The City of Light, Saturday

[dark_slippy_thing]

There were certainly better ways to spend a Saturday then flitting off like a pack of idiots to save a world that was probably mostly dead by now, anyhow.

Valentine (importantman)	"Well, here we are." If there was something of a sardonic note in Valentine's voice as they stepped away from the beam-of-light portal that Will had made and onto the cobblestone bridge that he knew all too well as the causeway out of his own city, it might have had something to do with the most inviting atmosphere at present. Between the dingy orange-gray skies and the occasional squishy flapping sound of a school of fish flying along nearby, the city and its unnatural silence seemed almost repulsive. Perhaps it wasn't any wonder that Valentine was so loathe to return there. He started to walk toward the city as he spoke, glancing back over his shoulder now and then to be sure that he wasn't pressing along alone. "Keep your masks on and let's be quick about this, shall we? I'd like to get this all done and over with and be back to Fandom-- a world that, thankfully, isn't likely to swallow us whole at any moment-- in time for workshops on Monday. Bloody hell, don't you all stand out in a crowd, here?"
Buffy (1ordinarygirl)	Buffy was staring at the fish. "...The fish are flying."
Donatello (turtle_techie)	"Wow, yeah," Donnie agreed, watching a flock squish-fly past. "But at least it's something making noise here. It's eerie."
Buffy (1ordinarygirl)	"Seriously creepifying," Buffy nodded. "I don't think this is a good place to be."
Rikku (the_merriest)	Rikku looked around. "Uh, maybe everybody ... left? Except the fish? Huh. Wonder what the fish eat, then."
Valentine (importantman)	"They eat ... things that fish eat," Valentine said with a shrug. "Most of the occupants of the city have left. There's not much left for anyone, anymore."
Will (notawitch)	After pulling the Heart of Candracar back into her hand, Will finally got a good look around Valentine's world. "Oh wow," she said. "It looks like a lot's gone on here. I hope the ... flying fish are okay."
Valentine (importantman)	"I'm sure the fish are fine, Will," Valentine replied dryly. "They're not really what we're here for."
Rikku (the_merriest)	"We're here for all of it, aren't we?" Rikku said softly, shivering a bit.
Valentine (importantman)	"They--" Valentine paused and looked at Rikku, frowning a little as he noted the shiver. Part of him was wishing that he hadn't asked them all to wear masks, after all. He'd probably be far less disconcerted himself if he wasn't aware how much all of this was putting some of the strongest people he knew out of sorts. "Yes, Rikku," he conceded. "We're here for all of it."
Princess (sarcasm_guy)	The Princess had been sitting in her window, looking down on the people below, because it was a very princess-y thing to do, even if it was boring, and even if she was only on the second story of a house overlooking the bridge, and even if she was trying to hide, more or less. Her mother was simply beastly, and had eyes everywhere, and nowhere was safe, so she might as well stay wherever she wanted. But now here was a singularly unimportant-looking man striding past her window and talking about another world. He was probably just crazy, like everyone else, but... well, it was something to consider. She pulled the Charm out of her bag and looked at it again. If only she knew how to use it. If only she knew what it did. She had gone to all the trouble of stealing it, but now... "Useless!" she harrumphed. "Bloody useless! This whole world is bloody useless!" But another world, if there was such a thing... Her mother would never find her there...

Valentine (importantman)	It took a bit of wandering through the dark city streets before they saw anything alive that wasn't a fish. But when they did, Valentine made a point to take a few steps backward, somewhat alarmed. "Sphinxes," he hissed to his companions. "Enough of them to have those monkeybirds alarmed. If we just steer clear, we won't even have to worry about it." The monkeybirds, however, looked rather hopefully at the group. They needed help, that much was clear. "Bob! Bob bob bob!" Valentine was pointedly trying to ignore their bobbish pleas for help.
Buffy (1ordinarygirl)	"Aw, they're bobbing at us!" Buffy said. She frowned. "What does that mean?"
