Madness! Madness I tell you!

[thirteenth_brat]

Who: EVERYONE... er, everyone in Alexandria anyway...
What: Storming the castle to find the Door the the Light
Where: Alexandria :|
When: The end of our confinement
Status: Open and ongoing
Note: It won't go anywhere if you don't tag in, people.



Roxas paced and checked over what few items he had in his possession. An assault on the castle was going to be rough as it was. It was complicated further by the fact that everyone was still sick and weakened from the miasma. Still, they had no where else to look for the answer to how they'd escape.

Not that they were rushing in completely without a plan. Everyone was divided into two teams: one to explore the lower levels and one to explore the upper levels. Supplies had been pooled and then distributed between the two teams as needed. The only really set rule was that the Keybearers had also been divide up between the teams with Terra, Ven and Aqua going with the upper level team while Roxas, Riku, the King and Kairi went with the Lower Level team. The other Princesses of Heart, since they weren't really fighters, stayed outside the castle with anyone else who could not or would not fight and were ready the tend any wounded.

Thankfully, while they couldn't get a message outside of Alexandria, they seemed to be able to send and receiver messages within. Computers would be a bit much and not everyone had their computer, but they'd been able to borrow a couple of cellphones. Each team had one so that they could contact the other team if they found what they sought.

Comments

[wr-npc.livejournal.com]

Chernabog turned to face the summon and its rider with a scowl that could crumble mountains. There were the challengers. Here they came, coming to face him at last, rather than attacking his underlings. The ground rumbled with his fury. Heartless, taking this as the signal to move, leaped into the skies to stop them.

When I was a young boy, my father...

[ryuuzoku-aya.livejournal.com]

Aya shuddered a little on the inside at how quickly she got Chernabog's attention. Then again, riding in on a summon derived from an Aztec deity would turn a few heads. "Hope your watching this, Koios." Aya murmured. As she approached, lightning began to dance amongst the thick black clouds overhead, dull and distant flashes at first.

At the base of her vision, Aya could see a black mass lifting like smoke though only as it all drew closer did she realize that it was a teeming mass of Heartless rising at Chernabog's command. Quetzalcoatl screeched at their approach and Aya tightened her one-handed grip on the creature's bumpy scales. "Wait for it." she cautioned.

The Heartless drew closer, spaces between them rapidly shrinking, blotting out the ground. Still the pair flew forward, ever moving towards Chernabog himself. Thunder rumbled overhead, the natural consequence of lightning.

"Not yet..."

Seconds passed and Aya could hear them now, the faint whispy chittering their movements made. Blank yellow eyes peered up at her and shadow wings beat furiously.

"NOW!"

At Quetzalcoatl's command, lighting rained from the sky in massive chaotic blasts, ripping through the thickly concentrated masses of flying Heartless. The pair flew, spinning and squirming through the chaos, even diving right at Chernabog's forehead at one point only to abruptly swerve away. The electric deluge lasted for a solid minute, accompanied by earth-shaking peals of thunder before dying down.

"Good, good." Aya whispered to her summon, pushing her body down flat against the hide of her mount. "Now let's get in close again."

[wr-npc.livejournal.com]

A thundering bellow sounded throughout Alexandria the attack faded away. Chernabog now moved to face Aya and Quetzalcoatl fully, and as the few Heartless that survived the initial massacre stubbornly kept after them, one giant hand stretched out to grab them from the sky, Darkness teeming from the demon's skin. They had made the extent of their threat known. Such arrogance from a mortal creature. It would have to be extinguished.

took me into the city to see a marching band. He said son..

[ryuuzoku-aya.livejournal.com]

It would have been a nice opportunity to admire the devastation wrought by the lightning-inclined summon but Aya knew better. Did she ever know better. The pair kept moving, Quetzalcoatl spiraling through the air with grace befitting of a serpent. While there was no doubt each turn and swerve was done to avoid a swooping Heartless, their path inexorably drew them closer and closer to Chernabog himself.

