The gathered heroes, including the full roster of Phantom Thieves, pondered the best way to scale the towering prominence before them. First to interject with a suggestion was the Heavy, whose recent mention of assorted achievements up to and not including an honest-to-goodness PhD made bright ideas far more sensible to expect from him than first impressions might imply. The Dwarf, however, rejected the notion with a matter-of-fact shake of the head, as if he'd like to help but just couldn't. “Sorry lad, yer off by one dwarf. Me mate Gunner's got the zip line. My grapple ain't good for anythin' heavier'n me, and it ain't made to be climbed, either.”

Much how the good Doctor followed his minigun-toting friend into battle, so to did he follow the Heavy into the speculative realm. He put forward a solid notion of using the body of Vah Naboris itself, albeit one fraught with certain assumptions about how the Divine Beast worked. Based on what the rotund engineer Tora had seen so far of the Divine Beast's locomotive processes, he very much doubted that the mechanical creature could rear back to such an extent, or move precisely enough to avoid toppling over as its mighty weight fell upon just two of its legs. The final word for that came from Midna, essentially confirming his misgivings. Not wanting to feel left out, the Nopon quickly chimed in with his two cents on the twilight princess's final suggestion.

“Yeah, if there plenty of flying creatures around, friends could shoot down then eat spirits. Wings for everyone!”

With her arms crossed, Poppi shook her head. “That might not be such good idea.”

Tora placed his wings akimbo, on what manner of hips his egg-shaped body could hypothetically be said to have. “Why not? It work in End when fighting big meanypon dragon.”

“It not necessity there, so only two friends take spirits, and those have awful side effects. Remember how Linkle not bear looking at?” Judging by the look on Tora's face, he remembered keenly. “Besides,” Poppi continued, “We have Peach then to remove spirits. No such luxury here. And it not right to force fusions just because it easy solution. You eager for idea because you just rely on Poppi to fly and not fuse yourself.”

Nodding, Tora couldn't help but agree. “Meh, yes. Tora suppose you have point. But Tora have no idea how tame anything, let alone unknown monsters.” He discarded the idea, but quickly demonstrated there were more where it came from. “What about you, then? Poppi and Sec-Sec could carry everyone up, one at time.”

The Artificial Blade looked over those present. With the Phantom Thieves and the new mercenaries there were quite a few members of Yellow Team -sixteen in all by her count- but Tora's new strategy was possible. She couldn't help but wish the Courier remained with the team to help in such an endeavor, wondering with a touch of worry if the task might be more than she and spindly-armed Sectonia could handle. Catching them was one thing, but ferrying fourteen souls to the top of that gigantic obstruction, even from Vah Naboris...? “Maybe. Poppi worried that it tax ether furnace too much, leave Poppi depleted. That make Poppi unable to fight at best, shut down at worst.”

“Um, excuse me?”

Hearing the warning, Tora quickly changed his tune. “Meh, meh!? Nevermind! Poppi not need carry everyone.”

“Excuse me!”

Alibaba almost flinched at the influx of eyes falling on her, but she cleared her throat and began shakily. “Um. Uh. Joker was...I was just talking with Joker, about what I can do as Futaba's Persona. And I might be able to help.” She held her hand over her heart. “The form I was destined to take...I may not be able to go back, but I can definitely take you to greater heights with it. And it's not like I'm any help like this. Do you think...I should try it?”

Kneeling by Mona, Skull nudged him so as to not get anyone else's attention. “Hey buddy. Ya think you could do that -thing- again? Back when...”

“I was wondering if someone would bring that up, actually,” Mona hissed in a whisper. “But no, I don't think so. Not without some for-real desperation. And it wouldn't be big enough, anyway.” He shrugged, a gesture nigh-invisible beneath his comically oversized head.

Certain cramped memories filled Skull's mind. “Ooh yeah, that tracks. Ah, well.”

After hearing the exchange, Joker spoke up to assuage the others' concerns. “If she takes her Persona form, she'll be an enormous asset, and she would upon finding Futaba anyway. Odd as it might seem, there's actually no downsides.”

Barring any serious objections from anyone speaking up based on vague assumptions and lacking understanding, Alibaba proceeded. She squeezed shut her golden eyes and took a deep breath. “Sakura Futaba. Wherever you are. Know that I am thou, and...”

Panther interrupted her tentatively. “Um, if you're about to do what I think you are, shouldn't we go outside?”

A brief moment later everyone stood in the warmth of the late afternoon sun. Alibaba continued as if nothing had happened, although a little more strident in her tone. “Sakura Futaba, wherever you are! Know that I am thou, and thou art I.” Somehow the sky seemed to be growing a little darker, as if the color of the atmosphere enough were bending in unnameable ways. “You have not died, as you were told. Those cursed words, no more than a seething illusion. Neither illusions nor mysteries will deceive us any longer. Let us reopen the book of forbidden wisdom.” For a fleeting and baffling moment, the onlookers felt singularly sure that the clear, high voices of two girls reached them rather than one, and in absolute unity they cried out. “Persona!”

Alibaba disappeared in a wave of light and darkness. The dazzling, contradictory mass of leering colors and frothing energies began to spin, and from within the coalescing gyre came the lustrous gleam of metal. A moment more and the whole affair burst apart like flaring pixels, revealing a whirring craft of futuristic design. “I am Necronomicon, the tome of dark secrets never meant for mankind's understanding, and I will navigate you through unknown planes,” declared the girl's voice, now digitized. A moment passed before the static sound of a cleared throat sounded out from the ship. “...But if you like, you can still call me Alibaba.”

Tora noted the size of the craft and nodded sagely, as if he had even a single clue about what just happened, which Poppi -herself rather stupefied- doubted to the extreme. As per usual, he ignored everything he didn't understand. “Awesome, meh! Now it should be easy to fly everyone to top of wall!” He glanced around, ready to get going. “Unless...Foxypon have better idea? Or people want to grab animal spirits, or explore?”

Wondering why Tora happened to be thinking about the available spirits so much, since none appeared to be to his particular tastes -or so she very much hoped- Poppi added, “Even with three carriers, back-and-forth take a while. There little time for looking around nearby ruins, probably.”

“Maybe there's treasure! Ooh, shiny gold and sparkly gems in hidden ruin vaults!” Tora sang. A rumbling cut through his opulent visions “Meeeh...or maybe spirits better after all. Tora not eat all day, poor stomach all rumbly-tumbly.” He glanced around furtively, wondering if anyone had packed food. The few pitiful rations he brought himself all somehow disappeared shortly after gaining the Divine Beast.



Ranger blinked as she heard Sakura's question, realizing something the next moment. “Oh, sorry, I never introduced myself. My name's Ranger. Although, I guess that does sound like a title, or a job. But it's really my name. I'm a teacher, which is good since, uh, as you probably saw, I'm not very strong.” She chuckled, holding up her hands. “But, I'm supposed to be retrofitted pretty soon, actually! New look, stronger gear. Maybe if they think I did a good job today they'll fast-track me.” She looked down with visible concern at her new metal parts, and tugged on one as if to pull the black iron from her body, to no avail. “...Hopefully this stuff doesn't get in the way. I really hope it comes off.”

Fully anticipating being left behind or even fired upon, Seaplane Tender listened with a grave expression as Kamek began to speak. As the seconds ticked by, however, her colorless face quickly turned to sympathy, even pity. Like him, she couldn't say for sure what her past had been or what exactly changed to bring her to where she stood now. Out of all the myriad explanations known and unknown she could only imagine that she had never had a heart until the very moment Sakura gave her one. But she did realize that Sakura had given her a second chance, a new life, and to spurn it would be to do her savior an irremediable disservice.