Valentine (importantman)	"It's their name, and probably one of about three words they know how to say. They want help." Valentine glanced at the creatures, who were cornered and surrounded by the hungry little sphinxes. He was also acutely aware that he was in the company of four people who were all heroes in their own right. "It would be best for us if we were to keep moving."
Buffy (1ordinarygirl)	"We can't do that if they need our help," Buffy said sternly.
Donatello (turtle_techie)	Donatello drew his bo, watching the sphinxes carefully. "I agree. If we can help them, we should."
Rikku (the_merriest)	"This isn't the shadows you were worried about. Right?" Rikku looked over at Valentine carefully. "If the sphinxes ... get the monkeybirds, what will happen to them?"
Valentine (importantman)	So much for saving their own skins. Ah well. "They'll probably eat them," Valentine confessed, looking from the sphinxes to the skies anxiously. Still no shadows-- that was a bonus, at least.
Rikku (the_merriest)	Rikku nodded, chin set. "Then I say we fight, too."
Will (notawitch)	Will nodded. "Yeah, I agree with Rikku. We should help them out if we can."
Sphinxes (importantman)	The sphinxes were blissfully ignorant of the group that was plotting to save their meals. While monkeybirds were usually impossible to get, these ones had been separated from the group and were grossly outnumbered and surrounded. It was dinnertime.
Buffy (1ordinarygirl)	Buffy swung her axe around. "Heeeeere, freaky cat-like thingies! Come say hi to Pom Pom Power!"
Rikku (the_merriest)	Rikku - Godhand at the ready - jumped into position with a grin, and hopped up for a spiral slashing move down. It had been way too long since she got some play. "Dude. Never piss off the cheerleaders."
Valentine (importantman)	"Dude?" One of the sphinxes snapped, whirling around to hiss up at the girls who were leaping at them. "Hungry!" They were more than happy to express their displeasure by leaping right back! Valentine maskpalmed and continued watching the sky. He should have specified up front to just leave the local wildlife alone. "Just tell them knock-knock jokes or throw your homework at them! Why are you fighting them?" Because sphinxes liking books an riddles was absolutely common knowledge. Who in the world didn't know these things? Stupid. Stupid stupid stupid stupid!
Buffy (1ordinarygirl)	"Because that's funner!" Buffy said, adding, "Duh." She hadn't brought all these sharp, pointy, shiny weapons just 'cause they made for pretty accessories, damnit!
Sphinxes (importantman)	A wee little sphinx-- his name was Marmalade, but there was no orange to be seen on his nubbly little gray body, and his name didn't much matter, anyhow -- trotted over to Buffy, flared his little rainbow wings, and meowled at her. "Hungry."
Buffy (1ordinarygirl)	"Well, you can find something else to eat," Buffy said, frowning down at the cat-thing. "Bobbing monkeybird things are off limits. Don't you know that?"
Sphinxes (importantman)	"No food," Marmalade snapped, hissing up at her. "Hungry." He demonstrated his point by snapping his little teeth in the direction of her ankles.
Buffy (1ordinarygirl)	Buffy swung after him with her axe, swiping by his ears. "Can't you eat some flying fishes or something?"
Sphinxes (importantman)	The little sphinx hunkered down and growled some more. He rather liked his ears where they were. "Too fast. Too high! Can't catch."
Buffy (1ordinarygirl)	"It's not the bobbing things' fault that you guys can't jump!" Buffy pointed out, glaring at Marmalade. "I mean, that's totally like that thing with the grapes!" It really wasn't.
Sphinxes (importantman)	"Grapes?" Marmalade looked around quickly, trying to seek out the offensive fruits. When he could see none, he looked back up at Buffy quizzically. "What grapes?"
Buffy (1ordinarygirl)	"You know, the sour ones?"
Sphinxes (importantman)	Marmalade had to sit down and have himself a good think over that. He didn't much like sour grapes, but if he was hungry, he'd happily hunt them down and devour them. That'd show them. The nerve of those grapes, making it impossible for him to catch fish! "Where are they?"
Buffy (1ordinarygirl)	Buffy paused. "The sour grapes? Uh, I... totally saw some over there?" She pointed wildly. "Yeah, definitely!"
