2924/EoT: Tic-Toc

EoT: Tic-Toc
Date of Scene:	30 August 2015
Location:	Midnight Shrine Tokyo <MST>
Synopsis:	An Epoch Saint is discovered and confronted in the exciting finale to the Emperors of Time TP! But more threats lurk in the shadows!?
Cast of Characters:	560, 589, Sanary Rondel, 782, 821

---

Miko Fujimoto (589) has posed:
    The meeting with Kiko Kikumura's older brother, Shirou Kikumura, determined ONE thing: There's still a Life Gear at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building. They'd gone there and defeated one, but it appears the one they should have defeated was still there. And more powerful than any other they have faced. Another problem has cropped up though. The reason why one of the Witching Hour girls didn't show up to the previous mission has now been explained. The young woman behind the magica girl 'Musica' is dying. Her body is nearly consumed by some disease. Miko, as Princess Paladin, MIGHT have the healing power to save her or at give her a few more years. But with the vampirism of 'time' that the Life Gears and their mysterious masters are engaging in, Shiho Nakamura might not survive long enough to be healed if they don't hurry up and defeat this crazy-powerful temporal monster.

    So it's back to the TMG building, it seems. But there's a different feel this time. A sense of desperation. They aren't hunting a monster now, they're trying to stop the death of someone important to them. Maybe Shiho/Musica isn't very friendly with them, maybe no one outside of the Witching Hour even likes her, but the masked magical girl is still a life that has fought to protect others and is now in danger of simply being snuffed out as the 'time' available to her mere mortal form is being stolen from her.

    On top of that, Miko has guessed that healing one of the Witching Hour girls in this manner, saving her from a death that would have come otherwise, may be the tipping point in whether she gains the group's trust and acceptance or not. If she succeeds, she may have the leverage for getting them into the Confederacy.

    But now, as an emergency call for help is issued, that distant future that may never come has to be put aside in favor of the present. And the present is becoming increasingly twisted.

    Tokyo looks like a war zone. People are lying in the streets, at the wheels of their cars, at the tables of restaurants, at the counters of their stores... Dogs being walked lie motionless beside their owners, traffic cops are flopped to the ground among the cars that have stopped in place with their 'time' was stolen from them. Machines, power, people, plants, animals, even natural sources of light... All stopped. Done. Over. Their 'time' is gone.

    Miko is transformed into Princess Paladin, her pink-haired, pink-eyed, armored/school uniformed alternate persona. She was advised that it would protect her from the vampirism.

    Likewise, Libra, the blue-haired, bespectacled, floppy-hatted, caped librarian magical girl is safe by virtue of her transformation.

    Crucia Hex, the Pumpkin Witch, dressed like a Halloween witch with big floofy black-and-orange-and-purple dress, doesn't transform. She's a spell caster, she has no bottomless source of magic energy to protect her. But she is skilled at Time Magic, is shielding herself with a ward. It won't hold forever.

    The magical familiars of the magical girls, White Rose the fairy, and Byblos the flying book, are pushing their own power out to shield anyone else who has come along. And it's best they receive that shielding quickly after arrival in Midnight Tokyo, since 'time' starts bleeding away immediately.

    The sky is gray, clouds frozen in place, light itself stuck where it is, air only moving when disturbed by people trying to breathe it or move through it. If one stands in one place for too long, one might suffocate. It really feels as though all of time is grinding to a halt... Leaving this world in a permanent 'moment'.

    The situation looks grim. But towards the TMG building is the only way to go now. It's kind of insane the level of power one Life Gear can have if allowed to keep stealing time without being stopped. Paladin looks up, the shards of extremely slowed light breaking against her skin. "We need to hurry. Musica's familiar is protecting her for now, but not being able to transform, I'm not sure how long she has."

Sanary Rondel has posed:
     If not for knowing Miko as a fellow Confederate, Sanary probably wouldn't even be here today. Fighting a regular enemy by chopping at it until it dies is one thing, but something that can mess with time itself? That's far beyond the type of thing the Confederate healer's equipped to handle on her own. Still, she's got a job to do, and she's not about to let Princess Paladin handle it without at least one other Confederate at her side.

     Unlike the other instances, however, Sanary's outfit today is a little less embarrassing for her and significantly more practical. For starters, it's actually armor! Mostly padding with the spirit of the Lagombi it was made from imbued into it, but still armor compared to the... She'd rather not think about what she wore the other times.

     Still, her own magical energy isn't enough to completely offset the time stealing effects of the Life Gear, and her movements are a bit slower than usual as a result. "Then we better get this done quick, eh? Hit it hard and hit it fast." She punches a fist into her palm with a confident grin, apparently not even noticing the effect on her. "I'll keep all of you boosted up, so don't be afraid to go all out once you see the... What'sit. Life Gear?"

Golden (782) has posed:
    The golden MetalMamemon looks to Miko and Sanary. "So let's go then. We're burning daylight here."
    He saw all the people suffering from the magical entity's time theft, and it bothers him immensely, reminding him more than a little bit of the killing fields of the end of the Digital World. It's unwarranted to cause this much destruction, and it makes him want to do something about it. The emotions are threatening to bring back the other form, the unstable one that he wore as a Guardian, and so the sunburst crest on him is glowing brightly, glowing cracks radiating outward from it across his tiny body. Golden is trying to hold back though, well aware that he has only a limited span of time that he can spend as a WarGreymon, knowing it may be necessary for a final confrontation if it comes to that. And, unknown to Golden, a thief of time would certainly be able to steal that from him.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    Emiya Shirou's here in his jacket with the hood up as usual. Only tufts of his unusually red hair are visible from the side, rendering him a pretty unremarkable sight compared to the others who've gathered for this grim occasion. He gazes sternly, warily, and uncertainly at the TMG building.

    Thankfully, he's come with Magic Circuits full to the brim with prana, charged up from a fresh stop in Iianor's painting.

    A magus in jeans and a light windbreaker. Totally suited for hanging out with a bunch of magical girls. Riiiiight.

    "Just lead the way and I'll help out however I can." he implores urgently. He's yet to arm himself, but everyone here knows how meaningless anything like transforming or carrying weapons is to him. Probably.

    Just as meaningless as boundaries like Union and Confederacy. If there are lives to save, he'll be there to save them.

    So he's here.

Archer (821) has posed:
Well... so far, the scene had not disappointed Archer in terms of what he expected. It was just like Rin had told him - the inhabitants of the Multiverse were indeed very diverse. Standing atop one of the many buildings looking across the scene, Archer gazes out at the now ruined landscape of what was once this world's Tokyo, Japan. A scene that, due to his heritage, hit him all too close to home.

    At the same time though... the sights before him were all too familiar - death, destruction, callous loss of life, looking like an example of the Second Magic gone wrong. It is all too similar to events in his past - times when he had been summoned as a Counter Guardian to 'cleanse' a site that held a threat to humanity's existence. Even now, that aspect of his nature could almost /feel/ the will of this world and it's humanity objecting to the distortion this place was.

    The first thing he saw was the what seemed to be a gold-armored spherical machine-creature with a large gun for an arm. Structural Analysis told him at just a glance though that the small creature had been through countless battles, though the exact details were unreadable from just a cursory examination.

    The next is a pink-haired girl girl in armor that was a cross of sailor-uniform and knight's armor. He could sense the powerful amounts of prana that stemmed from her, knowing full well she had to be a mage of Rin's caliber at least, if not possibly a bit higher then that. There were others of the same nature, bit with different themes to them - one was themed more like a storybook witch, and the other looked more like a librarian, but both gave off high levels of magical energy.

    There's also a girl with long unkempt hair and a eye-patch, dressed in armor with padded elements to it largely made from animal fur. Upon seeing her, he immediately feels her weapons - a modified gun-axe that could immune it's attacks with elemental effects, like loading a rifle with different kinds of ammo, and a weapon that could switch between a sword, axe and shield that released explosives. Their names record themselves into the Blade Works - 'Daora's Casca' and 'Gunaxe.' The first new additions to his collection-

    Then... as he steps down to join the budding group... he sees it. Or rather, he sees /him/. And everything stands still for Archer when he does.

Archer (821) has posed:
    It had been a long time from Archer's point of view since he had seen that face... or at least like this. And the situation was different as well... because this time, it was closer to how he imagined seeing that face again - stubbornly rooted in that miserable inherited belief and following it to it's end, with Archer himself serving as their mutual salvation from that lie... whether the other accepted it or not.

    The last time he'd seen that face, the two existences had parted on a more amicable note then Archer would have ever thought possible, with an ending he had long since given up on as being a possibility - an ending where the Hero of Justice not only never existed, but /willingly/ chose to turn away from that life.

    However... the moment he sees the familiar sight of red hair, a blue-on-white coat and amber eyes, Archer knows all-too-soon that this is likely not going to be as amicable. The fact that he can't stand looking at this one - at that determined yet still somehow-hopeful expression in his eyes - is proof of that.

    Sadly, he also knows for a fact that, since he most assuredly did not remember doing any of this before now, the person before him is not the Emiya Shirou of his own timeline - and, naturally, not his true younger self.

    Of course, he knew that part already. Even though much is the same to the loathed memory of his old self, he can also clearly see this Shirou is different from what he expected to find - while clearly not as experienced as Archer himself, this Shirou carried himself differently then the green and untested Shirou of the Fifth Grail War. He'd seen combat - fought and survived strong enemies already. He'd already started down the doomed path of the Hero of Justice. That also meant that any plans he had for dealing with said younger self were potentially compromised or out-of-date depending on how much this Shirou had experienced or not.

    However... at the same time, maybe that would make it easier for him to see the truth, if he'd been exposed to the bitterness of it first-hand as opposed to the naive and inexperienced self of the Grail War.

    For a moment, he considered moving to confront the boy - to make some gesture towards him that would unsettle him... but that would run counter to the goal of this mission. So for now, just like in his Grail War, Archer knew he would have to stomach working with the younger magus. Not like he could afford to cause group conflict anyway.

    Besides, he would do well to see exactly what tricks and weapons this Shirou had learned in the course of this new multiversal reality. Instead, he jumps down from the massive building and lands on the street, then approaches the group as a whole, face hardened yet more calm then it likely should be to the all-too-familiar scene of death. He moves slowly as to not surprise them all with the new face none of them should know.

