Cathedral Confrontation

Cathedral Confrontation
Date of Scene:	04 August 2013
Location:	Fluorgis - Cathedral
Synopsis:	The 'heroes' face down the power of Father Barnabus and his chalice, hoping to free Faruja from it's baleful call.
Cast of Characters:	Faruja Senra, Will Sherman, Shiki Misaki, Deelel, Hati, Soan Sagittarius, Ramza Beoulve, Ophelia, Zack Fair

---

Faruja Senra has posed:
The aged, rounded form of Father Barnabus paces before the altar of Fluorgis' Cathedral. Everything, for the most part, has gone to plan. No significant Inquisitorial investigation, his little vermin friend has been reported as slowly going off the deep end, and the 'Healing's performed have been numerous.

The pews are filled with only a few robed individuals. They chant to themselves, glassy eyed and quiet. A few guards, sharing that look, stand beside him. They're utterly ignored, the rotund man growing increasingly irritated. It's just past day, into the night time hours.

"Where /is/ that damned rat? He should have been here HOURS ago." Roars the Father, finally, his patience running out. Walking over to the great crystal case, he peers at the Chalice and it's Stone. Opening it, he touches the object.

Elsewhere, in that abandoned building within the slums, Faruja Senra stirs. Falling out of the dusty couch, he gasps aloud. Shivering, the Templar tries to get to his feet. One hand sits at his neck, his head pounding.

Shiki Misaki has posed:
Calling all cars! I mean, Shard Seekers!

Something's rotten in the city of Fluorgis! Apparently. Or so Shiki heard, by way of the Zodiac Braves.

Things haven't been easy for her- for about three weeks now, she's been busy in Game Central Station, squashing Cy-Bugs and helping cover for Ralph's troublesome absence. But when the home- and worse- ends up in trouble, she had to go.

But for that something to be happening in... well... /that/ place? It seems bizarre. So she's cautiously made her way across town, complete with mythril stick and cat, to meet up with allies and spearhead this strange affair.

Hati has posed:
With things set in motion, it's impossible for Hati to sleep. The wolf had, by some small miracle that had nothing to do with chalices or demons, managed to get the posessed Templar away from the Cathedral. She had laid her hopes with a handful of people who she barely knows and who certainly don't trust her. The werewolf is too close to the situation for her own good.

Yet, as Faruja stirs, she looks over, immediately crouching at his side, a hand on his shoulder. "Faruja? What is it? What's wrong?" Her ears are perked, heckles raised. He'd been in pain before falling asleep, and she could only guess at the source.

She hadn't told anyone, yet, of their whereabouts, but it's clear that they won't be able to stay in hiding for much longer.

Will Sherman has posed:
Then the doors are kicked open.

Will Sherman is in the group, However, his presence...

His presence man.

Will is not hiding anything, he is going all out in this, he has watched his friend slowly become corrupted into a slathering blabbering zealot filled rage of...where was I going with this? Will shrugs back at the camera, and the narritive goes on.

Yeah, I totally avoided the 'who can tell the difference' joke!

Will's hands glow red, his eyes litterally shine as he is actively looking at every thread he can manage at once...and his voice modulates between something DEEPER and DARKER...and OLDER and his normal voice. Right now he is focused on the challice, he needs to get there, he needs a good shot at it to try and sever the bonds that thing has made between the Father's victims.

"The jig is up, father. We know everything."

"You will pay for your crimes, false prophet.."

Deelel has posed:
Deelel has been quite busy busy down in Game Central Station last night when cybugs got into space Paranoids. If not for TRON, Mercade, an unknown player, Blackbird and even Evja? Things would have ended very badly, thankfully teamwork had carried the day and Space Paranoids was protected for the moment. She had been quickly swept up into other affairs after returning from the realm of data.

She had been looking into the apparent virus that had been unleashed related to the stone and Faruja and now she had something more concrete to deal with at this point. So here she is back in Fluorgis, Shiki is not alone but Deelel is not dressed as she normally is a sleek helmet covers her face and she wears a dark black cloak with the same sort of circuit lines along it's edges as she normally has upon herself in some fashion She was not a happy basic she was not happy at all. The doors are kicked open, she wastes not time following up Will. Like him she speaks as she enters yet? Her voice is more distorted then normal as she adds to Will's words.

"I am aware of the viral infectious nature of what your doing here. This will end today."

She reaches for her disc she doesn't arm it yet but her intent is clear she's ready for a fight and she's pretty sure they are going to be knee deep in one this day. Still who knows how the father is going to react to this sort of confrontation. She'd been there when the first found the Chalice and the stone. She'd had a hand in getting past the puzzles guarding it and now she wonders. Were they to keep people out? Or keep it in?

Worse was the unknown factor of that strange white haired man they'd run into there. Who the heck had he been? Did he have something to do with this? Such thoughts are pushed away for there is a very likely battle ahead of her. She's not about to let whatever this is take so many people's minds twist what they believe in and it's also taken someone she owes her life to. She was not going to take this laying down without a fight.

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
/Contact/.

The Church had taught him early on that failing to adapt to modern technology would put him at a distinct disadvantage. Father Barnabus was in the Cathedral, and both the goblet and stone were both within his reach. Ramza Beoulve put a hand up to his linkpearl and listened in on the soft-spoken and laconic speech from Theodore, then looked at his Ma Belle as he was given a video feed. A few moments later more chatter confirmed, /Thrall/ is not in sight. That didn't preclude him from being in one of the many chambers honeycombed throughout the rear of the cathedral, but Father Barnabus looked far too impatient. Maybe they were in luck.

This time none of the Zodiac Braves were dressed as mere supplicants within the Cathedral, the Church would be expecting that. What they wouldn't be expecting? Overwhelming force. Ramza uttered a single word,

"Go."

And so all of them, save their single spy just rode right into the Cathedral, at full gallop on Chocobo back. Down the aisle before any of the other supplicants could get up and possibly get run over. Straight to the altar. On the way, Ramza lurched down just to grab Will by the hand just to carry him forward as he rode on Chocobo back by Boco. Something else was stated in the Linkpearl.

"Adela, Gerad now!"

And the woman in summoner's garb, and a man in a conical straw hat started to incant even before they reached the altar. "Wind fade to silence..." "...Effortless water...."

Summoning runes flared into life as an Eidolon entered the Cathedral. Power thrummed, and Black Magic combined with summoning might to form a mighty ice wall just before the pews, cutting off the civilians from taking part in the battle. Usually Adela would misfire, but they were all in serious mode now. Ramza let go of Will at that point. "Remember our planning. Noone gets left behind. No civilian casualties."

Drawing his Cinqueda, he turned to Father Barnabus. BGM Change: http://www.listenonrepeat.com/watch/?v=23oE6cB9Vkc

He had even less to say to Father Barnabus than Will did. "No more. This ends now."

Some of the warriors amongst the Braves fanned out to the periphery to cover the perimeter around the altar, and any gaps the ice wall might have left, or those that might be breached. Some dismounted if they found it too cumbersome... the rest of the mages focused on shoring up their defenses, while a woman in white mage robes teleported, while still mounted on her Chocobo in a flare of blue light, coming to stand behind a Dragoon that jumped down from the rafters, incanting several time magic and white magic spells upon them.

Zack Fair has posed:
Boy oh boy. The price of freedom is steep.

Those words roll through Zack's mind as the door is blown open. What does Freedom mean? What does it really mean, when people can choose to live in tyranny? Is a choice really valid if it's made without an undestanding of the events surrounding it? Can it be called 'Freedom' if you freely choose without all the information available?

Zack isn't certain. He's never certain about things like this. But then...

But then, he's got his own ideas about what that means, too.

There's a smile on Zack's face as the rebellious group enters. While everyone else is making big proclamations and statements, waving weapons around, Zack...isn't. He's standing there, neutrally, that strange and distant smile the only emotion, one hand on his hip, the other dangling at his side. The Braves fan out to defense; Will and Deelel prepare for violence; Razmza gives his orders as the Eidolon slices the Father away from the civilian backup and potential human shields. Zack had even turned down a Chocobo - sure, he knew how to ride them, but he didn't want one to restrict his movement, just in case. Plus, if it got killed, it'd be his fault, and then he'd just feel bad about it.

Zack checks the back of his wrist thoughtfully. Yeah...yeah. He had plenty of time to do what he wanted.

Ophelia has posed:
This whole messy business with the Church's new branch has been out of sight, out of mind for Ophelia ever since the first assault on the newly built cathedral. While it was clear that the supernatural had been involved as far as the chalice was concerned, her role as Inquisitor only allowed for so much interference without raising suspicions or prompting people to ask questions that she isn't ready to answer.

Had she spent any real time dwelling on the matter, she might have also been present when the suspicions about Father Barnabus' involvement began to get raised, which would have given her a toe in the door on the whole matter. Fortunately for the corrupted priest, the young vampire's interests lay elsewhere until recently.

Now that things have quieted down around the Fens and she's been forced to contend with the more mudane aspects of her phantom role within the ecclesiarchy, Ophelia was quick to snatch up the slightest hint of work that would get her out of the office. This particular assignment promised to be quite entertaining, the reports being possitively thick with allusions towards ancient artifacts, rogue priests, and corrupted souls.

