It came like a blip, so surprising after she had felt herself lose it all. She had returned, standing on her own two feet, able to see everyone around her, awaiting and eager for those that they were close to. Nkosazana's ears could hear once again, able to catch the ambient noise, the murmurs of people to each other as they understood, the breaths as people let out their own sighs of relief, or assured themselves that this was, indeed, real. This was okay. This was... reality.
She needed to assure herself it was reality, for a moment, death having ripped her apart painfully once and eeriely second. Her breath was a slow one, taking in the air of her surroundings into her nostrils and letting it ... swirl around in there. Her eyes wandered slowly, picking up every face she recognized and every face she didn't, absorbing their features and attempting to weave them into her own memory.
Nothing would make her happier at that moment, really. ... Okay, perhaps she would like one more mouthwatering cookie, but life couldn't be absolutely perfect, could it? Nkosazana laughed quietly to herself, the sound increasing in volume as a smile broke out across her face.
This was really, truly happening.
They were alive.
Was it fleeting? Nkosazana might have known that in the back of her mind, but in her front, there was no concern to be found. She knew it was fleeting. She didn't care. It was good to just be alive, even if it was thrice more. The third time was a charm, and this third time, she couldn't be happier. The chains that The Voice held on them were gone. The chains that Kingdoms held on them were gone. They no longer were forced to be part of some kind of ... ridiculous slavery to some purpose they didn't really understand.
Of course, still, there were people she wanted to thank, and that was why she, personally, though she had remained unaligned all along, waited for the appearance of The Former White King, now the ... Second Silver King, it seemed. There was a soft chuckle from her lips as he appeared, amused that, perhaps, in the end ...
He was her former kingdom's king.
Somehow, Nkosazana couldn't stop the laughter and smiles that kept bubbling from her, and perhaps ... the reason why was obvious. Things were perfect. It no longer mattered what they were; they were reunited, the way they should be, and finally, things were at peace. They could talk and sing and honor each other in whichever way they would like, and in the end, that was what mattered. Nkosazana kept silent at first, though, still to some extent an outsider in a group of people who had, perhaps, been around The White King for longer than she remembered. When he mentioned his robot, there was a snort from her mouth, remembering how she had nearly crashed and burned on the end of that escapade.
"I hope so," offered she, finally, to Wilson, looking down at him. "I know I'm not necessary one of ... yours, but I wanted to let you know I appreciate all the support you gave me in everything that happened, and if I had to do it all over again," she looked around, absorbing and observing the faces in front of her, smiling wide at Sinclair and David especially, "I would."
Nkosazana offered Wilson a brief hug, nearly enveloping him, before stepping back slightly, letting those of his kingly court have their interaction with him. Nkosazana was honestly content to just be alive.
She was content to know that everyone was reunited and ... happy.
Syusaki
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 7:29 pm
Suddenly, there was a claw on her wrist and before she knew it she was being dragged by the very same creature that had for whatever reason offered her a sandwich. She went past several people she recognized but couldn't quite get his attention to stop him, but soon she spotted someone familiar. That agonizing sort of familiar, the one that put her in the torn space between several different, very opposite emotions.
"WAIT!" Amrita yelled finally, digging her feet into the ground and pulling back, forcing Rex to stop dragging her around. "Wait, I have to talk to that one!" She insisted, pointing at the large black Shadow that was once - and in some ways, still was - their King. One way or another she escaped Rex's grasp and trotted over to the Shadow of her friend, tentatively at first.
Everyone may have been happy now, but this man was revenge incarnate. Could he ever really be happy?
Now that she stood in front of him though, she didn't know what to do or say. Should she demand to find out where her Aymet was? Should she apologize? Maybe she should punch him again, because she said she would and never got the chance. Then again, this was supposed to be a happy ending, right?
"...Uhh...Hi." She settled, awkwardly brushing some of her hair behind her ear. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm not going to try to kill you any more?" Really, what did you say to someone in this situation? Part of her did feel very sad that his life had to end...then again, Moon technically had to end too, not that she ever really existed.