     "Well... seems someone has been busy lately. Also seems to be in the building from what I can tell. Do we just level it outright, or is it not that simple?"

Miko Fujimoto (589) has posed:
    "We don't know the Life Gear's form precisely. When we came here before, it was likely the mayor himself. But given the amount of time that has passed, he may have transformed fully into a monster. And we don't know what that form will look like." Paladin responds. She turns to look to Libra, who seems troubled for reasons beyond all the people locked in stasis around them. Not dead yet... But they may be if they don't get their lifespans returned to them. Still time to save them... But... "What's wrong, Libra?"

    The librarian-girl lost in thought, looks up when addressed. "It's just that... You may recall that we captured a Life Gear before, and I have been analyzing it. Among other things, I have determined that they have a capacity limit for the amount of 'time' they can hold before they must return to their masters. It's most likely there as a safety precaution. So that no loss of a Life Gear is TOO much of a setback to the Epoch Saints. While we have seen that they can upgrade and alter Life Gears, I do not believe that the mayor, even if possessed by a Life Gear, had the magical capacity to both completely conceal his nature AND hold the 'time' of everyone and everything in Tokyo."

    Crucia looks at Libra hard, feeling the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand up. "So, what, you're saying that we're not dealing with a Life Gear? That it might be like my brother said? Some really strong Time Mage cooperating with the Epoch Saints? I hate to break it to you, but unlike you girls with Artifacts, most spellcasters don't have those kind of magical resources either. Having a few months to operate on might allow for a mass ritual, but running the whole thing on their own? The list of people I can think of who could pull that off without an entire Circle supporting them AND are masters of Time Magic would make running to confront them with only this group a very, very bad idea. Like, you have no idea. We'd be talking about people who have been accruing magical knowledge for thousands, or tens-of-thousands of years. Maybe longer. It's a lot harder to become a god-like wizard than a god-like monster, and it takes a lot longer too."

    She chews her thumbnail a bit though as she thinks. A wizard that was a Master of Time Magic COULD afford to spend dozens of millennia developing their power. If they were good enough at Time Magic, they could slow their rate of aging or even suspend it entirely, then focus on accruing magical energy and knowledge in other fields to secure their position. But the original spells would need to be supported by a new influx of 'time', meaning that--

Miko Fujimoto (589) has posed:
    She looks up, discovering that they've all come to a stop in front of TMG building. Golden and Shirou are fired up and ready to go. Libra still seems bothered by something else beyond the situation. Every building, every vehicle, every person, forever locked in pristine condition. No damage ever suffered, no death ever endured, no experience, no life. And when all of their 'time' is taken from them, this entire city will be a necropolis. Even if the magic fades eventually, no one and nothing here will ever wake up from their stasis-sleep. You have to be alive to awaken, and someone with no time left is someone who is dead.

    White Rose flutters over to Sanary, the rose-dressed fairy sparkling and saying, "There, there, Sanary~! I'll protect ya'! Anyway, my range is more limited than Sakura's, but I--" Then she pauses and turns suddenly as someone lands in the street and approaches them. Byblos doesn't talk much, a big heavy tome with an eyeball in the cover surrounded by gold and silver tracery like veins, but he quickly performs an analytical scan of the man who has appeared before them, and amidst fluttering pages, passes along what he gathers to Libra.

    The librarian magical girl notes what she ascertains... That this man is not human, but a spirit, and that he has a lot of magical energy that is being sent to him from somewhere else. She's not familiar enough with this sort of thing to determine more right now, but her flapping book familiar, Byblos, warns her that no identity can be ascertained based upon either their own world's history or previously encountered Multiversal beings.

    "So... Someone from elsewhere. Or someone who doesn't exist in the Akashic Records." Libra mutters.

    Crucia asks, "The Kakashi Whatnow?" Princess Paladin is also confused about that, but is more focused upon their new (presumed ally). Libra keeps her mouth shut. She has already said too much.

    Paladin says, "Greetings. If you are here to help, we welcome your aid. There is a chance yet to undo all of this. But it seems we will need all the aid that can be rendered--"

    She trails off. In this big silent city, quiet except for their own voices and movements, there is suddenly the sound of gears turning, of clocks ticking, of mechanical devices moving in very precise timing, in a symphony of cooperation and measured interaction. She feels a sensation she felt once before, during the first Life Gear hunt she did alongside other Elites. The one at the clock store, with the old man who had suddenly started making very popular wrist watches when before he had only crafted traditional time pieces. She'd felt soothed then, hearing all the clocks running together, in their own ways, but to the same pace. She feels it now as well. But the volume keeps increasing and increasing and increasing.

Miko Fujimoto (589) has posed:
    The light all over the city switches from gray to gold.

    And then something absolutely massive tears through the cloud layer in the sky, dispersing the water vapor that is stuck in time. The sheer mass of it displaces everything else in the sky.

    It's a gigantic gear, spinning through the air, and shining a brilliant gold.

    Shining with all the 'time' that has been fed into it.

    Libra, Byblos, Shirou, White Rose, Archer... ANYONE with magic senses will be able to feel not just that gigantic gear, but something more magical than temporal descending from the TMG building's top floor and racing towards them. Paladin, Sanary, and Golden may just hear the increasingly loud machinery instead. The main doors to the building burst open, and a man made of woven metal, gears, cogs, wheels, pistons, steam whistles, with steam gauges for eyes, comes speeding towards them while only making the movements of someone who is walking.

    He comes out onto the front steps, stands at the top of them, and looks down at the assembled Elites.

    "It took you long enough. I am on a schedule. My name is Tic-Toc, I am an Epoch Saint, and I imagine you wish to fight me."

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    'Do we just level it outright?' The question from nowhere sends shivers down the spine of Emiya Shirou, but more so is the tone and voice. Something about it is just Wrong, very Wrong, even before he turns his head to see the face and attire of the one speaking. The amber-eyed youth balks at the suggestion. "What are you saying, of course it's more complicated than that--"

    Of course he falls silent once he DOES fully turn around to face the speaker.

    Just like many of the unfortunate victims of this cruel magic, Shirou freezes in place, the breath stolen from his body by something deep and primal.

    He can't deal with that guy. For some deep and unignorable reason he cannot and will never agree with him. That laid-back attitude towards the lives involved, cynical and grim... was that supposed to be a joke? Shirou's not sure.

    But the boy finds himself swallowing hard whilst frozen in place. The gears in his head spin and churn trying to process the conundrum that's appeared here today.

    Because the presence of Archer has made his blood run cold for a few brief seconds, colder than it's ever been since unification. Even learning Kiritsugu was actually a pretty ruthless assassin didn't affect him like this!

    And he just cannot pin down WHY.

    But after a few moments, perhaps out of sheer reflex and self-assertion Shirou's gaze hardens slightly. It's still full of naivete, still focused on the task at hand. But it takes him an act of will to somehow speak politely to the warrior in red. "You are here to help, right?" He sounds... just very, sliiiightly doubtful. But perhaps it's only he that senses the hostility of Archer.

    The fact that he's dressed like Chloe von Einzbern, that's... very disturbing indeed.

    After asking this very important question he once again faces the entrance and addresses the concerns brought up. "Unlikely or not, God-like Wizard or some monster, we can't just stay here and do nothing. Everyone will die!" ... yes, he's that brave. And/or stupid. As someone here well knows.

    Then the atmosphere of EVERYTHING changes. Shirou brings both hands down to his sides. "Trace, on."

    A flicker-flash of wavery prana flows from his hands, congealing into the weapons he's come to favor most in the Multiverse. A sword of black, a sword of white. Paired weapons of Chinese make with a Yin-Yang motif, Kanshou and Bakuya. His gaze turns upwards at the golden gear in the sky and the man upon it. The young man FROWNS heavily.

    "Fight...? Only if it comes to that. Return all the time that's been stolen and there won't be any need for that." His tone is firm but not yet immediately hostile.

    He's stand-offish with this Tic-Toc, but willing to give that chance to solve things.

Sanary Rondel has posed:
     After muddling around in that time-stealing... Miasma? Air? Gunk? Whatever it is, Sanary quickly finds relief once White Rose approaches her. Things suddenly start moving normally again (relative to the area, of course), and she breathes a heavy sigh of relief. "Much better. Okay... Yeah, I'll be sticking with you, then. Thanks." She flashes the fairy a brief grin before removing the kite shield from her back, keeping it and the gunaxe ready in hand as she readies to follow the rest of the group. There's some familiar faces besides Princess Paladin: Golden, Shirou, and the Witching Hour girls. Archer goes unrecognized, but she does raise an eyebrow slightly as he's doing... Something or another. She can't really tell, but he's an ally here. No sense fretting over that while she's out here.

     And then there's the gear man. Tic-Toc, he called himself? She furrows her brow at his question and glances towards Shirou, taking his cue to follow that path. The less fighting, the better!

     "Uh. Hey there. Name's Sanary. Actually, if you could let us through to fix up all of this..." She gestures vaguely at the area around them. "... /This/, that'd be great. It'll just be easier on everyone involved if we don't fight, you know?" She even gives him a sweet smile as she says that.

Golden (782) has posed:
    Golden turns to regard Archer as the spirit makes his presence known, emerald green eyes peering out from the metal mask cracked with brilliant white light. He was about to say something after Princess Paladin greeted the newcomer, but is interrupted by the stunning descent of the sound of clockwork and machinery. The MetalMamemon turns slowly, eyes squinting with suspicion, as a piece of time manifests itself above the building and a crooked clockwork man emerges from the building. He lets the cooler-headed Shirou do the talking, restraining himself from simply launching himself and mauling the tic-toc man with energy bombs and metal claw swipes. In the mean time.
    He points to the giant golden gear. "Is that the thing that's storing all the stolen time?" He asks the girls with a strained husky voice, pointing with his hand upwards even as he trembles from staying his immediate impulses.

Archer (821) has posed:
    Listening in on the radio he had been provided - a perk of being a retainer of the Union it seemed - Archer quickly learned all that was necessary; a construct or creature known as a 'Life Gear' was what he was sensing in the building, draining away the 'time' of all around it.

    That made their job easy - destroy the 'Life Gear.' Simple enough task... or so it sounded.

    When he gets close enough to the group, he gauges their expressions, pausing just a moment as he sees the blue-haired girl looking at him in confusion.


