Black Rainbows (Season II)

[Pachamac]

Another time, another place

His eyesight felt blurry and his mind foggy. From his sight he watched himself as he stumbled and collapsed about, falling to the nearby left wall and using his hand to try and prop himself up against the railing. It felt as if he was experiencing a violent bout of vertigo, a thorough and pronounced dizziness and nausea overwhelming his coherency. There were people walking about him, rushing towards him out of the blurred reaches of his peripheral vision. A mass of white and black belonging to trousers and lab coats. He turned around, to look in the direction he had come from, to find an almost horrifying prescence approach him from the rear. Despite the blurriness and the swimming effect his vision had been forced into it, he could deduce that chasing him from the rear were a contingency of soldiers. Their footfalls echoing throughout his mind.

“Eyaaghh…” He moaned, gripping his face with both hands and falling to the floor. He could feel consciousness slipping away. But every fibre of his being wanted him to continue. To escape. He had to.

He looked down at the manila folders that laid scattered around his feet from where he had dropped them previously. He couldn’t read them anymore, the writing far too blurry and messy to read, but he could make out some of the pictures that were included on some of the various scattered paper documents. In one picture, an unfamiliar cerulean coloured hedgehog slept comatose as he floated in a giant cylinder filled with a transparent, green liquid. Another had a violet female hedgehog, lying on a hospital bed, her face etched in pain and madness as a device was strapped on and attached to her head.

And so on it went, more and more photos of various individuals involved in what could only be laboratory experiments. A female praying mantis undergoing plastic surgery. A ruined, legless scorpion being outfitted with new armoured, prosthetic limbs. He couldn’t read the text, but he could easily identify the three words that lined the top of each scattered piece of paper and folder:

S.E.O.

“What’s going on?” Came a high pitched, whiny voice from somewhere above him, impossible to place. The voice sounded like a speeded up chipmunk, and it hurt his mind to even begin trying to rationalise what was said. All he knew was that he had to get away.

‘Got… to… escape...’

“We caught him going through the archives.” Replied a deep, muffled voice. “He was stealing them and planning to escape.”

“Really??” Returned the high pitched chipmunk esque voice.

‘Shut up… just shut up and go away…’

“What do we do with him?” Asked the deep voice again.

“Well, well, we can’t just let him run off with all our company secrets, no. That wouldn’t do at all.” The chipmunk voice was louder. As the disoriented figure turned to try and spy where it was coming from, he could see the owner’s feet just before him. And yet, he was too weak and powerless to do anything.

“You want us to terminate him?” The deep muffled voice asked.

“No, no. Traitors should, of course, be shot. But I think, gentlemen, that we have an opportunity here.” The high pitched voice sounded off with a tone of voice that seemed excited. “Our friend here has just volunteered to be a part of our company’s experimentations!”

‘No… shut up… just shut up and… get out of my way…’

“Delightful timing too. The last patient just died. Tsk. We were looking for a replacement. Pick him up and carry him to my laboratory.” The chipmunk voice ordered, as the feet stepped away from his vision.

The disoriented man’s voice was blinded by white, as his body was dragged upwards from the floor and forced to face the overbearing luminous lighting hanging from the ceiling above. He tried to block the light with his hands, but found them impossible to move, both being restrained on either side by a suited and masked soldier. Not that he even could have if he wasn’t, being that he had no strength left within his body to even move. He felt his feet slide against the floor as he was being dragged away. He tried to look behind him, at the floor and the folders that were scattered about and being newly picked up by a scientist or three. It was hard to tell.

‘No… go back… go back you bastards…’

“This experiment always seems to come with a number of issues and shortcomings.” The chipmunk voice continued, and the man looked up to see a blurry mass of white, blue and black walking in front of him, leading the procession of soldiers forward.

“We’ve had subjects descend into madness, or undergo total complete amnesia. It seems the brain just cannot handle that level of information. At least, for now. It’s a stumbling block that we’ll get past. Just imagine, gentleman. A body, able to learn and perfectly mimic any and every fighting move imaginable just by watching it once! They would be the ultimate weapon, would they not? The others might enjoy playing around with injecting their nonsensical pheromone injections, or their super speed, or even their ridiculous attempts at creating brand new life to infuse with these powers. But this, gentlemen. This, is the true answer!”

The group stepped out of the dull, clinical corridors and into a large expansive room lined with cabinets, medical items and, more sinisterly enough, a bed in the centre filled with various devices and dangerous implementations surrounding it. The man tried to struggle free, shaking his head from side to side, trying to escape. But finding himself unable to resist whatsoever.

“Put him on the bed, gentleman, and don’t forget the restraints.” The chipmunk voice instructed.

“Tsk, tsk, don’t worry my dear friend.” The voice walked towards the screaming man, who turned and looked in turn as each one of his hands, feet and tail were clamped down onto the bed. He pulled and struggled for freedom but was buffeted by failure each turn. The scientist looked into the desperate man’s eyes, and the panicking man saw before him an almost beautiful female face before him, that looked towards him with a reassuring smile, despite the horrors that he knew were approaching.

“Don’t worry, I’ve made refinements to the formula, it’ll succeed this time. And after that, we shall take you to Faul’s lab and he shall do away with all of the bad memories, and fit you in with some nice, new, pleasant ones. Don’t worry or fret, my dear.” She stroked the side of his face. “You’re going to love it here with your new family.”

‘No! Don’t!’

“Let’s start the experiment then, shall we?”

‘Please! Don’t!’

“Anaesthetiiiiiiccccc…..”

‘…no…….o…o…..’

---

Here. Now:

“No!” Nathan screamed with a burgeoning cry, jumping up from the bed at once, startling Xell, Hikari and Seipher who all stumbled backwards in shock and surprise, screaming at the same time. They hadn’t expected the salamander to awaken, at least not this quickly, despite Xell’s attempts at stirring the lizard to consciousness. They all quickly panted in shock, trying to regain their breath and composure once more.

Xell was the first to speak. He took a step forward, offering his hands out to try and calm Nathan down. He was going to have questions. A lot of questions, no doubt most of all about…

“Nathan, Nathan, it’s me, Xell.” The dragon wearily stepped forwards. “You’re going to be okay. You’re with friends. My name is Xell, and we’re…”

But Nathan had been oblivious the entire time to whatever words Xell was speaking. Instead he was simply taking in all the surroundings about him, and room he had been placed in. It was different to the one he had last been taken in, but it felt familiar enough that he knew he still had to be in the S.E.O. compound somewhere. For recovery after whatever it was the doctor had done to her?

No restraints. He could move his feet and tail, and right arm. But not his left. Why not his left, was that shackled down or something…?

Nathan turned to his left and looked down towards the phantom limb with an unbridled, picture perfect clarity he was sure he’d never experience again. He couldn’t believe it at first. It was impossible. It HAD to be impossible. What had… who… why… WHERE was it?

