My Kingdom For a Horse

[The Heartless Army]

Garland gruffed lightly at Edgar's... eagerness with women. If there was ever one most obvious weakness in this man, it was clearly his heart. He leaned against the wall when Jenova suggested the king show some respect, smirking somewhat under his helm. Lucky him that the mask hid his face. However, at that exact moment, luck would prove to be an entirely different animal.

"Kweeeheeeheeehheee....." echoed down the halls of Cornelia Castle. It would be joined by a hundred voices just like it, filling the small makeshift infirmary with the sounds of horrible laughter. The Jesterz had found their escaped quarry.

One would leap out of a shadow on the wall at the large horned man, who would spin in place and slice cleanly through with his massive sword. In that instant, there were suddenly TWO Jesterz! Garland gruffed, then looked down the hall. His soldiers were being pushed back by a wave of these... things.

"You!" he demanded, pointing to a newly healed Wedge. "To arms!" he finished, prompting Wedge to run to the nearby supplies closet, where he began pulling weapons out and throwing them to soldiers retreating into the infirmary. "WHITE MAGES! TO THE BACK OF THE LINE!" Garland ordered while Wedge suddenly threw Longinus to Edgar, the two reunited after having parted before the trial.

"Hear me, so-called king..." Garland said, gripping his sword tightly as he crushed the head of one of the half-Jesterz under heel. "Show me your honor here, and I MIGHT be so inclined as to call for your release!" He turned his sword into the hammer as he did when they first met, and finished the other half-Jester.

"Fight for us, and the trial's over. Try something cute... and I'll finish your female friend in the lavatory before hunting you down personally!" he threatened, then stood by Edgar's side to prepare for the wave coming down the hall. A chuckle escaped him lightly. "Shame you discarded your sword, Lady Jenova... we could have used it..."

The Jesterz would leap from the hall, laughing hysterically the whole time...

[King Edgar]

When the first of the Jesterz made its appearance Edgar could only stare in horror, watching as the valiant Garland went head-first into the fray; when he slaughtered one, two would take its place. Soon the captain would call his soldiers to arms, and both king and relic would reunite.

Edgar flicked the lever on Longinus' handle and both shafts extended from their enclosed state. The spear, ready now and poised for the taste of these creatures' blood, began to glow with the king's fury.

Standing side-by-side with Garland, Edgar nodded his head. "I assure you now, Ser Garland, that there will be no funny business from I. It is they who you'll have to worry about, for it was them what chased Terra and I from our home world. I imagine Kefka's found us!"

And with that the king lunged forward, Longinus in one hand thrusting forward to pierce the barely-there chest of one of the jesters while his other hand launched a fireball to his side, knocking back a pair intertwined with one another making a break past him.

"Come on! We must protect Terra, for they are after her!"

[ultimecia]

[glow=purple,2,800]Ultimecia starred into the woman's eyes, her own gold hues soft, and not menacing, "Simply to care for yourself... ah, just in time." she turned slightly to see the small Taru appear, she would give her a look of indifference before speaking, "Shantotto... always in the beginning of chaos... do right for me..."

The witch looked up, hearing a fearsome and familiar laugh to Terra echoed across the skies. She did not seemed alarmed, rather than she expected it. Her golden eyes rested again on the woman, blinking once before walking away, " What I want... is for you to be wise... and kind, as always."

That was the final word, until Ultimecia went through a wall that gave away as if liquid, before solidifying. She was now outside, feeling the cold stone against her bare feet as she watched to the skies. She looked exhausted, and yet still, she continued. She saw heartless to her left, and a few more gathering on her right, but as soon as they came, they vanished by Knight's Arrows. They would disappear afterward, leaving no trace of her attack.

It was then when the witch looked forward, having a vision... and transmitting it to another mind, one who could prevent if she wished...

There would be an image playing in Jenova's mind... this would be of a green haired woman in the bathroom at one point, suddenly surrounded by heartless. She would fend as best as she can, but her nauseous condition ails her, and she falls...

Then there was a clown, the girl's enemy... this clown means her obvious harm... harm that needs to be prevented!

... The vision stopped, and the witch gasped, knight's arrows flying around her to destroy the heartless creeping up on her, a foolish attempt. She continued to stand there, her arrows doing the work for her...

This time, two feathers touched the soil before disappearing completely.[/glow]

[serpentoflore]

Jenova's eyes widened at the image in her head. She formed a life stream crystal in her hand, looking at the numerous heartless in the passageways. Tossing the crystal into the passageway, a holy spell went through, but only through that hallway. "Terra is in the bathroom." She spoke to Edgar, running past both of them. She had to keep Terra safe. Her dark cape flared into the air, moving past the numerous heartless that were attempting to attack her. She moved around them the best she could, not wanting to waste the magic she had available.

[Secondary Characters]

Garland fought as hard as Edgar, but in a diferent direction. He would slice through Heartless, producing multiple amounts of Jeterz in small pieces before transforming his sword into the hammer to create massive shockwaves with his earth spells. "I'LL CRUSH YOU!!!" he roared at the heartless, knowing all too well that they were not truly AGAINST him. Hell, if anything this was just keeping appearances so no one suspected that he already considered himself aligned with the darkness.

