>> Lude Begin >> After some time has passed since the talk on the outskirts of Ien with Mikel, Niri has her wanderings about the tower interrupted by the sound of crackling in one of the side rooms not far from the top of the tower. In addition to this there's a pulse of thunder and water willforce.. and the sounds of the Mikels speaking a bit. * Niri is coming back from the room where she has left Trune, finally sleeping. Hearing the sound, she slows and peers through a door that's ajar. >> Niri spies the two Mikels standing in the center of the rather desolate room, what furniture and such that was present having been destroyed in the attack that had brought the group there in the first place. Red sigils are beginning to pulse in tandem on both of them in a rather familiar fashion... though soon enough they're engulfed in a whirlwind of water and electricty. * Niri stops and stares. "...Again?" she mutters, watching with some trepidation, but also curiosity. >> The storm eventually dies down, revealing the same figure that tore apart the demon a few floors up. He lifts an arm almost hesitantly, staring down at his hand clad in a fingerless glove. In his other is Emili's spear, glowing with both star and dark power. Everything else is as remembered, blue hair, blue breastplate, black slacks and shoes. >> There's also a silver belt wrapped around his waist, sheathed sword hanging on his left that's almost certainly Ghaleon's sword. * Niri looks him over a few times, blinking. She takes a couple of steps forward into the room. "...Huh." * Mikel shifts, whirling the spear up before he notices just who it is and relaxing. "...scared me for a moment." He lowers the weapon, examining it for a moment with narrowed eyes. That seem to be crackling with electricity, now that one gets a good look. * Niri winces a little. "Oops. Sorry. Was a bit surprised myself..." She tilts her head, giving him a bit of a funny look. "So..." She gestures. "What's with this?" * Mikel lowers the lance, shrugging. "New trick. Certain witch's bit at work, probably." Feh. Xenobia. * Niri looks fairly disgusted, but she takes a few more steps into the room. "Interesting. I wonder how that works...created by willforce?" She has an appraising look in her eye as she looks Mikel up and down. "Could be useful. You can certainly stand up to more, at any rate." Recombined in... a different fashion, or something. * Mikel shrugs again, swapping the spear to his right hand with a simple motion. "Good for getting the job done, at any rate." Hmm, yeah. *she glances at the spear* I'd ask if you know how to use that thing, but uh...kinda saw for myself already, I guess. * Mikel taks a few steps back, giving it a few practice swings. It's a bit before he responds in a far quieter voice. "...Yeah." * Niri realizes that was probably not the best thing to say. "So. Can you do this at will, then? You can control it?" * Mikel nods, swinging the spear up and then into a series of stabs. "Think so. Just takes a bit of focus now." Is there any risk? * Mikel gives Niri a bit of a look as he deadpans. "It's just basically rearranging myself into this, nothing serious." Step, whirl, thrust, spring back. * Niri folds her arms in front of her, raising an eyebrow. "You'd better be right about that." Not sure, but as long as it works... * Niri watches the spear with an odd glint in her eye. * Mikel looks over at Niri, raising an eyebrow. "What's up?" Well...even if you're ready to go soon, I think we need to wait a bit longer, give Trune a couple hours or so to rest. So... * Mikel frowns. "Rest?" * Niri shrugs, waving a hand dismissively. "He ah, didn't sleep well last night." Mm. Cannons going off will do that. * Niri looks slightly relieved, although it would be easy to miss. She shrugs. "Anyway...since we have a bit of extra time..." She touches the sword belted at her side. "Shall we test out your new abilities?" * Mikel raises an eyebrow. "You sure?" Why wouldn't I be sure? * Mikel shrugs. "Just asking. Don't cut me up too badly." * Niri chuckles. "I won't, promise." She looks around. "Hmm. Think this room is big enough, or shall we find a different place to spar?" * Mikel frowns. "...there's maybe one spot, but I'd prefer outside over that." * Niri nods. "All right, outside it is." She turns and heads out of the room, looking to see that Mikel is following. * Mikel is indeed following along, resting the spear on his shoulder. * Niri winds her way down through the tower towards a decently appropriate courtyard. On her way down, as they are going down one hall, she walks much more softly, glancing at a closed door. * Mikel slows, raising an eyebrow at Niri's change in pace. He brushes the question aside however, remaining quiet as he follows down to the courtyard. * Niri exits into the courtyard, looking around and finding a good, open spot on the grass. She heads to the center of it and draws her sword, eyeing it carefully. * Mikel slows to a stop, sparing a look around the