Session Start: Sat Aug 09 21:09:55 2008 Session Ident: #lunar-iog2 * Logging for #lunar-iog2 started * Retrieving #lunar-iog2 modes... * TheStoryteller changes topic to '-= Chapter 77: Death From Above | Location: Jerusalem, Temple Summit | Pool: 0 MXP=- http://storen.rpgcafe.net/IoG/ ' * TheStoryteller sets mode: +m == SESSION START == At the summit of the Temple at the heart of the corrupted Holy City arises the avatar of The Destroyer. His arms and leg transmogrified into four serpents of doom, they seem poised to cosume all of existence into the god known as Zophar. Fiery remnants of the machiens that buzz through the sky fall all around the group arrayed before his evil gaze... The Sword of Althena and their burning spirits are the only thing standing between this demon and the end of all things. >> Zophar Phase 2 Battle! * Saki stands defiant in the aftermath of the chaotic wave of magic, gleefully grinning as the power twists and siphons into her darkened aura. "--that's it! This is what all of us were trained for!" * Gayo is now known as Angie >> Enemy Right Side: R Arm, R Leg | Enemy Left Side: L Arm, L Leg | Enemy Rear: Zophar * Vytor slips into a defensive posture, a steely gaze in his eyes as the Destroyer finally takes form. [Zophar] Such training is for naught.. feel the madness as you are drawn into the abyss! >> Declaration Phase. * Trune twirls the Eightfold Spire once, grinning almost ferally, "So, you've finally decided to stop dicking around, Destroyer? Let's make this fast." * Etir is now known as Tanan >> Zophar's main body begins casting an unknown power on all targets! >> The Hell wave begins to gather once more.. 1/3. >> R Arm targets Niri with a strange series of sigils... >> L Arm targets Trune with a different set of sigils.. >> L Leg's maw opens wide and roars hungrily at Angie... >> R Leg begins summoning more dark runes, this time around Thunder Mikel. >> The death god towers before her like a world-devouring beast, but Angie looks over its head into the clouded sky, making an appeal to a higher power. * Saki lurches one step, dragging a hand across her face as she laughs. "Drawn? /Drawn/?!" She stamps a foot, a shockwave of power flowing outwards and almost mirroring Zophar's last move. "We started amidst madness! And we crawled out! If you cannot even tell that much--" and she's moving, a full-on run. "--we'll tear you apart!" You cannot tell this bastard anything, it's not like he actually has the brain cells to understand why we clearly outclass him! * Trune traces a sigil in the open air, which pulses with all colors of the rainbow. Ha! You don't have the slightly cl- wait what. We've been playing this little game of cat and mouse long enough. Now we finish it! * Mikel snaps his fingers, electricty gathering from the surrounding sphere and the crackling projection. "No training here. Just a whole lot of luck." * Mikel` gestures as well, swirling waters gathering underneath Zophar. "For you, maybe." >> Battle Phase. * Niri is simply silent, eyeing Zophar carefully, but appearing to refocus and gather her bearings. Softly she begins to sing, the sound building gradually and slowly. >> Vytor moves to defend Trune! >> Saki's action. * Saki bolts towards the towering form of Zophar as Rachel solidifies into view, floating at speed just over her left shoulder. They're almost underneath Zophar's huge bulk when the martial artist wrenches to one side, kicks squarely off a rock and into the air to grab the ghost's hand. Improbably, it works; even more so, Rachel spins and bodily flings Saki's form at Zophar, like a black, spiky, and above all angry missile. * Saki collides with the giant arm at speed, fist first; dark sparks fly as a fist impacts the tough skin, and then she's finished with a giant mid-air roundhouse that pushes her away just in time for Rachel's transparent form to warp where she was and continue the assault. >> Saki consumes 72 willpower to launche herself at the main body! Torrent of Blows! >> The elemental chaos forces around her blunt the attacks as they slam up against the demon's hardened skin, repelling them. But still it manages to deal some damage. 73, 62, 66, 73! >> Saki absorbs 83 WP from the attack, however, as the synergy shows its other side. [Zophar] Fighting the shadow with it's own power? You are as foolish as your mistress! >> Niri & Tanan * Rachel mirror's Saki's evasive final move, but rather than drop next to her she merely falls straight back into her host as she lands, skidding back with a crowing laugh. "So foolish! What can you do, when your enemy /feeds/ off you?!" «ooc: minus that first apostrophe augh » * Niri raises her voice, the sound increasing dramatically and suddenly as the song flows outward in a sonic wave, the melody rising and falling like breakers buffeting against the main body. Zophar finds himself defending against the crash of celestial music, spinning and circling and rising and falling around him, echoing in waves. >> Niri's sacred song deals 1500 damage to Zophar! Echoing is enabled! * Tanan laughs, a play of lights dancing beneath his surface as a number of small spines emerge all over Niri. "Finally you're here.." A small line of light connects him to the electrical Mikel, draining a bit of power, with a murmured "sorry." * Tanan contracts, squeezing in on Niri for a moment, then expands, violently expelling the crystals! They scatter into the air, dancing in the storm. "And now, and now-!" Tanan falls silent for a moment.. when he speaks again, the wild emotions are gone. * Tanan speaks again, but the voice does not come from himself, but from one of the floating crystals. His tone is cold, final. The crystal speaks one word as a shimming shield of light forms around it: "Kaltas." - The crystals speak in turn, one after the other, each making a declaration as the shields form. "Skyldig." "Culpado." "Coupable." "Bunos." "Sekur." "Bersalah." "Kriv.""Vinovat." "Syyllinen." "Colpevole." "Guilty." - When fully half of the crystals have changed, the shields fall into formation around Niri, protecting her. - The remaining crystals spread out, surrounding Zophar. Blades of light slowly form around them, each crystal serving as a pommelstone. * Tanan speaks from himself again, voice quiet, barely audible over the chaos surrounding the group. "I was created to defend humanity, to judge its enemies. You have been judged. The penalty..." * Tanan 's voice then rings out from all the cystals in unison, a booming declaration. "DEATH!" * Mikel blinks at the twing before barking a laugh, his form fading slightly and then surging again. "...that's it? Barely tickled. Draw as you like!" * Niri winces very slightly at Mikel nonetheless, but she feels a surge of energy and courage as Tanan unleashes his power. She stands up straight, drawing her head up and eyeing Zophar defiantly, almost joyfully. >> Tanan utters the Judicator's Decree! Niri's damage is increased by 25%, damage taken down 25%, and flurry is augmented! TMikel loses 25 MP as it is used to fuel the transformation! [Zophar] So, that is the power of Johnathan's weapon? Tsk, you are still an insect to be crushed. >> TMikel's action. Your overconfidence will be the death of you. Vengence is swift, after all. I'd like to see you try it, Zophar. You can't imagine all that has led to this moment. * Mikel lifts his hand, a single finger outstretched. The gathered electricty gathers around his hand in circles before a bolt fires, striking Zophar and going straight through him to rejoin the crackling sphere. "Let's bring you down a few notches, now..." >> Mikel EMP's Zophar! Thunder resistance is down to normal levels! 64 MP is also damaged! >> WMikel >> Will down 25% << 33% rather.) >> * Mikel` waves his hand, the swirling water underneath surging upwards to engulf Zophar's main form. He smirks a bit as the torrent strips away more defenses, carrying them away into the ocean. "And then this..." >> The watery Mikel follows up with Winter's Chill! The Water vulnerability decreases , as well as -33% more willpower. Minimum reached. Much better. Heh, thanks for softening him up for me. >> -111 MP as well >> Zophar's body writhes and prepares the coutner attack...! >> The R ARm casts Mark of Corrosion on Niri! The burning rune sears into Tanan's surface as his energy begins to slowly corrupt. Aggresive actions may cause equipment breakage! >> L Arm inscripes the Mark of Corruption upon Trune... his elemental magical flows start becoming polluted. Magic/Skill usages will cause them to weaken! << vytor was defending >> << trune :P >> >> L Leg roars once more and comps down with it's draconic teeth onto Angie, lifting her into the storm sky as she fights to avoid becoming its lunch. Engorge! Angie is removed from combat until the L Leg is destroyed! * Saki twists, launching across the battlefield after the errant limb. * Angie paces the battlefield in a hazy reverie, and is taken entirely by surprise by the attack, leaving a puff of stardust in her wake as she is lifted into the air. << reverse. Vytor blocked for Trune, so he is cprrupted instead.) >> * Saki growls angrily out to Angie as she races to the scientist's defence: "And what damn good is breaking time if you can't tell when you're about to be eaten while you do it, for all the gods' sakes?!" >> R Leg applies the Mark of Despair upon TMikel... his strength begins to ebb as he fights. Stats will drop when aggresive actions are taken. * Niri shakes a fist at the fiend leg. "Put her DOWN, Zophar!" * Mikel blinks as he gets decorated with a whole new set of sigils before looking up at Zophar. "...okay look, it was somewhat okay when Xenobia did it. You? Not so much." Humph, I suppose you think this is funny, Destroyer? It's a temporary setback, and nothing more. Oh, and we'll be taking Angie back soon, thanks. >> Zophar body laughs and summons a gigantic ball of darkness