Of course, what draws his attention the most is the inevitable and expected objection from Emiya Shirou. As does the look the boy gives him - a hard glare with palpable uncertainty of a sort. The boy rejects his existence, just like the last one originally did, and just like Archer himself quietly rejected the presence of Shirou. In response to the boy's question, he allows himself to crack a bemused smile. "Indeed. That's why I suggested we just topple the building and end this here and now. After all, if this spreads to the rest of the world, a lot more lives would be lost. That is what heroes are meant to do, right? Protect the world at all costs?"

    When he hears the pink-haired girl address him, he turns to face her - but any reply is cut off as he suddenly winces, the feel of pins and needles running up his spine turning his expression into one of surprised amazement. He hadn't felt power like this since the Grail War - not since Illya's immense prana reserves and Heracles' brute strength... or since the Shadow emerged. This thing mixed it all together - strength and high power in magic, yet still slightly like a vacuum, drawing power to it.

    He could already tell this wouldn't be good.

Archer (821) has posed:
    When 'Tic-Toc' reveals itself, he's slightly taken aback by it's appearance, but he doesn't show it. It looked to him more like some sort of slightly cartoonish steam-powered golem then an 'Epoch Saint', whatever that is - but in spite of that, his structural analysis could perceive very few faults. It also seemed to reject the present flow of time - it's own continuity that they couldn't break... but it's core was the heart. If they could break that, he ought to be finished.

    However, the thing that firmly got Archer's attention, even prompting him to raise his brows slightly, was the sight of Shirou projecting Kanshou and Bakuya. Had this Shirou already endured the Grail War and met it's Archer? How else could he have gotten those weapons?

    Like he feared, he'd have to compromise his plans - he couldn't fight without tracing, and Shirou's use of it meant he'd recognize it. Therefore, Archer opted to bite the bullet, sighing slightly. "Well... this is different from before. Ah, well."

    The next moment, his face becomes serious as he speaks - he voices the words softly, though he knows Shirou can probably hear them all the same and accepts it.

    "Trace; On."

    Two objects materialize in a flash of prana that mirrors Shirou's prior actions, forming an ebony-black bow in one hand and a long drill-like spiral sword in the other. He doesn't hesitate to bring the bow up and ready the shot, not even bothering to speak after that as he focuses on the metal guardian, waiting to see if it becomes a fight or not.

Miko Fujimoto (589) has posed:
    Paladin readies herself for combat. But Libra and Crucia drop immediately into battle stances, and start prepping for battle, despite the conversation regarding talking it over and avoiding conflict. "Yes. As Shirou says, we should see if there's a way to resolv--" Paladin starts, but is interrupted.

    "You want us to talk things over with this guy? One of the big bosses? After running around playing clean-up on their monsters for our entire career as magical girls so far?" Crucia demands, her long, ribboned, smoke-like hair waving back and forth as she shakes her head. "We've been fighting and fighting, trying to get to one of these guys. He has stolen the lives of every person in the city except us, and now he's RIGHT HERE, asking us to fight! I'm not going to play nice-nice fru fru with him!" She holds out her hand and a black wand with a star hanging from the tip by a chain appears in her grasp. "Besides... He probably just wants all this 'time' to continue being immortal. Do you think someone who would go to all this trouble to extend his own lifespan would just give up?"

    Paladin turns to look at Archer, who seems intent on collapsing a building on the enemy, and Shirou who seems intent on preventing that, and then upon Sanary who likewise wishes to avoid combat. Golden... He's practically vibrating with restrained desire to tear the enemy to pieces. White Rose flutters nervously around, protecting people with her sparkling presence as much as possible. Libra, usually level-headed and logical, likewise seems ready to launch into combat, even as Paladin turns to ask her to show Crucia Hex reason.

    Before Paladin can say anything, Libra says, "Please remember, that in addition to the lives of every person in this city, one of our best friends is dying in a hospital right now. You promised to save her with your healing. But if she dies before that happens, you probably can not do anything, correct?" It's said so calmly, coldly.

    Paladin swallows her objection and just nods her head.

    "Meaning we do not have time to waste here. Negotiation might be viable under other circumstances. But not with someone like this, and not now. All of the time we've spent together, as friends, as magical girls... Meeting you, Paladin, meeting you, Shirou, and Sanary, and Golden. Even our newest companion. Many others who have come to help us. School friends, family, the people of this city, the people of this world... All of them are depending upon us. If destroying one enemy will save them all, I am willing to make myself into a brute who relies upon force. It's against my nature. But some things are more important than one's own desires." the blue-haired girl says as she holds out her hand and Byblos flies to it, becoming her Artifact weapon. Both familiar and source of power.

(Pt. 1)

Miko Fujimoto (589) has posed:
    Paladin looks around at everyone. They all have their own motivations and methods, but the threat here is real. She will makes this fast then. The mysterious-person-who-is-totally-not-Archer identifies for them a weak point on the radio. They will have to strike there. "Give me sixty seconds," she says quietly to the Witching Hour girls as she steps forward.

    "Tic-Toc. I am Princess Paladin. We have a very short window within which to discuss this situation before discussion becomes impossible. So I will make this concise. If you wish to avoid a conflict, you will answer our questions and you will cooperate with our demands. First, answer Golden's question about that gear. Is it where the stolen 'time' is being kept? Second, as Shirou and Sanary say, regardless of where it's being kept, release it immediately and take no more of it. We do not need to fight you for this. Third, explain the reason behind the theft. Depending on your answer, we may be able to help find an alternate solution that doesn't endanger anyone. Crucia believes it is for immortality. Is that truly the reason? If you fail in any of these, we will destroy you. Finally..." Paladin's eyes glint. "Why are we the only ones coming to face you when this city is FULL of magical girls?"

    Tic-Toc begins speaking the moment the final syllable leaves Paladin's lips, his head turning during the speech to evaluate each and every person present. Even the familiars. His words are precisely timed to maximize his efficiency. He speaks very, very quickly and clearly. "I know who nearly all of you are. I've been watching. That's how I upgraded one of my Life Gears to adapt to and counter your techniques. I am the creator of the Life Gears, and the one who deploys them. If you wish to ensure that no more ever appear, I am indeed the one you must defeat. Now, in order: Yes, what you perceive as a gear is the vessel that holds the 'time' of those affected. The 'time' has not yet been expended, nor shall it be in your futures. No, I will not release it, nor will I permit you to interfere. I do not wish to be destroyed. I am not a fighter. But I still can not allow you. No, I do not desire immortality. To be honest, I've had quite enough of it. The reason behind this plan doesn't need to be known by you. But I will explain some of it for you if it will cause you to accept it and surrender."

(Pt. 2)

Miko Fujimoto (589) has posed:
    The clockwork man's steam gauge eyes have their dials twitchign back and forth as he looks upon Archer, and then Shirou, noting the similar abilities they possess. No doubt others have noticed as well, the analyzer of the group especially, and... Of course... Shirou himself. "Time is an Element here. So is Love, and Hope, and Books, and Holiness, and Law, and Pumpkins... And even Swords. Everything has a metaphysical and mystical presence tied to but separate from this universe. And the Artifacts two of you wield are physical embodiments of those Elements. Structures housing a portion of the god-like Elementals that ARE and RULE OVER their respective Element or Elements. But there is one Element that has no vessel, no Artifact. Though it influences all, none can claim to be its champion. Though there are those who are trying to change that."

    Tic-Toc looks upon Sanary next. "This Element is counter to many of those present. It is an Element that allows the universe to function as it is, and has an influence upon other worlds and universes beyond our own. It is also an Element intrinsically tied to Time, which I and many of us here right now wield or are controlled by." He looks at Golden next as he says, "That Element is Entropy. The death of all things, the inexorable grinding down of the universe, the loss of energy in a form from which it can not be used. I have been a Time Mage for over thirty million years. And the knowledge that the very magic I wield will not function without Entropy has driven me into despair. But now there is hope. I, and the other Epoch Saints, are the strongest users of Time Magic alive -- at least for our universe. We have been banished to the Nether Realm for a long time, to better learn the methods to save THIS reality. And the method is quite simple."

    He scans over the hostile faces of Libra and Crucia, the concerned expression of White Rose, and the stoic one of Princess Paladin. "We must gather enough 'time' to employ a 'Time Stop' on everything. We will freeze this entire world, giving us the time we need to discover a way to 'fix' Entropy. To make a universe where we do not need to age and wither and die, to keep losing energy, to keep suffering, to keep KILLING. We do not have that amount of magic ourselves. But with magical girls who bear Artifacts frozen in our Time-Stop, we can tap into them to save everyone."

    Tic-Toc then concludes, "And in answer to your last question, the reason why no other Magical Girls are here, is because they do not have the protections that you do. They do not possess the Time Element or Time Magic. So once you have either joined our cause or been destroyed, there will literally be no one in this city who can stop us. I'd rather not fight, to be honest."

    Gears appear all around him. Life Gears. The core that allowed each one to posses a person. And they attach to his body all over, bulking him up, and covering him in a layer of armor like a magical mecha.

    "But I will." his echoing voice finishes.

(pt. 3)

Golden (782) has posed:
    Golden sounds like he is holding back a lot of anger. "Who died and made you god?"
    He gestures at the people who've gathered. "Them? I don't think so."
    He waves a hand out at all the people who have been frozen in place. "Surely not them, huh?"
    "Yeah, I know a little bit about hubris and arrogance, about people who think they know what's best for everybody. My world doesn't exist anymore because of them." Golden flexes his hand.
    "Sure, the world's not perfect, but that's what makes it interesting. Letting people find their own way to deal is better than wiping it all away unasked." He points at Tic-Toc even as the light within consumes him and transmutes him in a whirl of pixels and echoing disturbance across electronic devices. "Are you sure you want to die?"
    The pixels re-solidify into a larger being; tall, armored, and still sporting wounds from a long ago battle, dragon-like and ready to take on the ancient Time Mage, a sad expression on his face.

Sanary Rondel has posed:
     They were in a rush, and Tic-Toc wasn't willing to listen to reason. Too far out of his mind to be of use to the Confederacy, even.

     Well. That's all the reason Sanary really needs, isn't it? "A shame. If that's how you want to do it, then." Taking a quick breath, the healer readies herself to dash straight at the magical mech man, then... Stays right where she is. She needs to stay close to White Rose to not get frozen in time herself, after all, which limits her options in this fight quite a bit. She's still got that gunaxe, though, and she aims to use it as best as she can considering the circumstances.

