[thread;active]

[magitekrune.livejournal.com]

Characters: FF6 cast! (Celes, Locke, Terra, Setzer, Sabin, Edgar, Shadow)
Progress: Ongoing
Summary: Celes wants to see what's at the top of this thing and gets an unexpected surprise at the top! QUEST TIME.
Location: Sinner's Isle / the Citadel of Trials
Date: January 11, 1805
Warnings: TBA



After her visit to Matoya, Celes had a better answer for what she needed to do. It wasn't quite the answer she'd expected, but an answer was an answer. So, once ready for the journey, she'd gathered her companions from home and arranged for an airship to pick them up and take them out to the main island near Sinner's Isle. The Isle itself was too small for an airship to land, so they'd have to take a boat. Once there, the boat ride itself wasn't long, but Celes was quiet as she thought about what might lie ahead of them. The Trials themselves... what would they be like? She didn't know anyone who'd ever heard of these places, let alone ever been. In a way, she and her friends would be pioneers and she rather liked that idea.

Regardless, as she stepped out of the boat and glanced up the long winding path, taking in the volcano and the building up at the top, she wondered if this would be her life for the rest of her time. Would she spend it trying to prove herself? Or would she do some actual good?

Shaking her head at herself, she turned and looked at her companions. "Everyone ready? I doubt this will be an easy trip, but... I asked all of you to come because I trust you all and I think... something's waiting up there. No one's been up yet, so we may as well take the initiative. And..." She stopped for a moment, trying to get herself together again. "Thank you... for agreeing to come."

If no one else had any other complaints or questions, she would turn to look for the way up the mountain. What she could see didn't look too difficult. They'd just have to be careful of any wondering monsters and avoid the lava patches.


[ooc: I vote for party style tagging, no post order, just to keep things going, if that works for you guys, but I'll make sure not to go too fast for you. If anyone has questions, feel free to PM me \o]

Comments

[notathiefcole.livejournal.com]

Locke stared up at the volcano in awe. "We get to climb that?" He could barely contain his excitement. It had been a while since he had truly been someplace unique. He was just glad that they were all able to get together and have this little adventure

[wanderlusting.livejournal.com]

"Well, it's that or fly, and I left my wings behind," Setzer answered, as he looked up the path to the volcano's peak. It had been too long since he'd had a proper adventure and this looked like it might be just the thing. Not to mention the fact that anything he managed to pick up from the monsters might just be the thing he needed to put his feet on the path of once again owning his own airship.

"Besides," he added, "it's not nearly as interesting if it's easy."

[sonoffigaro.livejournal.com]

"Keep your enthusiasm in check, Locke - if you wander away from all of us and become incredibly lost, I'm not going to fetch you back again."

For Edgar, this was a way to escape the castle for a little for a good cause. He loved Figaro; it was his home, his domain, the center of his life, but he left it so rarely. This brief trip would do wonders for him, and he quickly made sure that his spear was secured to his back before starting the walk up the path.

...Maybe he'd jump after a little while, just to show Locke he could.

[ninja-4-hire.livejournal.com]

Shadow had been silent the whole trip. So it wouldn't quite surprise him if they had forgotten that he had been there. Not only that, but with the lack of a dog by his side, he was even less noticeable. Shadow had wanted to come for a number of reasons. He told Celes he would, he wanted to speak with Edgar about a few things, and well, see just where the crew was from. After talking with the few he had, he was able to find out that each person was taken from a different time in their journey. He figured Edgar would be the best person to talk to about a few key things, but for now a nice little exercise would seem like the best plan.

Hearing Edgar's comment to Locke he smirked and looked at the thief. "Nor do I have Interceptor to sniff you out either. Do be careful." He added as his eyes looked around the area. Looking back at Celes he nodded. "Of course. So, do we have a plan?" He asked out to her.

[magitekrune.livejournal.com]

Celes glanced around as everyone exited the boat and started the climb up. She couldn't help the smile that crossed her lips at the friendly banter that cropped up as they moved onward. Oh, how she'd missed this. It was one thing to spend a lot of time with one or two of them, but it was another thing altogether to actually travel with all of them again, and she had to admit that this was what her life had been missing. She trusted each of them in their own way and it meant a lot to her that they'd all agreed to come.

Readjusting her sword and shield, she tossed a reply to them: "Tracking wasn't in the journey description, Locke. Don't make me rewrite the travel itinerary."

