[center][h3]Shinra Building - Arahabaki[/h3]
Level 7 Goldlewis (113/70) Level 6 Sandalphon (55/60)
Blazermate, Susie, and Roland’s [@Archmage MC], Midna’s [@DracoLunaris], Geralt and Zenkichi’s [@Multi_Media_Man], Sakura and Karin’s [@Zoey Boey], Pit’s [@Yankee], Roxas’ [@Double], Giovanna
[b]Word Count:[/b] 2749[/center]

[center][hider=For Sandalphon]New item obtained (via book selection):
[b]Ather Lance[/b]
[i]A technological lance, primarily gray in color, with light blue accent lighting. It can be used to lob projectiles that explode in a three-foot radius on impact, lightly damaging enemies and healing allies, all for no cost. It can also be used as a casting catalyst for support spells or miracles[/i][/hider][/center]

As soon as Sandalphon pointed out what the Arahabaki main terminal could be used for, Goldlewis felt a great weight settle over him. From the beginning, he’d known that the satisfaction earned from his team’s victory over Tycoon would be fleeting. Though important, it formed just one incremental step in the campaign against Galeem. Yet even in all his pessimism, Goldlewis hadn’t imagined just how short-lived that hard-earned triumphant feeling would be. Learning that they’d inadvertently cut off the Midgar’s main power source and doomed it to a citywide blackout had been bad enough. Between the losses of utilities, transit, refrigeration, medical services, and communication, the Seekers could scarcely fathom the scope of the catastrophe soon to befall the city. Only a precious few hours remained before the impending disaster struck, and right now, their location in Arahabaki meant that the Seekers had a chance to warn the people.

Of course, they really had no choice. Even if they -and the city itself- had been set up for failure, they heroes needed to take some semblance of responsibility via immediate action. The only real decisions to make were what to say to the people, and who would say it. Though Goldlewis understood why the others might look to him, he balked at the opportunity, reticent almost to the point of outright refusal. “I heard all kinds o’ politicians and all kinds o’ speeches in my day. All kinds of folks with big plans on how to lead America forward,” he said flatly. “But that ain’t me, no sir. No matter how many stars they pinned on me, I’m just a soldier in the end.” He shook his head. “It ain’t that I don’t care, mind you. In fact, I reckon it’s the opposite. I take the lives of my men mighty serious. Out there in the trenches, ain’t nothin’ more important. Those lives weighed on me like nothin’ else. Their deaths…” Goldlewis swallowed. “Even more so. And now, we’re talkin’ hundreds of thousands of people. I ain’t the right man to call the shots for all those lives. My shoulders ain’t broad enough to carry that weight.”

Despite his size, Goldlewis almost seemed crushed, bent over like someone forced to carry a heavy burden. Compared to him Sandalphon seemed a lot more composed, but she appeared no more eager to make the all-important announcement. “While I could report on the facts of the matter, and will if necessary, doing so is admittedly not my preference. I am only just now beginning to awaken to my emotions, to the warmth of humanity. Right now, I don’t have the words to reassure, or calm, or unify, or inspire. If we are to salvage this situation, the people need someone like them. Not a heartless angel.”

The Seekers discussed the situation, and what to do about it, for a few minutes. Susie wanted to take over Midgar for herself, and Roland mentioned someone who could solve the power crisis, but the idea of any administration fixing things at this point seemed far-fetched, not to mention doomed. The team’s victory over the Guardian hadn’t put an end to the Ever Crisis, but with the Machines and the Shinra Administration gone, the people could flee the Others, the Chimeras, and all the cruelty that Midgar embodied, from corruption and oppression to inequality and crime. Karin’s assessment rang true. Held captive by the Ever Crisis and maintained by the Consuls, the metropolis had been the perfect system for grinding countless lives into dust, and it was time to bring this cycle of suffering to an end. In a bold move, Karin volunteered not just to deliver the speech, but to stay behind and do her best to personally lead the people of Midgar to a brighter tomorrow.

Sakura quickly signed on, and Goldlewis found himself nodding in appreciation. The two were an excellent duo. They possessed not just strength of body, but strength of character, mental fortitude, and unwavering determination. For Karin in particular, her mental acuity and forceful personality made her uniquely suited for an undertaking of this scale. “Good on ya, kids,” he told her, his face and tone of utmost seriousness. “We’ll miss ya somethin’ fierce, but I figure you’re makin’ the right decision. I haven’t known ya for long, but after seein’ ya in action, it seems to me like there ain’t anythin’ you can’t do once you set your mind to it.”

