[identity profile] songbird9.livejournal.com
Or for those less satisfied by the inevitable unraveling of every step we took in our journey as Refugees, here is an alternative ending.

Song lost track of the violence around her. She forgot the three keybearers and their blazing light. She forgot the loyal friends who had followed her here without question, despite her headstrong carelessness. She forgot the hellish spawn of darkness and sorcery that rampaged in the starlit surf. Her world consisted only of the soft whiteness which seeped out from her fingertips to fill the air like a fog, and the gentle touch of the one who guided her.
She thought perhaps that if she looked now, his hands would be visible. If she turned her head just so, she might catch a flash of moon-yellow hair. How he'd gotten there, she didn't question. Where he'd come from was a greater mystery, but it could wait. It could all wait.

For all that it resembled no more than a wandering cloud, the spell did not simply shroud what it touched. Rock dissolved, billowing palm leaves were consumed, and sand was siphoned away grain by grain into nondescript whiteness.

The combatants on the shore kept on as if they could not see it, but soon it claimed them as well. Even the great dragon was swallowed up, her darkness snuffed out by infinite white.

Somewhere, as of yet unbeknownst to any Refugee, the hungry spawn of a monstrous parasite were waking beneath the surface of a dozen worlds, but they too fell helpless to the pale, devouring fog.

And then, as if the light switch of the universe had been flicked off, even that was gone.


Song blinked in the darkness, or she meant to, but there was no change to accompany the action. She could hardly tell if she'd acted at all, or only thought of doing so. Groping about, she realized that she no longer felt the weight of her body. If she had feet, there was no ground beneath them. It was a wonderful feeling, and she giggled aloud before she could stop herself.
"Orpheus, where are we?"
She knew he was there. She couldn't feel his hands on hers anymore, but there was a warmth in the air. It was something rarely noticed but infinitely familiar, the presence of another human being.
And then she heard a low, resonant voice. It answered her now, and may have been speaking to her for quite a long time without her hearing it.
"I am with you, and you are with me."
Dream words. Yet Song knew that she was awake and not dreaming. She knew that very well.
But what was 'awake' and what was 'dreaming', really? Was there any difference here in the dark?
"Orpheus," she whispered, "what happened? Is this the end?"
"No," he replied, "but it might be a beginning."
"Where is Destiny Islands? Did the world fall?"
"It will be born again, my bird. It and all the others. Haven't you realized what this is yet?" There was laughter in his voice. "Don't you recognize these words?"
Song gave the question a fair amount of thought, though the answer sat impatiently on the tip of her tongue. "The Dreaming?"
Orpheus was smiling. She couldn't see it, but she knew. "Yes," he said, "but that's not what I meant. Do you remember when you gave me my name? Do you remember what I said?"
She did. "The childlike emperor needs a new name." Something clicked, and she ran their conversation back through her head. She did recognize the words. "Is that why it's so dark, Orpheus?"
"Because beginnings are always dark? Yes. Though if you'd like to see me again, all you need do is wish."

The worlds were broken, he told her. Their fates had become warped and tangled. Maleficent and Lavos were only a part of it. He had warned of this years before, when Ryune and Brandon were married. The problems had only worsened with time, and though he'd looked for a way to solve them without disturbing those caught in the middle, he had failed. To call up a Dreaming state was not his very last resort, but it was close.

Here, the damaged worlds could be rebuilt, wilderness and city restored with a simple wish and the living memory of the universe. Song would not be left to do this alone. It was not so difficult a matter to rouse the others, and Orpheus would stay to offer guidance until the task was complete.
Once balance was restored, the Dreaming would break and give birth to a new universe, whole and sound. Until that moment, the Dreamers need not worry for aging or mortal weakness. In the Dream, they were safe.
[identity profile] seolearo.livejournal.com
An announcement, if you would be so kind.

As I said in my last post, although I haven't been particularly active of late, I have kept a watchful eye on the game, and I have been keeping many former players up to date on the events. I've asked their opinions on things, and they've gladly given them. With their help, I have made a decision regarding World Refugees' final ending. And to put it simply, we've all chosen to make the trolling from Rakath's end not so trolly.