Sphinxes (importantman)	Marmalade perked up as Buffy pointed, then stood with a growl. "Hungry! Grapes!" And at that, he turned and raced off in that direction, a couple of his companions chasing after. Mmm, grapes!
Donatello (turtle_techie)	Donatello brandished his bo at the sphinxes, trying to get them to retreat or back off, away from the monkeybirds. He didn't want to hurt them, really, but he would crack little sphinx skulls if need be. "Come on, get away! Shoo!"
Bob (importantman)	"You shoo," a sphinx insisted as it scurried off to the side. It didn't much want to be beaten on with a stick today. One of the Monkeybirds-- a slightly oddball fellow in that his beak was a shade of blue rather than the orange of the rest, plowed his way through the small opening and stood by the turtle's side. "Bob! Bob bob!"
Donatello (turtle_techie)	Donnie frowned at the sphinx and continued to wield his bo, looking surprised as the strange ape-like creature came close. "...Bob?"
Bob (importantman)	"Bob," 'Bob' agreed as he raised a heavyset fist in preparation of thumping any sphinx that came too close clear into next week. "Hungry! Hungry! Stay still! Hungraieeeeeeee--" Piff! Poor hungry little sphinx didn't see it coming, really.
Donatello (turtle_techie)	Donatello grinned. "Nice!" He swung his bo out and clipped another sphinx that hadn't been wary of the distance he could reach, glad that the monkeybirds realized they were there to help.
Bob (importantman)	Bob the blue-beaked monkeybird was rather pleased that the green friend with the stick was helping! He decided to demonstrate how pleased he was by picking up a sphinx that had crept up behind the turtle's heels and throwing it a good distance down the street.
Donatello (turtle_techie)	"Whoa!" Donatello glanced at Bob again after watching the sphinx bounce a couple times against the cobblestones, grinning still. "Thanks!" If he was going to fight weird cat-things in another world, at least he had a good partner at his side for it. Raph and Mikey were so missing out!
Rikku (the_merriest)	Not like any of the fiends she knew back home, but most things went down if you hit them enough. Rikku crept forward, watching for another sphinx to get too close to the monkeybird-things.
Sphinxes (importantman)	And it wasn't long before another sphinx did creep too close to one of the huddled-up monkeybirds, lunging at it with a snarl in an attempt to take a bite out of its rear. It was common knowledge, after all, that monkeybird rear was tender like chicken and far more filling.
Rikku (the_merriest)	"Hey! Back off!" Rikku cut in and slashed at the sphinx, trying to get her body between it and the monkeybird. "I said no."
Sphinxes (importantman)	"Yes," the sphinx protested, backing up and meowling as two more stepped up beside it. "Hungry!" The two at its sides licked their lips and meowled their agreement. 'Hungry' was certainly the word of the day.
Rikku (the_merriest)	"No," she repeated firmly, aiming a spiral cut for the closest one. Not too deep, not for the kill, but maybe if she drew some blood they'd seek out easier prey. "Go eat someone else's butt."
Sphinxes (importantman)	The nearest sphinx hissed and spat up at Rikku as part of its ear was nicked off. Apparently, it wasn't too thrilled at this. The two who had flanked it backed off some-- they didn't want to be part of this particular mess, after all. "No other butts to eat," the sphinx with the now-torn ear complained. "No food. Need food! Hungry."
Donatello (turtle_techie)	"Oh," Rikku said, stopping for a second. "Oh, that kinda sucks, yeah. Not having food. Uh, there aren't any plants or anything, you could eat? Ones that aren't, you know. Monkeybirds?"
Sphinxes (importantman)	The sphinx stared up at Rikku for a moment. This seemed to be a truly novel idea, actually... It turned and had a brief mumbly conference with its companions, then looked back up at Rikku. "Crazy mask shop lady." The sphinx seemed to think that this was the answer to all. "Has cake."
Rikku (the_merriest)	"There you go, see? Cake is way better than monkeybirds!" Rikku nodded. "Totally go bug her, right? About cake? Plus there aren't scary people with weapons over there." She waved her godhand a bit meaningfully.
