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Alexander Krizak
The Ultimate Lifeform
Posts: 142
(6/10/02 11:39:26 pm)

Rurouni Taikai Tactics - Round Six - Home Again, Home Again
Act Six, Scene One: Back to Normal

The nurse construct smiled as the crystalline pods began to open up, the contestants crawling out dazed and confused. The strange construct with the blue wings had suddenly appeared an hour ago with their unconscious bodies and asked her to place them in the pods, and while the circumstances had been confusing to her, she knew that her first prority was to care for those that were in need. The other construct had mentioned that increasing their energy was the key, and she was now glad that she had taken his advice.

As the contestants awoke, they found their equipment beside their pods, and they felt renewed knowledge and power flowing through them. A few were beginning to eye each other up, when the nurse construct clapped her hands to get their attention. As they all turned towards her, they noticed how she had an uncanny resemblance to their host, with her pale lavender skin and silver eyes. She wore a white nurse's smock and pants, and had a pair of purple pigtails sticking out from her head.

"Hello, everyone! I'm so glad to see that you've all fully recovered!" the nurse exclaimed with almost too much enthusiasm. "Anyway, before you all go, that construct that brought you here left this for you." She pulled out a small blue disc, also made of crystal, placed it on the floor, and gently touched the top. It glowed for a second, and then displayed an image of the host.

"Hello again," the image said. "I must apologize right off the bat for what I put you through in the previous round. I was in a desparate need for energy after I fought the Sorceress, and you were the only available supply with enough to serve my purposes. However, now the recovery pods should have restored you to full energy, and you'll be able to use your abilities and knowledge once more.

"The two teams who make it through this round will be the finalists, so fight well, and try not to do too much collateral damage! As for myself..." The smile left his face. "I must go and see the good doctor." The message ended abruptly, the image dissappearing in an instant."

As the contestants began to leave the infirmary, a short one in a red jacket and a large floppy hat approached the nurse. "Um, Miss... Y-you said that the man that brought us here was a construct? What exactly is a construct?"

"Why, a construct is a crystalline being made by the Yakumi, like me!" the nurse replied with her usual enthusiasm. "The one that brought you here wasn't like any I've seen before, though... Hey, you two! No fighting in the infirmary!" She turned her attention to an orange squirrel and a green dinosaur scrapping with each other nearby, leaving the mage and those around him to ponder her answer...

---

Sponsored Teams

Disciples of Wind
Baka - Ivan from Golden Sun (Enchanter) - Level 4 (87 XP)
Soujiro Seta - Kuroki Kaze from Final Fantasy: Unlimited (Ranger) - Level 4 (84 XP)
Sylphid - Vivi Orniter from Final Fantasy IX (Enchanter) - Level 4 (82 XP)

The Reluctant Ones
Kyo - Isaac from Golden Sun (Warrior) - Level 3 (70 XP)
Shizuyoko - Laguna Loire from Final Fantasy VIII (Adept) - Level 3 (56 XP)
The Virtual Cat - Yoshi from Super Mario World (Brawler) - Level 3 (63 XP)

Two On One
Mithrigil - Scarlett Welles from Final Fantasy VII (Engineer) - Level 4 (85 XP)
Slipstream - Gilder from Skies of Arcadia (Ranger) - Level 4 (83 XP)
Tenshi Kain - Ramirez from Skies of Arcadia (Warrior) - Level 4 (79 XP)

Fallen Teams

The Dirty Quarter Dozen
Anoat - Bowser from Super Mario RPG (Brawler) - Level 1 (9 XP)
AsylumXKP - Conker from Conker's Bad Fur Day (Adept) - Level 2 (43 XP)
Darkken - Yamazaki Shinnosuke (Aoi Satan) from Sakura Taisen (Warrior) - Level 1 (20 XP)

Holy Redemption
allenhill2002 - Golbez from Final Fantasy IV (Enchanter) - Level 3 (65 XP)
Izlude - Strago Magus from Final Fantasy VI (Enchanter) - Level 3 (67 XP)
Terra Lockheart - Agrias Oaks from Final Fantasy Tactics (Warrior) - Level 2 (40 XP)

The Kupo Kids
KyleIII - Falco Lombardi from StarFox (Ranger) - Level 2 (39 XP)
Merton Dew - Mog from Final Fantasy VI (Adept) - Level 2 (27 XP)
Munkwunk - Onion Kid Dath from Final Fantasy III (Adept) - Level 1 (17 XP)

Magic Blades
Dareon - Blue and Rouge from SaGa Frontier (Enchanter) - Level 2 (25 XP)
Dry31 - Garai from Chrono Cross (Warrior) - Level 2 (48 XP)
Twirdtwin - Ciran Uzuki from Xenogears (Warrior) - Level 1 (17 XP)

Ragnarok
Bugenhagen - Billy Lee Black from Xenogears (Ranger) - Level 2 (44 XP)
Nova Quinn - Black Mage from Final Fantasy (Warlock) - Level 1 (5 XP)
Tyrus Alfudore - Kuja from Final Fantasy IX (Enchanter) - Level 1 (20 XP)

Snow Falling Quickly Down A Hill
Cirrus Velious - Link from The Legend of Zelda (Warrior) - Level 2 (48 XP)
Exeter - Delita Hyral from Final Fantasy Tactics (Warrior) - Level 3 (53 XP)
Kellios - Aerith Gainsborough from Final Fantasy VII (Healer) - Level 2 (33 XP)

Strange Company
Curley WEAPON - Cinder from Killer Instinct (Brawler) - Level 2 (58 XP)
Simplistic Hero - Ward Zaback from Final Fantasy VIII (Warrior) - Level 2 (42 XP)
Switchblade - Ryogo Kusama from Front Mission 3 (Ranger) - Level 3 (76 XP)

Thrill Seekers
Daigohji - Ryo Hazuki from Shenmue (Brawler) - Level 2 (45 XP)
Kojichan - Shadow from Sonic Adventure 2 (Adept) - Level 2 (38 XP)
Mintaka - Lise from Seiken Densetsu 3 (Warrior) - Level 2 (26 XP)

---

KKM-PLT-896: Delmest, City of Enlightenment
Start Time: 11:00 PM MDT Monday Evening
End Time: 8:00 PM MDT Tuesday Evening
Special Rules: None
Mini-Games: None

You now find yourself in the coastal city of Delmest, and what a city it is! The city is one of the only places in the Multiverse to rival the Eternal Realm in beauty, with it's soft, curved buildings and careful placement of park space. All of the machines in this city are made entirely of crystal. The city is home to both the Yakumi, a human-looking race of scholars who tend to wear long robes, and their creations, the constructs, which tend to look vaguely like Krizak, with their pale-coloured skin and silver eyes. The citizens of this fair city won't take much offense to your fighting, as long as it doesn't concern them; should you harm a Yakumi, construct, or building, however, the security constructs are sure to come after you.


~ I am you, and you are me ~ This defies reality ~ Whether this is false or true ~ You are me, and I am you

Edited by: Alexander Krizak at: 6/10/02 11:41:40 pm
Dareon
Mister Mage Mon
Posts: 61
(6/11/02 12:20:30 am)

An unnerving glimpse, and a longer-than-usual monologue
Our host is a construct... a fabricated god, a patchwork man... Now some of this begins to come clear... Amethyst thought to himself as he leaned against the outside of his pod. His weapons and armor lay next to him, but they were of less importance to him than the renewed power that flowed through his mind. The gun and spear he had acquired in the last round were gone, who knows where. I hope those four and whoever else is alive make it all right. Come to think of it, all of the places we have visited, save the ocean, have been in the crux of a disaster. Our actions could change things in one way or the other. I wonder if there was a disaster in that ocean world, but we never got to it? If so, does that mean a disaster will shortly befall this place?

He glanced around, at the assembled combatants. More than ever had the dull red telltale of elimination glowing on their right forearm. A disaster... In the form of thirty-three outsiders, thrown together in something they do not understand. He stood next to the window and gazed out at the peaceful crystalline city. Rouge's mind provided a glimpse of the city as it could be, afire in several places, structures toppled, and the sound of screams... Blue's mind recoiled, and the shell submerged the two.

Amethyst shuddered. Let us hope that is not to be...

Edited by: Dareon at: 6/11/02 12:29:41 am
Sylphid
RTT - Vivi
Posts: 58
(6/11/02 1:27:46 am)

6-1
Due to the magic of OOC, this post will occur during the transition to round 6.

------

Eiko sat in the courtyard, focusing intently on her target: a cotton shirt that had been sewn and adjusted to serve as a makeshift bag. It was the most expendable object the two could find.

Squeezing her eyes shut and concentrating with all her power, she gave her best effort to set the bag ablaze.

But, much to her dismay, nothing happened.

"Ooo!!" she grunted angrily. "Why can't I cast Fire!?"

Vivi giggled a bit from the side. "W-well, Eiko... you might want th-this..." He stood up from the stone bench' and approached the blue-haired White Mage, carrying his Mage Staff with him.

