into the nothing

[firstmaster.livejournal.com]

Who: Everyone
What: Jagannatha makes his move, and the game begins.
Where: Everywhere
When: Saturday, June 11

It was time. The preparations had finally been completed. Alexandria was completed.

Darkness sprang forth from the Hearts of Worlds, Denizens of Light, and the Denizens of Darkness celebrated. Those of the Light - Key Bearers, "Refugees," and civilians alike - all began to succumb. Few would be allowed to remain.

The era of Light was over, each and every one of his subjects knew. This was their time to shine, ironic as it may be. And they could do nothing to stop it.

It was, all in all, turning out to be an excellent day.

Comments

[fox_the_kitsune]

Fox was in the hangar in Radiant Garden, doing a bit of maintenence on her ship. It was slow going, though, as she was sick (feeling like utter shit as Roxas had put it in his recent post) and Cid was too busy to be of any help. She didn't keep at it long, being as between being sick and being annoyed in general, she was just fed up with it. So she left that and headed out of the hangar. She did not see Jagannatha's post or she might have also been cursing him out along with Aya.

No, Fox first became aware of a problem when darkness sprung up around her. There were Heartless as well, not deterred in the least by the encroaching darkenss. As if Fox's mood wasn't foul enough...

"You want some, you little fuckers," she hissed, drawing her sword, "COME AND GET SOME THEN!"

[hyperpsyche.livejournal.com]

It felt like H-Day and the loss of Radiant Garden all over again. Despite all Ren had done to try and find a way to stop the encroaching darkness, it was once again taking over. She had felt both fear and a desperate need to cling to hope the first two times. Now, she just embraced a state of cold fury. Jagannatha wanted to play that way? Fine.

She had seen enough people get sucked through the dark portals to know that fighting it was futile. So she used what time she had to prepare. Laptop, first aid kit, potions, water, nonperishable food. Key necklace, Wayfinder, the rosary her father had given her. Nailbat, Reflect-imbued knitting needles, staff, Alexander's summon gem.

"Do not go gentle into that good night," Ren recited quietly when a ring of darkness appeared under her feet. "Rage, rage against the dying of the light!"

As the darkness began to pull her in, she let out a Valkyrie howl and called on Alexander. She didn't know for sure what lay on the other side, but she meant to give it one hell of a greeting when she got there.

[ariakitsune.livejournal.com]

Aria had been preparing to go check one of the world Aya mentioned. First checking her sword for damage and making sure she had potions.

She left her sword sitting on the table while she checked her tiki torchfire staff. Kinda pointless really since she was more comfortable with the sword.

The darkness that suddenly sprung up while she was at this task was most definitely going to ruin her day. The Heartless that came with it were hardly a surprise.

She was remarkably calm considering. Seph was out. Her better weapon, out of reach along with her chance of calling for help.

Her staff was at the ready. There was no way she was going without a fight.

She didn't say a word as she cast the first spell.

[hocketypockety.livejournal.com]

Merlin was rather oblivious, being that he was busy studying up and trying to find some helpful clues. He wasn't really getting anywhere and that Jagannatha was awfully confident.

Jagannatha? Really? Was he that vain? He had to have chosen it for its meaning.

"World Lord, my foot," Merlin muttered, yawning and stretching. He tipped his chair backwards as he stretched, not noticing the growing blackness on the floor behind him until his chair tipped backward into it...

[seolearo.livejournal.com]

Of all the least mundane days in her life, Ray had one major, very mundane concern: she'd run out of medicine.

That medicine was the only thing keeping her on her feet right now, and Aerith had only given it to her after a bit of begging. Anything to keep her out of bed! It was just too boring without anything to do but "rest," and that wouldn't help her heal, she'd argued. It would only allow for idle thinking, and in a situation such as this, that was hardly something that any of them needed.

She was almost at Aerith's when it started.

Heartless came out of the woodwork, it seemed, and not all of them mere Shadows or Soldiers. This is the last thing I need, Ray thought apprehensively, summoning daggers to her hands. Just as one of them - a NeoShadow, she noted numbly - lunged at her and she started to evade, she heard a startled scream from nearby.

Aerith, she thought, gritting her teeth in pain as the Heartless's claws drew blood. Turning away as quickly as she could, which admittedly wasn't as quick as it should have been, she shot a Thunder at the NeoShadow and tore off for the healer's house. There were shouts coming from within. Yuffie. The ninja was desperately calling Leon as Ray threw open the door and froze, staring in openmouthed shock.