and light before him. "Hahaha!" Don't worry, Mikel, I got this... >> Blasting a chaotic blast of force at it, the disco ball-like object sends rays of chaotic colroed light in all directions. What, the giant ball of death? Er....crap. No, I got the sigils, I mean...gah, duck! * Trune 's face blanks for a moment, "...Huh? I didn't know he was into that kind of thing." * Tanan speaks in the same calm tone as before. "i will handle the marks. Assist Angie." "Mine." Ryllan states simply, reaching up to hold his hand towards it. A blue spark flickers toward the ball, leaving an arc, a path of least resistance. >> Zophar's L Leg absorbs the attack and is now Fire-Aligned. R Leg is now Earth aligned. R Arm is now Dark. L Arm is now Plant. * Niri nods in response to Tanan. Oh. This will be interesting. >> Ryllan counters with a Lockdown as three bolts redirect to him! ooc actually four >> Ryllan finds himself hit by Light, Thunder, Fire and Water combined for 1092 damage. He is now reduced in all elements of those types. >> Saki absorbs the attack for 112 WP! >> Niri is hit for 179 damage and weakened to Earth. Vytor is hit for 266 and weakened to Dark. TMikel is hit by Air for 301 damage. "Useless," Saki crows; even as the bolt coming her direction shifts between alignment and colour, she holds out one palm and it simply falls away into so many useless motes around her, soon overwhelmed by the dark air around her. * Niri shrugs off the damage, dismissing it easily. "That all you got?" * Mikel blinks at the barrage of wind before looking up at Zophar. "You're... you're kidding, right?" All show, no substance. I think Ryllan got the whole show. * Trune is almost smirking in glee at this point. I think he did. You okay, Ryllan? >> Vytor's Quick Hammer fires as he takes it back to the L Arm with his warhammer! * Ryllan 's voice is a pained rasp. His throat's probably burned. "I'll live." >> 111, 113 damage! He focuses for 153 Hp & 31 Mp. Corruption takes hold as Quick Hammer devolves to form 1! ...hmmm. New tactic. >> Trune's action. Attend! Rainbow wheel of elements! Twofold seasons, protect me with your endless procession! * Trune closes his eyes and holds up eight fingers, and each pulse with color; a different element on his fingertips. Suddenly, the elemental force bursts outwards, twisting around Trune into a rainbow-hued cone of shimmering elemental energy! * Ryllan can't even manage a dramatic arm gesture as he pulls on Trune's energies, borrowing to them, adding to them. * Trune chuckles darkly, then points his spear straight at Zophar, "Right, then! Time to really end this. I'm bored." >> Trune summons the Eightfold Defiance! He and Ryllan, TMikel and Niri are protected by a 3/3 barrier of force. >> Niri's voice from before echoes, dealing another 1980 damage to Zophar. [Zophar] Rarhg, you will pay for this isolence! * Mikel` cants his head to the side. "That's an old one." * Niri watches as the sonic aftershocks of her spell take Zophar by surprise. She smiles triumphantly as she prepares her next attack. >> Ryllan recovers 30 MP Talk is cheap. If you're going to insult us, at least put some effort into this! And you're the one responsible for destroying the Blue Star? Hah! Unbelievable! I'm so dissapointed. Yeah, Mikel...just wait. If he says, "I cannot be defeated! I am INVINCIBLE!" then that means we've won. >> TMikel's blood current slides his barrier onto his twin as well! >> Round 2 >> Declaration Phase. >> L Leg starts comping on Angie madly! << chomping >> >> R Leg prepares to hurl an Earth spell at Niri! >> R Arm prepares to hurl a Dark spell at Vytor! >> L Arm prepares a healing spell directed at the body! >> Hell Wave is now 2/3. >> Zophar grins evily and begins to prepare an attack on the front row. * Trune 's body goes rigid, and he directs his spear downwards towards the ground as he quickly traces a circle on the ground. That circle begins to pulse with elemental energies, throbbing at timed intervals. Trune's face is determined, if somewhat expressionless, "Your reign is over, as it should have been ages ago. It's time to show what I'm capible of. Back to the pit." * Niri settles into an aggressive attack stance, grinning worryingly at Zophar, the Sword of Althena held high. * Mikel starts juggling another bolt of electricty, giving Zophar a nice biig grin. * Mikel` meanwhile holds up his half of the staff, a spark of blue gathering in the Star Dragon Diamond. * Ryllan flicks a hand toward the watery Mikel, Not even looking, "Get Angie out of there." >> Battle Phase. >> Saki's action. That'd be the idea. * Saki smashes into the leg she's gunning for elbow first; with a hoarse yell of 'Angie--!' she's tearing across it in a series of swiping attacks and a punishing shoulder barge, bringing the spiked pauldrons of her armor to bear on Zophar's skin. >> Saki unleashes her full fury now as another torrent lays into the leg holding Angie tightly! >> 116, 111, 117, 112, 126, 117 (699 total). 70 WP absorbed! 72 WP lost. >> Tanan's action. * Tanan again draws from the lightning Mikel as he turns bright red, the mark on Niri burning away. A similar shell of heat surrounds Vytor, Ryllan, and half of Mikel, burning away the harmful magics on them. "Your markings are interesting, but ultimately useless." * Mikel breathes out a sigh of relief as the mark's scorched off, watching the trail of electricty towards Tanan. "That's an interesting trick, Prof." Useful, too. Thanks, Tanan. I appreciate your help. Jupiter seemed... reluctant. >> Tanan uses Atomic Burn! A vague ghost of Lucia appears to cast a dome of purfiying light and heat blasts away the evil marks and the elemental alterations on Niri/Vytor/Ryllan/TMikel! 40 Mp is drained from TMikel as well. >> Niri's action. * Niri darts forward with almost inhuman speed, striking Zophar repeatedly with the Sword of Althena, its celestial blade slicing painfully into him. Feel the blade to which you were destined to fall, Zophar! >> Emboldened by the hoevring weapons of light, the sword of Althena cuts deeply in a flurry of strikes that rend the flesh of the unholy being. - 371, 385, 375, 429, 362 (1922) >> The L Leg is rent to pieces, and Angie is freed! [Zophar] Curse.. curse that foul sword! * Angie tumbles out on all fours and flicks gobbets of stinging goo from her hands. She offers a tired thumbs-up to show that she's OK, but her attention is trained on the sky: somehow she didn't lose her place despite being eaten. Of course -- her drone remained free, so the near-death experience was merely an inconvenience. Angie, you all right? * Angie waves sheepishly with her gun hand. "Head in the clouds," she murmurs. >> Mikels's action. Please stop being eaten. Yeah, I'm with Tanan. * Mikel` places his staff into the flow, laughing. "Alright, then. Zophar, here you go!" With that the spark is taken along the whirling sphere of lightning and water, splitting up and arraying itself in various areas. They all flash, blades of black ice breaking free and winding around Zophar's appendages to strike the body! * Mikel meanwhile drops the bolt he was juggling, offering a game wave as it surges along the ground before arcing upwards to crash into Zophar in the same moment. >> Water Mikel teams up with Ryllan to unleash a freezing hell of Cold Blood upon Zophar! >> With his water resist * will sapped it hits the dark god with full force as he is momentarily encased in ice from the pits below. 3753 damage! * Niri is momentarily stunned, then lets out a low whistle. >> Zophar is invulnerable to Poison! No effect. 375 MP is damaged, though! * Mikel` flicks his hand back, withdrawing the staff from the stormy battlefield as he offers Zophar a cruel smile. "Like it? It's all thanks to you." >> Thunder Mikel follows up with a finisher as heaven opens up and disgorges a bolt of electricity upon the frozen demigod. 1472 damage. Hm, I do believe that got his attention. Do you think he's really smart enough to know it'll only get worse? ...No, no he's not. >> Zophar breask out and howls in triplicate from multiple heads. "You will PAY!" Ooh, oh fuck we're going to pay. Shit everyone, let's just go home. (also -147 Mp again from reply to Thunder) * Mikel raises an eyebrow. "Oh? Well then... come on already!" * Trune smiles a cruel little smile as he says this, "No, I think it's more like 'We'll make you pay'." * Ryllan , wordlessly, pulls out a silver coin from his pocket and flips it toward Zophar. >> R Leg casts Terra Breaker! The serpentine appendage snakes into the ground below Niri, but it bounces off her shield as it tries to erupt violently. 2 magic blocks remain. * Niri laughs. "Nice try!" >> R Arm has more luck as it disgorges a bolt of Antimatter that sears Vytor! Thankfully his weakness is gone. 708 damage. * Vytor shrugs the attack off, refusing to bend. >> L Arm completes its spell, using Herbal Breeze on Zophar's Body. 1743 Hp recovered. Delaying the inevitable, Zophar! Not even much of a delay. Don't worry, he won't be smiling for long. >> Zophar glows with chaotic force and coalesces swords of power in contrast to Tanan's shards, held by fiends from the abyss. They surge forward in a charge attack through the front ranks! Hell's Legion! He isn't smiling now. Oh, is that what that is? It looked like a constipated grimace. For him, that IS smiling. Everything he does is rather retarded, this shouldn't surprise anyone here. I was really expecting something a little more imposing, you know? So was I. * Tanan sounds the faintest bit reproachful. "Im beginning to suspect you aren't taking this seriously." * Trune chuckles, "Oh, don't worry. I am. You'll see." ...Sorry. Back to the killing. * Saki turns, and glares down the incoming attack. One hand raises, then points forward in a military call to arms; from the bones and spirits scattered around the town a perfect countercharge of armored ghosts and spirits meets the attack head-on. >> Niri's barrier deflects the attack, 2 strikes left! Vytor is struck for 602 damage and is KO'd, but his servitor biology prevents defeat.. Unstoppable Hero! Revives with 506 HP... * Vytor begins to fall, and then by sheer force of will regains his footing. He cricks his neck once and throws a defiant look at Zophar. Vytor! Hang in there! >> Saki's chaos soul protect her from the attack, as she resists. 