     Raising the handguard/barrel of the weapon at Tic-Toc, she fires off a quick volley of icy blasts at him, then starts refocusing her magical energy away from the weapon and into her allies. Without any recent injuries to work on healing, the green light flowing from Sanary towards the rest of the group can be focused almost entirely on boosting their natural stamina recovery and providing them with an extra rush of magic power!

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    "Don't spout that crap at me!" Shirou angrily barks back at Archer seemingly from nowhere. It's probably ALARMING to some here to hear him be so vindictive at anyone.

    Emiya Shirou hasn't really had bad words to say to anyone. Even Princess Paladin, whom he's never been INSULTING towards even if he was ANGRY at them once.

    "Like hell I'll support--...." That Archer then proceeds to do something that shouldn't be possible alongside all the other things is FAR too much at once to process. Shirou's left stunned again.

    'Trace, on.'

    Those are his words. There is practically zero chance anyone else should ever be speaking them to perform magic.

    Let alone the same magic he seems to specialize in. "What-"

    But there's no time to be too surprised. Although his eyes widen and mouth gapes open a bit he shuts it.

    It's not the time. No matter how much his gut's screaming to deal with this NOW if he ever will, it's not the time.

    Tic-Toc's right there explaining everything. So he continues to frown... teeth now clenching slightly as the explanation carries on.

    Shirou's quiet through all of it. Even as the Tic-Toc arms himself with an array of Life Gears he doesn't lose his cool.

    Instead he has an answer. "I see. ... Well... for what it matters, I'll say that goal's way better than something selfish like immortality or ruling the world. But as I was about to say to this guy--" His tone tightens irritably, He clearly means Archer... "I can't accept that. Sacrificing some to save others isn't noble at all. There's nothing right about it whatsoever!" He's PISSED off as hell, but he's keeping a cool head nonetheless.

    With a leap showing somewhat magically enhanced strength he separates himself from the others by about twelve feet to give them room to do... whatever it is they're going to do.

    Especially that Jerk in red. He's got a REALLY bad feeling from that sword.

Archer (821) has posed:
    After hearing the radio chatter, Archer feels somewhat more hopeful of his own chances - since he exists outside of time and space, he theoretically should be unaffected by the Epoch Saint's power. He also takes note of the golden creature evolving to a very robust combat form that, even at a distance, Archer can tell it's imposing and powerful enough to do some damage.

    However, he does express concern with Shirous reaction to his tracing. If he and the boy had met before, he should not have been so shocked to see him use this power.

    Unless... this Shirou /hadn't/ met a version of Archer before? That brought up many other worrying questions as to how different this Shirou was to his own timeline - where did he see Kanshou and Bakyua then? He hadn't obtained them that early on in his life.

    But it was too late to undo the action. He'd just have to roll with it. At best, Archer could say that he learned his abilities from Shirou - and it wouldn't even be a lie, since, as he had once been Emiya Shirou, he had in fact learned much of his foundations from being Shirou in the Grail War.

     Archer takes the time to listen to the clockwork mage's claims, feeling somewhat awed deep down at the idea that something could exist for so long.

    And... in a way... he could almost sympathize with him. For longer then he could remember, Archer's existence had been defined by the despair of knowing that his infernal dream of being a Hero could not exist without sacrificing lives - that it was impossible to save everyone.

    ... and yet at the same time, it was for that reason that Archer knew all too well that it was a pipe dream. It was for the reason that he was practically eternal that he knew how hideous a fate perpetual existence really was - to see horror after horror over and over and never solve it.

     It was why Archer smiled and started chuckling.

    He knew the others might have been staring at him like he was crazy, but he didn't care. It was too amusing hearing this little plan. "Fix entropy? Heh... you think that will stop death? You think that losing the fear of time passing will make people stop killing?"

Archer (821) has posed:
     After a short pause, Archer then shakes his head in what looks vaguely like disappointment. "As a keeper of time, you should realize that having limits, especially an end, is one of the things that breeds decency in humans. What you're suggesting would only perpetuate stagnation - it isn't hope at all. It's cowardice. It's ignoring the root of the problem."

    At this, Archer's expression turns grim. "Namely... that the issue is humanity itself is rotten to the core. It'll never change no matter what you do to help it - they'll keep making and repeating their mistakes, and there will always be a mess to clean up. Other realities in the multiverse will take notice as well - and it will breed war all the same. Take it from me... it's simply impossible to win this fight."

     "If you're so tired of seeing death in your line of work, then do us all a favor and just kill yourself here and now." He speaks plainly - almost dismissively. "If it's so tiring to clean up after them, just quit and let them either fix their own mistakes or suffer the consequences. Nobody's asking you to go this far for them... and nobody likes having choices forced on them. If they're not asking for you to save them, why bother?" Then Archer smiles - an almost bitter smile. "In fact... I'll gladly do you a favor, one Guardian to another... and end your misery here and now, so that you don't have to keep suffering." His words hold frightening honesty - he really does seem to think he's giving Tic-Tac a kindness through this.

    With the effective unanimous rejection of Tic-Tic's demands and Sanary's attack, Archer makes his move, seeing that the course of action is decided.

    He narrows his eyes, his smile fading into a frown of concentration as another set of words that he fears may be familiar to this version of Shirou slip out.

     /"I am the bone of my sword."/

    The air comes alive as prana pours into Archer's arrow, overcharging it to the breaking point as it is knocked back on the bow, twisting and lengthening to resemble a proper arrow. Then, in the next instant, he calls it's name-

     "Caldbolg!"

    -and lets it fly loose, distorting space and time around it as the arrow, made from a blade cursed with the power to pierce defenses, streaks toward Tic-Toc.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    Off goes Caladbolg after an epic rant that... for some reason, Shirou can't completely disagree with.

    That accusation makes sense at the core in some way. Yet he hates his own thoughts for accepting nearly as much of it as he does. "Heh... show off all you want." Grumbly and bitter are his words towards Archer, yet he extends a hand quickly.

"My body is made of swords,
A shell of steel with fire for blood.
I have created over a thousand blades, Never retreating, never knowing victory."

    His eyes had been closed for a few moments of concentration, but they flare open with full determination now. There's a pulse of magic from him. It's somewhat inelegant but it's FAR beyond his years of experience. Reality warps and trembles, power spreads through the ground around him. Red light from the forge-world erupts from the cracks--

"I stand atop a hill of swords,
Forging weapons from my flesh.
This painful path needs no reward.
My whole life is..."

    The world PULSES once as Shirou shouts,

    "UUUUUNLIMITED BLAAAAADE WORKS!"

    The wave of magic spreads everywhere, overtakes everything. Or maybe everything around is simply drawn into it. It's hard to tell, because the world turns topsy-turvy!

    When the light fades... there's no city to be seen. Everyone stands amidst a barren battlefield impaled with fabled weapons, illuminated by a brilliant twilight sky. It's a deserted, lonely place, but there's some hope to it nonetheless.

    And Emiya Shirou gasps once from the exertion. How long will he be able to support it with THESE many magical figures going at it?

Miko Fujimoto (589) has posed:
    "If me dying would fix everything," Tic-Toc begins, dials turning with every word he speaks, gears spinning, electricity sparking along their edges, as he witnesses Golden's impressive transformation. "I would have accepted that long ago. What I want doesn't matter. One live versus billions? Trillions? More? There is no contest. Because this world will eventually run out and die. ALL worlds will. Putting off fixing it for the future, saying, 'People will determine a solution some day.' is just trying to run away from responsibility. It is DOOMING every one and everything, because the solution that WORKS is unpalatable. Hope is a lie. It is a pleasant lie we tell ourselves so that we do not have to admit that we can not do anything. Once you place your trust in hope you are doomed to suffer despair. Just like I did."

    The hunched-over old-looking clockwork man, now increased to about twice his original height, stands still as Sanary shoots at him. Her icy blasts impact his Life Gear armor. One of the gears heats up, spinning so fast it melts the harmful ice attack. Another Life Gear on his left forearm starts spitting out tiny cogs with spider legs which go dashing and darting and leaping towards Sanary as she acts to boost everyone else.

    His retort to Shirou as he leaps back is perhaps not as piercing as the revelations of Archer's abilities and connection to Shirou, but noteworthy all the same. "If I sacrificed myself for everyone, would that be 'noble'? That is what a hero does, is it not? A hero is one who sacrifices for others. But sacrificing others is not heroic. Only if the hero himself suffers." Two Life Gears on Tic-Toc's shoulders spin in different directions, spinning atoms apart, splitting them, and containing the resulting energy in stasis, resulting in a large sphere of increasingly volatile energy swelling and forming above his head.

Miko Fujimoto (589) has posed:
    The golden glow of the gear in the sky is bleached out by the nuclear white that builds and builds. "I am not a hero. I will never be a hero. I have long ago given up on hope. I am not tryong to provide it. If I am a villain so that others may live, so be it. No one will ever even know my role in this." Is he really intending to set off a nuclear blast here in the middle of the city!? The world seems to be distorting around him, right as Archer's arrow pierces through him and right out the other side. Metal flies, hoses burst, two Life Gears shatter entirely. The sphere of unreleased power above the Epoch Saint's head consumes itself as time magic stops keeping it in place. An enormous beam of solid white light erupts upwards into the sky, straight through the giant gear there, without any apparent influence upon it.

    The light produced by the beam remains in place even after the attack itself has finished. Light particles are now freezing when they leave the safety field. Time has truly almost completely stopped here. And that is why Tic-Toc despire the grievous damage he has just suffered... Is not yet defeated. Archer's arrow, when it passed the space between himself and Tic-Toc, slowed just marginally enough to not hit its exact target. But the damage is clear, and the churning clockwork heart is exposed for a moment, right before the damage is erased before their very eyes.

    "'Humans'... Saving 'humans'... 'Humans' changing..." Tic-Toc looks upon the Guardian who offered to help him, and then put a hole in him. He's down two Life Gears now. He asks, "What makes you think I want humans to remain after we've fixed everything? I predate the very existence of that species. I predate hominadae by 10 million years! I have seen your rise, your fall, and all the permutations along the way! The problem with humanity is that they think that they are the most important thing in the universe! There are beings in the Nether Realm far better suited to living on this planet. Beings who have never had a home and would truly appreciate it. But neither they nor humans, no innate gratitude or potential for growth, will MATTER if the whole universe DIES. And so...!"