Darkness. It was pulling Aerith in, threatening to suffocate her. Yuffie pulled as hard as she could to keep the Darkness from taking her friend, but she was still losing the fight. Their eyes locked, and Ray shook off her horror and rushed over to help. Leon was coming - she could hear him. But she wasn't sure if he would be able to help any more than the two of them. The Darkness was pulling her in just as effectively as if they'd been doing nothing. And then, Aerith was gone.

"This can't be happening," she whispered.

The NeoShadow from before disagreed, however, as it demonstrated quite clearly by attacking from behind. She stumbled forward and was saved from falling on her face by an irate Yuffie, who pushed her aside and swiped at the thing with her shuriken. Ray stared blankly for a moment before remembering the daggers she was still carrying, but she stepped back from the fight. She still sick, after all, and close quarters like this were hardly a good place for this. But then the Heartless was vanquished, and she followed Yuffie outside to begin the attack anew.

It was only then that she noticed the Darkness gathering at her own feet.

The first thing to cross her mind was panic, which then quickly turned to rage and defiance. She screamed it at them, calling on all of the Light within her power. Somehow, even as it began to swallow her just as it had Aerith, it shone through and danced out to attack the surrounding Heartless. She spat curses at them, and the spell flared once more. But Ray didn't get a chance to see if it would do any good. The Darkness had already closed in around her.

[madmadmadmad.livejournal.com]

Mad Madam Mim rarely took the opportunity to leave her little cottage. No, it wasn't quite worth it unless there was someone to properly torment. But today...

Ohoho, today...!

Today was looking to be positively dreadful, she thought. Those Dark portals of the one called Jagannatha - and only one such as herself could truly appreciate such an arrogant name, of course - why, they were simply cropping up all over the kingdom! Not that she minded, of course. Much the opposite, in fact.

That was the most terrible thing about today. They had actually gotten her outside of her comfy little home, if only to watch that boy of Merlin's suffer and vanish into a hole of his own, like the little rat he was.

Mad Madam Mim would be there for it. And there she was, indeed, when it happened.

The Heartless were there, of course, and my, they were putting on a magnificent show! The boy stood with his sword and fought them valiantly - oh, how she hated valor - and by and large, he ignored Mim as she danced around the room in wait. Arthur was gone just as quick as the portal had appeared, and she saw her chance.

"Just a hop, skip, and a jump away!" she sang, gleefully diving in. Oh, no, she wouldn't miss this for the world. Couldn't! Where would the fun be in that?

The inside of it did nothing short of delighting her, and she fancied she saw a familiar-looking owl fall nearby during the swim. But then she got the terrible feeling of vomiting, and being on the very wrong side of it. Next thing Mim knew, the Darkness was spitting her out, right back where she had started! The landing was proved quite ungraceful, and it left her wondering where she had gone wrong.

Since when was Mad Madam Mim not terrible enough for the First Darkness?!

Part 2 to come a little later...

[ryuuzoku-aya.livejournal.com]

Deep in Gummispace, the massive form of the Dagda drifted serenely, no course set. Every world was given wide berth, far from where the former space-time barriers between them existed. Very few of the lights remained lit on the proud vessel, save for the faint dull glow of the thrusters.

Not a person aboard spoke, humans, moogles, and viera alike moving about their business like zombies. It was a dark night for Clan Kickassia for not everyone made it into space when the Darkness began to claim people. They hadn't seen such losses since the day Rak sabotaged the ship for the Archadian empire. Their trade, as treasure hunters, or thieves, or just hunters, was a dangerous one. Loss was not unknown, but this magnitude was rare.

Aya slumped in her captain's chair, a glassy look on her face as she stared at the screen of her laptop. She saw the videos. She witnessed people vanish before her eyes. She looked through the yellow-tinted lenses around her neck to see their fate and saw only darkness. They were gone. Nearly all of them.

A heavy sigh rattled through her chest and she palmed her face, reaching over to hit the refresh button on her browser again, searching for any sign of a survivor, save for Sephiroth. He could be an ally, maybe, but Aya couldn't be too sure. She wasn't entirely convinced that the remnant was tamed. He was clearly a man out for his own interests above anything else.

