trying to make the pieces fit ((Buffyverse plot))

[slayers_desire]

There was a small gathering of people in the room, doing things that might seem normal. Drinking coffee. Reading a book. Checking sites on the computer. Talking with their neighbor.

But this wasn't a normal day. And despite appearances, these people were all preparing to help save their world.

Most of the 'Scoobies' were here... Xander, Connor, Wes, Lorne, Spike and even Willow had come down for the event. There were others there too... Victor Allen, Clark Kent and Edward Elric.

They were all here to figure out how to create a new Seed. They already had a few clues to go on... but there were still a lot to discuss.

The most recent revelation came after Illyria had deceived the group, and put Clark and April right into the heart of the White Room. Where their memories were taken from them. They had fought free... and now April was more determined than ever to find a way to save her world.

((posting order: April, Clark, Victor, Ed))

Comments

[victormakesart]

There's something wrong. She can tell just by looking at April's face. "Wait, what's going on?"

[fmalchemist160]

"April?" Ed says, alarmed, hearing the surprise in his friend's voice and running to her side. He looks over at the woman. "What have you done to her?" he asks, suspicion and anger seeping into his voice.

[slayers_desire]

"My voices... they are gone..." April holds her head. She has been without her powers before, once when she overpowered them helping the Fortress.

But this is different. And she misses the strong bond she had with Clark.

The woman looks up. "The Key has had its purpose. The heros were brought to the garden. We no longer need it."

[kalel_ofkrypton]

Clark is filled with protective anger as he turns towards the woman. "You might not need her, but I do." His wife is not an it.

[victormakesart]

"The Key is a hero, too," Victor protests. "She does great good with the powers she has. To do this is not to bring rest. Ma'am. Your womanliness."

[fmalchemist160]

"Just because you don't need her doesn't mean the same is true of everyone else!" Ed snarls, resting his left hand on April's shoulder and raising his right arm a bit. "Her powers are a gift, one that should be used for good—you can't just take them away from her! This woman helped me find the most precious person in my life for me, and has helped set me on the path to be reunited with him; she's part of my Chosen Family, and I'm not going to just let you deprive someone I care about of their purpose or their talents!"

((Headed to bed early tonight... I hate being sick. :(.))

[slayers_desire]

"She would still be with you... the vessel still exists without the gift of the Key." The mother rises to her feet. "But show me the need, and I will consider your requests."

April is near tears, the only thing keeping her from actually crying is the words from her husband and her friends.

((night Ed-mun))

[kalel_ofkrypton]

Clark faces the woman, his arm around April's shoulders. "You can't just take away a part of someone and expect them to be the same. I love April with all my heart, not despite her gifts but because of who she is with them. She took a power that could have been a curse and mastered it, using it for the good of all people, making it her own. We're bonded in a way I never thought possible before I met her, and I don't want to give up that closeness. She's my other half, the person who kept me grounded as long as I needed it, and knew when to let me go when I had to fulfill my destiny. She wouldn't be the woman she is today if she didn't have her powers."

[victormakesart]

"She's saved tons of lives by being able to tap into her voices and give us hints as to what our next moves should be. She helps in combat in a myriad of ways, by helping us communicate silently, by fooling our opponents, by protecting us in a bubble, by shielding, by helping us to understand things that don't speak our language, knowing a danger before it happens. She is fantastic and brilliant, and while she would still be amazing without her powers, depriving her of them would be like depriving a masterful painter of his sight, or a perfect soprano of her voice. She is a hero. You can't do this to her. You just can't. She's who she is today because of those powers, and we-- the so called heroes-- would never have met her without them. Sometimes a gift given for a specific purpose serves a purpose beyond what was intended... and this is the case."

[fmalchemist160]

"I love April too... as a sister, as family, because of who she is and because of who her gifts have made her into. If she hadn't had them... well, you might not have one of those seeds there, because I'm not sure I would have as much hope as I do if it weren't for her. She helped me find out whether my younger brother was still alive, and after that, she helped me get in touch with him so I could see him again. She did all of that with her powers. She could help so many people, save so many lives... and she has done that, but she could help so many more. She's an amazing woman, and she's a hero too, not just the three of us. Taking her gifts away isn't a respite; it would be a torment."