As Kamek listed ways she could help she wanted to leap forward and grab them, babbling out promise after promise, but she kept her composure in check when faced with the sight of a former ally. That monstrous thing, without intelligence or reasoning, only the bare instincts needed to operate its weapons in an endless quest for slaughter. She struggled to picture it as anything else, but then again, hadn't she been in the same shoes moments ago, in spirit if not exact mentality? More easily she could picture her sisters, grim cold faces of ivory shrouded in black armor. If they could experience the freedom she did now, the Water Princess thought, then surely they should.

But her duty to those she had made to suffer came first. As Kamek finished, she bowed her head. “I understand, monsieur. I will help you however I can. There is much I can say about the Bottomless Sea and the Abyssal Fleet, though not as much as some of my sisters. If you and your friends would have me, I am yours.”

On board the Atomos, Sakura seemed to have reached a good condition, and quickly spread her good spirits around. She mentioned a meal, and allies not currently present. They meant to reunite, no doubt, and at the city Seaplane Tender antagonized for so long, its absolute and unconditional obliteration her sole purpose. Now Limsa Lominscuttle Town was much more than an objective. She wanted nothing more than to see all she'd been missing there, and go there with the heroes, but would they accept her? Would the people of Lima accept her?

Or would they tear her limb from limb?

After waiting for a break in the onboard conversation, she scooted up to the low-flying Atomos. “Um, um! Je vous demande pardon?” The Water Princess bonked her knees into the lip of the entryway and fell forward on her face, her hat rolling sideways. “Uf!” The ever-so-slight reddening of her pale features made clear her embarrassment as she struggled to get up, only to nearly stumble again. She stood on painfully wobbly legs, as if she'd never once set foot on a solid surface in all her days. Only the support of her tail, hanging over the edge into the water, kept her standing as she began to speak. “I am sorry to intrude! I just wanted to say, please let me come with you. I want to make up for...my evildoing. I can give you information or fight at your side. But...if Limsa people see me, things will probably, erm, not go well.”

Her eyes lay on Ranger as she said this, prompting the shipgirl to realize something too. “Aw, nuts. They might not recognize me and shoot me too! Oh man, by my own friends...too horrible to think about.” She tugged on the white halfmask with renewed vigor, trying to pull it off, but quickly found it about as painful as trying to pull off a fingernail. The Water Princess, meanwhile, hesitated as she waited for someone's approval, whether to help in some way or just fully come inside so that the Atomos could pull away from the brine.


Gains: Assorted Fading Abyssal Fleet spirits, Abyssal Fleet captives, freed Ranger, freed Water Princess, Abyssal tactical insight



With Sephiroth's inquiries not really being her business, and Blazermate's initial response bearing the distinct overtones of launching into a longwinded explanation, Nadia took what might be her only chance to scram. She dashed around like greased lightning, sprinting past Alcamoth natives and off-duty mercenaries alike, in search of any kind of food that might sustain her antics for a while longer. In the Dead Zone determining the time of day managed to be a near-impossibility thanks for the ever-present oppressively dark cloud cover, so popping into a region with an actual sun shining not only made for a much-needed change of pace but also informed her that the day was well into the afternoon. All work and no lunch made for a crabby kitty, so as she rushed around she kept her eyes peeled for anywhere she might grab a decent bite to eat.

After reaching the second floor she spotted a restaurant immediately, only to balk at the name. “Sushi Strikers!? Bleh!” Without so much as a paws the sporty cat continued, leaping straight over a startled Ness whose innocent eyes an appalled Val was quick to cover. In just a few short moments she plopped into a seat at promising ramen shop. The place was packed and noisy, its patrons making no bones about enjoying themselves as they talked and ate, but the lady behind the counter clearly knew her stuff. Nadia read the menu like it was a set of terms and conditions. “One sea salt ramen, please!” she called after a moment, and with a nod the cook got to work. Nadia watched, transfixed, as her host's arms extended and whipped around, gathering and preparing ingredients like lightning. Practically before she knew it a hot bowl lay before her. “Holy meowly! Thanks, miss!” One frantic session of slurping later the cat burglar was ready to roll out. “Whew, that was great! I'll, uh, pay you later! Promise!” Leaving Min Min little choice in the matter, Nadia took off again, with just the rattle of her chopsticks against her bowl to mark her passage.

She found the others about where she left them, sliding to a stop just as Bowser started going over the planned route. For her part, Nadia planned to leave the details to him and follow wherever he trudged for the time being. After nodding when he asked if she wanted to tag along, she realized he wanted to head out immediately and raised her brows. “Wha-! Nyow? I barely got a chance to eat, and I doubt you guys did! Besides, I'm still caked with, like...bone dust and monster ash.” A note of displeasure entered her voice as she drew a finger across her belly, leaving a visible line in material clinging to her. She sighed. “I guess I could jump in the water when we get there.”

They headed off, with Bowser wasting little time when it came to making conversation. Nadia shrugged. “Well, teeeechnically I'm a feral buuuuut who am I kitten, catgirl works fine. As for the rest of me, that's the Life Gem for ya, baby! With its power runnin' though my veins, this kitty's never gonna die.” She crossed her arms, smiling. “Just as well too, 'cause I'm pretty sure that 'nine lives' stuff's a loada crap.” After a moment of quiet she busied herself studying her allies properly, noting their various quirks. A shield robot with underwears, a pretty yet menacing swordsman, and an aquatic-dragon-turtle...thing that honestly defied description. Her non-participation in Blazermate's little seminar stemmed partially from her basic familiarity with spirits already, and she guessed this group had partaken more than most. “So, this is whatcha get when you're cruisin' for a fusin', huh? Wouldn't mind a little mix-up myself, long as I get something out of it. That said, I don't think I wanna end up with tentacles.” She tugged at her crop top to get some bothersome particles out. “Can't see that goin' anywhere good.”

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Brilliant sunshine and a warm breeze greeted Nadia as she exited the mystical Warp Graffiti into the seastack city of Limsa Lominscuttle Town. She stretched luxuriantly and took a deep, indulgent breath, savoring the salty, fishy smell that so reminded her of home. “Ahhhh, that's nice. If I never see that stinking dump again, it'll still be too soon. And finally, somewhere I'm dressed right for!” She trotted over to the railing of the Aetheryte Plaza, looking down into the sea, and clambered right on top of it. “Last one in's a rotten fish head! Wooooo!” She laughed as she dove, vanishing into the ocean blue with the smallest of splashes. For a moment there appeared no trace of her, until a bunch of assorted body parts floated to the surface. An onlooker yelled as she fell over in fear and surprise, and another honked in alarm, springing from the railing where it had been watching and sprinting away as fast as its sneakers could carry it.

Nadia quickly pulled herself together before a crowd could form. “Aw, come on! It's can't have been ten seconds and there's already a scene.” She swam for the nearest dock and climbed up with the help of a fisherman. There didn't appear to be an immediate route back up to the others. “Rats. Guess I shoulda looked before I leaped.” She thanked the fisherman, then leaped back over the water. Jets of blood shot from her ankles and wrists, sending her upward in a visceral corkscrew that sent her high enough to lasso the railing with her own muscle fiber. From there a quick clamber brought her back to her friends, as well as a few horrified spectators. “What'd I miss?” Her fibers sucked back in with a shlorp. “...Cat got your tongue?”



Though cold held no sway over the Skullgirl, another uncomfortable, choking grasp had stolen over here, but this one her conviction could stamp down. With a Herculean effort the girl came to terms with herself as best she could, all things considered, and heaved herself to her feet. Her body needed no warmth, but purpose blazed brightly in her mind. Death itself loomed behind her, its growing shadow weighing down upon her back, but her duty lay before her. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same. Her compass dangled from her neck as she strode to the crystal-capped waypoint nearby, shifting softly as she clambered over the encroaching ice, and looked out over the land in which she found herself.



The Skullgirl saw a landscape of snow and stone, its rocky outcroppings and occasional autumnal trees pockmarking a blanket of perennial snow stretching as far as the eye could see from northeast to south. The position of the sun above placed her facing northeast, meaning that the mountain itself blocked potential vistas of southerly or westerly regions, but to the north she could see the dark, broodily restless surface of a frigid ocean beyond a beauteous coast. Rivers she could see winding across the area, into and out of various pools and ponds, sported icy platforms atop briskly running water, being for the most part unfrozen themselves.

