Time and Tides Archives

Lilisette had been laughing with Refia when Ursula spoke, and she looked up to the princess to nod her agreement. She'd not been able to spend much time with Ceodore's lady-friend, and what she had Ursula had been exhausted from her stint with the monsters of the Ronkan Ruins. But the girl certainly seemed like a determined sort, and she could see why Ceodore was so fond of her.

"I trust you'll lead us accordingly," she said to Ursula with a smile. "And I'll support you as needed."

Even if Lilisette didn't know Ursula well, or Kain at all, she knew that they were important to Troia's royal family. And that was enough for her to be willing to give herself fully to protecting them.

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While the humans socialized outside, Lufene lounged indolently on the pedestal that Tiamat was guarding. Stupid Garland. She picked up the mirror enshrined there, and lifted it to examine herself. The wind was messing up her hair! She pouted and whined at the guardian, "Can't you turn down the air? You're wrecking my beauty."

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Kain looked to Ursula, glad to see the Crystal safe in her hands. Of all their group, she was the best choice to carry it, and had also been the only one Kain had warned about... himself, basically. He knew it was unlikely that anything would happen, but even so he wouldn't risk it. Ursula at least seemed to know enough about his past- and he realized with dread- his future, to take his warning seriously.

He glanced at the others of the group. He'd been in before, and had the strong wind elemental connection... and of course, was heavily armored as well. He felt very confident about dealing with the shrine again.

"The winds inside are fierce. I can take the lead, but don't let your guards down."

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Refia had taken the precaution before coming out to the shrine to acquire a number of small lead weights to slip into her pockets, trying to weigh herself down - she was the smallest of the group, and the most likely to have trouble with the wind as a result. She was planning on staying behind Kain as much as she could, but she knew from experience that he liked to jump around everywhere and she couldn't count on him for that all the time.

Shrugging into the heavy robe, Refia took up her staff and held her hood over her face to keep it from flying off as she moved up to Ursula. "I'll hold on to that - you're going to need your fists down there." And the crystal was no less important to her and her friends; she had no desire to see it lost if she could help it.

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Ursula hesitated for a moment, reluctant to part with the crystal...but Refia was right. Her chosen fighting style didn't leave her much choice. She sighed but nodded, handing it over. "I know you'll take good care of it."

She smiled at Lilisette, grateful for her support and wishing they'd had more time to talk. Perhaps after this adventure, that would be possible. Turning to Kain, she nodded. "We won't. Let's go, then."

Departing the ship, the princess waited for Kain to act as their shield, then started forward. She was as ready as she would ever be for this mission, and it was time to do their part.

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Normally Lilisette would have used her Chocobo Jig when facing a trek, but with the winds she did not dare. While it would help them move more quickly, she also worried it would make some of them lighter, and Refia especially could not afford any reduction in weight. Before she left the ship she made certain her own chalice was kept securely on her belt, and that her daggers were tightened and safe at the small of her back.

Like Ursula she waited for Kain before she followed, though she kept a close eye on Refia. In the midst of such winds her arm lifted to shield her face, and she could only hope that the winds would die down as they drew closer. There was no way she could safely dance in winds such as these, and she wondered how a dragoon would manage his jumps under such conditions.

If the winds did not let up, she had an idea of a solution, but until she knew for certain she would not expend the energy. Best to save it for whatever lurked within, after all.

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While the rest battled the winds, Lufene sprawled in a lazy lounge as best she could, all the while complaining about the lack of suitable accommodations. Waiting around was putting her in a lousy mood and her tail flicked back and forth in annoyance. There had to be something worthwhile to amuse herself with and she'd thought to tease the group would serve that purpose. But they were taking far too long. Not even examining her face in the Earth Mirror was enough to hold her attention, so she laid it in her lap and took to examining her nails.

Eventually she became fed up with waiting for them and spoke up. "He knows you're looking for him. Just give me the crystal and save yourself the bother."

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Well, Refia had already proven she could stop Kain if she had to, so... hopefully if it came to it she could this time, too. Though he hoped it didn't come to it.