His eyes darted towards Xell, his face a mixture of confusion and unbridled, building rage. Xell had looked towards Nathan in silent confusion after he worked out his attempts to ease the newly conscious salamander had failed, and had watched indeed, Nathan’s line of sight shift from the room, to his missing arm, and back to him. It didn’t take a genius to understand what Nathan was thinking, or indeed what was happening next. “Oh, no-“ Xell barely had the time to mutter, before the salamander’s right foot swept out from the bed and collided straight into Xell’s face, sending him flying away and into the wall with a roundhouse kick.

“What did you bastards do to me?!” Nathan cried out, doing his best to stand up on the bed with only one arm to support him. Hikari and Seipher had rose to their feet at once and were rushing to try and help the situation as best as they could, despite not knowing what it was they even could do. Seipher motioned for Hikari to stay back. She was still too woozy and injured to be getting involved in this.

“Easy, buddy, we’re your… friends…” Seipher spoke up, doing his best to try and calm the bewildered salamander down. However, he had to admit he was unsure what exactly his relationship to Nathan could be. It was true that they were supposed to be comrades in arm, both of them Trial Runners (a brief memory flashed in his mind of when they had actually met up, and how Nathan had helped Dolly with riding the horses that Hikari had retrieved for them) but beyond that he didn’t know anything about Nathan. And what Xell had said, about Nathan possibly being an experiment, and thus one of the people who had orchestrated that massacre in the hotel was worrying, to say the least.

He did his best to try and comfort Nathan that he was safe and with friends, but it was something even he needed convincing of. And Nathan could easily tell from the tone of voice that Seipher was lying, even if his intentions were completely unlike what Nathan was assuming. And Seipher knew, too, that it was unconvincing.

Nathan jumped off the bed towards Seipher, gripping the three tailed fennec’s shoulder and somersaulting over him, turning to roundhouse kick Seipher in the back of the head as he fell back towards the ground. Seipher was sent careening forwards and into the bed, which he toppled over with, followed by a rather loud and infuriated verbal abuse.

How the hell could anyone who’d just been through what he did (and lost an arm for fuck’s sake!) be able to move like that?

Nathan’s sight darted towards Hikari, who looked terrified with concern back in his direction, yet said or did nothing. She didn’t want to do anything that might upset or alarm him. Indeed, all she, and everyone else wanted to do was help. But the question was, how?

Nathan had lost his arm, and since an incident in his past, the ability to create new memories. Despite everything that had happened to him since the beginning of the Trial of Redemption, he could remember none of it, nor the people he had met and the allies he was forged with. After everything that had happened to him, how could they possibly be able to explain to him who they were and what was going on? How could he possibly believe that he and they were fighting for their very SOULS in a Trial of Redemption? That they had, in fact, all died once and been sent to Hell, and that their mission was to complete three circles in order to achieve redemption for their sins? Or indeed, everything that had happened in this second circle, from the loss of his arm to their opponents, and their mission before them to either prove their innocence or stop the detonation of a city destroying bomb in 48 hours?

How the hell could they explain that and expect him to believe it? Where would they even begin?

And again, his arm…

Hikari unconsciously touched her prosthetic arm with her flesh, reminded of her own horror and pain that she had felt when she too, lost her arm. In that, she felt a kindred sense of familiarity with Nathan’s plight. But she couldn’t begin to understand how much more worse it could be for him with the compounded memory problems. It was all too much.

“C-commander… Xell… what do we do?” Hikari asked, as the shocked and distrust-filled Nathan turned in every which way at what he was assured was his attackers. Looking for a suitable way out and a weapon to escape with.

Unwilling to be captured again.

[shylarah]

"You know, it's a lot easier to find you if you stay where you say you're going to be," Lani's voice commented, just before she appeared in the doorway. She'd heard the sounds of people talking and come to the logical conclusion: she'd finally found the right place, after she'd returned to their previous location only to find it deserted. "Nathan! You're up! I'm so glad--" the swordswoman was cut off as the salamander leaped at her abruptly, and snatched her sword from its scabbard. "Nathan?" Lani sounded slightly hurt. "What -- you've forgotten again, haven't you?"
Nathan wasn't going to fall for any of their tricks. He leveled the blade at them, and opened his mouth to speak, only to realize that the sword in his hand was suddenly burning hot. He tried to keep a grip on it, but the pain was intense. There was nothing for it but to release the hilt, letting the sword fall clanging to the ground. The gem in the hilt was now an angry red, but faded to a murky amber as the blade came to a rest sideways between Nathan and the rest of the group. Like a line dividing the two.

[VioletWhirlwind]

IC:

The rusty-colored fennec snorted derisively. "I died an' ended up back 'ere. Not much else ta say. Don' really wanna talk about it." Sure, he could probably tell she was withholding information, but Freedom didn't care. "It don' matter anyway. There ain't no escape from this place, Trial or no Trial." She winced as a whip shot out and stung it's way across her back.

"Less talk, more pull, ya louts!"

Freedom sent an annoyed glare at Dave as if to say, "Now look what you did!" even if it wasn't directly either of their faults.

TBC

[Rexaura]

So there were more of them. And just how many more were…?

Weapon or not, he had to get out of there. And he had to get out of there, fast.

The orange lizard Nathan burst straight passed Lani, out of the door, out of the room. To his left, a wall. Straight ahead, another room, with only one exit. To his right, a somewhat narrow hallway. There was no time to hesitate. Who knew what these crazy bastards planned to do next?? He ran on, ignoring the angry voice booming straight ahead of him.

“Goddammit, they had one job – ONE JOB! And they’re—what is he doing?”

Seipher, leaping out the room, called out to Glitch and Baltimore, who had frozen in their tracks. “Glitch! He’s trying to escape! Do something!”

Glitch nearly jumped from the sudden shout. “Uhhh!” He looked to Baltimore. “Chipmunk! Don’t just stand there, do something!”

All she could see was a black blur sprinting in the duo’s direction, but Baltimore quickly followed Glitch’s order without hesitation. She turned around and began constructing an invisible barrier, stretching from wall to wall. After her final stroke, she turned around to see the lizard charging after them had already skid to a stop.

Nathan stepped back.

Baltimore scrunched her thin eyebrows. She knew there was a lizard in their midst, but he was cloaked with his hood, unconscious for some time. She didn’t feel the need to snoop around and see exactly what this reptile's face looked like…

But she didn’t think it was that guy.

The so-called terrorist lizard.

But how was he still…!?

Baltimore gulped. Praying he didn’t recognize her. She turned her attention to Glitch, who focused on Nathan.

“All right, Nathan. Just… calm down,” Glitch did his best to coo the crazy lizard. He kept his hand low, pointing the invisible machete blade in his hand away from his ally.