Sphinxes (importantman)	The sphinxes considered this for a moment more-- the thought process was certainly helped along by the waving about of the weapon -- and they all agreed that cake was suddenly much better than raw monkeybird butt before turning tail and prancing off.

Sphinxes (importantman)	Growing irritated with the antics of the group of heroes, the sphinxes finally scattered, leaving the monkeybirds quite free and quite thrilled indeed. Except that 'irritated' was actually 'terrified,' 'thrilled' was actually 'panicked,' and the sphinxes and the monkeybirds both were freaking out over the same thing. "BLAK! BLAK BLAK BLAK!"
Valentine (importantman)	Valentine knew full well what 'blak' was, and he wheeled around instantly to look up in terror at the black fingers of shadow that were reaching out toward them through the sky. "We're all going to die," he informed the group, inching away from the shadows as best he could in the narrow streets.
Rikku (the_merriest)	Rikku stared at the swirling clouds, transfixed. "That's ... whoa." Then she remembered what he'd said about it eating people. "Okay! Not good! What now?" There had to be a good direction to run in, right?!
Valentine (importantman)	"We RUN!" Valentine was already turned on his heel, tripping over sphinxes and monkeybirds alike in his attempt to get out of the corner that they had lodged themselves in. A tendril of blackness swept down and claimed the lives of a few sphinxes whose minds were still more focussed on eating then fleeing.
Buffy (1ordinarygirl)	Buffy did not turn to run, because she was Buffy and she was very hero-like indeed. She wasn't entirely sure how to fight weird snakey blackness though.
Valentine (importantman)	Valentine took note that at least one of the people he had come with was suicidal or something not unlike it. "I HATE YOU ALL," he felt the need to clarify as he spun around, still skipping backward on his heel, and threw a ball at the shadowy tendrils that were reaching toward Buffy. They retreated for all of a half a moment before they decided to attempt again.
Rikku (the_merriest)	"Not now!" Rikku dashed forward to grab onto Buffy's arm and pulled as hard as she could. "Come on!" The sky had just vaporized those people like Sin like Mi'ihen oh shit they were going to die come on not now ...
Buffy (1ordinarygirl)	"But..!" Buffy protested as she was dragged away. "I could fight it! Somehow! I'm sure I could!"
Donatello (turtle_techie)	"We can figure that out later," Donnie said quickly, doubling back to take Buffy's other arm. "Right now, let's get somewhere safe!"
Buffy (1ordinarygirl)	"But..!" said Buffy.
Rikku (the_merriest)	"No buts," Rikku pleaded, still dragging. "We kill the people-eating sky thing later but right now we move it please okay!?"
Will (notawitch)	Will's first reaction was to stand and fight against the big slimy tentacle things. And then she saw it vaporize things and aim for the group, and that objective slipped down the rungs a few notches. "Yeah, I think that right now we have to find a better spot before we stand and fight it," she added.
Buffy (1ordinarygirl)	Buffy reluctantly gave in and started running in earnest. "It's making the cat-things behave like staked vamps!"
Valentine (importantman)	"No bloody kidding," Valentine hollered as he resumed running. Running was good. Running meant that he wouldn't die. Unless, of course, he tripped over Marmalade the sphinx, who had apparently found something that resembled sour grapes and was gnawing on them contentedly and obliviously. Then perhaps he would die. "AUUGH!" Ow.
Bob (importantman)	Chaos! Panic! Disorder! "BLAK!" The monkeybirds were in a tizzy, running in circles and dodging the shadows, and they were just about to leave when the blue-beaked Bob turned to see his green-skinned sphinx-fighting pal take one of the girls by the arm. To the dismay of the other Bobs, he turned around, took off flying, and grabbed the turtle by the shoulders. "Bob?" "Bob." "Bob! Bob!" After a short and entirely to the point conversation, the other monkeybirds followed suit and each of them scooped up a member of the group and took off flying, just as the shadows crashed downward and completely annihilated what was left of the sphinxes and the neighbourhood.