He didn't want them to know yet. So what if these fractured creatures had to take the brunt of his decision? He didn't care. Meanwhile, his soldiers would fight around them, picking off lesser heartless which were attempting to join the fray. Biggs and Wedge both took out a couple shadows before giving each other high fives for their good work... only to get tackled by some over-eager Jesterz.

Jenova's attack would prove to be a valuable asset. It broke up the line quite nicely, and pretty much emptied out the entire hallway of the creatures. Down the hall, he could hear the magistrates screaming in the courtroom. Looking over, he nodded slightly. "Edgar! You're with me! Lady Jenova, handle Miss Terra!" he said, then waved the man to follow as he charged down the hallway.

Garland burst into the courtroom only to be met with a frightening sight. Every seat was occupied by heartless! Apparently, the Jesterz had adjusted their tactic and were spreading out their search, turning whomever WASN'T Terra into one of their own. As Garland looked around, every last Jester head would turn his way before they would leap forward.

"Monsters..." he muttered, then brought up his sword to swipe at the ones immediately effecting his moves. Once he had a moment, he held his sword up high. "I, Garland...." he started, then slammed it down hard, summoning the whirlwinds around him. "SHALL KNOCK YOU DOWN!!!"

-----------

Meanwhile, Jesterz would be converging on the bathroom where Terra sat unprotected save for the presence of Shantoto until Jenova arrives. They would begin to meld out of the walls, surrounding her inside. "Kweeeheeeheee....." they'd laugh, so close to their prey...

[King Edgar]

This madness was taking a whole new toll on the king, as everything was happening at once. Finally a voice called out amongst the chaos, and to his surprise it was Garland, calling him by his name! He nodded, Banishing a set of Heartless converging around him on all sides before making a break after Garland.

When they arrived in the courtroom he was once more terrified to set eyes on this new branch of the Jesterz' onslaught; they were going to destroy Cornelia at this rate, all in the pursuit of Terra.

"Ser Garland! Watch out!" he cried, hurling Longinus at a leaping Heartless whose talons were poised in dagger form for the space between his helmet and neck guard. It met swift death at the hands of Edgar's spear but there were too many.

He spun around the large knight after Garland made his signature elemental sweep and collected Longinus once more. "Fight to the death, then, Captain?"

[Shantotto]

[glow=teal,2,300]Watching as Ultimecia had vanished through a wall, she had spoke in a rather strange tone, one that was very odd to Shantotto. She simply sighed at all the commotion Ultimecia seemed to be stirring up. "O~hohoho Splendid, then take your leave and let her be, she is mine for the taking so leave her to me!"

"Her nuisance is rather one of a kind, do not pay it any mind ..." Her words cut short, still standing with Terra in a stall to the rear of the facility, she heard the cackle of something something strange from beyond the room. A moment later from that very room a battle seemed to flourish. Shantotto with her staff in hand walked to the entry of the facility. She peered through between the crack of the door to see Edgar and Garland laying waste to these Heartless creatures. She simply got a wide grin on her face seeing this as a chance to have some fun, though this was short lived.

Shortly Shantotto heard that strange cackle from within the facility. Turning her back, a goo like jelly would meld from the walls turning to a full figure of sorts. Shantotto became excited to see these creatures come to attack the prestigious mage. "O~hoho come to play or come for fun, either way it is I who has won!" Though once again the tarutaru's excitement was short lived. They seemed to have another target in mind, Terra.

Shantotto quickly considering the condition of her ... future student, and the small quarters which she would have to fight, fleeing was the best option. She could always come back to fight. Rushing over Shantotto quickly began to cast "Warp II" as more of these minions began to slowly creep through the walls. A huge flash of light, purple and green, flared through the door from behind Edgar and Garland. Shantotto was not about to lose a single pawn for her empires plans. "Come along now my feeble little whelp, it's time you seek my prestige's help! O~hohohoho"

The warp had appeared and engulfed the two from the facility, only to have them appear in Castle Oblivion.

*Off too Castle Oblivion > Time's Hall*[/glow]

[serpentoflore]

Opening the door to the bathroom, she found that Terra had left. All that was left was the signs she had been praying to the porcelain god. Jenova's eyes focused, where was Sir Garland? Probably in the area of the court room. Despite the dark nature she was born with, she doubted the company of the heartless was that welcoming to her.

She closed the door to the bathroom, making her way towards the courtroom. She held one more crystal in her hand, just in case she had to use it.

[Secondary Characters]

Garland gruffed loudly when both of their attacks were done, looking over the room at maybe half the amount of heartless as before. Still, it was a teeming mass. "Only if you plan on dying here..." he muttered to the man at his back. "I, on the other hand, do not!"

With a flick of his wrist, Garland switched his sword into the chain whip from before. He swiped it across the floor, building momentum in order to whip it across his half of the room, taking out maybe a handful of the Jesterz, but only succeeding in making multiple halves of the rest. A chuckle would escape Garland as he held a hand up to shoot a blast of fire at one of the survivors. "Seventeen..." he muttered behind him...