Still, she needs to see any such evidence for herself before any arrests or worse can be doled out. The upper eschelon of clergymen tend to be rather uptight about who is allowed to go around tossing their fellows in dungeons or on the end of blades, after all, who is to say they might not be the next in line?

The bold blitzkrieg assault on the cathedral does what it was intended to do. Several soldiers plow past the rows of pews to corner the wayward Father with walls of blades and magic. But even as the trap slams shut, punctuated by the angry threats and resolute stares, the familiar sound of clapping echoes hauntingly through the cathedral.

With a look of utter satisfaction, Ophelia slips from among the shadows at the base of one of the towering pillars at the rear of the room. Her hands continue to come together in a clearly mocking fashion as she strides forward to stand beside the great altar around which the congregation has formed.

"Well, well, well. Trespassing, breaking and entering, damaging Church property, causing a public disturbance, threatening a priest." She holds her hands out to indicate the group of Braves assembled before her. "Regular as clockwork, you heroic types. Or should I say, heretical."

She turns her head to regard the old man with a wry smirk. "I really must thank you, Father. You brought them straight to me."

Faruja Senra has posed:
Lionheart (talk) AT THE SLUMS Lionheart (talk)

Faruja tries to answer the wolfess, the male mumbling. "I..." starts the rat, only to shiver, stumbling. He slumps back against the front of the building, elbow smashing into a boarded up window hard enough to break wood and glass. The sound is more than obvious, filling the alleyway for anyone nearby to hear. "...Hear whispers."

Lionheart (talk) AT THE CHURCH Lionheart (talk)

Barnabus turns, his guards moving into action, moving stiffly to surround him. He glares at the interlopers, inwardly cursing. The only thing that gives him pause is the arrival of the Inquisitor.

"Heretics and lost souls...there is nothing to know here. If you have no words, neither do I! To hell with you all!" His gaze turns to the group, and several of the guards thrust their blades. Elemental swords lash out, striking at the interlopers.

Soan Sagittarius has posed:
Things are getting pretty crazy in the church right now, with a gigantic wall of ice, people panicing slightly, but there is an evil greater currently undelying, hiding in the glare of the light. A very... annonymous message to a particular defender of Light has came through. Backup has been called. Admist the chaos, outside, through the thin glass of the beautiful stained vitrails. A shout, a thunderous scream, rilled on righteous anger and fury, echoes through, becoming increasingly louder and louder.

It explodes inward as a singular wide stone, one of the many polished ones that this church is made off, slams downard in a cloud of pulverized polished stone, landing loudly upon the altar. The sound it makes, however, is nothing compared to the battle scream of DRAGOON MAN.

"BY THE SKIES ABOVE THE SKYYYYYYYYYY!"

DRAGOON MAN lands on top of the stone, which so helpfully landed on top of the altar. His fist is knuckled against it, one knee on the singular, carefully demolished and broken stone. Heck, the thing itself seems to be barely harmed by the brutal smashing that allowed the Dragoon to pierce through.

"Spare me your lies." The Armored figure says as he pushes himself up with his knuckles, the burning white flames that serves for eyes of the Dragoon staring at the woman listing off the crimes the assembled people says. "You breath lies, you see only lies. I, however, smell the truth. And I smell the taint of most foul Chaos in this ... /fell priest/." Dragoon Man spits out, almost hissing out theses words as he turn to look at said priest, his blazing spear materializing in his hands. "By defending him, you propegate Chaos. Stand aside. Aid us. Or be purified, woman."

Deelel has posed:
Deelel had not known Ramza too well but she had caught on the man had adapted to the new options the various worlds had provided. She had to trust with whatever he had planned. He and some of his comrades barge their way in Church and then they create an ice wall to keep more people out of the mess she nods approvingly at it. She turns her masked head to stare the father down.

She keeps her disc ready knowing this could get worse even if it's not viral as her world understands it the results are similar so it likely means horrors that may await them. She's not making any out right hostile acts yet she trusts Zack has his part in the plan and thus his own part to play. She has no idea how the father is going to react after all. It is likely not well but one never knows in a world like this.

Another speaks up and the basic looks at Ophelia, the helmet's HUD displays thermal readings of the area looking for any hidden surprises and there's something strange the woman that has confronted them? Her thermal signature isn't room temp but it's not falling into the range that humans and other like natives of this world has.

She's unaware of Faruja's condition just that he's away from the father and the stone at the moment. She listens to his words she does not believe a lick of it at this point she eyes the guards sizing this situation up and he quickly runs several run time command as her disc powers up with a hum.

Deelel was about to say something however they have unexpected backup, it's Dragoon Man. He just crashed on in and has landed on the alter and he puts it better than she could. She glances at the woman for a moment and then speaks.

"He has been using some force to twist the people's minds for his own ends not for that of your Church."

She then comes under attack she's quick but not quick enough as she then finds it's lighting, freaking lighting. It ends badly but she's not hurt as bad as she could have been.

"So this is how it has to go."

Hati has posed:
This particular part of the slums, unfortunately, is not as far as Hati would like from the cathedral. Her only task had been to try to get the mouse /away/ and this is as far as she'd been able to get him. It's clearly not far enough.

The wolf winces, watching his elbow smash into the boarded up window. It's started. Though she has no way of knowing what is going on elsewhere, it's clear enough that the chalice is singing it's song, trying to pull Faruja back. "Don't listen..."

For now, her only choice is to try to keep him within the confines of the 'safe-house'. Perhaps she could have begged him to listen to her voice instead, but in all this, the ex-evil-doer has not been completely honest. She's not one to be anyone's saving grace. "Stay with me." Is she more powerful than the call of a demon? Probably not.

For now, her fingers remain on his arm, one single barrier between him and the siren song in his head.

Will Sherman has posed:
Will does not have any more words to spare...Ramza carries him, before they are cut off by the Guards...Will leaps from Ramza's shoulders and DIVES right for the Challace...

"AAHHHHHHHHH!" Will screams in his dual voiced essence filled charge as Dragoon man comes to help!

Just as planned.

Then Will drives both hands towards the stone...he can see the one string strengthening...he can't stop the flow...but he can try and change it. He can see many strings...if he hits this wrong...

His hands grab the strings...ALL strings to the stone become visible, they are dark...black, DISGUSTING things...and Will shoves EVERY bit of power he has into severing the ties that aren't to the father...he's tried severing that one, but it's too strong...Will prays that Faruja's string isn't made perminate.

"AHHHHHHH!" he continues to scream, channeling ground shaking power...he's looking to use so much fate magic in one strike to try and shatter the bonds.

"BE REVEALED FOR WHAT YOU ARE!"

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
Ramza spares Ophelia a glance. He recognizes her as the inquisitor that attacked his camp. Unfortunately he had no time to deal with potentially misguided individuals. The goal was to take down Barnabus as fast as he possibly could, before Faruja came into range. There was no good way to intercept a Dragoon. There is a flicker of emotion in his gaze when she states the word /heroic/ in which he wonders whether she is in on the plot or not. But in the end she didn't matter to him. All that mattered were the objectives.

His voice is deadly calm. "On the contrary.. Father Barnabus, we would have words with you."

"Precious light, be our armor and protect us! Silent light, shield us from bloody iniquity!" Magical power thrummed throughout his fingertips of his offhand, right before layered multi-faceted crystalline barriers flared into life in front of him. For a moment they appeared purple in hue and opaque, before fading into translucent and intangibility. He then placed a hand over his heart, focusing on the Chakra point closest to it, increasing his healing ability to it's ultimate extent. He doesn't bother to work at untying the peaceknot of his Saya, he cuts it with his Cinqueda.

Dragoon Man DYNAMIC ENTRY!

As the stone fall, stuff scatters all around, and suddenly he catches a hymnal in his hand. Looking at it with consternation, he casually chucks in the way of one Barnabus' guards just as they attempt to lighting stab him. However, training with Artemis and Agrias pays off, and as soon as he sees the effect. Both him and Boco... vanish, appearing a few feet to the side, just as an ephemeral holy sword crackling with lightning strikes where they last were. Ramza Beoulve patiently draws his katana. For a moment a blue aura lims his body, moments before there's a soft susurrus in the air. And then.... that aura gets drawn right into the sword, appearing akin to wisps of smoke, just as the katana bursts into life with ghastly blue flames.

"We witnessed your unholy liturgy. We heard your testimony. Who is your true master? Who leads this unholy panoply?" He begins to spur Boco forward at a menacing pace, circling.. taking in their measure, a blade in each hand as he readies himself to strike. While his eyes were on his opponents, he always kept the goblet in the periphery of his vision. If anything would change the course of this battle.. it would be that.

Zack Fair has posed:
Elmental swords lash outwards; Zack's bare hands move, knocking the blade aside casually as he continues walking forward, parrying them back towards their wielders. These guys are mooks - they're just average soldiers. They're no match for even a low-class SOLDIER...and Zack is, of course, a top-tier SOLDIER. Not only that - he's a top-tier SOLDIER with his mind clear of distractions. The thing on his arm, the messages; they're irrelevant. Zack has a mission - and as ShinRa knows all too well, there's nothing worse than a SOLDIER on a mission.