Yes, this means Lavos is now canon. Everyone died in a grand battle, and a young Xehanort was watching up until the moment the last Refugee and Keyblade Master from our timeline fell to the ground, and then he reset everything to the way it should be. We meddled, and now we've been taken out of the picture, spread throughout the worlds so that we may never meet and find another chance to ruin Xehanort's plans. There will be no arguing this. As a mod, with the support of the players, I have chosen this to be the official ending for World Refugees: Final Mix.

And before you say something like, "They're not in the game anymore; their opinions don't matter," I just want to say - they are still friends. They are still veterans of the game. They do matter, active in this game or not. And if two of the remaining four have the right to decide how this game closes in lieu of a mod-run plot, so do they.

Finish whatever you're doing. I won't stop you. But you have the right to know what has been chosen as the game's official end, and the thing going on now, run by Mabry and Robin, is not it.

And before you ask, no, I am not trolling again.

It's true that this game deserves an epic ending. And to be honest with you all, your mods had plans for a good, epic endgame, and it wasn't Jagannatha. We were planning it for months and months, and we had everything outlined and set in a schedule and everything. I'll tell you the details as well as I can now, just so you will all know that we didn't plan to leave you hanging like that. So let me weave you a story of what could have been, but was not...

The things with Jagannatha and his plans to lock away the Denizens of Light were part of the plan. Master Xehanort was working with him to do this, but he was never truly working for him. As one would expect, Xehanort had some plans of his own in the works. Members of the Academy of Shadows may recall that Xehanort helped Maleficent out in a time of need? When she asked what he would like in compensation, at first, he didn't ask for anything. Later on, he came back to request her assistance in creating a certain tool - a phylactery. With this, he would no longer require a younger vessel, like he had during the events of Birth by Sleep. With this, he could live as long as he needed in order to accomplish his plans.

During the fight against Jagannatha and his Keybearers, Xehanort was among the enemies for our young Keybearers to face. Though he gave a good fight, he was defeated and thought to be gone for good. While the Refugees were winding down from that, Yen Sid and Mickey held a Mark of Mastery exam for Riku, Sora, Kairi, Terra, and Ventus. Soon after, unbeknownst to our protagonists, Xehanort returned thanks to his foresight in creating a phylactery, and immediately launched his plans.

Not all of it could be accomplished on his own, however; wherever he went, he would immediately be suspect. And so, he presented Rakath with a paid contract, and Hex another offering a Keyblade, in which they were to steal the Cornerstones of Light and Darkness respectively from their safekeepers - the King and Queen of Disney Castle, and Maleficent and her Academy. Once those were delivered, they were taken with the Cornerstone of Twilight to the empty world that was Alexandria after the battles against Chernabog and Jagannatha.

The next step was to forge a link between the Cornerstones. So Xehanort, using himself as a starting point, dove into his heart and used his power of Light and Darkness together to reach out to the Cornerstone of Twilight. When the connection was made, he reached for the Cornerstone of Light with the Light in his heart, repeating the process a third time for the Cornerstone of Darkness with his own Darkness. The power of the Cornerstones was vast, and it took time to gain full control over each one, and all three at once. Alexandria was the next target, being a world with no heart, and Xehanort filled that emptiness with the combined power of the Cornerstones. At that point, Alexandria was used as a sort of radio tower, used to transmit the Cornerstones' power directly into the hearts of the worlds, and thereafter into the hearts of those on those worlds. That power took the Light and Darkness in their hearts and forcefully made them equal, removing or adding Light or Darkness as needed. This way, the worlds would be welcomed into an era of peace, achieved through complete balance, wherein Denizens of Light, Darkness, and Twilight (or Nothingness) could all live together without war. It was a form a mind control, executed through the heart. Only Keybearers, travelers by Gummi ship or Corridor, or those protected by a Reflect or Barrier charm were unaffected. For travelers, this could change the instant they stepped on-world.