As she considered the plan of action, Sandalphon unknowingly let a trace of her sadness slip through in the shape of a slight frown. Imagining the hardship in store for Midgar’s people brought her great pain, and she wanted to help, but from a purely logical perspective her skillset would be far better used for the Seekers’ continued support than managing the mass exodus. At the same time, though, it wasn’t like she couldn’t do anything. “Miss Kanzuki. I urge you to seek out the Lateran Church in Sector 01, Piltover. I worked for them for a long time, and Pope Yvangelista XI is as wise as he is kind. They are well-equipped for crisis relief in terms of resources and experience, and their Apostolic Knights can be trusted to ensure safety. At the same time, I will share with you my authority over YoRHa. The androids’ prime directive is the good of humanity. I hope they will be of use. Given the substantial number of key Psych-OSF figures present for the final defense against the Machines, there is a high probability of securing their help as well. I recommend contacting Fubuki Spring while psynet is still online.”

Even if Karin and Sakura would be the only Seekers staying behind they would not be going it alone.

With the extra information out of the way, Karin could enter the terminal and begin her address. Goldlewis waited with bated breath, soaking in her every word. Right now, psynet was broadcasting the young woman’s speech from Arahabaki to every vision screen, TV station, and psionic in Midgar. The pressure must be immense, yet Karin appeared to be the very picture of perfection, never once misspeaking or even hesitating. Her composure was nothing short of inspiring, and the sensibility of her suggestions reassured even him.

Her speech also revealed one important detail to him and Sandalphon both: that the destruction of Tycoon somehow freed everyone in the city from Galeem’s influence, inviting pandemonium as the populace realized that this place -their very lives- weren’t at all what they believed. Hopefully, Sandalphon thought, Karin’s outreach would be enough. It would have to be. As the heiress wrapped up, the archangel added to Karin’s message of hope with a hopeful prayer of her own.

Then the speech was over. Untold thousands of people out there had heard those words, and if the entire populace didn’t know who Karin Kanzuki was now, they would learn soon. The Seekers couldn’t mull over her message or its ramifications, though; they had places to be. As Midna prepared to take her teammates to their various destinations, Sakura had just enough time to give her goodbyes.

When she spoke to Goldlewis and Giovanna, the two gave one another a dubious side-eye. “Well thanks, but this is probably where the two of us part ways,” Gio said. “The other old man’s gonna need someone to sort out his pills and stuff. I’d feel bad if he went and fell down the stairs or something, you know?”

Goldlewis smirked, putting his hands on his hips. “Leavin’ all the real work to me, eh? Why ain’t I surprised?” He waved a hand at Giovanna. “Go on then, git. If you end up causin’ problems for Miss Kanzuki, I’ll tan your hide.”

“I don’t think it gets any tanner,” the secret agent joked, dashing forward. Before Goldlewis knew what hit him, Giovanna had hugged him around the middle. “Try not to die out there, old fart.”

Chuckling, the big man tousled her hair. “Heh. Well, if you insist.”

By then, Sakura had reached Sandalphon and humbled her with her compliments. The archangel bowed. “You are too kind. Please take care, and if you need me, know that I am only a call away. There is no distance so far that I cannot reach you.”

When Pit mentioned Peach, Sandalphon said nothing, but her eyes turned to loading bars. Through Karen’s broadcast last night had been her first exposure to the idea of metamorphosis, and she hadn’t been privy to the discussions surrounding Peach or the Supernatural Life Research Facility, this new information allowed her to make certain inferences about the Others fielded by the Seiran Garrison during Midgar’s defense. Later, the archangel reasoned, she could speak with the others about everything that had happened. For now she held her tongue.

Once everyone said their farewells, Midna could begin the task of transporting everyone. She took Karin, Sakura, Giovanna, and Zenkichi to the SOU headquarters, then after a short delay returned with Zenkichi and Akane. Then everyone else could proceed to their next destination, one by one.