322. Not done yet. >> Ryllan's eightfold shield also avoids the attack. >> Vytor's action. My turn! * Vytor slams his hammer into Zophar's body, aiming not to cause massive damage but to bash holes in his defenses! >> Nix saki took only 1. >> Vytor looks for some payback, planting his mallet of justice in the Destroyer's gut, drawing black blood. 214 249 << (er, 214 and 249 ^^) >> >> Angie is distorting the timestream... >> Trune's action. * Vytor jumps out of the way, knowing what's coming next. * Trune 's circle of elemental energy suddenly bursts with energy, as he points the Eightfold Spire straight into the air, "Enough! Time grows short, and I won't lose to some weapon from the heavens above us! ...But I think I'll give you a taste of your own medicine instead! Time to show you true potential!" Mark of morning, the defiant dawn, rise from the horizon and grant us your strength! Kiss of Dawn * Trune opens his clasped hands and a wash of sunrise pours out to envelop the party! ...and now, the grand finale. Goodbye, Zophar....Hopefully. * Trune points upward, and the moon itself begins to spin until eight moon disks; green, yellow, blue, red, white, brown, silver and black, all rotate around the once Silver Star. The disks roatate faster and faster, until they form a rainbow ring around the moon. The ring suddenly lances downward to form a collum, piercing all things in its path until it slams down into place around Zophar. Silver eye of the night sky, soldiers of rainbow in eras past, let my will be your portal. Advance! And attack! * Trune throws his hands down and forward, as if he could reach up and pluck the moon from the heavens himself! Like staring up the barrel of a monstrous gun, Zophar can only watch as a tremendous roar rips through the heavens, and the silvery bullet that is the moon hurtles down from on high! With all the fury of a million souls crying out for vengenace, the monstrous silver bullet strikes true! >> Trune's mind opens as the power pours out of him. Kiss of Dawn recoveres all party members for 900 HP... but it is not over >> Out of the skies flashes a bolt of power from the moonbase, as ethereal bodies of all 8 Elementalors materialize and converge on Zophar from the cardinal directions, culminating in a mealstrom of overwhelming, unstoppable physic force. The eminations ripple outward as they explode in light. >> Elemental Drive! Trune's summoning deals 2710 damage to The Destroyer Zophar! >> Zophar is sent to the altar ground for a moment, snarling as the cuts opened up deepend dramatically, and the latent motes of force then poison his magic flows, causing him to howl in agony. -300 MP, 300 more damage! Zophar's MP is zero! ..and that's how it's done. * Trune bows mockingly. * Niri kind of stares at Zophar for a moment, then lets out another low whistle. "Wow. Nice work, Trune." >> Angie exrecises her action! >> Suddenly Angie's hand shoots out, a pointed finger picking out one star of millions. She smiles as the intricacies of the golden path are laid bare in a single stroke of genius. 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Thick, but already she can feel the frayed strands. No man could bear that load. She drives it forward toward the inevitable, the Ien text surging across her skin. >> Angie strains her imperfect mastery of time to turn back the clock on Zophar's powers while he is distracted. Reduce succeeds! Zophar loses 3 levels, adding insult to injury. >> As he tries to raise the bleeding heavy body, the second stanza of Music Universalis echoes from all around him. Weak to Star! 1224 damage. [Zophar] No, this cannot be possible...! * Mikel blinks. "...that's it?" Feel oblivion, Destroyer! There will be no salvation for you! * Niri listens to the surging harmonics of the echoing celestial song, feeling it vibrate in her bones. To her, however, it is comforting, invigorating. To Zophar... * Angie stumbles backward, an expression of tired, drunken bliss on her face. "You'd be surprised what's possible..." >> The demigod falls to his knees as the power of the Rogar body begins to falter, and the snake tendrils scream before vanishing and his corpse explodes in black ichor. >> Phase 2 end! Well. Not a good choice, Zophar. Rogar failed you. I figured you'd be used to dissapointment by now. * Saki straightens. Not directly attacking, but hardly relaxed, she frowns in mild and irritated confusion. Be wary though...it may not be over yet. Arising from the pool of demonic entrails comes the disembodied head of The Destroyer, a manifestation of his last bits of power, drawn from the temple itself to be reborn. I don't understand. He shouldn't have been so weak... I know, it's...odd. ...you're kidding, /again/? * Niri sighs. Deep within ehr soul Niri has a sense of Deja Vu... this was what her mother once fought with Hiro by her side in the past. The true form of the devil! Is this it for real, this time? Or is this the last vestiges of your power, barely hanging onto existence? * Angie gradually regains her full senses as her consciousness slips back into Now. "He's been doing this too long," she says, still sounding a bit far-off. "He can't give up but he can't go on. He has to last the rest of eternity in this moment." ...Ngh! You bastard, why won't you die? You're a relic from the past! Pathetic! You're NOTHING! * Vytor exhales. "Persistent, aren't we?" * Tanan sounds puzzled. "Are you incomplete, Zophar? Was your return flawed?" * Mikel` sighs. "Round three, ready, set..." [Zophar] You humans... I will not allow you to destroy me! Not before I have my revenge on you and every other hero who has come before you! * Niri pauses, shivering just a little with the feeling of deja vu before recovering. "Right. Either way, let's finish this." Just shut up and die already! Mostly, they're already dead. We're giving you an opportunity to join them. What is the point of revenge? You've LOST! Even if you destroy the world, you gain nothing from it! You'll be sucked up into hell along with everyone else! Usually, when people do something nice for you, you thank them. [Zophar] I will DESTROY EVERYTHING!!! All that you hold dear! Your past, your future... it is forfiet! I will drag it to hell with my dying breaths! >> Phase 3 battle! ...what a waste... >> Enemy Front: Zophar Forgive me if I'm not shaking in my boots, Zophar. *She raises the Sword of Althena* Come. Let's finish this. >> Zophar prepares to unleash a powerful Hell Wave at round's end! * Trune 's face goes expressionless, his eyes burning with a hatred unlike him, "You first. I will destroy you first." >> Up above, something is goi9ng on with the satellite. This is... I... I see. What's up, Prof? Ryllan. Can I borrow your power one more time? * Saki clenches a fist. "... I'm not the only old relic around. I just aged better. Hehn! No use being /bitter/, is there?!" Saki concentrates, then rushes forward on the attack. Don't limit yourself, Tanan. Thank you. Niri... let's do this. * Vytor hefts his hamer once more, and dashes in behind Saki's advance. >> Battle Phase. >> Angie uses Celestial Conjunction! * Niri tilts her head to one side, listening as if to Tanan and another voice unheard. She nods, her expression determined, and readies the Sword of Althena with a slight flourish. "Time to end this." * Angie crosses her hands in an X before her and coaxes the Ien scripture to life, rushing down her arms and across her body in meandering curls of text. "40," she reads off the countdown display. "Not enough time." She closes her eyes, chews her lip, feels the sky she can't see. The heavens are dotted with countless bodies whose only purpose to align now, to produce THIS CONFIGURATION. It's a moment so perfect that it has to last. >> Reality lurches to a stop, and for a moment, only the Truth Seekers may move, freed from the fetters of logic and causality. The text of Ien resolves into a single line across Angie's forehead: YOU'LL HAVE THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE. >> The group gains premeptive actions! Time is running out for all of us. >> Saki: * Saki stops dead all of a sudden, tilts her head... and takes a step back, standing and neutral in the middle of the battlefield. "... this one is yours," she intones quietly, and from out of her Rachel comes racing forwards, grim and solemn. Without so much of a word she grounds in front of Zophar, and drives a string of heavy punches into the dead god like the tolling of a doomsday bell. >> The bell tolls once, twice, three, four times - 87, 87, 83, 82, 80 (419), -72 WP. Nothing can be drained. << er five >> >> Niri/Tanan: Session Time: Sun Aug 10 00:00:00 2008 The air seems to warp slightly around Niri, and a faint chiming sound seems to surround her as she darts forward, her sword a blur that rushes in and strikes at Zophar repeatedly in a flurry of slashing blows. * Tanan pulses once with light as Niri rushes in, then goes dark as the light funnels into Althena's Sword. The shields part to make way for her and a number of the swords fall into place, joining in the attack. * Ryllan holds his hand steadily towards Tanan, subtly guiding the swords, pushing them, showing them the cracks in Zophar's defenses. * Tanan murmurs "I regret that we can't keep you around for a while, but it's better to do this while we can." The sword shines brightly as it is brought back around another time, the phantasmal swords surrounding Zophar thrusting inwards as the strike lands! * Niri drives the sword forward in a finishing blow, guided by Tanan's swords and Ryllan's assistance. >> Filled with righteous fury, the artifacts of dead heroes empower Niri's every move, as the team of girl and armor synchronize their attacks to strike at the heart of Zophar himself. Flurry- 333, 316, 315, 300, 347, 328. Empowered Strike, 3088! Chunks of his gigantic visage begin to be sheared off, his face cleft in half but still frozen in a crazed expression,the energies from below only going wilder. "Hiro failed... and you will as well! There's noe scaping my vengeance!" >> Mikels My father did not fail. And I will succeed to an even greater degree. I must. Give it up, Zophar. * Mikel snaps his fingers, lightning gathering around his hand while his watery companion summons up another blue spark. "Goodnight." With a gesture both are sent forward, electricty wrapping around the spark as both collide against Zophar! First the lightning tears through him and then blades of black ice erupt from within, furthering the damage. >> Mikel's Cold Blood strikes mercilessly. 