[BandageKid]

Hospital

“All right, Nathan. Just… calm down,” Glitch did his best to coo the crazy lizard. He kept his hand low, pointing the invisible machete blade in his hand away from his ally.

Seipher’s eyes drooped as he calmly walked towards the chaos. Everyone gathering around the scene like moths to a flame. A tangible risk of provoking hasty action from the high strung lizard.

“…yes… calm down…”Seipher murmured. Not talking to anyone in particular. He turned around him to note some containers upon the surface behind him. He picked one up and noted a plunger on one end and a sharp gauge on the other. Reading the script against the translucent glass container, he made out its contents to be ‘Ketamine’.

He turned around and widened his eyes. A bad poker face as he hid the syringe behind his back.

“…don’t… just don’t…. come near me!” Nathan started off with a tremble but cried shrilly on the last few words.

“Hey hey hey… we’re not going to… woah…!” Xell’s jaw smacked open with horror as he found himself tripped up with Nathan’s tail and up into the air. Just like the move Xell himself pulled off with Flint or Danny back at the cave at the beginning of the trial.

“…crud…!” Xell murmured as he fell on his back and hollered a groan.

Nathan bobbed up and down. Frantically ripping his gaze from everyone in the room.
Lani, Kari, Glitch, Xell... and…

Time wound back as Nathan’s senses slowed down. Crystallising into a dawning realisation as he stared at the last subject within his central vision.

“…P.. P… Prec…”

Balti miaowed the last part of her name in mute. Just as the world fell to black and Nathan fell to the ground in a violent slump.

Xell, Lani, Kari and Glitch’s eyes widened as they watched the lizard fall. Before they all simultaneously looked upwards to stare at the culprit of this syncope.

“…he was going nuts. I only gave him a small dosage…” Seipher stirred his head from side to side sheepishly as he drooped his arm with the empty anaesthetic in hand.

Before anyone could protest at this abrupt action, some rallying footsteps were heard coming from the corner of the hallway.

“What’s all the commotion…?” a prompt voice came from the familiar suited fox. Kenneth. Who coolly strode to a waltz towards the group. Eyes falling from the conscious stand byers- to the sleeping lizard upon the cold chequered floor, and then to Xell who was still sprawled upon the floor.
Mordie followed closely behind and too morbidly dipped her eyes from Nathan, back to the other trial runners.

“Did he wake up yet?” Mordie asked softly.

“…Oh… oh he woke up alright….” Seipher’s jaw trembled, descending his head to look at the syringe and threw it in a nearby sharps bin, before turning to face everyone else.

Xell sighed grumpily, before placing his palms upon the floor to push himself up upon his dragon feet.

“Let me explain…” the dragon sighed with closed eyes, before standing tall. About to articulate the events that had happened after some of the trial runners had gone their own separate ways.

_____________________________________________

Mirror Hall

All was silent in the mirror hall.
The menagerie of mirrors and reflecting spectacles continued to shimmer. Suspended glasses turned slowly around their axis.
Upon their surfaces, scenes from all over hell and its outer realms were being played sporadically and randomly. Some scenes rewinding, before playing forwards again. And pausing. Particularly during violent moments and emotional eruptions. As if to snapshot the most captivating scenes.
Who controlled the runs of these footages was unknown.

In the middle of the hallway, a couple of snoozing figures camped across the floor.
Namely a tall shirted-suited blue fennec with his back against the wall. Head tilted back with his mouth slightly open. Belonging to Declan O’shea.
Leaning against his shoulder was the gothic blond, pale fennec. Athena O’shea.
Eyes shut with her long blond bangs veiling her whole face bar the slight peaceful seal of her lips.

Walking past the slumbering duo was the conspicuous green dog. An individual that had cloaked his motives and allegiance deftly since the very beginning.

His first appearance being when he adopted the role as the Inn Keeper in Circle I at the ‘Bard and Troll’ Inn. His earliest memory being having served haggis and grapes to Xell, Reni and Glitch.
He then made a re-occurrence in Circle II. Appearing behind Glitch who was interrogating a detained Declan. Telling the white hedgehog to step back- without saying much else.
Re-joined with the trial runners shortly, before taking his leave minutes later, his motives still remained sealed. From everyone.

”Just who the hell are you anyway?!” he remembered Kenneth’s question clearly, before leaving the group and teleporting away from the trial runners who had been lead out by Jack. After the dark lord himself left.

’ Well, I know more about you then you’ll ever know about me. Kenneth...’ Zach smiled a rare but exceedingly dark grin at this point in time. Even though no one could see it.
A flash of lightning shining through the window suddenly blinded the hallway. By the time the dog’s face re-emerged, he was seen with his apathetic frown again.

The two fennecs merely stirred slightly from the thunder that had erupted after the lightning flash, before falling back into their deep siesta.

Zach shrugged, before turning at 90 degrees to run straight through the maze of mirrors. Sneakers treading lightly as he sprinted across the red carpet floor.
He rounded off a corner. Skidding to a halt before a grand mirror. Bordered by crimson curtains and a lineage of protruding candle lights on either side.
The granite blue brick walls were cast with orange chromes from the surrounding lights. Creating a pseudo-sense of foreboding about the mirror before him.

“Pft...” he shrugged. Before curling his fingers into fists. Striding up to the mirror as if to deliver his message to it.

______________________________________________

Vegas hospital

“His last words being... ‘what did you do to me you bastards?’ ,” Xell recounted the story morbidly to the rest of the group. Tsking irritably for a moment, before seeing Precious tug at his hanging arm.

“What?” Xell asked. Not understanding the least bit of what she was articulating. Everyone else scanned the room, and indeed realised their one and only hope of translation was currently absent.

“We’ll just have to wait til Wren comes back. Precious might have something important to say,” Kari said. Before hearing a derisive laugh from Seipher.

“Is something wrong Wing commander?” The female cat tilted her head to one side. A soft but confused look on her face.

“Please, just, allow it...” Xell dismissed. Tired of the expired grudges. What Balti had exchanged with Seipher was wrong, but holding that chip on his shoulder was not going to serve him or the rest of the group. Especially at this point in time.
Balti hid behind Xell. Giving the fennec an untrusting look as she peered over the dragon’s shoulder. Seipher shook his head again, before jumping down to pick up Nathan and load him back on the trolley. With the help of Lani who obliged without any hesitation.

“...so sad to see it come to this,” Lani remarked. Seipher giving her a scolding look, which she challenged with a solemn one. Seipher just looked away and snorted.

“Yes well...” he shrugged with his hands pointing outwards and cast his eyes to look at the ceiling “someone had to do it! Do you honestly think giving him some milk and cookies would’ve helped?”

“IN faaaaaaaaaact...” Seipher walked away from the trolley whilst talking. Causing Lani to stare after him as he walked up to Xell “tell me, dear leader. Given his handicap and recent performance- what long term plan do you propose for this armless, demented one?”

