high_seas | The Day o' Davy Jones

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The Day o' Davy Jones

August 31st - September 7th
Isla Empieza

OPEN TO ALL PLAYERS, CURRENT AND PAST!!

The time has come. The way to Empieza is open. The mists still swirl around and the low, greenish cloud hangs heavy over the island, flickering with green lightning. But now there is a way to get in and a place to weigh anchor. The Navs seem to have stopped functioning, though. Pity.

In any case, there is a path to the central plaza of Empieza, bordered on either side by mist that feels caustic to the touch and seems almost ready to break free. From either side and within the mist are screams that linger as they fade, rattling growls, and other sounds that could induce nightmares in even the bravest of souls.

And somewhere in the mist lies Davy Jones, the rest of the shards, and a battle that will decide the outcome of this world...and yourselves.

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Celestia blinked through the mist with teleport after short-range teleport, dodging the beasts that surged through it as she pressed ever closer to the cave. Her wings beat powerfully, a shimmer of sunlight surrounding her as she gathered her power and held it.

She had not worn it since the disappearance of her ursine crewmate, but today the pony wore her duster. If nothing else, it would serve as armor and protection, or at least keep the mist from soaking her fur.

Not that it wouldn't get soaked in a minute anyway.

Zoro's appearance at the cave entrance is completely and utterly a fluke. Terrible sense of direction indeed, he totally meant to be going straight for Jones! And he was, so he thought, but several monster carcasses later and he found himself looming out of the mist with a familiar sight ahead. White wings were easy to spot against all this lurid green.

Trudging out of the darkness, Zoro had two of his three swords bared, and was already scuffed up. The blood on his shirt, however, was not his. "Oi, Celestia!" he called as he came. "Is this the right way? Where's Jones?"

Next time, he was sticking with someone else- but it was only because he'd come to realize how terrible Zoro's sense of direction was that he hadn't wanted to leave him to wander on his own. Lyrik was at least glad to be with someone who knew how to take care of those monsters at least.

"Ah! Thank goodness!" he exclaimed as they met up with Celestia. "Miss Celestia, are you okay?"

Well. Celestia had hoped to obtain the shard herself, but of the potential others who might come seeking it, she could trust Zoro at least. And probably Lyrik as well. The important thing was preventing anypony from misuing the shard even out of good intentions, and these two likely couldn't and likely wouldn't.

"I'm quite all right. But the path beyond looks to be a swim. I'm not certain you're at the right place for the fight, Zoro, but there is work to be done here nonetheless."

Zoro had sensed someone behind him, a familiar signature, so he wasn't entirely surprised to find Lyrik tagging along. Poor hid had to watch a lot of blood and guts, though. He nodded to acknowledge his presence and then walked up to Celestia.

"All right. I guess since you guys are here, I can help you out. If there's any more monsters ahead like the ones I just cut through, you're gonna need it." He knew Celestia could more than handle herself around monsters, but it was the principle of the thing. Zoro's deepest instincts were to protect his crew, and there were now two of them here, might as well protect them, come hell beasts or high water.

The young water dragon forced a smile at Celestia. "At least I know I can handle a swim. I'll be happy to leave any monsters to you, Zoro." After all, water was more so his territory than all this, sword at his side or not.

At least with water nearby, he could assist in some fighting that way if need be, but Celestia had cleared out quite a bit herself before they'd reached her.

[while the three of them were chatting outside the cave entrance, a certain winged feline slipped behind them and into the cave, where he felt the draw of some dark magic. He had hoped to go ahead and obtain it while they were distracted, but balked when he saw the water. This was going to be more annoying than he thought...he despised water and swimming of any kind, and trying to swim through some narrow watery cave with his large wings wasn't something he could just wholeheartedly dive into]

[they'd likely find him still looking at the water contemplating what to do about it when they made their way inside]

Oh wonderful. This just kept attracting more people.

"It is probably safe," Celestia said, before she tucked her own massive wings tight around her, then plunged into the water without hesitation.

Zoro looked at the water, contemplating. He didn't have a problem taking a swim either, and he could fight as easily underwater as he could on land, but Celestia's power and Lyrik's very existence were good reasons to let them handle it unless they called for help.

Meanwhile, he turned to this winged guy sitting by the water. Zoro didn't know him, he'd never seen him, but he didn't resemble any of the nightmare beasts he'd been fighting all day.

"What's up with you?" he wondered bluntly.

I wouldn't be so sure.

[he responded to Celestia without standing up. But as soon as she turned her back to dive in, he hurled an explosive fireball of black fire, which can burn and boil even water, at it. It'd impact just before she hit the water if she didn't do anything about it]

[he then stood up, glancing at Zoro disdainfully] what's up with me? Get in my way and you'll find out.