2140. Reply to Thunder weighs in for another 1422. >> Up above, the sattelite which has been building up energy for a blast aimed at the colonies begins to rotate... it starts to become clear that it is moving in a trajectory to point directly at the Temple itself. >> Vytor * Vytor leaps high into the air above Zophar, his hammer drawn back. Once at the apex of his jump, he plunges downwards like a meteor! He slams into Zophar like a freight train, his hammer meeting the Dark God's skull with an explosive *CRACK*! * Trune 's stoic expression suddenly dissolves into what would be akin to growing panic as he watches the sattelite, and he quickly changes tactics! >> Vytor's Mega Press deals 522 damage, as another piece breaks off as his body becomes almost like brittle pottery, a statue suspended purely by his overwhelming hatred. >> Trune I...I won't let you hurt them! Any of them! Attend! Rainbow wheel of elements! Twofold seasons, protect me with your endless procession! * Trune closes his eyes and holds up eight fingers, and each pulse with color; a different element on his fingertips. Suddenly, the elemental force bursts outwards, twisting around Trune into a rainbow-hued cone of shimmering elemental energy! * Ryllan pushes the Elemental energy with a bare palm, gifting it to Angie and Vytor. >> Trune stands in Eightfold Defiance, as Ryllan makes sure the remaining unshielded members are protected with a barrier of force! I don't know exactly what happens to us after this, Zophar, but I've been to the end of time, and you aren't there. Humanity has a lot of living left to do. [Zophar] ..ahahaha...AHAHAHA... feel my hatred!!! I'm feeling it, Zophar, and I'm not concerned. There is a future ahead of us. Angie's right, I'm sure of it. You don't scare me anymore. * Trune whispers to himself, "It's not him I'm worried about anymore..." >> The Hell Wave gathers energy from beneath you as a gigantic pillar of chaotic pure force erupts! Caught in the massive expulsion of energy, your barrier hold firm and prevent damage! >> However, the pillar of force goes even higher before, exploding into the Heavens themselves and touching the Sattelite, giving it the final burst of power it requires to fire its Ragnarok laser!! * Mikel` looks up at the hole ripped in the sphere, blinking for a moment. "...incoming!" Ut oh. * Trune crosses his hands over his face to protect himself, and glances upwards, his face fully panicked by now; all bravado is now gone, "N--No! NO!" [Zophar] ...ghehe...if it is my fate to disappear from the world of men... then let their sins of worshipping me since ancient times drag you all into darkness with me! A fitting retribution, don't you think? The weapons you relied on for power will be your final executioner! [Zophar] A world without the gods will be a world without you in it! Spawn of Hiro and Lucia, I will see you soon.. in Hell! ...wings. Wings might be good. * Vytor grinds his teeth in frustration, trying to think of a way out of this trap. Talking. Even if we die here, so long as you do as well, humanity will carry on. Zophar! ...goodbye. I have another destination in mind, Zophar! But you are finished here. Tanan is right. DISAPPEAR. >> Bathed in the abyssal energy, Tanan and the Sword in Niri's hand begin humming. Now is the time to end it. * Tanan dims again, channeling power into the sword. * Saki looks up at the sky, grounding herself for the incoming attack. "--I've never relied on any power but my own! Come on, then!" I'd hoped to at least live long enough for drinks. Oh well. Maybe we can get some in the afterlife. * Angie flinches as the surge of energy fills her senses with noise, but she recovers quickly. Her body will never learn to stop shying away from pain, but her mind is unclouded. She lifts her gun and shoots Zophar right in his crumbling face. A wisp of light rises from the back of the gun and the gear turns. * Niri lifts her head to the skies and calls out, her voice echoing with traces of the celestial song. The power hums through the Sword of Althena's blade, and she looks once more at her companions, then grips her fingers tightly around the hilt and charges forward. * Trune steps back fron the battle, as if disorented. Panic is still clearly visable on his face as he attempts to get his emotions under control. I'm not dying here! Hit me with everythig you've got! I dare you! >> Angie's bullet shoots what remains of Zophar's right eye, as the glow recedes within it. The last thing it percieves is the image of Niri, filled with the power of the stars and order, bringing her blade down upon the remnants of the Destroyer. The Sword of Althena slices clean through the neck and the distorted mouth howls in agony once before shattering into a billion fragments. * Mikel` nods to himself as Zophar dissolves, turning his attention back towards the skies. "So." . o O ( What have I been doing? Did I seriously just fight...ngh, it can't end like this I don't want to die like this! Focus, Trune, focus! ) >> The lingering aura of his overwhelming loathing for life itself is vanquished along with it. There will be no more return for his soul. * Niri sways, regaining her balance as she blinks, looking a little dazed. She fumbles for the White Dragon Wings, her fingers sliding over them as if numb. The Temple summon begins shaking slightly as the reverberations of his demise echoe through the entire city, as if it has just been lifted of a gigantic burden. * Trune 's voice quivers, "Is...is he dead?" And, in the end, it was so, so simple. 'cept for the whole impending doom from above. Please don't remind me of that right now. Up above, the satellite with Emiria somewhere inside it explodes in a firestorm above the clouds, and belches forth a gigantic beam of pure force downwards. Oh... well. I suppose so. I- ...Oh goddess...son of a bitch no! I think it's about to remind us itself. . o O (Emiria...) * Niri gets her hands on the White Dragon Wings, then yells, "Everyone, quick, to me!" From what you can observe, it must be as wide as the entire city, as the clouds themselves part for it's high-frequency laser. * Angie lifts the smoking gun and gently kisses the barrel. She exhales away a great tension, as if not at all aware of the satellite above. * Mikel and his double get to Niri so fast you'd swear they were just blurs of elemental energy. * Trune stumbles to Niri, figuring he'll try anything at this point, even in his scattered frame of mind. * Angie lazily holds out a hand as she whispers something to her gun. As Niri calls the group to ehr for an evacutaion, she finds the Wings have lost some of their power and it's teleportation powers seem dimmed to the point of unuse. * Vytor moves towards Niri, hoping for the best. * Saki shakes her head, looking up at the shining sky with Rachel at her back. They are both smiling; as Niri yells the rally, Rachel disappears into so many motes and Saki almost saunters over. * Niri holds the wings, staring at them, and whispers, "No." She grits her teeth and attempts to coax some power out of them anyway. Even attempting to invoke them makes it shake violently and threaten to shatter apart in this den of latent chaos - this mode of escape is impossible... I'm... sorry. We had to put a lot into that last blow to finish him off. That may have drained them... * Trune 's face falls and he looks almost near tears, shaking, "It's not working...is it? There's no escape, is there?" The alser continues it's slow progress through the stormclouds. There is little time before it impacts. * Niri shakes her head. "It's done. Zophar is dead, forevermore. It was...it was worth it." What will it take to recharge them? Hurry. ... * Niri glances around at the others, her gaze landing on the two Mikels before looking at the ground. You also begin to sense a strange yte familiar presence about you, as the mtoes of dark power start to dance. * Niri closes her eyes, thinking hard and fast. I'll attempt t- ahh, I'd hoped as much. The path of the laser... slows. And keeps slowing. Wait.. time magic? ..? Oh... ...oh /hell/ Pandora. Oh. Good. Maybe we can get that drink after all. * Niri stops and stares. "Wait...what? Angie, are you doing th-" Oh dear. * Saki looks up and grins beautifully. "--about damn time!" The whole scene starts to become bathed in a sepia tone, like one is viewing an old photograph. The laser stops seconds away from hitting the temple altar. What...what the hell is...? * Rachel starts ranting openly at the air, making Saki's body pace back and forth. "You know, we've been around the damn world! Whichever of you it is, you're /late/!" * Trune drops to a knee, looking utterly confused and spent at this point. * Tanan sounds just the faintest bit smug. "She needs us, after all." * Mikel` grits his teeth, shadows