Zack exhales as he looks around at the guards, the Inquisitor, the priest. "Hey. Can I ask you something?"

Stars rain down around Zack as his hand goes to the back of his head, disappearing into his giant spikes of hair. "Are you ever uncertain about your path?"

Soan Sagittarius has posed:
The elemental blades, the guards' attacks lashes out at Dragoon Man, along with the others assembled here, chipping away at his armor, a few managing to pierce it. Not very much damage is done. The Dragoon stands, remaining glaring down. A coat of light, growing bright scales appears on hi as he turns his weapon toward the Priest and the Inquisitor.

"So that is your answer, but know this, Chaos Spawn: you cannot fool me with your lies. The Dragons allows me to sense what you truly are! A creature such as yourself has no right to call anyone an Heretic! Especially someone not from your faith!"

Ophelia has posed:
The crumbling roof and shouting warriors do little to unseat the look of smug satisfaction on the Inquisitor's exotic features as she watches the tension explode into outright hostilities. Ophelia lets out a wistful sigh as she is both summarily ignored and insulted at the same time.

"Well, that's quite rude. Though I suppose I should expect no better from rabble such as this."

Atleast one person seems to pay her a little bit of attention, however, which causes the young woman to turn her predatory smile upon Zack. She remembers this man and his strange magic from their last encounter.

"Perhaps, at times. However, I can sum up what I have learned about life in three words: it goes on."

Ophelia casually draws the blade at her hip, it's shimmering steel edge glowing with an unhealthy red light as she moves to stand between the interlopers and Father Barnabus.

"Perhaps you speak the truth. Perhaps this man is corrupted beyond redemption. However, justice is not for vermin such as you to decide."

Faruja Senra has posed:
Lionheart (talk) AT THE SLUMS Lionheart (talk)

Faruja gasps, even his breathing painful amidst the pounding in his head. As she draws close, the Burmecian clings to the woman, shivering. He can barely hear her. Only her presence keeps him from just running towards the Chalice.

Then Will's blow severs those Strings.

Faruja goes still, eye going wide. He screams, connection severed, the male's holy aura growing dark, then light. That clinging grip grows crushing, and he incants a spell. Magical winds of the Warp spell catch himself, and the wolfess before him.

~THROUGHOUT THE CITY ~

Several citizens collapse silently, all of whom being those who received the 'Healing' of the Chalice.

Lionheart (talk) AT THE CHURCH Lionheart (talk) The crushed Altar lies in ruins as the Dragoon Man makes his appearance. Deel and Ramza speak their words, and charge the Father of his crimes. Will destroys the string. Barnabus shudders, and falls to his knees. The man rises. Though his appearance remains, he practically /reeks/ of Darkness. His guards collapse, helped along by Zack's parrying of their attacks. And as wind kicks up, his Warp spell ending, Faruja is thrust into the room along with a certain werewolf, the Burmecian writhing on the floor.

Barnabus /grins/. "...Finally. I can toss aside this charade. Know all you like. My MASTER arises this night!"

The man raises his hand, and points at Ramza. The power of Holy sparks into being, the explosion radiating outwards with a sickly aura. Even the Inquisitor isn't spared.

"You all are but a sacrifice! BOY! Finish things!" Yells the Father, and the dark haired Assassin who had tried to shoot him all those nights before appears. Silently, the young man points his gun at Faruja.

"...Won't survive this time, rat."

Faruja's hand desperately reaches, seemingly unaware of the gun pointed at him. "Where...No! GET BACK TO ME! GET AWAY!" Yells out the rat, inwardly warring with himself over his severed link, and the being that would gnaw at his soul.

Hati has posed:
"Faruja?" Hati tries to shake the rat's shoulders, uncertain just what has drawn the scream from his muzzle. Then, there is the sharp pain of his claws digging into her flesh, drawing out a growl from the wolf, her ears tucking back. Blood drips down across her arm, over the Templar's fingers, and then the two are gone, swept up by the spell.

The force of the whirlwind of the spell has Hati thrown to her knees, gripping her arm where red rivulets pool down towards her fingers. Suddenly, she's somewhere else. Too many people, her wild eyes shift from person to person, trying to take stock of things as quickly as possible. It's not quick enough. She doesn't have time to join in the fight, because there's something far more pressing at hand.

Faruja might remember that day when Hati had told him how stupid it was to throw himself in front of Barnabus. Well, maybe this is the point where she realizes how hypocritical that statement was, because the moment that the gun is held towards her beloved... the wolf goes into full on defender mode. Small as she might be, Hati launches herself between the assassin and Faruja, crouching and snarling as if she were a full-fledged werewolf.

"Not this time!" She growls low, a dagger drawn out with her good arm. One motion, one flash of dark magic, and a wolf made of purple flame forms beside her, snarling at the assassin before lunging forward trying to snap down on that gun-arm.

Will Sherman has posed:
Faruja was too far away from him...and he was too focused on the gem itself.

...There was only one way to get the thing out of here. Will picks up the Challice, ....

And then runs. "WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP!" he says, immediately trying to draw the demon's attention, more than that..

He tries to pocket the Gem on the sly. "HEY LOOK! I HAVE YOUR PRECIOUS STONE AND I AM TOTALLY GOING TO THROW IT IN LAVA THAT EXISTS SOMEWHERE NEAR HERE! I CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN BECAUSE OF ~FATE MAGIC~." he says.

Will Sherman, living distraction.

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
An explosion of Holy energy comes his way from the false priest. However it's a false layer. A thin masquerade for the darkness that lay within. As Ramza listens to the priest, his expression grows colder, and when the explosion radiates outward, he parries the flow of energy with the flame-devouring blade, parting it in one motion. He stands in the midst of it unharmed.

His voice remains calm. "It always was a thin veneer that you put on, wasn't it? But it never holds up under scrutiny."

Faruja appears, writhing in pain as the strings are severed, and so too does the assassin. But it looks Hati is on it. Even so, it doesn't hurt to have backup. "Theodore. Back her up." The man in the Dragoon armor leaps up into the air out of the Cathedral, before landing right behind the dark-haired assassin, his spear crackling with thunderous energy as he attempts to stab him from behind. Ramza on the other hand advances forward on Boco's back, attempting to cut into their ranks with the blazing Katana, attempting to intercept anyone that comes after Will, now that he has the stone and the chalice. "Back Will up. Keep him covered!"

Zack Fair has posed:
Holy magic is powerful against Zack; as an explosion of light shines across the building, the terrible black wings explode out of Zack's back, feathers flowing behind him as he crosses his arms over his chest...and moves forward. It burns his skin, sizzling against him as he steps against the holy wind...

...and plants himself in front of Ophelia, shielding her from the absolute worst of the storm at risk to his own life. As the light shines around him, the wide black wings spread around Ophelia protectively; Zack looks over his shoulder, a grin growing across his face as he looks at her.

"Hey...don't you think..." Zack's tone is friendly even as he struggles against the power being arrayed against him, struggling to stand. "Don't you think that...it's human to be uncertain?"

"Doubt...worrying about our course of action...being unsure of ourselves...that's what makes us people. We can make choices because of those doubts. We can wonder about the future, and we can do what's best in every circumstance - not just for us...but for the people around us." Zack's hands close into fists as he winces, and he turns around, exposing his back to the light instead.

"Don't you think that this zealotry thing...this certainty that we're right no matter the course...isn't it taking away what makes us best?"

The light finally dies, and Zack stumbles a little. "Listen...if you really think this is right...if you really believe that we're vermin...then go ahead and attack me." He smiles at Ophelia as he unsheathes the Materia Blade. "I'll forgive you. I've been in your position, too."

Zack turns around, still looking over her shoulder. "But...just know that you've got an opportunity to be even better, okay? Every person everywhere has that chance; they just don't always realize it."

"No matter what you choose to do here, it's okay; at least one person will always forgive you. That's your right as a human being."

Zack swings the sword to the side, his mako-green eyes suddenly blazing with light as they focus on the Father. "But for you, big guy...you used up your last chance when you hurt someone under your command. A leader...a leader has no choice but to protect the people under him!"

Zack's wings exMEEETEEEOOORAAAAAAAAAAAIN</span>!"

Deelel has posed:
Deelel is honestly very happy to have Will along, he's proven a good friend and is a heck of an ally in a fight she can only wonder what he's seeing when he looks at the father. Given his reaction? Perhaps she doesn't want to know. Given Will's reactions? She makes up her mind not to ask, and they may be about to see just what the father has become.

Ramza and his band stand along side them and are a bit and they seem prepared she listens as they have dug up even more than she has on what the father was doing? She was ready now the commands has run she should be able to do something the guards had to be disabled if she could avoid killing them she would.

She wonders where Zack going perhaps he might be trying to get the grunts to back down? That could be possible and she turns to face the priest given how Dragoon Man is going off the man likely isn't human anymore.

"He took a friend of mine, someone I owe my life to. I intend to repay that debt."