courtyard separated in time before swinging his spear about with a slight sigh. "Ready when you are." * Niri nods, summoning a quick gust of wind that wraps itself around her sword's blade. * Mikel swings the spear about, gripping it in both hands with the point angled downwards. He slides one foot back, settling into a combat stance as he watches Niri. * Niri eyes Mikel appraisingly, then darts in with a diagonal slash. * Mikel remains where he is for a moment or two before charging forward, spinning the spear up to catch the slash on the shaft and then shove Niri's sword out of line. * Niri is forced back, then recovers, bringing her sword back to guard position and watching to see what Mikel does. * Mikel brings the spear back in line, pointing it straight at Niri as he simply springs forward to continue his charge. * Niri waits until he has charged close enough to be unable to halt his momentum, then she sidesteps and hits the spear with her blade, turning it aside. * Mikel skids to a stop, spinning about to bring the lance around for a wide swing aimed at Niri's side! * Niri is unable to easily get out of the way of the lance's longer reach, but she takes the opportunity to dart in closer and aim a shot at Mikel with the flat of her blade, leaving herself partially open to the spear. * Mikel grits his teeth but continues with the swing, bracing himself even as he adjusts the lance so it'll be the shaft that hits Niri. * Niri lets out her breath with an "oof", grimacing a bit as the lance's shaft hits her side. She holds the flat of her blade against Mikel's breastplate, grinning at him. "Not bad. You've got good reflexes." * Mikel winces slightly as the blade hits his breastplate before shrugging. "One thing that remains the same, at least." With that he springs back and away from Niri, holding the spear up again. * Niri chuckles. "True." She eyes him. "Did that hurt? You've got some armor on, and the sword's padded with a wind spell..." * Mikel offers another shrug as he settles into his stance again. "Not really. I... probably should have held back with my own hit though." Nah. I'm fine, got Tanan after all. Besides, I'll have to be able to take more than that to go up against Zophar. *Her expression becomes a bit more serious for a moment.* * Mikel frowns, expression darkening for a moment as a crackle of star and dark willforce runs along the spear. "Mm. He isn't going to lay a hand on you. Not if I have anything to say about it." * Niri raises an eyebrow. "Ideally, no, but let's be realistic here. This is more than just a battle, this is a war." She shakes her head. "Don't worry, I won't be stupid. But there are real risks." * Mikel shrugs. "Still, meant what I said. If he tries he loses the limb he's trying with." * Niri nods, looking a little uncomfortable. She covers it by readying her sword for another strike. * Mikel starts stepping to the side, circling Niri as he keeps the spear at the ready. * Niri tries for a low strike this time, her smaller frame darting forward to aim for Mikel's leg. * Mikel waits a heartbeat before advancing forward, swapping hands as he lashes out with a flurry of stabs to force Niri to break off her attack. * Niri spins out of the attack and dances backward, barely avoiding a hit. One of the stabs barely grazes against her armor. She reassumes a defensive stance, breathing a bit more heavily from exertion. * Mikel takes another step forward, charging forward as he levels the spear again. "Haaaa!" * Niri has definitely improved with a sword since taking it up along with Tanan, but Mikel's transformation is dramatic as well. She finds herself hard pressed to keep up her defense, bringing her sword up to block his attacks. * Mikel keeps up the assault, breaking into another flurry of strikes against Niri. Though he does adjust his aim slightly so even if she doesn't catch them with her sword they'll just barely nick her if at all. * Niri does manage to catch most of the blows...then suddenly she ducks under Mikel's arm, using her shorter height to her advantage, and manages to land a solid hit on the back of his breastplate, then brings the sword back into a solid defensive block. * Mikel stumbles forward a step from the hit with a grunt, spinninig about once again though the spear's brought up in a defensive position as he springs back again. He's starting to breathe heavily as well, though Niri catches a faint grin on his face for just a moment. It's gone soon enough though as he readies himself. * Niri 's mouth quirks in a barely perceptible smile of triumph as she readies herself for the next attack. "You know," she pants, "maybe we should make a habit of this." * Mikel nods in agreement. "We should. It's good training." With that he begins to charge forward again, spear readied. When he's covered about half the distance between him and Niri though he hauls back and hurls the spear forward at her, slowing to see her reaction while a hand goes to the hilt of the sword. * Niri 's eyes