[slayers_desire]

April feels so touched. Their support means so much to her... and she feels proud to have such wonderful people in her life.

"My gifts are a part of me... and they have defined me as the woman who now stands before you. Us Keys... we are real people with real emotions and real friends. And I am ready to do anything to fight for my gifts."

"Would all of you fight for her too?" The mother asks.

[kalel_ofkrypton]

"I have, and I will, whenever I need to," Clark replies without hesitation. "April has the right to make her own choices. I won't let you take that away from her."

[victormakesart]

"I'll fight for her," she says. "In an instant."

[fmalchemist160]

"I'm her sword and shield," Ed agrees, a grim determination on his face. "I will absolutely fight for her."

heh get to use these icons again

[slayers_desire]

The mother smiles, she takes a step back and gestures behind her. "Then defeat your enemy..."

April gives a cry, falling to her knees in pain, holding her head. At that same moment, a figure emerges from the garden that looks very much like April herself, but isn't the April they know.

Clark will recognize the woman as the darker version of April. The one who she would have become, if she had never known him. The DarkApril looks at the three of them, waiting for any reaction.

[kalel_ofkrypton]

Clark recognizes her immediately, and how could he not? "April..." He can see his April still, and knows that it isn't her, but he still tries to reach out with his mind to her. It helped break the spell last time... maybe it can do something here.

[victormakesart]

She turns to face the threat, though she'll follow Clark's lead. If kindness is the way to go, she'll be kind. If an altercation is unavoidable, she'll... altercate. She's reaching into her backpack for something that could help, and she puts her hedgehog into the mesh pocket on the side of her bag (you know, the one meant for water bottles).

[fmalchemist160]

Ed's eyes widen in shock when he sees the darker April, but he doesn't move to attack; at the moment, he can't bring himself to. It's April, but... at the same time, it's not. He has to remind himself that if it comes to violence... this will be like fighting Sloth, the homunculus he and Al created when they tried to bring back their mother. This woman may look like April, but she's not, no more than Sloth was Trisha Elric.

[slayers_desire]

"I remember you..." DarkApril speaks softly to Clark. She steps forward. When he touches her mind, she only lets him in at the surface-level. There is much darkness there that hides underneath.

"Who are your friends?"

[kalel_ofkrypton]

He's cautious when he feels that from her, but he still doesn't see that he would need to resort to violence with her. "Friends of yours," he says, hoping that deep down, at her core is the April that he knows, just different.

[victormakesart]

Violence is definitely a last resort for Victor, given that she's about a hundred times weaker than anyone else here. She's got her friendliest face on, and the most casual tone, just two buddies talking here, nothing to get tense about. She stops reaching for her defense tools, uses her hand to wave instead. "Hey, I'm Victor. A buddy of yours. So... howdy. Nice to re-meet you."

[fmalchemist160]

Ed's still tense, but he won't resort to violence unless the others do. "I'm... I'm Ed," he says, uncertainly. "Edward Elric... can't you remember me?"

[slayers_desire]

"I have never met either of you..." DarkApril states simply to both Victor and Ed. Her eyes, it should be noted, aren't the normal blue that April has. Instead they are a grayish-blue that almost glow sometimes.

Clark notes that DarkApril is suspicious. She doesn't know if this is a trap or not.

She looks at her other-self, the real April, who is still holding her head and on her knees. "I bring her pain."

[kalel_ofkrypton]

Clark wants to go to his wife, to somehow make this stop, but all he can do is face the challenge that the Mother has given him. And after having experienced the altered memories where this was April... it's easier for him to see her as a part of her, even if she's not how she is supposed to be. "It's not your fault." He doesn't think it is, at least, and he hopes he's telling the truth.

[victormakesart]

"Yeah, this has gotta be an alternate universe thing. But, y' see, I care a lot about that April right there, and that means I care about you. Heck, I'd probably care about you anyway. I'm a friendly person. We're here to fight for her, but I don't think that means we have to fight you. I think it means we have to come to some sort of understanding." Soothing, assertive, she doesn't move forward but she doesn't back away either. "So, what makes you two different?"