[hr]

[center][h3]Everdream Valley - Port Meridian[/h3][/center]

For the Seekers, of course, their next destination was a function of what they planned to do next. After half a week spent in Midgar, embroiled in constant and nerve-wracking conflict against monsters and machinations of all kinds, it went without saying that everyone needed a break from the action and some comfortable distance from the most complicated, hotly-contested locale in the World of Light. In terms of Midna’s portal network, that left them only a couple options. More than half of her portals linked to other parts of the city, and of the other four, three let out back in the Sandswept Sky. Among those, two were non-starters, and though the team could do worse than Tostarena Town, the allure of possible allies drove them to visit the Virgin Victory. Of course, that begged the question: where was the Virgin Victory?

One by one, Midna deposited the Seekers in the airship’s engine room. Not knowing what to expect, Goldlewis couldn’t help but be impressed. Even in a place where function ought to rule over form, everything was sleek, shiny, and futuristic. Being an interior chamber, the room had no windows to see out of, but just a moment after Goldlewis arrived he realized that this ship must be at sea. The subtle rocking of the structure beneath his feet said as much. “Huh.” Between his time in the Dystopiascape and the Sandswept Sky, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d so much as laid eyes on an actual body of water, other than the despicable Seiran reservoir. There seemed to be no engineers here maintaining the place, and when he poked his head into the hall he saw no crew members in either direction. Curious, and even somewhat eager, he cleared the way for the next arrival by moseying toward the door to find his way through the vessel to wherever he could see the sea for himself. It took a little trial and error, but after a few minutes spent officiously sauntering about, the veteran finally stumbled upon the upper deck.

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/XMXDU4K.png[/img][/center]

The Virgin Victory currently floated at the end of a wharf belonging to a large port town. Though originally old-fashioned in appearance, the town gave off the impression of extensive modification, turning its once-humble waterfront into a much more massive, more modern shipping dock. Likewise, while many of the more historical buildings had been preserved, the place also featured a number of newer, more industrial buildings, including a fertilizer plant, a husbandry center, a hydroponics lab, greenhouses, and immense granaries. Judging by the sun, it must be close to noon.

Beyond the town buildings and imported palms lay rolling hills blanketed by agriculture, from [url=https://i.imgur.com/s5YU4t5.jpeg]rustic farmsteads[/url] to [url=https://i.imgur.com/wkmKLcW.jpeg]sprawling acreages[/url]. Immense fields of golden wheat, orange pumpkins, verdant leaves, and towering corn stretched all the way to the neighboring mountain range, and various animals were much in abundance. Plenty of [url=https://i.imgur.com/CLXgukx.png]round sheep[/url], [url=https://i.imgur.com/CZBO4XY.png]fowl[/url], and [url=https://i.imgur.com/KNJBaa0.png]bees[/url] could be seen in the ranches, as well as two kinds of cows: those with [url=https://i.imgur.com/Ezal2PE.png]no snouts[/url], and those with [url=https://i.imgur.com/taM3lNG.jpeg]huge snouts[/url]. While [url=https://i.imgur.com/iYQO7qC.png]strange pink farmers[/url] appeared to be the primary workforce, various creatures seemed to be working the fields as well, including [url=https://i.imgur.com/jgVUwnX.png]flowery sprites[/url] as planters, [url=https://i.imgur.com/ZSTDpBz.png]penguins[/url] as waterers, [url=https://i.imgur.com/JppAMQS.png]depressed cats[/url] as harvesters, and so forth. All told, the lush valley of plenty made such a stark contrast to Midgar that Goldlewis just stood there, staring, for a few seconds.

While he took in the pastoral landscape, Sandalphon swept past him. Pragmatic as ever, she managed to put aside the lovely view when she noticed someone on the Virgin Victory’s deck, a short [url=https://i.imgur.com/Uvx3zhu.png]old man[/url] with a huge beard, goggles, and snow-white hair shaped into a sensational question mark. Though lounging on a deck chair with a cooler close at hand, he was more than perceptive enough to notice the statuesque archangel as she approached, followed by the rest of Sandalphon’s entourage as they emerged from the airship’s bowels. His gaze held for a moment on the newcomer’s glowing halo, then drifted down to her unusual eyes. “Well, howdy, ma’am. What can I do you for?”

“Good morning. Please excuse our sudden entrance.” Sandalphon gave him a polite nod of her head. “My name is Sandalphon. I met the contingent of Seekers who made their way to Midgar, and offered my full support. This morning we engaged and defeated the Guardian hidden deep beneath the city. We just arrived here, thanks to Princess Midna. I understand that the Virgin Victory and its crew are allies of the cause.”