    Then there is a flash and everyone is in the barren wasteland of Shirou's Reality Marble. Time is not slowed here. Attacks this time around will most likely not miss due to a minute movement out of the way of a super-fast arrow. Tic-Toc sighs. "Discussion... Truly is not an option."

    He is bombarded by exploding jack-o-lanterns, and a barrage of pages from a book that cut like blades. Libra and Crucia are holding their book and wand respectively. Libra says, "Paladin asked for 60 seconds. I gave her more to see if there was another solution. You're right. When neither side is willing to compromise, conflict is inevitable." Her thoughts on Archer's rant against humanity she keeps to herself. But her trust towards him is in exceptionally small supply.

    Paladin draws the Sacred Scepter, a rod tipped with a pink sphere, and says, "For the sake of everyone, you must be defeated. As Guardians, as Magical Girls, as Heroes, as Healers, as Digital Champions... Whatever we call ourselves, at this moment we are united in the task of defeating you for the sake of everyone." Then she unleashes a piercing beam of Holy energy, mimicking Archer's move. "Everyone aim for his center! PENANCE BEAM!"

Archer (821) has posed:
    Archer smirks as Caladbolg goes straight through Tic-Toc's body - then his eyes widen and his smile vanishes as the damage quickly repairs itself, cursing as he realizes that the clockwork-mage's body is rejecting the flow of time around him, effectively undoing anything done to him. He also can't help but frown at the mage's words, once again becoming bitter and cynical - "It's an impossible task either way - they won't be grateful. No race will. You said it yourself - if hope is a lie... why are you so arrogantly hoping your solution would change a thing? You yourself /called/ it hope a minute ago - that you'd create hope by stilling time until you find your solution."

    He curses and shields his eyes with an arm as the explosion of blinding light pierces upwards, though he still looks at Tic-Toc with a somewhat judgmental expression. "If you're going to go through with this ridiculous notion, you can at least acknowledge the hypocrisy of your beliefs and let go of your own flawed hopes. Because no matter how much you try, you /cannot/ save everyone, be it human or anything else! You're so lost in trying that you don't even see the pointlessness of your desire - and I refuse to see another such insipid, twisted fate be carried out!" For the first time, Archer actually does sound legitimately frustrated - perhaps because, in a warped way... he is seeing himself - throwing away everything to try and be the nameless savior that nobody ever wanted nor ever thanked.

    When Shioru summons his Reality Marble, Archer quickly visualizes a new weapon from his stock. "Trace; On."

     Drawing the form out from his inner world, his hand flashes as prana consolidates into a long object that he would rather have never seen again... ironic as it was to have a grudge with the weapon that had nearly ended his existence when that very thing was all he wanted anymore.

    Knocking it back, the object twists and shortens, compressing into a blood-red arrow that Archer aims straight for the clockwork mage, now knowing full well what the best way to end him is.

     /"I am the bone of my sword."/

    Prana flares to life, the bow is drawn back, and Archer pours as much prana as he can as the bastardized variant of C� Chulainn's cursed spear ignites with energy.

    The spear that is cursed to always strike the heart when used... utilized as an arrow that when fired will carry the same effect. It will either pierce the heart or open a gap for another to do so.

     /Gae Bolg!/

    His hand releases the drawstring, the blood-red spear transforming into a magic bullet that arcs and twists sharply through the air, lancing straight for Tic-Toc's core.

Sanary Rondel has posed:
     On one hand, having so many strong allies for this fight meant there was probably a good chance they'd all succeed here. On the other hand, everyone EXCEPT Sanary was pulling out all sorts of crazy... Everything. Golden with his transformation, Archer with that drill sword and bow out of nowhere, Shirou with his... Field of weapons? At least the Witching Hour and Princess Paladin's attacks are a bit more limited in size.

     To say that her self-esteem is dropping rapidly would be an understatement. The fact that her shots didn't seem to do much doesn't help make her feel any better about that, either. Still, someone's got to make sure they don't run out of juice before finishing Tic-Toc off, and Sanary's just the person for the job!

     "Sixty seconds, eh...? That'll be more than enough time for us to show him how stubborn we can really be!" Spotting those cogspiders coming straight for her, the healer digs her feet in with her shield braced in front of her, waiting until the last moment before thrusting it forward to try and stop them in their tracks. A few still manage to get by her block and dig into her legs, however, drawing a sharp cry as and a spray of blood from her as she drops to one knee with the miniature saws ripping right through the padding.

     And yet, she's grinning at that. "Gotta say... You could've been useful if things were different. What a waste, you pompous ass." And then she's putting out even more of that magical energy, both to boost her own regeneration while still pumping more energy into the rest of the group.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    Shirou would not seem to be as lethally inclined as his elder counterpart.

    He's certainly not as jaded or cynical.

    But there is no more time for reasoning! None at all. "Pointless desire?!"

    Yet hearing the words being spewed around is enough to distract him fom the effort of maintaining the Reality Marble... if only for an instant.

    Unlimited Blade Works' sky flickers like static for one tiny instant.

    Then, with a boatload of magic flying everywhere. It'll only get WORSE as more and more attacks fly.

    But as power fills him from Sanaray's efforts the Reality Marble stabilizes once more. Shirou rises from a defensive crouch he'd taken to focus on holding it up. Normally he'd be able to manuever but there's too much strain on him...

    All until he gets a few moments to join up. Even as one part of him FREAKS at the trickery Archer just pulled - a feat he wasn't sure could ever be done - he resorts to a much cruder, yet kinder assault of his own.

    Somewhere across the infinite expanse, a plain-looking but very important Scythe is uprooted and flies instantaneously across the expanse!

    It swirls and twirls and should it strike, should it embed into any part of this 30-million year old being...

    It doesn't really hurt.

    It brings a sense of peace and ending, it melts away anxiety and dulls pain, pushes it away.

    It's the scythe of the Grim Reaper, after all.

Golden (782) has posed:
    Golden looks at the large shield-like claws he is armed with and determines that if they have to destroy the heart, then these weapons are far too imprecise for such work. He casts the Dramon Killers aside in the field of weapons and grabs a massive zweihander in one hand and a bold looking claymore in the other and goes flying straight for the Epoch Saint, bellowing defiance. "You think you are the only one who saw his world die around him?! Saw it slip through your fingers like sand no matter what you did!? You chose despair! I chose hope! For that they called me /hero/. I am a Crestbearer and I stand for courage itself!"
    With that, Golden lets loose a thunderous draconic roar and drives the swords at Tic Toc's heart with all the force his broken body can muster. He hopes that with the attacks his allies are making that this can end before he's drained and devolves back into his lesser form.

Miko Fujimoto (589) has posed:
    Tic-Toc has no more chance to talk, to retort. As the barrage is incoming, Sanary healing and bolstering everyone with her power, fighting off the cog spiders with her shield, healing herself even as they try to saw through her leg, allowing them all to push themselves to the maximum when they might not otherwise... The Epoch Saint does his best to counter-attack. To throw a Life Gear like a spinning blade -- a blade that has ghastly bio-mechanical arms reaching out of the hole at the center to try to grab and claw anyone who comes close. Crucia Hex, lacking any piercing spells, blasts it out of the air with her Pumpkin Bombs.

    One Life Gear, the one that spun to keep Sanary's ice from creeping inside, is warped by the freezing cold and the moisture, and when it tries to spin again to produce friction and heat, it winds up spinning right off of Tic-Toc, sending sparks flying as it zooms off into the distance.

    Paladin's drilling attack pierces the outer layer of Tic-Toc's armored body, Golden claws and tears the opening wider, Libra sends out more page-blades to cleave through metal flesh, and Archer's arrow destroys Tic-Toc's heart. All the Life Gears all over him crumble into dust, and he falls to his knees, still trying to aim a hand to unleash an attack. He really... ISN'T a fighter. His inventions were powerful, but he should have known better than to just stand there and try to tank all those hits.

    Shirou slices into his arm, just as temporal energy swirls around his arm, preparing for release into the midst of his foes. His body warps out of existence. That probably wasn't what Shirou intended...!--Ah, no. It's clear now. His visible body was itself a Life Gear. Lying on the ground before them now is a pale, ugly, ancient, and yet pitiful creature. Some organism that may have arose in the wake of the dinosaurs going extinct, and then gone extinct themselves. But this is a survivor of a people powerful enough in magic to survive for 30 million years. Even if all the flesh being stripped off and replaced with wires and cables and cogs was necessary.

    He seems fragile, weak.

    But without his armor, this creature with tentacles and a big, scraggly-toothed mouth like a deep sea monster, and small, beady black eyes, struggles upright, heaving with the effort. And it says, "Come to me."

    A hole tries to grind its way open in the sky of Shirou's reality marble. This is SHIROU'S world right now. HIS space. This intruding force, a giant golden gear not unlike those already visible in the distance, does not belong here and may well be rejected. But if Tic-Toc manages to siphon away all of that stored up 'time'...! The power of millions of people and magical girls with infinite mana Artifacts as he mentioned before...!

    "ATTACK HIM AGAIN!" Paladin yells. "SANARY, KEEP US ENERGIZED! SHIROU, DON'T YOU DARE LET THIS WORLD COLLAPSE!" Then she raises her scepter over her head and prepares to unleash her strongest attack against this physically weak, and nearly-dead... THING.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    Emiya Shirou has unleashed his Reality Marble a number of times one can count on two hands. Most of them have been in far tamer situations. He has never before been tested to this limit.

    Reality cracks and bleeds, fizzles and strains. The sky is pierced, the Boundary Field is like a balloon pierced with a needle. It wildly warps and wavers slowly at first.

    Shirou, struggling to breathe in gasps, drops to his knees.

    It's an admirable effort to pour all of his extra effort and the energy Sanary's lending into the field...

    But a Boundary Field is a fragile thing. When it snaps, you can't just tie it back together in the blink of an eye.

    "Sorry, Princess..." It's not for lack of trying. His brow's furrowed with the strain. But he's not going to let it end so easily.

    "HOLD ON, DAMMIT!" Screaming at the top of his lungs, Shirou reckless puts his Magic Circuits to full output with much of what he has left.

    The breakup's slowed, but it'll probably collapse in under fifteen seconds!

