Save Yourself

Save Yourself
Date of Scene:	16 December 2012
Location:	Goug
Synopsis:	After her encounter with the mutated Angantyr leads to an unexpected loss of control, the demon carries Leida to a new hunting ground to recover lost strength. However, some heroic refugees who have made this town their new home have something to say about that.
Cast of Characters:	Mercade Alexander, Tifa Lockhart, Sarafina Carenze, Minerva, Leida

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Leida has posed:
The evening was cool and dry in the Clockwork City as the last vestiges of the fading sun begin to withdraw into the horizon, leaving the area cast in the blossoming moonlight and pallid yellow glow of lamps and fireplaces spilling out from the windows of the dusty stone buildings. The chill in the air could be attributed to the haunting perpetual fogs of the nearby aptly named Mist Plains, the bite of the winter season only adding to the crisp nip in the air.

The city is more crowded of late, refugees from Manhattan slowly working their way from Traverse Town to various new worlds in search of safe haven and a fresh start. The constant excavations into the labyrinth of tunnels below the city are a good source of employment for those with the skills and the will to perform manual labor and the plethora of ancient abandoned buildings that comprise the haphazard foundation of the city itself at least ensure that many are able to sleep with a roof over their heads.

As such the sight of a new face in town was not that unusual nor met with particular fanfare or alarm in most cases. The flat and even expanse of the grassy fields in every direction allowed for any posted guards or busybodies to see travelers coming for miles in advance, even those that choose to brave the forests rather than stick to the beaten trail. So it was a little surprising when the small girl stepped out of the shadows of a lone tree a few hundred feet away from the city.

The youth stared quietly from her place in the field, the tall untamed grass rustling as it brushed back and forth across her legs in the lowland breeze. She observed in silence the bustle of the people making their way to homes and taverns, the labor of a full day's work ready to be relieved with food, drink, and rest. Quietly she wondered what it must be like to have such simple lives, as she had often done so while watching the peasants toil from her window in the castle at home.

Nothing in her life had ever been simple. Even now as she stood alone in the middle of an alien world, a million fragments of things to come, decisions already made, and dreams that might never yet be whirled through her mind in a storm of unusual clarity. Her encounter with the dark knight had stirred something loose, some part of herself that she had thought lost to that... thing. The creature that she had embraced with open arms in her moment of greatest weakness.

These moments of awareness had been frequent since that day on the beach. The darkness had to fight to keep her subdued now but in the end... it always won. A pain gripped her heart even as the thought touched her mind, the monster within stirring as if strengthened by proxy of its mention. She clutched at her chest as pain wracked her body, staggering from the physical impact of its efforts to reassert control. Wisps of pale white escaped her lips, each labored breath a minor victory but slowly the fog began to seep into her mind as well.

The sweet sensation of clear thought faded as the darkness rose to take its dominant role again, blotting out her memories, her emotions, everything that she was. It hissed to her as it came, poisonous siren words filled with lies of comfort and emptiness. She could not help but swallow their deadly sounds until only the familiar cold of nothing filled her head.

Slowly, Leida turned her sleepy eyes towards the city once again, her movements strange and languid. Her slender arms went to the belt about her waist, unfastening the elaborate sheathe there and clutching it to her chest like it was the most precious thing in the world. The darkness had grown paranoid of late with its loss of control and the feel of the ancient weapon made it calm. It spat an internal curse at the thought - more human drivel filtering into its own existence. It would wipe them clean from this world just as it had the last and then it wouldn't have to worry any more. The hint of a twisted smile touched her lips as she saw the people through a new perspective, one filled with sinister intent hidden under layers of grief and madness.

"The eternal night... will come..."

Mercade Alexander has posed:
There has been more unusual situations as of late in Goug. People arriving from other places, other worlds.

Mercade Alexander was one of those people, staggering into town, half-dead after seeking his way here from the deadly wilderness.

He was promptly mugged afterwards.

Nevertheless, he managed to recover, and now reunited with Sarafina and given essential information, they seek out the nature of a potential problem. Word travels fast in Goug.

Mercade walks into the main town from the slums, looking for the source of the disturbance... And when he sees who it is, his eyes narrow.

"You." His tone is cold. His words are simple.

Sarafina Carenze has posed:
Reunited with Mercade, it seems like there isn't much long before there's yet more trouble cropping about. There are plenty of empty homes in Traverse Town but it's also not to everyone's tastes. Maybe it doesn't feel like home. Maybe it's not modern enough. It's hard to say.

She follows after Mercade and upon seeing Leida says, "You..."

She pauses and looks to Mercade. "Who?"

Minerva has posed:
Minerva had returned to the city here, discovering a fragment of her own world had survived which made her feel slightly better but worse at the same time. She's just been making the rounds to a pub she'd knew of which still was in business. She'd also been checked up on some of the Refugees as well. She couldn't do much but she was pretty strong and put herself to work helping where she could.

She could feel the darkness from Leida and it ha pulled her off whatever she'd been doing, something else was here and it was of the dark. It would have to be handled one way or another she arrives shortly after Mercades and Sarafine, one it seems Mercade is very much alive. Avira and others might like to know this, but for now there's a demon in the skin of a young girl to deal with. Unlike Mercade she says nothing and just stares at Leida sizing her up.

