Endgame: This Broken Jaw of Our Lost Kingdoms; Part Two

[animusmods]

Characters: open
Setting: travelling through dead worlds
Format: any
Summary: The power has gone out, but a portal opens. Maybe all is not lost if you can gather up those who are missing...
Warnings: general animus endgame warnings

Comments

[no_longer_a_king]

Believe me, I have no intention of staying here if I can help it, but please take a moment to explain to me what is going on? Did the countdown run out? Did you find a way to access other worlds?

[Because that's what it looks like to her. Did they finally manage to succeed?]

Are there others we need to find?

[fionnuisce]

I have no fucking idea, Saber. I think we were split up somehow--we were stuck back in the Tower, then a portal opened up and here we are.

If I had to guess, I think Zo must have opened it so we could get here. And I'd bet anything we have to find whoever else got left outside the Tower.

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid nods in agreement with Waver's words before adding a few of his own.]

There was a five hour countdown timer in the room where we were locked up. When it hit zero, all the power failed. If that was our actual timer hitting zero...

[He trails off with a shrug since who knows what will be waiting for them when they get back.]

If this is Zo's doing, I wonder why he waited so long unless the power had to fail in order to give him the chance to open the portals for us without Ruana interfering.

[miseris_socios]

It might've had to fail to turn off the force fields for the cells.

[sageprincess]

Right, Counter Guardian...

[She speaks softly to herself as she accepts the help up, brushing herself off and trying to regain what dignity she can after that little show. Her thoughts are divided as the conversation progresses, caught up in thinking about Arturia's spirit form and what it could mean for their plans for her to come to Hyrule, but she does eventually speak up.]

Regardless of his potential reasons, I agree with Waver in thinking what we must do next is clear.

[Regroup as best as they are able.]

[bloodyashes]

[And yay, everyone is standing again.]

Keep moving, collect everyone who went missing, and somehow manage to get back.

[It sounds so simple when you put it that way.]

[myblueskies]

Maybe when we find everyone Zo will open a portal back to the tower so we can rescue him and Aria as well. [Romeo had followed Ken but had been stood mostly quietly still taking in what was happening but he spoke now.]

[fionnuisce]

[Waver gave Zelda a strange look at that--naturally he knew what a Counter Guardian was, but he was pretty sure this was the first he'd heard of Arturia being one.]

I...wouldn't doubt that. So we'll have to be ready--eventually one of these portals is sure to bring us back. Until then, let's continue on like this.

[no_longer_a_king]

[Of course it would be the first Waver would have heard about it. Arturia had never gone around advertising the fact, only mentioning it to Zelda simply because of how close the two had become with one another.]

All right then. Let us go find the others. Do we go through the same portal or do we need to find another one?

[oathshackledbird]

I am going to guess we need to find a different one.

[A glimmer catches the corner of his eye and Diarmuid turns to point toward it. A portal has opened off to their right.]

Look! Who's up to finding out what is behind portal number two?

[myblueskies]

I am! [Romeo grinned at Arturia, glad that she was safe and with them now and then skipped towards the next portal]

[sageprincess]

We shall need all the strength we can get.

[... And speaking of which, she feels... better, in an odd way. She had grown used to the ominous unstable feeling being outside of the Tower brought during that long march following Zo's little temper tantrum, but it feels... different now, somehow.

Hm. Either way, she lingers back with Arturia, spirit form or no. Not even going to allow for the possibility of her being left behind now that they've found each other again, nope.]

[bloodyashes]

If there's more people stuck out here that we need to find, there's no point in going backwards.

[Portal-finder team let's get moving.]

[no_longer_a_king]

Then let us be off. [She smiles at Zelda, keeping close to her as well. There's a warm feeling in her chest, like she has a place somewhere for the first time since the fall of her Kingdom. If she had a physical presence Arturia would hug Zelda as well.]

Thank you for coming for me--all of you--it means a great deal to me.

[oathshackledbird]

You are important to us. Of course, we would not leave you behind! After all you have done for the Tower, you have to be there in the end. It would not be an end otherwise.

[Diarmuid stops walking toward the portal and looks back at the group at the sound of Saber's voice. When he sees her smile, he cannot help but silently thank Zelda. The woman has done so much for the Tower herself, but in his eyes probably the greatest thing is the part she played in bringing that smile to his friend's face.]

[fionnuisce]

Of course. You're our friend whether you like it or not--not to mention that frankly, without you we're probably all fucked when we need to take out Ruana.

[sageprincess]

[Unfortunately, Zelda might miss Diarmuid's gratitude, as she's a bit busy returning Arturia's smile.]

I would think you would understand by now that I am not about to leave you behind in any situation.

[That fateful day in the processing room seems so far off now, yet it's still relevant it seems. The narration shall abstain from making a Lilo and Stitch reference.]

[no_longer_a_king]

[This narration, however, will not. TEAM OHANAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

So very far off, back when Arturia was still in the thrall of her self destructive spiral. That had been the very first moment in so long when Arturia had felt like she actually belonged somewhere.]

And I you. All of you. Come! Let us see who else we can find and then put an end to this madness once and for all.

[bloodyashes]

[OHANAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Hey look who earned +1 Asch Smile. Trade it in at a shop for something really special!]

Let's get moving, then. Anyone see another portal?

[If not, he's going to go climb the nearest piece of tall, climbable wreckage. Because that's what ninjaknights do.]

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid nods, pointing again off to their right.]

Over here. It's a bit off from us, but it's definitely not the one we arrived through. Though, it might not be a bad idea to get to a high point and see if there is more than one. With so many people to find, it could be a possibility.

[myblueskies]

I can look! I'm a good climber, I could go and see. [The roofs here are much higher than they are in his world, but heights have never bothered Romeo.]