within his watery form growing for a moment. "This is either very very bad or very good." Huh. I'm...not sure which. But we're still alive. As long as she deigns, anyways. * Ryllan looks up at the laser, "I'm not sure she could have cut that any closer." The motes of power that were dancing begin to gather, and out of them forms the ghostly, ephemeral figure of Pandora... the Prophetess. * Angie waves off Niri's question with her gun hand. "I had a feeling," is all she says. * Mikel and his watery self restrain themselves as Pandora appears. Barely. * Niri nods slowly to Angie, then turns her eyes on the Prophetess, waiting warily. * Vytor waves to Pandora. * Saki regards the Prophetess in silence, almost sad in her motions. She salutes a weary, archaic salute. It seems like she is under heavy strain, mainttaining the time stop with so little of ehr essence left. He's dead, Pandora. I think he's gone for good. [Prophetess] So, you really were more than witnesses after all. You were the reincarnation of the Seekers. I had my doubts... and we had our misunderstandings. But this is proof. Re...reincarnation? What? ...Reincarnation? * Saki shakes her head. "... mission accomplished, Pandora." states Rachel in a quiet tone. "We can fade back into history." [Prophetess] However, even with all your strength.. it appears your legend is about to end. Saving a world that you cannot enjoy. What are you talking about, Pandora? * Mikel raises an eyebrow. "/Misunderstandings/." I...I think she means we're about to die... Let it go, Mikel. [Prophetess] ..is this really how you'd like history to remember you? Or is history itself to blame for this? Her killer's master is dead, Mikel. And maybe it as well, in the chaos. 'cept she's still in /her/. Zophar's dead, Pandora. What more do you want? [Prophetess] I want to offer you a choice, Nirika. Look, if you're offering us some kind of deal, Offer it so we can tell you off and die in peace. What sort of choice? Speak for yourself, Ryllan. Are you sure, Ryllan? What she wants... it would allow you all to live. * Angie scratches the tip of her nose with a grimace. "I've got some issues with history, yeah. Even Zophar really didn't have much control over the direction things took. But all in all it turned out pretty well." * Mikel rolls his eyes. "Spell it out. There's always a catch." Well, I haven't heard the offer. It might be something we can agree to, for a change. [Prophetess] Either you can accept this fate, or join with the true Seeker souls you have earned the right to wield... and make it so these events of the past millenia did not happen. Zophar and Althena would destroy themselves, and the Gilded Age of man continued. I...I don't know what to think. Things are moving too fast...! If only things just weren't going so fast...!" * Niri squeezes her eyes shut. * Saki snorts to herself in some kind of amusement. Even in the sepia gloom of spotted time, she can move - and she places herself off to one side, roughly equidistant between Pandora and the rest of the group, standing in solemn silence. [Prophetess] Instead of facing a sacrificial detah as we did long ago, you can become gods yourself. ...ah, so that's your deal. Pandora. Zophar is dead, and humanity has made a pretty decent start rebuilding. You want to just unravel the threads of the past millennia, to destroy all that we've wrought? The good along with the bad? WHY? * Mikel` looks at his electric self. * Angie laughs nasally with the levity of someone who has seen life and accepted death. "And you? Where do you fit in?" * Ryllan glances at Vytor, "Still interested?" * Mikel just snaps his fingers, leaving the two gone in a blast of blood and elemental magic and leaving Mikel holding the spear. "Refused." [Prophetess] We were the ones who predicted these events.. and have the magical ability to handle the power. But without the Seeker souls we are nothing. And without you, there is no flesh to make this world be set right. The world IS right, Pandora. * Tanan sounds uncertain. "It... would erase this world. But would the result be worse? Many who died never would. The planet wouldn't be half frozen, half irradiated." * Vytor considers. And then we kill easily a couple thousand ourselves? * Mikel` (Zack@cpe-66-75-58-152.san.res.rr.com) Quit (Quit: ) Can't you see that? Sure, it isn't perfect, but...I would rather not undo everything. Think of all those who have been born, who have lived and died and struggled for happiness, since those mistakes were first made. ...Probably more. I'm not sure how long Lunar lasted. You'd destroy entire cultures. * Mikel just spins the spear about, setting himself. "I'm pretty happy with this world, live or die. And being a god would get boring fast." * Trune 's bottom lip twitches and his holds his head, eyes squinted slightly, " Restart everything? Be Gods? I...wait..Ngh...that's...that's...! Wrong...(whispered) wrong..." Hopes and dreams... Transplated souls, who would live again in their old forms? Songs and symphones would go unwritten... * Angie nods with a smirk as Pandora lays it out. "That's what I figured. Okay, Pandora, can I just talk to you person-to-person for a second here?" She meets Pandora's gaze with her blank eyes. The illusion never imposed on us, the heights humanity could have reached? Those songs unwritten as well. * Saki speaks up from the side, quiet and gentle. It's impossible to tell which of the pair it is; maybe both. "... I can't speak in this debate. I'm a pair of souls, striding both possibilities. But..." She closes her eyes. "Everything ends. It's long since the Prophetguard's time. With this, our job is complete." Prophetess takes a deep breath as her form starts quivering and dividing into the outlines of others. It is not so much willingly - she is starting to lose the handle on the composite entities making up her energy body. The horned enigma glances at Angie * Ryllan tilts his head, speaking quietly, as if to himself, "You want out too? You might be able to manage it. All the energy flowing around here." You may need us, but we don't need you. You're a mean-spirited egotist -- you could have had us on your side from the beginning if you hadn't been such a jerk. You're too full of yourself to even realize that you wrote the end to your own story. The world will probably be remade again; it's happened before. But you don't deserve a say in how that happens. [Prophetess] .....yes, the world will be remade again. But I fear... it will not be by your hands in the end. [Prophetess] So.. you.. spurn my offer still...? * Vytor says nothing, weighing his options. * Trune holds his head tighter, whispering, "You're wrong...wrong..wrong..!" * Mikel hefts the spear, smirking. "Violently, really." * Niri glances at the others, then nods quietly. "Yes. Sorry, Pandora." But... you would all live... There what seems like a battle brewing inside her spirit. "Ngh... no, I still...!" * Johnathan (~Etir@dynamic-acs-24-239-125-230.zoominternet.net) has joined #lunar-iog2 The world that made us wouldn't, Tanan. It's too high a price, Tanan. * Tanan sets mode: +o Johnathan I'd be willing to negotiate a bit, but my friends seem not to care for the option, and honestly it sounds like a lot of responsibility. Besides, what would you even do? All you can do is keep us from dying, and from the looks of it you can't even do that much longer. Did you actually have a plan for fixing this -- *pointing to the sky* -- or were you just planning to burn the last of those souls in postponing the inevitable? Eight against the world? Not worth it. What right have we to decide this for all of humanity? * Johnathan steps into the bubble of time as well... where was he hiding, anyway? "You heard them, Pandora." * Niri blinks in surprise. ..? As Johnathan steps out the figures of the other Truth seekers become visible in silhoutte behind her, as each begins to rebel in turn, sending her into chaos. But.. * Saki turns suddenly. "--agh, you're /both/ late! One of these days I will punch that out of the both of you!" Hylan. Good to see you again. * Mikel blinks, faltering for a moment. "T-The hell, Headmaster?" Headmaster? What? * Angie lights up like she just saw the magic eye picture. "It WAS you!" she cries, excitedly. The Vega turns to inspect John through its black lens. "I spent so long wondering." * Saki turns sharply at Pandora's first yell of pain. "--don't hurt her! ... she was just... doing what she felt was right. The same method we've used." Sorry. I had to watch her. If you failed, or if you succeeded. Well done, all of you. [Prophetess] My student... it seems you were right. * Niri give Angie a curious look. * Johnathan shakes his head. "Sorry, Pandora. Your dream wasn't so bad, but you agreed. We'd leave it all up to them." So, now can we finish it? Prophetess falls to her knees, ringed by the angry ghosts of Emili, Bree, Jack, Ishtar, Scott, Leon, Tahn and even Haylee. I'm not ready to give up on the idea yet, but I want to do it my way. We'll see where the future leads. * Johnathan looks around at everyone. "I can hold this bubble for you, but I can't get you out. She's drained. When you last fought her... she held on for this moment." Gives us time to work out a plan. * Niri nods. "It's more than I expected a couple of minutes ago. Thank you, Johnathan." ...T-Thank you. [Prophetess] ...it seems we were fated to vanish from the start... all the pain to be rejected in the end. It's over now. There is no gods.. and there will be no Prophets. * Tanan sighs. "If this is really what you all want.." * Saki nods to herself. "... time marches on, whether we like it or not. ... hehn. Frankly, I think I prefer it this way." * Mikel walks towards Pandora, spear on his shoulder. Though his attention's focused on Emili now, oddly enough. Or maybe not so oddly. [Prophetess] The utopia... we wanted...