Leida has posed:
The young woman began to stalk across the plains, slowly making her way towards the outskirts of the city. The sudden appearance of the unusual girl sent ripples of conversation through the crowds and word quickly filtered to certain ears. Even as she drew close to the city of engineers and refugees a shadow darkened the path and a familiar voice touched her ears.

A sharp crosswind cut across the plains as Leida came to a halt, her voluminous hair billowing out behind her in a rhythmic waving motion. She lifted her head to gaze up at the trio that had separated themselves from the crowd to meet her, smiling faintly at the sight of the detective.

"Ah... Lord Mercade... we meet again..." The sheathe was clutched tightly again, the girl hugging it as if the mere presence of a face she recognized filled her with joy. "Have you come to scold me too...?"

Sarafina Carenze has posed:
"Young lady," Sarafina says. "I presume you must be some sort of mage because only a mage would wear a leotard, a cape, and armor that covers less than a fifth of their body at the same time. This attire is not very appropriate. As a young lady I am sure you are aware that that sort of outfit will draw the eyes, not just of potential suitors but of those insisting to take advantage. To your credit you are armed, but you don't wish to draw in trouble for no purpose I am certain and beyond that, you must think of your health."

She looks to Mercade. "Come, do you have a coat of some sort? We must find this child some clothes right away. She'll catch a death of cold in that compilation."

Mercade Alexander has posed:
Maybe Traverse Town just doesn't have room for several thousand people.

Out of almost 2 million.

"Leida." Mercade says, clarifying for Sarafina. "I wish I had kinder words for you." He looks down, for a moment, speaking.

Sarafina asks for Mercade to supply a coat. Mercade holds up a hand in front of Sarafina, blocking her from getting closer. "Don't get close, Sara. She's possessed by some kind of demon, which probably explains the clothing." He looks to Leida again. "Leida, why can't you keep it under control? Every time you let it go free, people die."

Sarafina Carenze has posed:
Sarafina Carenze wrinkles her nose as Mercade explains. Somehow, that just makes things worse, but there's a moment before she goes on an even bigger tirade.

Minerva has posed:
Minerva is just caught off guard by everything Sarafina hs to say but she knows what happened she knows how many people died. It was a number for her that was hard to grasp but she'd seen their city. Buildings that reached to heaven, machines that could go faster than horses. It was like a view of the lost age of her world really. Beyond that the human misery caused by a few power made monsters. She doesn't attack Mercade and Serafina seem to have something in mind. Simply going purge the witch would likely end poorly for a lot of bystanders.

"He speaks the truth, if you can not keep the dark under control it will control you..."

Leida has posed:
Leida's gaze drifted to the armored knight as she chastised her attire, her smile becoming acquiescent after a moment. "No... I wouldn't want to cause any trouble... I am a good girl..."

She closed her eyes at Mercade and Maira's words, taking a deep breath. Just like she suspected, they did not understand. No one ever did. The warmth of her body turned to white mist as she gave a soft exhale.

"I would have thought... you would understand the gift I bring..." The girl's voice was soft and raspy, similar to the wind that beat at the grass and hardly any louder. She looked at the detective again, twinkles of sickly fire already beginning to smoulder in her pupils. "...having experienced it yourself."

She took a step forward and lifted a hand, turning it to sweep casually towards the gathered people. "Look at them... so full of fear... of despair... of darkness..." Her smile returned as the whispers in her head spurred her on, hissing their words of twisted truths into her fractured reality.

"I can take that all away from them... and give them... peace..."

Mercade Alexander has posed:
"You don't bring a gift at all. The only peace you bring is death." Mercade says, sadly. He looks up, and yells at the townsmen and villagers. "WHAT ARE YOU IDIOTS STANDING AROUND FOR?" He says. "RUN! RUN FOR YOU LIVES, YOU FOOLS!"

"You seek out the darkness in people's hearts and consume it for your own... But you kill them in the process." The Detective reaches into his coat. "You probably can't really hear me, but... I suppose I will have to ask your forgiveness in whatever afterlife you believe in."

He pulls a pearl-handled revolver and sights down the barrel towards Leida's head. "I'm sorry, Leida."

Minerva has posed:
Minerva says "My master taught me one thing about the dark it can be a tool but never take it lightly dig too deep and it will consume you. You are all but lost child."

She also barks joining Mercade's warning "GO FLY! GET AWAY FROM HERE SHE MEANS TO FEAST UPON YOU ALL!"

She's already bringing her fists up and falling in a ready stance the fight is about to start.

"I do this with no malice child. You did not deserve what happend to you."

If Mercade's shot fails she's going to back him up.

Sarafina Carenze has posed:
Sarafina opens her mouth. It stays open for a moment in SHOCK. But eventually she says, "Young lady. Or demon, I suppose. Just because one is possessed doesn't mean one can't wear proper clothing." Mercade gets his Gandalf on, Sarafina recognizes this is, in a sense, a threat but she's not entirely comfortable murdering a kid. She may be possessed but that's part of why she's not entirely comfortable with killing her while she's possessed.