"You mean, you HAD a tool to use the spell with you, and you MADE me try to cast Fire without it? Aaaagh!!" she shouted in anger. "I'm gonna sic Mog on you!" she shouted, suddenly bursting into laughter.

Vivi couldn't help but laugh at that. "But... Mog is j-just... er..."

"What? Go on, say it!" said Eiko.

"Uh... w-well, she's... small..."

"Nonsense! Mog is FEROCIOUS!" the White Mage burst into laughter, as did Vivi.

The breeze blew through the ivy-covered courtyard, whispering through the drooping branches of the willow trees surrounding the marble yard. The sun shone gently above as a few wisps of clouds drifted lazily by, watching down on the two mages.

Yes... this too...

"But seriously..." Eiko stated, breaking up the giggling and chuckling. "I want to learn to use Black Magic! Just like you learned White spells..."

"W-well... I-I'll do my best to h-help you..." Vivi assured her.

"Thanks! Just MAKE SURE YOU GIVE ME THE TOOLS NEXT TIME!" she shouted, startling the mage and causing him to jump back and lose his footing, sending him tumbling to the floor and landing on his rump.

We've always been such good friends... but... why is this...?

They burst into laughter again. The childrens' shouts of happiness and glee echoed through the castle, carried off in the gentle wind.

---

So, have you figured it out, yet...?

"W-what...?"

Your question. Well, have you?

"Who... who a-are you...?"

Well THAT'S a dumb question! I'm you! 100% borne from Iifa, and good to the last drop.

"M-me!?"

That's right. So, have you answered your question?

"Quest...ion...? You m-mean..."

Yeah, about the existence stuff. Tell me - did you figure it all out?

"I... I'm not sure..."

Well, tell me what you've seen so far. Tell me everything.

"Life and d-death... enemies... and f-friends..."

What else?

"U-Uncertainty... power...fear...!"

And...?

"Trust... friendship... and hope..."

Good! Now put them all together... and you'll have your answer.

'Wh-what...? I-I don't understand...!"

Think, Vivi. What IS the meaning of existence? Is it power? Is it life? Or death?

"W-well... no...not really..."

What is YOUR meaning of existence, then? Tell me. What do you live for? To wield magnificent power? To protect those you cherish as friends? To...

"It... it's not really o-one specific th-thing..."

...

It isn't, is it?

...


"N-no...

...!"

It's for a variety of reasons, right?

"R-right!"

There you go, then... "existence" is very abstract... so, YOU have to give it a meaning of its own. There is no set definition...

"I... I...

I understand...!"

Good. Then what is it you wish to do, then? What means more to you than anything in this world?

"I... I guess... i-it's to..."

The destruction of Lindblum... the Black Mages... Brahne's death... Zidane, Steiner, Garnet, Eiko, Amarant, Quina, Freya, even Ivan and Kaze, whom you've just met... you've felt sympathy for all of them, haven't you? You have a compassionate soul, young Vivi.

"Y-yes... I... I want to p-protect..."

Protect that which is important to you, correct? For those that surround you are those you cherish. Your friends.

"Yes..."

Then that is what you must do... do your best to help those that you care for. You have a good soul, Vivi... I am sure I can entrust this final ability to you... you never needed the Zephyr Staff to use it. It rested within you all this time. Protect that which is important to you, for THAT is your purpose - it is what you feel within your heart.

"I will!"

Now rise once more, young one. The final battle draws nigh. Good luck, Vivi...

And the mage awoke... with an answer.

-----------

Vivi's Magic skill up!
Ultima: Insanely powerful Wind-Elemental magic. Does not affect friendly targets.


Vivi has returned once again for Rurouni Taikai Tactics.
Member of Team ~Disciples of Wind~
Sponsored by Sylphid

Lord Sylphid - Master of Wind
Madness takes its toll... please carry exact change.

Slipstream
RTT: Gilder
Posts: 74
(6/11/02 1:42:17 am)

Here we go again...
Today was going to be hell for all of them.

It wasn't the location - from what Gilder could tell of the crystalline city, save for the water world this place was unlike the other rounds of the tournament in that it was at peace. Through the clear windows of the infirmary room the gunman could see a great oceanside city, its construction of intentional beauty and the people who walked amongst it talking or working or simply resting as if nothing was wrong with their world. Perhaps there wasn't.

No, the hell came from the fact that even more than before, Gilder would have to face those that in another time or place he might have called friend. Vivi, who he had only befriended the round before, almost helpless without his magics but unwilling to give up despite his fear. Ivan, who he had met but briefly but had shown him kindness and helped him out without consideration for himself.

Isaac and Yoshi, who had attempted to protect Scarlett from a vast golem at the risk of their own lives, even though she was technically their enemy. Even Kaze, who he had fought in the hope of taking his weapon and using its power to end this conflict, Gilder respected and on some level connected with him in the self-imposed solitude of a gunman.

And Laguna...

There was something in his eyes that wasn't there from before, something that Gilder had seen too many times before to deny in his own heart. Love. He'd seen Laguna and Scarlett grow a little closer during the days of the tournament, despite the fact that once it was over they'd return to their own worlds and never see each other again. Living alone with the fact that they had loved, and lost, and although they might try to regain their hearts with others they could never be the same again.

Wasn't that the way it always was? When you let someone get too close to you, close enough to heal, it meant you were close enough to hurt through knowledge or pain or loss. For Laguna it meant that once again he would be alone when he returned home, as he had been for such a long time in his life. For Scarlett it meant losing someone who saw past her body and touched her in places that many others had never known existed because they couldn't see past her more obvious charms.

Clara...

There was a reason he couldn't let her get too close to him - as he had done almost all of his life, even when fighting in the gutters of the slums while attempting to survive, he tried to protect the women he had known. And the best way to protect Clara was to prevent her from seeing him how he really was, the dullness and darkness that lay beneath the pose he tried to live within.

Gilder. My name says it all, really, something that's coated in silver or gold or some other bright material. Scratch the surface, and the shine is gone...

---

Y'know, I knew it was a mistake to take a highroller, since I inevitably turn my characters introspective and angsty. Next time...