Oh wait. She did have something to say!
"So...are you going to give me my friend back now?" Stubborn as always, apparently.
Amon Larethian
Amrita says STOP PUPPYSAUR STOP
AstaraeI
Enoh Love
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Syusaki
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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 7:33 pm
He smiled when he felt a tug on his sleeve. Wilson turned toward the shifter. “Mitsu.” His lips pressed together at her gratitude. He looked down, almost timidly. “No, thank you,” he returned after a moment of thought. He looked between both Mitsu and Nkos. “Each and every one of you served me faithfully and without hesitation, never questioning my decisions even if you disagreed. For that, I will always be grateful, whether or not you were in my kingdom.” A nod to the woman who had and always would be change.
His gaze turned wistful as he raised his head, but found no stars to gaze at. “It would be nice to fly again,” he admitted, “but I don’t know how feasible that would be.”
Someone called out his name, someone with a quiet voice and blond hair. “Ami.” He scrutinized her closely, trying to wonder if this was the Ami he had always known, or a different Ami altogether. “Do you need anything?”
Inu-Mitsu
chimarii
Seiana_ZI
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 7:34 pm
Remi just stared, shook his head, and gave his best 'I TRIED' face back. It looked like the Cerberus king was not phased at all, though as remi turned around to look at who he was calling... he opened his eyes, wide.
O s**t Aymet looked ******** right about now.
nothing yet
Had to ok XD
greydragon
Astarael
Lilwolfpard
Magical Unicorn
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AyeAvast
Sparkly Bunny
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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 7:35 pm
Whereas the King had kept his composure over the headbutt, Belladonna felt no such compulsion and let out a strangled cry as the tiefling's head crashed into Mort's. She flitted her wings to help stop his momentum and even went so far as to flutter her hands against his shoulder and cheek when he winced. But worry was short lived as he smiled and the faerie let free a bright, clear laugh as she reached out to press her own forehead lightly to Ofelia's shoulder in a quick nuzzle. Yet she returned to his arm, looping her own with his as she listened to Mort speak, the words tumbling around along with the ones she had and forming a new thought. They mattered, but why did life have to be so limitless that there were not multiple endings, like any good video game? This thought was only furthered with Ofelia's words, sad though they may be, they made the faerie smile widely as she jumped up and down quickly, vying for the group's attention. "Not true, not true!" Belladonna countered happily. "We are friends here just as we are friends in all the endings! And maybe things are different in each version, but we still share a special bond that cannot be broken. Do not despair, Ofelia! I shall always count you as a dear friend." Telling her that their friendship in this lifetime was easier would not lessen the tiefling's worry, so it was forgotten, it went unspoken. Instead the faerie pressed her head to Mort's shoulder so she could gaze up at him and Ofelia in adoration.
"Life is precious in all forms, fleeting or long lasting. It shouldn't matter which lifetime is right, for so long as they exist and express emotion and love, that's all that matters! This is legitimate and good and I am vastly glad I was able to be a part of this one." Even if she had tried to destroy it in part... Still, that did not change how she felt now. She was regretful that it was only now she realized this, but it was better now than never. So the faerie smiled up at them both, an odd spire of jealousy forming in her stomach that things were easier here. No faction wars, no convoluted feelings over friendship, no real worry or threat. But still, it did not make this world any less important.
Ol-j-man
Rown
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 7:37 pm
"Hello to Bastion." She answered a little playfully, watching him slip in to his lovey-dovey Mjoll worshipping again, giving her a little playful roll of her eyes. Anyone could tell his infactuation was deep to his core, and anything further would be silly to attempt. Lifen was just happy they had a strange little happy ending - like the pillar had said.
"Do not worry so much Mjoll, he is a boy, he will be fine." She stated curtly, laughing softly to her, before picking up one of her hands and squeezing it lightly. "The little one is correct, we shall say fair well. Maybe one day we will cross paths again. I have seen stranger," she offered, giving the woman a soft little squeeze again, before allowing her to go back to her little moment with the gold kingdom's personal carpet.