Xell gave Seipher a scornful look and placed his hands on his hips, causing everyone to look on with intrigue “well, he’s been with us since the beginning. Even before you joined us, Wing Commander.”

“He doesn’t see it that way right now though, does he?” Seipher said “and I’ll bet my copper shots that as soon as he wakes up, he’s gonna waltz his looney dance all over again.”

“*sigh*”…” Lani had her head bowed down as she stepped between Xell and Seipher. The dragon straightening up whilst the fox folded his arms. Lani looked up again and crossed her eyes between either party.

“What we need to do is to help him remember. Because right now… with us or not… the absence of memory is his greatest enemy…” she said with a tragic tone.

“How can we help him remember though…?” Kari asked with open palms.

“Hit him on the head?” Glitch suggested with a simper on his mussel. Causing Mordie to clonk him from behind the head.

“Ouch! Dgeeze girl… just… get your womanly curves away from me!” Glitch shuffled away like a wounded dog.

“Maybe not…” Wren murmured as he entered the room. Folding his arms as he looked at the party of trial runners before him. Nothing better to do but argue as per usual.

“Hey, we needed you for a translation rabbit boi!” Glitch quipped, still dusting himself from Mordie’s ‘womanly’ touch.

“…how much do I get paid?” Wren quaffed sarcastically.
Balti looked on with sorrowful eyes, before Wren turned to look at her again.

“I have nothing to say,” Wren read her sign language.

“…cool.” The rabbit answered back, scratching the scruff of the back of his neck, before stretching his limbs which gave off painful sounding cracks.

“Nuthin’ to say about Nate sweedy?” Mordie asked sympathetically, to which Balti simply shook her head.

A morbid voice with stealth and shadow suddenly resounded from afar which gained the trial runners aghast attention after it was spoken.

“Why would there be?”

Everyone thrashed their heads about the vicinity in an unsynchronised manner. Mordie going as far as viewing through her binoculars to see if she could get some further insight.

“Let me see through that!” Seipher insisted as he grabbed the item through a gloved arm and dragged Mordie’s neck forwards as he tried to scan the room.

“Try looking ’somewhere else…” the figure grumbled. If an expression could be put to what he had just said, one could imagine him rolling his eyes.

Wren didn’t hesitate to wander around the hallway, before walking into one of the wards.

“Warmer… you’re getting warmer…”

Seipher stared after Wren who was roaming off towards the voice. Mordie gave the fennec a dirty look and snatched the binoculars away from him before storming off in a huff.
Seipher scratched his pilot helmet. Confuzzled. Before following Wren, Mordie, and everyone else who drifted into the room.

Nathan, in the mean time, had been left on the trolley he was originally carted on since the globe hotel massacre.

Without further ado, Wren sized up a pair of rotten green mildew curtains that hung like dead men from the ceiling. He brought out an arm and deftly ripped the pair of fabric barricades off the wall. Tossing them aside like dead matter.

The group gasped as they saw what was before them.

clap clap clap

“Bravo. Keener than a dog’s nose…” the character grinned ironically.
Behind a mirror.

“Zach?!” Xell spluttered, wiping his eyes with disbelief. His wings spreading out moderately instinctively and defensively.

“Indeed. I didn’t think I’d be intervening this soon,” the dog stared down at the group with his hands on his hips. The mirror on the wall stood above the trial runners’ heights.

“You again?!” Kenneth snarled “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again son. Who the fuck are you?” the fox growled coarsely.

“Even if I told you that, Lay-Man, it wouldn’t change your fate,” Zach answered him blankly, hands dropping to his side as he straightened up and blinked.

“Fate?” Kenneth asked “don’t have time for cryptic shit here.”

“Get over yourself hard-ass,” Zach snapped back “I’m going to get straight to the point here. Martyrs.” He said, surveying the whole group before him.

Wren, who stood at the front most with folded arms. Xell standing beside him with his wings out slightly. Seipher, Kari and Lani behind.
The short Glitch stood on his tip toes, if not jumping up and down on the back row to get a view of the commotion.
And Balti who had helped herself to sitting down elegantly on one of the hospital beds, too, looked on with intrigue.

“I can get you to Mistress Canticle…” he started, eyeing someone who was about to speak before he ran onto his next sentence “and I’m going to be brief about how and why!”

Again, another voice was about to intervene, before getting swatted back by Zach’s interjection.

“And you can trust me more than that fake son of a bitch Jack, the SEO operatives, and those police authorities who have your ass on their wanted list like nobody’s business.”

The group scowled and snorted, before Zach turned to Xell and sniggered.

“I don’t remember you looking like that last time I served you haggis and wine…” Zach murmured with a knowing smile.

Xell stepped back slightly, before straightening up again. On the defensive and ready for the offensive.

“Who are you? You weren’t just an Inn Keeper were you?!” Xell demanded.

“Like I said, knowing who I am won’t serve your purpose at this point in time,” Zach said blandly “now will you listen to my instructions or not?”

“Shoot.” Wren said wryly. Really wishing that the trial runners would realise that they wouldn’t get anywhere with this enigma of a character. Or at least no right now.

“Very well,” Zach mock-bowed “as you are aware, your pal- Nathan Winters- is dying.”

‘That’s his surname?![/i] Xell thought with a frown. The eyes within his wings blinking darkly in contrast to the dragon’s confusion.

“Even if he did come around again, he will only try to destroy you martyrs, and himself in the process…” Zach slowly raised a finger and twirled it next to his forehead “he is trapped in his own mind.

“Even if you did find a way to get his memories back, he’d lose them again,” the dog shrugged “it’s just the way he is. Don’t be surprised if he is the first to die before this is all over…”

“Don’t SAY that!” Lani cried out, causing the others around her to jump somewhat. However, they too were feeling the reluctance to believe this.

“…please… how can we save Nate?” Lani tucked away at her cheek. Everyone wondering whether it was a tear or whether she was just holding back her emotions.

“Take him to Mistress Canticle’s stronghold. If they oblige your request to cleanse and heal him, it can be done. BUT…”

“If the process works, he may never remember anything ever again. But he’d be in peace.”

“Peace?” Seipher’s questioning tone slid with interrogation.

“What do you want for him?” Zach raised his voice, despite keeping his blasé demeanour and body language.

Mordie blinked sadly, before hanging her head somewhat low “… peace.”
She said softly.

“Very well. Now listen to me acutely,” Zach pressed his fingers together and drummed them against one another.

“… downstairs, there’s an underground parking. With multiple ambulance vans. I suggest taking the 2nd vehicle parked on the left since it is unlocked…”

“How will we start it?” Kenneth butted in.

“… er… use your head?” Zach said ironically.

“I know vehicle circuits. I’ll cut the wires and fuse the ignition,” Seipher folded his arms and spoke with a proud smile.