Arrogance indeed. Aya resolved that if this was to be her finest hour; her final battle, then damn it she'd go out with the defiance that made her infamous.

She saw the gigantic hand coming and immediately pushed up onto her heels, reverting to a one-handed grip on her mythical mount. "BREAK!"

Quetzalcoatl dove downward, Aya jumped upward, forcing the demon to "choose" between two targets. At least it seemed like a choice for while the summon peeled off to evade, Aya leaped willingly at the outstretched grasp. Her left arm pulled back and, as she fell to meet the dark god, thrust it forward to forcefully eject the Spine from the Ryan-engineered subspace pocket built into the fingerless glove she wore.

Howling like a barbarian, she stabbed the Spine deeply into the demon's palm as its fingers closed around her.

In the meantime, Quetzalcoatl found himself beseiged with the remaining flying heartless, immediately mobbed by black winged forms. As they latched onto him, he spun and writhed to forcefully whip them off his body. Any that dared to get close enough to his face were promptly bitten.

[wr-npc.livejournal.com]

While the Spine bit deep, the only sign of discomfort Chernabog deigned to show was a mere tightening of his fist around Aya. Darkness poured from the wound in waves. As his grip continued to tighten, the demon's intent became excruciatingly clear: he was going to crush her, and the serpent would follow shortly.

All at once, a veritable sandstorm rose into the air, engulfing every stray Heartless unfortunate enough to get in its path. The deluge surged upward, a giant swirling mass unhindered by any obstacle, until it finally reached the hand holding the famed Ice Wolf hostage. Forcing their way through Chernabog's dark fingers, the sand drove its way into the wound. At first, the demon simply ignored it. But as it began to grind in the wound, and more of it kept coming from seemingly nowhere, the pain easily forced its way to the forefront of his mind, along with the threat that the Denizens of Light posed. His fingers were gradually pushed open little by little.

Koios watched in dark satisfaction as enraged disbelief twisted Chernabog's face. Now was his chance. He slipped into a Corridor, reappearing further up in the air a second later to swipe at a Heartless pestering Quetzalcoatl, and entered another only to step out onto the demon's very hand. A sneer crossed the Nobody's face.

"This is what I think of you and Jagannatha leaving us all here to die," he told it conversationally, and swung his glass-tipped shovel like a sword at the fingers trapping the Refugee. This new wound, coupled with Aya's generous stab and his sand, was more than enough to make Chernabog release her, swatting instead at the Nobody. He started to fall, but instead of summoning a Corridor to take him to safety, Koios continued the assault on the demon, making full use of the abundant sand.

Down below, there wasn't a soul who failed to locate the source of their troubles. Grounded Heartless and Nobodies were backing everyone into corners. Still many stood to fight, as did one Refugee with a father and his family, both determined to protect those in the courtyard they currently stood in. The young woman stood favoring one leg, clutching her rapier defensively in trembling hands. In a spare moment, when the Heartless had their attention turned elsewhere, she pulled out a black stone, whispering, "Help them." With a bellow of challenge, Bahamut rose into the sky with Quetzalcoatl and struck immediately at the demon towering above them, careful to avoid hitting Aya and Koios. Narrowly evading a swipe from Chernabog's uninjured hand, the dragon veered around quickly to the other summon's side, biting and clawing at the creature's assailants.

when you grow up, will you be the savior of the broken...

[ryuuzoku-aya.livejournal.com]

"...shit."

Aya's eyes widened as she quickly realized that stabbing Chernabog in the hand didn't really cause the kind of deterrent she was aiming for as the fingers closed around her like a vice. Sucking in a breath, she pushed herself against the Spine, nearly curling around it so the more he crushed, the deeper the weapon would be driven into his flesh. She was also shocked to discover that the darkness pouring from his wound was actually pretty painful to her, especially at this close.

