XSYS Arena
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Preshow 02/23: FF7 Disc 3 - Stairway to the Fated Fight
22 Feb 2024 - XSYS Team
With the house full and the lights dim… a banner unfurls over the stage.
Magus steps onto a balcony to the left of the stage, his face obscured by a featureless white mask. Down on the main stage, lights a scale model of the city is suspended over a mountain, with a spotlight directly on a floating gold disc chained to one of the skyscrapers.
- MAGUS: With the Gold Saucer secured, Avalanche moved to strike at Shin-Ra’s heart. All their mako reactors depended on one piece of critical infrastructure: a refinery on the planet below, a place the floating city had to return to, to stay in the sky.
A spotlight kicks on– Aeris is standing center stage, with her back turned to the audience, in silhouette.
- MAGUS: Aeris knew it well: this was the first reactor Shin-Ra had ever built. Her people had given them permission, believing they would honor their agreements, that this was the promise technology come to liberate.
Magus pauses.
- MAGUS: Instead, it was technology come to exploit. And so the reactor at Nibelung was born.
The Gold Saucer breaks its chain, spinning like a frisbee, and swings off the city. It flies out over the audience, a few synths reaching out to touch it, then careens back, and crashes into the mountain below the city…
The spotlight on Aeris cuts out. The stage goes dark, and a massive crash sound effect plays, loud enough to rattle the seats.
From the left of the stage, orange-red lights kick on, paper being blown to look like dancing roaring flames. Aeris runs onstage, with the heroes behind her.
- DR OKAZAKI as AERIS: Looks like just the impact wasn’t enough. Move in, Cloud Squadron. I’ll need you to handle the SOLDIERs while I rig this place to blow.
From the right of the stage, blue-green lights kick on, filtering through bubbling water tanks to make them look like mako. Exime is there, dressed in a long coat, clutching a hand over her face.
- EXIME as ???: I’ve finally found you… the last Ancient.
Exime starts to draw a katana.
- DR OKAZAKI as AERIS: You… I know you. You’re the one who wiped out this city…
Exime is still drawing her katana.
- EXIME as ???: And devoured the souls of every last one. …Save for you.
Exime is STILL drawing her katana. She raises one arm, an immense magic circle appearing in the sky above the arena.
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DR OKAZAKI as AERIS: Cloud Squadron! Behind me!
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Aeris pulls out a shining materia and holds it out.
- DR OKAZAKI as AERIS: Pearl Materia, Sanctuary!
- EXIME as SEPHIROTH: Gunmetal Materia, Meteor!
Sephiroth’s massive burning meteor crashes into a dome of light– the ground beneath the heroes has turned into white-gold hexagonal tile, clearly a reused texture from Mega Man Battle Network. Fragments of rock are scattered all over the stage, still aflame.
Sephiroth also finishes drawing their katana. Aeris forces herself to stand, then points dramatically across the arena, the Pearl Materia in her hand.
- DR OKAZAKI as AERIS: I’ve been waiting a long, long time for this. But I didn’t even have to hunt you down– you gave yourself right to me.
*Aeris wipes a bit of blood off her cheek.
- DR OKAZAKI as AERIS: C’mon then, you so-called ultimate life form. Cloud Squadron! Advance!
Two drumbeats fill the arena’s thrumming air, and the lights dissolve to battle…
Sephiroth’s class is “Messenger of Jenova,” and his skillset is simple: the Fira, Thundara, Blizzara set you saw in the train battle, and Meteor. Good offense is going to be critical for this one.
I’ve also added one of his abilities from his appearance in Kingdom Hearts: the infamous “Sin Harvest!” But you’ll have to show up to see what that does…
The battle starts 2/23 at 7 PM Central! You definitely won’t want to miss this legendary rematch!