TEST 8.

[azumods]

FLOW. The feeling of pressure in here is immense. It's stronger than it was with Darkrai, something you can feel down to your core, something that you couldn't shake off even if you tried; there's nothing to do but power through it. Saturn, for his part, either isn't feeling it at all or is incapable of reacting in any sort of appropriate way even if he could; he simply continues to regard you from across the room, his words hanging heavy in the room. It's a far cry from his behavior during the first month you were here; he was civil then, willing to do you favors in exchange for the chance to talk to you. It's plain that he will be doing no such thing today; it may be difficult to know where to start, really. Especially when your Pokémon don't seem to be doing well - whatever's happening here, they seem reluctant, even unwilling, to fight anything in this room. Perhaps it's not surprising; the energy in the room is likely familiar to them, and it's the sort associated with someone deciding to take their spirit away last time it was angered. Whatever the reason, you're on your own for now; whatever happens is your choice, and yours alone.

Comments

[azumods]

[He'll hear the challenges, certainly, as they come in, as well as the insisting from some - from Morag, from a few of the others - that he needs to not do this; he doesn't falter in his resolve, and that cold look in his eyes is replaced by a bright flash of red behind his irises.

It's unsettling, but there's something else that's far more pressing to look at: the sharp whip of energy coursing through the air, the sudden appearance of something long and red and sinuous coiling through the air and encircling Saturn's body at the chest, crossing over his shoulders and around his back despite not making contact with him at all - it simply seems to hover there for the time being, glittering brightly and increasing that sense of pressure in the air tenfold.]

Dialga, Master of Time - unleash your power for me!

[And something in the air abruptly seems to tear, as though reality itself is being ripped open right in front of you - there's a black space opening on top of that dais overlooking the room, something that's sensed just as much as it's seen; you can't look at it so much as it is that you can look through it, just a massive black expanse of nothingness extending back, back beyond the wall of the building and beyond whatever lies outside it, nothing but darkness as far as you can perceive, and with it immediately comes the knowledge that you aren't perceiving very much of what you're looking at at all.

It's an abyss, an endless abyss, and it's from that abyss that something materializes.

It's indescribably large, dark-bodied and streaked through with light blue patterning, its head and back and legs adorned with silver in a way that seems a cross between light armor and decoration; however, there's something unnatural about it, too - a red chain similar to the one currently adorning Saturn is wrapped around it, impossibly long and winding its way around its body and hovering just above the skin, and when the creature moves the chain moves with it.

It comes down heavily on top of the dais overlooking the room, the abyss closing behind it as it lets out a roar both fierce and agitated, and while it isn't deafening it's decidedly too loud for the room, reverberating through it long after the sound has stopped.

That sense you've been having this whole time intensifies; whatever this is, this entity is extremely old, and its will is extremely powerful. Just as much as as time itself.

Saturn's eyes are still holding that unnatural glow, and the chain isn't dissipating from around him, either.]

Once more. Don't make me kill you.

[discutio]

...Oh, Saturn.

[The confrontation dropped from Ignis’ voice, replaced with honest sympathy.]

You’re an anchor, aren’t you?

[azumods]

[He's breathing a bit hard, but he still seems rather evenly-spoken, all things considered.]

I carry part of the Red Chain within me. It's how some of my imperfections were permanently removed, and now I can summon Dialga into this world as Master Cyrus requires.

[niceoppai]

Oh, that is creepy.

[discutio]

...

Zelda.

That chain...has any of your research indicated it can be broken?

[semistableman]

[He should be terrified, but there are a few advantages to being Bucky Barnes that means that things like this don't even faze him.]

Looks painful.

[It's not entirely clear to whom he's speaking.]

[azumods]

I can assure you that it isn't.

[...He sounds like he's speaking from a lot of experience.]

Stressful, a bit. But not painful. Most of us who carry it don't even feel it anymore.

But then, it's also what ensures they don't feel anything at all anymore.

[semistableman]

"Anymore."

[God, but that is fucked up.]

What a hell of a price to pay.

[eudaimonikos]

Tested that on a lot of people before you took it yourself, didn't you.

[Not really a question]

[greydients]

[...oh. Well, she had asked him to send out his Pokemon, and there's a part of Rey that...honestly isn't surprised that this is the outcome.

...that's not to say she isn't surprised in general, however, if the way she stumbles back against Golurk's leg means anything.]

Saturn....

[Golurk quickly rights its trainer back on her feet, but it takes a moment for her legs to catch up; that Pokemon (Dialga) looks absolutely horrifying, and it instantly becomes clear that any attempts at fighting it aren't going to work.]