-- * Angie smiles warmly at Johnathan. "I had a lot I wanted to talk to you about. I think I understand things better now. But maybe not this time around." As much as the billions of people who died in the great freeze might want a second chance at life, those that are alive today deserve their own time in the world. She does not complete her sentence, as the last vestigase of the ghosts discorporate * Saki watches the process in some wistful kind of quiet. A familiar face gives Rachel a fond farewell... before it too is gone into the mists of time. This is what I want, Tanan. *She says this quietly, glancing at the Prophetess, then at Mikel for a moment as he walks forward. She stares at the ground then.* * Johnathan nods to Angie, face looking strained now that the prophetess is gone. He holds out his hands as though holding on tightly to something. The ghostly and bright image of Emili smiles at Mikel * Ryllan lets out a sigh, "And now he's gone, too." [Emili] You got so strong, didn't you. Was it because of me, Mikel? The other Truth Seeker phantoms of soul linger, wavering in and out of sight. * Saki closes her eyes, nodding in return with a sad smile... then turns, rotating one arm. "--/Right/ then. I can't speak for the dead one who waxes all poetic about everything moving on, but I've a class of kids to beat into shape in time for the next tournament," she growls in determination, "And I don't think I've enough of a magical stomach for something that size." Meanwhile the laser beam starts to slowly inch forward again. * Mikel offers a faint smile back, wavering for a moment. "...well, I did promise. I borrowed a few things of yours, I'm afraid.." He detaches the diary, holding it up. * Angie wets her lips and holds herself back from rushing to help. "I've been everywhen. I don't remember most of it, but I know how the story ends, so that's enough for me." This is.. this is stupid! You're all stupid. * Niri blinks. "W-what? Tanan?" * Vytor looks around and thinks, considering his options. * Trune looks up at the sky, gulping as he stares ahead, the blank stare of the utterly terrified filling his eyes, "(w) Happy end of our world...Just wanted to make it till the end..." Too late, regardless, Tanan. It seems that even Johnathan can't completely halt the advance of the beam, as it glows up above, like a sword of damocles falling... Hylan! Any chance we can get out of here? It's finally done, we're finally... I can finally.. damn. Damn! I.. can probably get myself out. Too hard.. this many people. * Niri tries to make sense out of Tanan's jumbled up thoughts, even as she wracks her brain for a way out of this mess. * Saki smirks at Tanan. "... hoh! This is new and interesting," Rachel smirks, and looks up as it starts to inch. "...mmm, well. How far can we run in here, d'you think?" * Mikel glances up for a moment before lookin gback at Emili. "...if you've got a last Star Dragon trick though, Emili, I'm all ears." Can we somehow power the Wings again? [Emili] *nods* I wished we could have spent more time together, so i could show you all its mysteries.. you had potential in a lot of ways... but now, what's going to happen to us? * Tanan falls silent for a moment. He speaks again, cold, purposeful. "You're all ready to die then. Well fuck the lot of you, I'm knocking that laser out of the sky. Seekers... I need you. Just for a minute, I need your help." Emili shakes her head. "With me like this there's not much i can do. But if we all pooled our powers... miracles are possible." ...think I found someone even better suited. You want the pessimi- * Mikel blinks, looking at Tanan. >> The Vega's eye snaps to Tanan. Angie cocks her head and draws a deep breath. "You're serious? I was ready to let it go, but if you're going to make a scene I guess I can buy you a bit more time." * Johnathan looks up, frowning. "What..?" Let me help, Angie. [Emili] Remember what the power of the stars is.. the Harmony of the Spheres is mirrored in people's souls just as it is up above! It's true! This is what I wanted to tell you before these things happened! * Niri looks up and jerks her gaze to Emili, eyes wide. The spirits look towards each otehr in confusion then draw towards Tanan * Angie coaxes the Ien scripture to life again, reaching out with fingers of will to ease John's load. The beam continues creeping forward, but it slows its descent. Angie grunts and screws her eyes shut. "Too old for this shit." * Vytor looks at Tanan with some curiosity. * Niri stops ignoring the woman uncomfortably and hurries over to her, reaching out to put her hands on her shoulders before she remembers she is incorporeal. Emili! I- * Saki barks a laugh, or Rachel does. "--I was talking about the past. Metaphorically, like. When you're a walking symbol of man's struggle between id and superego or whatever the hell they are, you get used to it." She watches with interest, smirking at Angie's comment. * Mikel blinks as Niri rushes by. With all of them, and all of your help.. I was made to draw power, souls! Screw letting you all die. Emili. I...I'm sorry. For everything. I wish I could ask you about all that, too. * Ryllan reaches his own will towards Angie, channeling energy through her, letting her do more with less. The rather angelic version of Emili's spirit, with wings of starlight smiles warmly. Tanan - Hurry. * Vytor realxes and leaves things to the mages, being too far out of his league in this moment. * Johnathan breathes a little easier for a moment. "Thank you, Angie..." He steps over with the spirits, resting a hand on Niri's shoulder- or more precisely, on Tanan. "I'll give you what I can." [Emili] I'm sorry about what happened between us.. but now, you've got to save what's precious to you. To us. * Ark (ark@staff.lunarnet.org) Quit (Quit: But you were dead a thousand times. Hopeless encounters successfully won. A man long dead, grafted to machines your builders did not understand. You follow the path, fitting into an infinite pattern. Yours to manipulate. To destroy and rebuild.) * Ark (ark@staff.lunarnet.org) has joined #lunar-iog2 * Saki steps to the line alongside Tanan, frowning in thought. "... I'd offer," comments Rachel, "But I think I'd be a hindrance. Convenient." * Tanan begins to glow, lines of energy like the ones earlier connecting himself to the spirits. * Mikel blinks before scratching the back of his head, offering a slighty shaking smile and blinking. "W-well, then...." He shakes his head again, looking unable to come up with anything to say. Not even a witty quip. * Niri hesitates, then nods slowly to Emili. "I will, Emili. You know...under other circumstances...I think we could have become friends." She smiles faintly. "I'll make it up to you." * Trune manages to wrest his gaze from the sattelite, but he looks lost, unclear as to what to do. * Angie winces and focuses her senses on the fourth dimension. All the noise of grim farewells drowns out to a distant rumble as she tries to once again grasp what she had in that one everlasting moment when she fell outside time. Ok... there.. and there... and... * Mikel finally breathes out a sigh, looking at Tanan. "What are you putting together now, Prof?" [Emili] Let me do this one last thing as your friend! Everyone, let's change this sad fate one more time! *to the Seekers* * Tanan murmurs to himself, the crystals he disgorged before rising into the air again, as more join them. This they float into the air around the party, forming a rough dome, lines of force connecting them. * Niri closes her eyes, smiling faintly. "Yes. Thank you, Emili." She opens her eyes again. "Right. What next?" Professor...you're... The energy spirals closer.. closer... - Slowly, bit by bit, the gaps fill in with a shimmering light. There's one small hole left, directly overhead. * Vytor watches, quietly. * Mikel whirls to look at Emili again, weakly reaching up before finally offering a wave. "I... goodbye, Emili..." He swallows again, nodding to himself before looking up at the dome and frowning. The agony of staring death in the face is combined with the will to resist it till the end. To deny Zophar his ultimate vengeance on all creatures. It will hold. Niri! The sword. Aim for the gap. Disrupt it. Everyone! As soon as time is released, whatever you have! R...Right...Right! * Mikel blinks before nodding, seperating back to his two elemental selves. "Got it!" * Niri nods, drawing the Sword of Althena and looking upward in preparation. Her body tenses, every muscle tingling. * Trune manages to stand up, pushing his fears aside for now, or at least enough to get the job done. There may be hope after all. * Saki adjusts her gauntlets, smirking in amusement and anticipation. The dark blaze kicks up around her, but controlled - working in tandem at least enough to not affect the barrier aversely. * Ryllan holds his hands out to the two Mikels, "Punch through." The souls of the Seekers plug the gaps with their own energy as the Sword of Althena completes the capstone of a shield that will not falter. * Angie 's finger moves wraps around the trigger of her strange weapon, numb and drunken, while she devotes her all to holding back the blast. * Johnathan rests his other hand on Tanan, nodding. Time begins to lurch and hesitate... the spell is dissolving! On the count of.. three. One.. two.. THREE! * Mikel and his watery self breathe out a sigh, beginning to gather their respective elements into tight balls of energy. They nod towards Ryllan, both of them smirking. "Would you expect anything else?" * Vytor hefts his hammer, hopefully not for the last time. >> Then they launch their spells, ice and lightning spiralling around each other as they arc towards the sword, swirling around it before igniting upwards as they pour every last bit of willforce they can muster. * Saki splits at the last motion, Rachel grinning wildly at Saki and vice-versa. They start