She closes her eye, sighing faintly. "Well, it's bloody work..." She mutters.

"Can't let you do this. I trust Mercade's word. If you intend to hunt down those already dispossessed, we will have no choice."

Leida has posed:
The girl's smile widened and changed, becoming something altogether more sinister and demented as the killing intent filled the three. A faint noise welled up within her, almost so soft as to be inaudible at first but slowly it grew in intensity until its form was clear.

Laughter.

A haunting giggle spilled from Leida, her shoulders shivering with the motion. Her girlish rasp was joined after a few moments by another voice, dark and deep. Together they merged into a discordant note that filled the air and seemed to echo from everywhere at once.

As the crowds turned to flee, needing no further encouragement beyond the shouted warnings of danger, the girl tilted her head to the side. "You still do not understand... do you...?

All at once the air rent itself apart violently in a dozen places. The shadows themselves welled up into pits of utter black and from the holes in reality scattered about the girl and her would-be executioners, boney demonic arms took shape from the darkness. Visceral claws dripping with shadow and venom clutched and raked at the air in their birth-throes, menacing their deadly talons at the three.

"Everyone is already dead..."

The disembodied arms exploded into motion at that proclamation, surging forward to smash foot-long bladed fingers into their bodies. Pits of shadow molded together into cohesive blobs of black ooze and bubbled up from the ground all about them, smacking wetly at their legs as they sought to sink into the flesh, their very touch carrying with it the taint of evil magic.

Mercade Alexander has posed:
Yeah, this was basically what he was expecting. Mercade lunges backwards, the attack slashing into him and leaving trails across him. He grimaces as he feels the evil poisons of the Darkness doing its work to him, however, sapping his life force already as he gets some more distance.

"You're a coward." He says. "You're tormenting that girl just because she's too weak to fight back. You're nothing better than a parasite." He levels the gun, firing two quick shots, before lining up a deadly strike for Leida's head. "You wouldn't stand a chance if you were dealing with someone stronger."

Minerva has posed:
Minerva looks at the girl as she laughs yes there's nothing that can be done now. She listens as gloats saying they are already dead.

"You are sadly mistaken."

Minerva launches herself at the girl and strikes out, her fist catching fire for a moment as the taint of the evil magic strikes her. She's slowed but not stopped She's still heading to the girl. She knows about pressure points, she knows how to disrupt those who use magic, chi or other forms of energy and that's what she does here striking out at Leida's exposed vital areas, Even one on the legs that is exposed due to her lack of pants...

Sarafina Carenze has posed:
DARK HORRIBLE OOZE slams into Sarafina's body. She sinks to her knees, gritting her teeth as pain wracks her body. It's as painful as it is unexpected. She holds her hand to her face and shakes in place for a moment, as she tries to--push through it with sheer willpower. There is no doubt, she thinks, despite her adorable, pants-less exterior--inside she is a demon! Could the girl inside be..recovered? Or something akin to that? Healed? She doesn't know. She's not a priest.

She stands up slowly, shaking her head faintly again and then raises her chainsaw into the air. She spins it around and then slams it down super hard into the ground, so SUPER HARD in fact, that the ground shatters somewhat under the force of the blow--she was trying to avoid that, but she bellows out and slams her chest with her fist.

And roars.

It's very inspiring. To dragoons at least.

Tifa Lockhart has posed:
Tifa Lockhart is a bit late to the party, but there she is. After the initial disturbance, she went to make sure people would be safe and out of reach of whatever was disturbing. She was with Mercade at the bar when it all started, so they went different directions from there.

But now her part is done, and she runs back into the fray to rejoin with the rest. She only has a moment to assess what's going on.

That girl again, wasn't Aerith trying to help her back to the light? Something about not being her fault and being consumed by darkness... She's never sure when Aerith tries to explains things that she feels, since she can't share it.

Either way, if Mercade is attacking her, there must be good reason, so she decides to join in. But since she's a distance away, she decides to open up with magic, sending some buffing magic toward Sarafina and Mercade, hoping to give them a bit of an edge until she gets to help more directly.

Leida has posed:
Leida cried out as the bullets dug into her flesh, twisting her one way then another as they slammed into her armor. The final round found purchase in her youthful face, burrowing a deep furrow into her forehead as the impact snapped the girl's head back with a sickening crack. Rather than blood, however, thick black ichor exploded from the wound, vaporizing into an aerosol mist as it dispersed into the air.

A wave of darkness rose up from the ground, interposing itself between the monk and the girl as Leida staggered back, the wound already beginning to seal itself over as dark webs of inky shadow rushed to fill the ragged tear. Slowly, her head tilted back up to regard them once more, lolling to one side in a disturbing fashion.

"So cruel..." She whispered, looking back at them through disheveled bangs and sticky black fluid. "I worked hard... I worked ever so hard... why does everyone keep abandoning me...?"

Dark purple fire began to dance around her body, a hazy nimbus of deadly evil energy erupting to fill the air with invisible dread. The sorrow that she expressed poured freely from her body, dragging at their souls and their resolve merely by being in her presence.

