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

...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!"