Her bones began to creak, about to snap when something else moved about around her-sand. Lots of sand, she realized, pouring past her and into the wound created by the Spine. The pressure was pushed away from her and she grasped for breath, struggling and squirming her head through the curled thumb and pointer finger of the demon.

Aya was greeted with the site of booted feet balanced on Chernabog's hand. Peering upward, she caught sight of familiar flannel, only to hear Koios address the demon shortly afterwards. "Thanks." she rasped to him moments before his strike, which mostly released her. Mostly, because she hung on to her Spine before it slipped free of the demon's flesh, putting Aya into a freefall.

Fortunately, the newly unburdened Quetzalcoatl was quick to dart in and catch her in his coils before she wound up splattered on the ground. Reorienting herself, Aya was also further surprised to see that Bahamut had joined them which meant Ray was around here somewhere.

Quetzalcoatl took off for Chernabog's face while Aya swatted away the rare flying Heartless that managed to get by Bahamut's defenses. While it would follow for the godly serpent to start biting and clawing, he refused to get in that close to the demon, opting for the opportunity to line up a "shot" of lightning breath at Chernabog's glowing eyes instead.

[wr-npc.livejournal.com]

The demon turned a withering glare upon the pair. Koios was still attacking his hand, aggravating the wound. It didn't seem to matter if the Nobody was actually hit - the sand always kept coming, a relentless plume that gritted and ground into him, and the Darkness just kept pouring out. Not one to let a possible advantage go to waste, Chernabog instinctively grabbed hold of it and sent it flying to engulf the Refugee and her summon. Bahamut quickly flew by them in warning before turning to face a new set of enemies: lesser Nobodies, Dragoons and Sorcerers.

Outside already because otherwise it would just be @#$%&! staaaaiiiirss

[ariakitsune.livejournal.com]

Anyone who hasn't seen Aria fight recently might be surprised. Her strength had improved seemingly inexplicably. But she'd mentioned before that Seph was a teacher from hell... She'd resisted some urges to whine about that because well, it kinda made it sound like abuse. She really didn't need people trying to convince her that their relationship might be unhealthy on top of other issues.

That and she'd gotten into a habit of not showing more strength than was necessary for any given situation.

She was currently cornered in an alley by Heartless. There were bubbles everywhere. Some clinging to Heartless slowing them down, some exploding with lightning. The ones nearest her were Stopped. Her staff blazed with fire as she swung it at anything that moved.

...the beaten, and the damned. He said will you defeat them, your demons...

[ryuuzoku-aya.livejournal.com]

With the sand swirling all around now, Aya quickly took the opportunity to pull her goggles up over her eyes. Seeing Koios at work made her feel extremely glad that she managed to earn his help.

Bahamut flew beside the pair startling close for a few seconds, quickly earning Aya's attention before the dragon peeled off to deal with more flying heartless. Right ahead she spotted the incoming spray of darkness sent in their direction and she shouted for Quetzalcoatl to move. She'd experienced that soul-dissolving darkness up close seconds ago, she had no desire to repeat the sensation.

But with the sheer amount the demon held within him, dodging it was completely impossible and the best Quetzalcoatl could manage was to veer upwards and avoid going through the dead center of the darkness. Aya shuddered as they emerged from the darkness, her summon shaking as well and veering through the air erratically.

With a sudden shove to the pelvic bone-shaped guard, the Spine was shoved back into the left-hand subspace pocket, enabling Aya to secure her grip on the feathered serpent. Taking advantage of Koios aggressively engaging Chernabog, Aya quickly began queuing up some magic.

"Time to show you how I got that nickname." she muttered, words intended for Koios but likely unheard over the chaotic battle. "Brandon ain't the only one who can be original."

Clouds increased overhead, though this time lightning did not dance between them, their presence bringing a sudden extreme chill to the area. Dull, distant blue lights could barely be made out in the clouds, moving slowly across the heavens.