For all the viciousness of its biting windchill, the land appeared to be far from lifeless. From her overlook the Skullgirl could get a good look at wooly rhinos, giant deer, a pack of dire wolves, and friendly-looking rodents. A distant crashing drove her gaze to ice fields a ways off, and there her crimson gaze found the outline of an even greater beast. In the same instant, however, she could see a plume of spoke...several, even. They led down to solid chimneys atop man-made structures in what could only be a village, sparkling with a warm glow.

Sakura figured Geralt didn't know what rice was. He looked like a European knight, not a samurai. They didn't have rice over there as far as she knew. He also mentioned his difficulty keeping up with modern technology. Sakura wiped the last of the tears from her eyes and face. The healing, plus her ki, meant she was feeling pretty good already.

"Yeah, I bet it's tough for you! Like the Atomos and these harnesses- they're something out of science fiction! But y'know, I see them, and I can just kind of understand how they work because I've seen them in movies and TV shows. Like, those screens you saw at the bar? They're all over the place where I'm from. But, I don't really understand how they work at all. So all this fancy shmancy tech is just kind of like that for me." Sakura explained, trying to ease Mister Geralt's worries about not understanding tech.

"Also- are you telling me you sang karaoke? That was invented in Japan! I've done it a million times! Aw, man I wish I could have been there to see you and Isabelle do it." She laughed at the totally absurd image conjured in her mind.

"But hey- I bet you know way more about magic than I do! And plus, monsters aren't real where I'm from! So you must know a TON about them considering it's your job to kill them! Which sounds super awesome by the way." Sakura listened intently to the rest of his story. He mentioned several things Sakura didn't know anything about, but she got the gist of what he was saying.

"You're a wayward warrior, just like my master-" she interrupted herself, glumly adding, "-sorry, my friend-" before picking back up with her usual enthusiasm, "Ryu! He travels the world looking for good fights and helping people. And he sort-of lives in a castle, too! I bet sometimes he gets paid in candies, too," She giggled.

At Geralt's question about specialties, she put a finger to her chin. "Hmm! There's SO much delicious food where I come from. Ice cream, hot dogs, pizza, hamburgers, tacos, burritos, curry, french bread. For Japan there's orange chicken, tempura...tofu? I love food. I know a lot about it. I'm a competitive eater, you know!" She bragged, crossing her arms. Sakura gasped, coming to a realisation. "And a cook! I could make you some sushi myself, if you wanted! I know the secret Kasugano family recipe!" Sakura clenched her fists, very excited by this prospect.

She looked over to Ranger, who properly introduced herself. "Ranger! Yoroshiku onegai shimasu! Pleased to meet you!" She took Ranger's hand and shook it vigorously. After that she briefly rose to bow politely before grunting and falling back into her chair.

"Owie. You're a teacher, huh? That's so cool! I want to be a teacher when I grow up! I mean, uh, when I get older. I mean, when I graduate college. I'm an adult now. Not a kid- I dunno why I said when I grow up because I'm an adult. I turned 18 three months ago so- anyway, hey!" Sakura re-directed the conversation away from her needing to explain that she definitely wasn't a kid anymore. She also figured there was something more important, and that was the guest that had just arrived onboard the ship. Sakura smiled brightly. She felt like she understood the Water Princess quite well, having fought her hand to hand.

"Hey! Good to see you-" She put a hand up to her mouth to surpress a giggle as the Water Princess fell over. Sakura's own face reddened, feeling a little ashamed for laughing at her new friend's misfortune. It's not like she could help it. Sakura stood up, ignoring her injures, and skipped over to the Water Princesses' fallen hat. She scooped it up and extended it out to the Abyssal ship girl.

"Of course! We'd love to have you onboard!" She turned over her shoulder, smiling and nodding for Blue team's approval. She turned around, taking the Water Princess' hand to steady her. Physically and emotionally. "And again, it's not your evildoing. It's Galeem. Remember? I know I was talking to Ranger but I was also talking to you. I just, y'know, that was kind of a crazy moment. Sorry, I'm not really good at, uh, saying important things." She smiled sheepishly.

"Here, here, take a seat, take a seat. Let me help you! You can sit next to me, Miss Tender!" Sakura began to drag the Water Princess onboard. Sakura would take the woman's full weight, if need be. With the Kamek clone healing her, the pain was only temporary. She would be insistent in this regard, blowing off any potential concern. When the Water Princess was seated, she sat down right next to her.

Coughing a few times, she glanced over to Ranger who was voicing some pretty serious concerns. Fortunately, Sakura had the answers.

"Don't worry, Miss Ranger! I know this awesome biker lady called Princess Peach! She has the ability to remove spirits from people. If we can just meet up with her on the Atomos, she can take that Abyssal stuff off you. Then your friends won't get you confused." Sakura explained cheerfully. Not many things better than being the bearer of good news.

After all this talking and moving, the teenager inhaled, sitting back in her chair. Listening to everyone else talk, she went to her hands and untied the fighting gloves. Clenching her fingers she tied them together at her hips. Their bright red color contrasted with her newly blued up sailor fuku. Buckling her seat belt across her lap she leaned back and waited to be flown back to Limsa town.

As the crew returned to Smash City Alcamoth, Donnie looked over at the huge glass windows that encased the...atrium? Observation deck? Whatever the technical term was, he knew of the immense destructive powers that highly-concentrated magic could achieve. He was all-too familiar with the infamous “mana bombs” that the Horde reserved for the most deadly of exchanges--especially when he failed to stop the famous port of Theramore from being completely obliterated by one dropped at the behest of the corrupt Horde Warchief, Garrosh Hellscream.

To many denizens of more “modern” or “advanced” worlds, the mana bomb met the definition of a weapon of mass destruction. Not only would anything within several miles of the bomb be completely annihilated by the explosive mana burn the bomb created, the most powerful one used (admittedly powered by an artifact stolen from the Blue Dragonflight, who literally oversaw magic itself) could temporarily open holes in the fabric of reality and mutate the physical structure of those poor souls who weren’t killed instantly.

Needless to say, if the weapon that was carried into the Dead Zone (and apparently due to go off rather soon) was anything like a mana bomb, the explosion would quite literally be noticed from anywhere in the known World of Light. Those fancy glass windows could very well shatter no matter what they were made of. Eardrums would burst. People miles away could suffer from internal bleeding.

Of course, he had no idea what the size of the explosion would be. For all he knew, it might be small enough to not have collateral damage beyond the region, but he couldn’t be sure.

“Blazermate? Tora?” he asked, nervously. “Refresh my memory. Do we know the explosive yield of the bomb in the Dead Zone? Because I’ve seen explosions like that before and the collateral damage can go much farther than expected.”

[@ArchmageMC] @Lugubrious

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Sephiroth found his interest piqued somewhat as the dragon-turtle explained how they'd get to their destination, for despite the many methods and means he'd use to travel from place to place back on Gaia, the SOLDIER had never had the leisure of using an actual painting to jump between locations. Then again he supposed his world was quite structured in comparison to whatever hellish hodgepodge of randomness the beast standing before him hailed from. It was certainly more ordered than the one in which they currently stood at any rate. Not really caring if the machine gave him a response—as it was more of a rhetorical jab at her remark anyway—Sephiroth watched with mild disinterest as the human-feline hybrid that had been called over earlier abruptly ran off before returning several minutes later, complaining that she'd had barely enough time to eat when she realized the speed at which the dragon wished to depart, brining up the fact that they'd not eaten yet either. The creature's borderline obsession with food almost brought a scoff to his lips, when something he'd not felt in a very long time suddenly rose up to torment him...

The pang of hunger, and the disturbing bubbling of acids that so often accompanied it.