The innocence of this Stormy made her feel a little at ease. There was no way she was going to say that, in another world, they were on opposite sides of the war. But it didn't stop her from giving the little one such a happy smile, collecting her lightly in a soft hug, nodding a bit.
"My world is a good world - it has . . . issues - there are faults to it like all others, but, it is mine." She stated, pulling back from the hug and giving her a warm look. "I would not trade it for anything. I have many who depend on me back home, they would be very lost without their Lifen." She explain, giving a dramatic sigh, before giving her one more little smile. "I am sure, you will all find yourselves in good hands when I have returned home." she finished, before Shaheen came over to squeeze her shoulder.
She had a few more words to say, standing back, she allowed them a curt little nod in respect, before looking up to Shaheen, talking quietly. "If only it was like this, for us on the Island. It is still rather hard." She muttered, before turning, looking towards the King.
"I may as well get on with that, too, mm?" She murmured softly, before turning to walk up to Mengyao, figuring that he was done with his general hellos and good byes, going to stand next to him, eyebrows raised a little high, watching people intermingle, doing . . . whatever it was for their last moments as a collective group. After a few moments of a comfortable silence, she finally started talking again, soft voice filling their little spot.
"You lead a good Kingdom," she started, "They care about you very much - I am sure Lifen did too, before, you know." she paused, kind of giving a 'this' movement, meaning herself. "I am glad we are able to talk once more before I am able to find my own home." She remarked, before allowing herself to steal a look up at him.
LP
Nio Love
Ol-J-man
How do you say "You blew me up once", nicely? ILU Stormy.
Her Commander's returned gratitude made her smile and she nodded her appreciation. The trials of this battle had not been easy. There had been times she had been scared out of her mind and didn't know what to do. There were even a few things she wished she could change looking back at it all but now wasn't the time to regret.
From here though Mitsu actually felt prepared. True she had not said goodbye to every single person but she felt ready as she stood among everyone. If there had never been a war over the one true king this world would have been a nice one. With so much violence though it was probably better it was being laid to rest. Hopefully Shun's world was a little more peaceful. "I want you to take care Shun." She said softly. "Don't worry the real Mitsu by getting all banged up like you did here." It was a stern but playful warning. He had been quite the mess when she found him.
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 7:47 pm
When she felt the girl tense, the hand was dropped, not wanting to cause distress. Not here, not now. This was meant to be a time of peace.
The joke was welcomed with a sheepish chuckle of the dragon's own, rubbing at her upper arm beneath the cover of her wing. "Well. I'm not sure about that." Her tail flicked and swayed, a hint of playfulness entering her demeanor. "A knight is someone who's proven themselves in battle, shown to be at least somewhat brave... might not be an official title any longer, but..." Agsil shrugged. "Doesn't mean you don't still hold the role."
Was she being too sentimental? It was hard to tell. Perhaps it was in response to how melancholy Millie sounded. Her voice in contrast was light, optimistic. Even if she wasn't so sure of things herself. "In the moment, we did what we thought was right. I doubt our friends would fault us for that." Still... "...at least we can't say we were ever bored." Stretching her wings out behind her a little to free her arms, she took hold of Millie's hand. "Come on, let's find some of the others. It won't do for us to stand around here dwelling on what we can't change." Limited time and all that...
Alicia Firestar
(( Quote someone random from the Violet Kingdom! 8U <3 ))
While Mitsu went to speak with her king, Shun stood by and nodded quietly to her. It was probably a good thing that he didn't actually recognize Wilson thanks to the gas-mask the guy had been wearing when they originally met. Otherwise he would likely be a little less than happy at the moment.
"I'll try not to.." he said softly to the woman. She was happy like this, and that made him happy within. It just didn't show very well outwardly. But... it was always nice to see Mitsu, not matter which, smile. With the way everything has been as of late.. he hoped that the real one would have more reason to smile more too.
The Reaper nodded to her before letting out a breath. He hoped she wouldn't be suffering when it was time to fade out.
"Stay strong."