Archer (821) has posed:
    As the fight rages, Archer's own Blade Works pulses slightly - like a small hammer against a forge - as he feels the design of the scythe etch itself into the barren waste of his soulscape. He also sees, or rather /feels/, Shirou's Unlimited Blade Works weakening as the fight goes on, the strain worsened by the golden gear grinding through the Reality Marble's barrier. The boy hadn't been kidding about how weak the boundary field was...

    In fact, just thinking about it made Archer stare at Shirou for a short moment, his expressionless face hiding the deep sense of surprise that eats at his core and had been ever since the Reality Marble was summoned.

     /Their/ Reality Marble. The boy had used /their/ Reality Marble. He had been so focused on finishing Tic Toc that his mind was only now letting him process the absurdity of it.

    It should have been /impossible/ for the boy to use Unlimited Blade Works at this stage of his life - at least not without having seen it in use from another version of Archer. But if that wasn't the case... it shouldn't have been possible for Emiya Shirou to learn it himself without years more practice. Archer himself hadn't even been able to finish it until he got power from the World through his contract with Alaya.

    How could Shirou have advanced this far already?

    Moreover... if he had come this far - if he already had the determination and strength of will to summon Unlimited Blade Works even once... would Archer even be able to convince the boy of the flaws in his beliefs?

    Either way though... the boy would be a tougher challenge then he expected... but at least now he had a measure of what the scope of Emiya Shirou's powers were. That alone was useful.

    In spite of the chaos, Archer allows himself to give a bemused smirk at Shirou's tiring form."You seem to be wearing yourself out, boy. I'm not surprised though - reaching for things beyond your grasp tends to do that to you. Keep going at it like that and you'll surely break one day."

    He keeps his words ambiguous, leaving it up for debate whether he's talking about Shirou's beliefs, his use of the Reality Marble, or all of the above, his apparent intent seeming to be annoying or frustrating Shirou.

    In the end though, he shrugs off the inevitable denial of his words, facing the still-budding issue in front of them.

Archer (821) has posed:
    Stepping forward, Archer's expression once again becomes serious, his back turned to Shirou as he strides out several steps and then stops directly in front of his younger self. "Stand back, boy... and take whatever opening appears. You likely won't get more then one chance. In the meantime... allow me to take up your job... again. And in doing so... let me show you what a hero's 'reward' looks like."

    With that, he steps forward, closing his eyes for a moment as the words issue forth, disturbingly familiar and disturbingly different from those that had already been issued.

     /"I am the bone of my sword."/

     He feels his inner world stir, the endless grinding gears whirring to life.

     /"Steel is my body, and fire is my blood."/

     /"I have created over a thousand blades."/ Streams of prana now become visible as it pools around him, flowing out from around him in a circle like blue flame.

     /"Unknown to death, nor known to life."/

     "/I have withstood pain to create many weapons/"

     /"Yet these hands will never truly hold anything."/

    The air pressure shifts - it becomes hot like the inside of a forge. Each line sounds like a recession of some sad, bitter history being laid bare. A hollow shell that has no other purpose in life then to march forward with sword in hand and cut the enemy down in the name of 'Justice.'

     /"So as I pray... UNLIMITED BLADE WORKS!"/

    Fire bursts to life at the bowman's feet and billows outward from the ring around Archer, consuming the flickering field of blades... and replacing it with a new one.

    Other differences assert themselves quickly; The ground is harsher and more ashen then the field in Shirou's Reality - but most disturbingly, the sky is filled with endless rows of grinding gears suspended in the sky, smoke and ash blotting out any sun the world had. It looks less of a red plain full of collected blades and more like a desolate battlefield filled with fallen weapons, somehow feeling more hopeless and disparaging then the world Shirou had conjured earlier.

    In the middle of this... the red knight stands alone atop the hill of swords, eyes closed as if in contemplation, lacking any sign of the strain Shirou displayed when summoning the world.

    Then they slowly open... and they radiate more then determination - they radiate finality, born from a mind and heart made of steel as dozens of blades and weapons lift themselves out of the dirt and aim themselves at the creature.

    "Rest in peace. Your burden ends here."

     With that, his hand raises up, the invisible order given as the hoard of weapons launch forward in a seemingly-endless storm of steel.

Golden (782) has posed:
    Golden is fighting off the smaller time constructs that are swarming over him now, keeping him from doing more to Tic Toc for the moment. Things tearing into his damaged flesh. He catches a glimpse of the giant gear trying to force its way into this pocket reality.
    This is not good, and he churns upwards, spinning in the air to fling the small creatures off as he hurtles towards the cap in the sky. This. May not work. The shield is not what it was. But he needs to buy time, because here his allies could fight without worrying about hurting non-combatants or damaging the city. He pulls the two shield halves from his back, even as his form flickers a moment to show a winged blue-and-white dragon intermingled and scrambled with the more familiar golden MetalMamemon.
    "No. Not yet." He whispers over the din of Archer's Unlimited Blade Works. He struggles to lock the shield halves together and manages to do so just in time, the emblem on the crest glowing a warm orange as the Brave Shield slams into the emergent Life Gear and pushes upwards against the massive cog.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    Shirou had formed his Reality Marble through accelerated training and resources that should never have been available to him, learned to fill his prana reserves with outside help... even if he had to return again and again to keep them topped off between crises.

    But those words had been his own, albeit borrowed from impressions and flickers of something deep and powerful that had resonated within him that he'd felt when clashing against Chloe von Einzbern.

    With a month or two of work and excellent tuturing from someone who knew exactly what he could do - but did not tell him - he had eventually catalyzed it.

    Now...

    All of it's blown away. As the failing Reality Marble is supplanted, replaced, overriden, Shirou throws an arm up. "That can't be po-...ssible..."

    THUMP.

    His brain, his heart, his soul, whatever it is, it throbs. Piercing, searing pain strikes him clean through like an arrow to the heart.

    He shouldn't be seeing this world.

    He can't accept this world, this reality, this truth.

    The boy's soul rejects this, fundamentally rejets it. What it is he's trying to reject though... that isn't so clear. But it has him clenching his teeth, whole body reduced to a state of fight or flight panic.

    Summoning up all his remaining will, Shirou vaults up to his feet again.

    He's not allowed to give up, not allowed to give in, not allowed to accept Archer's opinion on this at all!

    "Tic-Toc! If the universe is meant to end, then let it end. Don't take away everything that's good about being alive for everyone... being frozen forever is as good as never existing!"

    He still has some power left, although not much. The very bow that Archer's been using appears in his hands, along with a jeweled, highly ornamented holy sword with a blade that gleams thousands of colors even in this soot-covered hellhole. Joyeuse is nocked and drawn back.

    Shirou wants to save everyone.

    He really does.

    But sometimes, as Kiritsugu's stated, that's impossible. Are you supposed to save enemies too?

    Shirou grits his teeth, furious at the contradiction, but there's no better option here... is there?

    "Strike... JOYEUSE!"

    Rainbow light gathers around the 'arrow' just before Shirou launches it. What follows is a gaudy, shining projectile trailing a flashy rainbow display. It's a thing that only an egotistical crusader would admire and not to Shirou's tastes...

    But he doesn't really have enough power for much else left!

Sanary Rondel has posed:
     A weaker person would have started screaming in pain ages ago from cogspiders sawing through their leg. A smarter person would have disabled them first, whether by destroying them or calling for assistance from someone better equipped to do so. A faster person would have probably even avoided them entirely.

     Sanary is none of these things. Instead of giving into the pain and screaming or trying to bat them off even as her leg is barely attached below the shin, she's channelling everything into bolstering her allies. Shirou and Archer with their world chanting thing, Golden fighting off more of those creatures on his own, Princess Paladin and the Witching Hour barraging the creature that emerged from the Epoch Saint with all their might... Or was that creature Tic-Toc himself?

     "Butt shit son of a ass dick... YOU GOT IT!" Belting out an almost deranged-sounding war cry, Sanary puts out absolutely every once of her magical energy into one more immense burst of rejuvenating magic. With all that energy she's pouring out, she can't even keep her eye functioning! With any luck, though, she won't have to aim anything else for a while.

Miko Fujimoto (589) has posed:
    The world starts to break, and a new one, similar to the previous, replaces it. Libra has Byblos open, and calls out, "THERE AND BACK AGAIN!" A huge golden ring appears in the air above her and goes rolling across the terrain, crushing the Epoch Saint underneath it, stopping after it passes over him, and then rolling backwards to crush him again. He manages to hold it off by freezing the time of the air around him, but in his state, his magic might not hold.

    "SMASHING PUMPKIN!" Crucia calls out as she slams an energy pumpkin down on top of Tic-Toc, straining his temporal shield further.

    Golden is forcing the enormous gear in the sky upwards, keeping it from intruding, even as the lives of thousands begin to unravel and flow downwards in a golden river, heading for the Epoch Saint...!

    But not reaching him! As the tendrils of temporal energy reach for the one calling to them, they can not fully invade Archer's bounded field, because Golden is keeping something bigger than all of Tokyo, something that might not even be a physical object but merely the representation of a Concept, from crossing over at least three different realities to turn a Time Wizard into a god.

    And Sanary is powering all of them up, healing injuries, restoring energy even as it's expended. Princess Paladin calls out, "HOLY NOVA!" And then she unleashes a sphere of concentrated Holy Magic like a miniature sun right at the weakened Epoch Saint and his shield.

    It explodes, vaporizing the terrain around the impact point, and hurling the wounded creature for dozens of feet until he hits a big sword and stops moving. He looks up in despair, still trying to find some way to out of this.

    Then Archer's swords bombard the mage, impaling and destroying his body, rendering him nothing but a mass of ruined flesh. Several seconds pass. Is it over?

    The mushy mess that is Tic-Toc flickers and seems to reverse his own death. Some pre-cast spell so that if he ever TRULY met his end, he'd get another shot. He is put back together again, in a hideous conglomeration of his natural form and the metallic monster he was masquerading as. Shirou's attack slams into him before he can take any further action, and he falls to his knees, his flesh-and-metal legs shattering beneath him. Wires protruding from a half-human and half-anglerfish head, stitched together with wire, twitch and spasm in pain. He just remains on his hands and knees, breathing laboredly. Mechanical lungs the only thing keeping him going now. His heart is destroyed. All the careful precautions to keep himself going, the isolation of his own personal timeline within himself to avoid death.