She's unaware of the full effect of Will going after the strings she does not know what she does see is the man is changing his attuide and now a sacrifice? Okay this is terrible and there's a boy with a gun. The basic acts she throws her disc intent to hit the assassin wepon. If it connects given it's edge its' very likely to render the gun useless due to damage, but what happens after if it this? It's going to bounce and possible slam into the chaos priest.

"Get away from Faruja, null unit!"

Ophelia has posed:
Ofcourse, Ophelia's dramatic play for attention ends up backfiring on her spectacularly. Not even bothering to try and convince her to aid him, Barnabus unleashes an explosion of holy magic that sears a blinding white globe into the center of the room. The powerful sacred light washes over the young Inquisitor, earning a banshee-like shriek of pain from the woman as her skin begins to sizzle. Times like this she's starting to see why all those cooky older vampires she hunted wore capes.

Oddly, she feels the presence of a living person move infront of her and the glare dies out somewhat, blocked by Zack's body and wings. The flash of blessed magic disappears a few moments later and Ophelia hisses in annoyance even as her flesh begins to mend itself back together, her half melted face slowly shifting back to its previous visage of oriental beauty. Despite the surprise attack, the Inquisitor regains her composure rapidly, dusting off the front of her decorative armor as if having a casual conversation.

"Hmph. Humans suffer from doubt because they are weak. They grow uncertain because they fear failure, whatever form it may come in." The woman frowns at the sentimenatlity of the man before her, somewhat disgusted at the thought that he saved her out of pity. "I was stripped of such fears long ago. I care little for the troubles of mortals!"

The glow around Ophelia's blade turns a deeper shade of crimson as she lashes out, carving a crucifix into the air that drips with scarlet vitae as if reality itself were bleeding. The floating mark explodes into motion a moment later, cutting across the room and slicing into the nearest of the priest's guards with a sickening sound.

Ophelia is on top of the man a moment later, sliding easily past his defenses to latch her free arm about his waist in a restraining fashion. She rests her head against his for a moment, a sensuous smirk pulling her lips back before she buries her fangs into his neck. The cat's already out of the bag, might as well go all out.

Soan Sagittarius has posed:
DRAGOON MAN stands resolute even in the face of overwhelming magic headed his way. Magic blasts and blows against his armor, rocking his bady back and forth. But still, he stands, a little battered by the looks of it, his armored blackened at some spots. His gaze is much like the fury of a hundred dragon's flames, roaring out to end the taint that he sees, smell right before him. His body tenses with every intent of destruction and righteous wrath.

"So be it."

He don't know much of the people assembled here, but he can respect their choices, as well as their desire to strike against this evil He'll just have to have a damn chat with Will after all this crap. Or get some explanations, anyway. The Dragoon gives the other dragoon a look that showed up, giving a nod at Theodore as he leaps up. The Burmercian is, clearly, apparently, in trouble. He's being handled. Still, there is things he can do, that gun could cause damage, being that close... and by the looks of him, he certainly looks like an assassin.

Wordlessly, DRAGOON MAN leaps off from the alter, arcing up in the air as his spear glows with an soft, dry, sharp light. He briefly hangs on to top of the church, just a small, heavy pause, as he shakes the foundations as he launches himself against the assassin, breathing out a fine line of lightning from his mouth as he plummet like a diving dragon.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Teeth flash from the werewolfess, and the assassin's gun-arm is caught, the young man yelling out as blood flows. He's stronger than he looks, and stubborn, still trying to raise the weapon even as he struggles against the woman. Finger on the trigger, Deel's weapon lends all the more power to Hati's struggles, the Disk bouncing off cracking the barrel of the weapon. The young Assassin stumbles, with the wolfess still attached. Yet, he pulls out a pistol with his free hand, desperately swinging it around to get a bead on the Burmecian.

Barnabus opens his mouth, ready to have some quip about Ramza's words. Then Deel's disk bounces, smacking him in the back of the head. Dazed, the chaotic priest is then faced with the fire of Ramza's sword. This leaves him perfectly open to DRAGOON MAN's strike, the man doused with the breath of a dragon.

Ophelia's guard victim goes down, the vampiress feasting on him with hardly any resistance. By now, those slaved to Barnabus are weak, almost doll like in how passive they are. He's an easy meal, the man dieing.

Barnabus is struck by the power of MeteoRain just as he rises again. Bleeding slick, dark blood, bubbling as it hits the Cathedral floor, he can barely stand. Whatever Darkness sustains him, it may not be enough given the forces arrayed here. He looks to the Stone. "...Perhaps you can stop me. But do you really think His influence is so easily stifled?"

In Will's hand, the Stone shimmers. On the floor, Faruja slowly gets to his feet. Gasping, eye as glassy as the rest, he shifts forward, stumbling. It's as though something is pulling him towards the Stone even as Will escapes. One hand remains on his pounding forehead. Flashes of a winged being lingers in his mind. A few more steps, and an incantation. Faruja vanishes. Only to end at the Cathedral doors. A silver knife, the only weapon on his being, is drawn. He stands before Will. "...Stone. Give it...get...damnit! Away! OUT OF MY MIND! CEASE THY WHISPERS!"

The strike with the knife, given to him by Valos so long ago, is desperate. In his eye, chaos reigns, a war within. In the depths of his soul, he stands before the great thing that had been so pulling him closer. He shivers. It whispers, things great and terrible, promises of his greatest desires. Temptation, and the ressurection's effects weight heavily.

But the soul is aware of all that is around it. Those fighting for him, for the people of Fluorgis. Those he loves and cares for, Hati, Shiki, Reize, Ivo, all of the rest of the Shard Seekers, Deel, and so many others...Faruja's Heart beats, thrown into turmoil, his radiant aura burning bright around him.

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
Ophelia starts to attack her allies and reveals her nature. There are a few terse words over the linkpearl, but she is not their main concern at the moment.

Ramza turns to see Faruja at the door. With a knife.. he sees him running for Will Sherman. A hand reaches up for his linkpearl.

"/Thrall/ has entered the building. I repeat /Thrall/ has entered the building. All forces move to intercept!"

And as one, all the Zodiac Braves break off to attempt to keep Faruja away from Will and the chalice. Unfortunately it's a little too late. But Will seems to have a good handle on the situation. This doesn't stop a very heavily armored woman from attempting to tackle the Burmecian to the floor straight off her Chocobo mount after he's brained by the Chalice.

And then Ramza advances on the false priest with darkness exuding out of him, riding on his Chocobo back, and in one motion attempts to plunge the flaming Katana into his abdomen. He looks into the man's eyes with an expression of pity, but not regret.

"No. I would never aver that. But yours is."

And then if it strikes true, the Katana's flames would slowly trail and spread over his vestments and his innards, lighting him aflame with fire that is not so easily quenched.

Hati has posed:
The wolf's mismatched eyes stare at the assassin, refusing to let go, even as he struggles to try to get a shot off. It isn't until she hears Faruja's voice from elsewhere in the Cathedral that Hati's jaws unclench. There's no way for her to close the distance, but there is a moment of hesitation where she certainly wants to try. "Fight it, Faruja!" She calls, not knowing if her voice can reach him.

The dark spirit wolves that circle the former Shadow Lord already go where she can't, leaping over pews and going to serve as back-up should Will need it. It's a strange sort of cavilry, but at least it's something. Hati, on the other hand, stares right at the young man with the gun, who may very well be on fire from dragon-breath, red staining her lips. "You'll never have him..."

Though she isn't often one to fight directly, this time the wolf does lash out with her dagger, seeking to plunge it into the foul man's belly, her own eyes showing no remorse, only the craving for revenge and the blood of her enemies.

She may have come a long way from being on the side of those who would destroy worlds, but the wolf is still a wolf, and trying to harm her pack means death.

Will Sherman has posed:
Will suddenly has Faruja baring down on him! Ophelia get's a buy because of MANIAC RAT!

Will is forced to defend himself backing up and swinging the Chalice!

The blade bounces off the cup, and then...he swings right for the head. Repeatedly.

"I AM SO SORRY FARUJA! I HAVE TO HELP YOU BY HURTING YOU! DON'T WORRY, YOU DON'T USE YOUR HEAD ANYWAY!" he shouts, repeatedly bashing him in the head to knock him out.

"SORRY!"

Zack Fair has posed:
Zack moves to grab Ophelia by the shoulder as she drains the man dry. There's a look in his eyes as he stares at her.

"Doubt is what makes people strong. Doubting that you're right...doubting that everything is okay...doubting who you are, your course of action...if we were always certain, if we always believed absolutely in our course, we wouldn't fear anything - we'd move forward, unswerving, unable to adapt to the world. Because we doubt, we're human - and because we're human, we fear! And because we fear..."

Zack looks over at the father, his eyes glowing, his wings spread wide. "Because we fear, we can overcome it and get stronger than ever before!"

Zack looks back at Ophelia, a wide grin on his face. Even though she just killed someone...well, Zack knows how it goes in combat. No combat is perfectly controlled. No fight is perfectly precise. No way, no how. "These guys didn't do anything wrong. They're being controlled by a monster. But you're not a monster - you've still got that choice to make. Don't kill 'em, okay? They're innocent."