[he opened his paw to summon a wicked-looking weapon surrounded by some strange black magic that seemed to devour the light out of the air around it]

((Ooc: For organization sake were you guys wanting to adhere to a posting order or just wing it?))

Edited 2015-09-02 17:20 (UTC)

     Lyrik had been about to shout at Celestia to wait before the other figure cast some sort of spell. The young dragon yelped, staring a moment before he looked at catlike being.

     "What is your problem?!" he sputtered. Was this guy one of Davy Jones' minions?

     Since Zoro was addressing the guy, Lyrik turned his attention back towards the water, moving his hand. The water leaped up and gathered into a sphere to contain the black flames, and the boy flung it away from them, watching the hot water run off the walls.

Thank you, Lyrik! Celestia's bright form vanished into the water with a flick of her iridescent tail. Leaving friends behind to fight battles for her was not something she liked at all, but... well, in Zoro's case at least, she didn't doubt he'd prefer such a battle to coming for the crystal with him

Seeing that Celestia had gone ahead, Lyrik looked back to the other two before nodding. He knew Zoro could cover things. Hopefully there wasn't anything underwater like the last time, but the dragon wasn't about to leave a girl alone!

"Please try not to kill him, Zoro!" he said before turning to dive into the water after the winged pony, swimming quickly to catch up. It was so dark and it made him wish he had one of the Light Dragon's light orbs, but at least he could follow Celestia and that red glow, eerie as it was.

The Princess surged out of the water on the far end of the swim, gasping for breath as she stuck her head back into the air once again. Dripping and sodden, her wings plastered to her body and her mane and tail dragging, bedraggled, on the floor, she was as far from a picture of royalty as could be.

Unsteady on her hooves from a lack of air, she stumbled forward, he gaze fixed on the heart that pulsed before her. The very air hung thick with inimical power, pressing against her like it wanted to consume her. Maybe it did. The shards could corrupt and be corrupted.

Perhaps they could also be purified.

Celestia parted her lips, seeking for her voice, but for a moment it failed her. But she was a Princess, an alicorn... a Straw Hat, and there were people relying on her.

Softly, against the darkness, she began to sing.

Sometimes I lose the spark...
Living in the dark...
How I wish my song could be a sign.

The tip of her horn began to glow with sunlight as she found her center and her strength. Lifting her head, the alicorn put more strength into her words.

Sing it like a bird.
Sunlight in my words.
Learn to sing the golden sun to shine.

Shine on, shine on me.
Shine on, shine on me.

     Lyrik was more impressed that something so gangly can swim so quickly. If he'd known that she hadn't the ability to use magic to help her swim, he would have lent her his power. It wasn't obvious to him that she'd been holding her breath until he came up after her, seeing her gasping.

     "Uwah, you must have amazing lungs, Celestia..!" he couldn't help but sputter.

     She certainly had a one track mind though, already focusing on the source of that eerie red glow. Lyrik was surprised they hadn't even paused to take a look at it, but if this thing was just a gigantic version of the rest that they held- he glanced at the smaller ones he had on him, one still thrumming anxiously- then maybe they worked the same way?

As Celestia sings, the water around them will start to bubble and churn ominously. The pulsing red light seems to flicker for a moment, and the thumping sound stutters along with it before it picks up again in tempo, growing louder as the song continues.

The shard inside the heart starts to glow, matching Celestia's horn, and it almost seems to be vibrating from within its place in Davy Jones heart. Waves crash against the small bit of rocky ground they're standing on and as the crescendo in Celestia's song reaches its climax, the shard rips free of the heart, zooming toward the pair before slamming to a halt in midair and hovering innocently in front of them, pulsing gently—

And then the water in the cave explodes around them.

The heart left behind shudders angrily as a screeching sound bursts from it, then it crumples in on itself, shriveling and turning black, eventually crumbling until there's nothing but dust left.

Around them, the sea will quickly rise as the cave fills up. The walls rumble and shake, and the path back up to the forest quickly becomes blocked as the ceiling starts to rain debris.

You have two options...

Either you drown.

Or you escape the cave through the gaping mouth that leads to the open sea.

Better hurry up.

Above them, the battle with Davy Jones rages on -- but, for a moment, Jones will lurch forward and collapse as though someone dealt him a particularly heavy blow. It's not his attackers, though, but rather a keenly felt sense of something very wrong happening. A cold feeling of dread that lances his chest, settling in the empty spot where his heart should have been. The heart that no longer exists... That has been destroyed by the very outsiders that he himself called upon to aid him in returning it to his rightful place through the blasted Piedra Roja.