Would post more, got some things to do first. At least it's my day off work so I won't have to do the dishonourable thing of undescribed votes again. *growls*


~~~~~ dance ~~~~~ for ~~~~~ me ~~~~~

Edited by: Slipstream at: 6/11/02 1:47:42 pm
Soujiro Seta
RTT :: Kaze
Posts: 41
(6/11/02 2:32:35 am)

Round 6
The Pure Land - I


"There is a light that shines in the darkness...no...there is a ray of darkness that dims the light, like the umbra of a solar eclipse. A gentle breath that wilts the earth before it. That is the spirit of the dark one."

Me?

"The Demon Gun...its power should never have been yours. It is not for the likes of you."

It is mine, as surely as I have paid for it with my body, my mind, and my very soul.

"Those who serve the call of the soil; do you think it is you they obey? No...they come because they cannot resist the great pull of ether. There is no bond, no contract between eidolon and summoner. That is why it is a thin line you walk."

I need no contract. My contract is with the Gun, and that contract makes me master of all spirits.

"Silent...you're very silent, outwardly. But inside, you're a fool. You cannot learn a lesson when it sits right in front of you. You will always be the Black Wind, the blight of a hundred kingdoms, cursing the ground you tread upon."

Say what you will...this Gun is my life. If I knew not what I was doing, if I had not known the gravity of it all, would I have paid the price?

"Probably. Mortals do so many foolish things. For love, for honor, for pride...even if it's for a good cause, without forethought, how can a good outcome be achieved?"

I know what I'm doing.

"I wish I could believe you."

So, will you come when I call?

"Hmph...why don't you show me why I should? How do I know that whatever target you think I should obliterate isn't a much more upright and better specimen of intelligent life than you - not that such a specimen would be difficult to find."

Dragon King...will you come when I call?


------------

Power was a circle; it knew no end and returned endlessly upon itself. That circle had found Kaze once again, as it did in its infinite cycle. Waking from a sleep he never knew he had taken, he found his right arm covered again in the gold plating of the pod. The Demon Gun was with him again, as was his red handgun. For some reason, he felt relieved to know it, but didn't remember exactly why. Maybe it was just a bad dream. Every dream he remembered was bad.

He walked to a window and peered out; as he lived and breathed, he was in a city of crystal, a city that bordered an equally crystal-clear sea. Pale-skinned people in flowing robes walked casually from one building to the other.

Part of the city's beauty was that it seemed made to focus and refract light into awe-inspiring patterns, creating the illusion of a million mirrors or an omnipresent sun or many other effects, and that was just what he could see out the window. What would these fair-skinned, light-robed beings think of a tan, weathered, black-clad man walking down their streets, crystal mirrors casting his shadow wherever their prismatic structures bent the the light to?

In that moment, he saw himself as a living contradiction to everything that existed there. In that beautiful land, he felt as though it was a place his hand should never have been able to touch, to hold.

A nurse with purple pigtails, dressed in a flawless white gown, approached him where he stood looking out the window.

"I'm glad you find our city beautiful. We're very proud of it." She smiled bashfully and fidgeted her hands around in front of her. "You wouldn't by any chance be...'the Black Wind', would you?" Kaze pulled his head away from the view of the town's thoroughfare and looked steadily at the nurse. It made her uncomfortable, he could tell; her gaze began to dart from place to place in the room. "If you are 'Black Wind', I have a note to give you." Kaze plucked the note from her steady hand and unfolded it, reading to himself.


I hope you get this message, Black Wind. I've seen you throughout this tournament, though you may not have noticed me. To the point, I want to see if you're truly as dangerous as some suggest you may be. I'm not familiar with the layout of this town, and I don't suppose you are either, but I'm betting there's a library. You know what that is, right? A public place to store and read books? Dunno if you knew; they say you don't talk much. Anyway, I'll be waiting at the library for you, once I find it. I hope you'll consider it. It's a match then!

-- Ryo Hazuki



Kaze folded the note slowly and returned it to the nurse.

"Well...are you going to go there? I can direct you to our library." Kaze raised his eyebrow; apparently, even advanced civilizations still stuck their noses where they didn't belong sometimes. Turning away from her, he pressed a panel to open a great crystal door, walking out into the bright light of the city's crystal spires.

If he found the 'library', maybe he would. Otherwise, he had no reason to fight this 'Ryo Hazuki'. For that matter, what reason did he have to fight anyone there, aside from protecting himself?

And just like he had thought, the people of the city turned and whispered as he passed by, an ugly blot against the brilliant perfection of Delmest's prismatic architecture.

------------

Sorry if I ripped off your interior dialogue idea, Sylph; it was good! XD

And Daig; this is what we've patiently been waiting for! I'll give it the start when I wake up in a couple hours - hopefully you'll be awake too.

------------

Soil! My strength!

Edited by: Soujiro Seta at: 6/11/02 2:39:40 am
Baka
Wind Seer
Posts: 148
(6/11/02 4:13:36 am)

Act 6, Scene 1 - "Connected"
I'm here! I'm here!

----------

Ivan stepped out of the capsule and stretched. Stretched out his mind. Once again, he could touch the thoughts and feelings of the people around him... once more, he could feel connected. Connected to the vast web of conciousness that made up existence.

Ivan stepped out into the street - his companions had already left - and took a deep breath, sucking in the air.

Somehow, everything here seemed strangely calm. There was none of the tension and anger from the other locations. It reminded him almost of the sea world - tranquil and peaceful. No-one here had any worries or cares. A passer-by waved at him in a friendly way, and he hesitantly waved back.

They have no idea...

...or do they? Maybe they do. The lady inside knew why were were here. Maybe they know exactly why we're here, and they just don't care.

Either way...

The thought scares me...


----------

That's all for now, gotta go out and pick up my wages :D Back later!


Baka // Wind Seer // Salva Nos

daigohji
RTT: Ryo Hazuki
Posts: 40
(6/11/02 5:40:07 am)
Path Of Light
****** ******

The Namer stood balanced precariously on the point of a church spire. The cathedral itself had long since been destroyed but that single finger pointing to the heavens remained. Her long cloak and robes billowed in the humid wind as she surveyed the devastated city.

“Yes”, her eyes snapped open, “Round 5, I name thee; Do dragons dream of barbecued sheep?

She rubbed the back of her head. “Perhaps that a little in bad taste … oh well” she mumbled, leaping from the spire and vanishing before she reached the ground.

****** ******

Ryo had started looking for the library as soon as he had left the infirmary. He did not know how quickly the note would be delivered to the ‘Black Wind’, but wanted to reach their battleground first to familiarise himself with it. This was no simple task however, for none of the buildings here looked even remotely like anything he had ever seen. Somehow he knew that there would not be a small brick building with ‘Delmest Library’ on one wall. He tried to ask some of the people for directions, but they just walked by as if they had not seen him.

The teenager marvelled at the city and its subtle technology. Not only were there no obvious signs to the library, he could see no writing at all. The complex and unique patterns of coloured light that refracted through the various buildings appeared to be a form of writing in itself. After a while he came across a construct, a pale-skinned woman just like the nurse but wearing a far more formal uniform. He asked her for directions and to his surprise she answered, though all she said was, “Aquamarine” before walking away.

Ryo puzzled over this for a while until he suddenly noticed the path he had been walking on. As with everything else it was tinted with coloured light, but here it was separated into linear strips of colour. He looked across the breadth of the path and, sure enough, found a strip of aquamarine. So there are signs after all, he realised.

As it turned out he had not been far from the library, though he never would have recognised it without guidance. The building was a vast crystal structure with a single flat vertical wall and a half dome stretching back from it. It reminded him a little of the Sydney opera house. Inside, Ryo’s wonderment grew all the more. The library was a single room, the front half had one level with the other half being on four open floors. There was not a single book in sight, rather the surprisingly few shelves in the building were lined with small crystals.

The teenager wondered if such an architectural marvel had really been a wise choice for his fight … but it was too late now. All he could do was wait.

- - - - - -

OOC: Ready when you are, Soujiro.


Shadow :: Lise :: Ryo
We are Thrill Seekers
"Have you seen a black car?"

Baka
Wind Seer
Posts: 150
(6/11/02 7:09:51 am)

Act 6, Scene 2 - "Creation"
A faint breeze rolled over Ivan, ruffling his hair slightly. He stood at the edge of a pathway, leaning on a set of crystal railings. The railings looked out over a vast ornate garden, full of beautiful flowers, blooming in season. The entire garden was laid out in a circular fashion, with spokes, like a wheel, a different colour of flowers adorning each spoke, with a white circle of what looked like lilies surrounding an ornamental pond right in the centre.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

The speaker was a pale-skinned woman, her dark blue hair reminding him instantly of the host. Dressed in a light-green robe, she had the same aura of elegance that he'd noticed in all the constructs. Ivan grinned, and turned to look out at the garden again.

"Yeah, it is. I've not seen anything like this in a long time."

"And you won't again. My name is Leila.. and you look lost."

"I'm Ivan. And.. yes, I think maybe I am. Tell me, does the pattern symbolise anything?"

"Yes.. that is the Flower Garden Isamater. It tells the story of the creation of our world." Ivan looked over at the construct again. She looked almost.. sad.

"Are you alright?" he asked. She nodded her head, then took a deep breath.

"It's just... creation. I was created by the people here, and I wonder if somewhere there was someone who created them as well? Everything must come from somewhere, surely?"

Ivan fell into silence for a bit. Was she right? Was everything, everyone, created by some higher power? If so, then would that mean there was some higher purpose behind everything? Even this tournament?

Or maybe... this tournament was defying the creators. That was a thought...

"On my world, we have four goddesses. Venus, Mars, Mercury and Jupiter. Between them, they control the world, and keep the balance.. but the balance must not be upset."