The connection was to be broken by the Keybearers, using their keys to unlock everyone's true hearts, but they could have been helped by some of the others. Those closer to Twilight/Nothing would be easiest to break out of the spell, as well as those on a world close to the Realm of Nothingness, such as Twilight Town or The World That Never Was. As the connections began to weaken and break, it became easier to gain access to the hearts of the worlds, and they were released one by one until together, they surged up against the controlling power and shattered its influence. As one, they brought the Keybearers and their allies to face Xehanort, world spirits standing beside them to help in the fight. Xehanort, still connected to the Cornerstones, started to spout things about the balance of Light and Darkness, and the final battle began.

A few of the world spirits, though useless in a direct fight, still found a way to help: they could sense Xehanort's phylactery. They caught the attention of some Refugees, taking them to the location and helping them find it. Once found, it was destroyed, and at that moment, Xehanort felt something change. His control over the Cornerstones wavered, but he poured more of his will into them, and the power warped and twisted his body into something unrecognizable. This was the final leg, and the entirety of the Realms of Light, Darkness, and Nothingness alike rose against him, all disdainful of having their natures forcibly changed. Their power backed that of the Keybearers, who worked together in harmony to destroy him once and for all.

But when Xehanort was gone, something unexpected happened. The magic from the Cornerstones, now unrestrained, went wild, raging through the gathered hearts before the world spirits could get it back under control. Few were harmed or injured, but many were changed in that instant, and then the Light, Darkness, and Twilight was forced back into the Cornerstones. The spirits of worlds send a genuine thank you to everyone who helped, and then everything fades away.

Sora, Riku, and Kairi all wake up on their beach in Destiny Islands. Aqua, Ven, and Terra open their eyes to see the stars from the courtyard of the Land of Departure. Roxas and Namine awake to white walls and sketches in Twilight Town. King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy find themselves in the gardens of Disney Castle.

And the Refugees wake up somewhere that is unfamiliar, but feels like they've known the place for years. The landscape shifts slightly in every moment, and nothing is ever in the same place twice. There are Fae running wild, living in harmony with humans. There are dragons living in solitude among icy glaciers. There is a familiar sound as a train rolls into a more shady locale. There are festivals dedicated to proving that no one is all good or evil, to knowing that balance is good but not always perfect. There are mountains that sing, holes in the ground that breathe chaos, schools of magic, crystals that hide the truth from no one, caves of dreams, waters that dance, fogs that obscure the obvious but reveal the hidden, and gardens built for inspiration and memories, but never mourning.

They awake on a new world, built from the rampant magic of the Cornerstones and the hearts of the Refugees themselves. It is called Wanderer's Refuge, and it will always be a sanctuary for the lost.


There you have it, Refugees. I won't give excuses. But I will give you the only explanation we have for dropping off at the conclusion of Jagannatha's storyline: as mods, we were discouraged. Activity was abysmal, and it wasn't entirely the fault of the players or the mods. Sometimes, it just happens, and no one in particular is to blame. So, despite our efforts to get things going again, we decided by the end of things with Jagannatha, our baby, the plot we'd been excited about, wasn't worth pursuing if so few were interested anymore. Still, I wanted to let you guys see what we had planned.

But as I said, that plotline was abandoned, and Lavos is now canon. If you'd like to see the contributions for this ending, here are some: from Rakath, Ari, me, Chase, and Rakath again. None of these are necessarily canon, but each are a different take on it.

There's just one more thing before I bring this post to a close. I just want to say that, even though we don't all keep in contact, even though some of us have long since moved on, I want you all to know that I'll remember you. We've spent five years together. That's nothing to sneeze at. Maybe we weren't all particularly close, but everyone in this game has had an impact on someone else's life, and that's not a bad thing. We've made good friends, and hopefully those bonds will continue to thrive, even now. Our destinies may branch out from here, and we may never speak or see each other again, but we'll always share the same sky, and we'll always see the same stars. Because of that, and because of our time here, we will always be connected. I hope all of you remember that, because for many of us, it all started here, with pictures of mysterious shadow men cropping up in tabloids.

Happy New Year, World Refugees, and good luck to you, wherever you go. Goodbye.

OOC

Dec. 12th, 2012 09:35 pm
[identity profile] songbird9.livejournal.com
There is a log up for the Maleficent confrontation.
Go tag it if you came along. I don't care about posting order and I probably won't wait for you, so jump in.

