WEEK 4, DAY 7: MISSION

[wonderful_mods]

Mission: ---
Time Limit: ---
Noise Plane: ---
Wall instructions: ---
Wall rewards: ---
Reaped rewards: ---
Mission rewards: ---

[Darkness. Silence. That's all that hangs over Tatsumi Port. The city is completely blacked out, all signals are dead. No phones work, there's nothing but static on televisions and radios across town.

The sky is overcast, and the people on the Realground have found themselves looking up towards the sky... perhaps the giant tower standing where Gekkoukan High School once was might be an indication of why. Oddly, none on the RG seem to actually see it - at least, none of them notice it, judging by what you might find if you scan.

Speaking of scanning... the area is shockingly noise free. There's no interference, just a calm, unflinching acceptance.

All of the walls are down. Reapers have no orders, players have no mission. It's obvious there's one thing left to do.]

[[OOC Note: There is a Mission Reward, but the mods couldn't bear to let go of their radio silence. Mouse-over the dashes!]]

Comments

[cruel_kindness]

[Fluttercruel winces when she's called Nightmare Whisper. Even Fluttershy winces, though she does it mentally. That was a bad part of her past, and here she was getting praised for it.]

...I don't know what kind of bucked up mind you have, but we all determine our own fates. You think I'd let some bucking puppeteer force me into some script for a play? Buck no! I'm my own pony. Not a shadow, not a disease, not a split personality, and definitely not a machine to be controlled. It's the same bucking thing with all these humans here. They decide for themselves, just like all the ponies on my world do.

Besides, there's always time to make up for past mistakes. Always. If there wasn't, do you think Fluttershy would still be here today? She never gave up. She'd never even consider doing that, not in a million bucking years. And neither would I. Is that what you're doing? Giving up?

[Fluttercruel scoffs.]

Stop spewing dragon fewmets and grow a brain.

[apprisingreaper]

That is untrue. Time pulls each of us along by our strings, whether we acknowledge it or not. Perhaps I can not force you to assist me, and perhaps you and a few humans will retaliate, but that will not stop what is destined to occur.

[The Avatar pauses, almost pondering for a moment.]

The being I once was would have liked to make up for his mistakes. But he gave up, and gave in to the truth, as you all will eventually.

...Perhaps you will compensate for your errors, in the afterlife.

[cruel_kindness]

Blah, blah, blah, dragon fewmets. Like I said, grow a brain.

[Fluttercruel chuckles a little.]

You actually think the afterlife will contain me? Ha, no. Perhaps you didn't hear me last time: I fought my way out of Tartarus. Pony hell. And guess what I'm going to do if I die again? That's right, you guessed it! I'll fight my way back to life again, and I'll drag Fluttershy along with me. Oh, what's that? You'll just kill us again? So bucking what? I'll fight our way out again. And again. And again. And then I'll celebrate with a cup of coffee. With Ryoji. Because he's my friend. And my friends never give up.

[apprisingreaper]

Everyone will turn to death in the end. Even you, eventually, will be tired of fighting for your small part of this world, and you shall give it up to me. I have all of eternity to wait until then.

[Nyx leans down slightly, and when it speaks again, it sounds almost mournful.]

You do know that you will not see Ryoji until you pass on? He would be saddened to know that his friends would not accept their peace.

[shy_kindness]

[Fluttershy decides to take control for the time being. All of eternity, huh? They can do a lot in eternity.]

Um, sir, if you don't mind me asking, but are you thirsty? I can make you some tea if you want.

[Fluttershy, are you seriously asking this thing out for tea?]

[apprisingreaper]

...I do not have no need for human sustenance, nor do I have the time to enjoy it, even if I did want it. I must bring about the Fall. Nothing else matters.

[Sorry, Fluttershy, the Avatar kind of has a one-track mind. Putting off the apocalypse for a tea party? Ridiculous.]

[shy_kindness]

Oh, but you must be so thirsty! I can't just let you be like that. I'm your friend! It'll be my treat.

[apprisingreaper]

My desires are the desires of humans. They desire the end, and therefore, that is what I desire. It is all I desire.

[shy_kindness]

[Tch... I thought we went over this already.

Fluttershy nervously shuffles her hoof.]

Um, surely you have other desires you, um, desire. Are you tired? Hungry? Bored? We can talk about this.