    But even with a Life Gear taking the deadly strike from Shirou, it's too late. The touch, even by proxy, was enough.

    He's dying.

    Libra turns to Sanary and sways the dying cogspiders off of her leg, stomping them underfoot. She is sorry she couldn't help quicker, but there were other priorities, and they have two very powerful healers here.

    As everything seems to be settling down, Crucia Hex, the lively Pumpkin Witch, suddenly SNARLS like a beast as she spins around to face behind them, sensing something hidden there solely through familiarity. "What are YOU doing here?"

    A long-haired man, with hair the same smokey color as Crucia, and red eyes of a likewise matching hue shimmers into existence. He's dressed in robes more befitting a mage than the business suit he wore when the group first met him on their first trip to the TMG building. "You wound me, little sister. I was in the building already when this clever little world was created. I've been standing nearby the whole time. I was just coming here to see how you were doing," Shirou Kikumura replies in mock-hurt.

Golden (782) has posed:
The crest on the shield begins to sputter and flicker.

    The digimon is so very tired, and has not pushed himself this hard since...

It's cracking. The shield. The armor. Even with Sanary's healing and boosting, the WarGreymon's ever-present battle injuries are catching up with the strain he's putting on himself. He can't see the scene unfolding below. Flecks of gold Chrome Digizoid fall away from the Guardian as he holds the line.

... the battle. Death and ruin everywhere. The screams of child digimon being devoured. The hollow and cruel laughter of a Royal Knight. The desperate final stands of comrades in arms. The unravelling of the world. A flash of light and then darkness...

    There's a roar coming from the faltering Golden that descends into the loud screech of a modem. His form crawls with visual glitches as he sheds data in the form of pixels and pushes harder.

'... to stand against the darkness or die trying.' he thinks, recalling an old oath. 'Well, if this is it...'

    The digimon shatters into countless pixels, revealing the MetalMamemon beneath, who begins to plummet wildly to the ashen and gloomy ground below, short limbs whipping around limply.

Sanary Rondel has posed:
     And then it's all over. Tic-Toc has been slain, the Life Gears destroyed, and who the hell is that guy!

     ... Wait. Who the hell /is/ that guy? Whirling around to face the source of Crucia's ire, Sanary doesn't even manage to catch a glimpse (what with not having any magic power left to actually power her eye) of the long-haired Shirou before falling flat on her side.

     Turns out having your leg nearly cut off is quite the detriment to standing up properly! Without rage and adrenaline keeping her going, the pain is also really starting to kick in for her. "Wh... Who's that guy? A-and. Uh. Can someone take care of this?" She still manages to get a few coherent sentences out, then takes her hat off and crams it into her mouth to muffle what would have undoubtedly been a very colorful string of curses and screams.

     Good thing there's no kids around.

Archer (821) has posed:
    Deep down, Archer is able to admit to himself that he is impressed by many of the efforts put out in this battle. From the golden warrior pushing back the falling Life Gear to the one-eyed girl coming close to overloading her magic circuits - if she had any, seeing as he couldn't tell if magic always worked the same for all in Mutiverse - he had found the display interesting. Admirable even, in a sense of the word.

    ... and yes - even Emiya Shirou had impressed him to a degree, if for nothing else besides how quickly the boy's abilities had grown. In a sink or swim situation, he'd effectively learned under desperation how to cope with situations he was outclassed in.

    A shame he couldn't put that same effort into defining his own individuality.

     As the chaos dies down, Archer looks back over his shoulder to stare at Shirou, his eyes seeming to almost look through the boy. "Take a close look at this-" he gestures to the dying form of Tic Toc - "and ask yourself something, Emiya Shirou."

     "How would you feel about being a Hero of Justice... if you were frozen forever into that role, the same as he was for his?"

    Letting that question linger, Archer then strides forward three paces, looking at the fallen form of Tic Toc. His stance and pace are unflinching, his facial expressions solid like cast-iron steel... and yet, behind his eyes, there seems to be a note of pity when he looks at the dying creature before him. As if seeing his own existence mirrored - a ruined soul who was so caught up in the beauty of their earnest wish... that it became warped before their very eyes. He does not agree with everything the ancient time mage said or planned... but he does feel a kinship. Enough to want to ensure at least one person is free of the curse that is an eternal, unchanging existence.

    "Trace; On."

    Archer's final weapons in this battle ironically end up being Shirou's first - the blades that have become their symbols in more ways then one, representing yin and yang. Lifting his arms, Archer brandishes the forms of Kanshou and Bakyua.

Archer (821) has posed:
    Before Archer can do anything though, he sees the falling form of the golden warrior as his body dissolves back to it's spherical form... and instinct takes over.

    Almost in spite of himself, Archer's body moves - he throws Kanshou and Bakuya outward, bounding up the hill and vaulting into the sky as Reinforcement strengthens the muscles and bones in his body, leaping far higher then any human ever could. With a slight yet audible grunt, he catches the falling warrior, his muscles straining a bit from the impact as even with full Reinforcement, the weight of the impact is noteworthy.

    As he falls, Archer traces a large nameless blade that becomes stuck vertically upward in the ground, with Kanshou and Bakuya finishing their flight and becoming embedded in the sides of the massive to form a pair of steps. He lands on the first one made from Bakuya, which splinters but holds, then bounces down to the step made from Kanshou and then hits the ground, landing on his feet in a deep crouch.

    After a moment of making sure none of his bones broke from the fall, Archer sets Golden against the blade in the ground, as if propping him to rest against a tree, then pulls Kanshou and Bakuya back out of the large weapon's body.

    His posture and expression are unchanged as they were before he moved... but for a split second... it seemed almost he was Emiya Shirou in how quickly he moved to save another without thinking, even as he turns away and marches back to the hill as if nothing had happened.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    Shirou's escaped any serious injury so far purely by merit of being Very Back Row. It's not a role he typically takes, and perhaps it saved him from a vicious mauling.

    He's suffered those before. Healing from them was never pleasant, and he knows he can't save anyone if he's dead.

    The gruesome task seemingly dealt with, Shirou lowers his bow, then-- whirls about upon detecting Golden's fall! "Gh--"

    He's not nearly fast enough to move that way, but a blur of red catches his eye. The same blur of red that he'd been staring at with a throbbing head a few moments prior, searing words slamming deep into his soul like a sword fresh from the forge.

    Although he frowns, Shirou has better things to do than dwell on those words right now.

    With Sanary cursing in misery, his immediate response is to dash - clumsily - right on over! "I'm here!" Although he's not really sure what he can do about the issue beides pull out a Union first aid kit (pocket sized) and try to do something about all of that bleeding. Sanary being a healer can probably do it better.

    But in the middle of that his attention swerves to the OTHER Shirou who's recently... come out of hiding it seems.

    "What do you want?" His tone is flat and not friendly, but not particularly hostile either.

    He has a low opinion of a magically-inclined brother who wasn't out here aiding his sister, but isn't likely to outright say it.

Miko Fujimoto (589) has posed:
    Golden struggles, saves them, and then falls when even his great strength fails. As Tic-Toc prepares to accept a death he has wanted for ages, since before human civilization was even the inkling of an idea. But then Archer abandons that mercy to save a life. A blood-filled eye and one black as the abyss watch as Archer is rushes in defiance of his declaration that there was no hope and no point in saving anyone. That humans would keep doing the same foolish, selfish things no matter what.

    Princess Paladin supports Shirou by using her healing magic to reattache Sanary's leg while Shirou works to patch the wound itself once the limb is reconnected. "Mendicant's Mercy," she chants as she waves the Sacred Scepter over the appendage, restoring it MOSTLY to how it would have been had it not been injured. But there's still damage there. All Paladin did was create a rule of Law that restricts the severity of the injury.

    Tic-Toc watches this happen, and then watches the group of Shirou, Shirou, Crucia, Libra, and the thus-far-very-quiet White Rose. He says nothing, simply trying to breathe.

    Crucia seems unconvinced by her brother's statement of intent. "Get out. You don't belong with us."

    "Oh, don't worry," Other-Shirou says as he looks over everyone and then fixes his crimson gaze upwards on the falling Golden as he's rescued. "I'm not with YOU."

    The fairy pipes up finally, her tiny voice calling out, half as address, half so that those not-in-the-know can find out what's up. "Shirou Kikumura, Time Mage, member of the First Circle. A prodigy whose known abilities include Time Magic, Space Magic, Mind Magic, Shadow Magic, and Wards. His specialty is Emotional Manipulation spells, especially via Wards and other barriers. I've looked up some things about you after yesterday. What are you ACTUALLY here for? Mages of your type are self-serving. They don't waste time and resources frivolously. You didn't come here to see your sister, just like that Fear Ward you placed at the TMG building wasn't to 'test her'. You use magic when you WANT something. So why are you here?"

    Shirou Kikumura I'm actually here for THAT." He looks up at the gear in the sky that Golden was holding back. Surging with temporal power that a Time Mage like himself would greatly benefit from. "I said that I wasn't helping the Epoch Saints. I never said I wasn't stealing 'time'."

    Then he lifts off into the air, seemingly prepared to go flying up after the gear! Crap!

Miko Fujimoto (589) has posed:
    "YOU BASTARD GET BACK HERE!" Crucia calls out, starting to shoot pumpkin bombs after her brother! Princess Paladin was about to start helping to heal Sanary so that her fellow healer can in turn help rejuvenate Shirou and everyone, but she has to switch her attention on the prize they've successfully defended!

    As Kikumura starts to close in on the Time Gear, looking confident and pleased with himself as he dodges pumpkins that explode in the air behind him, he reaches out...

    And finds himself back on the ground like he never left it. He frowns and tries it again, this time accelerating his own time to zip right up to the giant gear...!

    And wind up back where he started. It looks like no one else has to stop him after all. Every time he flies up into the air, he is reversed back down to the ground. Other-Shirou frowns and then looks towards Tic-Toc. "Stop interfering. It's over for you, ancient one, and my people have more use for this now than yours do. They are dead, while mine still live."

    Tic-Toc has one twisted arm extended and is halting the Time Mage. "You may have the protection of Time Magic yourself. But I have more experience and have more knowledge. The entire basis of your magic is scraps stolen from the relics and writings of my ancestors. I am not a fighter, but if you do not excuse yourself, I will alter your years so that you will never use magic again."