widen, and she brings her sword up to knock the spear aside at the last moment. She was clearly not expecting that. "...I'll say. You keep me on my toes." * Mikel puts on a burst of speed, drawing the sword and flipping it so the flat is what's presented when he swings to return the same hit Niri dealt him. "Good! Means their tricks won't work as well on you!" * Niri brings her sword up to deflect the blow, facing Mikel with their blades crossed. "So you're the expert now?" * Mikel keeps the blades crossed, shrugging ever so slightly as he pushes against Niri. "Maybe, but not when it comes to an upfront fight." * Niri pushes back, frowning slightly at Mikel's sword, her expression dark. "Which do you think we're more likely to face?" * Mikel shrugs again, taking a single step back and then swinging upwards to knock Niri's blade out of line. With that he suddenly springs back, the transformation fading as his now freed hands conjure up a stream of water aiming to engulf her sword and bring it to him. "Tricks. Deception." * Niri narrows her eyes and she hums softly, the Harmonic Blade vibrating in tune with her voice. She brings it up, ready to deflect the incoming willforce attack. * Mikel allows the spell to crash against the sword, seeing as that's what he's hoping to engulf and yank free of her grasp! * Niri holds onto the sword, and its humming grows stronger - it seems attuned somehow to Niri, and Mikel finds it very hard to pull it from her. The water willforce and song magic war with each other for a few moments... * Mikel eventually lets the spell drop, stumbling back and falling onto the ground as the exertion of both willforce shaping and the transformation catches up with him. * Niri dismisses the spell on the sword, breathing heavily herself. She walks over to Mikel, just a little shakily, and flops down to sit next to him. "Overdid it?" ...a bit. * Mikel closes his eyes with a sigh. "Not good enough yet." At using the new form? You seemed to do fine to me. I thought it'd be an easier match. Mm. Still. * Niri tilts her head. "Still?" * Mikel gestures with a hand. "Still need to get better. I do, that is." Moreso than me? * Mikel opens his eyes, looking up at Niri. "Good enough to deal with Pandora and Zophar and Emiria and anyone else who dares try anything. I refuse to go through what happened again." * Niri goes quiet. "I see." * Niri frowns. "It's how I've been feeling for quite some time now." * Mikel nods, closing his eyes again. "You manage to keep going, though. No matter what they throw at you you'll bounce back and take them down." I will. *She nods decisively, her voice firm.* And so will you. * Mikel reaches up the rub his eyes, frowning. "...mm, I'm taking at least one of them. Pick which one you want." Zophar, definitely. Beyond that...anyone who threatens those I care about again. Sorry, but if it comes down to a choice of attack or lose yet another person I care about, I'm not leaving one for you, Mikel. * Mikel nods. "No one better get between me and Pandora then." He lowers his hand, looking back up at Niri and nodding. "Understood." * Tanan finally speaks up, sounding almost reluctant to talk. "I'm.. sorry, Mikel. I can't permit that. Not yet." ...Hm? * Niri sighs a little but lets Tanan speak. Pandora maybe be this world's only chance, if we don't succeed. I don't like her much either, but we can't let vengeance take first priority. I.. regret not seeing this sooner. We've done enough damage to her as it is. For now, anywya. * Mikel ...frowns, staring at Tanan. "She has a piece of /Emili/ in her still." * Tanan hesitates, thinking carefully as to what to say. "A piece she'll need to salvage the world, if it comes to that." ...then why did we bother getting in her way with the other Seekers? Ishtar? Xavier? We tore her apart in the ruins and tried to /destroy/ her at the labs in the desert. * Niri winces, sincerely wishing she did not have to be here for this conversation. Nnn. At the ruins, we needed to stop her. She was going to do things whether they needed it or not. In the labs... we... may have made a mistake. ...a mistake. Angie's gone to wherever the hell she got yanked to because of that fight. * Niri squeezes her eyes shut tightly and draws a deep breath. Yes. There's that too. If we hadn't fought her there, Angie would still be here with us. We can't afford another incident like that. I...we...should have stopped her. Somehow. * Mikel sits up, hands forming fists for a few moments. "You're telling me if we encounter her again, I'm supposed to not lift a dammed finger to free what she has of Emili so she can rest in peace? To leave the last ditch plan to whatever the hell she turned into in the labs?" * Niri whispers a bit weakly, "It's...it's not going to come to that." * Tanan sounds even more hesitant and reserved now, his voice quiet. "Yes. Her means aren't anything I'm happy with, but given a choice between her world and Zophar's..." ...It WON'T come to that. I won't allow