He holds out a hand to her. "I'm Zack Fair. I'm someone like you - someone who was used by people I had absolute faith in. And I'm also somebody who has trouble letting a good-looking girl get hurt. When this is over, let's talk about it over dinner, huh? I'd like to ask you some questions...and this ain't exactly the best place for it."

Zack straightens, his eyes locking onto the Father's. "But it's about to get a lot better."

Zack throws open his arms, his wings spreading wide as he takes his blade in hand. "Hey. Father. I don't know if there is a God up there; I've never asked, never wondered. But I know for a fact that I don't want to serve something like you. I've been down that road - I've seen where it leads!"

He jerks his thumb over his shoulder as the Roulette Wheel in his mind begins to spin. In his pocket, something shines - something black and white, a small piece of unassuming metal; it begins to glow with a bright blue light as Zack points at his wings with his thumb. "These wings...these black wings on my back are a symbol of what those people did to me! Of what they tried to make me! Of what they tried to take from me! Just like you, they thought they could take away everything that made me human! But I won - just like Faruja's gonna do! Dark influence, schmark influence...he's my friend! And friendship is way the hell stronger than your bullcrap!"

ROULETTE WHEEL: FARUJA, FARUJA, FARUJA

Zack's mako-green eyes blaze to life. "SO I'M GONNA MAKE THESE WINGS A SYMBOL OF THAT FRIENDSHIP! OF THE ONE THING EVERY HUMAN BEING CAN ALWAYS BE CERTAIN OF - THAT NO MATTER WHAT, THEIR FRIENDS HAVE THEIR BACK! HERE I GO!"

"CRUSSSAAADING!"

Zack's wings give a mighty flap; he goes flying into the sky, raising his blade high above his head. It bursts to life, burning with holy white flame as he hovers there above the Father. His eyes trail Mako green; his wings rain black feathers down upon the crowd below.

Zack falls.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANGEEEEEEEEEL!"

LIMIT BREAK: CRUSADING ANGEL

DIGITAL
MIND
WAVE

Deelel has posed:
Deelel sees Zack go to cover the strange Church Warrior who may actually not be in on this whole mess and well that's fine with her she'll trust Zack in what he's doing. He's got their backs but wait wings? What the heck? Deelel just doesn't even know about users some days anymore the again did she ever do so? The comment Ophelia make some comment that pretty much go along with the readings she got earlier. She's not human but if she's not on the Father's side? She does not care at the moment and thankfully Dragoon Man is also on the job handling the mastermind behind this. While they make sure Faruja is protected from the minions of the fallen Priest.

She'll catch her disc on the return with almost mechanical precision. All the while Dragoon Man brings the righteous fury against those who stand with whatever the heck the Priest is now. This is getting into elements of the world one such as Deelel has a hard time to grasp given how alien it is from her own level of existence

Hati's arrival along side Faruja has Deelel wondering but at this point if Hati is backing up she's not going to question it at all. Maybe she's just got a few points in her favour with the Basic. Who knows? For right now something else has Deelel's attention The fact that the strange woman is feeding? Is not winning any contest it's viral behaviour far as she's concerned.

"Faruja be strong keep fighting it's influence we will take care of the rest."

Then the Priest goes for Will is there much time to act? Just enough she also lunges in fight after Ramza does she's not about to let the King of Hobos fall today. If she has anything to say about it, Well then Will survive the attack and then goes to clonk Faruja which may be for the best.

She streaks in moving with agility and speed that one wouldn't expect a human to have, she's also got a level of control in her movement not one motion is wasted as she closes in to strike she's not about to try some of the traditional grid close combat moves. The last time she did one of them it ended up terrible for her, she does however strike out with the disc intending to cripple the Priest for whomever follows her up next.

"Your done, and whoever you serve will be handled in due time!"

Zack words are true she was full of doubt about her creators but in the end ones like Faruja, Avira, Maira and so many others. She has gotten stronger, adapted perhaps farther than Flynn would think that basic could grow and change. She's seen other examples of it, they could change they could adapt they could become stronger. They could over come like those who created them. After all basics are humanity's children.

Soan Sagittarius has posed:
Dragoon Man don't have much of a personal stake in this, barring the fact that every fiber of his being is worked up to destroy the bit of chaos that is right before him, to purge out this walking corruption. Soan Sagittarius barely know that Burmercian, did a job along side to save his kind's King. Dragoon man, however, has no such affiliation, minus the fact that the man seems to be a dragoon, as well. Clearly not the same traditions, obviously. Will get charged by a confused, desperate Faruja as he focus his attention on Barnabus, his eyes, glowing as they are, narrowing.

"I /tire/ of your drivel, Chaos Spawn." Dragoon Man snaps back, leaping away from his earlier strikes to hang himself upside down on top of a particularly lavish crystal decoration on the roof of the imense gathering room. "By the Valor of the First Borns, your kin never fully realize what you are into! FACE THEIR ANGER, THEIR DISDAIN AT YOUR EXISTANCE, FOLLOWER OF CHAOS! DESPAIR AS YOUR TIME TO FACE THE JUDGEMENT OF YOUR CRIMES IS UPON YOU!"

Barely rocking the fragile thing, the armored man launches himself downward, joining into the various devastating onslaught in their focused effort to destroy the thing. He may look calm on the outside... but as he approaches, as he falls toward the corruptor, DRAGOON MAN unleash and etheral howl of rage as he grab his Spear with both hands and bring it down, glowing with the cleansing fury of the sun, the pure light nutured from within him.

Then he brings it down again.

Again.

Again.

/Again/.

Ophelia has posed:
It takes a great deal of strength to pull a vampire away from her prey, strength that the Soldier certainly seems to be in command of. Ophelia's head comes up with an annoyed hiss and the vital fluid that she had been draining from the clerical guard geysers into the air to paint the walls with a fern-frond pattern as the last of his life ebbs away.

For a moment the young vampire's eyes narrow, a feral hunger burning within their dark red pits, and the possibilty that she might simply replace her previous victim with Zack looms between them. Then the glimmer of intelligence returns and the woman straightens up, rubbing a trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth.

"Pretty words. But you know nothing about me. For someone who preaches about uncertainty, you seem quite confident that I care about the lives of these weak-willed puppets or your idealistic philosophy. And in that, you would be mistaken."

The Inquisitor sheathes her blade as Zack turns away to unleash his fury on the demon. Ophelia moves; suddenly she is there standing beside the fallen body of the priest and the next she is atop another of the corrupted soldiers. Folding her fingers together into a wedge, she drives it directly at the man's back, her super-human strength easily striking with enough force to plunge the make-shift knife completely through his ribs and out his chest in a horrific display.

The demonic woman flashes throughout the church in blurred streaks, evicerating each of the soldiers in ghastly fashion, leaving mutilated corpses and bloody smears in her wake. As the gore builds up on her hands, she begins to wield the blood itself as a weapon, her finger tips sending waves of red viscera out like blades to carve apart everything that gets in her path.

The sadistic smile on her face makes it difficult to imagine that these acts cause her much in the way of guilt as they might Zack. She never believed in these fools, never cared for their cause or whether they believed in some all-knowing figure in the sky. Infact, the only reason she even joined them in the first place was to use them for resources.

With their true nature revealed, that usefulness has come to an end. Ophelia grins widely as she unleashes months of pent up frustration. "So kind of you all to reveal yourselves! I was afraid I might have to do actual work for a change!"

Faruja Senra has posed:
The sword strikes true. Father Barnabus coughs, gasps as flame begins to burn away his corrupted body. The laughs, spitting up blood. "...So close. But my death is nothing. Someone with /his/ dreams? Mortals are too weak. Too easily tempted. They'll throw away everything for a chance at fulfilling what they desire most."

Black feathers rain down. Barnabus looks up. He smiles, looking up to spy both Zack and the Dragoon in the air. "...Friendship? Paltry! Go on. Grow. Attach. You'll only get used, then tossed aside. All of that Faith for nothing." His gaze moves to the Dragoon. "Yes, Chaos! This is but the beginning! You are your sort shall be dead by the end of it! Come, strike me down! Fill me with your hatred! Yes, YES! GIVE IN!"

Deel's strikes ring true, pounding the man, further crippling the corrupted Priest. Down falls the spear of the Dragoon, and the holy fury of Zack's strike. The Priest explodes in a halo of fire, darkness, and light. A crater is left where he dies, otherworldly laughter ringing out after him.

The knife plunges into the Assassin's gut, and he staggers back. It sinks deep, and he lets out a weak, wet gasp. "F...Father..." Mutters the boy, before he slumps down. Glaring, he coughs, peering hatefully at Hati. "...You already lost the moment we showed him the stone. Watch, and despair, as out Master rises..." His head lolls forward, the assassin felled.

Words, familiar voices touch the rat's senses. Weight crashes upon him as he's tackled, send to the ground, dark wolves stalking around him. The knife clatters to the ground. His head pounds all the harder, a large bump on his head now. The Chalice is nicely dented.