“…so leave it to me!”

“Sorted then…” Zach answered. He was left off guard when someone suddenly rammed in with a question.
Zach looked down and saw that the short martyr known as Glitch had pushed himself to the front line.

“How do we get there, mister ‘know-it-all’?”

“Your leader should know…” Zach laughed sarcastically as he folded his arms and turned to Xell “you’ve met Leandra before, haven’t you?”

“…yes, she did tell me the way…” Xell hesitated “but I don’t know it in Vegas street terms.”

“It’s fine. Just take the A66 road. It’s a straight road to your homebound destination. The rest will come to you.”

“Yeah?” Wren asked.

“Yes.” Zach answered solemnly.

Wren nodded his head a few times. As if trying to validate whether what Zach was saying was true.

“Cool.” He answered insincerely.

The green cyber-punk dog raised an eyebrow and let out a small snigger. Wren obviously wasn’t enjoying the lack of control- in a world that made no sense.
Maybe it would in all due time. Or would it?
Either way, he deserved it.

“Why?” someone suddenly spoke. Everyone turning their attention to Kenneth.

“Why what?” Zach sighed irately, picking up a nearby candle from his vicinity to light up his face.

“Why are you… ‘helping us’?” Kenneth asked pronouncing the last word dubiously.

“You want to know why?” Zach asked simply “because Julien is cutting ties with Jack. And you Martyrs are going to go Mistress Canticle to get cleansed and have your wounds healed. And then you are going to join forces with the forsaken angel to find that bomb and bring it to me.”

“Ha!” Glitch retorted.

“What are you going to do with that bomb comrade?” Seipher asked articulating his protest with his arms “just put it in your pocket and be done with it?”

Zach simply smiled. Deliberating whether to answer that question or not.

__________________________________________________ ____________________

Hospital stairs
Minutes later

“Why the fuck are we listening to the underdog of hell?!” the argumentative voice of the fennec wing commander could be heard as himself and the trial runners made their way through the hospital building. Looking at maps upon the pin boards to guide their way. Remembering their destination to be the underground car park within the hospital at this point in time.

“Well…” Xell deliberated himself. Frowning his brows up and down as he tried to come up with a reasonable explanation at the very least.
“…honestly. I don’t know. He’s so weird, to be honest.” The dragon gave in.
“Pft. Understatement of the year much?” Glitch loosened his scarf somewhat with his one hand to empathize his disapproval.

“Have you guys met this character before?” Kenneth enquired “you appeared to share some former experience. Something to do with ‘haggis and grapes’.”

“…yeah…” Xell crooned, looking up to see that the others had their eyes flitting to him now and again. Both keen to hear the story, and find a way out.

A pulsating lone light in the middle of the staircase sparked and flickered above the trial runners’ heads.

“Glitch and I were in the ‘Bard and Troll Inn’. And he was the Inn Keeper,” the dragon explained “he was actually very hospitable. Showed us our rooms, gave us food…”
The grey former-fire breathing reptile shook his head with confusion.

“Last I saw him was when he had been captured by rhino guards… along with myself…” he hesitated as he turned to Wren “funny how the rhinos ran in just after your appearance. Had they been chasing you, Wren?”

Wren’s yellow eyes shimmered, before a faint smile was hinted at the darkest corner of his mussel.

“What does it matter? We got out alive. As far as hell’s terms go anyway.”
Xell narrowed his eyes and turned to face the direction straight ahead once again.

“Anyway, we got separated once we arrived at the Margay Castle,” he continued “I was thrown into a cell. Not sure where Zach was placed…”

“…so naturally I don’t really understand what’s going on right now…”

“Well I met the geezer again at the Vegas prison…” Glitch explained.

“What?!” Xell turned questioningly. Coming to a stop.
“It won’t make any more sense knowing that then, than it does now. He came- and poof!”
“He went.”

Xell paused

“…ah…” he dismissed. Shaking a hand against the air before trudging forwards again. Leading the way, with the other shortly behind. Lani and Seipher had been the ones, once again, stuck with the responsibility of pushing the trolley with Nathan upon it down the stairs.
Mordie and Kenneth were shortly behind Xell. Then Kari- who was doing her best to stay away from Wren. Frankly, he irked her. Glitch was humming an old catchy song to himself, which no one paid much mind too as if they were tired, of mixed emotions, and were clinging on desperately to their goal of reaching Canticle’s stronghold.

__________________________________________________ _________________
Hospital underground parking area

The ordered clay coloured parking vicinity lay derelict and lonely. Bar Emergency lights that had been left on. Moderately bright. Lending only just enough clarity to see where you were walking.

It was within this area, a twin set of steel doors screeched and groaned on opening. The rusty cogs within the turbines sounding very thirsty for oil or maintenance of some sort.

“…..h’ooooookay!” Glitch was the first to announce. Before the assembly of martyrs stepped outside.

“Well... we got to our destination... right?” Seipher justified, coming out behind the martyrs whilst still pushing the trolley with Lani. The two drivers of the trolley taking in their surroundings.

A still car park. Surrounded by stone brown walls and white markings upon the floor.
On the far end of the car park were a series of ambulance vans. But not much else bar 2 lone vending machines and pipework tapestries upon the walls.

The group suddenly stopped. The footsteps dead and the droning wheels of the trolley going no further.
Balti scratched her head, before blinking innocently.

“So where are our wheels then…?” Xell asked. The wings within the membranes of his wings blinking slowly and sinisterly.
_________________________________________________

OOC: Once you've read this K, I'll just tell you how far I'd like you to take the next post
Jenny, feel free to have Lani react in any way ie find the car/hospital van, figure out how to start it e.t.c

Hope this was awrite

[VioletWhirlwind]

IC:

Serenity's mind: Age 18

"...And I give the both of you my blessing."

"Thanks, Daddy!" Serenity glomped her father gratefully "You don't know how much this means to us." The dark-red hedgehog named Surge kneeled nervously in front of the throne. The king indicated that he could stand, and he did so, still nervously. He'd never imagined something this awesome ever happening to him...he was engaged...to the princess!

"No problem. Anything for my favorite daughter."

Serenity grinned. "I'm your only daughter."

"Of coarse...now...if there are no objections..."

"...WAIT! Your Majesty, -I- object!"

Serenity winced. That voice...not HIM again...She'd thought he had given up finally. Apparently not.

The green capybara, dressed in his royal guard uniform started gesturing wildly. "All due respect Your Majesty, but I thought Her Highness was promised to me!"

Serenity made a face. "I never agreed to that, and you know it, Foul. I'm sorry, but I don't love you, never have, never will. Give up your obsession with me already! It's not healthy. I love Surge. And Daddy supports my decision."

"B-but...he's not even a Royal Guard! He's a lowly fruit-merchant!...And it's Faul...Fa-OOL."