Leila smiled. "I understand. You are afraid the balance will be upset, and your world will be destroyed." Ivan shook his head. "No, you have it wrong. The balance has already been destroyed. It's my job to restore it."

It's not just my job, is it? It's our job. Me, Garet, Mia, and.. Isaac.

"I wonder what he's doing now?"

The construct looked at him strangely. "Who? A friend of yours?"

"Isaac. He's... yes, he is my friend. And soon I will have to face him again. Last time, I was wrong in what I did. I want to make peace with him.. but I'm afraid that can only happen by us fighting."

Leila frowned and turned away. "There is no excuse for fighting."

She's right.

"Maybe not. And maybe I have no excuse... but I have to. If I don't, I can't go back and save my world."

"You can always go back. What that man has done to you - " she gestured at the bracelet - "is temporary. Everything is temporary. Even life is not permanent."

Ha. I'm getting lectures on permanence from a created being.. but then, does that make any difference? If anything, isn't she in the best position to know?

Ivan sighed and turned away - and reached out to her mind.

Nothing.

There was nothing there to read. Was a construct truly so different that her mind was closed to him?

He looked out at the garden again - Isamater - and let his thoughts drift. The wheel, symbolising creation. A wheel.. a man-made object, and the constructs. Man-made beings. It began to make sense now.

"I am sorry, Leila. I have to go, and I think I have to fight - or at least to defend myself."

Leila put her hand on his shoulder. "I don't understand - I could never understand. But I see now that you have a path you must follow, and I wish you well on it. Farewell, Ivan."

"Goodbye, Leila. Live well."

As he turned to walk away, a tear trickled from Ivan's eye, and he quickly brushed it away. This person's life and ideals are so different from mine.. and yet she still accepts what I have to do, and wishes me luck.

Maybe, one day, I will become like that.[/i]


Baka // Wind Seer // Salva Nos

Edited by: Baka at: 6/11/02 7:13:47 am
Kyo
RTT: Issac
Posts: 54
(6/11/02 7:12:34 am)

Act 6, Scene 1: 'And I wonder...'
Isaac's eyes slowly opened to see a ceiling made of...glass?

No, crystal, one of his Venus Dijinni told him. He mentally nodded in response and looked from side to side to see what seemed to be the open ensheathment of some sort of pod. Looking fully around now, he saw that the entire room he was lying in was made completely of crystal, and he could sense his Dijinni grow excited at all the raw Earth energy that this place had to manipulate.

"Oh, another one has awakened! How do you feel, young man?"

He couldn't see where the voice was coming from, so he sat up in his pod--

And blinked.

The crystal's transparent properties allowed him to see what seeemed to be an entire world composed completely of crystal. Elongated and streamlined scyscrapers, reflecting the light of the sun in dazzling patterns that the youth would have never thought conceivable. Layer upon layer, depth upon depth of crystal... it was awe-inspiring. No wonder his Dijinni felt like they were on a sugar rush.

"Um, excuse me? Sir?"

He turned his head to see a nurse clad in simple white fabiric blink at him expectantly. Oh, she's the one who woke me up. He smiled at her, noting her peculiar eyes and complexion. Similar...to the Host!? This is his home?

"Y-yes?"

"You've been completely rejuvenated. There was a small case of memory loss, but that was remedied as well."

Upon hearing those words, a flood of misplaced scenes and memories rushed back into his mind, and settled into formation--of his amnesia, of his powerless journey through the abandoned city, of Ivan and Laguna bewildered at his condition, ...and of dragons...

"It seems that your mind has come full circle. We were a bit afraid of that, since it seems to be psychically sensitive more that most."

Issac put a hand to his forehead, amazed that these people had remedied a serious mental condition and spoke of the process so lightly. By all means and circumstances, he should have still been witless, from what he recalled.

"Since you are at full strength, we advise that you take a walk outside to relax before you exert yourself. Your sword is lying over there at the table. Now if you'll excuse me... I have other patients to treat."

He hopped out of his pod as soon as the nurse left, and strapped his Gaia Blade around his back again, feeling that familiar twinge of Psyenergy within the blade as it was reunited with him. Stretching and enjoying the fresh air, he decided to visit one of the crystal courtyards in a walk to cool his nerves off, like the nurse suggested. His bracer still indicated that his team was still in the game, so Laguna and Yoshi shouldn't be too far from here.

As he walked, he looked into the sky of a lighter crystal... and wondered how his friends back home were faring without him. It all seemed so distant from his reality now... but he would be back soon, as would Ivan.

And victor or not, he had learned a valuable lesson from this tournament. One that he would demonstrate to Ivan if the chance arose now.

I wonder...if he's still around?

Edited by: Kyo at: 6/11/02 12:33:49 pm
AsylumXKP
RTT::Conker
Posts: 69
(6/11/02 7:33:40 am)

Platformer rivalry. BFD Ref. Movie ParodyX2. Yamazaki.
Wow, I try my hand at a serious post near the end. This is also the second round where I had a cameo in the intro :P
---

Conker flailed his frying pan around, trying to knock off the green dinosaurs block. Yoshi dodged the attacks, and punched Conker in the gut.

"Ow! Stupid lizard!"

"Crazy squirrel!"

"Yoshi's Story sucked!"

"Oh, like Bad Fur Day was any better you hack!"

"You just think you're hot shit because you were in more games than I was! At least my game had a DECENT plot and EXCELLENT gameplay!"

"You'll die for that!"

"BRING IT!" The two exchanged blows once more.

"Hey you two! No fighting in the infirmary!" the Nurse scolded the two.

"Yes ma'am." replied Conker trying to look innocent. The nurse turned away for a second, giving Yoshi a chance.

"F@#$ING TWAT!" Yoshi bit Conker's tail.

"No swearing either! Get out!" Conker left the infirmary, Yoshi snickering in the background.

"Stupid lizard. I'll give him something to f#$%ing snicker about, that f#@$ing shithead." Conker was approached by a crystal machine that floated a few inches above ground.

"NO SWEARING ALLOWED IN DELMEST. YOU ARE GIVEN A WARNING."

"Oh, I'm sorry officer, are you going to give me a f#$%ing ticket if I say f#$% one more time? Whoops, I f@%&ing swore again! I'm f#&*ing sorry!" Conker eyed the glowing ruby in the center of the floating machine.

"NO SWEARING ALLOWED IN DELMEST. HERE IS YOUR TICKET".

The machine printed out a scroll, which Conker promptly read.

"In accordance with, blah, blah blah, you are fined under penalty of blah, blah blah, An ass-whooping? Isn't that a bit too extreme?"

"PREPARE FOR PUNISHMENT. HAVE A NICE DAY." The machine whirled a crystal claw towards Conker's head. He ducked and avoided the blow. After evading the machine for awhile, he was cornered up to a wall. It punched Conker again, breaking it's crystal arm into the building. Trying with the other hand, it too met the same results. The crystal machine charged into Conker, but missed yet again, slamming into the wall. Cracks lined all along the machine, and Conker ran off. Two machines floated down next to the downed robot.

"CRY-MECH137, I've seen alot of ass kickings in my life, but that was shittiest, crappiest, crappiest, shittiest, crappiest, ass kicking I've seen in my entire lifespan."

"Yeah, that was the shittiest crappiest crap ass-whooping I've seen, in fact as far as ass whooping goes, that was abysmal! Ain't I right?"

"You might as well commit CTRL+ALT+DEL, and do us all a favor. You suck ass."


After fleeing the scene, spotting Bowser.

"Hey Bowser. Umm ahh... How was it?"

"How was WHAT? (Umm Conker, you didn't see it did you?) HOW DARE YOU TALK BEFORE THE KING OF THE KOOPAS IN SUCH MANNER!"

"(Don't worry your secret is safe with me. Everybody's a bit "Early" the first time to work if ya know what I mean.) Oh powerful King Bowser, I just wanted to hear your tales of how you took on that dragon with your bare hands!"

"(I was NOT "Early" and it wasn't my "first time to work" either!) Why yes, I shall tell you of my exploits of how I beat the living fungah out the DRAGON! IT WAS EASY FOR ME TO DO!"

"(Oh, so you are saying 8 minutes ISN'T early? Denial is the first step Bowser!) WOW KING! YOU SURE ARE A POWERFUL PERSON! I wouldn't want to mess with you if my life depended on it!"

"SO IT WAS 8 MINUTES! I WAS RIGHT ON TIME, AND FURTHERMORE SHE WAS JUST REALLY GOOD!" Bowser's pupils dilated, realizing he shouted the entire sentence. The others looked at Bowser in a weird manner. His face glew red.

"Conker. Now I realize why Yo-yo-macky hated you so much."

"Ya' know, I miss Yamaha already. I wonder WHERE he is?"

---

Round 4. The dungeon of the sorceress. While all the contestants left to the burnt city, one was left behind. This was the punishment for removing the bracelet.

"Worthless! All of you! None of you are fit to live!" Aoi Satan cut through another legion of orcs. For two days straight he slaughtered creature after creature.

"All of you are mindless shells, souless bodies, none to give me a challenge!" Bodies filled the ground. Blood lined the walls and floors, and sword that will forever be tainted with red.

"I am the evil which is Aoi Satan... The evil...EVIL... EVIL..." The silver haired swordsman clenched the sides of his head. His lust for blood cannot be filled by killing those of no challenge. The samurai lost his sanity with every passing hour. This was his punishment. This was his sin. This was once Yamazaki.

===Lvl. 2 FALLEN Adept. 3 Attack Votes, 2 Reversal Votes, 30 Special Points===

EDIT: Typo.


"Oh yeah, I'm gonna get tanked tonight!"

Edited by: AsylumXKP at: 6/11/02 8:09:55 am
Bugenhagen
RTT: Billy Lee Black
Posts: 936
(6/11/02 7:36:26 am)

We can run to the end of the world
He was swimming in a dark sea. Nothing could be seen, nothing felt. Billy floated around the darkness, not wondering what was going on. It’s so calm here...

What are you doing, Billy?

Emilia was here...? Where was she? Billy searched, but couldn’t find her.

Billy, why are you so scared? At first you mourned my death, crying for an entire day. Then you became almost afraid of me. Billy, what’s wrong?

He ‘heard’ Emilia’s voice floating silently toward her.

What happened? he asked. How is it that you have followed me?

I don’t understand it either, Billy. One moment I was in your arms, and then, I was here.

But where is here?

I don’t know. I just know that I’m really close to you

You could be. Other people heard you singing... that was you, right?

A silent laugh reached Billy. It seemed like ages since he had heard her laugh. Yes, that was me. I did not realize that you could hear me. I did help you with Kuja, but I thought that was a dream...

That was you?

Yes. I don’t know why I am with you, but I don’t care. As long as I am with you, we’ll be OK


Billy cried, invisible tears flowing down his nonexistent face. I’m sorry, it’s just been so long, and I’ve missed you so much...

Billy felt her comforting him. It’s OK, Billy. I am with you. I don’t know how long I will be here, but I’ll try to figure out how and why I’m here. Don’t worry.

Billy felt Emilia drifting away from him. No! Don’t go! he silently cried.