A feeling he thought Shinra had all but removed years ago. Was this, then, just another sign of his newfound weakness? In all his time as a SOLDIER, he'd never really felt the need to eat, merely deigned to on occasion when the mood suited him. So to have this happen now of all times meant something was incredibly wrong with his body. Whatever Galeem had done to him following his assault on Gaia, it was something Sephiroth knew he needed to amend, and fast. Luckily for him the group he now found himself a part of seemed to be heading to a few new locales, and if the machine's information on spirits held true, that could very well mean a whole slew of new powers. The thought of having to rely on such paltry means instead of his own might, or what little remained of it, was sickening of course...

But what other choice do I really have?

Sephiroth felt the slightest traces of a scowl slowly settle their way onto his face as he trailed along after the others, pausing for but a moment to gaze up at the sun as it blazed through one of the many windows embedded in the wall nearby.

"When you've taken all of my options from me..."

@Archmage MC, @Dawnrider, @DracoLunaris, @Lugubrious

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Linkle was surprised. Maybe it was just her circumstances, but what she had expected was a frost-blasted wasteland. Ice, rocks, maybe a few scattered piles of bone. Instead there were trees and animals and rivers babbling along through the snowy landscape. Frozen, and yet alive nonetheless. There was something comforting in that.

Her eyes were drawn to the sounds made by a gargantuan beast stomping around the distant ice field and the warm columns of smoke that signaled a village farther off behind it. That was even better! A village meant people. People meant information. They could tell her where she was, point her in the directions she needed to go. Maybe they even had a way to get in contact with Alcamoth. Of course, she would have to get past the big monster. If that thing was at all aggressive there was no way she could cross the ice field without it seeing her. She had dealt with big monsters before, though, and that one didn't seem as big as King Dodongo anyway.

"Yosh." she said, pointing out across the icy plains toward the village. He first stop should definitely be there. She turned around and headed back off the cliff, to find a way down this mountain.

She found a steep, snow laden path that lead down onto the tundra and inadvertently slid down half of it in a way she would have found thrilling under better circumstances. Standing and brushing herself off she wondered if she could still catch cold from doing things like that. Her grandma had always been worried sick about her catching her death simply from staying out too late on a cold night. Sure, she didn't mind the cold but did that mean she couldn't freeze out here?

Walking the rest of the way down she pulled her hood down as far as she could and made sure to wrap herself in her cloak, just in case, before making her way across the tundra in the direction she was sure she had seen those smoke trails. She crunched across the snow and the dead leaves that had fallen from the trees around here until she reached one of the many icy streams and wandered alongside it for a bit until she came upon one of those cute mouse like animals crouching on the rocky bank to drink. It suddenly perked up and looked her way as she approached and she stopped short in front of it. The thing was much bigger than it had looked from way up high, coming up almost to her shoulders, and looked tensed up to run as it stared her down.

She put up her hands appeasingly. "Whoa, it's okay. Um, are you a people?" She figured she may as well ask. This thing was about as cute as Tora, for all she knew this was the local population. In answer the thing tilted its head and let out a series of short, quick "ooks." That seemed like a no. "Are you a pokemon?" She asked, reaching slowly to her pouch. The thing made the noise again, eyes wide, and quickly dashed away down the riverbank. "Wait, does that mean you are?" She said, starting after it before she heard the real reason that the creature had run off. A distant howl resounded across the tundra.

You would think that the first thing that would come to Linkle's mind, hearing this, was the Legend of the Twilight Princess and the hero transformed by magic into a noble wolf. This wasn't the case. The howl blew past the heroic dreamer in her and spoke directly to the farmgirl portion of her psyche. She spun around, sweeping the area, and spotted them. Not wolfos, but they elicited the same scowl. A group of wolves ran across the snow toward her, evidently thinking her to be easier prey than the large horned animals she had seen from the cliff. Four of them, wooly coated and BIG. Like the rodent they much bigger than she had anticipated, each at least the size of a small horse with the lead wolf slightly bigger than that.

There was no way to outrun them. She glanced back at the stream behind her momentarily. It looked like she could ford it, and if she could so could they. Nothing to do but draw her crossbows and fight. "Imani!" The sniper appeared in her cloud of smoke and Linkle breathed a sigh of relief. She was so glad the woman wasn't a skeleton. "The big one."

Imani was already lining up her shot, her instincts telling her exactly which target was the most important. With a cool exhale she let loose her bolt. It crossed the distance between the groups in an instant, burying itself in the eye of the lead wolf and punching through directly into the brain. The creature died mid run, its legs falling under it as flipped forward onto its head and settled in a heap on its back. They had both hoped the the death of their leader would drive the rest to abandon their attack, but there was no such luck. The rest of the pack pressed onward, one leaping the body of the fallen to press the attack.

Imani lowered her bow. "Damn. All you, love." She said as she dissolved into smoke. Linkle stepped forward into the space she had left. The lead two wolves were speeding up, running together, probably indenting to split up and surround her once they got close while the one behind them attacked directly. As they came into range she threw out her bows and unleased a pair of bomb arrows right between them. One wolf was slightly more keen than the other one and broke of early with only a singed coat for its trouble as it circled around to her left. It's slightly slower partner, however, caught the resulting explosion with its entire side. The wolf tumbled over, its left size significantly charred but still alive.

The last wolf ran around the fallen and stuck to the plan, leaping at Linkle with a snarl. Linkle ran literally toward the jaws of danger, dropping at the last second and sliding like a baseball star underneath the beast. She stopped her skid, rose, and spun to face both wolves in one smooth motion just as the one that attacked her landed. Right there, in the moment it was slightly off balance from landing, Linkle spotted her opportunity. She shot forward with an electric kick right at the back of the creatures knee, breaking its balance and guard completely. She ran forward, kicked off the wolf, and launched two more bombs that engulfed it and launched it into the river where it dissolved.

As she landed she looked at the last one that hesitantly pawed around trying to find an angle of attack. Behind her she could hear its partner whimpering as it tried to drag itself off the ground. In any other scenario they would have probably stopped fighting, but the red in their eyes drove them far past the point where they would normally break. Finding weakness, another predator pounced.

Battles to the death are just par for the course in this world. You don't have to feel bad.

"You're not going to make me feel guilty for this!"

I'm not making you feel anything.

"Shut up."

The wolf charged forward and Linkle placed her hands on the ground. Long shoots of ice exploded from under the animal, catching it one after the other and lifting it into the air. It was pierced over and over as it was carried away from her, until Linkle lifted her hands up and the wolf was dropped in a bloody heap on the back. It began to dissolves almost immediately. She turned around to check the last wolf, but all that was left was a spirit floating in a pile of soot.

Magnificent. You see how simple things can be when you surrender to your nature? Why worry about them?

"I don't." She replied a little to quickly, walking down to collect the spirit of burnt wolf.

Is it because you know you could have let the last one go? Is it because chose not to?

"It was a monster. It attacked me as soon as it saw me. If I let it go it would have eaten a goat, or somebodies pet, or a kid." She replied, taking the spirit left behind by the spiked wolf.

Then why feel bad about it? After all, it wasn't worth saving.

"Because it had had no choice but to keep fighting." She replied, searching the bank for the wolf she had thrown into the stream. "Because it wasn't fair or natural. Even though she had done the same thing a hundred times before Galeem always had to throw a wrench into something...

Simple?

Linkle stopped.

Galeem did nothing. You complicated things. You think to much. Though if you really feel so terrible, you could correct this tragedy. You could bring it back. This entire foolish pack could ride again, at your command.

Linkle looked down at the collection of spirits in her hand, and scoffed. "That's what you're doing? Trying to guilt me into using you again?"

Just making you aware of your options.