The shadows rose up again, the tenebrous hands curdling into massive fists that swung at them like the hammers of angry gods, shattering the ground with each heavy impact and scorching the air with the same oppressive fire.

Mercade Alexander has posed:
"I don't know, because you keep killing them, probably." Maybe Mercade is being a little hard on her, but he's not really in a particularly merciful mood right now lately. Oh, right, and then there's the hundred of deaths. Yeah, that could do it too.

Mercade, thankfully, knows better than to stay within range of Leida's soul-sapping aura. He maintains distance, the slow demon-possessed girl a good target for him as he launches himself out of the way of the deadly attacks. With a deft motion, he slides between the pounding, shadowy fists, continuing to lay down gunfire in the same pattern: Two quick shots, and then an aimed, deadly strike.

Mercade Alexander has posed:
The Detective's movements are only enhanced by the assistance from Tifa's magical assistance, as well as the rousing roar from Sarafina. They keep the edge off of the deadly poisonous presence of Leida, giving them the sustainability they need to keep on going. "Keep the heat up!" He calls to the others. "Bring her down fast!"

Minerva has posed:
Minerva is just having a bad day it's going to get worse. She's not even sure where the girl ends and the darkness starts. Purging it, he wouldn't even know where or how to start. She doesn't even think the Templar could do it at this point. Other than put the girl down. Still Mercade tried and he got some respect points for that. She's actually backing off the taint is taking hold of her body and perhaps hr soul. She needs to purge it from her system so she focuses inward on herself. Leida is more worrisome than other minions of the dark she's encountered. She doesn't fight directly she corrupts like LEXUS does...

Sarafina Carenze has posed:
"Tifa! You're a sight for sore eyes!" Sarafina manages despite the agony trying to purge itself from the system. Of course, she's also still very battered on top of that. This demon speaks words--or perhaps it's the girl in some corrupted form. She can't really be sure. Shadow fists that would make even Facilier proud slam into Sarafina's body, sending her crashing to her back. Who is she even talking to? She's surely not talking to them--if Sarafina had 'abandoned' her she must have built up a serious amount of trust in a short amount of time. Perhaps Mercade? But he had not mentioned her before at least to her, so how close could they have truly been? She doesn't know. But what she does know--is that she can't be allowed to perform whatever plans she has, no matter how much she cries and sniffles. It's unpleasant work, bloody work, but it's work that is familiar to Sarafina. Is eating souls good for you? Well it clearly doesn't help you in the height department. Such a shorty. Souls don't have proteins.

"This is pretty painful." She says, sitting herself up, and rubbing her forehead. "How is even a demon this dangerous, it's like---urggh... I'm not suited for this."

She stands herself up and dusts herself off, popping up into the air as she ignites her jet pack.

"I won't let it be that easy, though!" She shouts, flitting towards Leida and intending to club her upside the head with her gauntlet before touching down gain to catch a bit of a rest. "Fast? Urggh... Well I'll do my best here, Mercade..." A bit more, she thinks.

Tifa Lockhart has posed:
Tifa Lockhart slides in to a stop in front of Sarafina, pulling her gloves on tighter, and then putting a hand on her hip "Well, guess we didn't kick enough sense into that girl's head last time, despite what Aerith said. But I'm okay with giving her more, if she needs it that badly." Bad girls need to be punished, and that's something she can do with her fists. Non-lethal, but still hurts when it connects right.

She rushes into for the attack, a series of quick punches, followed by trademark low kick, and ending it with a hard shoulder tackle after the spin, using the momentum to increase her own impact on the girl "Someone wants to explain to me what she's spouting this time?"

Leida has posed:
The dark fists slammed into the ground around Mercade as his acrobatics carried him to safety, three more rounds digging chunks of black mist out of the girl. She recoiled with each strike, clearly feeling the pain even if the damage seemed to be mostly temporary or superficial.

An angry hiss bellowed from the shadows in response to the multi-pronged assault and the swinging fists shifted and morphed to intercept the two women. Massive jagged spikes erupted from their lengths, turning the entire battlefield into a giant iron maiden, a quagmire of lances that enacts painful bloody revenge.

Fists and feet strike at her from two sides. The rocket-powered punch landed solidly against Leida's nose and a gout of dark fluid spurted out from the crushed cartilage in response. Tifa landed several blows herself but the final hits were deflected by a wall of darkness that rose up, pushing her backwards into the deadly spikes and leaving the small girl hunched and bleeding.

Leida coughed violently, ejecting more vitae onto the dirt which crackled and hissed as if touched by acid. A hand went up to her face, touching the smashed protrusion of her nose even as it realigned through some invisible force. She stared at the dark fluid staining her hands and began to shake her head from side to side in denial.

"No, no, no, no... I don't like pain... it will stain everything red..."

Her eyes winced shut and she clutched the sword to her chest even tighter as if its cold metal surface would protect her from further suffering. "Red... red like blood... the crimson tides... can't you hear their screams?"

The bloody spikes retracted and the claws lurched into motion again, slashing and clutching at everything in sight. Vile unholy light radiates from the dark fire that engulfs her like a pyre, its glow scratching at their souls, unraveling the threads of their life and feed her sudden maddened desire.