Having been sipping his drink when he heard the news, the old man spit performed a comical spit take. “Defeated a guardian? Well, I’ll be darned! We got word from Bridges y’all made it to Midgar alright, but it’s been radio silence since then, and what with the whole Alcamoth situation we we fearin’ the worst. But it looks like y’all pulled it off! The others’ll be happier than hogs in mud to hear it, we sure needed some good news.” He practically bounced out of his chair in excitement, offering Sandalphon his hand. “Oh, where’re my manners? The name’s James, James Shirogane. This here bucket o’ bolts is my invention.”

The archangel knelt down to shake the inventor’s hand. “My pleasure. You must be an ingenious inventor indeed to have created such an incredible vessel.”

Her hospitality seemed to tickle the man. “Aw, shucks. You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!”

“May I ask where we are?” asked as she stood to her full height.

“O’ course!” Followed slowly by Sandalphon, Shirogane scuttled over to the railing and swept his hand across the western scenery. “This here’s Port Meridian, and beyond is Everdream Valley. It’s pretty much Midgar’s breakbasket, growin’ all kinds o’ crops an’ shippin’ ‘em to the city.”

He directed her gaze back eastward, and through the atmospheric haze Sandalphon realized that she could see Midgar’s distant outline. Its immense bulk darkened the horizon, and not even from this far away could it ever seem small and insignificant. “We’re closer than I expected,” she murmured.

“It’s a real nice place, all things considered. Atmosphere’s tense today ‘cause we got word Midgar’s bein’ invaded, but it’s s’posed to be pretty peaceful ‘round these parts. Machines ain’t ever made their way out here, I guess.” He crossed his arms. “If y’all just beat another Guardian, I reckon you’re downright pooped. Why not head down into town and take it easy for a spell? We ain’t ready to fly just yet on account o’ the tussle we got into on the way here, but we’re gettin’ close. Once my lunch break’s over we’ll be in business before ya know it!”

Sandalphon nodded. “Thank you, Mr. Shirogane. That sounds like a good plan. I’ll let the others know.”

“You’re welcome, take it easy out there! I’ll call Laurence and Alice, let ‘em know what’s goin’ on. And if ya see that lizard-tailed punk in yella, tell ‘er to get ‘er sorry butt back here on the double! Them bathrooms ain’t gonna fix themselves!”

“...Understood.” Sandalphon hurried back to her allies, then shared what she learned, along with Shirogane’s proposal. After what everyone had been through, they certainly deserved a little time to rest easy.

[center][h3]The Under - Temple of the Black Egg[/h3]
Level 13 Ms Fortune (98/130)
The Koopa Troop’s [@DracoLunaris], Primrose and Therion’s [@Yankee], Sectonia’s [@Archmage MC], Ganondorf’s [@Double], Jesse’s [@Zoey Boey]
[b]Word Count:[/b] 1137[/center]

F’s appearance resulted in immediate hostility from Nadia Fortune, her teeth bared and her ears flattened as she hissed. By this point, his many crimes against the Seekers hardly bore repeating; his repeated attempts on the lives of Nadia and her friends, not to mention his many acts of wanton cruelty, had more than earned him a kill-on-sight order in her book. The needless execution of the Hollow Knight, who the Radiance’s demise might have freed at last, formed only the latest crime on his long, long list of charges.

All the same, the feral kept a hold of herself just long enough for the Consul to start blubbering out pleas and excuses, which stunned her completely. Though some part of her (probably Kronya) took a certain sadistic, gleeful pleasure in his pathetic petition, she mostly just got angrier and angrier as the vile child rattled off the least convincing lies possible, then finally dropped all pretenses and begged for his life. “You’re kidding. Right? I knew this guy was an oddball, but I didn’t realize he was so odd-acious!” When she looked at her friends, she saw Primrose even more eager to pay F back for his evil deeds than her. It took Therion to talk the dancer down, reasoning that F could be of some use. Nadia shook her head, indignant to the point of bewilderment. Even if his enemies didn’t execute him straight away, in what universe did this blithering idiot think that he’d come away from this with the Seekers’ forgiveness? “You little…how dare…ugggh, give me a break.” Utterly unable to articulate, or even properly express, the scorn she felt in this moment, she settled for sidling around the Consul to make sure he’d be surrounded and unable to get away. Her friends could handle F’s denigration.