Which was actually a perfect lead-in to what Shadow asked her. "Not much of one. There's not a lot known about this place. I heard it's a bit of a challenge and there's a lot of monsters inside. Outside, too, by the look of it," she added, pointing ahead to where a small group of them were gathered. They were a bit farther up the path and didn't look particularly difficult, so Celes wasn't really worried. At least it wasn't something weird like that Zone Eater she'd dreamed about during her year of stasis. Or that Edgar had mentioned after his illness.

"The building at the top is the Citadel of Trials. It might be a little more difficult, but... I'm sure it's nothing we can't handle." As long as they trusted her to lead them in the right direction.

By that point, they were in range of the monsters and so Celes drew her blade, aiming for the closest of the three low-level wolf-types. At least they wouldn't be very difficult.

[notathiefcole.livejournal.com]

Locke resisted the urge to run off ahead, only because this was Celes' journey and he didn't want to ruin it. When she motioned about the wolves, he quickly drew his boomerang and flung it towards one of them. To be honest, he doubted they had anything valuable enough to warrant an attempt to mug them but he would keep an eye on them just in case. Even so, he was antsy to get into the Citadel.

[wanderlusting.livejournal.com]

"We're certainly no stranger to trials, at the very least," Setzer answered as he pulled out his cards. If it was anything like he was expecting it to be (read: logical) there was no need to pull out any of his more impressive tricks. These one would die just as well to cards as anything else.

[heavenslament.livejournal.com]

Terra, standing near Edgar and quietly listening to everyone, glanced over to Setzer with a brief smile. What he said was very much true. Their lives were rarely peaceful, but at least they would be able to handle the challenges ahead of them. At least she hoped so, for Celes' sake.

When the wolves approached, she leaped back and used her Blizzara spell to send sharp shards of ice in their direction. She still had her sword handy but why get close to them if a distance attack would do just as well?

[magitekrune.livejournal.com]

The enemies went down pretty quickly and Celes pressed onward. She didn't expect everything to be that easy and she was glad for her friends' backup, especially Terra with her magic. She paused only long enough to glance all the way up the mountain.

"It might take us a few days to make it up," she informed them, eying the scale of the thing. "In that case, I suggest we make camps as we go and set up a system of sentry duty." She hoped she didn't have to explain her reasoning on that one. Goddesses help them if she did. "At the top is the Citadel of Trials. No one's yet said what lies inside, so we must be ready for anything."

Anything indeed, and if Matoya's words were correct, Celes was ready to prove her worth.

Making sure her companions were ready and willing, she moved along up the mountain slopes. Who knew what was waiting for them.

[ninja-4-hire.livejournal.com]

Shadow simply sighed as he watched Locke leap out into battle. If he knew any better he would think that the thief was trying to impress someone. On the other hand, with how things were all messed up, he could be. Shadow felt no need to even enter the battle, let alone waste items.

"Yeah. That sounds most reasonable. And reasons as to why no one has spoken of what's inside? I doubt that we're the first ones to explore this area." Shadow spoke towards Celes, however in a tone that suggested that if anyone knew the answer they could speak up.

[notathiefcole.livejournal.com]

If Shadow noticed Locke's trying to impress Celes, he was right. The only thing that held him back was the realization that he wasn't invulnerable. His defeat under the monastery have proven that to him. "Don't worry Celes. We are ready for anything!"

He kept up the excessive exuberance hoping to keep the recent developments in his relationship with the General silent, but he did hope he put him on sentry duty with her. While it would be difficult, he was confident that he could devote more attention to their surroundings than to how Celes' hair lay upon her shoulders.

[heavenslament.livejournal.com]

Terra stared thoughtfully up the mountain side. "Do you want me to scout ahead?" After all, she was the only one of them who could naturally fly. Though the half-Esper wanted to save as much energy as she could for any battles ahead, such scouting might provide them with valuable information.

[magitekrune.livejournal.com]

Celes glanced at Terra with a little bit of concern. She didn't want Terra to overwork herself, but the added knowledge about the landscape might prove helpful in the future.

"If it's not too much for you," she answered, leaving Terra an out just in case. For now, though, she moved forward, spotting a couple of what looked like fire bomb-types in the distant. There was enough room between them for Terra to get a good look around before they approached if she wanted.