Minerva has posed:
Minerva takes a deep breath in she's somehow avoided the wrath of Leida, likely because she's under their notice at the moment. Tifa, Mercade and Sara are not so lucky at all. There is something she can make use of this of not being attacked she's recovered enough to make another go against Leida, the Monk again hurls herself at the other intend to strike at vital points. Still the crawling feeling gets worse, the feeling of the dark and the just madness of the poessed young girl. She strikes at the pressure points again and fades away once more.

Mercade Alexander has posed:
He cant' stay away forever.

The bloody spikes run through the ground, striking up at him and piercing him, the energies tearing at his flesh and drawing away his essential life energy. Mercade falls to his knees for a moment, clutching the wound. "Damn... Don't you understand!? The screams are innocent people! You're killing them!" Mercade yells, going evasive as he breaks open the loading cylinder on the gun, putting in more bullets.

Sarafina Carenze has posed:
Sarafina has been in a lot of battles in her life, and have seen horrible things done to human bodies, but even this is unnerving to Sarafina. She takes in a long low breath. The unholy light ripples through her, and she's at a loss for what to do. It seems like she's hurting, but at the same time--so is she, and everyone else, and so many people are dying.

She shakes her head quickly. It's now or never, she thinks. She summons power FROM WITHIN HER HEAAAAAAART and then flits through the air again, blood dripping from her wounds rapidly as she attempts to swipe at Leida with her chainsaw again, again, and--yes!--again! Intending to put as much pain on her as possible. It may be a little girl--but does she have any choice of her own? Not really! The innocent won't forgive hesitation!

"FEEL THE PAIN OF THOSE YOU'RE MAKING SUFFER!" She yells.

Tifa Lockhart has posed:
Tifa Lockhart acks and wasn't expecting an attack from below like that! She rolls to the side, not managing to evade every spike as one of them pierce through her arm in a rather painful way. That one will affect her attacks for a while, she can feel it. She rolls over to avoid the rest of the spikes, moving back to her feet so she can attack again "I don't think she can hear anything we say, there's something off about her!" She moves in toward the girl, a crouching motion that is followed by a flourishing flip kick, bouncing back off her heels when she lands into another body slam.

Leida has posed:
A half dozen new forms of pain are visited upon the girl. The monk's pinpoint precision lanced into her body, the waves of darkness failing to brush her aside this time. Each blow hit a weak spot, a joint here, an unprotected section of flesh there. Nervous spams wracked her body, Leida's muscles seizing up and violently venting energy in response to the ancient techniques.

The shadows redoubled their efforts with a massive surge, rising up like a tidal wave to intercept the rocketeer and her deadly foreign weapon. The chainsaw bites into layer upon layer of inky black ooze, losing most of its momentum, but the thin lamellar armor is little defense against the grinding metal teeth and three ragged wounds geyser viscous fluid in the aftermath of the brutal onslaught.

With barely even a moment to regain her balance, the brawler tore into her with a violent snap kick. The shadows held her fast against the massive force that tried to wrench Leida skywards but seconds later the follow up sent her crumpling to the ground, making it a futile effort.

A piercing shrill sound like nails on chalkboard filled the air, the demon hissing its frustration at the combined fury of its attackers. The veritable tsunami of pitch-black ooze surged forth into the group, battering and slamming down upon them in waves. Its touch was a deathly ice, stripping away pieces of soul and magick to feed the horrific entity while carrying them away from its wounded host.

A pair of the shadowy hands rose up around the girl, lifting her gently and carrying her into the background. One clawed finger came up to her mouth, dangling mere inches from her blood-stained face. Sickly light welled up on its tip, vaporous wisps of purple and black swirling into her throat like some unholy medicine. Her eyes snap open almost immediately, the hands setting her down again as renewed vigor filled her body.

"Endure...? Can I do such a thing...?"

Minerva has posed:
Minerva is looking as the girl locks up, and the venting of energy, she'd expected some but not that much. She's pulling back not wanting to get caught in the discharge. She avoids that while Tifa, Sara and Mercade continue to strike forth against Leida. She knows what power the girl can bring against them. While the idea of going after her in a more direct manner she needs to keep them off balance and then Leida takes hold of her and starts to drain some of her own power she manages to forcably sever the connection in short order her hand flared up with the darkness for a moment and is gone. She's only a dabbler only touching on the edge of the darkness. Still it's proven to save her life several times since the Shadow Lords became very active in the worlds.

She turns about as her hand chill, ice forming on her gauntles and arms before she leaps at Leida again attempting to grab hold of her. She might find the chill could even effect one like her self prehaps making it harder to focus on casting spells.

Mercade Alexander has posed:
The terrible battle continues, and Mercade just keeps firing bullets into Leida. This is getting unpleasant. He grimaces as he continues firing, sighting Leida and hoping that more bullets can help progress Leida further towards a more permanent cure for her situation. He doesn't have a better solution right now.

Tifa Lockhart has posed:
Tifa Lockhart isn't really finding anything pleasing about this fight. Its like fighting a ghost, someone that isn't really there, but still reaching out with cold hands to strangle you in one way or another. Even when her punches are connecting, it doesn't seem to be doing that much. "What's with that girl, its like she's crazy or drunk on some dark power she can't control."