Kain strode forth into the wind, determined and confident. It was slow going at points, when the breeze whipped up to nearly knock even him over. But he held his ground and forced himself to keep moving, always ensuring that he remained well in front of the others to shield them...

...Then he heard Lufene's threat. Startled, he moved into a defensive position with his spear readied.

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Upon hearing that familiar voice, Ursula stiffened. She remembered it well, since her encounter with Lufene aboard the Lunatic Pandora had not quite been resolved before she herself had vanished from the world. That she was cheated out of helping her comrades never sat well with her. At least there's time to make up for it now.

Thinking quickly, she cast Aura on each of them, granting Regen and Auto-Life. Given that last encounter, she's not about to underestimate Garland's Angel of Death.

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Though it was not a voice that she recognized, the reactions of her comrades told her more than enough. But with the winds still so great, she knew the moment her feet left the ground for a dance she'd be carried off. Not to mention her fighting style relied on her getting off of the ground and moving; as she had learned with the lamiae and the myrrh tree recently, she needed her legs.

So she did the only thing she could think to do. She shuffled her feet and inflicted a shallow cut on her arm, transferring a dance that should have been meant for an enemy to herself--Desperate Flourish, inflicting the effect of weight onto her. Lilisette could battle gravity, but not the elements.

Afterward it was simply a matter of making certain her Thorned Stance--extra defense for herself--was in place as she took a step closer to Refia, both their mage and their crystal bearer. They had to be sure the crystal found its home, and the small woman was essential to their task.

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Now these were worth the wait. A couple of them, anyway. That pesky little girl holding the crystal Lufene remembered all too well as an annoying nag. Ugh. She floated off the pedestal, hair still whipping around her, and sashayed up to the man in the front and pushed the point of his spear to the side. "Put that away, I'm not here to fight." If she were, there were only four of them and she could easily make quick work of them all. It'd be far more fun to see what they could do to Garland. But it couldn't hurt to take home a trophy or two.

"I don't want the trip to have been a complete waste." A sly smirk crept onto her face, which shifted into a more sultry one. "I'll have something for my trouble, but maybe that dirty little rock isn't good enough."

Her tail slid up Kain's arm, and then started to curl around it in a possessive way, while she turned her attention to the dancer. "You're a pretty thing. What is it that interests you?"

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Annoying nag or not, Refia was not letting her get that crystal. Her robe was belted around her securely so it didn't fly up and away with her like a giant pair of wings, and the crystal was tucked securely in an inside pocket. The only way Lufene could get it from her would be to literally rip the robe from her body.

While Lufene was busy being a pain in the rear, Refia was casting magic as quickly as she could from her place in the back. Ursula had already given them Regen, but Refia added Haste on top of that and Might to both of their physical fighters. Once that was done, she felt secure enough to say something, setting up a couple more spells while she did.

"You'll have nothing for your trouble, you selfish, terrible person. We're here to stop you!"

And with that she let her spells go - first, Berserk. She wasn't sure if it would be effective, but if it was, that would end this very quickly. Second, a Scan. Whatever weaknesses she had, Refia wanted to know about them.

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At Refia's spellcasting, Lufene just issued an annoyed huff. Neither of the spells worked on her, but that didn't stop her from seeing what they were and realizing their intent. "You're an aggressive little pest, aren't you?" Just as bad as the swarms that came after her when she visited Alexandria Castle. Well, she knew how to deal with pests. The little white mage could just have Silence, followed by Stop, for her troubles.

"I told you, I'm not here to fight. If you had a modicum of sense, you'd stop posturing and listen to me."

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Ursula's gaze remained as fierce as ever. "We're not handing over the Wind Crystal! Not to you, not to anyone!" She used Chakra on Refia, uncertain if it would fix all that Lufene had inflicted on her, but she had to try.

Then she took a moment to charge on of her best attacks: Tenketsu. If she was lucky, it would hit Lufene where it would hurt most.

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Whether Lufene's words were meant to appeal to Lilith more than herself, she didn't know. But for the briefest of moments one could nearly feel the flames of Asgarth leap up around her, the faintest of marks on her forehead. When it passed she only held her daggers more closely around her, and her blue eyes narrowed at the woman.

