For Thine Is; Part One

[animusmods]

Characters: anyone outside of the Tower
Setting: outside
Format: any
Summary: You have been transported out of the Tower, and you must return quickly.
Warnings: psychological horror

It's pitch black here, though the ground is made of dirt and the Tower gleaming in the distance provides at least a sign that light exists somewhere. It's completely silent. It feels as if things might jump out at you--but that's probably your imagination.

Comments

[sageprincess]

No, we cannot. I have been trying to gather everyone as quickly I can.

[For better or for worse, she wouldn't be able to live with herself if someone got left behind in a mad rush back to the Tower.]

[wegotlucky]

[Neal couldn't, either. They needed to gather everyone up. No one could be left behind. He wouldn't let anyone die. Not now. Not so close to finally being free of this place.]

I'll help with the headcount.

How many are here, you think?

[A quick glance around made him think that it was a decent chunk of the people left in the Tower, which was a bit alarming.]

[sageprincess]

It is difficult to tell with how dark it is...

[She laments quietly, casting her gaze out into the surrounding crowd with Neal. Their number is definitely concerning, though she supposes she should be grateful the entirety of the Tower didn't get thrown out into this silent wasteland.]

Twenty, at the very least. Likely more. I have a few others - Asch and Tobias, if you know them - doing headcounts as well.

[More totals means a better chance at pinning down just how many of them there are, even in the darkness.]

[wegotlucky]

[Twenty? But isn't that nearly a third of the Tower?

So many people have been sent back to their own worlds lately. Who knows what that even means. Two versions of his father had vanished now.

And plenty of the people Neal cared about in the Tower were gone as well.]

Here's to hoping everyone's gathered here. I don't want to think about an alternative.

[sageprincess]

[It's an unfortunate fact of life in the Tower. Possibly the one she hates most of all, despite all the other torture and pain. When a fake body can be so easily replaced, what hurt could possibly compare to losing someone you love?

She can't think about that now, though. People are depending on her to remain calm and collected. She can't let them down here.]

Nor do I. But... the Tower shines like a star - constant and predictable. It is a small consolation, but at least our destination is clear regardless of where we go.

[It's hard to imagine not being able to see it, if the city surrounding it is as large as Arthur said it was and they can still see it from outside of its limits.]

[wegotlucky]

[They could only hope that any stragglers who weren't around would head for the Tower.]

We'll make it back.

[But still. Something bothered him about this.]

What... happened while I was gone?

[sageprincess]

[For the first time since they were cast out, Zelda displays an amount of hesitance at that question.]

I... I do not know. Everything seemed to be as usual, and... it all happened so quickly, I cannot imagine what caused all this.

[Zo was obviously upset for some reason, but the whys of it escape her.]

[wegotlucky]

[One hand wraps around his shoulder a bit defensively as he tries to process this. Something bad clearly happened to Zo, but what? And why?]

When we get back to the tower I guess we'll find out.