She doesn't understand it, but she can onlly try to tame her before she attacks even more people, innocent people in the city that cannot even fight for their own. And many of them are rescapees from Manhattan, she can't let them go through this again.

She charges up her explosive fist, hoping to knock some sense into the girl before it gets any more dangerous.

Sarafina Carenze has posed:
Sarafina lands nearby after her attack, landing with a think CLUNK. She spins around quickly and looks towards Leida and immediately wishes she hadn't. Humans don't bleed that shit and, quite frankly, while Sarafina wouldn't say she's a demon hunter by trade, she is not aware of any quite like this. She taps the ground with her foot. Quickly, Mercade had said. Well, thinking this over, she says, "Mercade, I'm not sure there's any quick way about this." And what's more, after going all out like that, she's really winded. She can't really attack more. But she can defend herself.

Sliding back, she snaps her weapon into the air and cleaves through the dark tsunami, sending the spray around her before flitting up into the air and--

...--vanishing from sight? She hovers in the air for a while like a real dragoon.

Leida has posed:
A new hail of bullets carved into her body and Leida clutched her arms defensively around herself, hugging her shoulders and trying to make herself very small. Several of them left new wounds but the shadows interceded and devoured the rest, rising up to defend the girl.

Fresh demonic claws tore into the world and swiped at heroes as they continued to try and drive the demon away, keeping them at bay as the darkness engulfed her small body in a protective cocoon, its foul magics turning their power towards warding her from harm and mending her broken flesh. Thin tendrils of shadow slithered out across her arms and legs, binding into them in intricate patterns like armor, while others pressed themselves into the gashes and cuts, sealing them shut.

However, Tifa's powerful punch interrupted the process, shattering the inky membrane and exposing her to harm once more. The girl fell to her knees before the barmaid, hands clenching at the tall grasses as she stared up through wispy bangs. The hair had become darker at some point, tenebrous and shadowy as if it weren't quite solid any more, the ends dripping together like the horrid ooze that she controlled.

"Yes... I will endure... I am a good girl... A good girl... A good girl..."

Mercade Alexander has posed:
Mercade focuses, continuing to shell Leida from a distance. It's keeping him safe from getting crushed by most of Leida's horrific attacks, but there are limits. There are things that have to be done to resolve this issue. When Leida foes on the defensive, Mercade makes a choice. He spins open the revolver chamber, dumping out the contents and pulling out a speed-loader with a series of stamped, mythril-tipped bullets. He slides them in and closes it, spinning the chamber closed once more.

Because once Mercade found out that he would be fighting magical opponents, he consulted some people. Cid, a craftsman in Traverse Town, happened to recommend these bullets, as they were designed to break down enchantments.

"Flee the girl, demon. Escape back into the abyss and leave her be, and you might live." He pulls the trigger, sending a salvo of the enhanced bullets towards Leida.

Sarafina Carenze has posed:
And lo, in the sky, Sarafina hovers. Hearing this 'girl' repeat this mantra to herself is heart breakening. But what can she do? Could words even reach someone such as this? And what is her, really, and what is the demon? And how can a demon with such power be defeated? These are questions that would be great for a detective, but pretty bad for Sarafina. She is not even a priest.

"By Baron law, were I still an arbiter of such things..." Sarafina calls from above. She twists her body and falls downward, pulling the string on the chainsaw. It brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrfhs to life, blades spinning rapidly in a wide circle across its edge. It's a weapon not made for humans or, even, demons. Captain Hook's ship was, perhaps, what it IS used for. And used for that well it has.

Mercade gives the business. Sarafina suspects he's saying such things in order to try to spare the girl. Sarafina knows better. Demons have rules as much as any others and it takes rules to defeat the demon. Rules Sarafina doesn't know. Rules, she suspects, Mercade has much to learn of too. And unfortunately, there seems to be little way to find these rules from a world lost in darkness.

She falls for Leida.

"You wouldn't be a girl!" Sarafina says, intending to slam down into her from above her fist, the recoil sending her back up into the air so she can spin around that chainsaw once more and drop directly down on Leida, twisting the blade as she comes down for a horrific skewering strike.

"YOU'D BE AN ADULT! BANISH YOUR NOT-ME OR PERISH!!" Or not because Sarafina shortly twists around once more, and aims to slam Leida hard with the chainsaw one last time, using it as a giant bludgeon whether than a technical tool.

Tifa Lockhart has posed:
Tifa Lockhart is glad to ahve a bit of reprieve for now, not having to take another attack like that dark witch can unleash is a boon in the middle of this fight. She won't let her rest too much either. Mercade seems tot hink the girl is possessed, but how do you get a demon out of a girl anyway? If Aerith was there with her holy magic, maybe....

Either way, maybe she can 'drive' it out of her (sunglasses) temporarily, if she can knock the girl out without completly killing her at least. That's what her fists are for at least.

Minerva has posed:
Minerva could be bringing a lot of pain to bear, but the amount of magical power Leida has at her command makes that unwise. She may be the only thing keeping it in check at the moment. With that in mind she's going to try to keep her off balance for her allies. It's not about the glory here, it's about everyone making it out alive and stopping her.