Even with the wind, the gravity effect she put on herself made it fairly easy to move forward, and she had no qualms about reaching for the tail on Kain's arm. Something about that possessive move bothered her. He was their companion, not the genome's plaything.

"My only interest is in saving this world," she answered at last. It wasn't entirely untrue; there was a part of her that did want only that. "That means keeping the crystal from you."

Tempted as she was to make the first move, she did not want to put the others in danger. So, following her words, she simply performed a Healing Waltz to rid Refia of whatever status effects might remain, and then set her Thorned Stance, ready to strike whenever the need arose. And, from her new position beside Kain, she hoped to be the first to intercept whatever Lufene might do next.

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When that tail suddenly curled around his arm, Kain glared at her. It was the possessiveness in that motion that really disturbed him, on a very deep level. He thought back to his warning to Ursula before they'd even left to come here, and was gripped by a horrific fear. What if he lost control? What if he came under possession again? He wasn't sure if Lufene had such power, but he had no desire to find out.

Kain attempted to yank his arm free, even as Lilisette also tried to free him. Then he pointed his lance at her, but it wasn't that which he was about to use to attack.

"No. The Crystal stays with us."

With that, he focused and breathed out a stream of fire toward her, putting the Dragon Breath technique to good use.

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Being attacked on two fronts hurt considerably, but Lufene had no intention of letting on as much. She pulled out a dark sword, eyes narrowed and slashed it in the direction of both Ursula and Kain. Pain for pain, as it were, using her Shadow Blade on them. A blood red inscription formed over their heads, as an ethereal sword shot up from the ground beneath their feet. It served the purpose of harming them and healing herself.

"Fools. If I were here to kill you, you'd already be dead." Most of the time she only toyed around with her prey. This was such a small group, eliminating them would be no problem at all. The tip of the blade she raised, sliding it with the flat up just under Lilisette's chin, and lifting her head just a touch. "I know what you all want and I was here to give it to you."

Just as casually, she glided up into the air to sit nonchalantly on top of the high pedestal again. "I don't think I want to now. My hair's too messy." With a heavy sigh she shook her head and teleported away entirely, leaving one parting shot:

"You idiots will destroy this world faster than I can."

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It took a couple of moments, but thanks to Ursula and Lili's efforts, the spells holding Reffie in place dissolved and she fell to her knees coughing, madder than a charging Behemoth. But there was little she could do before the Gemone vanished, and as she pushed herself to her feet and started casting curative magic on Kain and Ursula, she yelled after the disappeared woman. "I am NOT a PEST!"

Not a word, Kain.

The wind hadn't calmed down at all - if anything, it got worse with one less body to block it. The white mage had to keep her eyes squinted shut in order to see, but she knew they weren't out of the woods just because Lufene was gone. "We still have to take care of the guardian! Be careful!"

And indeed, even as she spoke, Tiamat started to roar, taking off to swoop down in a dive...

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Ursula glanced up sharply, spotting Tiamat just in time to see the guardian dive. Her lips set in a grim line. Aura might soon see use, even though it didn't with that Lufene encounter.

Glancing over to Kain, she spares him a sharp nod. It's their duty as the warriors of the group to protect the others, and she won't falter on that. Whatever the cost, the Wind Crystal had to be safe.

The monk princess braced herself, then leaped high into the air. She planned to meet Tiamat with a flying kick. If the dragoon jumped, then they could assault the creature from below and above.

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Even after the genome vanished Lilisette could still feel the impression of her sword, but it had not even broken the skin. She hated being toyed with - Lilith had done it to her for nearly a year - and it only made the demons in her claw to get out. But Lufene was gone, and now there was nothing they could do to her.

With her gaze still trained on where Lufene had vanished she almost did not see the dragon until it was upon them, but the sight of Ursula jumping drew her attention back. She was quick to dance a Haste Samba--a dance that would allow her party to attack faster on top of the other spells a white mage could give them. It only required that she land a hit, and as the beast swooped low she jumped up, slashing at its tail. It worked, but she narrowly avoided the spines on the end as she became grounded once again.