Linkle got the uncomfortable feeling that someone was giving her a patronizing smile, so tried to ignore it as she approached the furry form lying a ways off in the snow and focus on a new mystery. The lead wolf was still lying here, tough the bolt Imani had used to slay it had vanished with the striker. What was this body still doing here? After a few exploratory prods with her foot she watched the thing dissolve like the others. Shrugging, she collected the last spirit deposited all four in one of her bottles. She didn't want to end up like she was in the End again if Peach wasn't around to fix it, and she had no clue what things this big would turn into once she crushed them. They would keep for a while in the bottle, in case she needed them.

---

The latter leg of her journey was uneventful. Linkle did her best to ignore the hollow feeling in her chest and the occasional interjections of the Skull Heart. Instead she focused on more pleasant things. The feeling of the ground under her feet. The taste on the salty breeze. The low, pleasant rumble of the ocean. She had hit the beach after following the river for a while, and the surprise had almost delighted her. She had never been to a beach before, and the dour look of the water did little to dispel the wonder she experienced on seeing the open ocean for the first time. She'd wondered what the ones that had gone to the Blue must be doing right now. They were probably having a lot of fun, if he stories she had heard about beaches were of any indication. Sun, surf, pirates and buried treasure, otters that ran carnival games. The Blue probably had it all.

She had been walking for a little while when suddenly a thought occurred to her. She looked suddenly out over the black water. "Wait a minute." She started, putting her hand on her chin. "If the ocean is over here, then..." Her eyes went wide, and she slammed her fist down into her palm. "They're probably a fishing village! I'll bet they can run a boat to the Blue!"

It was just her luck, too, because she could already see a landmark poking its way up over the trees. It was some kind of tower, one that must have been enormous given the general size of the trees dotting the coastline, and a ways to the side of it a light shot high into the sky. It was funny, she hadn't seen anything like that on the way to the village but maybe it had been hidden by some kind of snow mirage. Linkle redoubled her efforts, headed right for it.

The vibe aboard the Naboris stayed lively as the great machine trudged ahead through the desert sands. With so many people around, especially the colorful crew they'd picked up, it wasn't all the surprising that the general mood remained upbeat. There were outliers of course. Some ruminated on things they could have done better, others pondered what the chances were that their new medical professional would do something unscrupulous. Primrose herself retreated from the large group. She'd thanked Midna and even reported in to the doctor, so there was nothing else she thought she needed to do besides keep an eye on those still under Galeem's control. Some of those mercenaries approached her, eager to get to know everyone, but Primrose brushed them off. She found a shady spot within earshot and sighed, sitting down with her back against Naboris' warm ceramic.

As she stared out over the desert, Primrose thought about everything. The past, the future. How time was illusion in this world. How the world itself might be an illusion too. The dancer was introspective, but she tried not to dwell on these thoughts for too long. When she recalled the scenes from inside the pyramid, her brain brought up images of Yusufa. That poor, kind girl who called Primrose her friend. She remembered vividly how sharp the contrast was of Yusufa's blood running red over her bright blue clothes. How, afterward, when the blood had soaked into the sand and dyed Primrose's outfit an even darker shade, the dancer thought she could easily tell the difference between Yusufa's blood and Helgenish's on her skin. Mostly though, Primrose remembered the expression on Yusufa's face. Like she'd thought during the confrontation with Alibaba, it was a face Primrose would give near anything to see again. A wide, loving smile and bright eyes, even as she lay dying. How happy Yusufa was to know she had a friend.

"..."

At some point Primrose had drawn the girl's handkerchief from her bag, gently rubbing it between her thumb and fingers. It was this picture of a content Yusufa that Primrose focused on as her mind climbed it's way out of the pit of memories it'd wandered into. She had a vague sensation that there was someone nearby, but Primrose didn't acknowledge them, keeping her eyes fixed on the broken landscape outside the Naboris. Only when the presence spoke did the dancer look at them.

"That's a beautiful fabric," a soft feminine voice said. The girl attached to it had a cute face under her hood.

"Yes it is," Primrose replied. She tucked the keepsake back into the safety of her bag, and Blue Poison looked a little disappointed when she did. The operator had enough tact not to mention it, so she shifted topic slightly.

"I caught a glimpse of your outfit. It's very nice, did you make it yourself?"

"No," she said, resting her face on the palm of her hand, elbow balancing against her knee. "It's a basic dancer's garment from my world."

"Oh, dancing? That sounds lovely." Blue Poison smiled and Primrose gave her a shallow smile back. Is this the start of a fan following? Panther and this girl... As far as fans went, it could be much worse. "I'm sure you'll see a demonstration soon enough."

The shade they were in stretched out then, as Naboris approached the wall. The barrier stretched so high up that part of blocked the sun when the camel was directly beside it. The chatter of the people grew louder, and the girls shared a look. They surmised that it was time to discuss the group's options, and so they went to rejoin everyone. Primrose actually stifled a chuckle when Poppi started listing off the creatures she'd seen, giving them strange and silly names. After the blade concluded her report, people began suggesting ways to get over the wall. One suggested throwing people across gaps in the bridge. While Primrose wasn't exactly keen on that idea, she thought that it was actually possible for some of them. Although she wasn't about to volunteer. Another suggested that Naboris rear up and get them all the closer to the top, and while a worthwhile idea, Midna proved that plan wasn't feasible. Another suggestion was to fuse with spirits to try and gain the power of flight, while yet another was to have Sectonia and Poppi carry everyone up one by one. That last idea was probably the safest, but it would be tiring and time consuming as well.

One more voice rose above the crowd, and Primrose's brows furrowed at her suggestion. Still, Primrose understood that she didn't really have a grasp on what Alibaba was exactly, so she didn't speak up to reject the girl's offer to take another form. As it turned out, that other form was a large rounded craft. I... was not expecting that.

Everyone was in various states of amazement, though Tora moved on quickly and brought up looking into the ruins around while they ferried everyone up the barrier. Personally, Primrose cared little for going out of her way to explore - her earlier jaunt in the pyramid only to check on the kids. She would be one of the first to volunteer to be lifted up to the top of the wall, but while they were on the topic...

"Here," Primrose produced the two remaining spirits she'd picked up while inside the pharaoh's tomb, the arcmine and redead peering eerily out from inside. She showed them to those gathered. "Since we are talking about it, these two are available."

Although I don't know how useful they'd be... They didn't seem to have wings, and besides that they were grotesque monsters. However, should anyone want to take one, Primrose let them have it. In the case that no one was interested, the dancer figured they would be best used as equipment, so she'd tuck them away and crush them once reaching the top of the wall.

While some deliberated about going down into the ruins and hunt for monsters or treasures, Primrose approached the transformed Alibaba. She could still speak, though her voice sounded strange, which Primrose took to mean she was still herself. Or, maybe this was her "true" self. Diligently Primrose waited to be taken to the top, but she spoke with girl-turned-spaceship as she did.

"Alibaba, is this... alright?" the dancer asked, hesitant. "Are you stuck like this until we find your other half?"

”UGH. YEAH NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT“ Bowser said, looking down at his formerly white suit and trousers. Formally being the key word, as they had been stained by ash and soot and where most certainly not the pristine white they once had been. He briefly pulled the jacket off and tried to shake off the worst of the dust, shook his trouser legs to do the same and then buffeted the hat. It didn’t improve things too much.

”I CAN GET PEACH’S TOADS TO LOOK AT THEM LATER. RIGHT NOW YOU’RE RIGHT, I AM STARVING. HAVEN’T EATEN SINCE WE LEFT AND IT’S GETTING TO BE TIME FOR DINNER. WE CAN PROBABLY GET SOMETHING WITH THE BLUE TEAM IN THIS LIME SCUTTLE TOWN OR WHATEVER IT WAS CALLED. SEAFOOD SOUNDS GOOD RIGHT ABOUT NOW. YOU LOT LIKE SEAFOOD?“ Bowser asked, his thoughts wandering to thoughts of fish, lobsters, oysters and all the other meats of the sea for a bit before listening to Fortune’s explanation of what she was. Most of it made sense, though he wasn't sure why anyone would ever settle for only nine extra lives.