"You have no place here daemon. You should flee while you have the chance. You are not welcome here. The world it self rejects your kind!"

Again her fists freeze up and she leaps at the demon possessed girl striking for just a single pressure point this time.

Leida has posed:
Even before the twisting mass of darkness could fully solidify, hammering shells of mystical metal slammed into it like a sledgehammer on concrete. Each mithril bullet shattered the shadowy armor, sending fragments of crystalized blackness spraying into the air where they promptly melted into vapour and evaporated. Leida cringed and buried her face in the ground as the enchantments were stripped away, giving the skybound dragoon her opening.

The sound of the voice from above drew the girl's attention and like a moth to a flame, she could not help but stand and gaze upwards as the demon hissed its hatred. The powerful fist sent the hapless girl staggering, fresh ichor spurting across the grass. The chainsaw found little in the way of resistance as it was driven into her body and Leida's eyes went wide as a new level of pain reached her consciousness.

Dark fluid gushed out of the wound as the heinous weapon ripped through metal and flesh and bone, spewing from her mouth and nose in a horrific display of gore. She went limp as all power was temporarily taken away by the sheer paralyzing agony and the final blow sent her tumbling straight into the waiting fists of the two female pugilists.

Tifa's strength and Minerva's technique inflicted their pains upon the already devasated girl, the darkness flowing from her in such amounts that it is practically impossible not to be soaked in the stuff. Its very touch was vile and tainted, burning into their flesh even as they strike her down together.

The dark fire about her body began to flicker and sputter, its evil flames guttering as the monster within forced its power into Leida's body. Amazingly, she gets up again. The massive hole in her chest started to seal over before their very eyes, defying any form of logic or sense at the situation even as she turned to look out at them again through glassy eyes.

Her gaze passed over each of them in turn, taking in the looks of anger and determination. Slowly, she smiled and held her arms out towards them as if to embrace them. "I can... still... save you..."

The whites of her eyes went black, her irises twin burning points of amethyst in the sea of darkness. A brilliant explosion of violet flame washed out from her body all at once turning the girl into a flaming ball of anti-light. Her hair whipped about violently in a hurricane wind that seemed to touch only her, the currents of power flowing from her body in a nightmarish torrent. All around them dozens of the diabolical claws shattered the barriers of reality and reached out of the abyss itself, wreathed in the deadly flames as they snatched and clawed at them like beasts driven to the brink of madness.

Tifa Lockhart has posed:
Tifa Lockhart can see the light of salvation! For a moment she is bewildered by Leida's words it seems, tangles of darkness infiltrating and clouding her mind. It doesn't get a complete hold of her though, she shakes it off before its too late, but not before she is drawn too close for comfort, amidst the flames that Leida conjures up.

Well, that was a bad mistake for the barmaid, alright.

Before she can fully react, the flames engulf her entirely, and when they receede, the half-crisp body of the barmaid slumps down to the ground, unconcious. That's one less buzzing around Leida at least.

Mercade Alexander has posed:
Darkness scythes out, shredding Mercade. He cannot escape, all he can do is attempt to evade it. But how can he evade it when it's everywhere?

He hits the groumd, bleeding and severely injured, as Tifa hits the ground next to him. One hand clutches the wounds on his body, but he looks down, kneeling next to Tifa to check her pulse. His jawline ripples, and teeth clench as he looks up, eyes staring ahead at the child of Darkness. He stands, leveling the gun with a hand, slick with blood as he growls.

"Save yourself."

The air rolls like thunder as Mercade unleashes the remainder of the cylinder, firing for her while she's open, aiming for vital points. There is no time left for mercy. "SAVE YOURSELF, LEIDA! OR I'LL SEE YOU IN HELL!"

Minerva has posed:
Perhaps hiding the full extent of her power was not the best action? Still someone had to try to stop the flow of power to the demon. She'd managed well enough for the moment but now? Hell comes but not for her, she's been passed over. She will not fall to the darkness not today and more and more of what her master taught her her makes more sense. She had to understand the dark to protect herself but ti also better know it from the light. Save? The demon has twisted the host so very badly as the dark power comes forth like storm she starts to move, she flips back spinning like a top while she in the air. She lands out of harms range and takes a deep breath starting to focus.

"My master has yes taught me about the dark but he also taught me about the light."

It's too late for Tifa as she falls to the ground beaten senseless by the demon. Minerva starts to flare up with holy energy it's like a white burning fire and she holds her right wrist like she was trying to hold it back.

"You have taken this child, used her as a tool of mass murder. I will drive you from this city and from the girl. Back into the void!"

She then races at Leida throwing everything she has into this strike she'll reach out for the possessed girl's head and the holy energy will not detonate attempt to enter her, this isn't going to end well for one of them the question is who. One other thing is clear she's not hiding what she can do too.

Sarafina Carenze has posed:
Sarafina pants faintly, shaking her head lightly. She rubs at her eyes, watering from dark fire and smoke and pain. She doesn't say anything this time though, even as claws rip through her armor and body. She stumbles, blearily, barely able to see.

