thenearshore | Flying Dreams Are One Second From Falling Dreams [closed]

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Flying Dreams Are One Second From Falling Dreams [closed]

Who: Princess Celestia, Trunks, Mai, Reisi, Chikusa, with appearances from Kairi
When: September 18
Where: The skies.
What: Celestia takes the existence of a dream-twisting ayakashi rather personally, and sets into the sky to see it struck down.

"We shall need to venture into the skies to take on this ayakashi," Celestia said to the group, like a general mustering her troops (or, perhaps, a Princess mustering her guard). "To that extent, I will need to grant flight to those of you who need it. I fear I cannot carry all of you on my back, after all."

She was only one pony.

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While Reisi may have a very quick strategic mind, factoring in more moving pieces than earlier makes platform placement that much more challenging. Still, he persists and tries to both generate and dissolve the paths at a steady rate. At the very least, he works on arranging better vantage points for Mai and Trunks' paths. Though whether or not it's successful in practice has yet to be seen.

Seeing Kairi and Kakimoto's plan, Reisi maintains the platform they'd aimed to land on. He even attempts to expand it so there'll be a higher chance of their landing on it, but to no avail. Too much is happening in such a short span of time, and before he knows it, another bolt sends the pony tumbling off the platform and spiraling downward yet again.

"Enough." Reisi addresses the illusion ayakashi. "LINE!"

With that, he sends a cutting borderline directly at the pony-figure in the dark clouds. Immediately afterward, he aims to set another platform beneath Celestia in hopes of breaking her fall.

Trunks hadn't been sure about how a borderline would work, with a subtle shake of his head in Mai's direction. Things were happening fast then--Celestia falling, teleporting, and falling again... And the ayakashi--if this was it's true form? It looked like 'pony' like Celestia...

Reisi was clearly thinking along the same lines as Trunks though. "LINE!" Also called while sending a cutting-version towards the illusion. Then he's moving, heading towards Mai's platform. If they consolidate it'll be less for Reisi to keep track of.

Her eyes were torn between Reisi and Trunks in that moment, watching the former send a borderline the ayakashi's way and the latter start making his way towards her. Not for the first time, she wished she had on of her old rifles with her. Without a weapon, she could do little more than sit back and wait for an opportune moment to her and Trunks to rend.

But not until the ayakashi was weakened, or else the process would leave them a man down. And with Celestia falling...

She tried to follow the pattern of the platforms. Wanting to meet Trunks halfway, if only to save him a few seconds' time. Unfortunately, the ayakashi either saw what they were doing or saw an opening, because it dove straight down in attempt to avoid all the lines being thrown its way.

It didn't come close to hitting her, but the sheer gust of wind was enough to throw her back. Too far back to fall safely on the platform; she felt herself land on air...and keep falling. A single cry of surprise the only verbal cue of her predicament.

Celestia hit Reisi's new platform hard, if certainly more gently than she would have hit the ground far below. Still, the way the pony landed in a boneless heap, limbs sprawled every which way and wings limp on the platform, that looked like a meaningless distinction. Blight crawled over the pony in waves, darkening her bright body to a sickly grey.

For the moment, at least, she was not moving.

Kairi is grateful for the others - like Chikusa and Reisi - focusing on making sure that Celestia won't fall to the earth. All the same, she shouts out: "A line won't do it! We need the Rend on this ayakashi as soon as possible - for Celestia's sake!" She turns a desperate expression towards Mai and Trunks.

She sees the blight moving that quickly and knows it won't take long. A god may not become an ayakashi with that much blight on and her shinki may not feel it, but Kairi knows that only bad things will come from that much blight.

Kairi's words registered, but were still in the background. Just like Celestia's impact on the platform--background, but noticed. Because things were moving fast, and Mai was falling, and she was his Goddess and took priority.

Trunks jumped; diving off Reisi's platform towards Mai. It wasn't entirely conscious, but something kicked in. Knowledge he'd had before, been trying to re-learn, and he could analyze it later.

An unseen hint of energy (Chi) surrounding him, keeping him from falling and in the air as he reached Mai. Caught her, hold tight and then turning back to the battle. "Reisi, can you box the ayakashi in?" Shouted in question.

He'd figure out later just *how* he was flying, but for now it was enough that he was.

Everything happened simultaneously too fast and yet in slow motion.

She was falling

Kairi was calling out the need for a Rend.

And then--a pair of strong arms was holding her. The breath nearly taken from her lungs as her body came to a sudden stop. Had she fallen to a lower platform? Was that how--

She looked down. Then up again. At Trunks. Who was...

"You're...flying."

Being shoved off onto a platform himself, rather suddenly, is enough to daze Chikusa for a hot second. While his body doesn't feel pain, that doesn't mean he's incapable of being disoriented. By the time he gets back onto his feet, trying to take in everyone's positions and the situation, Celestia is already down.

Dammit- she's one of the only gods they have there. With that decided, even ignoring Trunk's call to Reisi, Chikusa immediately draws a barrier between Celestia and the ayakashi.

If she's already that badly blighted, then there's no need to make it any worse.

With everything happening so quickly, Reisi knows it'd be so much easier to summon the Blue Sword at a time like this. But it's barely been ten days since he'd last done so before being subsequently punished for it. Hardly a week has passed since the Harvest Moon, too, so Reisi still feels raw about using his powers. In the end, he won't be able to rend with it, and the Sword's manifestation would not only endanger all who are here but also those below. Then more people would know Reisi's connection to the Blue Sword, too.

So he decides against drawing its power, which causes something inside him to chip a little. But he ignores whatever that is, to instead focus on the task at hand.