"Whatever, Fool. I. Love. Surge. Not you. Give it up." Serenity noticed her three older brothers gradually moving out from the shadows to surround the capybara sternly.

"But...he doesn't even have any royal blood! Like I do!"

Serenity's father sighed. "Arogi, we've been through this before. My daughter doesn't want anything to do with you. I'm sorry. And it seems Surge here actually DOES have noble blood...I looked into the matter."

Three separate exclamations of surprise were spoken simultaneously, by three different people.

"What?!" Faul exclaimed indignantly.

"Huh?" Serenity said, surprised.

"I do?" Surge asked, dumbfounded.

"Yes, young man, you do. A neighboring kingdom once had a prince that was not interested in ruling. He left and came here under disguise to raise a family as a simple fruit merchant. You are his son. And therefore a fitting match for my daughter. Not even the Queen can protest this."

Serenity stared at Surge in silent shock. The youth glanced nervously at her, biting his lip. "Ah, relax, Surgie...I'm not gonna bite yer head off. I'm just surprised is all."

Surge still couldn't believe this. "I...I'm a prince?"

The purple hedgehog princess shrugged. "I guess so, but it doesn't change anything about you in my eyes."

Arogi Faul made a gagging noise. He still refused to accept this, and started protesting loudly again. The three older princes took hold of him and began forcibly escorting him out. The last thing he said before he was pulled out the door was, "This isn't the last you've seen of me! I will come back! I will have my princess!"

Serenity shuddered. At least her brothers would take care of it. This was the final straw. They would escort the capybara out of the kingdom, into exile, and she'd never have to deal with him again.

Or so she thought.

TBC

OOC: Dun dun dunnn...

[shylarah]

"Second ambulance on the left," Lani said aloud, turning the trolley in that direction. "That is what the dog said." Xell moved ahead and tried the doors to the indicated vehicle. "They're not locked. Seems there was some truth to what he said, at least," the dragon commented, getting in the passenger side.
"Seipher, help me get Nathan onto the stretcher," Lani requested, maneuvering it so it stood next to the cart where Nathan lay.
"Right. One, two, three!" On three, they both lifted, and managed to transfer the unconscious salamander from one to the other. "It's going to be a bit of a squeeze in back," she commented as the man helped her put the stretcher back into the ambulance. "But I think we'll all fit."
Seipher went to hotwire the ambulance as everyone else piled in.
"Hey, watch where you're sticking your wings! You nearly put out my eye!"
"Ow! That's my hair you're sitting on, Kenneth."
"Jeez, Mordie, you're cold!"
It took some fussing but at last everyone was in. Seipher got the engine started without much difficulty. "Alright. Here we go."

[Rexaura]

The vehicle rumbled softly. With Seipher and Kari seated up front, everyone else crowded around the fainted reptile in the back, finding the most comfortable spots possible to ease into.

Glitch stood before the back door, with Kenneth and Lani to his sides. He broke the silence. “So, he’s knocked out again.”

“So it seems,” Lani replied back, softly.

“Good! Let’s keep him that way.”

From the other side of the stretcher, a scoff drew the others’ attentions. Wren. “Hah. Got a vendetta?”

“Pah,” Glitch tossed his head. “Vengeance is for children. He’s a nuisance at best. It’s one less troublemaking brat we have to keep an eye on if he’s snoozing the rest of this game away.”

Xell sighed at the hedgehog’s remarks. Snoozing the rest of the game away – that would work well for the rest of the crew, wouldn’t it? But he was a teammate. He was a Trial Runner, fighting to regain his liberty, his entrance to heaven, away from this nightmarish abyss. If he’s knocked out while everyone worked for their freedom, then he wouldn’t really gain his, would he?

Xell tried to argue with the bothered Glitch, but he was quickly shot down. “What would you rather have, demon boy?” Glitch questioned, almost taunting him. “A dead rat, a snoozing rat, or a psychopathic one?” Met with a brief silence. “Someone should leash the bastard in case he—hey, chipmunk.”

Baltimore flinched at his words and turned further away from the scary man. She hunched her shoulders.

“You could muster some leash for his nutcase, can’t you?”

The rumbling came to a soft stop. Seipher turned his head slightly, so his muzzle would be visible to the passengers standing behind him. “…we’re here. I think.”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Raverwar Fire Palace

She wandered about the hallways, her ponytails bobbing up and down with her every step. She glanced left. She glanced right. Met with ivory walls, ivory pedestals, ivory busts of familiar sinister faces, a scarlet rug running down the halls with the smoothness of a still pond.

The girl came to a stop, her pure white hair bouncing in place. Every door down both surrounding walls had been opened.

“Dolly?” she murmured. Her ears twitched, expecting a reply, expecting a giggle, expecting something. But there was none.

“Dolly,” she said again, “you can come out now… I give up.”

She glanced left and right. Still nothing.

Turning around, she shuffled back down the hallway, glancing left and right, left and right, into the open doorways, but not back into the rooms. A straight path down. “All ye, all ye, outs are free…”

She bit her lip, still dragging her beloved mutant behind her.

“That’s the right term for it, isn’t it…? All ye, all ye…”

She stopped.
Right by the corner.
A door remained unopened.

The girl smiled.
Oh, this is definitely the room. How could she have missed it?

She began humming, dragging her beloved mutant along all the way.

She reached for the doorknob. Twisted it. Retracted her hand.
Locked?

“Hey,” she cooed with a playful frown, “Dolly, that’s cheating… you can’t lock doors.” She twisted it again, once, twice more. Some strange noise resounded behind that door, something digital and techno-y and beepy and boopy – but it was of no concern to the child. Not until she found her friend.

“Maybe she’s in a different…”

Uh oh.

“Teddy, do you hear that?”

She whirled her head, her doll eyes reflecting her stuffed monstrosity’s. Yes.

“Is it coming this way?”
Sure is. Maybe we should hide.

“Sounds good, Teddy!”

The two bolted behind a pedestal. When the child realized the abomination was far too large to squeeze in with her, she pushed it behind another pedestal beside her. Smiling at her friend the deformity, she lumped her dress’ frills into her lap, pulled her knees in close to her chest, and held them tightly.

A lanky shadow strolled directly pass her, floating over her pedestal, over her shadow, over the gap, over the next pedestal… and stopped. The child stifled a gasp. The man’s hand came into view—

—and grasped the beast’s leg, pulling his entire body out from the shadows. “Hmm. I don’t remember this being…”

The child leaned forward enough to see the mysterious purple-furred man walk to the closed door. With a key he unlocked it and entered inside. The child inched forward, but quickly jolted back, for another pair of faint footsteps soon began to echo down the other hall. Better stay put.

--

“Hehe. What’s this?”