She spared a glance back to Refia, assessing the state of the mage before she tried to survey how she could best assist the two fighters. It was likely they all preferred to take to the air, even in the wind, but if she needed to stay grounded she would. Whatever would keep her safest, so that she could take good news back to Cecil when it was all said and done.

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Kain remained thankfully silent about Refia's outburst, grateful that the healing had restored the energy he'd need for the fight against the guardian. Lufene's words still bothered him, what had she really meant by any of that? Of course, right now was not the time to dwell upon anything. Now was the time for action.

This had to be timed just so... As Ursula sprang into action, Kain took up into a Jump. He aimed his spear downward and descended, flipping and spinning in his Sky Rave attack, aiming to drive Tiamat into Ursula's attack.

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Refia was not going airborn - in this wind, she would be slammed into a wall faster than you could say 'chocobo.' Instead she'd gotten right up against the wall next to the door and sort of jammed herself in between the doorway and one of the carved columns next to it. It gave her the advantage of already being pressed against something and so much less likely to be blown away and partial cover from the flying beast.

Checking to make sure the entire party was still covered in beneficial spells, Refia went on the offensive. Even though it had little chance of working, she tried a Berserk again, then followed it up with a guaranteed spell in Holy. Unfortunately, as she cast the second spell, she could feel something pulling at her, draining her magical energy even more than usual for a spell that cost a great deal to cast.

"I think this thing steals magic!"

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Boosted by the Haste spell, Ursula was able to launch a series of successful strikes before Refia's cry got her attention. "Stand back! We'll take care of it!" If they keep it busy, it won't have time to focus on the white mage, right? One would hope.

Of course, the creature wasn't going to just stand there and take the beating. It retaliated to Ursula's and Kain's attacks with Twister; the princess cried out as she saw the even more fierce winds form, and leaped back. Still, it was too late to avoid them completely. They ripped through her and not even the protective magics granted would spare her that pain.

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From her position on the ground she could see the Twister forming, but her Violent Flourish was too late to stun the move. She heard Ursula cry out, and that was all she needed to dance out a Curing Waltz--her strongest, since she did not know how much ferocity could be behind the attack. Even she could feel the strain from using her magic, but that did not mean she could afford to stop.

While Kain and Ursula attacked from above she did so from below, jumping up as she had to in order to strike with her daggers and her feet. Always building up momentum for her dances--Sensual Dance for more attack power throughout the party, Box Step and Quick Step to lower its Evasion and Defense. She knew with Kain and Ursula's strength she'd never hope to pull it off of them, but she could at least help Refia keep the two of them healed. All she had to avoid were the legs and tail in the meantime, and keep those away from Refia.

But she couldn't resist giving the beast a taste of Dancer's Fury as she leaped up again, swiping twice at the creature. A little extra oomph never hurt.

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Being hit with that was a pain, and Kain growled in annoyance as he landed heavily from it. But he didn't spare much time in recovering from the Twister. Once the curative magic hit, he felt some energy return.

Now at a position below the beast, Kain knew he had another good opportunity to use one of his newer moves. He leapt upward, spinning with spear targeting Tiamat, unleashing a Rising Dive. The attack drove the creature upward with a series of steady blows.

And just when Kain thought he was safe, not exactly having regular magic to drain... Tiamat next used its power to drain strength, an effect Kain felt instantly. He gasped a little at the weakening sensation it gave him.

"...It drains more than magic!"

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Refia threw another Might on Kain, to counter the drain - it perhaps wouldn't get him back to where he had been when bolstered by the spell before the fight, but it would help recover some of it. Following that, Regens flew fast and furious, one for each of them. The twister even reached her, though at a reduced force thanks to her distance and her partial cover, and she was grateful for the warm feeling of the Regen bringing her back to full status.

Downing an ether, she went straight for another Holy at the creature, following it up with scan. "We can do this! It's over half dead!"

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That waltz and further regenerative magic allowed Ursula to bounce back relatively quickly. She wasted no time after hearing Refia's cry, bolstered by the news. They were making headway after all, and that prove caused her to focus her energy, then release it as Tenketsu.