Lucky for him, at least, that Cat provided him with this body to work with. This vessel that seems yet unwilling to give up.

Will an almighty bellow, he'll charge back into the fight, but it's different now. More will be able to land a hit, and the damage will be felt. Davy Jones is weakened, and now is the time to finish what's been started.

But, as with all injured things, he will lash out more viciously now. Dangerously. And he will be desperate to get his hands on the one thing that will finally, finally still be able to restore him and make him whole.

"Lyrik, hop on!" Seizing the shard with her magic, Celestia spread her wings in a shower of water. A rainbow formed around her in the mist, the light of her magic refracted. The music still thrummed in the air around them as she turned to the great cave opening.

Throwing his hands over his ears at the horrible sound the heart emits, Lyrik watched as Celestia was able to grab the shard from its place. He gulped as the water began to surge behind them, seeping about his feet.

He didn't put up much of an argument at the pony's order, running over to leap onto her back. "I'll take care of the water!" he told her, the air shimmering about them as the water would be kept away from them even once it filled the cavern.

As Lyrik deflected the magic and Celestia dove in, Zoro's focus zeroed in on the interloper. Whose crew was he from? Was he one of the monsters after all? That sword certainly had his attention, and his lips curling in a smirk as he drew Wadou Ichimonji and placed it between his teeth.

"Sounds like a deal to me. I'll be your opponent."

All the better to let the others get away, and do their thing. Zoro did not hesitate, springing from his place and slashing with all three swords, one after the other, to drive the winged stranger from the cave and away from his crewmates.

[Venour gave a snarl of irritation as he was prevented from going after Lyrik or Celestia by this unusual swordsman. He found his technique of using a sword in his mouth almost comical, yet he couldn't deny its effectiveness as he struggled to block all of the incoming blows with his black-glowing pole arm in this tight space. He couldn't use his wings here, either. He'd have to get out of the cave to fight this guy effectively....which meant the other two would get far ahead]

You'll pay for being a pain in my tail! [he growled as he swept a paw at Zoro, black fire blasting from it towards the warrior's face to back him up. When the fire cleared he'd see Venour's tail end as he ran to get out of the cave]

Zoro shifted to place all three swords in a joined block, letting the black energy hit and then deflect away to the side. It was a suitable distraction, he was still poised that way when his opponent fled. Zoro didn't usually pursue cowards who decided to run, but he had a strong feeling that this guy wasn't going very far. That, and he couldn't let him try some kind of sneaky strategy to get around him and chase after Celestia and Lyrik. So he ran after the winged guy, swords held low and ready in case he was ambushed just outside the cave.

[Zoro's instincts proved to be correct. Venour did stay close and did try to ambush him as soon as he emerged from the cave. He'd find the spear end of Venour's weapon thrusting at his side as soon as the malevolent cat had a clear shot at it]

A ping against his haki sense warned Zoro in time not to take a spear through the ribs, though the blade did rip through the loose front of his shirt as he jerked to the side to evade it. His boots skidded across the dirt until they found purchase, while he slashed downward at the weapon to deflect it out of the way and give himself an opening to charge the wielder.

His focus turned laser-sharp, his good eye following the movement in the dim green fog and his haki on high alert as he went back on the attack, bringing the two swords in his hands into a parallel position and swinging outward, from the side, in a Nigiri Hirameki. Whether or not it hit, he was already moving into the next move, bringing the parallel swords around to slash again in a diagonal Samon.

[his deflection knocked the spearhead aside, but the other more dangerous head now swing around towards Zoro. It ended up being blocked by his intended horizontal attack. Venour was slightly surprised by the speed of Zoro's follow up attack, though. He might not have Haki exactly, but he was a dedicated warrior who had spent much of his life in battle and training and had highly honed senses. Thanks to that he back flipped just in time to avoid being hacked apart by the Samon]

[he beat his wings to hover about fifteen feet in the air, glancing down as he felt a sting on his chest. There were two diagonal hairline lacerations trickling blood. He gave a disturbing grin]

Well you might be an annoying obstacle, but you're going to be fun.

"Fun, eh?"

Zoro smirked in spite of himself around the hilt in his mouth, but even when he was enjoying a fight, he still had his focus. He knew what he needed to do, and wouldn't stop until one of them was down. Preferably not himself, since he was there to protect his crew until they could complete their task.

An opponent in the air was no trouble to him at all. He twisted his torso and curled his arms over his shoulder, positioning the three blades in a spiral, and then spun outward all at once, flinging a swirling, spiraling, flying slash of cutting air toward his foe, warning as he did: "108 Pound Cannon!"

It wasn't at max strength, yet. Next time, it would be.

The Day o' Davy Jones

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fight thread here

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