it. * Mikel punches the ground, shaking his head. "Tch. We put her through hell and you expect her to last against him?" I don't expect her to fight him. If she... if they remake the world, restore things to how they were before he ever interfered? Either they'll leave him out entirely, or easily have the power to deal with him after. Tanan... If...Pandora remakes the world...it's pretty much tantamount to everything we know being destroyed. Isn't it? I'm no expert on the theory, but it'd be a lot like the unravelling. Except this time, it wouldn't be to a half-irradiated wilderness, but a tamed world, with.... I don't know. So much depends on the thing they'd become. It might be better than this world, and the souls would be reborn again. I'd rather take a chance on this one, but if it becomes a choice between her world and no world, I'd take hers in a heartbeat. If I had one. * Mikel grits his teeth, closing his eyes. "You're... goddess dammit!" He punches the ground once more, even harder than before. "Hate it. Fine, I'll make sure he dies then. Then I'll kill her and settle things." But...we'd lose everything we've built between us. We wouldn't be who we are anymore...if we still existed at all. We wouldn't know each other. We'd lose the friendships we've created, the memories... * Niri buries her face in her hands. "I see your point...but it's a very, very high price to pay." Let's make sure we don't have to then. If we can kill him.. hah. She's no match for all of you now. Zophar won't be, either. Good. I don't intend for it to be pleasant for her. * Niri puts a hand on Mikel's arm, though whether it's meant to be in agreement or mild restraint is unclear. * Tanan just sounds sad now. "Nnn. Pity her, Mikel. She's doing the only thing she can think of to free her soul, she's literally humanity's last chance, and everyone, everyone is turned against her." I don't like her, I can't agree with her. But I can't hate her anymore either. She isn't holding half of someone you loved that you had to watch die. * Niri appears about to say something, but the words die on her lips as Mikel speaks. Emili'll be part of it all, if the prophets' plan has to happen. I'm not so sure that's a terrible fate. Cutting her free for nothing, wasting the sacrifice, this seems far worse to me. I... you know what I am. You know I really can't understand how you feel, except through Niri. But I'm asking you to be sure before you hunt her down. That's all. * Niri sighs. * Mikel opens his mouth to snap off a retort, though he restrains himself at the last moment and manage to respond. Though it's obvious he's restraining himself, seeing as his arm is shaking under Niri's hand. "...fine. Zophar first. I swear to Althena the moment he's dead Pandora's /mine/, though, and damned if anyone's stopping me. You might be able to drop your hate but I can't." * Niri looks at Mikel for a moment, then shakes her head a bit sadly. I don't know if I CAN hate much anymore. I'm mostly just sad, weary, and sick with worry. There's not much room left for hate. I... yes. * Niri seems a bit distracted, oddly * Mikel lets out a sigh, starting to haul himself up as he reaches out to grab the spear. The star willforce has abandoned it since he dropped the transformation. "Leave it to me, then. We'll settle this and no one else is going to fall. I'm not allowing it." There's plenty of steel in his voice, though that's about it. * Niri nods, releasing his arm as he seems to have his temper in check, if barely. Any idea how long before we have to get moving? Ideally I'd like to give Trune at least another hour to rest, but... * Mikel looks up to the tower, sighing. "Sooner the better, but I already made us waste time." You did nothing of the sort. It's not worth rushing ahead and breaking Trune. He's a bit fragile, but powerful. I'd much rather take an hour or two and let him rest. We have some time yet. * Niri nods gratefully, looking immensely relieved. * Mikel nods. "Should at least keep him together." * Niri stands, putting her hand on Mikel's arm again, but this time it's clearly meant to be reassuring. * Mikel sighs, shaking his head. "Wish he'd just come out so we could settle this already." Zophar, that is. I'd prefer to have the sword first. Yes. That's crucial. Mm. Point. Now that we're ready...that'll be what gives us the edge we need to put Zophar down for good. ....yeah. * Mikel pats the hilt of Ghaleon's sword, frowning. "...just have to destroy this as well, just in case." He looks back up at the tower before muttering another curse as he starts towards the tower. * Niri sighs and follows. How do you plan to do that? * Mikel waves a hand as he steps through the door. "You'll see. Might break the heavens open for a bit, but it'll do the trick. Make sure Trune gets his rest... I'm.. gonna look around a bit." * Niri raises an eyebrow, but shakes her head and leaves the matter be. "All right." ==Tada== >> End! On such a /happy/ note. >> My bit has sarcasm, it wins.