Faruja stares out blankly. He doesn't react to the hits at first. Slowly, slowly he seems to come to. He shudders. Within his unconscious mind, a war is fought.

His aura, tinged with black, flares. The darkness banishes. A hand goes up, protecting him from another blow from the Chalice. For a moment, all he knows is love and care from so many precious people. Images of his dreams, his loved ones, and those gathered here flutter through his mind.

The Stone shines. Faruja speaks, voice calm and clear as sanity comes into his eye. "....Daemon. Offer me naught my dreams. For one whom claim to knoweth my soul and dwell in it, you understand so little. Call it what you will, but 'tis one dreamt for others. I shall have it indeed, but not by thy hand. I reject thee. BE GONE!"

The Stone's glow ends, those last vestiges of its power over the Burmecian fading away. No Strings, or other connections remain.

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
Ramza Beoulve locks eyes with Father Barnabus as he dies in a crater of fire. It wasn't the first time he'd killed. And while he realized the necessity, he'd still look every man in the eyes as he did so, treated them with some measure of dignity and respect, even if they didn't deserve it. Watched the light fade from their eyes. And add another tally mark upon his soul.

However he doesn't have time for introspection. Ophelia makes her intent known. A conversation buzzes in his linkpearl, and eventually assignments are made.

New Battle Objective: Kill Ophelia. BGM Change: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSiDzOdyXL8&list=PLEBEB9B5944DC15EC

Ophelia highlighted red in a fourth wall breaking manner right as she swept through the ranks of the Church soldiers, time freezing just to display this right before everything went back into perspective.

Alicia and Theodore work to cover Faruja even as he makes his rejection known. But Ramza Beoulve doesn't have time to smile, Ophelia is killing people.

Ramza paces his Chocobo over to Will, placing a hand upon his back. He opens his Chakra gate, then speaks two incantations in rapid succession, "Precious Armor be our light and protect us, Silent Light shield us from bloody Iniquity."

"End her."

Will Sherman has posed:
Will lands on the ground as Faruja finally fights off the demon..

"...And I didn't even do that one. That was all Faruja." he says with a grin... "Hold that feeling of warm feelings..." he says, and turns right towards Ophelia. His eyes narrow, "They were innocent people. They were being controled, I was going to ignore you, I was going to GIVE you the benifit of the doubt.." Will's voice takes on a OTHERworldly quality.

I was going to give you the chance to prove yourself something other than a monster, but you just wasted my goodwill and that of the man trying to give you that chance. For that, I will /end/ your poor depraved soul!

Will's pure aura starts shaking the ground his anger at this sensless slaughter as been brought forward, as he dives right at her, his hands BURN with red, the power to sever strings and fate itself as he aims to drive BOTH hands towards her chest, before twisting to get behind her...and Drive both hands again into her back, aiming to sever the bonds between her and the earthly existance.

"Begone, monster."

Hati has posed:
There is a cold grip that closes around the werewolf's heart in that brief instant as the assassin speaks. Her hatred turned to ice that flows through her veins. "You're wrong..." She whispers under her breath, but even as she speaks, the man's head tilts forward in death. There's no use arguing with a ghost.

Hati draws her knife free, still dripping in the man's blood. Her foot lashes out, kicking the gun away. Somehow, there is a part of this that doesn't feel like a victory. The priest's last words and those of the assassin, they all suggest that this is only a beginning, not an end.

Her eyes turn to Faruja, ears tilted backwards. The wolves back off a half-step, dropping back defensively. She has to wonder what it is that the demon offers him, even as some relief comes with the knowledge that he had chosen to reject that power. Yet, right now, she doesn't know yet how he will react to all of this when the truth comes to light.

What the werewolf is left with is a fight that doesn't seem her own. Hati had other things on her mind, and the acts of Ophelia had largely gone unnoticed in the tumult in the Cathedral. Whatever had gone on, it doesn't seem to be her fight any longer. Faruja was saved, and she would find out soon enough what Faruja thought of her betrayal in working with these heretics. Just not tonight.

So, the wolf steps back into the shadows, into a portal and her means of escape. Though, before she vanishes completely, one of those shadow wolves does nudge past Faruja's leg. the smallest sign of acknowledgement before they vanish, the thread of magic broken as Hati disappears the darkness.

Zack Fair has posed:
Zack exhales as he lands. He straightens, then turns to look at Ophelia. There's a weird serenity there on his face - a distant smile as the light around him dies and his wings fold up and vanish. He looks at his wrist and shakes his head; he's wasting too much time.

"It's freedom to hurt other people...but it's also our job to stop you. Sorry, but if you don't want to change, then I can't exactly help you." Zack closes his eyes and slings the sword over his shoulder. "But I don't regret saving you."

He grins. "I just wish you'd made a better choice. You'd look pretty cute in a nice red dress."

Soan Sagittarius has posed:
And just like that, it's gone. Showing very little that he was smashing his spear with such relentless fury, Dragoon Man slowly stands back up straight, giving a look around at Faruja. He's free, he can't smell the chaos nearly as much, anymore. Things... he suppose, will get better for a while. It's a good start.

There is still, however, the problem of the vampire, which he overlooked for the much more bigger threat of a demon. His eyes flick over to the various people that were snacked on, killed pretty easily.

"Did this seriously happen?" DRAGOON MAN lets out, his voice calm, with a heavy dose of menace behind his voice, already as Ramza calls on taking care of the Vampire. "I agree with the winged man. I don't think you've made the right decisions in your actions tonight."

With another roar, DRAGOON MAN lurches foward, shaking the ground as he leaps into the airs, arcing himself. He breaths down a large, concentrated stream of flames at the vampire, brandishing his spear downward to fully skewer her.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel says "They are stronger than you know. Because of their flawed nature they can become stronger. Perhaps so my kind was made to be used and look at me now. I beg to differ."

She fights along side the Users, that is more than enough for her in that case. She doesn't power her disc down there is still work to do.

"It seems you are part of the rot as well. You had been given a chance, you have thrown it away."

Deelel readies her disc but this time? The faceplate just seems to melt away revealing her face and it's not a happy look that's on it as she moves in to close with the monster.

"You will not find anything to feed on, in me."

Hati pulls out but she can't fault her much there's other things to worry about for her. Deelel can't lave this thing to rampage freely. Zack is a strange one but well she kinda gets what he's saying. As for the vampire? Deelel is launching her disc at them rapidly trying to trip them them keep them off balance and otherwise set them up for her allies attacks. She's not at all shocked about Dragoon Man being pleased about what Ophelia has done, it seems not many of the people here are. Still in the back of her mind there is some relief as she knows Faruja is now save but there's no rest for them tonight it would seem.

Ophelia has posed:
The last of the demon's minions falls, impaled visciously on Ophelia's arm. She pulls her hand free and whirls to face the new threat of the Braves. She fully expected to do battle with these fools this evening, however, the strange powers that some of them are exhibiting give her a slight pause.

Will throws himself into the attack first, ever the excitable one, and Ophelia lashes out with bloody claws sending a cross of pulsing blood to slam into his chest. The gory assault carves into his flesh, leaving gaping wounds that refuse to heal and staining his already disheveled clothing with fresh blood.

This doesn't stop the angry boy and the two immortals crash into each other in an explosion of red. Ophelia shrieks again as her unholy existence is unraveled at the seems but she manages to drive the timeless hobo back before he can finish the job.

"Hmph. As I expected of low-born scum, you cannot see beyond your own foolish desire to make the world conform to your childish delusions. These men served the church and the church is your enemy. Do you truly believe that spouting some foolish drivel about friendship will change that? Did you honestly believe that you can walk the path you have chosen without staining your hands? Ahahaha!"

A gout of flame interrupts the vampire, driving her a few steps backwards as she lifts an arm to ward off the assault. Dragoon Man's spear follows behind the scorching heat in short order but a quick sideways swing of her arm knocks the deadly polearm aside, driving it into the ground instead.

Ophelia sneers at the program, her voice practically oozing contempt. "Is that all you are capable of, parroting the meaningless drivel that spews from those around you? Insects like you have no place addressing me!"

One of the many katana that hang from the vampire's body appears in her hand, her movements too fast to follow, and she swings the blade at the air, calling up a wave of powerful explosions that shred pews and corpses alike as they daisy chain across the church for Deelel. The disc strikes are parried effortlessly but they still manage to pressure Ophelia enough that she has to devote her attention to dealing with them for a few moments.

"Unfortunately, dear boy, if you want to find out what I look like in that dress you'll have to try a little harder to court me. I've finished what I came here to do. Better luck next time."

Ophelia rubs the blood still dripping from her viscious claws across her lips in a dark mockery of lipstick and blows Zack a mocking kiss. Then, with the same preternatural speed that she displayed before, the vampire leaps into the air and darts out the same hole which the heavily armored dragoon created upon his entrance, vanishing into the night sky on leathery wings and leaving only the haunting echo of her laughter behind.

Will Sherman has posed:
Will Sherman's body is not increadibly resistant to physical pain, even worse while he channels his fae magic like he does. These things have drawbacks, but right now Ophelia will notice one thing...the wound isn't festering like it should. The body is actively fighting the strange affliction, purging it from his body...

