ((A bit rushed, I know. Like I said, I just did this for a sense of closure for my characters)).
Assuming that I can get up in time in the morning, and that it's not a problem if I do bring Zei in from his former captivity, then I could...
IT could take just one portion of a post, really. I would assume that m characters will all be caught in their own personal time skips, landing...
Merely a personal event between two of my own characters, something that I've had in mind for a few months now. Basically, a Sephiroth V. Cloud...
OK, so, I've a commitment that may or may not cause me to miss out on the end of the RP, depending on how many days IRL it takes. Could I possibly...
And am I correct in assuming that all characters will be converging upon Sunset Horizon?
How much longer would you say Rewind will go until it's conclusion?
The chilling, harsh sound of a feminine voice was all that broke the late night air in The Great Maw. Immediately after the far from assuring one-liner, the voice fell into presence. It was a familiar one at the very least. Xiao Kuan came into view, tall, sleek, and all around, possessing the same demonic beauty she had had since her emergence in the wars. She looked at Cornelius, not with malice, but with an eerie kindness and a smile that would have welcomed him into her arms, had his memories of her not been so horrid. “Dear. You’ve no idea how pleased I am to see you here. But you will, and that’s all that really matters.” “I remember you,” Cornelius scoffed with a narrow gaze. “You killed off my entire platoon back on Sunset Horizons!” He readied his stance for a battle. If the demon lashed out, he’d lash back. If she didn’t lash out, then he’d get his first hit in on her anyways. And this time, he told himself, I won’t be the one that dies. “Now get lost, before I show you what the Suicide Runners are truly capable of.” “Honey, you’ve already fulfilled the duties of a Suicide Runner just fine. You died back there on Sunset Horizon, just like the rest of your platoon. That, and you’ve only got me to thank for being brought back to life in the first place.” “And what makes you think that I would think to thank you for leaving me with a back seat driver for my soul?” “The fact that I am going to do something that you might not have the heart to do when the time come.” “What are you talking about?” “Give me the children, and I’ll do you the favor of ending this war. They won’t be any use if you kill them off. You’d be sacrificing your own power by letting that happen.” “It’s not like you’ve anything else to offer me.” “Not true, honey. I could sap that soul out from you again, and leave you dead, if you don’t comply with my wishes. But if you DO want real power, I’ve got something that will lead you to that.” She reached into her gauntlet, forcing out the blood red talisman she had liberated from spiritual confinement. “This,” she said. “That?” Cornelius questioned. “That, as you have put it, doesn’t seem nearly powerful enough to be of any use to me.” “Sometimes, things that don’t seem very powerful, can unlock power that a man or a woman can only dream of. You have one chance now. You either take the talisman, or I take your life again. It’s that simple.”
That was actually gonna be a part of it as their Pact Power. It would be no different from a drive form, IMO. But it's you call. Yes, they will be paying individual prices in the end. They will, however, not be starting as having made their pact, if that's alright.
Excellent. The twins came into Cornelius' grasp; the girl, he held tightly in one arm, while the boy, he latched onto by the collar. He seemed to be drawn to the heartless, which, in turn, appeared to be averting themselves from him. Cornelius overlooked this, viewing it as an unimportant factor. The shadows hovered around the four of them. For a moment, none of the heartless made a move. Then, one bold shadow amongst them cleared out an opening to the girl, lunging towards her even as Cornelius grasped onto her. Big mistake. A second jolt of purple lightning lashed out at the attcking heartless, carrying stright through its body and onto the next one. Each one fell in succession as the lightning weaved a ragged circle. As soon as the last one had been vanquished, Cornelius opened a corridor through the dark realms, through which he, the children, and the unconcscious Ansem The Wise fell. It was a short trip, which let out in upon a large rock, resting at the foot of an enormous waterfall... the Rising Falls of Radiant Garden, just outside of the castle's front gate. "We're safe now," he said. "Maybe not as safe as you might think." ((Cliff Hanger! Don't wake Ansem yet, Love. Please and thank you)).
Ruinning with the current definition of The Pact, it's a contribution of power from one individual do another. So a mutual Pact being made would be one in which two beings simultaneously pool their power together. Kind of like a fusion in DBZ universe.
Whoa! I'm so calling in on this. Does a Pact have to be one way though? I mean, can TWO people form a Pact by combining power?
The time for action came quickly. Part way along the walkway, Cornelius came into viewing distance of the wise Ansem. He was clearly hindered by the company of the children one that he had to burden in his arms, and the other being in a struggle to walk on his own. It was here that opportunity was in full swing, this moment in which Cornelius would be able to strike. A Keyblade, bearing resemblance to a sword crafted in The Land of Dragons appeared in grip. With this blade, he thought in prayer, I shall fulfill the duties to which I have been assigned. For honor! For justice! For peace! He held the sword in front of him in one hand, the blade itself harking to a wizard’s staff. And from there, the spell of his choice emanated, a purple streak of lightning charging from the tip of the blade itself, lashing in a crackling run to Ansem’s back. The charge was lighter, and less lethal than it could have been, as it was an attack meant to subdue, rather than to kill. All, he reminded himself, in the interest of keeping his plans in line. Then, there was the ensuring follow through. In anticipation of an attempt at escape by the twins, he gave a wave of his Keyblade. A barrier of a dark purple glow encased Ansem, the twins, and himself. The barrier would linger for about thirty seconds at most, keeping the children from fleeing too far. The final touch was an air spell, pushing him forward with a jolt as he transitioned from a running start into a glide, expedited with the aid of the wind current at his back. The twins would be as good as his… if only he had the means to convince the, that he was there to help them. This was something that his spiritual parasite had already procured for him: a batch of heartless swarming towards the three. Thus, the action of played out heroism would begin. “So you’re to tell me,” Renee said scathingly, “that the Light Kingdom has abandoned the crucial essence of honor in these times of war?” She leaned her face in closer to the bars of her cell. Her mouth curled into a tempting smile. “My men and I are free of the treason with which you have convicted us. We demand a trial, under the laws of the Council, established ages ago.” She paused, savoring her next words, for they, she hoped, would show, even more, the true colors of her captors. “Unless of course, you and your crew lack the integrity to maintain order in the worlds.”