Given the circumstances, the revelation of Trunks' flight is a welcome surprise. Reisi cleans up some of the platforms to free up some resources, leaving a few larger platforms in case they're needed. As Kakimoto shields Celestia with a barrier, Reisi tries to box the ayakashi in. He thrusts his arm out with his palm open, and there's a flash of phosphorescent blue as three translucent walls joined at their edges appear in front of the ayakashi. While unable to summon enough power to completely box it in, hopefully it's enough to hold the ayakashi back.

"Nrgh..."

Maybe later, Celestia would tie her sudden surge of energy to that little charm she'd gotten for aiding Orihime. If she thought about it, and did some magical legwork to figure it out. Right now, she was in no shape to ask such questions, or worry, or care.

Her head snapped up, and then the rest of her followed as she twitched her body around to plant first her forehooves, then her back. In one motion she rose, her wings spreading, her mane and tail coursing out behind and around her.

"No," she said, in a voice that cut the air. "I will not allow this. Everypony -- strike it if you can!"

At Mai's exclamation, there's a hint of a smile, before his attention goes back to the Ayakashi. Hopefully Mai recognizes they can analyze it later. "If I get us close, are you ready to try and rend it?"

Because they needed to deal with this thing and fast. Shifting one arm, so that he still has a good hold on Mai and watching as Reisi does his best to box it in, while Kakimoto shields Celestia. This left his other hand free, with chi gathering in it and fired in short bursts at the nightmare.

The shock had worn off at that point, allowing her attention to refocus to the present. She glanced over at Celestia's call, before back to Trunks. He seemed confident enough for her.

"I'm ready."

She waited until they were close enough to a platform and he had finished in his chi attacks before calling his name, invoking the transformation to his weaponized form

Well, it's clear that any attack he can do will only to weaken the creature. For rending.... That's up to Mai and Trunks. Behind Celestia, all Chikusa can do is draw out a blue yoyo, small holes scattered across it, and shoot its string out while he keeps the line up. The spray of faint blue needles aimed for the ayakashi will only slow it down, tire it...

....but that's all that's necessary for right now.

The nightmare weaved about, darting around the blasts with an aerodynamic grace that belied its hideous nature. "Too slow! Too weak! Nightmares are too strong for anyone to overcome! Fear lurks in all of your hearts -- you can never banish it!"

"Fear lurks in every heart," Celestia said, rearing back as power shone out around her horn. From a glow to a radiance to a growing orb, magic roared out, barely constrained by her will and her discipline. "But a nightmare can't hurt me if I am awake."

The magic roared forth, a torrent that caught the ayakashi through sheer volume. How could it dodge something so wide, after all?

"Now! STRIKE!"

Under normal circumstances, Kairi never would've thought about using a Line against an ayakashi, knowing it couldn't be a finishing blow and so instead preferring to conserve her energy for the Rend attack. However, today, she realized that she wasn't going to end up being able to use Rend. She wasn't the kind of person who frivolously allowed someone to name her - plus there was a bonded pair here already.

Yes, weakening it would do. If the ayakashi was that far back on its heels thanks to Celestia's power, then Kairi had to hope that additional attacks would make a Rend successful, even from a pair that hadn't been in the Far Shore for very long.

Kairi braces both feet on Nimbus and leans forward a bit more so that when she hurls the magic forward she won't fall - even if she's sure Nimbus would catch her. That of course gives her another idea. She sways first to the right by a few feet and puts both hands across her chest in the Blade position that forms a proper Line. Then, one after, she throws her right hand towards the ayakashi - "Line!" - and then, swaying to back to the left like a pendulum under Nimbus's power, she unleashes the other - "LINE!"

It results in an arrow-point like barrier preventing the ayakashi from being able to retreat. If she still has time before Mai and Trunks are able to attack, she starts swinging back to the center to unleash a Line that's aimed straight for the ayakashi anyway, to do some of that damage that's needed to weaken it. Worst case scenario, she hopes that any additional attacks will be contained by her Barrier-style Lines. Maybe - at least - someone with a bigger attack won't worry about it spreading all around the area now, since it'll end up pushing against her Barrier instead.

The change to Vessel-form came quickly, Mai solid on the platform and Trunks barely touching down himself before energy took and surrounded him. Soon enough in his place, coming to Mai's hand, was a sheathed sword. Resting over her shoulder when worn properly, the Goddess already able to feel an awareness of the very air around her. How it moved and flowed, the eddying of breezes and air currents moving around the battlefield.

It wasn't until Mai drew the blade though, where her senses would sharpen and that awareness of the air would become her weapon and part of her. Faster as she moved with the wind, sounds louder and scents sharper, the air buoying her movement to allow her greater speed and agility as she moved in to Rend.

Mai gave a soft gasp as Trunks' vessel form appeared in her hands, with it coming all the perks of wielding such a weapon so perfect to her needs.

Her eyes closed for half a second, and when they opened, she saw the world so much clearer. Speeds normally too fast for even her godly eyes played out in a way she could see every move. But what was new this time...was the feeling of being suspended in air. As if Trunks were still carrying her, despite no longer possessing a body.

There was little time to dwell on the sensation, however. The pair rushed forward as one, and she held the sword up and ready to strike.

Even in the air, the ayakashi never had time to move before she brought Trunks down in a single, swift motion. Effectively rending the creature in two.

....And that was that.

Chikusa doesn't sink back against the platforms immediately. Instead, he stays where he is, tense and waiting. His gaze flicks around, taking in everything in case there's something one of them has missed. That was a textbook perfect Rend... but paranoia with illusions is never a bad thing.

So he waits for both the all clear from others and also his own self.

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Flying Dreams Are One Second From Falling Dreams [closed]

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Seems to be the best icon, given Trunks is in vessel form right now...

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