I’ll be OK, Billy. I’ll be here. We’ll meet again. But you need to wake up. And if you see Kuja... tell him that I forgive him.

Emilia...

And he heard her sing again, the song clinging to the edge of his mind as he woke up.

--

Sponsoring Billy Lee Black

Did you notice that the two great angels only have one wing each...?

According to a legend handed down in Nisan...
God could have created humans perfectly...
But then, humans would not have helped each other...
So that is what these great single-winged angels symbolizes...
In order to fly, they are dependent on one another.
~Margie, Xenogears

Dareon
Mister Mage Mon
Posts: 63
(6/11/02 8:00:42 am)

.
For the first time in the tournament, Amethyst was in a good mood. The city was very peaceful, no one had tried to shoot at him yet, and his robes made him look only slightly more eccentric than the biological natives.

A lamppost chimed softly as he brushed up against it, and Amethyst regarded it calmly. The blind could enjoy this city just as well as those blessed with eyes. The soft sounds and gentle smells add to everything.

A shame it will be destroyed,
the part of him that was still Rouge replied.

Destroyed... Or at the least damaged. A stray shot or an overzealous competitor, and the local police equivalents would be upon them. In their attempts to escape from security, more damage will be done. That's the thing about humans, or for that matter, any intelligence. We rarely go quietly. We need to leave a mark, to struggle, to make it known that we are who we are and everyone else must accept that.

A construct passed him and he turned to watch. Is it that way for you, construct? Do you wish to leave a mark upon the page of time? Or did they program that out of you? Amethyst sighed and kept walking. Do you know there's one of you out there right now, struggling to leave his own mark? Our unnamed host, with appearance and manner of a dragon... What exactly do you seek? What is our purpose in this? He paused again, eyes half-closed. Others have come before... Other tournaments like this. And some here have been in those. That young one, in red... Perhaps if I were to ask him, I might know more about the ultimate purpose of these tournaments.

---
Amethyst is looking for Vivi. If he finds him, he'll ask various questions about the tournaments, and a few about magic. Sylf, you're more than welcome to use Amethyst and take over, or you can just meet and I'll take it from there.

But I'm probably not going to be up more than a few more hours without caffeinated assistance.

Baka
Wind Seer
Posts: 151
(6/11/02 8:06:39 am)

Act 6, Scene 3 - "Reason"
Y'know, I think that last post is the best thing I've written so far..

----------

The streets were strangely busy. Strangely, because they were entirely silent. Constructs and Yakumi side by side,but none of them speaking.

Somewhere in the distance, a low explosion sounded, and a plume of smoke began to rise to the heavens. A few low murmers began to float around the street, and Ivan took a deep breath.

It's started. The senseless killing and violence has started again. Soon.. I'll get swept up in it, just like these people and their city will be. What a waste...

I wonder if Leila will survive?


Another explosion sounded from another part of the city, and a beautiful crystal structure began to list to one side.

It's a waste. And yet.. I will have to fight sooner or later. And when I do, the same will probably happen. I don't want to fight anyone left here.

The building was listing more now, looking decidedly unstable. A shout sounded from a couple of streets away, as Ivan walked slowly down the street. The citizens had begun to vanish, to melt away and hide in their homes.

Fat lot of good that will do them. One mis-placed shot, or spell, and everything goes up in smoke.

I don't want to fight them.

Some are my friends. Gilder... Laguna.

Some are too powerful. Ramirez...

And then... Isaac.

I don't want to fight him.

But I have to.


A Yakumi child ran past his feet, tripping over. She looked up at him, and her eyes changed. No longer were they filled with joy. Now they showed fear.

Fear... I know why they fear me...

And it's the same reason I have to fight Isaac. Because I am here, and by that logic, I am as bad as them. Maybe it's my destiny to fight him, although I doubt that. Perhaps.. perhaps I want to, deep down. I think I did before, when I wore that suit. The suit that enhanced all my powers, but it affected me. It brought out base instincts that I didn't know I had.

Survival. Hatred. Envy.

So maybe I do have those deep down, and maybe that's part of it. But now...


The building finally toppled and fell, smashing through a block of crystal houses.

Now it all comes down to settling things. If we leave it now, things will never be the same between us. Maybe.. just maybe, if we can face each other once more in battle, we can settle things one and for all.

And maybe things will go back to how they once were.

And then.. we can stop all this, and go home.

Maybe...


The sound of metal scraping against metal drew him out of his reverie. He looked up - and his heart skipped a beat.

Isaac slowly lowered the Gaia sword to a resting position and looked at him.

"Ivan..."

The question in his eyes spoke more than words could ever do.


Baka // Wind Seer // Salva Nos

Edited by: Baka at: 6/11/02 8:11:46 am
Bugenhagen
RTT: Billy Lee Black
Posts: 939
(6/11/02 8:23:06 am)

City of Light
Billy was standing outside of the medical center. He was staring out at the great city, watching carefully.

This is where we shall battle? I would much rather simply watch the beauty of this city.

The city was spectacular. Buildings were built in an amazing pattern, curved, and colored in cream and bluish tones. The dawn's sun was breaking on the horizion, and it made the view even more beautiful.

It may had just been his imagination, but Billy seemed to fit in with the Yakumi crowd. Many of them wore long robes, quite similar to Billy's. They had serious faces, seemingly full of wisdom. Their creations were beautiful.

Billy let the gentle wind blow through his silver hair. We are supposed to fight here? It would be terrible. Nothing should disturb this beauty.

And on the gentle wind, he heard her soft song, reaching in him, strengthening him, letting him know that she was here.

Thank you, Emilia.

He heard explosions from inside the depths of the city.

And followed them.

--

Sponsoring Billy Lee Black

Did you notice that the two great angels only have one wing each...?

According to a legend handed down in Nisan...
God could have created humans perfectly...
But then, humans would not have helped each other...
So that is what these great single-winged angels symbolizes...
In order to fly, they are dependent on one another.
~Margie, Xenogears

Edited by: Bugenhagen at: 6/11/02 8:24:20 am
Dareon
Mister Mage Mon
Posts: 64
(6/11/02 8:50:33 am)

Epiphany 1: "Improvise."
A rumble, and an enormous, tinkling crash.

"It has begun." Sadness, resignation, and a bit of disgust lay in the undertones of Amethyst's voice. "There is no turning back now."

Another boom and rumble, this one much louder and closer. A shuddering noise behind him caused the violet mage to turn and stare upwards at a building that was beginning to keel over towards him. His mind split, and the twin egos each attempted to take control.

Blue's mind shrieked in despair at the number of innocent lives that would be lost. Save them! Stop the fall! ReverseGravity!

Rouge's mind focused on mere survival. Get the hell out of here! FAST! OverDrive!

The strange confluence of minds and body distorted the two spells. What came out of his mind was...

"REVERSEDRIVE!"

With a sparkle, a small black dot appeared between Amethyst and the falling building. The dot expanded until it was a disc about 40 feet across. The building continued its unstoppable fall, hit the disc...

And bounced. The building slowly edged back up, debris falling off the ground and reattaching itself to the sides of the crystalline structure. Below, Amethyst stood still as a statue, mind straining to hold the spell in place. A vein began pulsing on his forehead. The building edged back towards the vertical, slowly, oh-so-slowly. Finally, the last bit of rubble was in place on the facade. Amethyst let the spell continue for a few seconds more, then...

"Remove me from the flow of time! OverDrive!" Whatever hit the building, the spell rewound that, too... Need to deflect it away... Time slowed to a standstill around him and Amethyst dashed around the building and spotted the cause of the destruction. An energy bolt lay two feet from one corner of the building. Amethyst concentrated for a moment.

"Truth be my blade... LightSword!" Amethyst extended both fists together horizontally in front of himself. Drawing them apart, a glittering blade formed between them. Amethyst placed the flat of the energy blade carefully angled against the leading point of the bolt, and waited. The OverDrive spell ran down, and Amethyst was nearly knocked off his feet as the energy blast slammed into the blade and ricocheted, shooting off into the sky.

He looked at the astonished faces staring at him from the building. "Everyone deserves a second chance. Even if the same thing happens again. You'd best find something sturdier to take refuge in. I fear the worst."

---
Since combat's kinda begun, that conversation with Vivi might need to be put on hold. =/ I have horrible timing.

Edited by: Dareon at: 6/11/02 8:51:49 am
Kyo
RTT: Issac
Posts: 55
(6/11/02 8:58:02 am)

Re: Act 6, Scene 2 - "Proof"
He stood there, almost feeling like this wasn't real. Amidst the random explosions of battle and chaos that had begun with the remaining Fallen and Sponsor's duels, a strange calm had settled over the two Adepts as they faced each other, and Isaac looked at him, seeing what dominated his expression, his manner of bearing himself.

He tested his friend with that look, and he knew he was ready.

But Isaac was ready in a different sense.

"Well...We both know that we have to finish this..." Ivan started, as a way to break the ice. To open the grounds again. To start the fight again.

"No. We don't."

Ivan stared at him, partially in shock. Then he begun to laugh.

"Hahaha...that's funny, Issac. Nice one... Isaac?"

The Venus Adept slowly walked towards his former compatriot, sheathing his sword as he did so. "I've learned, unlocked a lot of abilities within myself during this tournament." Like the ability of minor telepathy, and the power to see through Venus's creations, he sent to him. I'm sure that you've discovered hidden abilities within yourself as well.

Ivan, momentarily stunned again, nodded. Isaac stopped walking towards him, and looked down again. When he spoke this time, his voice didn't carry the assertive tone of power, or anger, that Ivan had known of the Venus Adept all his life. Instead, it was weak; quavering; vunerable. The Wind Seer also saw, to his shock, tears run down Issac's eyes as he spoke quietly.

"But... I also learned something else, that you don't need powers or psychic abilities to learn. A lesson of life...heh." He was trembling as he cried. Ivan wanted to do something to stop his friend; comfort him, but what could he do, being on another team?

Isaac spoke again, his voice growing stronger, although his tone had a little irrationality that grew with it. "Ivan...when you joined this tournament, it was to prove something. That you could get stronger by yourself, right? That you could be a leader, could be stronger than me, RIGHT!?"