That doesn't mean you have to stand in the background while I talk her to death.

Yes I am going to keep editing this post.

Hurry up and tag, Ray.

holy frack we've got keyblade masters now

Alright, let's wrap this up
[identity profile] songbird9.livejournal.com
I'm hitting Destiny Islands on the Thirteenth.

I'm tired of second-guessing these riddles. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong, and there's nothing to be done about it. If I'm right, I catch Maleficent.

And if I go alone, she'll probably drag Medrau back out. Or kill me. Or both.

So, is anyone else coming, or shall I just pull a Devin and try to land my gummi ship on her?
[identity profile] songbird9.livejournal.com
I didn't know there was a St. Nicholas' Day. Neither did my calendar or google, when I asked for December Holidays.

So I'm just going to do straight off the bat what I was about to do for the last one:

Hey Mabry, you're the loremaster of the group.

What do you think Maly means this time?
[identity profile] lefthandedsidhe.livejournal.com
St. Nicholas' Day has passed, and you have not come.

Very well, he dies and his world with him.

Come for me on the nights when stars fall from the heavenly two. Find me where the stars gazed down on one whose star had fallen after too few nights. If you cannot find that place, Songbird, then out of pity for your stupidity, I will make my last riddle so simple a child could understand it.
[identity profile] shadowchaser.livejournal.com
Why did someone have to mention 'Sephiroth' and 'strip club' in the same sentence? I do too much fruitless research and try to take a break at nearly three in the morning and look what happens...

...Seph, I'm so sorry for any nightmares this gives you.

Well then

Dec. 1st, 2012 02:25 am
[identity profile] songbird9.livejournal.com
Riddle.
Let's discuss.

The first thing that comes to mind is Jotunheim, but that's only vaguely Disney. I've got no clue if the Nine Realms exist or where to find them.

Other than that, I...

Well, there are plenty of Disney stories about cold places, but the dark bit is what's stumping me. The second place I think of is Narnia, but hasn't the ice queen issue been solved by now?
Maybe I've got it backwards and the dark is more prominent than the cold.
But no, she's definitely referring to Christmas or Yule as the day we're supposed to meet her there.

Someone else has got to have a few more guesses. Come on, list them off. Go.
[identity profile] lefthandedsidhe.livejournal.com
((OOC NOTE: Songbird and the Refugees failed to meet Maleficent at the time and place she had indicated so she destroyed the world on which she had been waiting. That world was Earth.))

This time I offer to meet you in endless cold and dark in the land of one who rules endless cold and dark on the day honoring this same ruler.
[identity profile] songbird9.livejournal.com
That took longer than expected.

Medrau had an unhealthy obsession with treasures guarded by dragons.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

Should be home by tonight.
[identity profile] belegwen.livejournal.com
I'm not sure if it's just that she had been going stir-crazy with the kids or that she's avoiding me, but I think it's kind of weird that Song leaves as soon as I return.

On the upside, I got to make Thanksgiving dinner with the family, and I've gotten lots of time in with Ashlyn. Thank goodness she was old enough to understand why I had to go away, but she was still a little mad at me for being gone so long. Months seem forever when you're three.

Our visitors have not gone home yet. They've settled into the old castle (How weird is that?) for some sort of conference--they said it had to do with the presence we felt the other night and Maleficent's return. It's all a little ominous. I guess we'll see what comes next. Hopefully, Song will be back before things get bad.
[identity profile] shadowchaser.livejournal.com
So, I've now got a pretty Darkness containment bracelet that's effectively useless. Oh, I'm sure the magic's still good, there's just no Darkness to bind anymore. My first urge was to smash it with a hammer (no offense Ray), but it might come in handy again someday. Hopefully not for me. Maybe I'll put it away for my descendants.

That's such a weird thought, somehow.

brb

Nov. 18th, 2012 07:04 pm
[identity profile] songbird9.livejournal.com
[backdated to the night after the Shadow-Self merge]

I had the most fracked up nightmare while I was unconscious. Of course it had to be one of those ones that you think is real until you wake up. I thought I couldn't have those anymore. I had to resist the urge to go and make sure the city was still intact and not infested by giant parasitic alien crustaceans.