--------------------------------------

Outside, Jenova would find herself having some troubles. The Jesterz from the bathroom all turned to face her when she opened the door, a few of them cracking smiles, others unable to do so because they had no mouths to do it with.

"KWEEEheeheheeEHEEE" they laughed, then took after her, slicing at the air and reaching for her hair. As she ran off to join the two fighting men, the hallway would begin to grow over with a few more as well, the ones behind attempting to bound, skip, or even cartwheel after her. "KWWWWEEEEEEEEHEHEHEHEEEEE!!!!"

[King Edgar]

Ws Garland really starting up a Heartless-hunting competition with the king? Ugh... he sighed, whipping Longinus up in a half-spin and driving it home into the head of a rushing Jester.

Turning, he saw more pouring down from the chamber seats and had to think quickly. "Brush by in a cloud of death; Bioga!" he called, flicking his wrist; soon a foul gas would come to life in the area of a dozen Heartless, corroding them and setting their bodies to wither, melt and ultimately disappear and head back to the Dark Margin.

"Ser Garland! Victory is at hand!"

[serpentoflore]

Jenova knew that she could not use Holy again. These creatures were beginning to attack her now. Tossing a crystal to the ground, she cast stop to hold them back for even a few seconds. She had to get to Garland and Edgar, fast!

[ultimecia]

[glow=purple,2,800]Ultimecia blinked, something was wrong in this equation...Shantotto had vanished with Terra, and sent her to Castle Oblivion. Images ran through her mind as she fended herself, her eyes slowly widening as she saw something MOST unpleasant: This meant that Jenova was alone! Shantotto was not there to assist with the masses of Jesterz.

"No..." the witch sounded, almost in a panic when thoughts of the other woman began to fill her mind, a turn to the worst. Her eyes grew serious, that golden glow growing menacing for once. Her feathers would ruffle, before she threw her hands up in the air, "TCH--," she called out, a circle-like symbol of the ancients appearing bellow her, and stretching a long radius away, it seemed harmless, until she shouted, "APOCALYPSE!"

Then light broke through the seal, bathing everything around her with destructive force. "APOCALYPSE!" she shouted again, causing another explosion. Disappearing and appearing a few hallways away, "APOCALYPSE!" she would called out again, sending massive explosions of holy energy around her, clearing out certain heartless she had good reason to destroy.

She was killing off those who would strike deathblows at Jenova.

"Great--" The witch of time walked to where Jenova was fending off, and she held out her hand, light orbs seeming to gather at her fingertips, forming a sort of small planet. She was aiming it at a Heartless that stood out to her... this one was to do the most damage, "ATTRACTOR!" the small planet shot out from her hand and struck the heartless as soon as it jumped to claw at the woman's heart.

That was the last one, she thought, gasping a little from exhaustion, "gh..." she backed away, allowing her arrows to destroy the enemies around her. She had cleared a path for Jenova, surely she could take care of the rest. If anything, they made eye contact for only a moment, before Ultimecia went to deal with the heartless that were attacking her persona...

"Go." she called out to the new form, before facing a flock of heartless heading her direction, "Terra is now safe... help the other two...."

She expected Jenova to go and defend her friends... so they could also defend her... she believed she was done here.[/glow]

[serpentoflore]

It had been quite sudden. Enough that she noticed she had stopped moving after the third sudden disappearance of the attacking heartless. She had been holding a crystal in her hand just in case she had to use it, but someone had been helping her directly. Turning to look at the figure that had spoken, she was overcome by the ancient, familiar presence. However, the woman looked almost like a shell of herself at the moment. Perhaps she had exhausted herself in the process of helping her? Had she been the one doing so?

Walking forward, towards the person she had yet to really know for longer than just one meeting. "I know...that they do indeed need my help. Will you be able to last on your own?" One hand gently touched Ultimecia's shoulder, looking equally worried, as if the visitor were a close friend.

[ultimecia]

[glow=purple,2,800]... a touch... The witch of time looked up to Jenova, her eyes seeming both lost, and confused, for once, by this single action. They soon glazed over, time going backwards and forwards, seeing events unravel and some twist and unfold. She shook her head a little, regaining her composure to seem strong, and in control. Her wings relaxed behind her, a few feathers falling from their stay, to disappear moments after.

With a... familiar gaze, she looked to the woman, and nodded her head a little, "Just go..." she would bring herself to whisper. Her form slowly wrapping itself in that purple mist.

A quick glance to those gentle, midnight blue hues was enough to assure she was safe, and she would continue to keep her safe until time did not allow her to do so. She had meddle too much... now all she could do was buy time.

"...you are doing well.... go now." [/glow]

[serpentoflore]

Jenova could tell the woman took quite a bit of effort to say what she did. Her hand remained on the woman's form for another moment before pulling it back. Part of her had become more worried as the form disappeared from sight. A gloved hand tightened, holding the life stream crystal. She would have to find her soon, but for now... Now she had to find Garland and Edgar.

Running on the path that Ultimecia had opened for her, Jenova had become more determined. Something felt like it was coming, an unpleasant, distant feeling that grew right at that small exchange.