She jogs forward, near blindedly, and sputters forward, barely swinging her chainsaw in quick arcs, and she doesn't stop, just swinging until her arms get too tired to swing again.

Pity, though, that that can happen at any moment.

Leida has posed:
The roaring bonfire of evil energy blazed with cold fury, its power grower brighter as each deadly claw struck home. Every scrap of vitality that flowed from the bodies of their victims returned to feed the torrential outpour of negative emotions, washing the dark moonlit field in soul-wrenching pain.

Leida's features became hazy and indisinct through the obscuring deluge of power, her body absorbing the abyssal energies and renewing itself yet again. An archon of hate, misery, and suffering, she glared back at them through glowing eyes of flame.

"Save...?" Her gaze shifted to Mercade, even as his gun barked fire and desperation into pillar of fire. She staggered again, her sudden surge of strength beginning to wane. "I have nothing left to save... all that I had is gone..."

The monk rushed in next, her holy fists and words of condemnation breaking upon the girl's head. The light strugglee to overwhelm the darkness, the age old battle of good and evil given form, and she screamed aloud. There was an explosion, light and power blinding all present but when the glow faded the demon still stood.

Sagging now, her features no longer hidden by fire and light, Leida took another painful step forward. Sarafina came at her now, the strange mechanical sword growling its deadly hum. The chainblade crashed into her chest one last time, carving its viscious imprint into her flesh. But with the last of its might, the shadows lashed out and the final burst of flames ignited upon the knight in a brilliant conflagration.

The girl strode forward, smoke and ichor trailing in her wake as she stood before the man who screamed such hateful things at her. He did not understand, not fully. He has lost his home now, just like her but he had not yet accepted the truth of it.

"I no longer have anything left to lose..."

Mercade Alexander has posed:
Mercade looks up, his eyes wide as she somehow survives once more. Is she invincible? What can he do about this? He levels the revolver, pulling the trigger.

It clicks. The hammer falls on empty casings. Leida is too close. What can he possibly do?

Leida draws close, speaking words of despair. "Leida... We both lost almost everything we care about." He looks at his gun, and then back to Leida. "But as long as you're alive... you can still have hope. You can still step forward and find a better tomorrow. There is no dark so deep that there won't be a new dawn... But it will only be there if you fight for it."

She stands before him. "I don't want to kill you, Leida. Stop taking away my options! FIGHT, LEIDA, FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE! FIGHT FOR TOMORROW!" He throws down his gun, and balls his hand...

"AND WAKE UP!" He brings up his hand, and drives it forward, aiming to give Leida a massive punch, a right cross straight for the side of Leida's head.

Minerva has posed:
Minerva is going to follow Mercade in when she realises he's got this. "Where there is life there is hope." Some small part of her home still lives, there's hope she's not alone. Prehaps once day her world can be restored? She doesn't know but mercade has the right of it. She's looking at Mercade as he goes to deck LEida with everything he has. She's got a message to deliver but first she's going to tend to Tifa, she has a potion left she can give to the other monk that should be enough right?

Sarafina Carenze has posed:
The flames are enough.

Sarafina tumbles back and falls flat on her ass. It's not very impressive but, yep, hse's not getting up like this. She can only get a good look as Mercade assaults Leida with his Moxie Levels. She waggles an arm as if to say 'yaaaaaaaaay?' but that's about it.

Leida has posed:
The girl stared back at Mercade through half-closed eyes, her strength ebbing as it trickles out of her body from countless wounds. She managed to stay upright as he yelled at her again, his harsh voice competing with the pounding throb in her skull courtesy of the monumental holy infusion. She breathed softly, the sound filled with wet gargling from the fluid in her throat and lungs. How she's even still alive is beyond explanation.

Devoid of any remaining power the shadows around her died out and went silent, their master again burrowing itself away to hide from the light beyond the veil of her soul. Like a puppet with its strings cut, Leida staggered forward just as the balled up fist crashed into her temple. Her eyes rolled up and she crumpled to the ground, the battle finally coming to a conclusion.

A chance to step back and take stock was now available to them. The heroic actions of those present had managed to stop the mad rampage of the demon before it began - this time. But how were they going to deal with her in the future? Could this outcome be guaranteed at every juncture? Were they willing to risk that much for one lonely homeless girl?

Sarafina Carenze has posed:
"Mercade." Sarafina rasps. "Two blocks from here. There is a store."

Oh no, she's not--

"They sell women's clothing. Please finish the lower half of her outfit."

She is.

Minerva has posed:
Minerva nods to Sara for a moment before she speaks up to Mercade "Your alive, good Avira has been conerned. Your people are in tranverse town last I knew, at least some of them were. It might be wise to get back into contact."

Sarafina Carenze has posed:
"Of course someone without proper clothes will have low self esteem." Sarafina insists, anticipating an argument.

Mercade Alexander has posed:
Mercade stoops, picking up the unconscious form of Leida and his gun. He looks over to Minerva as she mentions Avira, and nods. "I'll go try to find her as soon as possible, after I've taken care of business here." He looks back to Leida, and is given orders from Sarafina. He sighs. "Fiiiiiiiiiine."

Time to get the girl some proper clothes, and get her away from people.