"Death of all heat..." Aya chanted, blue light roiling off the fingers of her right hand as she traced circles and lines in the air, which lingered as Quetzalcoatl orbited around the gigantic demon. "Herald of Ragnarok, called by the hound of hounds!" She completed her first loop around Chernablog, connecting the blue strands of magical light with a snap.

The howling of wolves came distant at first, picking up as the wind within the circle increased. The blue lights descended from the sky, easily mistaken for multiple comets at first, but each soon revealed to be large wolf-shaped pieces of ice magic of the highest order. Where Brandon had created the Thunder Step, Aya used her mastery of ice magic over the years to craft her own answer.

Vicious as the animals they stole their images from, the ice descended on Chernabog like a hungry wolf pack.

"FIMBULWINTER!"

(OOC: Let me know if there are any issues with that. >_>)

[wr-npc.livejournal.com]

((No issue!))

The ice wolves tore into the demon's dark skin, shredding wherever it hit. Pure Darkness just kept coming and coming from the wounds. Chernabog roared in combined pain and fury, ground shaking and buildings crumbling.

Playtime was over.

The Dark magic began to coalesce into something solid in Chernabog's upraised hand. It grew long, ends tapering to points as his gold eyes deliberated on which target to skewer. The choice was obvious.

The lance of Darkness went flying toward Aya and Quetzalcoatl. Koios' sand rushed to block it, or at least to slow it down, but it cut through like butter.

...and all the nonbelievers, the plans that they have made. Because one day...

[ryuuzoku-aya.livejournal.com]

Aya's shoulders sagged a little as she felt the last bit of her mana drain from her reserves as the spell's casting finished. Following this, she realized she'd have to change up tactics a little after that since she wouldn't be able to keep up a barrage of ice spells after that one. Close combat seemed out of the question...

Doubly so as Chernabog's angry roar cut through her thoughts, filling her with the horrifying realization that she probably just angered it more. The roiling waves of darkness pouring from the demon were now making it hard to breath. Forcing herself to look back at the demon, she saw it craft a spear from the darkness and hurl it at them.

She shouted at the summon, which began to pull up. For a few seconds, they lost visibility of the spear as Koios's wall of sand rose to block it (and fail utterly). Aya saw the dark weapon and felt Quetzalcoatl surge up from underneath her, going nearly vertical in the air.

Her mount shuddered. Looking up, she could see where the lance had pierced through one of his wings and his side. Like a stalling aircraft, their ascent slowed before the creature went plummeting to the ground, spinning in circles as the remaining wing slowed the fall. Aya held on tight as they fell for the rubble of a newly collapsed building. White feathers flew from Quetzalcoatl in their wake, turning into white motes of light.

[wr-npc.livejournal.com]

Bahamut dove after them, pausing momentarily underneath Quetzalcoatl as he fell onto the dragon's back before gliding them swiftly to a relatively empty courtyard. He set them down as gently as he could manage before looking back up at Chernabog, who was readying another spear of Darkness. With a thundering bellow of defiance, Bahamut took to the sky once more, circling around the demon and gaining as much altitude as he possibly could. A spark of light appeared in his jaws, growing and growing until it simply couldn't anymore, and burst forth.

After all the damage he had already taken, this latest attack ripped his injuries open still further. Chernabog seemed to stagger. But after a moment, he was back up, somehow managing to turn that glower of his on them all at once. The second lance was suddenly whistling through the air toward the dragon, who managed to narrowly avoid it and dive back into the fray.

A Corridor opened in the little courtyard, and out stepped Koios. His eyes were still trained upward for the moment, where his sand was still dancing upon the wind around their opponent, but he spared his unlikely ally with a glance once he was sure the demon was suitably distracted. "You know, eventually one of those close calls of yours are going to be a little too close to come back from," he commented, studying them.

I leave you a phantom to lead you in the summer to join the black parade.

[ryuuzoku-aya.livejournal.com]

Quetzalcoatl rolled off the dragon's back, his body mostly limp from the pretty serious injury. A somewhat shellshocked Aya hopped after him, quickly giving Bahamut a two-handed salute before he flew off.

