towerofanimus | Endgame: This Broken Jaw of Our Lost Kingdoms; Part One

[Her waking is slow - her body oddly grateful for the rest brought on by Ruana's forced unconsciousness - but even through the confusion of half-consciousness, it doesn't take long to realize something is wrong. As soon as her eye focus enough to allow it, Zelda scrambles to her feet and goes through the motion of aiming a magical blast at the walls confining her.

Of course, nothing comes. No protection from Nayru, no fire from Din, no swiftness from Farore, no power from her own bloodline. With a slow sigh, she falls back into a kneel, glancing at the clock so morbidly on display.

Five hours. They've fought so hard for so long, and now--

No. Don't think like that. There must be something...

... It's hard to tell just how many are down here (wherever 'here' is), but she notes at least two of their number unaccounted for as people call out for one another.]

I do not suppose anyone saw what happened to Zo or Aria, did they.

Edited 2014-07-15 05:06 (UTC)

[ He rests within his armor, barely able to move without the enhancements of the Astartes. His own second skin, slowly crushing him to death by inches. Zelda's voice seems to awaken him, and he husks out through his never-repaired helm. ]

I did not, but I was upstairs for the last bit. I have not seen them here.

That light was blinding. I could not tell if they were affected by it the same as we were.

[She frowns, eyes cast downward. That could mean something terrible, but--]

Perhaps they managed to escape it.

[ Loken shrugs his shoulders as best he can within the prison of his warplate, and says in a voice that sounds surprisingly gentle for one addressing a xenos. ]

Perhaps. It is a hope to cling to, as time runs down. [ He looks at the clock for a moment and says ]

If they did escape it, I wonder what they are doing... or if they can do anything at all.

[She folds her arms over herself as her calls her reach for hope for what it is, no matter how kindly he may say it. It's a fragile hope, but it's all she has between herself and despair as the seconds tick ever onwards.]

Aria managed to stay undetected for nearly a year before she made her move to create the hidden sanctuary. Zo is powerful in his own right.

Until the situation changes, we have to believe they can.

[ Loken is quiet for a moment, then nods his head. He slowly moves his hand to grasp his chainsword. It is a worthless gesture, but it gives him a sort of comfort. An old, familiar thing. ]

Indeed. I have always preferred to trust a combination of my strength as well as that of my comrades. [ Even at the darkest hour of his previous battles, he could at least manage defiance. Here, he's struggling just to not die from his own weight. ]

Maybe... maybe their absence is the difference we made, in the end. Gave them a chance to salvage something.

It is not the end until that clock strikes zero.

[Her own defiant rhetoric is likely sounding more and more delusional as the situation degrades, but there is nothing she has refused to do more than believe all their efforts have been for naught.]

But... maybe. Hopefully. There is not much we can do from here, now, it seems.

[As much as she hates it.]

Until the end then. [ his head sags against his chest for a moment, breathing even more labored. ]

Ar... Saber of white said you'd be a good leader. She...

[ He rasps, then continues. ]

She was right. [ His helm turns to lock the red eyeslits with Zelda. ]

Your strength here, now in the end, even if it means little, is reassuring. We are defined by who we are in the dark, and what light we can bring there. Remember that.

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sageprincess - 2014-07-18 04:06 (UTC) - Expand

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greyerrant - 2014-07-18 04:33 (UTC) - Expand

[Waking up was one thing. Seeing the clock through the cell wall was yet another. He almost cursed at how their luck was against them as much as his powers being gone. Just what he always wanted... to be locked up inside yet another cell with so little time left. Thanks, Ruana.

Hearing Zelda's voice pulls him out of this train of thought enough that he looks up toward her.]

No, I didn't.

[It's the answer she expected, but... perhaps the eternal optimist within her was still hoping for some clue as to their fates. Her brow furrows, her fingers twitching with the need to do something, anything to take control of their fates but knowing there's nothing they can do.

For now, at least. She won't relent that much.]

Hopefully they managed to escape somehow.

Yeah.

[Part of him really wants to be hopeful, but with how long they'd likely been out ~~and his curiosity shocking the cat~~... it was anyone's guess at this point. He's just hoping they bought them enough time before everything turned white.]

Are you alright...? [He almost hesitates to ask, but he hadn't seen her and was hoping she wasn't injured.]