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 7:53 pm
A thin, blue glow silently tore a line in the darkness. Merope raised his arm, watching it as the light bent and twisted itself as the fabric that covered it moved. His Shadow-self was defined by that light, a glow where there should be shadow. Merope rested his hand against the fabric, running it between his fingers before his talons hooked into it. Silently he peeled the Shadow back to reveal skin and sinew, exposed bone and muscle. His own natural markings and glow appeared brighter and brighter as he peeled and tore off his Shadow self like a second skin, balling the darkness up before drop-kicking it out of existence.
The Voice spoke to him, calling him a hero. Claiming that he was waiting for him. Merope balled his hands into fists, narrowing his single eye. He had done his best to protect his friend, to preserve what little dream there was to keep. What was it all for? The dream ended but not before he had turned to strike at him. Merope wasn't a hero or any part of one. He was a traitor to both sides.
The sudden clap of a hand on his shoulder made him jump, held down in place by Night as the black cat addressed him. The first few words brought an assortment of excuses up: I am the hermit, nobody knew me. I was just a pawn, what use would a bishop have for one? I'm not worth knowing.
He swallowed each and every one of them in mute surprise as the cat continued. It was a surprise to discover that he had wanted to become friends despite all that had happened, despite standing against him. Merope struggled to find words, to reply before the cat slipped off again.
At last, he manged. "I... you know? I'll look forward to it." Merope glanced at the black cat, giving him a half-grin and a nod before he took off.
That small grin faded as Merope watched Night approach Aymet. He looked away from them, watching as others reunited. Was this it? This was what they were working towards? The undead boil shifted uneasily, looking at the ground yet again. He felt out of place here, uneasy amid the Shadows.
His attention was drawn to a soft glow clenched in his hand. Merope turned his hand over and opened it, staring at the small pile of ripped paper inside it. It used to be a card. He didn't need to look at it closely to know which one it was. The lost-fathoms leviathan tilted his hand down, letting the torn up pieces of The Hermit flutter down and out of them into the oblivion.
Merope dusted his hand off as he approached the group, hanging back and observing. He was curious how Aymet would react to Amrita's question, however he couldn't help but to give the former Queen a curious look.
"Was it worth it?" He suddenly cut in, "Was it all worth it, Aymet? To rule a kingdom of shadows?" His gaze swept across the assembled Shadows. He began to chuckle, turning away from them as the chuckle grew into a loud uncontainable laughter as the humor of their present situation struck him.
The boy was so happy his little heart could burst. His King was here, whole and once again cheerful. And his own self, such a far cry from the apathetic and accepting child, was perhaps whole for the first time too. The one doubt he once carried had been washed away long ago, it wasn't his gift that had given him strength, it was his King.
He felt hands on his shoulders and glanced up at Remi, the kitsune with the blue tails. With nothing but warmth he gave the Queen a hug too. Completely missing the look on Remi's face.
This was how it should be. It all felt so right.
Nothing Yet
Lilwolfpard
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 8:02 pm
Ying felt herself lifted into the air, a familiar and comfortable motion. Jing had always been the taller one, so Ying was the one that got lifted. Sometimes if they needed to reach a high shelf, sometimes if Ying needed a better view.
"You mean we'll still be connected even if not the way we want to be," Ying stated, mulling through it. It brought a tiny smile to her face, if not a sad one. The sentiment honestly didn't fill her with much hope, but Jing always knew what to say. Even if she wasn't feeling incredibly confident, his words had a calming effect.
Her arms wrapped around his neck and she gave his cheek a quick sibling kiss. "You'll always be my brother here though. My little brother." She was the older sibling. By two minutes. So there.
bloodlust dante
chiickadee
Princess Hoarder
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Alicia Firestar
Fluffy Shapeshifter
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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 8:05 pm
Millie smiled and let the dragon lead, content in not having to make any more bad decisions. How silly that she once considered the possibility that all other members in her kingdom were once monsters...
With that in mind, she sure didn't feel like any knight... Not that any of them knew of course.
"Yeah," she said absentmindedly. A lump in her throat formed when she spied Thackery. Would he forgive her?
And.... Jove.