"See! What'd I tell ya!" Cornelius said softly to the being within. "Just like I said, Ansem The Wise has come out to tuck the children in for the night." Then by all means, attack him, and take the kids. "No. It won't be able to happen exactly like that. I need to get the jump Ansem I'm going to do that. Just wait a minute. Once he's rounded that corner there," he pointed out the bend in the outer path around the castle, around which Ansem would have to travel to get anywhere else. "Then, and only then, will I make my run for the children." And is it also Ansem's life you seek? "Of course not. He wants this war over as much as I do. But he can't do anything with those children without the Light Army getting riled up over it. By doing this, I'm actually helping him get what he wants, without him having to do anything that might land him in trouble with his enemies. The Light Army, the Dark Army, even the third parties know what to expect from a Suicide Op. Odds are, they won't punish Ansem too hardly for one like myself getting by him. But then, he doesnt' actually know that I'm a Suicide Op." Will that hinder your plans at all then? "Well. There's only one way to find out the answer to that one. Isn't there?" He looked around at the postern, making sure to catch even the slightest corner of the area. There was nothing, and no one around... except a fate-filled ringing of silence that beckoned that he move now, or forever hold his piece. It was that silence alone that fueled him into taking action. With little hesitation now, and in many respects, almost no care for his life, he leaned further over the egde, letting his body fall from the tower into the 100 foot drop between himself and the postern's surface. It would have meant certain death, were he not trained in such subtle arts as gliding for just such needs. Spinning his body around into an upright position, he floated eventlessly to the postern, laying both feet down upon a firm ground. "So far... so good," he told himself, running light-footed along the walkway in Ansem's footsteps. Renee was the first of the prisoners to formulate a retort to the captain. Immediately, she threw herself from her 'bed', and to the front of her cell, reaching out of the bars. "Yeah. There is a problem here. You've got the wrong people!" she waved her hand around the room in indication of her remaining troops. "We've never done anything but serve the will of the Light Kingdom, yet we've been caged up as traitors without even so much as an interrogation. Or does just trial no longer apply within the justice system of Light?"
Just wanted to call attention to this^^
1. That there, just made me lose The Game. 2. The Buy A Duck Game doesn't seem to work well on the internet.
Not really. Nothing that wouldn't take her form somewhere out of the blue, anyways.
Me thinks me needs a cool way to bring Xiao back into the story.
From atop the mount of one of the castle's towers, Cornelius overlooked the quiet village of Radiant Garden for what he suspected would be the last time. Tonight of all nights, for a reason he didn't fully understand, would seal his fate. His allegiance, through the war, and even long after his fall to death, was to somehow be affirmed by how he handled this single endeavor. It was nothing he wasn't already used to; but still, he le out a soft shudder at the thought of it. From where he was mounted, he could see most of what was below, and was, just as well, cloaked by the darkness of the night sky above. It hadn't even crossed his mind how awkward he felt, stripped out of his armor, clad in the most basic of clothes. All garments upon him were black with no exceptions. Heart pounding in a non-rhythmic frenzy, he let his grip on the notches in the roof loosen. Like going down a slide, he slipped down neveral feet, nearly to the edge, taking hold of another notch. In a fleeting rush, he peered over the roof's edge. It was a long way down. Bone up man. You're a Suicide Squad member for heaven's sake. So we're hesitating again? You could have asked for the twins days ago kid. The same dark feeling that had inched him towards attacking Ansem in their meeting returned. This time, it came with a low, whispering voice. First rule of the military, according to Captain Baines: If you can plan a move with ample time, then that's wha should happen. First Law of Suicide Ops: Must be able to think on their feet, the voice snapped back. Exactly. We must be able to act as such. But that doesn't mean we have all the time. Besides, why rush? This run might well give me the power to control and end this war. Your proof of this? Well, Phisoxa wants to see these children, yeah? And the Armies of both Light and Darkness want to get their hands on this X-Blade thing. Your point? If I got a hold of those two, then Phisoxa would, undoubtedly find her way to me. She comes to see me, and I take her down... With your help of course. With her subdued, I'll have influence over everyone else involved in this war. I could end it all, if I could just get my hands on those children. Believe what you want then. But when is this plan of yours going to kick into action? That door down there by the postern. The hallway there leads to Ansem's study. Any moment now, he'll come out, escorting both children to their quarters. That's when I'll move. ((Hey riku, could you possibly put in a post for your character on the ship w/ Zei and Renee? I can't do much there without a post from you.