    The voice is weak, labored, strained, and yet completely serious. A half-human and half-monster face, joined together by metal, stares determinedly at Other-Shirou.

    The smoke-haired mage narrows his eyes. "When this world reverts to its prior state, I will depart. As a FAVOR to one of the progenitors of my craft." He bows elaborately and sarcastically, but he seems to be done trying to steal all those lives.

    The Epoch Saint looks up at the beautiful gear in the sky. Everything he worked for. "I have... Some final... Words. The gear... Will return the stolen years... When I am gone. So please... Listen."

Sanary Rondel has posed:
     Sanary's breathing starts returning to normal once Shirou and Princess Paladin tend to her leg, still shivering a bit even as the majority of the pain subsides. She stills mutters a few quiet curses to herself as she pushes herself up slowly, eventually bracing herself against Shirou to keep herself upright. "Shitting... Nnrgh. Thanks, you two. And sorry about the.. This." She chuckles lightly and goes quiet at the words from Red-Shirou to Tic-Toc, narrowing her eye slightly despite not being able to see what he's actually doing.

     And then he's gone, too. Even without sight, however, she does turn her head to the Epoch Saint when he begins speaking again. There's a look of irritation on her face, although she doesn't quite act on it aside from just blindly glaring at him.

     "Speak, then."

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    Even Shirou has to gasp when the Other-Shirou pulls this fast one on them all. He brings the bow back up but... blinks a few times, finally gazing at Tic-Toc.

    The mangled, pitiful creature's state has him once again frowning. Pity and regret mix together. Did it need to end this way?

    A being thirty million yers old, at the end of his rope. Whether they were in the right or not doesn't change that Shirou's gut is twisted up on the matter now that he sees the Time Mage becoming cooperative.

    It's ALMOST UNFAIR. If he'd been bitter and spiteful Shirou could feel more justified, but...

    "You picked a strange time to change tunes, old man." The red-haired swordmage proclaims gently. Now that Sanary's been seen to, he strolls over to listen, his gaze somber.

    "In a way we're maybe not so different. I'd like to see a world without pain and loss and death and destruction."

Archer (821) has posed:
    When the other Shirou makes his move, Archer tenses...

    ... but then he sees Tic Toc's movements. And once again, as Archer listens, taking the words in as they are spoken... he again feels the same sad, pitiful connection he felt to the being before.

    Even now... neither of them could deny following their paths to the very end... even when they both saw the fruitlessness of it. Both of them were locked down on their paths to eternal damnation. Because in the end, be they human or alien... people continued to do stupid, pointless things for the very reason that their core natures were unchanging.

    After all... whoever said Archer was any exception? Why would Tic Toc be either?

    But at the very least, one of them would soon have the freedom that Archer had craved for so very long.

    At the same time though, Archer gazes somewhat cynically at his younger self, tilting his head. "That is true - you and he are not so different." He continues walking up, Kanshou and Bakuya still in his hands, until he stands side-by-side with Shirou. Yet he doesn't look at the boy. "You and he... are actually rather similar... right down to the paths that were taken... the earnestness of the wish that spurned that desire... and the ugly contradiction that it was all marred in which was it's truth."

    It's uncertain if Archer is speaking about Shirou or himself in this sense... but he seems to take Shirou's words as being something of a statement that, if they're not so different... then their paths will likely reach the same end. The same as Tic Toc. The same as Archer himself.

Miko Fujimoto (589) has posed:
    Tic-Toc heaves a shrill metallic breath. The closest he can manage to a laugh at both Shirou and Archer. "We all would like a happy ending... That's what we Saints began with." he replies. At Sanary's behest, and partially in response to Archer, he wastes no more time. He doubts Crucia or Libra would allow him to, with a friend dying in a hospital even as they speak. "Regardless of... How this ended up or... What I intended... If the ultimate result is the same... No matter what. Even if it is utterly... Futile. And there's... No reason to keep trying..." He lowers his arm, no longer able to support himself on just one. Other-Shirou seems to be behaving for now as he stands there, hands calmly folded. "...Then I guess it can't hurt... To let people keep making... The attempt. They won't change... Anyway... Right?"

    Tic-Toc raises his head and says, "The Epoch Saints... Are made up from the four... Greatest Time Mages... Of THIS universe. We have... Different backgrounds... But we all wish to prevent entropy... And we agreed... To the time-stop. But I wished to extend it... Beyond just this world. To encompass the WHOLE Multiverse... So we could fix... EVERYTHING. The others have more extreme methods..." He coughs up blood and small screws for several seconds before continuing.

    "...I promised them that my Life Gears would be all we needed, and that they would not require those other methods. With my failure, they will not hold back anymore. But just as I deviated from the Time-Stop plan... The others have their own visions of how it should be carried out. We are not all... In agreement." He coughs again this time vomitting out a huge glob of blood, flesh, and a dozen different kinds of machine parts, cogs, wheels, and gears. "Listen... I mentioned that Entropy was an Element that no one is the Champion of, and that there are those trying to change that. Entropy still must be fought against. Even if it will win eventually, it will win much sooner if the ones who worship it come to power."

    His arms give out from underneath him and he falls to the ground on his face, leaking blood from his whole body. "...I am... Ticeon Toca... Beware... The TRAITOR among us... And stop..." He coughs one last time as he wheezes out... "The End." Then he lies still.

    The gear that penetrates into this reality begins lift back up into the torn sky, bleeding its power out and back into those it originally belonged to. It's receding back into the reality it was previously part of.

    Other Shirou looks up at it with disappointment but resignation. Paladin tries not to let emotion get in the way of hearing what Tic-Toc--No, Ticeon Toca is actually SAYING. He's warning them. Of something worse than him. Maybe worse than the Epoch Saints. But even she... Feels loss, sadness, and regret. That they had to be enemies like this.

    If Libra or Crucia are conflicted, they do not reveal it. Crucia is staring angrily at her brother, while Libra is recording all that has happened and been said in Byblos for future study. But even her bespectacled eyes may be slightly damp.

    White Rose sits upon Paladin's shoulder and watches it as mutely and calmly as a little doll.

Sanary Rondel has posed:
     A world without pain, loss, death, destruction... Certainly not a bad ideal by any means, but Sanary doesn't seem so convinced. Although she can't quite see Archer nor Shirou, she does raise an eyebrow slightly while semi-glancing between the two. There's something odd about that exchange, but she can't quite put her finger on what...

     Still, no sense dwelling on that now when their final objective hasn't been completed yet. She remains silent as the Epoch Saint reveals his true identity and the goals of his conspirators. It's all rather surreal just listening to it all, knowing that they're already dealing with such immense powers.

     To that end, she remains silent and simply crosses her arms over her chest, favoring her uninjured leg while waiting for someone to make the next move.

Archer (821) has posed:
    Archer waits, hearing every word spoken... and when they are finished, steps forward once more, twin blades held aloft in front of him, then to the sides as Archer crosses his arms, drawing them back.

    The next instant, the blades fly forward, spinning in twin arcs of black and white that shoot straight toward Tic Toc's prone, helpless body.

    It is both a precaution and a final act of mercy - a guarantee that he does not still cling to a life that truly deserves to rest.

    It won't be painless... nor will it be gentle... but it would ensure that, if he still lived, it would be quick, any lingering pain being the final price to pay for any sins, perceived or otherwise, in order to have a final atonement. A proper death for battle following a sense of twisted honor that even Archer himself finds surprising, born of a sympathetic respect for someone who lost all simply by following the path he thought was right.

    Thus, as the blades fly to their target, even though Archer's eyes show only steel... it is impossible to deny the spark of pity somewhere deep behind them as the ancient creature's life ends.

    Nor the flash of relief that he, in a way, may finally have helped to 'save' someone from a fate worse then death; his own.

    With that, the red knight, after spending a short time staring at the body, turns and walks across the barren planes. As he does, the field of swords and the skyline of endless gears slowly dissolves, the scene of Tokyo returning around them.

    He doesn't turn to face Shirou as he walks past the younger mage... but he does glance down at him, asking a final question as he leaves.

     "Will you give yourself away until your own body is steel, Emiya Shirou? For if you do... how will it end?"

    With that, the red knight of the bow vanishes along with his world, astralizing into thin air as he enters spirit form and leaves the recovering, half-desolated city behind him... and in spite of himself, does so feeling that, for perhaps the second time in his long existence and fleeting as it was, he might have actually accomplished something.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    Pity might be the look Archer gives... only hesitantly. Shirou's is full of it. He doesn't have words to say. Once before he made a promise to a dying man. He isn't sure he can make two of them.

    He DOESN'T look away at Archer's brutal mercy killing, but he does flinch. For a few moments it looks like he has something to say to the knight in red...

    But as usual the Heroic Spirit hits him with a deep, penetrating bombshell where it hurts.

    The boy's teeth clench so tightly it HURTS.

    "You're wrong..." The objection comes out in a whisper.

    "You're wrong about this dream."

Miko Fujimoto (589) has posed:
    When the world of the Unlimited Blade Works disappears, and they are all back on the street, the whole city is dark. But then, slowly, lights start to come back on. Power flows again. People are waking up on the street, in their stores, at the wheels of their cars. A baby starts crying in its carriage, and like a switch being flipped, the clamor of everyone else panicking and wondering what's happening starts up as well.

    Shirou Kikumura turns to leave, but Crucia Hex calls out, "WAIT!"

    The mage waits.

    Crucia removes her witch's hat, and addresses her brother as Kiko Kikumura, not as the Pumpkin Witch. "If you ever pull something like this again..." Her fist clenches. She knows she can't beat him in a straight up fight. She doesn't want to kill him. What can she threaten him with? "...I won't consider you to be my brother anymore."

    Whether that impacted the sarcastic Other Shirou or not is unclear as he gazes back over his shoulder at the sister who looks so much like him. But he has no final snappy retort to offer. He just vanishes as mysteriously as Archer did.

    Paladin helps Sanary over to where Shirou is, and then turns to Libra, who is kneeling beside Golden and trying to analyze him to see what she can do for him. Princess Paladin says loudly enough so that everyone nearby can hear, but meant mainly for one or two specific people...

    "Come on. We still have another life to save tonight."

    Then, for anyone willing to come along, it's time to go to the hospital.

    Emperors of Time TP: End