His eyes narrow as she speaks, "Shut up." he says, "I don't want to hear your garbage. The Church is not my enemy..."

Will pulls out the SHOTGUN OF LEADERSHIP and levels it at the Vampire as she starts sprouting the wings and the trying to leave.

"I am not afraid to stain my hands, monster. But not with the blood of innocent men."

"I will stain my hands on the blood of monsters."

The shotgun levels, "Monsters like you."

BAM.

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
Ophelia starts to fly away on leathery wings. He doesn't announce his intent. He just teleports overhead, straight off Boco, blinking onto her back. "I learned long ago that the world wouldn't conform to my expectations..."

And then he tries to drive his sword through her with a double-handed strike. "...but if you think that I will stand idly by while you murder people..." And then he addresses his sword, "Flame devouring blade..." Whether or not the blade impales her, he still speaks the next part of the incantation, "...consume all iniquity." The blade begins to glow white hot, as it starts to reach critical mass.

Chirijiraden

The night sky is enveloped by an explosion of ghastly blue flames. Ramza however, doesn't attempt to hang onto her. That would be folly. Instead, he blinks back down into the cathedral floor. "...then it is you that speak folly...."

Soan Sagittarius has posed:
Dragoon Man watches the vampire flying away, landing on the ground as she begins to go through the very hole that he came through down here. Without thinking about it, he wipes off something from the side of his face-shaped mask, eyes narrowing up.

"How adorable. A noble woman who thinks her so called nobility matters."

Dragoon Man's form blurs as he dashes back to the altar, leaping upward in the skies, shooting way past the highest height of the church's like a rocket. Twisting himself in-mid-air, he immediatedly changes the direction of his momentum to chase after the flying vampire. He breaths out a stream of flames down, immediatd encased by another breath of crackling energy, frying the air and whatever moisture that's been hanging in the air.

Last but not least, as he homes upon the flying vampire, catching up to her, his spear is brought down with a cold, silent swing, bringing out his fury.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Slowly, Faruja stands. As Hati melts away into her dark portal, his look isn't one of betrayal. Sanity returned to him, everything is clear as day. Whomever she sided with, he knows well /why/ she did what she did. She, along with so many others, saved his life, his very soul. It's something he won't forget.

That single red eye turns to the Inquisitor, seeing her in that monstrous state. Watching on the sidelines, he gauges the battle. Part of him screams to join it. To strike her down. To end the corruption. But the part the Daemon tried to convince holds greater sway. Plans, half formed but there, swirl in his mind. The others pile on the woman as she makes her escape.

"Cease. There hath been far too much blood spilled tonight." Calls out the rat. Taking a deep breath, he walks past broken bodies and rubble. He stares up to where the Cathedral's altar once stood. Kneeling, the Burmecian begins to pray. A few moments later, he rises.

"...Thank you." States the rat to the room at large. Simple words, but he can't deny the heart-felt feeling behind them.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel says "Yes we do, it is not foolish. I have longer than you might expect. I seen it change things."

She's saying this while she's moving after the Vampire, her. She doesn't reply on the comment to Zack's word. She however is fast inhumanly so as she just bolts after Ophelia aiming to get off an strike. She's does not want to let her escape if she can help it.

Deelel might be too late but with the rest of the party closing in she launches her own disc. It almost seems to sing from the hum the combat edge marks as it cuts through he air attempting to catch the monster as she flees.

"I will not stand by and allow you carry on like this."

Then there is Dragoon Man unleashing the wrath t this point and well Faruja? She's got some stuff to tell Faruja but not yet they have to deal with the Vampire if they can.

Zack Fair has posed:
Zack lays a hand on Faruja's shoulder. "Hey. Like I said, 'ru - uncertainty's what makes us human. Or...uh, rat-man, I guess."

Light washes off of Zack's hand; it streams over the wounded, a healing touch casting itself across the church to save who Zack can, accompanied by a gentle, peaceful, soothing wind. Zack smiles and pats Faruja's shoulder again. "Proud of you, buddy."

Ophelia has posed:
The pellets slam into Ophelia's side as she rises but at the speeds she's traveling, it does little more than tear at her armor and exposed skin, cutting deep gouges into her legs. The attack earns a hiss from the vampire but she continues to climb past the confines of the roof, smashing aside the program with a sweep of her wing and leaving a faint red smear on the edge of the hole as she brushes against it on her way out.

Ramza's magic allows him to cheat gravity, winking to life above the hovering bat-winged woman as she breaks free of the church. Ophelia glares up at him and flips sideway, throwing her great wings out to dislodge the youth from her shoulders. She escapes being impaled but the deadly explosion of the sword's spirit unleashing its fury engulfs her even as the dragoon drops from above, his powerful spear piercing through the cloud of destruction to puncture clean through her abdomen.

Ophelia cries out in muted pain as she is skewered neatly. But even with such a devastating wound inflicted upon her the vampire proves that her kind are not so easily destroyed. With a powerful kick from her feet she dislodges Dragoon Man and his spear from her body, lingering in the air for a moment longer to stare down with contempt at the Braves even as she bleeds profusely.

"Try as you might, mortals, you cannot save everyone."

Her gaze drifts to where Faruja kneels at the alter but rather than risk staying any longer she wheels about on her great wings and makes for the safety of her hidden lair. She doesn't fear her master's response to her actions - he above all others understands the necessity for thoroughness.

Will Sherman has posed:
"...Man, did she not get it?" Will looks at Ramza, "Like. I mean...do I need a sign? A big <GOOSEHONK>ing sign? I AM NOT A MORTAL! Like...ugh, forget it, I take it as a compliment. Immortals are all (except me) jerks." he throws his hands up.

"And also, seriously, that is such bad villianry right there!"

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
Ramza Beoulve doesn't pay any attention to the fleeing vampire any longer and just surveys the corpses of the fallen individuals she murdered, as he walks over to each, touching his flaming Katana against each of them.

As they burn, he looks away back towards Will. "Well.." There is a measured pause, "...one of my favorite modern conveniences I witnessed in Manhatten is the neon sign. She appears self-absorbed enough that she might require you to have one."

His expression looks abstracted though, even as he banters. "Let's go. We're finished here. Our concerns should turn to the living."

Deelel has posed:
Deelel sighs at the whole state of things.

"She really doesn't know my kind does she."

She sighs and looks at the state of things at the Church and everyone else remaining there. She looks to Will, then to Faruja followed by Dragoon man and Ramza.

"There is another thing about the stone you need to know. We encountered someone who beat Faruja and to the chalice.

She pulls the disc off her back and she messes with it for a moment images come up it's like Deelel is pulling up her memories. A face appears of a certain Man with white hair Will should remember him from a certain trip. Deelel does not know his name but she seems concerned.

"This man claimed he was a scholar of some sort and somehow got past all the traps and everything else we had to get past."

Will Sherman has posed:
Will pauses...that...

THEN MEMORY FLASH...

"Oh god, the Seeker..." Will says, "Why in the <GOOSEHONK> was he there?! That makes no sense.." He frowns...

Will then clams up... "I am taking this thing to have it burried so deep nobody will ever find it again." Will says, and starts turning away. He takes the Challice too, because HE is getting something for the services of the TDA. Besides more nightmares.

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
Ramza pauses as he mounts Boco, looking at the disc Deelel presented to them. He memorizes the features of the man, etching them into his memory. "A scholar you say?"

And then he glances sidelong at Will, "The Seeker? ...Take care, I don't know if the Church has the means to track it down. I was intending to experiment with methods on how to have it destroyed. And if you require aid in it's destruction, well, you know how to contact me."

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja looks up to the hand on his shoulder. The Burmecian smiles. "Thank thee, Ser Fair. Hah...doubt, is it? I find it little to my liking. Yet all too common this night. All too common."

Ophelia is gone, and Faruja turns. He speaks, addressing the group. "All of you...friends and foe alike. I have naught words. With this...the lives and souls of so many are freed. My own included. 'Tis a debt that I cannot repay." Starts the rat, emotion briefly choking his voice. A moment, and he composes himself, breathing heavily. His face is that of a man warring with his own beliefs. Yet, his hand clutches his cross. Faith remains, likely one of the very few threads keeping him sane.

Each and every one gets a weak smile, and a nod. "I shan't forget this. No matter the road that lay before any of us...I shan't forget it."

His eye lands on Ramza. "Beoulve...mayhaps I was wrong about thee. The veil is torn from my sight yet...so much to ponder, so much to reconcile." Pausing, he sighs. "...Yet our fate be crossed blades. I know naught. Damn this corrupt, filthy world! In another, we may yet have been friends."

Faruja listens to both Deelel and Will. He sighs. "Yes...I remember him well. He even cautioned me. What a fool I was...My dear friend. We needest find out whom this man is, and what he intends."

Finally, Faruja turns to Will, his eye gazing at the Chalice and the stone. "Will...that Stone..." Starts the rat. He shivers. "Bury it all ye like, someone shall discover it. 'Twas beneath the crypts of Mullonde, and yet /we/ managed it. Almost killed us. No. The Church shall become suspicious if 'tis lost. And they shall hunt thee, and thy friends for it. Give me the Stone, Will. It's hold over my soul is long past. I shall keep it safe. Destruction? Nay." A look of iron certainty fills the rat's gaze.