Newly infused with the spirit of the Guardian F failed to protect, and radiant with newfound power, Sectonia made for quite the intimidating figure. She seemed understandably doubtful, but she kept her emotions in check and posed the Consul several questions. Primrose followed up with one of her own, practically inviting F to spell out justification for his own downfall. Ganondorf offered no addendums, but in the hopes of keeping F in line did what he did best: being a menace. While most of the team kept a relatively level head, Bowser and his kin stepped up to season their pointed inquiries with some richly-deserved verbal abuse. All the while, Nadia stood at the ready, her claws sharpened and her muscles coiled as she prepared to pounce. From the looks of it, she wasn’t the only one ready to end things, either. Primrose’s pyromancy flame still smoldered in the palm of her hand, and the cat burglar’s keen eyes could see Jesse up to something as well, her expression downright murderous. As much as Nadia hated killing, she felt about the same right now. If F tried something, or started to teleport again, his goose would be well and truly cooked. When Junior demanded money, though, Nadia still found it in her to laugh. “Yeah,” she chimed in. “Come on, spit it out. You’re paying up one way or another!”

For a few seconds the Consul just stood there beneath the deluge of questions and belittlements. After a moment, he came to some sort of realization, then relaxed somewhat. He stood very still, his hands held up in surrender, the eyes of his sun-shaped mask dark. “The Flame Clocks…” he muttered, his tone serious. “They tell the time. How much time is left. Time’s always ticking, eh? Heeheehee. If you’re in our little ‘life service’, then you’re on the clock. Take someone’s life, and their time is yours.” He paused, still motionless. “P…well, he made a bet, didn’t he? That one life was all he needed, and that he could beat you without losing it. Didn’t pay off, did they? Heeheehee…”

He seemed to consider Sectonia’s third question for a moment. “Leader…? Not really. If you want to know who’s a big shot, probably D or Z. But if I were you, I’d be scared of A. Go after him, and you’d better be ready to pay the price.”

Primrose’s question made him laugh. “Heeheehee! What do I get? Silly! Just, you know. Everything. Forever. A toy box the size of a universe, and it’s mine.”

His undisguised megalomania made Nadia give the others a weary look, as if asking [i]can we take care of this creep already?[/i]

Junior and Rika asked more questions, but F seemed to ignore them. When he spoke again, his voice sounded louder but oddly muffled, as if issuing up from the ground around them.

“You know, I misjudged you guys.”

At the break in the act, Jesse whipped out her Service Weapon and fired. Her Pierce shot blasted straight through F’s mask, shattering it into fragments. There was no viscera, however; the Consul’s helmet was empty. The force of the shot caused the suit of armor to fall over backward, revealing a round hole in the underside of one boot, as well as a fleeting glimpse of something green as it disappeared into the earth. Nadia slid to a stop where the Consul had stood, looking around in bewilderment. “What the ‘F’, how’d he…?”

“Sheesh. You all coulda killed me, you know. That was probably your best chance too, I don’t know what came over me. But you couldn’t do it, huh? Even a couple so-called villains. Well, I’m not afraid. You idiots really haven’t learned a thing. In this world it’s kill, or be killed,” he chided, as if talking to a misbehaving child. “Y’know, it’s funny. You’ve been happily slaughtering everything in your way so far, just to see what happens next. And bad things just keep happening, huh? Yet you chose to spare me, like that'll change a thing. You know, this world’s really nothing like mine, but it’s so, so interesting, isn’t it? I guess this is all just to say…thanks for enabling me!” He paused, snickering. “Well, bye for now. Keep at it, I guess. Keep shooting for that happy ending. Just know that I’ll be there to take it all away! Ha ha ha!” F’s laughter echoed through the Temple of the Black Egg, shrilly inhuman, until the last echo faded away.

Nadia facepalmed, groaning. “What a dick.” Beyond tired of the scumbag's maddening antics, and worn out in general thanks to all the fighting, the feral let her head hang backward as she closed her eyes. “I don’t get all that psychobabble that nutjob was spouting, but I guess we’ll be seeing him again. Hopefully it’ll be a good long while though. F that guy.” She elected not to give her thoughts on humoring the Consul, instead sitting down with her head resting in her lap as her tails swished behind her. “So, where to now?”