By the time Koios arrived, Aya already had her Spine out, a serrated edge being drawn along the length of the back of her left forearm, splitting open a nasty-looking wound. As he spoke, she glanced back at him briefly before dropping her weapon on the ground and rushing over to the wounded summon. "Yeah, I know that. Given what's at stake here, I can't hold back and I can't slow down, though you know, I wish I could..."

She stopped in front of the feathered serpent's head. His nostrils were flaring and his eyes were half-lidded, focusing on the Sky Pirate he was contracted to. Aya smiled thinly and put a foot in between the snake's upper and lower jaws, prying them open with that and her right hand. "...but there ain't no rest for the wicked..."

Her left arm was thrust into Quetzalcoatl's mouth so she could rub her wounded arm against his tongue, smearing blood all over it. "...'till we close our eyes for good. ...er, not that I think I'm really wicked or anything, I just like the song."

Pulling away, Aya quickly retrieved the Spine and rushed to join Koios's side. With her free hand, she jerked her thumb over her shoulder at Quetzalcoatl, who had gone still. "He'll need a few. Think you can use your sand to help me get in close so I can stab him in the face a few times? I can't fly like Sora."

[sandandflannel.livejournal.com]

She was quoting songs at him. How very Refugee-like. And here she said she wasn't one of them.

"Can do." Sand materialized before them in a dusty cloud, coalescing into a sturdy disk just large enough to carry them both. He bowed his head to Aya, gesturing for her to go first. "Unless you'd prefer a portal..."

Sometimes I get the feeling she's watching over me.

[ryuuzoku-aya.livejournal.com]

While she may have distanced herself from the other Refugees, Aya would be damned if she forfeited her love of music.

Deep down inside she found herself a little touched by his politeness, even during this extremely dire battle. She stepped onto the disk and took her strange-looking "blade" up in her hand. At his other suggestion, though, she smirked a little, "Let's hold off on that and surprise him with it when he least expects it. Like flying at his face, then suddenly...poof!"

[sandandflannel.livejournal.com]

He grinned. "I like the way you think." Koios stepped onto the disk beside her, and it suddenly shot up and toward the demon. The thing was already forming its next attack, it seemed: a writhing ball of Darkness and fire was growing steadily in Chernabog's hands, and he had set a fierce glare on the two of them.

"Somehow, I'm not really sure that I can stop that thing when he throws it," Koios said dryly.

And other times I feel like I should go. And through it all...

[ryuuzoku-aya.livejournal.com]

Fortunately, Aya kept her balance well, posing no danger of suddenly falling off their sand-based ride. As they flew, her other hand moved up to grip the hilt of the Spine as well now that she no longer had to worry about holding on to a long sinuous beast.

"That's a problem." Aya remarked, eyes upon the growing ball of darkness and fire for just a few seconds. "We'll have to be extra sure to not be where he aims it then."

[sandandflannel.livejournal.com]

It looked like Chernabog there was just about finished with making his little toy. He didn't utter a sound as he threw the thing, either. It simply flew at them, and it was quicker than Koios had expected.

"Hang on to your Spine," he told her. In one swift movement, sand moved to cover their feet, locking them in place as the disk shot to the side and out of the ball's trajectory. Unlike the previous lances, however, this one didn't simply fade once the attack failed. No, this one altered its path, turning around and following them.

[ryuuzoku-aya.livejournal.com]

"Roger." At least Aya's goggles were getting a good deal of use in their conventional purpose today, completely negating the need to make a stupid Simpsons reference. Again, the sudden movements didn't sicken or bother the woman very much, even the extremely sharp turn to require the incoming mass of darkness. Relief registered on her face but it was quick to disappear when she realized that the projectile was following them.

"It's homing onto us!" She warned him, "Quick, fly into his face and portal us away! Maybe we can shake it off into colliding with him!"