...how did this....?! Who....

[Who did this to you?]

[azumods]

I carry part of the Red Chain within me. To remove my imperfections, and ensure that they remain gone. And to ensure that I can summon Dialga into this world as Master Cyrus sees fit.

[He's breathing fairly hard, but he still seems steady, at least.]

I really did tell you that it wasn't my fault you didn't believe me.

[greydients]

The Red Chain....

[That's what Zelda had read about in Cyrus' office, wasn't it...? How Cyrus was able to control the gods of this world...

...but...]

He...he put a piece of that chain inside your body?

[She doesn't even want to begin to think about how that was achieved; did he agree to it? Was he forced? How...]

I-I'm sorry, I...

[If Rey had thought this whole encounter was too much before, now....]

Can we get it out? Is it possible?

[anythingforyou]

[...You know, Arion is usually very brave in the face of these creatures, if quiet on some levels.

Considering how fast he kind of tucks his tail between his legs and all but jumps into Camilla's arms while she stares up at what was summoned and. You know, she's having second thoughts.

...Considering her entire team are suddenly very much cowering behind her, everybody is having second thoughts.]

...Oh, gods...

[Most of the other Pokemon have certainly been gods that Camilla could respect, but this is the sort of god that Camilla's used to and. Yeah.

She's ready for an escape, quite frankly.]

[azumods]

[Welcome to the second half of Azume: Why, Yes, Our Gods Can Get Worse.]

[radiantflame]

[The second she sees the chain, she has a sinking feeling that they haven't been speaking to Saturn at all.

And if they even so much as make a move against Dialga they are going to die. She turns to the others:]

Do not engage. Do not engage!

[niceoppai]

You don't need to tell me twice! What are we gonna do?

[ventulus]

I don't know, we need to figure out something to -- break that somehow, maybe.

[ Whatever that Red Chain thing is... if it can be broken. Well, he refuses immediately to believe they can't do something about it! ]

[takestheblame]

...something's wrong...

[Kiryu doesn't know much about magical coercion or anything like that, but things clearly are weird here. He had chalked everything up to Pokemon world weirdness, but looks like everyone else seems to have realized something he doesn't.

For once he'll defer to everyone's wisdom]

[thunderwolf]

[Eustace was more than willing to throw down before this happened. He's fought and defeated primal beasts before, but this is on an entirely new level that he knows would probably be a death sentence to take on. And while he's managing to keep his composure, he's honestly taken aback that Saturn really went to these lengths.]

...yeah. He's forcibly controlling that primal beast.

[It's beyond what he's seen people try to pull back home.]

[enjoymyatelier]

[...

oh. Okay, then.

...hm. A lot of people care if Saturn gets thrown into a time void. But he doesn't, and if Dialga decides to do that...]

Dialga, Master of Time... are you really going to put up with this?

[azumods]

[...I mean, you're not getting a whole lot of response, though it'll definitely kind of look at you? Hard to say what it's thinking in there, though.]

[eudaimonikos]

...so that's what all that torture was for.

[Michael's hands, on instinct, come out to press anyone nearby a step behind him. But he doesn't accompany that gesture by stepping forward himself, like he ordinarily might.]

[divinedescendant]

[Emmeryn pushes Ventus behind her. If there is any chance of a blow being survivable it will take her first. But fear simmers under hurt, first, under sympathy, under the awful knot twisting her stomach at the sight of the chains over Saturn.]

I know. [Because she had spoken to her, and she is too polite to leave him unanswered; because she does not believe in lost causes.] I know, and I forgive you.

[One slow breath, and she tries to stand tall enough to cover the boy behind her.]

We will not make you do anything, Saturn, not us. [But desperation creeps into her tone with the knowledge that the magic at work here is beyond her ken.] You know this does not have to be done.

[azumods]

I don't deserve your forgiveness. Not now.

[He's breathing kind of hard, but he still seems reasonably composed and he's standing firmly enough.]

Any opposition can't be allowed to stand - those that would impede us must be eliminated. It's how things are, whether I want it to be that way or not.

[perfectselfie]

[Aya feels her stomach twist as she takes in exactly what has happened here. Sick isn’t a strong enough word to describe it. This is wrong on so many levels, and if she hadn’t hated Cyrus before, she certainly does now.]

What the...

[Aya doesn’t say fuck, but she certainly has to stop herself from thinking it.

I don’t understand. I...

[She trails off, stepping back so she can’t be seen crying as easily.]