Rikku (the_merriest)	The monkeybirds were kind enough to leave them in a dead end a few blocks away. One with a door, even, that looked like it might lead to a very nice room that was inside and not out there where the sky was eating people. Shame about the door being locked. Rikku cursed for a minute, and then her eyes widened. "I have lockpicks!" She really, really owed Aly a thank-you note or something. If she got back alive, she'd try to remember. Lockpicking was a success, and the doorknob turned. "Yes," Rikku breathed. A few seconds too soon, as the door moved all of an inch before stopping again. "Shitshitshit," Rikku contributed helpfully. "Move," Buffy contributed, more helpfully, as she put a leg out and kicked the door open. Much better.
Valentine (importantman)	Valentine scurried into the room the moment the door was open, and waited for the rest to join him before he slammed it shut again and dragged a dusty old phonograph across the room to barricade the door with. "Not a disaster, not a disaster," he started to pace back and forth as he took in their surroundings. Dust-covered cloth was draped over the furniture in the hazy, windowless room. Oddball items were shoved into corners here and there. There was a rack of books with such masterpieces as Douglas Prawnhead's timeless "The Complete History of the Future Fruit," taking up space against a wall. Most of the lightbulbs in the lamps around the dusty space were broken. "A junk room, but not certain death. I can live with that."

Valentine (importantman)	"Well," Valentine said, pounding against the door to make certain that it wasn't going to swing open on them at any point through the course of the night. "At least we're not dead." Not dead. Just locked in a random junk room for the night. Fantastic, that.
Rikku (the_merriest)	Rikku shivered a bit. Stupid. This was stupid. She was going to die here in this awful world pretending to be a hero and she was a terrible Guardian and she'd never see anybody she loved again. Stupid.
Will (notawitch)	Will took a deep breath and leaned back against the wall, Valentine sure wasn't kidding when he had described just what was going on in his world. Those giant black tentacle things were terrifying. The group would have to be able to get into a position where they could attack from without being noticed at first, if they were going to have any chance in beating them. She looked over to see Rikku sitting nearby. The blonde girl looked like she'd been shaken up by the event. "You doing okay?" Will asked gently.
Rikku (the_merriest)	Rikku shuddered. "S-sorry. I ... I know something else that could do that. Not tendrils, just big, thick waves. They said it took out the army at Mi'ihen in seconds. Just swept through and vaporized."
Will (notawitch)	Will frowned faintly at the comment. She had no idea where Mi'ihen was, but from the sound of it, it was somewhere that Rikku knew and possibly had been. To have seen all this twice... "That's awful," she answered quietly. "I'm sorry to hear that."
Rikku (the_merriest)	Rikku swallowed again, shaking her head. "I'm s-sorry. I'm being stupid. Sin's gone, we got rid of it, I just ... didn't want to see that, you know?" She smiled weakly at the other girl. "Valentine ... said you're a Guardian?"
Will (notawitch)	Will nodded. "Yeah. I'm one of the five current Guardians of Candracar." She motioned down to what she was wearing. "Hence the uniform and stuff. You're a Guardian too?"
Rikku (the_merriest)	Rikku nodded, looking at the other girl's outfit. "Yeah, but ... I think it means something different, where I'm from. I was one of Yuna's guardians - my cousin? On her pilgrimage. We had to make sure she made it to Zanarkand alive. No matter ... what. What, uh, what's Candracar?"
Will (notawitch)	"Umm, a big shiny place in the exact center of the universe. They try to make sure that all the other worlds are balanced from there, and the Guardians are sent out to fix problems on other worlds." She smiled. "So yeah, probably a different kind of Guardian."
Donatello (turtle_techie)	Donatello cleared his throat, looking up from the duffel bag he had open in his lap. "Sorry to interrupt," he said. "But I brought along something that might help against the shadows."
Buffy (1ordinarygirl)	Buffy stopped pouting over not being allowed to fight the shadows (and probably crumble to dust). "You did? What?" she asked interested.
Rikku (the_merriest)	Rikku swallowed. "Show us," she said nervously. "And I ... I have something that might help, too."
Will (notawitch)	"I guess we can all show what we brought then. Go ahead," she said to Donatello.