to circle the outer rim of the shield, then faster until going at a run. Between them, the synergy of their powers begins to kick up a whorl of magic-eating energy. * Niri waits for Tanan's count, then pours all she has into the Sword of Althena, till it vibrates so hard with song energy that she can barely hold it still. She unleashes the power in a bolt of light shooting upwards, the music bursting from inside her, her mouth opening to let loose the song. * Trune traces sigils in the air, and then lanches a burst of elemental energy forward, determined to go down fighting! * Angie releases her control in a sudden jerk and is nearly hurled into yesterday by the sudden backlash. There's no time for her to recover and shift her focus to sustaining the shield, but luckily, Angie Baker needs no time. City of Jerusalem -- didn't you prefer it when this laser wasn't bearing down upon you? City of Jerusalem -- don't you want to see those days again? As Tanan's count ends so does the effects of the Nexus. The blaze from Heaven continues down unimpeded, incinerating the very air at thousands of feet per second. That is until it hits the counterveneing force from below! * Trune , for the first time since he was a very little kid, prays to the goddess above, even if she might not hear. The bolt from the sky and the bolt from below clash in a massive explosion! Fighting the limitless pressure is taxing on everyone's reserve, and the celestial tug of war begins to slip closer to earth. * Vytor throws his bodyweight against the impending blast, having no other way to fight it. It will hold. It will hold. It will hold! It will hold! IT WILL HOLD! * Niri grits her teeth, echoing Tanan's words in her own thoughts, her voice singing with wordless power. * Mikel and his twin speak in tandem. "We... are not... dying... here!" Now it is no longer time trickery slowing it down, but their will to live. It bears down more and more like a great weight, before it impacts the dome of light! Like a pearl bathed in the stream, the raging inferno slams into the ground around them as the very city itself starts to warp and melt. * Saki and Rachel are forced closer together as they try to tighten their power around the other swirls of energy; ultimately they are forced back into one, maintaining a second layer of shield against the bright white dome. * Trune struggles to keep his concentration, beads of sweat appearing on his face as he grunts in pain, "...Not gonna die here...not gonna die here....not gonna die here..." Wave after wave assaults the barrier, as the shards of light making it up start to creak and groan under the immense strain. Portions of the laser blast are diverted by the Sword of Althena around the center, perhaps the only thing avoiding a breakup. Parts of Tanan's body making up the last ditch defense themself start to dissolve. The energy of the blast keeps feeding into the blade like a lightning rod, as it heats up... but still Niri holds on. * Tanan snarls as the crystals in the barrier being to melt. "It... will.. hold!" * Vytor steps up and starts holding up the dome with his hands, as it begins to buckle under the strain! * Niri pushes herself even harder, trying to shield Tanan as well. None of her friends will die here. None of them. * Saki goes down on one knee, yelling in pain as such long-term use of her own lifeforce as a barrier takes a sharp toll, but she keeps her barrier held just about steady. * Mikel growls, both of him starting to flickkering about wildly as more water and lightning rush forward. * Ryllan falters, his eyes taking on an effuse, blue tone... There begins to seem an end to the downpour of Heaven's judgement after an agonizing moment... but so too is the shield reaching it's limit! One final gigantic blast at the end of the rain of fire descends, and as it meets the barrier the cracks of before become a weak point * Trune sees Ryllan's distress and attempts to pick up the slack. He gives a startled shout, his body twitching slightly in some unseen agony. Almost! ALMOST! * Vytor does what he does best, and moves to shield the party as best he can. How.. long.. does this.. dammit! Just a little more! * Niri shudders as she pushes out more of the magic through the sword, burning through her reserves. A little...? Alright, you got it. The integrity of the holy shield is compromised, and begins to buckle and melt inward, but Tanan strains with all the energy left in him to push it back out. The equipment all around Niri's body become superheated to the point of sorching her very skin, as the artifacts aborb this final bombarment N...Niri! Tanan! * Niri feels as if she is burning on the inside and out, her voice crying out to the heavens and her throat raw with pain. * Mikel tries to move closer to Niri to help, gritting their teeth. "Niri!" * Ryllan holds himself up, suddenly, as the trademark blue fire soars up and around him. His eyes are no longer visible, replaced by the brilliant blue light. The energy pulls around the group, feeding them with raw, terrifying strength, "Get rid of it!" he shouts, "NOW!" * Angie neither sees nor hears her friends' distress. Her drone lies on the ground, rocking slowly back and forth, and her world has narrowed to a tiny pinprick of will as bright as the sun. * Niri feels a rush of fresh energy, and she takes a deep breath before letting out another note of raw power. The sword blazes anew. * Tanan gives one last effort, the shield buckling and straining, barely holding up under the blast. Ryllan's help stabilizes it for a second, and with a series of loud popping noises it begins to cave inward * Mikel practically dissolves except a faint outline, the elements swirling around Niri. * Trune 's body still seems to twitch, but he manages to stand tall once more. He pushes his hands forward, drawing new symbols in the air through sheer will alone. * Vytor pushes back against the crumbling shield with all his might. >> Ryllan uses Reckoning in his desperation! The group gains Manification on their abilities, forcing the shield to hold even with it warped and melting away His body overflows in the bath of power, before he is sent hurtling to the ground in pain, having channeled more willforce than a man should have. But in his dimming senses, there is the sight of a blue sky through the clouds as the reign of firey death ends... * Saki falls away as the rest of the group get a boost from Ryllan, panting heavily and twitching; even with the luxury of falling unconscious available, she does her best to keep her barrier up, rolling limply onto her back. * Johnathan stumbles back, pulling his hands away and shaking them. "It.. worked." We're...we're alive? * Tanan echoes John's words. "It worked..." "oh good." His voice, raspy, "we won." His fall is barely even noticable, after the thunderous willforce of moments before. * Vytor winces in pain, as some motes of the laser's power had seared his shoulders and backside. * Mikel suddenly reforms back to one, half shouting and half gasping in pain as he crumbles to his knees next to Niri. * Niri staggers backwards, the Sword of Althena pulling her arms downward and hitting the ground with a clunk. She falls ungracefully to sit on the ground, rasping her breath out raggedly. * Tanan sighs as the remains of the crystals that were in the barrier tumble to the ground. There's another loud popping sound. "Thank goodness. Alive. You made it." * Angie is on her ass before she regains her senses. She sits there with a blank, stupid stare. "Ow, my ass." One hand gropes for the overloaded Vega. A hole punched through the stormclouds above seems like a bright window to the future has opened... as all around you the city lays in ashen ruins. * Trune 's body looks somewhat battered, a few burns on his arms and a good trickle of blood seeping from his mouth from the sheer power of the ray. * Mikel looks up, one arm wrapped around him half protectively as he slowly eases himself to a kneeling position. "...you look like shit, Prof." * Niri tries to speak, but nothing comes out except a hoarse whisper. She shakes her head, mentally querying Tanan to see if he is all right. * Tanan dims, revealing a number of cracks utterly crisscrossing his form. With a loud report, another forms, running from Niri's shoulder to waist. "I guess it all worked out then. I just wish..." ...you did good Tanan. Tanan, what- you- * Mikel blinks, eyes widening. ...Oh no...no... Tanan! * Tanan shudders, and a cascade of crystals falls to the ground around Niri, his voice echoing softly. "...ah.. that I could have, too." The satellite itself now becomes a flaming comet, streaking down to earth after overloading... an omen... and a sacrifice made for that future. * Niri grits her teeth in anger. "NO." Tears start to leak from her eyes, and she tries to pull magic from her reserves to try to stop this somehow. * Tanan is now known as Etir ... * Angie finds the drone and holds it in her lap, fiddling with it blindly. After a moment it returns to life with a chirp and hovers into the air. It spins around to survey the damage, and freezes on Tanan just as he falls to pieces. * Saki drops her arms. Her voice is faraway, weak, and the only thing marking her as conscious. "... you did, of course. Weapons aren't wishing sorts." * Mikel stares for a moment before dragging himself forward, wrapping an arm around Niri. * Johnathan shakes his head, staring down at the mess. * Niri finds she has no reserves, and it is too late. Her breath still rasping hoarsely, she shuts her eyes tightly and leans into Mikel, shaking silently. Niri... The artifacts connected to Tanan fall apart like so many shattered mirrors, a past that has served its purpose. Even the sword of Althena has broken a chunk of the blade as it hit the earth hard. * Angie hauls herself to her feet, seeming very tired for someone who just slept for