"Not destruction. Cleansing. Please. Call me a madman, but...if the corruption of that which lay within may be thrown from myself, mayhaps so too the Stone may be made pure. Let me at least try."

Zack Fair has posed:
"So I'm not gonna tell you 'I told you so'," Zack adds helpfully, smacking Faruja on the back, a wide grin on his face, "But I totally told you so."

Faruja Senra has posed:
Wince. Faruja wobbles at the back-smack. "....Damnit, Ser Fair. I /do/ suppose I deserve that one. And an entire bar's worth of drinks for my damned sanity."

Deelel has posed:
Deelel says "I'll have to ask you about this man later then, Will. He was very polite but unsettling it seems there's more to this man than I first suspected. Will if you need help let me know. I'll do what I can but these things are a bit beyond me. Faruja lets get you back back to the HQ to recover. Wait you have a point there as much as I hate to say it. If we alert the one behind this they will change their plans. Oh ya Faruja the bar keep hired me to collect your tab."

She moves to fit her disc back on her back snugly as it latches back in place. She glances back to where the fight was for a moment.

"This is just another fine mess we got ourselves into it isn't?"

Zack Fair has posed:
"Something like that. Listen, I'm gonna get out of here; I got somewhere I gotta be, real important." Zack releases Faruja and heads for the door. "Good luck purifying the stone. I'll send you my invoice, huh?"

Will Sherman has posed:
"...No." Will says, "Not while you stand with the Church. They'll try to use it again, and you saw what happened...that man, I know not his story, but once I bet he was a good man..." Will shrugs. "They can get suspicious all they want, but they will have to do a damn good job. And I have many friends they'd never expect, and places they will never find." Will says with certainly.

"...Besides, do you think you will be able to stand with the church, now that you've let people who killed a priest escape, oh and I am sure the deaths of the people that witch killed will be on our heads, OH and then she'll claim we assaulted her and she acted in self defense."

"Do you think you hold enough sway to convince them that these herritics are really good people? I dunno, Ramza's story seems more and more true, after I have witnessed here." Will nods to Deelel...

"If you really are that intent, though...We'll hold it while you look up something to purify it. Maybe then.." he shurgs. "But..." Will pauses, "You realize that woman, Hati, put /everything/ on the line to save you...even...even realizing you might turn your back on her for assaulting the Priest."

"It doesn't take my eyes to show how she feels about you."

Soan Sagittarius has posed:
DRAGOON MAN is gone.

Or, actually, not really at all, just standing on top of the church, listening in from the hole that he made, looking out with a frown at the horizon.

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
Ramza Beoulve's mount stops in its tracks, as he turns to meet Faruja's eyes with his gaze. For a moment his expression is entirely neutral, brimming with a sort of quiet intensity. And then a moment later he states, "And why must it be crossed blades?"

BGM Change: http://www.listenonrepeat.com/watch/?v=dE1eCoj2D1s

He tugs lightly on his reins, turning to bring Boco towards Faruja, "You are a man of faith, and I respect that. Even now, you might seek to cleanse the corruption of your church. Mayhaps the world itself."

His expression turns into a smile, "I never sought to break your faith in your god. Only in the infallibility of mortal men. Of corrupt officials, and false priests. I am a believer in Faram myself. And if you wish, I can show you the truth."

As he looks down at Faruja, he offers him his hand in friendship, "Come visit us in the near future. And even if you do not believe what I have to tell you in full.. well I'd very much like to know more of the man that I once shared a meal with."

There is a short pause, as he gives Zack a neutral look, deadpanning so as not to give away the joke, "At your rates Ser Fair? We will soon all be paupers, with our coffers empty. But it is worth it to have you at our side."

And then he looks between Faruja and Will Sherman, before nodding, "I think I can agree to that. We will hold onto the Auracite. Come to us whenever you discover a way to purify it."

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja peers at Will, and finally, he nods. "...Fine, hardly do I have the strength to argue. You are utterly correct, Ser Sherman. Far too correct." He sighs, shaking his head. "The Ladies Dennou, Ser Alexander, all of thy friends...the Church would hunt thee all. And worse...casualties upon both sides. Innocent, unknowing casualties. Nay. Nay, Ser, hardly shall I allow /that/." Pausing, his head lowers. "Hah...my, my, my. Yes, I know. She loves me. And, I...I her. Damnit. Call me a selfish bastard, but if what happened today were to be learned of? She too would be hunted. /NO/."

Faruja turns to Ramza. His own gaze is melancholy. "'Tis a day that I shall remember, Beolve, no matter what may pass between us. I think...that you may well be the man that I would much rather think thee to be." That hand is taken, shaken.

"Agreed. And I shall. However...surely you know that these ones cannot have been here." His tail flicks, indicating Will, Deel, the long-gone Hati, and the DRAGOON man.

Hesitation fills him for a moment, but then he nods. "...None were here. /None/. Not myself, any of you." Turning, he points to the body of the assassin. "'Twas this one and his ilk that performed this crime. A simple enough connection when I am assigned to be the investigator, along with others of the Inquisition. There is indeed rot within the Church, Beolve. Yet, so too did I swear an oath; to protect, serve, and keep the sanctity of this very organization. And so too did I swear one to thyself, should corruption truly be beset upon the Church! Those words...spoken in anger or nay, they are ones held true. To all the world, Beolve, you and I must appear enemies. Nothing changes, at least as far as others might see it. All the while, I shall hunt for those whom corrupt the Church and keep it from fulfilling its sacred duty. What say thee? Shall we play a game of detestible shadows for the good of all?"

Faruja's gaze is searching as he peers up at Ramza, only to turn it upon every person in the room. "This night...we were never here. None of us. 'Tis for the safety of all involved."

Soan Sagittarius has posed:
"Worry about yourself, Ser Faruja." DRAGOON MAN intones from above, staring downward through the stone to where the Burmercian is at. His voice is low and high enough to be heard, but not project through the damn countryside. "Do you think it'll be that easy? If this rot exists, and this rot that tried to ensare you, they will be aware that they have failed in this endavour. Your strength of will to uphold your oaths are commendable, worthy of any Dragon Knights worth of their names, however."

The Dragoon looks back upward, frowning beneath his mask. "Steel your Strength and your Will about this. You'll also need your Wits."

Will Sherman has posed:
"Don't cover me in Steel..." Will complains...

"Oh you mean Willpower." Will says, with a grin.

Will looks at Faruja...and smiles. "So he /CAN/ be taught! Sweet lord it's a miracle!" Will grins, it's a large one as he nods once to Faruja. "Protect that...that kinda love is a once in a lifetime thing Faruja." And then...

"Well, do what you think is right, but...remember Dragoon man has a point."

"So...I wasn't here, Deelel wasn't here, and Hati wasn't here. Nobody was here. The stone is lost to all, and so is this thing." He holds the chalice he probably has imbeded one of Faruja's teeth on. "...So can I go home now? I want food." Will's stomach Growls.

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
The hand is shaken firmly. And then Ramza listens to him speak. He can't say that he isn't disappointed, but he at least admires the man's conviction.

After a time, in which his expression is thoughtful, he simply nods, "Thank you, Ser Senra. I think it is a poor judgement call, what you intend, but you must follow your own heart. I can't fault you for that. And I daresay it won't be difficult for me to claim that I wasn't here. I'm a /criminal/ to your Church after all. If it must be done to protect you and those you love, then I could scarce say otherwise."

"Let's go home..." And then a short pause, in which he looks at Will, "....Well, to your home, since we don't have one. Dinner is on me."

Deelel has posed:
Deelel nods in agreement to Faruja a lot of innocent Templar and soldiers in the Church's employ would die as well as people caught in the middles. She sighs for a moment as she seems concerned. Law on Flynn OS is simple, the security programs /check/ the memories of the accused and see if they actually did it or not.

"I may be an issue my memory recall is perfect and accessible as you saw."

"I have to agree I was off painting something as normal and recovering from my adventures last night. come now lets get you some rest Faruja you need to recover from everything you had a long long day.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja smirks, rubbing his bandaged face. "I am not so foolish as I may appear, Ser." A nod. "On my oaths and honor. She is precious to me. Lord help any whom attempt to come between us."

The rat looks up. "Let them come, step into the light and be struck down. They shall find me, vision unbound, not wanting for such. I shall keep thy words in mind, Ser."

"Mayhap so, but 'tis the only path open to me. A Burmecian lives and dies on his honor, his oaths. Better to die a fool than live a wise man. Lord preserve us all in these dark days." Faruja bows, and crosses himself.

"Now off with all of ye. Deel, shall we?" Grabbing her wrist, he incants a Warp spell. The two will be deposited at the Seeker's headquarters. Swiftly, the rat breaks out several bottles of booze.

"Should anyone ask, we were too drunk off our arses tonight to know anything. And by the hangover we shall have, it shall be believed. Bottoms up, Lady Deel." The rat tips the bottle, proceeding to get drunk off his tail.