Donatello (turtle_techie)	"I brought flares, to start, but I also have these--" Donatello pulled out a flashlight for each of them, handing them around the circle. "They're more powerful than your normal flashlight, and should last a good bit longer since they're LED. I modded them slightly, too." He held his up to show a button on the bottom. "If you hold this in while you turn it on, you'll get a double-powered flash. Just a moment's worth, but it'd probably blind someone for a bit if they looked right into it. Hopefully the shadows are true to form and don't like light."
Rikku (the_merriest)	Rikku resisted the urge to flip the lid open and check out the wiring to see how he'd added the button, instead nodding solemnly. "Very cool." "I, uh." She bit her lip, pulling a small dark purplish stone out of her legpouch. "This doesn't look like much, I know. But it's a Blessed Gem. There's a spell called Holy - it's white magic, which is supposed to be healing, not attack magic? But if you get a white mage strong enough, powerful enough, they can summon Holy. My cousin Yunie could. It's ... there's a ring of white lights and it scoops down and picks everything up and the clouds drop in and then the light explodes through the circle outward, and ... it's beautiful." Rikku shrugged a little awkwardly. "I only have this one stone. That's the bad news. I only ever had two, and one of them maybe saved my life a couple months ago. But this stone can ... if you throw it at something, it'll crack open and cast Holy. Maybe it'll help. Maybe it won't. But that's what I've got."
Will (notawitch)	Will stretched her palm out, and summoned the crystal that she kept inside it. "This is the Heart of Candracar. It can do a bunch of different stuff. Basically, I can channel and use energy through it. So, if need be I can help with energy blast and energy barriers. And teleporting us back to Candracar, but we shouldn't do that just yet."
Valentine (importantman)	'Right,' Valentine thought to himself. 'We should nearly get ourselves killed again before we decide to do something smart like get out of town..." Of course, that's not what he said. What Valentine said was something a little more awkward than he had intended it to be. But really, in comparison to these guardians and slayers and ninjas, what else did he have? "I can play with my balls," he informed them. ... "Juggling balls."
Rikku (the_merriest)	Rikku really, really wanted to facepalm now. "Okay. Do your b-- juggling balls actually do anything to help against the shadows?"
Valentine (importantman)	Valentine demonstrated by way of throwing a ball against the wall, where it exploded in a firework flash. "It earns us the benefit of one momentary flinch."
Rikku (the_merriest)	"Okay," said Rikku, nodding. This was doable, right? There were bits and pieces and ... "I think I have an idea, kind of. A real one." "We pick a spot, one where they're likely to show up. We have those flares," she nodded to Donnie, "around so hopefully they won't want to get in too close too quickly. We each keep a flashlight handy. Valentine, you stay in the back, since you're ranged; it'll give you a better view to pick off some of the shadows around the edges." Also, that way he could stay in the back. "Buffy stays up front, smashing anything that's trouble with her pointy objects. Donnie, you take float. I'm gonna hang out with my smoke bombs. And Will, you do your Heart-thing to set us up some energy barriers." "When the shadow itself gets close enough, we nail it with everything we've got. Your energy blasts, Will. The flash lights. And Holy. And we see if maybe that can do something." She took a deep breath. "And if it can't, then Valentine, you bust out those juggling balls and give us cover to get the hell out of there."
Buffy (1ordinarygirl)	Buffy saluted with her axe. "I can totally smash and bash."
Will (notawitch)	Will nodded. "Sounds like a great plan to me."
Valentine (importantman)	"It's a decent plan," Valentine remarked, clearly impressed. He approved quite possibly simply because it involved keeping him in the back. Not that he was any more thrilled about this mission than he had been before. He was just suddenly less convinced that he was going to die.

(Not for broadcast due to distance, not for interaction due to the same! OOC comments are SO MUCH LOVE, though, and might keep me from glazing over entirely after spending the past four hours coding this monster. :P Preplayed with the_merriest, 1ordinarygirl, turtle_techie, notawitch, and sarcasm_guy, who all rock like awesome rocking things.)