Aya was not aiming to be upgraded from "Sky Pirate" to "Space Pirate" but if she could just stay out here and remain alive, maybe she'd find a way. She had some tricks, she had some toys, and fleeing Archadian air patrols had given her a hell of a lot of practice. Once the numbness had worn off...

go to them

Her stomach bubbled with revulsion as she heard the voice again. That damn voice, so persistent now that the worlds had been thoroughly poisoned. It had been but murmurs and whispers before but now she could hear it clearly.

let it consume thee

"Shut up." Aya groaned, breaking the solemn silence of the bridge. The other crewmembers looked up at her, then to each other, concerned. "Not you guys, you're alright." she added in a tired voice. "Sorry."

it is the only way

Her hand tightened on her own face, digging fingers into the skin of her cheek. It hurt. Her throat grew tight. "Stop it! STOP IT!"

seize the reins

With a shout, Aya leapt to her feet, clutching her head with both hands, her computer clattering to the floor. She thrashed and writhed, staggering sideways as the crew watched on in horror. The moogle navigator ran over, only to be swatted away like a fly by one of Aya's arms. She screamed again. Another crew member ran in only to stop suddenly as glimpses of a large vaporous thing swirled around her.

Abruptly, she stopped yelling and twisting only to straighten without so much of a breath of exertion. After a pause of awkward silence where her glassy green eyes swept over the gathered bridge crew, she spoke, her voice deep. Resolute. "Stay on course for nowhere. I am retreating to my chambers."

With her announcement, she departed but not without attracting considerable suspicion. Her laptop remained discarded on the floor.

Their suspicion was well-founded. She headed for the hangar.

Re: Part 2 to come a little later...

[ryuuzoku-aya.livejournal.com]

By the time they arrived, it was too late. Aya was gone, as was the orange Gumdam.


Hours pass.


Aya didn't know what world she had landed on. It was completely unrecognizable now anyway, full of nothing but dark skies and dark shapes moving about her. Heartless peered at her with beady yellow eyes and quickly began to swarm around her. As they came at her, Aya didn't move, remaining stone still, an expression of fury on her face.

"I'm going to kill you." She hissed aloud as the darkness appeared at her fete, "Whoever you are. I'm going to kill you. I will find a way."

[shadowchaser.livejournal.com]

"...She puts the book here, in Mabry's library, instead of giving it back to Elyon...I don't see why she needs it anymore." Jalen griped as he searched the shelves for the elusive spellbook. When people had started being pulled into Darkness, Amy had borderline panicked; a few minutes worth of reassurances from her husband later, and her gears had shifted. She'd begun packing a bag of supplies and handed Eli off to him with orders to find the book she'd learned Barrier from. He'd been more than a little surprised when she told him it was in here; Amy didn't leave books she'd borrowed lying around.

He gave the shelf above his head a cursory glance then turned to check on his son for the fifth time in ten minutes. The toddler was sitting on the floor, most of the fingers of one hand in his mouth while he grasped a wooden stick with the other, banging away on the toy xylophone in front of him.

"Having a good time, Eli?"

Eli looked up at his father and grinned around his fingers. Jalen laughed and turned back to the bookcase, hoping the spellbook would jump out at him. How could it be this hard to find? It was large, old, and bound in green leather. While he muttered to himself, a pool of Darkness formed under him, creeping up his boots. Eli had stopped banging and watched, fascinated, as Shadows began to take shape from the mass. Jalen felt a tug on his pant leg and smiled, glancing down.

"Yes, Eli-"

His heart froze as luminous yellow eyes stared unblinkingly at him. The next second, he was being swarmed by Heartless as they tried to pull him into the Darkness.

"Eli!"

The little boy was crying now, arms reaching out for his father. To Jalen's horror, a second shadowy pool materialized, then swept up and over his son.

"ELI!"

Seconds later, Jalen was gone. The library was silent and empty...until the Darkness that had swallowed Eli pulled back, leaving the weeping child unharmed.

"Don't worry my little sorcerer, it's okay now."

Footsteps followed the voice, and Awiergan knelt beside Eli, gathering him into her arms.

"It's okay now, mama's here."

[shaderic.livejournal.com]

Cut.

Then cut again.

Fire.

Then shoot some more.

He wasn't really a warrior. A few months practice with a blade, along with some time at various firing ranges couldn't hope to make him into a warrior.

That was fine.

He didn't need to win. He just needed to survive.

Another Heartless dashed forward, a Neoshadow this time. The gunblade went clean through, before cutting to the side to fire at another one getting too close.

Shaderic didn't think he could keep this up forever. He'd called it in to his superiors when people had started to disapear, only to find them already gone. He'd tried to reach the other Refugees physically, only to be caught outside his own building by a horde of shadows.

Don't linger on the past, he thought to himself. Don't think about impossible odds. Don't think that there isn't a way out. As long you can keep going, then there's a chance.

When his boots began sinking slowly into shadow, he didn't stop moving. His moves just changed to a more defensive style.

When his waist was consumed, along with his ammo pouch, he stopped shooting. As long as his arms were above the pool of darkness he could keep on cutting.

When he was up to armpits in darkness, he took a deep breath.

And ducked his own head under.