”YEAH NOT REALLY YOUR STYLE HUH. YOU’D END UP A CATFISH. OR SQUID. THERE USEFUL THOUGH. PROBABLY GONNA BE HANDY IF WE STICK AROUND THE BLUE“ Bowser said when she started talking about spirits ”YOU SHOULD TRY IT, FEELS GREAT AND WITH PEACH AROUND IT’LL BE SAFER TO EXPERIMENT, COZ SHE CAN PULL THEM OUT AGAIN IF THEY DON’T END UP SUITING YOU“

After a quick stop over in Peach’s castle and being yelled at by toads who’d need to clean up after them the team arrived in Limsa Lominscuttle Town. After the oppressive and gloomy Deadzone it was a breath of fresh air. Literally. The king drank deeply of the sea air and stretched while Miss fortune clambered up onto the railing. Then she jumped. He was a little surprised, but assumed she knew what she was doing right up until some bystanders started freaking out. He stomped over to the railing just in time to see her pulling herself together. He cringed at the sight and then stumbled back when she blasted herself back up to the catwalk they were on jets of blood which made him gag a little.

”KINDA RUINED MY APPETITE“ Bowser complained after she asked them if a cat had their tongues, only for his stomach to loudly rumble and prove him wrong ”OR NOT. LET’S GO FIND THE OTHERS“

---

As it turned out, they weren't actually going to have to take any risks, because they apparently had a giant floating disk in the form of the Thieves' latest member, Alibaba.

”That. Alright. You lot really are full of surprises aren't you” Midna said, after recovering from witnessing the sight of watching the mousy Alibaba transforming herself into what looked like an upside down sake bowl. Or a saucer. Yes, Mida thought to herself, it was like a flying saucer. While Midna was trying to work out how to contextualize what she was looking at, and how they were supposed to get inside, Primrose expressed concern that she might not be able to turn back. After thinking about it, Midna herself had the exact opposite question.

”If you can turn back, will there be a point at which we have to due to fatigue or anything else? Because it would be useful to have more transport than just Mona once we get up there” she asked, hoping this might remove or at least reduce the problem Primrose had foreseen. Unfortunately the fact that she wouldn’t be shipping everyone up at once meant she almost certainly wasn't a replacement, but maybe she could help. The back and forth also meant some of them had time to kill down at the bottom of the cliff. Seeing as Midna could go at any time and not take a seat by shadow lurking, this meant she could take all the time they had without worrying about slowing them down.

Tora suggested treasure hunting, which could be fun and useful although the ruins didn't look the most prosperous, as well as hunting for spirits. Not for the purpose of power however, which is what she had suggested, but for food.

”If you want to try and eat some giant bugs be my guest” Midna said, finding the idea rather unpleasant and beneath her royal standing, before her stomach quietly grumbled at her and she changed her tune, amended her statement with ”You can taste test them for us.”

She was also now wishing she’d thought to get water from the oasis. Thirst might be an issue down the line, especially for those who hadn’t spent a lot of their time hiding in shadows away from the blistering sun.

”If we want power, the most interesting looking thing out there is those dragons,” Midna said, pointing off towards a ruin which they seemed to be using as a roost, only being able to see them thanks to Vah Naboris' own vision. She was going to miss that maybe most of all. Where everything else in the canyon consisted of horrid looking monsters (baring the just strange looking stone head creatures that she dismissed as silly and useless), the dragons were majestic emerald hued beasts that the princess thought might match her style rather well. Certainly more than the awful looking monstrous humans that Primrose had offered up.

That little itch for combat was still lingering at the back of her mind too, and what better opponent to sate it with than a battle against a dragon?

”I’d be interested in seeing if we can acquire one of them for my manageri, or just a spirit or two.” they certainly looked useful, and picking a fight would let them find out for sure. It would also prevent them from interfering with the transportation process if that was something they where inclined to do ”Anyone else up for a dragon hunt?”

---

Waiters scurried to and fro across the floor of the Bismarck Restaurant, the gentle sea breeze blowing through the open air dining area carrying no hint of the deadly navel battle happening out in the open sea. It was cool, refreshing, and as it blew it mixed the scents of the various dishes laid out on the tables into a delectable symphony of flavors that would tempt any patron simply walking by. Dining out here at night, by the flickering light of the candles under the star studded sky, would be nothing short of romantic. As it was, though, it was good enough for Cia.

They sat across from one another in the center of this atmosphere, steaming cups of tea waiting in front of them as they awaited their meal. She leaned forward over the tables, cradling her face in her hand as she rested an elbow on the table. Her mask sat to the side of her tea so she could watch and listen to him unobstructed, a dreamy look on her face. He sat up straight, stiffly, and every once in a while shifted his weight as though he could not possibly get comfortable. His hand constantly fiddled with his silverware, fingers running over his fork and flipping it over occasionally. Despite this Link spoke casually. Friendly even, though if one were to look into his eyes they would see that he wasn’t quite looking at anything as he talked.

“...It was so strange. They knew me. Not as a Champion, or the hero that failed, they knew me.” He told her. “There were Zora there that had known me since they were children. Even after a hundred years they still remembered things we had done together. They knew more about me than I did.”

“My poor hero.” Cia cooed.

“No, it wasn’t bad. It was proof there was a time when I was...normal. I had a childhood. I hadn’t spawned out of the ether just to be the hero. It was nice. They’re part of the reason I chose to come out here when we...split….into…

Suddenly his eyes flashed into sharp focus as he scooped up the fork he had been playing with and stabbed it right at the women. Just as quickly she raised her other arm from the table and held up a single finger in its path. The fork stopped short just in front of it, as though the arm had been wraped in invisible chains. “Tsk tsk tsk tsk,” Cia clicked her tongue as she lowered the finger and swirled it. Slowly the focus faded from her hero's eyes, and she reached over and used that same finger to push his arm back down onto the table.

She quickly scanned the restaurant, but it didn’t seem as though anyone had noticed the quick murder attempt. No one she could see was watching their table. She shook her head. Why was that everyone she placed under her control strove to betray her so?

“How many times are you going to try that?” She said mockingly. “What are we going to do if you cause a scene?” Situation back under control she let herself relax. “Now, why don’t you continue your little story for me?”

Obediently, Link began to speak again as though nothing had happened.

Unfortunately for Cia it turned out someone had been watching them, and had seen the entire thing. Of course she hadn’t noticed him. Nobody notices an abandoned cup in a restaurant except maybe the wait staff, and as a busy waitress sautered by the pick it up a gloved hand rose up from under the table and waved her away. “Keep your hands to yourself, toots,” came a whisper, eliciting a small yelp from the poor girl as the hand grabbed the cup, placed it on its body, and dashed out of the restaurant while the witch was still absorbed in Link’s story. Cuphead had thought finding Link was tough enough, he wasn’t about to take on a hypnotizing witch without some backup.

---

The cartoonish cup zipped, zagged, dipped and ducked his way around Limsa's busiest districts. He was small and quick, and so avoiding the crowds was easy for him. Cuphead twisted out of the way of oncoming people, noodle-like limbs curling around any obstacles in his path. The landing where the group had initially saw the Atomos off was still empty, which left him with few options for reinforcements. With everyone else away at sea, the only ones of his group left in the city besides the one that needed rescuing was Peach, Hat Kid, and Ace Cadet.

Cuphead slipped out of the masses and sprinted up one of the short spires on the edge of the city's center, wrapping his arms and legs around it while he surveyed the area, searching for any splash of familiar colors. There, he spotted a bright red against metallic and green - and just as quickly as he ascended Cuphead ran down from his perch, making a bee-line for the monster hunter.

"Acey!" Cuphead ran a circle around the Cadet before he skidded to halt in front of the man. The Cadet, having quickly excused himself from the Sky Hatchery after being filled in by Hat Kid, was happy to see the little guy - but his smile was quickly slipping away after seeing the unusually serious expression Cuphead wore.

"What is it?"