Sighing to herself, Celes pulled up her own magic, figuring she could pelt them with ice magic. It was part of what little magic she had left in this world.

"Be careful!" she called to Terra.

[wanderlusting.livejournal.com]

"Perhaps no one's reached the Citadel yet," Setzer answered with a shrug. "I can't imagine it's an easy climb. Especially for a single person."

True, the monsters weren't yet anything of a serious threat (although bombs were among his least favorite type of enemy) but the climb itself could be a decent enough deterrent, should people prove less than motivated to go the full length necessary for whatever being (or beings) that waited in the Citadel itself.

"Still, there's nothing wrong with taking on the unknown."

[magitekrune.livejournal.com]

"Or no one's had the desire to do so yet," Celes agreed, looking up at the looming mountain. At the most, it would house a long, winding road full of fire enemies, very strong fire enemies. She both was and was not looking forward to the climb, but she supposed it was part of the trial.

"Let's keep moving. It's not like we haven't done this before."

[ooc: I figure we can probably time skip around a bit and just see how things get? Will probably have a bit more puzzle-like fun in the actual Citadel.]

[heavenslament.livejournal.com]

For her part, Terra did as suggested and kept them alert to enemies along the way. She seemed to enjoy herself; not often did she get to indulge in her Esper side without fear of alarming people. Of course, such a state couldn't be maintained indefinitely, and Terra was forced to revert after a time. She was none the worse for the wear, at least that she would admit. Any exhaustion was worth it, and she wasn't about to be sent back.

[magitekrune.livejournal.com]

The trip up the mountain was long, but not unexpected. Celes kept the group together as best she could and was grateful for all the help and support her friends were showing. They did have to camp out several times, but eventually, they made it inside the Citadel.

And that was where things got most interesting for Celes. She frowned at the first passageway they entered and sighed. "Looks like a puzzle. I should have expected this."

She walked up to the far side and inspected the pattern on the floor. "I've never seen anything like this before..."

Maybe it was some sort of teleport technology, or it would open up a doorway. She shrugged and looked back to her companions. "Are we all ready?"

[wanderlusting.livejournal.com]

"I'm almost surprised we haven't seen more," Setzer answered with a shrug. It seemed to him that a place called the Citadel of Trials would have more than mere monsters guarding it. Not that he would have asked there to not be monsters. To few, and just anyone would have been able to find the place and he rather doubted that was what whoever'd made the place had wanted.

"Quite ready. Let's see the next hand to be played, shall we?"

[notathiefcole.livejournal.com]

Locke grinned. "This isn't so hard. We should out of here by morning."

Keeping his hand close to his boomerang, he continued with the group ready should anything change.

[magitekrune.livejournal.com]

Celes shot Locke a rueful look. "Don't tempt it or it might throw something else at us."

She took a deep breath before reaching out to stand on the circle. It glowed brilliantly and suddenly they were all in another passageway. Two more teleportation pads stood on the far side of the corridor, guarded by a rather large and angry-looking behemoth-type. Celes swore under her breath.

"Not only do they give us a choice, but they also give the two choices a guardian."

Readjusting her grip on her sword, she checked up on her companions with a quick backwards glance and headed into battle, striking at one of the forelegs as she dodged a hit from the other.

[heavenslament.livejournal.com]

Terra absorbing all that surrounded them, remained quiet, though she had to agree with Setzer. This place was designed to be a challenge, and their ordeal was far from over. If anything, it was just beginning.

That was proved a moment later by the behemoth-type creature before them, and Terra responded by leaping into the air. There wasn't that much room to maneuver, but she managed just enough to send her Holy missiles after the creature without risk of striking anyone else.

[magitekrune.livejournal.com]

The enemy was dispatched with relative ease and soon enough the choice of teleportation pads was all that was left to them. Celes approached one of them, looking at it with a scrutinizing gaze, and then she looked at the other. They looked exactly the same.

"Guess we choose one and hope it leads us the way we want to go. Someone might want to start recording the directions we take." Just in case there were more of these options. She really hoped not.

Stepping onto the pad on the right, she let its power wash over them all, only opening her eyes when she felt them land. Upon recognizing their surroundings, she swore softly.

"Looks like I picked the wrong one."

At least they hadn't gone very far. With any luck, the enemy in the second room wouldn't be there again.