You really don't want to know.

Anyway. Yes, I did just fly off in the Orphée. Sorry. One of Medrau's lovely memories needed immediate attention.

I trust you guys to look after Larkin. Amy knows her schedule. I won't be gone long.
[identity profile] lefthandedsidhe.livejournal.com

Free at last.

The plan succeeded.

The little spark is gone, and I remain. My heart remains.

Yet, the rest i could have forseen . . . such power, such glory . . .

Oh, but this way lies madness. There is no wisdom in this and much folly, but my choices are no longer entirely my own. Will Death come at last if this ploy fails?

It must not fail.

And I am alone now. I felt the loss of my servants. Her work, of course, always hers, but there is no time to nurse that hatred now. With the Darkness that was released with the Stone's destruction, I have little need of allies.

Oh, Refugees, fate has balanced between us for so long, and you hve tired of it as much as I. Shall we end it at last in darkness and fire and night?

First and last at one, it must be.

[identity profile] belegwen.livejournal.com
((OOC Business First: Last night at five till midnight, all the children woke up screaming. The ones with some linguistic abilities were able to say something about a monster. Ashlyn's description was the most precise, involving shadows and wings and big sharp teeth. Little Larkin could only scream, and she didn't stop for a very long time. Perhaps the most alarming statement came from Eli: "It's Her." At midnight, anyone still asleep awoke from a nightmare, as well, though the details of it were unclear, only images of darkness and the feeling that something important had just happened. The dream ended with an impression of something splitting open. Afterwards, anyone who looked at the sky would notice that while no worlds had vanished from the sky, the darkness around them seemed darker and deeper.))

Well, that was a pretty awful night. Ashlyn's been in a mood all day, since she never got back to sleep. We were at the store as soon as it opened to buy a nightlight. 

I've been moving slowly all day, because I'm so tired. Well, sleep can come later when we've taken care of this. I'm just more determined, since we don't need a knife at our backs while we deal with whatever this is.

Anyone who wants to help should come up to the workroom in a couple hours. We're almost ready.
[identity profile] belegwen.livejournal.com
Alirght, we're finally on our way home. I'm sorry it took so long . . . especially because it's been so long since I've seen Ashlyn. I think we can call this a success.

I had the worst dream last night, but I don't remember it, and it's left me feeling worried since I woke up.

Anyway, I should arrive at Rainbow's End tomorrow afternoon. Song, if you could make sure the work room is swept out and ready for use. I love you all. See you soon.

Dreamwidth

Jan. 25th, 2012 09:31 pm
[identity profile] seolearo.livejournal.com
We have two new Dreamwidth accounts for WR:

Journal comm
Log comm

I'm leaving OOC and the mod journal here for now, but I'll move them over if requested enough. Also not importing anything; I liked Song's suggestion that we use the empty comm as an incentive to post.

I will be trying to make State of the Game posts here on LJ to make it easier to keep up since community crossposting is not a thing there yet (and may never be). Posts in the DW community can be crossposted manually if you guys want to do that, but it's not a requirement by any means, and you don't need a Dreamwidth journal to be able to post comments or anything there.

For interested parties, however, you can still make a DW journal without an invite code if you haven't already. If this ends before you can claim a journal and you want one, let me know and I'll find you an invite.

If you have any questions/concerns about this, please leave a comment and I'll get to it ASAP.

THAT IS ALL FOR NOW, but I will be back when I have a recap for you.
[identity profile] seolearo.livejournal.com
Ray is now a mod.

Okay, guys, I'm gonna get right down to business. Should we move the game to Dreamwidth?

Yes, I know the game is slow right now and kind of at a standstill as Real Life and other things take up all of our time and attention, but LJ's issues don't seem to be getting fixed. I'm constantly hearing about LJ going down, and at least one of the players here has mentioned it getting in the way of posting. And I know there is still a plot in the works, though I think it has been derailed for the moment by the aforementioned Real Life.

Community importing works fine over there, or we could just leave it all here for archives or something and start anew - that is, if we move. So I ask again: do you think we should move?

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