"I found Link - but he's with a dangerous looking dame in some restaurant close by! He's acting real funny too!"

"What?" Cadet looked up from Cuphead, glancing around the area like Link would just magically appear there. Despite how warm and inviting Limsa was, they could never be too careful, huh? The whole of Blue Team probably had a reputation in town by now, but the hunter didn't expect anyone to run into trouble here. "Where?"

"A place called The Bismarck. C'mon, I'll take you there! We gotta put the kibosh on this quick!"

Bismarck? Cadet's new frown twisted even further as a coldness crept into his stomach. He was just at the Bismarck! Could he have passed right by Link and this dangerous woman on his way to the Hatchery? Was Link in trouble this whole time, and Cadet didn't even know he was so close by?

He caught Cuphead's arm before he ran off. "Wait, I know where the Bismarck is. You go tell Hatty and Peach, I'll meet you guys there."

Cuphead looked as though he was going to argue that with the two of them they could handle one lady, but after a second he nodded and took off in another direction to get more back-up, or at least let the others know the situation. Cadet turned to the frogman next to him, all but forgotten during Cuphead's arrival and explanation. "You go on ahead to the cove," he told Frog, giving him brief directions before he separated from the warrior, shoving through the crowd in a hurry.

As Cadet pushed through the crowd Frog called after him "Prithee halt I say," he said calling for his companion to stop "Shouldst thou really charge forward without a fellow to watch thine flank?" he asked.

Stop the Cadet did not, but he did glance back at Frog, eyes darting from his face to Masamune. Despite the situation with Link, the hunter really wasn't one to mistrust strangers - and Frog had gone out of his way to help the Cadet find his way around. "You've got a point. Come on then!" Cadet said. Expecting Frog to catch up quickly, he broke into a run as soon as the roads opened up, heading back towards the Culinarian Guild.

The amphibious warrior nodded curtly happy to aid Ace Cadet, in fact Frog had become quite fond of the redheaded warrior. Ace Cadet seemed like a capable warrior much like Cyrus, whom had been Frog's mentor many years prior to Galeem's invasion but even the greatest hero can't survive without others watching their backs. That had costed his friend and mentor's life, but Frog wouldn't let anyone suffer such a fate. Not now and not ever again.

Frog broke into a sprint quickly gaining on Cadet almost without effort as his strong legs carried him forward, matching his companions pace with ease and as they ran down the street Frog's mind raced with thoughts of what may happen and how they could handle a fight as he hadn't seen Cadet fight yet but he believed the warrior was experienced.

---

"Peach! Peeeeeeeeeeeach!" Cuphead called, waving his gloved hands with dramatic urgency. Across the disused harbor set aside for the unscrupulous by name and reputation his voice carried quite clearly, rousing the princess from where she dozed aboard Brineybeard's living vessel. Casting aside faintly chiding urges of propriety to flounder the ship's railing and initiate a shouted conversation, Peach demanded, "What is it? What's going on?"

Cuphead pointed back the way he came, as if his finger could pierce countless obstructions of stone, wood, and flesh to make what was going on quite clear. "It's Link! I spotted him in a restaurant called the Bismarck. There was this strange broad with him, and she's holdin' him captive or somethin'!"

"What!?" Peach replied, taken aback, only to have to cut her comrade off after he assumed she didn't hear him and started to repeat himself. "Nono, I just meant...that is strange. To capture the hero of time is no mean feet." She planted a hand on the wooden railing and vaulted straight over, her coat-dress sliding cleanly across. Rather than splashing into the water below she somehow halted her momentum midair, floating across the gap to where Cuphead waited on the wharf. "We'll be back, Captain!" she called to Brineybeard, running after the finger-gunner back up toward the city proper. She didn't miss a beat when Cuphead told her that the others were on the case already, including Hatty and a new amphibious ally, both found by the ever-reliable Ace Cadet. "Still. The more the better, especially if we're fighting a magician, and they might need someone with authority in case things get messy." If a brawl in a bistro was unavoidable, getting messy was probably a foregone conclusion.

Geralt nodded at Sakura as she spoke, at least somewhat heartened to know that she was only somewhat more familiar with the intricacies of the technology around them. He supposed it made sense, in a fashion. He knew how to swing a sword, and how to sharpen a dulled or slightly chipped blade, but making a sword was a bit beyond him. As was the ideal carbon content of steel. He remembered Hattori mentioning something about that when he was muttering about making a sword for him.

It didn't matter. Apparently that thing he did with Isabelle-apparently called karaoke-was invented in her homeland of Japan. It was...interesting. Enjoyable. Maybe if they had time, they'd do some more later, but they had more important matters to deal with. He followed the conversation, nodding along when she mentioned magic and monsters, but his eyes unfocused a bit when she started listing off different kinds of foods.

He recognized two words out of everything she listed. Chicken. And Bread. Wait, did she say she was a- "Did you just say you were a competitive eater? How does that work?" Thankfully, the conversation was interrupted by the Shipgirls, and Geralt took that chance to avoid learning what was probably some strange otherworldly ritual based around a lack of scarcity so great it was worrying.

Seaplane Tender's absolutely humiliating entrance almost made him feel bad for her. Almost. He regarded her warily, unsure if this was some sort of ploy to appear harmless, or if she had genuinely just fallen flat on her face in front of them all.

Disregarding those concerns, with Sakura taking care to seat the Water Princess and try to alleviate Ranger's concerns, Geralt nodded in confirmation. "If you'd met me yesterday, I'd have been a few feet taller and with arms down to my knees. You'll be fine."

Kamek gave a little sigh of relief when the SeaPlane Tender agreed to help them. That had been a lot more tense than any kind of pep talk he had ever given and he was glad it had worked out, especially in a way that would help them get information about both their current and penultimate goal in the region.

”We’d be grateful for your help, and of course you can come aboard,” Kamek said, directing the white mage clone to begin healing her while Sakura, who had recovered pleasingly quickly, practically dragged the ship into their vessel, leaving Kamek outside with their last loose end.

He glanced at the gauntlett’ed ship, still asleep, and then at the heart still floating in his hand and then put two and two together, flying close and then applying the heart to the ship girl’s own. Asleep, she offered no resistance to the power and the read wisps coming from her closed eyes shifted from red to teal-blue.

”Well now, isn’t that interesting. Certainly a much less violent and risky way of going about that” Kamek commented, making a note to himself to inform the mercenaries about that along with everyone else, before directing his toadies to carefully bring her aboard as well.

”Is that everyone? Finally, Sakura’s talking on and on about food has left me starving!” Jr commented from the controls of the ship as everyone settled down and the sleeping ship was put to bed.

”That’s everyone accounted for. Please, take us back to port if you could, young master” Kamek replied after he saw too the sleeping ship-girl’s safety and then he took a seat and strapped himself in, happy to finally get some rest after the hectic sea battle. The prince was more than happy to leave, hauling the ship skywards and sending it sailing though the sky back towards town.

”Ah yes, you were both worried about what people’s reactions back in the city would be weren't you?” Kamek said, turning to the abyssal and abyssal looking ship girls, ”As Sakura and Gertalt have said, thanks to princess peach you shouldn’t have an issue with that Miss Ranger, but your situation is a bit of a conundrum your majesty. We may be able to collect a disguise for your appearance while fetching Peach? A new, less distinctive, outfit perhaps? Though the tail is something of an issue with that plan”

”We could give it a new paint job?” Jr suggested ”Make it obvious that she’s converted to our team instead of hiding her?”

He thought for a moment more before also suggesting ”Or if you wanna be sneaky maybe we can find some spirits to fuse her with like a bunch, really mess with her appearance. For a bit anyway”

”hmm, but how would we acquire more spirits?” Kamek asked, somewhat rhetorically, as he thought about the possibility

”Well there's this place where they fish or something right? Get a bunch from there, make her look like a harmless haddock”

”Or we could lend her some of ours. Have Peach pull them out, put them in her and then take them out again once we don't need the disguise any more?” Kamek said. Peach had turned powers into strikers before, she likely could do the reverse, though it was unclear whether that would have some kind of negative impact on the strikers or not. Alternatively Jr could lend his Brachydios to her, though he wasn't sure if jr would be up to the idea.