I am fine. [In contrast, she doesn't hesitate in answering. Though, well. 'Fine' is subjective at this point, but at least she isn't physically in pain.] I stayed back to protect Aria and Zo instead of engaging Riki directly.

[She has her adminkiller t-shirt okay someone else can take a turn.]

[Hearing Zelda's voice, she tried to peer around in order to search for the princess.]

Unfortunately not. Though, I wonder, which of us need to be more worried. [They might have been on the run from other dangers, but if they were still free, at least they would have a better chance than these poor souls stuck in cells.]

Ruana will not simply let us sit here and watch as our time runs out. She will come and visit whatever manner of horrors upon us as she sees fit.

[She really should be saying that with more emotion, but it's just such a fact of life in the Tower that she can't summon the energy.]

But... wherever they might be, her eyes will not be upon them when that happens.

[Provided they aren't dead or restrained themselves, of course, but she's trying to stay hopeful. Anything less is too painful to contemplate.]

Punishment for our actions, hmm? Or just a sadist.

[It sounded almost like they've suffered through this before. Not to this scale, but similar.]

But yes, from the short time that I have met them, I know they are clever. We will trust their actions.

[And it was best she kept talking like this, addressing them as survivors who managed to flee the clutches of Ruana. Still, with nothing else to do, Vietnam needed to grasp at options.]

If Ruana comes and visits us, I wonder if she will let us out of our cells before torture. [Too bad it would mean they won't be able to run, but hey, when you have nothing to lose.]

Both, I imagine. She said she had something to "show" us...

[Which certainly can't mean anything good, if it comes in the wake of Riki's death. Zelda nods in agreement about Aria and Zo - once she puts her faith in something, it's incredibly difficult to break it.

As for Ruana...]

I do not know. She is capable of simply immobilizing us-- [Also something she'd rather not think about.] --so one must wonder the reasoning behind placing us in these cells in the first place.

[Vietnam sighs deeply; both, then again, someone who is capable of doing this would never be right of mind.]

We will have to steel ourselves for then. I am horribly curious at what this could be. [Though it was hard to disguise her tone of dread.]

But...really? [One of the things Vietnam could think of was how sadists like to taunt their prey slowly and painfully. It could be why they're in these cells, to watch the clock tick on and they cannot move or do anything about it. She was pretty sure no one will appreciate this being mentioned.]

Let us hope whatever she has in plan, her letting us move will be a fatal error. [It was best to still have hope, no matter how dark their options.]

Indeed.

[Hey, hope is pretty much her middle name right now. Anything less and she fears she might fall apart at the seams. Vietnam's theory as to Ruana's reasoning going unvoiced is indeed appreciated in that regard.]

If nothing else, I doubt anyone here is ready to simply lay down and accept her judgment at this point.

[Intentionally or not, she has forged each and every one of them into fighters.]

[As they say, silence is golden. Or speak only what needs to be said. Vietnam managed a smile at the thought of everyone going to fight; humans, or mortals, anyway, have such great spirit. Sometimes she feels they have more bravery than nations such as herself (which is saying a lot).]

Fight for what matters and for our freedom. I am sure many of you have had enough.

[She looks around once more, eyes sweeping over what one would consider rebels. Although--]

Not everyone is here, are they? Perhaps they would sweep in to save us.

No... sorry... I didn't see... [They had been in the hidden floor but Taiki had already looked around the cells and couldn't see them.] They aren't here...

No, they are not. [She softens a bit for Taiki, though still it's fairly clear she is not a fan of this situation in the slightest.] I hope that means they were able to escape somehow.

[The alternative hurts too much to think about.]

I hope so... [He nods, not wanting to think of what could have happened] I don't think Ruana can make them sleep like she can with us... so maybe they were able to hide...

You are right; they are different from us. [One more real and the other more fake. That has to count for something, right?] I will believe that they were, until something tells me otherwise.

Yes... We can only hope... [He nodded] Are... are you alright... are you hurt? [Not that he can heal at the moment, but he hopes she is okay.

[She nods.]

Yes, I am fine. I was not among those who engaged Riki directly. [She supposes she should be thankful for her health, though the bleak situation rather dampens any gratitude she might have.] What of you, Taiki?

[He has never seemed to like violence very much.]