three thousand years. She has no comment; the Vega's eye turns to view Angie's reflection in her gun. * Vytor quietly begins to gather the scattered pieces of a former comrade. * Mikel wraps his other arm around Niri as well, just holding her for now as he murmurs something to her under his breath. As they pick up the pieces quite literally, the remnants of the Temple Mount begins to shiver violently, it's structure compromised in the orbital bombardment and the battle's devestation. * Mikel speaks quietly. "Trune, make sure Ryllan's... oh for the.." ...This isn't happening...After everything...! The souls of the truth Seekers vanish, smiling , and return to their proper places... it should be soon before the unconcious ones yet living revive. * Vytor finishes collecting the pieces of Tanan, "We need to go. We can grieve when we're safe." * Saki grits her teeth from her position on the floor. There is a cessation of pressure, a lightening of the air of the room, and then a sudden whirl as Saki rather perfunctorily sucks in the last of Zophar's power... to let herself stand up, a little shaky but mobile. * Johnathan watches the souls disappear. "Yes.. go home, everyone." He turns back to the living, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, I didn't think that.. I didn't expect him to..." * Niri struggles to her feet, nodding at Vytor's words. She finds it very difficult, however - she used every ounce of energy she had and fatigue poisons are circulating through her body. * Niri looks at Johnathan, her eyes somewhat unreadable, then looks away. * Vytor slings the bag of Tanan over his shoulder, then goes to check on Ryllan. * Angie nods in agreement. She stows her gun in her hip holster and bends down to give Ryllan a hand. "I'm glad," she says, not to John as much as to herself. "Kind of. It means I was right about him." * Mikel gets to his feet, not letting go of Niri just yet. He looks at her for a moment, trying to gauge something. Come on Ryllan. On your feet. We've got a future to look after. * Saki turns to Johnathan, quiet. "... of course not. That was his choice." She smiles, a cross between a genuine one and a smirk. "Life's a funny thing." She looks up as the place starts to shake, and neatly punches a falling chunk of masonry to one side, so much dust erupting off of it. "... most of all, it endures and carries on. Time to go." * Ryllan blinks, "Ow." He mutters, as he stands, then looks over at Niri, "Oh.... Fuck." * Niri leans a little on Mikel but keeps her eyes on the ground. The quaking continues, and before you know it the stairway behind you begins collapsing. We need to go. Now. * Trune stands slowly, then freezes as he hears the stairs collapsing, "...he was right. No going back now..." There is also the sounds of machienry exploding somewhere within, catastrophically failing in succession. Headmaster, can you do something with the wings? * Johnathan shakes his head. "I have no idea how they work. Maybe eventually. It's not dignified, but... we might want to run." Thw wings begin to glow again of their own accord. Something powers them... * Angie winces a little at the wrenching of metal, feeling the pain of the machines inside the temple. "It took so long to build," she says, a little wistful. "But I guess Jerusalem deserves a fresh start too." ...bit of luck. Let's go. Before anyone can react they explode into a last surge of light, encompassing the entire altar. * Saki laughs good and long, with just a tinge of manic to it. "--fine by me! It can have a fresh start after I punch our way out of--" She comes to an abrupt halt as the wings glow with power, and promptly starts to sulk. One last mracle, maybe? Running...we...agh! What the hell!? A last gift, mayb- H-holy! Just as the ground beneath the group's feet lurches away towards the ground, they are no longer there. Somewhere there's the image of a White Dragon in your view, before the sound of breaking glass. The wings break into pieces, sending the group scattered to the corners of the city. * Saki lurches to a halt in front of a sign, thrown across town amidst the devastation and battered and beaten but clearly reading "NOT A TRAP, GUYS". Still in something of a sulk, she gives it a solid kick that tears it apart. >> As awareness returns, two groups seem to have landed near to each other on the smoldering ground. Trune/Vytor/Niri << er >> Trune Vytor and Niri land in a heap near the remnants of a guard tower on the outskirts. Far on the other end, near the ocean, Ryllan/Mikel/Saki come to. And within the heart of the city underground, Angie revives in her sanctum. << scratch that, let me rephrase. >> Trune, Vytor, Niri and Mikel land near the guard tower. Ryllan, Saki and Angie come to in her dusty, underground sanctum. * Angie awakens once again in her steel-and-glass bed, the capsule hotel that time forgot. She has an instant to wonder whether the entire affair was a dream of her suspended mind before the aches in her bones provide an answer. * Vytor appears in mid-air, lands hard on a damaged section of wall, which collapses promptly under his armored weight and buries him. * Trune crashes hard to the ground once he reappears, letting out a choked gasp before rolling to a stop, unmoving except for a faint groan. * Johnathan (~Etir@dynamic-acs-24-239-125-230.zoominternet.net) Quit (Quit: ) * Saki blinks around slowly. "... huh." * Angie holds the Vega in her hands like a baby rabbit. She sits up and waves it around the room, lookingh for other signs of life. Finding none, she climbs out of the pod and begins the long trek to the surface. * Mikel doesn't land precisely well, half of him crashing into a wall before he ends up sprawled out on the ground with a pained shout. "S-shit, that..." He shakes his head, trying to pull himself up and looking around frantically * Vytor pops out from the debris pile with a shout, and looks around to get his bearings. "Guys...?" >> Johnathan is also with Angie, though he is quite well and standing. The Headmaster lands gracefully, it seems. * Trune doesn't answer. * Saki picks up Ryllan and nods at Johnathan, following after Angie at a quiet but fast clip. Halfway through the tunnel, she pipes up. "--does your seeing eye still work?" * Niri hits the ground shoulder first, rolling a bit and crashing into a foot-high bit of wall rubble. She coughs, choking on the dust. * Johnathan (~Etir@dynamic-acs-24-239-125-230.zoominternet.net) has joined #lunar-iog2 * Etir sets mode: +o Johnathan It looks like we got out, at least. The others probably did as well, then. * Mikel hauls himself over towards Niri as he sees her land, gritting his teeth again exhaustion as he kneels beside her. "Easy, there. All in one piece?" * Vytor clambers out of the debris and starts looking for the others, spotting Trune and heading over to him. * Ryllan glances at Saki, but walks along with her, "Glad to hear that, Hylan. Any ideas where they might've wound up?" "There's some noise left over from the place," she says, "but I can see well enough to get around." She sprints the rest of the distance and begins to climb . Hey, Trune? You OK? * Johnathan moves to follow. "Probably not far, if we're still in the area." * Trune 's entire body is huddled, and his face isn't visable. He mutters something softly under his breath. Hey, you there? * Niri gets her hands under her and struggles up to her knees, coughing still. She turns to Mikel and nods slowly. "I'm...nothing broken. I think." Her voice comes out in a raspy whisper still. ...Dead...I'm dead...dead... * Vytor kneels down next to Trune, shaking his shoulder gently. "If you're dead, then I am too. And being that I'm not dead, the idea that you are seems remote." * Saki nods, and makes after Angie at a sharper pace. "Well, if you fall down a hole or something because you didn't spot it, just yell." * Mikel nods, slowly sliding an arm around her to ease her to her feet. "That's good, then... we're a bit split up it looks like." He looks around again, frowning before raising his other hand to fire a bolt of lightning into the skies. It works for a signal. * Trune doesn't seem to have heard Vytor, he keeps repeating the same mantra over a couple of times. You're the first person I'll call. * Vytor spots the bolt of lightning as it shoots into the air. Having no other way to respond, he gently picks up Trune to carry him. * Saki pauses by the door out, glancing around the corner to the street outside to check if the route is safe, clear, filled with rubble and/or exploding robots. * Niri coughs, then looks at Mikel. "You okay?" * Trune winces hard as Vytor picks him up, grunting in pain, especially when Vytor touches his midsection. The land here is devestated, as not much of anything has survived the Ragnarok's fury. What once was a ruined and dark city is now simply the barren desert it always was. Come on Trune. Let's go find the others. * Mikel thinks on this for a moment before giving a slight shake of his head. "Functional 'bout sums it up. Let's wait here until the others find us." Another pulse of lightning into the skies and a pained look from the adept. * Trune 's eyes are dazed and wide, "...Tanan...he's....no...dead, we're all dead." * Niri gives him a relieved nod. Not moving sounds good. * Angie is now known as Gayo * Ryllan is now known as DooM_GazE * Vytor starts walking towards where the lightning went up, carrying Trune as he does. * Johnathan (~Etir@dynamic-acs-24-239-125-230.zoominternet.net) Quit (Quit: ) And so the party moves to reconstitute itself, the heroine Niri's load lightened with Tanan's sacrifice. But the words of the Prophetess seem to linger in your minds... just who will remake the world, if it is not to be them? In Vytor's arms lay the body of the young man who will next be the pivot of the world's fate. == SESSION END == >> 27 xps Session Close: Sun Aug 10 02:19:02 2008