[apprisingreaper]

None of those petty wishes matter any more. There is no need for entertainment, or shelter, or even for this conversation.

Now, are you going to continue to fight against me, or will you bow to the inevitable?

[shy_kindness]

They may be petty, but they're what make you you. Without them... without those wishes, you're nothing. And that's a horrible thing to be. You really shouldn't wish this on yourself.

I'm not fighting against you. I'm just hoping you'd be my friend.

[apprisingreaper]

If I bring about nothingness, then am I nothing as well? I do not wish for more or less than what I am. I simply exist, and I exist to fulfill a desire. There is no need for anything else.

[cruel_kindness]

[Fluttercruel takes control and chuckles cruelly.]

You really are an idiot. No one is nothing. Nothingness doesn't exist. I once thought I was nothing, but then I decided to not be an idiot. Even if there's nothing, you're something. I'll be something if there's nothing. Ryoji will be something if there's nothing. Everyone - humans, ponies, griffons, Draconequi, even nothing - is something. Because it exists. And why just exist when you can live? It's what I do. I go to parties, I help out Flutterbutt, I model for Rarity, I talk to interviewers... the list goes on.

[Fluttercruel flutters over to not!Ryoji and hangs a leg over it's shoulder.]

So what the buck do you want: nothing, or something?

[apprisingreaper]

[Fluttercruel, did you really just call an elder goddess an idiot? The Avatar just moves away from the touch, tilting its head to see her.]

If nothing exists, then there is no way to be something any longer. Perhaps you had a true and fulfilling life, but many others did not. Many others might as well have not even existed, and that is why I am here. It matters not what I want. Nothing is all that will be.

[Its wings flare out behind it for a moment, and it holds up its sword, now ready to attack. Nyx has wasted enough time speaking to the pony. Now it needs to focus on its duty.]

[cruel_kindness]

[Fluttercruel pauses when she sees that sword.]

...Can I have that sword when you're done with it?

[apprisingreaper]

When I am done, you will not be alive long enough to hold it.

[It swipes the blade in an arc towards the ground, just barely missing Fluttercruel. It's a warning swing. Next time there is no chance she'll go unharmed.]

[cruel_kindness]

[Fluttercruel flinches from the swipe a little bit. Then she facehoofs.]

And you just ignored everything we said to you. Great job, dumbass.

It's lucky or you that we're so kind. I'm going to show that kindness by beating you to the bucking ground.

[And so Fluttercruel attempts to headbutt Nyx as hard as she can.]

[apprisingreaper]

[She luckily does some damage: Nyx jerks back a bit and grunts slightly, but once it gets its balance again, it flaps its wings, raising a few feet off the ground, as its form pulses with an unnatural light. Fluttercruel probably won't be able to sense it, but something is different about Nyx now.]

[suicidoll]

(Shortly after the spell is cast, a little doll flies in and joins the fight.)

"Cruelly! Mr. Gun and I are here to help!"

[cruel_kindness]

[Woah okay. The Flutters hadn't expected Lovers to appear at all, but this is still good news for them.]

Good. Don't kill him, just beat him to the ground!

[With that, she turns and tries bucking Nyx's face, completely unaware of any differences it has.]

[apprisingreaper]

[Well, even if Cruelly doesn't recognize the difference now, she will soon after when Nyx raises one hand, sending fire spells at both the doll and the pony.]

[suicidoll]

"Okay!"

(Though she may not be the fastest of Kreutzer's dolls, she's still rather nimble thanks to her small stature. That and...well, being a doll means she's very fragile and should try to avoid as many hits as possible.

Flying between the fire spells, Lovers cocks her gun and fires her Star Beam, her powerful laser attack.)

[cruel_kindness]

[Cruelly gets hit by a blast of fire because she was taken off-guard. She cringes, but recovers, flying and weaving through all the fire blasts, getting pushed back. She can't exactly attack Nyx at a distance.]

Tch... Quit it with those fireballs!

[apprisingreaper]

[The beam does quite a bit of damage to Nyx, but it does not falter in the slightest, continuing to send out fire spells, and perhaps an Almighty Attack if Cruelly gets too close.]

[cruel_kindness]

[Too bad The Flutters don't know that. Fluttercruel keeps trying to get closer, but can't due to all the fire being flung her way.]

Grrr... Lovers, make him stop with all this bucking fire!