Forgetting her doubts in an instant, Mille ran headlong towards the boy, dodging the others around her, frantically calling his name and skidding to her knees in front of him, Millie huged him and buried her head in his chest. "You're okay! I'm so glad you're okay."
Kailey Koreco
Lilwolfpard
Nothing Yet
Grey Dragon
Torvil
Are you awake? Millie wanted to say goodbye to you too XD
Meegane
Are you awake? Millie wanted to say goodbye to you too XD
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 8:08 pm
"Sigrun, Sigrun, Sigrun, Sigrun, Sigrun..." Moriko chanted the name as she faded out of existence, and then again as she came back into existence once more. At first it held no meaning to her but slowly she remembered. She remembered who she was, or rather that she was simply a memory fragment. She remembered her best friend, the silver kingdom, and even the green kingdom. Momo could remember dieing in the battle and being re-born into the tower as a silver again. Recent events spun about in her head and threatened to overwhelm her. Calmly, she took in a deep breath and let it all out.
They were being given a few more moments in this life. A little more time for a happy ending and to sort things out. There was only one person that she wanted to see more than anyone right now, and that was Sigrun. If these were her last moments, she wanted to spend them with her best friend.
Slowly Moriko looked around her, hoping to spot sight of the girl. Unfortunately the whole place was so incredibly crowded that she couldn't immediately find her friend. She did, however, see Mort and several others from the Green Kingdom. Not wanting to end this life without thanking the King for a second chance, Moriko made her way over to him. Perhaps someone there would have seen Sigrun as well.
Moriko waited patiently as the King talked with the others, not wanting to be rude. With someone else she might have butted in a little earlier, but this was the King after all. "I..." She paused a moment, not sure what to say. "I just wanted to thank you for taking me in. I know I haven't spent a lot of time in Om but I really have appreciated all that you have done." Momo waited then, not quite sure what else to say.
Life and death where so confusing at this point. So often she had stepped into the darkness expecting to find peace and solitude and instead she found only confusion and sadness, anger and the unknown. Once more she stepped out, walking into the room look around in confusion as she saw everyone simply gathering, the white pillar had spoken, given them one last ending.
She moved through the crowds walking towards the rest of the Blue Kingdom, though most of them sported silver now, they where still family. Miss-matched and disorganized but Family none the less.
"I nearly kill the bar tender, and he's not even here to join us for a final round of real drinks? Such a shame..." She raised her left hand towards the others, moving through the group to find G running a hand up his back and along his shoulder as she passed by, "Guess we didn't bite the dust for nothing entirely right? Still getting a happy ending and all even if that whole situation really sucked. Didn't think dying would hurt that much."
Candace moved by G as well and Sammy followed after her pausing for a moment, it was awkward, knowing two Candace's existed and one was, well, rather justifiably despising her. "Candace... I don't really, know what to say, I know you're both of them, the real one and the other one we know. I liked you, here at least, even the real you. What you guys where sent to do wasn't easy, and it must be hard living with it. But you helped us in a way while doing that. Thank you."
Rep came to her next she looked at him, even though he looked away, the feeling that perhaps on the other side they didn't get along nearly as well as they had here. "He was a good guy, you aren't bad yourself. Like I said to Candace... you all did something that was hard. Something no one should ever have to do. I can respect that even if I am only a figment and only know half the story."
She sighed looking to the many people gathered, "The two of you, and Jerry, I don't know whats going to happen to me after this, we'll all just vanish and I guess... I finally get to sleep. No more rude awakenings, crazy riddles or stupid stuff. Do me a favor and let the other me know what happened here alright? I think I'm going to go have a seat."
With that she moved to the nearest throne slumping down, tapping her fingers on the arm pondering. "Maybe you really where Hope." She spoke now to name the Voice, "Misguided, ambitious and scared, but you Hoped and longed for a King, you had seven good ones and kingdoms of good people. You're an idiot, but one day you might get lucky."
She let out a yawn closing her eyes as she leaned on the thrones arm heavily, cradling her head in her hand. It was almost time to call it a night.