Ivan cringed. "I didn't... I didn't mean..."

Issac lifted his tearstained face, and to the Jupiter Adept's suprise, he was smiling.

It was a smile of pride.

Those were tears... of joy? Ivan couldn't comprehend this. The Isaac, who went nearly insane last time he challenged him, whose friendship he had was nearly on the brink of flying apart, was crying for him? With happiness?

Isaac choked the words out, his throat sore from holding back the rest of his tears. "You...didn't...have to. You didn't have to prove it...not to me."

Ivan was almost on the brink of tears himself. This is how he felt about my struggle, my battle with him? I feel foolish... but even then...

Isaac's eyes were alight now. "That's right, friend. You've come this far. Don't dissappoint yourself--or me, now. When this started, your fight wasn't with me. Through trial and determination, you've made it that way."

Ivan had that reckless grin on his face once again, his fighting spirit awakened. Even here, in this city of clandestine beauty...I've been waiting for this moment. I'm happy, and sad at the same moment.

Let's finish this.

He charged up his Psyenergy to the maximum; put his Dijinni on full alert. The skies started to darken immediately as his will formed together, as did the earth start to shake as his compatriot and opponent followed suit.

"Are you ready, then? Isaac?"

"More than ever, Ivan. Let's do it."

The first blow was struck, as physical and mental, simultaneously. And a great dance and clash of wills begun, stronger than the conflict of foe to foe.

It was a test of friendship.

Edited by: Kyo at: 6/11/02 9:08:48 am
Baka
Wind Seer
Posts: 152
(6/11/02 9:30:37 am)

Act 6, Scene 4 - "Strength"
A miasma of wind sprung up around Ivan almost instinctively, as he sprang back into a crouch. In the same way, Isaac readied his sword and instinctively dropped into a combat stance. Waving his hand, the ground rippled outwards, pushing Ivan off his feet. He pressed his advantage, but Ivan was already ready. Calling out Kite, he sprang into motion. As Isaac lunged forward, the Jupiter Adept was already behind him, lowering his hand, launching a bolt of plasma into the earth below him.

Isaac jumped away from the bubbling pit and grinned. "Vine!" he called, as the ground below Ivan snaked up his legs, holding him fast. Ivan countered with "Slash!", chopping the rock vines at the root, then jumping out.

Waving his hand, the Jupiter Adept reached inside him. Smog.. come out..

The Wind Djinn appeared, exploding into a cloud of murky fog that surrounded Isaac, clinging to him and clogging his mouth and nose. The Venus adept stumbled out, choking slightly, then looked around. Ivan was gone.

"Where are you, Ivan... where are you..."

He stopped, and lowered his weapon. Reaching out with his thoughts, he sent out a gentle probe.

...... THERE.

He whirled, swinging his blade around to catch Ivan in the side. From his hand, a small black ball fell, rolling off to one side. Ivan sagged slightly, looking up at Isaac. "Nice.. move.. you could.. never do that.. before..."

"No.. but then, you've learned some new tricks too, Ivan. Come on, show them to me!"

Ivan straightened up. " Wish." he said, in a level voice, as the wound in his side healed up.

How's that, Isaac? he projected into his friend's head.

Good.. quite good. Ivan jumped, as Isaac sent the thought straight back.

"Gust!" Rising up on a cloud of air, Ivan's fingertips crackled, as he pulled in his will. "Spark Plasma!" he screamed, as three bolts of energy burst from his hands. One arced off, smashing through the roof of a low domed building, and the other two shot towards Isaac. "Granite! Come out!" Isaac called out. A Brown Djinn appeared, raising its arms, as the ground around him shot up to block the plasma bolt. Ivan's face fell slightly, then he grinned as a thought hit him.

Isaac.. your power comes from the ground.. but you need to be connected to it... Ivan pulled a small red gem from his pocket and gripped it tightly, as a glow began to emanate from between his clenched fingers. Slowly, Isaac began to rise off the ground, into the air. The Venus adept looked around wildly, as the ground dropped from under him, then looked at Ivan. "Spire." Beneath him, the earth began to rise to meet him, and within a couple of seconds, he was standing ontop of a pedestal of earth. Ivan frowned and pocketed the gem. If that won't work... let's tr - "GAIA!" Ivan's eyes opened wide, as Isaac raised his sword in the air and the ground beneath Ivan burst open, knocking him out of the sky and to the ground.

Isaac hopped down, and began to walk towards him, slowly but surely. His eyes... I can't read them, and his mind is closed to me now... As Isaac closed on him, he broke into a run, swinging the Gaia sword down. Ivan closed his eyes and held out the Shaman's rod in the way. A feeling of calmness passed over him as he pulled in his will.

High Impact!

Sword met wooden staff, and stopped. Ivan slowly stood, pushing Isaac back, as magical strength filled his arms and legs. Throwing him back, he raised the staff up high. Above him, the clouds began to form into a spiral, and a bolt of lightning arced down, striking a building a few feet away.

Ivan looked down at Isaac, his eyes blank from the mental effort involved.

"May the heavens have pity on you... ..friend..." he intoned slowly.

"Tempest!"


Baka // Wind Seer // Salva Nos

Edited by: Baka at: 6/11/02 9:32:54 am
Switchblade
RTT- Ryogo Kusama
Posts: 74
(6/11/02 9:52:51 am)
Lovingly open-ended
Ryogo awoke to find himself laying inside a crystalline pod in a strange room. He didn't particularly mind the change of setting, but what troubled him was the waking up part. Ryogo didn't remember falling asleep at all. The last thing he remembered was sitting on that rooftop with Aeris and Amethyst, telling each other about the worlds they each called home while Billy stood apart, listening to the soft singing that had been following them all day. Whatever had happened after that was nothing, a blank space in Ryogo's memory. Just as he was seriously starting to ponder this, however, the host's recording played.

So, the host was an artificial man, something like a robot. No, not a robot, Ryogo could think of another form of life that was custom-made. "Imaginary Numbers," Pham said, once again appearing just when Ryogo least expected it. The wanzer pilot nodded in agreement, but once again refrained from talking to his companion. Instead he silently turned towards the door and started to walk out of the infirmary. "Hey, wait!" Pham called out. In spite of himself Ryogo turned around to face her. The young redhead was pointing to the pod Ryogo had just woken up in. Laying next to it was a machine gun. "I think that's yours," Pham said.

Ryogo nodded and went back to pick up the gun. It was a very nice weapon, much nicer than the machine guns he'd taken from those soldiers in the first round and definitely better than the rusty crossbow he'd been forced to use in round four. Slinging the weapon's strap over his shoulder he turned back to the door and exited the building.

* * *

The city outside the hospital was amazing, unlike anything Ryogo had ever seen in his life. The entire city was made out of crystal, and under the light of the sun it danced with color. Even Pham was amazed at the sight. The imaginary girl stood and stared open-mouthed at this new arena. "Enjoy it while it lasts," he softly whispered to her, hoping no one else would hear, "If recent history is any indication this place isn't going to look nearly as nice when we leave."

Pham turned around and faced Ryogo, a frown on her face and anger in her eyes. "You take that back!" she cried, "This place is too beautiful to be destroyed. I'm sure the others won't do anything to harm it."

Suddenly the sound of a large explosion rang through the city, and a cloud of smoke could be seen rising above the roofs of the buildings. "You were saying?" Ryogo asked.

"Don't just stand there!" the girl yelled, "Go find out what's happening and stop it! If you let this city be destroyed then so help me, I'll make sure you suffer."

"You're already haunting me," Ryogo called out loud as he started to run towards the explosion, "What can you do that's worse?"

"Try me and you'll find out," she called back as she ran to keep up with him.

The wanzer pilot and his hallucinated companion raced through the city streets, not entirely certain where they were going, but heading in the right general direction. Soon enough the cloud of smoke in the air grew larger, and shortly thereafter they found themselves running over pieces of debris from the explosion. Ryogo was just about to reach the scene of the disaster itself when he literally ran into another one of the contestants.


OOC: Over to whoever wants to pick this up...

Slipstream
RTT: Gilder
Posts: 75
(6/11/02 10:39:42 am)

Silver Bullets - Gilder vs. Kaze
You would not BELIEVE how long this took to write, and most of it isn't even battle description! o_O

---

Gilder walked silently amongst the buildings of the crystalline city, having started in a different location to his teammates and having no way to find them. He hadn't seen them at all during the previous round, where their forgotten knowledge of technology or swordsmanship could have sorely counted against their chances of survival. They had to have survived, because their bracers were linked in death and Gilder would have fallen too, but he didn't know for sure how he would react when they met again. Scarlett would probably welcome him back, even if she had now found someone she was closer to, but Ramirez...

Did the silver swordsman know yet that not only was Gilder from his world, but the other side of its coin of fate? One an imperial admiral sworn to destroy all threats against it and repress others through iron rule, probably born to a life of luxury and solitude and seeing the lives of ordinary men as being beneath him. The other an air pirate who raided those warships for plunder, striking back at Valua for the torment of his life in the squallor of its slums, using those ill-gotten gains to help out others so that they would not have had to suffer as he once had. Was there any way they could hope to work together again, with the differences in their hearts and lives, now that the bliss of ignorance had been shattered?

Scarlett... what would you say? You know us both from the outside, seeing things that maybe we can not from our own internal point of view. What would you suggest, that we should ever have that chance to make peace?

The city around him was a contrast to all he had known before, its preciseness of architecture and design a mental throwback to the technologisation of the Valuan capital, yet as beautiful as any natural island on which the buildings were designed around as not to spoil its beauty. The combination of the two styles into one glorious whole gave him some hope, for a moment, that he and Ramirez might manage to work together once more despite their differences. But life was rarely that fair - it'd be stupid to trust solely in a location which their thrice-bedamned host had chosen for their next-to-penultimate battle as a guide to their lives.

Maybe he doesn't even know, for all that my name probably decorated a 'Wanted' poster or whatever they use somewhere in the imperial capital. If so, does he deserve the truth, no matter what it'll do to us? Maybe -

Click.