The room was ostensibly dark, save for a bright blue glow emitting from all angles. Twenty – at least twenty flat-screened monitors encompassed the rooms, some fixed amongst the walls, some protruding outward, some hanging from the ceiling. Each contained different images with different information – facts, uses, properties, design, locations last used… one even featured a pair of long talons. Those of Scar’s, of Xell’s – every monitor deciphered some information about vortexes.

One screen blinked an angry red. Setting the unnatural creature aside, Forrest seated himself and swiveled over to the distressing monitor.

{ERROR, ERROR} it read. {UNAUTHORIZED USE IN SECTION B22.}

“Unauthorized use? How long as this alarm been…?”

Almost gracefully he reached forward and swapped the screen away to reveal a new scene, one much less ear-shattering – but still very much so red. Blood along the floors, the walls, the corpses; a man of disagreeable features standing in the midst of it all, mumbling some unintelligible nonsense to himself as…

The hyena’s eyebrows raised. “Strychnyne? Oh, hehe, I thought he died earlier. A prankster with some dirt up his sleeves…”

Beeping beeping beeping. His eyes flowed to an adjacent screen – the Bard and Troll Inn and its surroundings. The cloaked hybrid walking into a conjured portal and vanishing from sight. A replay screen. Oh, how useful the scry network proved to be.

The footsteps outside grew louder.

With a wide smile, the Dark Lord shook his head and tutted the screen. “Tsk, tsk, sir hybrid. You should know better than to cheat in a game of redemption, hehe.” He rose from his chair. Left behind or not, the necromancer had skipped from the First Circle to the Second Circle – and that was a crime that Forrest refused to leave unpunished.

“And,” a snappy feminine voice froze him from behind, “you just now caught onto this!?”
She was just as unaware of this situation as he was – until just now, of course – but it was his damned job to—

Eyes closed complacently, the hyena chuckled. He loved company. “My, my, dearest Athena. Here to strangle me already?”

“That beep’s been driving me nuts ever since it woke me up, Forrest. I really will strangle you if you don’t do something about it.”

“Ah, dearest.” He tapped his fingers erratically atop the screen, as if typing on some invisible keyboard. The monitor became soundless. His eyes then met with Athena, the femme fennec standing beyond the doorway, her eyes glaring back unforgivingly. “It seems I’ve been… out of the loop. Hehe.”

She shot back. “Yeah, no kidding! Just what have you been up to anyway!?”

Again he brought a fist to his chin in an effort to stifle his inevitable chuckle. “Like a butterfly destined to be preyed upon”—he chuckled—“one should not stick her nose where it doesn’t belong.”

Athena scrunched her eyes in disgust. How dare he use her in one of his disgusting “poetic”…

“I shall take care of the issue at hand, dearest. Is there anything else you wish to inform me of?”

The fennec stepped back and immediately turned away from the hyena, who moved to exit his room. “Pfft. I’m sure you’re not even aware that my brother and that—bitch are still alive.”

A pause. Then Forrest began ambling down the hall, away from where Athena had approached his room. “I suppose I am now. Farewell for now, dearest.”

Athena’s ears twitched. Farewell? That was sudden. What in hell was he…?
Slowly she turned to see Forrest snapping his fingers – and a vortex materialized before him. He stepped inside and vanished promptly, the remnants of his dark portal evaporating along with his figure. The fennec grunted before walking away from the scene.

One minute, two minutes, three minutes, four. Was it safe?

Without hesitation, Laura the child hybrid crept out and darted into the room – her friend Teddy awaited her arrival.

As she ran in, another door just two rooms down cracked open – and a pink bunny’s head popped out. “Laura?” Catching glimpse of her companion charging into a previously blocked off room, Dolly chased after her. “Laura, Laura! I’m over here, I’m over—”

“Dolly,” the other murmured back, stopping Dolly in her tracks. “Look at this…”

Teddy in one hand and a foreign object in the other – “This looks like such a fun toy to play with”—her eyes flashed red—“don’t you think?”

Just above Laura’s head hung one of many monitors, this particular one displaying the current object in her possession. A black gun-shaped weapon with neon blue lights running from the barrel to the scope. Some pieces displayed onscreen were missing from the gun itself, scattered about a small desk Laura had plucked it from. Obviously unfinished.

The rabbit looked away dejectedly, her shoulders sinking as her fingers – both metallic and of flesh – weakly tapped against one another. “I, I don’t know if we should be…”

Laura smiled complacently – too complacently. “It’ll be fun, Dolly. Much more fun than hide and seek…”

[GemaJinn]

OOC: My, it has been a while- rl has been keeping me busy! Well, time to get back into this and see what I can cook up by way of a post- without more ado, on with the RP! ^_^


IC: The Holy Stronghold, earlier in the night:

“What bone did you want to pick with me?” Mistress Canticle asked Julien as they began their game.

“I’ll start with the obvious,” he replied, his tone almost conversational “the world has already succumbed to the rapture. All manner of time, dimensions, logic and moral perception have fallen to my bidding and it won’t be long until everyone and everything has been shackled to the damnation of my ruling.”
He allowed some time for the threatening slurs to leave their sullied impression, before smiling some more. The orange hue from nearby lanterns illuminating his purple form.

“Tell me, what do you hope to achieve by staying boxed up in this arbitrary citadel in the middle of nowhere?” Mistress Canticle's expression remained as impassive and unreadable as ever as she considered Julien's question. Double Dummy Bridge might be the game they were playing, but hers was most definitely a first-class poker face. After a few minutes of silence, as each player considered the cards before them, Mistress Canticle eventually began to answer Julien's question.

"What do I hope to achieve?" she asked, casting her eyes across the cards, before raising them to meet the eyes of the Patriarch. "I am a prisoner Julien; what do all prisoners hope to achieve if not freedom?" Julien seemed to find this answer amusing- or at least, a sinister smirk passed across his features as he heard it.
"And in your quest for freedom you stay placidly in your cosy prison, rather than simply walking out the door to whatever may await beyond?" The question was positively dripping with sarcasm and condescension, both of which Mistress Canticle chose to disregard as she gave her answer.

"There is a difference," she informed Julien, "between placidity and patience. Whilst I may be a prisoner here, I am not your prisoner, nor is my jailer to be found in hell. Though you might not stop me should I choose to leave this place, it is not your approval I seek. Nor am I ignorant of the nature of what would await me beyond the doors of this building. The approval I seek, and with it my freedom, shall come in due time- and perhaps in that same time you shall come to appreciate the nature of your own position". If anything, Julien's insidious smirk grew greater at the last remark.

"Now whatever could you mean by that? I have won; what is there to know beyond that- or do you still hold to some foolish notion of good ultimately triumphing over evil? Or do you cling to some simplistic belief that the eternal war can now go any way other than mine? How touching that would- be if it weren't so tragically misguided!" Julien practically spat the last words at her, the venom in them truly breathtaking. With the same calm that she had maintained throughout their encounter, Misress Canticle again locked eyes with Julien, this time allowing a small, humourless smile to rest upon her lips as she answered.