Her subsequent attack struck the beast where it was most vulnerable, leaving it significantly wounded. Still, before it surprised them with another Twister, Ursula glanced to Kain. "Together!" If they both struck, now, they could end this. She launched herself forward.

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Catching wind of their upcoming combined attack, Lilisette did what she could to aid them. She lowered the Tiamat's defense, raised everyone's attack power, and drove a dagger imbued with Violent Flourish as far into the beast as she could manage. It wouldn't stun it long, but hopefully it would be just enough to see that their hits landed perfectly.

The dancer, for one, was ready to put the Wind Shrine behind them all. Crouched next to Refia she waited to see if it would be enough. If not, she was prepared to spring back into action at a moment's notice.

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Kain would have to remember to thank Refia. Later. For now, he nodded at Ursula. Their combined force should be enough. They'd have to give it all they had and time it just so. Which meant he'd need to get airborne very swiftly. "Right! Now!"

He sprang into the air and jumped, to come soaring down to strike at Tiamat.

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One more Holy, and Refia ducked. Whatever was about to happen, she didn't want to be in the way - it seemed like the shrine itself might explode with the force Ursula and Kain were bringing to bear on the creature. One of the heads dove for her as a moving target, smacking itself on the stone column she was crouched behind, and she reached out to whack it in the nose with her staff as hard as she could.

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The combined attack was certainly enough to decimate their opponent. Ursula struck hard, then tried her best to jump out of the way as it came crashing down. She landed just in time to raise an arm to ward off debris from the blast.

Once the air cleared, she glanced around. "Is everyone alright?" She wasn't the white mage of the group, but she'd still help with healing if necessary.

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When the creature fell, Lilisette moved in front of Refia to help shield her. When the rubble settled she finally was content enough to sheath her daggers against her back, smacking her hands together to take care of the dirt and dust that flew up. She kept her eye on the creature for a while to make certain that it was truly dead, and then nodded to Ursula.

"I'm well," she voiced. Slightly beat up, but nothing she could not recover from on her own. But she was prepared to help anyone else that might not have fared as well.

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Kain landed from the jump, and glanced to be sure that the battle was truly ended, and that nothing surprising would spring up next after them. They'd taken down the guardian of the shrine, but... the earlier visit from Lufene still had him feeling tense and uneasy. But after a moment, he nodded.

"I'm fine." Aside from being somewhat exhausted, and limping slightly as he moved toward the group. But it was nothing serious, and he'd felt a lot worse in the past. All in all, things had gone well from what he could see.

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Refia didn't have much magic left, but she used a portion of it to recast Regen on the other three - her hiding spot had mostly covered and shielded her from the attacks, which she was grateful for. Letting the spell tick on them, she fumbled in her deepest pocket for a moment before pulling out the wind crystal, staring down at it and fingers tightening around it as she... felt something from it, now that the tension and fighting were done with.

"...It's happy," she said quietly. The crystal had actually spoken to them at home; she was just grateful to get a general impression of anything from it on Gaia. "It wants to be here."

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Ursula's expression softened as she heads over toward Refia, peering down at the crystal. "It's meant to be here. This is where it will be safe. I'm just glad we were able to aid it." She glanced to Kain, glad also that he could do his part without any problem. She would make good on her promise if need be, but that didn't mean she was looking forward to it.

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Lilisette watched the crystal for a moment, seeing nothing in it but faint glints. How they could discern feelings from a rock was beyond her, but at least it was happy, she guessed. Maybe if she started telling those on Vana'diel that they should pay more for her crystals because they were happier, she could fetch a better price for them. The thought was amusing to her, at the worst time, and she tried to hide that smile.

Instead she turned to Kain, and nodded toward his leg. She had not missed his limp, and she still had the means to dance if he was wounded. "Sir Highwind, your leg?"

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Kain folded his arms and nodded agreement as he started at the crystal. "It's for the best for it to be here." The fact they would leave it in its place here was a tremendous relief to Kain- there was less danger of himself or anyone else getting their hands on it.

He glanced to Lilisette. The Regen had started to do its work, fortunately, but this was also Kain so... "It's fine, now."

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