The sound of a gun's hammer echoed dryly through the air behind him, the unmistakable whirring of a revolving chamber as a bullet aligned with the barrel aimed squarely at his back. Gilder froze, trying to think of who his attacker might be. The boy-priest who continually attacked his teammate without the intention to kill, who he'd attacked with blinding light in the first round? The pilot from the third, who had shown his interest in Scarlett but had shot to kill in the end? Or perhaps -

"Turn around."

The voice confirmed it. Slowly raising his hands, Gilder turned and took in the figure who'd caught him by surprise while lost in thought again. There was one thing to be said for a life sailing the skies, it was that you were very rarely attacked without any warning, and it was something that'd come to betray him now. Finally facing the man, Gilder took in the mostly black and grey outfit with a cape fluttering behind him in the gentle seashore breeze. Framed by dark skin and above a long scar crossing his nose, a single eye focused on him in severe concentration.

And the gun. Never forget the gun. Although it was the red double-barrel that faced him now, not the golden cannon which replaced the man's right arm, but in rememberance of the man's remarkable accuracy it meant Gilder would be just as dead.

"So... guess this is turning the tables from a few round before, huh?" Gilder commented wryly, trying to stop the man from shooting him through conversation. "I had my gun aimed at your back, catching you after you'd attacked those soldiers, and now you get me while my concentration's on other things too."

The man said nothing. By his feet a crumpled piece of paper fluttered weakly, apparently being held in the gunman's hand before he had seen Gilder and drawn the red gun. His aim was unwavering at Gilder's chest, and he decided not to risk avoiding it with a leap to the side.

"Hey, I understand," Gilder continued. "Those guys were attacking you, and I know what people need to do to survive."

Still no response, and even the eye that the air pirate could see gave no hint as to his emotions or intentions.

"Look, I'm sorry for trying to take your gun, "Gilder cried out, filling the silence that trailed the black-clothed man as much as his cape did. "All you were doing with it was unleasing monsters all over the place, and I though I'd be able to use its power to do something about this tournament. Maybe you didn't want to be here," - at that comment an eyebrow lifted almost unnoticabely - "and even if you did, some of us aren't happy about being dragged into this power-struggle. So if - "

"Power is not the reason for this."

Gilder stared at the man, finally electing to respond to his conversation. "What'd you say? The dragon man said he needed power, and - "

The gunman interrupted him with a glance and Gilder fell silent. He had a bizarre mental image at that moment, that instead of the golden gun that right arm was bare and hanging in the man's coat, Yafatoman style, his empty sleeve billowing behind him as he stood casually with his weapon raised. He had that sense of quiet purpose, certainly. Gilder wondered why the gunman didn't just shoot him here and now - he'd already called that four-armed monster onto Ramirez during the last round, and for all he know he could have some reason to attack Scarlett too while he was a way from the team.

The man did not immediately reply, focusing down the gun's barrel at his red-coated target. Eventually, when he responded, it did not seem to be in response to Gilder's question but to his own internal thoughts. "Power is a means to an end, nothing more. It obeys no master. When no longer needed it is discarded, once it has no purpose. As will this tournament end, when the dragon gains his goal."

Gilder cocked his head in question. "So, what, the dragon's looking for something? And he brought us here because our fighting gave him the power he needs, and we all get to go home once he's found it and no longer needs that power? That's crazy!" he shouted, thinking of Valua again and its constant lust for power despite its iron rule over what it had.

But maybe... it's the only answer there is.

"So... now what? Are you going to fight me? Shoot me?" Gilder asked, unconciously refusing to accept the possibility of death and so not preparing himself for it as some warriors did.

The gunman shook his head and lowered the gun's aim, pointing in turn to each of Gilder's revolvers and then back up to his chest. "It is my way to eliminate all threats to myself."

"And I'm one of those threats, huh?" the air pirate asked, feeling slightly proud of himself despite the danger, that such a great gunman could consider him a threat. "So we fight?"

Drawing his elemental pistol, Gilder moved to load a moonstone cartridge into the gun but then thought better of the action, returning the pistol to his coat pocket. "No elemental attacks. No summoned beasts. Just your bullets and mine."

The man nodded quietly.

The two men stood there, one with double-barreled pistol aimed, the other with hands poised above his revolvers. One of darkness come from light, the other of light born in darkness. No sound was heard save the chattering of voices in the distance. No outside thing was felt save the gentle breath of the sea breeze.

They moved.

Gilder threw himself to the side, hands diving for the twin revolvers as he attempted to escape the gunman's levelled aim. As ths shot fired it tore through Gilder's right shoulder, making him cry out in pain, but the bullet went straight through the hole and it was nothing a Sacri crystal wouldn't take care of should he survive. His revolvers were drawn and raised, the right slightly behind the left in motion, and as a simultanious shot rang out as two of his bullets screamed towards the black man. He avoided the left cleanly, the right whipping through his cloak due to its altered aim.

Ignoring the pain, Gilder fired two more shots at the gunman's chest, rocking him back as they impacted against his armour, then using the momentary pause to run behind cover as three returning bullets hammered into the table leaving deep impact craters in the crystal. Guy's still using those explosive bullets, then. And his armour's better than mine - my mail shirt was built for protection against slashes, not penetrations, and the coat'll do nothing to stop them. Bracing his feet against the floor, he leapt upwards and blasted blindly at the gunman's previous position with two more shots, but he had apparently moved and they emptied themselves harmlessly into the decorated flooring.

A noise to the left drew his attention and another shot reamed his hair, so worryingly close to his face it actually tore through the thick strands. That'd take a while to grow back, Gilder thought wryly as he returned fire with another blast from his left pistol, the dived and rolled towards a nearby wall and screeched to a halt behind it.

Okay, Gilder, keep moving. He can't reload that thing in a middle of a battle with one arm, so get him to use up all his bullets and you gain the advantage. He resolutely ignored the fact that with the guy's accuracy surviving all twelve bullets was unlikely, but he thought it was a good idea to try.

So he did.

Jumping up from his position again, he actually crashed into the other gunman as Gilder tried to leap the wall just as the black man was leaning over it to fire at him. Gilder's guns fired reflexively into the air as his fingers squeezed the trigger, then the two grappeled together with all hands either unable or unwilling to release a clutched weapon. Two more of the man's shots blazed out as he attempted to train the single gun on his enemy, and in the far distance he heard a cry as they hit something. Whether a cry of pain or alarm, he couldn't say.

Dammit, stupid, there are innocents at risk here!

Both men were actually quite thin under their bulky clothing, neither possessing as much strength as a close-range fighter, but the black man's heavier armour appeared to be slowing him down slightly, and with a heave Gilder managed to slam a revolver's butt into his stomach. As his opponent rolled away, one arm flickered out for a brief moment control and shot back at Gilder, the single bullet slamming into the wall they'd collided above and making crystal shards fly everywhere. Recovering his feet, Gilder threw himself backwards with a leap just as the other finished his roll. Both fired again, Gilder from two guns and his opponents twice from the twin barrel, and a small explosion lit up his scarred face as Gilder's bullets impacted his explosive ones not six feet from his face.

Nobody's that good! This guy must have the devil's own luck, to compensate for that thing he's got on his other arm!

Opting for a new tactic, Gilder threw himself to the right while blasting the last shot with his left handgun, the bullet aiming low and catching the black man in the leg as it hit a target he wasn't expecting. Then, as the man reflexively clutched at his leg with his covered right hand, his attention was caught as Gilder threw the empty left revolver towards him as a distraction. The silver flashed in the air and caught the black gunman's attention for the briefest of moments, and he ran straight at his opponents with his remaining weapon. His last two shots ripples through the air with a scream of compressed air, and as they hammered into the gunman's stomach armour he fired again - not at Gilder but at the floor in front of him.

Crystal shot upwards from the fragmented flooring, and with a cry his left foot caught the upraised surface and his world swam as Gilder was pitched foward by his own momentum, both guns now empty and hands raised protectively in front of him. With a cry he landed on his own stomach, and looked up to see the black gunman aiming his gun at Gilder's head once more.

How many shots does he have left? I'm empty, but I don't know if he is - was that eleven or twelve?

"This ends now," the gunman breathed, almost too quiet to be heard. Visions swam before Gilder's eyes - of Lower City Valua, of the Claudia, his two homes. Of Vyse, and Aika and Fina, of Enrique, friends he had known for far too brief a period of time. Of Clara.

Clara...

The man fired.

Gilder moved.

A single shot pinged off Gilder's hastily raised right arm, the crystalline bracer humming a discordant note as the attack ricoched into the far distance again. He smiled wearily over his raised forearm, sweat breaking on his brow as he realised that, for the moment, it was over.

"I guessed... that these things... had to be made tough if... we weren't to remove them," Gilder said with a smile. "So... now what? We're both out of bullets... so unless we continue with our magics..."

"No."

The black gunman slowly stood, walking a short distance and picking up Gilder's thrown revolver, then glancing at it before throwing it back towards the air pirate. "This fight is over, I have another awaiting me. We will not fight again."

"Hey, hey, are you stupid?" Gilder shouted as the man walked away. "I can reload, you know, I could still shoot you in the back!"

A smile almost crossed the man's face as he walked away, but nobody could see it. "You won't."

Gilder stared at his back, then smiled himself as his head dropped and he slowly hauled himself to his feet. You're right, you know, I won't. Maybe as the boy I used to be, but not as the man I've become. My past still haunts me, but maybe I can accept it now and become the persona I wore for so, so long.

And I hope I can continue to live that life.