"There was a time just a little over two milennia ago when you thought the exact same thing Julien," she remarked in tranquil, neutral tones, "and yet look what that so-called victory led to. You are, of course, free to believe that victory is yours this time, but for myself, I am content to wait and see how the truth of that bears out- however long I may have to wait. Know however," she continued as she and Julien each held the other's gaze, "that even should all your assertions prove correct that I would remain here of my own free will. As I mentioned before, I am not your prisoner and I would sooner remain His prisoner for all eternity than become your freedman- I harbour no illusions as to the nature my existence under you would take on; nor do I doubt the duration my existence under you would have".

In the meaningful silence that followed her final remarks, Mistress Canticle played her cards before saying, "I believe it is now your turn".



The Holy Stronghold: Now:

The rumbling came to a soft stop. Seipher turned his head slightly, so his muzzle would be visible to the passengers standing behind him. “…we’re here. I think.” Of the Trial-Runners, those that could do so looked out the windows of their unlikely transport. All around them was a scene of devastation no less thorough than the massacre they had left behind them at The Globe Hotel. Buildings were burning like blazing beacons against an overcast and stormy sky, some were missing huge chunks from them, others appeared to be on the verge of collapse. Roadways and sidewalks alike had been ruptured and buckled almost beyond recognition, burst pipes sent water freely fountaining into the night, mingling with the driving rain that was sweeping down. All around a wind moaned and howled, almost drowning out the similar, distant moans and wails of sirens, and causing the Trial Runners to wonder if the wind was the only thing moaning out there, or if maybe the bomb they had been told they had 48 hours to find hadn't gone off early? Despite the carnage that lay around them as abundantly as ash around the crater of an active volcano though, there was something else which drew their eyes.

The road they had been travelling along seemed to be the only road that had escaped the devastation around them almost completely unscathed- there were a few craters here and there, but otherwise the road was surprisingly intact. And, in the midst of the chaos before them, like the calm at the heart of a storm, there was one building which still stood, unmarred and untouched. This was the building they were headed directly towards. Silhouetted against the sullen, storm-wracked sky, it looked like any one of the many sky-scrapers or multi-floored casinos that could be found throughout Las Vegas, except that it was bereft of any of the gaudy neon signs that dominated much of the city with their lurid, luminescent hues. Moreover something about the building- perhaps some subtle nuance of its appearance, or perhaps something else entirely- gave the impression that this was no building made as a gambler's den or a conclave for revellrey and debauchery; this building had some serious and solemn purpose, a purpose more profound than anything any of its neighbours could match. A purpose which set it apart from its neighbours in a figurative sense as truly as it stood apart from them in a literal sense. More than any of that though, there was a tangible atmosphere about the building, an aura that grew in strength the closer the vehicle came to it. Not the quaint, comforting feeling Kenneth had felt in the church the previous day, but an aura of peace at odds with the strife all about it, the sensation of an active, vital, vigorous, resilient holy presence. It was a sensation completely unexpected- and perhaps unprecedented- in no less a place than the second circle of hell.

As the ambulance came to a halt before the building, the Trial-Runners beheld that, rather than steps, there was a long, gradually-rising path which formed into a smoothly-curved ramp that led up to the front doors. The doors themselves were made of some darkly- coloured material (whether wood or metal it was hard to tell) which looked very stout and solid and which were closed fast against the night. For a moment the Trial-Runners remained inside the ambulance, taking the time to gaze upon the building, as though hardly daring to believe it could be real, and that the angel the Overlord had told them of at the outset of Circle II might truly be somewhere just beyond those doors. Then Kenneth quipped to Xell, "well we're here apparently- what are we waiting for?"
Xell blinked, Kenneth's question bringing his mind back to the present. "Right," he said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly before saying, "I guess now we're here, we should knock at the door".

[VioletWhirlwind]

Serenity's mind: Limbo


The scene that was Serenity's past life was put on pause briefly, and a familiarly sinister green face invaded, floating disembodiedly, grinning unpleasently down at the purple hedgehog.

"Your mind is fascinating, Subject 123. Truely fascinating. You're a real piece of work, all right. And one I'm going to remember." His smile became even more unsettling, if that was possible.

"W-what are you talking about?"

"Oh nothing. You'll see. Let's resume the movie, shall we? We're starting to get to the GOOD part now."

"You're a sicko, Foul..."

A floating hand appeared before his floating head, tossing a piece of popcorn into his mouth, before both hand and face faded away, and the bestilled images resumed.

Serenity's mind: Age 19

Serenity had the worst luck in the world. Just when she thought things were going great - Arogi Faul had been exiled...Serenity was about to be married to her true love...the future was looking brighter than the sun - just when nothing bad could happen...it all fell apart. Her life went to hell. Nobody had seen him coming, everyone was concentrating on making the royal wedding absolutely perfect.

Now, the castle was in smoking ruins, tapestries and plush carpets torn and stained with the blood of the royal guards, peasants and courtesians alike were running in panic. The invasion was full and complete. And at the very heart of it...was...him. He was clad in dull grey metal and chainmail barbarian armor with a dark-red skull emblem on the front, high, dark red boots and matching combat helmet and right-hand glove, a red cape flying behind him in the wind. His left arm was enveloped in a spiked red-and-grey metal gauntlet. A large scar ran down the length of his right arm, and another accross his left eye. Green fur was stained black with royal blood as he held the king's severed head aloft triumphantly, the offending sword stuck in the ground before him - still uncleaned from it's recent use; a formidable mourning star was also strapped to his back. The formerly-exiled capybara, Arogi Faul was back with a vengeance, his smile grim, as he displayed his grisly prize to the shocked townspeople.

Reni stared in horor. She had seen her older brothers captured by mercenaries and escorted into the dungeons, most likely to their doom. She had no idea where her mother and youngest brother were. She hoped they had escaped, but it didn't look good. Mercenaries and barbarians blocked all the exits to the walled town. They would have had no where to go. The situation looked hopeless. Surge was also missing.

Serenity had had no time to grieve for her recently deceased father and missing friends and family. She knew full well why this monster was back...her. She had to run. She didn't know where to go, or if there was any chance of escape, but she had to try. She had wanted nothing to do with Faul when he was a royal guard...and even LESS now that he had become...THAT. She glanced backward once, and ran on.

"There she is! After her! But don't harm her. I want her alive and well. And once you catch her...keep yer hands to yerself. She is MINE, and mine ALONE!"

The purple hedgehog princess gulped and pushed herself to run faster. The tears came as she ran; she couldn't stop them. She hoped Surge had made it out of this fiasco alive. Somehow, she doubted it.

TBC