Game Theory

Day 4: The white moon is cresting.

Eighteen sets of mortal eyes watched the white moon as it ever so slowly climbed towards its peak. Each from the seventh floor of their own tower, guardians uniformly in presence, carried out their own private vigil over the emptied battlefield.

Femme had been idly speculating with Copain about the nature of this alleged magic, when there was a soft tingle in the very ends of her fingers. Almost imperceptible.

Maximilian jumped back as a white spark snapped between Monica's fingers, her breath suddenly being sucked in at the sight and sound. It came slowly at first, and then with a bang. A strange feeling fizzed up inside her. Pictures of planes, humanoids, Ronso, and magical beasts flashed through her head.

Squall watched as Rinoa struggled with the white glow, now enveloping her whole figure, lighting the room as if were noon back home on a world that had already nearly escaped their memories. They'd already decided not to use what power they'd accumulated - if any - but Squall wondered now if that was even going to be an option.

Nel shook, body twitching spasmodically, as Albel looked on, entranced, as the white river of energy spread throughout the room, rushing around him, the glare intensifying. With a primal yell, she ripped herself away from the window. Albel caught her just before she hit the ground. She panted, grasping for air as she stared into his eyes. "Not today." A second's pause, then back to the window. Will I regret this? Has it cost us?

Elsewhere, Etna had also forcibly extracted herself from the currents of magic. Yuna slumped to the floor, Tidus looking concernedly after her. Maria panted in Fayt's arms, forcing herself to keep her eyes focused on the window.

And that left one. Rikku, grinning manically, let out an exultant scream as she felt the thick, bracing currents of magic run through her nerves. "Oh, Yunie! You said you didn't need me! Didn't want to be here! Didn't want to play my game! Well, let's see if you still want to be enemies after this!"

The sky turned a brilliant white as comets flew from the uppermost window of Rikku's abode, eliciting gasps from several of the onlookers. Climbing slowly, they quickly reached their apex, diving into ranks of Ronso troops. The onslaught continued, as hundreds of these brilliant streaks formed a path of death between a blonde's hand and a screaming Ronso horde, milling about aimlessly and futilely in front of Yuna's keep.

As the last crackling white flash departed Rikku's tower, a wave of fatigue swept over her body. She paused a second, wavering on her feet before collapsing...to Auron's waiting arms. He sighed. "I'm sure there's a quote that describes this perfectly." Easily holding the blonde in his time-tested arms, he gingerly descended the stairs.

Tidus angrily strode the room, kicking the lone wooden stool from one side to the other. One leg had already snapped, and a second was dangling precariously. Yuna was crying at the window. Kick. Thunk. Kick. Thunk-bonk. Kick. Thunk-snap. Two legs left.

Yuna's crying had subsided. A low growl had now replaced tears. "...When you think you know someone. Friends, indeed. We will have to remedy this."

Day 4: The white moon is fading.

Cid's eyes slowly inched open. He was parched. It didn't help that his throat was raw. The duct tape hadn't stopped him from trying to yell. He attributed the slight peeling of the tape to these attempts - a victory, no matter how minor, was appreciated. His eyes were approximately two-thirds open when he noticed he was still suspended on a wall - directly below someone else strapped to a table. Whoever it was, it - she, maybe? - things were still a bit fuzzy.

Click.

A final primal roar echoed through the dungeon. Cid had already strained at these cuffs hundreds of times during Yuffie's...modification procedure. They hadn't given then. Why would they now? They did, however, stir the ninja below.

A brown eye opened below him. A pause. Then a screeching grinding of metal as Yuffie slowly lifted her arms, tearing her restraints out of the sturdy oaken table. Watching this movement, Cid, afraid to speak, lest he break the concentration enabling this magnificent display, suddenly wondered what happened to the clamp that had enabled Rikku's nefarious designs: Yuffie's head was no longer locked in place.

Another screech signified Yuffie's legs being ripped free. She swung herself down from the table, glancing around the room. Seizing upon a nearby axe, she flashed a smile at Cid. "This is not over." He twitched, trying to avoid looking at her yellow-orange eye.

Thwack-sching! The handaxe cleanly severed one of Cid's chains. Three repeats later, Cid was foraging for their weapons, while Yuffie was pondering a canister of water that had been left in the room. "What is it?" Cid asked, extending her boomerang. "Nevermind. Let's go."

Stealing up the staircase out of the dungeon, the pair were surprised to find an empty main floor. Cid chucked. "I guess we shouldn't complain." His companion was already moving. Ten seconds later, they were plastered against a stone wall, watching hundreds of machina mill about the courtyard.

Yuffie flashed a succession of hand signals. Cid wasn't quite fluent, but he knew the last one. Just 'shut up' and follow me. It didn't really translate well. The scarred ninja set out, tracing a complex path through the weave of alien machines. Six minutes was all it took. Home free.

Yuffie stopped after the two had covered perhaps twenty metres from the fortress walls. Turning to look back at the walls, a soft, inaudible whisper escaped her lips. "I promise you that this isn't over." Cid looked into her remaining eye. "This? This is just temporary. How difficult can it be to fix for a god, after all?" A manical chuckle echoed across the dark plain as the pair headed home.

As the pair set off towards what they called home, a tall man in red watched them from above. His sword was leaning against the wall, and he held an unconscious blonde in his arms.


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Dammit, I cannot write dialogue. Sigh.
Statistics: Troops/Kills

Dagger: 968/34

Etna: 946/47

Femme: 912/98

Maria: 958/74

Monica: 925/44

Nel: 974/60

Rikku: 830/700

Rinoa: 938/26

Yuffie: 636/206

Yuna: 606/18