~~~~~ dance ~~~~~ for ~~~~~ me ~~~~~

Edited by: Slipstream at: 6/11/02 10:55:01 am
Kyo
RTT: Issac
Posts: 56
(6/11/02 10:47:31 am)

Act 6, Scene 3 - "Fire and Ice"
"Tempest!"

Isaac felt his hold on gravity become taken away from him as wind rushed around his body, carrying him up into the air in a violent hurricane. Unlike last time, he couldn't use his Psyenergy to create a land bridge to stablize himself, since his bearings were constantly changing. This is just like before, with those underwater currents messing up my sense of direction...

But he could sense electron buildup somewhere around this tornado, too. If he didn't do something soon, he'd get fried.

If I can stop the force behind the whirlwind, I can save myself... but how? Venus Psyenergy can't stop this...

Which gave him an idea. He at least knew where the ground was in this maelstrom of winds... So he pulled out a small orange orb out from his pouch, letting it glow and focus as he brought his Psyenergy together in a tight lance. He sent it down, through the eye of the storm, into the earth. There was much more resistance than he expected, and sweat beaded up on his forehead as he concentrated harder... And harder...

He was rewarded with a geyser of lava erupting from the hole he had punched in the earth. Now tightening his control over the earth around it, he put immense pressure on that geyser's source... until...

Payback time, Ivan. Straight from Saturos himself!

"Pyroclasm!"

The ground shuddered violently, then exploded as columns of superheated magma were spewn into the air as columns of liquid fire. Letting them blow away the gale-force winds holding him captive, Isaac coerced control over the Earth element within them to rise in a flood of lava towards Ivan.

The Jupiter Adept, however, had other plans. Seeing the torrents of magma arc towards him, he brought out a small, bright-blue jewel from his satchel and covered it with his Psyenergy. Seconds before the lava struck him, he raised it to the air, slamming his Psyenergy into the air around him, and forcing it to drop in tempature and condense.

"Hail Prism!"

Enormous fragments of ice slammed against the lava, and the conflict resulted in the clashing forces reduced to rock and steam.

Isaac landed, already preparing an attack to try and force an advantage. His Gaia blade flashed skyward, and then back down again, as it became superheated and his body propelled towards Ivan. "Planet Diver!"

Ivan relayed a mental command to one of his Dijinni in response. It flashed into existance as Issac rocketed towards him, his blade alight with Mars Psyenergy. Ivan's staff took one an iridescent purple glow, and he charged as his Dijinni took form.

"Gust!"

The blow the two struck together was so powerful that force waves blew off it, shattering nearby windows, causing ripples in earth and air. As both of their attacks faded, they jumped back. Isaac's eyes flashed back and forth slightly to himself, as if reading something. Ivan's were faintly glowing.

Isaac's voice rang out, as every bit as powerful as Ivan remembered it to be. "Allright, Ivan. No more holding back. Let's go all out now!"

Four Venus Dijinni flashed into existence, radiating golden energy as he yelled his challenge. Ivan smiled with confidence as he summoned four of his ready Jupiter Dijinni, and they teleported in immediately, shining with violet light.

The sky was completely black now, and there was no more trace of the blue sky that complimented the city once more. And the earth was roaring defiance to anyone else who dared tread near this battle, spouting columns of fire those those who approached the scene of conflict.

Edited by: Kyo at: 6/11/02 10:52:01 am
Bugenhagen
RTT: Billy Lee Black
Posts: 940
(6/11/02 10:52:34 am)

The Demons of Chaos
Billy peered over the ledge. Below him were two young boys, battling each other with magic. Billy watched, fascinated, as they cast spells which he could never hope to learn, and summoned great monsters.

And they were destroying the city.

Billy put his hand to his side and grabbed his Ether gun. He was aiming it at them... aiming for the legs...

And stopped.

They're... not fighting because they hate each other, thought Billy to himself. Quite the opposite... they're competing... a friendly duel. Their attacks aren't hurting anyone... and the residents don't seem to care.

Billy holstered his gun and watched from high above. Suddenly, a shockwave shook him off his feet. Billy looked up to see a large cloud of smoke standing where a building once was. Billy's eyes widened as he ran towards the smoke, looking for whoever was doing this.

"Ow!"

He slammed into somebody in the smoke. "Sorry!" shouted Billy as he continued. The smoke was so thick, Billy held his arms out in front of him so he wouldn't run into anything.

Billy heard the man behind him yelling. "Shut up! Leave me alone, for once!"

Was somebody with him? Someone who he didn't see in the smoke?

Billy didn't have time to contemplate this, because he came to a clearing in the smoke. And there, he saw someone who he hadn't seen in a while. The person's red hair blew in the wind.

And He turned around.

Kuja...

Billy saw that Kuja's eyes no longer had the look of utter confidence. Obviously, what had happened in the catacombs was still on his mind.

"William, I was expecting to see you here. I destroy a few buildings, and good old Billy comes in, riding his white horse to save the day."

Billy stared at him. He didn't say anything.

Kuja raised an eyebrow. "What, you don't feel like talking? Are you so afraid of me? Or perhaps it is hate? Anger? Are you fuming inside at me?"

The wind blew in Billy's hair. He remembered what Emilia had said earlier.

And if you see Kuja... tell him that I forgive him.

"Kuja... Emilia says that she forgives you for killing her."

Kuja stopped moving. His face had a look of puzzlement, and yes, even fear. "Impossible. The girl is dead, Billy."

Billy looked up at the sky. "Yes, I know, Kuja. But I heard her. She forgives you. And... so do I."

Kuja twitched. Confusion flashed over his face. He seemed to be fighting something inside him.

Then he laughed. "Well, tell her that I don't accept forgiveness. And you remember that, too." He raised his arm at Billy.

"Dark Hol-"

BANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANG

Gunshots sounded, but it wasn't Billy who fired. Kuja stumbled back, unhurt yet stunned. He lost his footing in the rubble of the house and fell.

They were quite high up.

Billy turned to the man whom he had ran into before. "Thanks, Ryogo."

--

Yeah, so I think Tyrus ditched us. I'll still use his character, though. I don't think he'll mind.

--

Sponsoring Billy Lee Black

Did you notice that the two great angels only have one wing each...?

According to a legend handed down in Nisan...
God could have created humans perfectly...
But then, humans would not have helped each other...
So that is what these great single-winged angels symbolizes...
In order to fly, they are dependent on one another.
~Margie, Xenogears

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