They’d have time to think about it on the mostly uneventful flight back to town. Emphasis on mostly.

---

The Heavy Cruiser Ri-Class slowly flitted back to consciousness and found herself laying in a strange room on an foreign but comfortable surface. She scrolled back in her memories and found that she had been fighting for her princess, and then there had been nothing and now she was here. When this had happened before, that was because she had died. Yet she also had not gone through the highly unpleasant process of being not dead, and also this was not where she had woken after those times.

That was strange. Also, though she did not consciously recognize it, the Ri-Class felt different. Calmer mostly, but also the new heart beating away in her chest made her feel the kind of safe and secure someone would feel when knowing that they had a friend nearby who was keeping watch for danger. As a result, she did not panic, and instead deduced that:

The new way she’d woken up was good.

This palace was also new.

Therefore this place was also good.

The Ri-Class nodded to herself, happy with her logic, and that was the end of that. Then she sat up, leaving the pillows and blanket (that had been carefully arranged so she could lie comfortably despite the metal and tubing welded onto her back) behind. A little part of her hadn't wanted to leave, but good soldiers didn’t lay about or slack off. She glanced around the room and found it bare and spartan, stripped of any personal belongings. She also found a dozen odd skeletal turtle creatures, working in two teams of six to hold her gauntlets up in a position that had her let lay comfortably on the bed despite having two destroyer sized weapons irremovable strapped to her arms.

She stared at one of the dry-bones for a while till it waved awkwardly at her briefly before resuming its given task of supporting her armaments. This was strange, the Ri-class thought, but probably fine. She felt no innate urge to attack the things, no one was telling her to attack them and they weren't attacking her. So this was fine.

What else.

There were voices coming from the other room. That’s probably where the other ships were. Now that she was not dead, she reasoned, she should go and report her ready status.

She got up, hauling the massive gauntlets up with her and instinctively activating the anti gravity mechanism in them, the same one that let destroyers float, which made moving around and fighting with them a breeze. What it did not make a breeze was operating doors, like the one that led to where the voices were. After awkwardly scrambling with the door for a few moments one of the dry-bones carefully walked up and opened it for her, revealing the bridge beyond.

There she found a ship girl, a human and two creatures that looked a bit like the helpful bone creatures if they had still been alive conversing with two, no three (there was a small legged destroyer in the lap of the spiky turtle creature) abyssals. She stared at this scene utterly confused, and then only after creating an awkward silence for several moments realized in a panic one of the abyssals was her princess.

”ah you're finally awake-” the blue robed turtle began to say as the Ri-Class stumbled backwards and then jerkily saluted the princess, her gauntlet'ed hand smashing into the low ceiling of the ship in the process, causing the whole vessel to lurch ever so slightly. She stumbled and then recovered, not carving a massive gash in the ceiling this time

“Heavy Cruiser, Ri-Class, reporting!” she announced like a good soldier.

”You! Sit down and strap in before you break more stuff or make us crash!” the spiky one, who was seemingly controlling the building they where in, yelled at her.

She froze up. He wasn't abyssal. But he was ordering her around. Only people who were in charge of her ordered her around. Also he had an abyssal sitting in his lap. Also the princess was sitting already so was he in charge of her? She was taking too long. If she looked like she was disobeying she’d get in trouble. So she sat and then tried to buckle herself in a few times before the skeletal turtle helped her do that too. That was useful. She hadn't really been annoyed about having her arms locked up like this till now, so it was nice that the turtle thing was helping. This meant she was rather startled when it poofed into a puff of smoke and a bunch of rapidly fading colorful shapes.

”Ah, my apologies for the alarm. They’re just magical constructs and I don't want them tumbling about while we fly. Are you alright?” The blue robed one asked

“I” she’d never been asked that before. “I don’t know?” She was confused. Incredibly confused. Nothing made sense, but this one, this one was a friend? What was a friend? She didn't know.

”I understand that this might be confusing. But let me try and explain” the creature, that later introduces himself as Kamek, said, and then try to explain he did, speaking of other worlds and a creature called Galeem, of her controlled past, her possible future and of more simple things when she asked about them but it was hard. She was a grunt. A drone. A soldier. She wasn't supposed to think, she was made to fight and obey and die, but now those unquestionable impulses had died on the battlefield while she was still here, still alive. But she was still loyal wasn’t she? Wasn't she? She was supposed to tear Kamek apart. But he was her friend, and the princess wasn't ordering her to kill him. So she let him talk.

---

”But why do you fight for them?”

“I was made to. It’s what I’m for”

”But why for them. Do you believe in their cause?”

“Their cause?”

”What does the fleet fight for”

“I. I don’t know?” She hadn't needed to before

”Do they treat you well? Do you enjoy being one of them? Or do you suffer?”

“I” she tried to think of something, but she only remembered the pain of waking up every time before today

”Does your leader inspire you? Do you admire them?”

She glanced over at the princess. The princess who had already tuned her back on the abyss due to the same ‘friend heart’ that had been used on her.

”If you get nothing out of being part of the feet, then why fight for it?”

“But. I was made to. It’s what I’m for” she repeated

Kamek forced himself not to sigh. This was turning out to be a lot more difficult than dealing with the princess, but he thought he was getting somewhere ever so slowly. She was, he was releasing, a minion, and he knew how to handle those.

”Hate to break up your therapy session,” Jr butted in as Limsa Lominscuttle Town came into view. ”but we’re here”

”Ah well. We’ll come back to this at a later date. For now you three should hide yourselves till we get Peach and work out what we’re doing about this whole situation” Kamek gently waved his hand at the pair’s abyssal nature.

The three ship girls, and for added safety one abyssal pig, were moved into the back bedroom so no one could spot them if they happened to look inside the ships windows, and then the Atomos was carefully brought down to land in the spot it had left from.

”Right then. Hopefully finding the princess won’t be too hard. Shall we all go, or does anyone want to stay behind? Might be wise, just in case there's any trouble”

”I’m staying behind. Someone damaged my ship, so I’ll fix it while you're wandering aimlessly around town looking for Peach.” Jr replied, before also releasing there was a bunch of external damage too. The trip had not been kind to the cargo hauler, but despite that the fact that they'd flown the glorified flying van into a warzone and gotten back in once piece was impressive.

”Very well. Anyone else?” Kamek asked before heading out to track down the princess.

With no objections voiced, either from Yellow Team's de-facto leader Fox or anyone else, a plan was in place: the systematic transfer of non-fliers to the top of the ruin-crusted cliff by the fliers. Nobody voiced a desire to hunt down local spirits other than Midna, and a certain Nopon figured it might be a good time to get to know the pretty imp better. Tora quickly realized, however, that with his partner being one of the designated carriers, he wouldn't be going much of anywhere but up. As he waddled over he took a look at the spirits Primrose found, but both repelled him. “Meh, meh,” he mumbled as he allowed Poppi to pick him up and tuck him under an arm like a beach ball. “Hopefully there better goodies on other side. Team should have searched oasis for fruit and fish, meh.” But bygones must needs be bygones, and after Poppi picked up Mona and consented to Joker latching on with his grappling hook, the artificial blade spirited the three of them away. The thrusters on her feet and back sent her soaring into the sandy yellow sky, where the afternoon sunlight gleamed off her woven-metal scarf as it flapped behind her.

Before ascending, Necronomicon considered the questions offered to her. “This is fine. Good, even. My other form has no use outside the palace. So even if I could, there's no point in going back.” She seemed to take stock heroes gathered before her, despite no longer having eyes. “Erm...strength isn't exactly my forte. I can carry one person inside, and maybe more on top, but hold tight. And, uh, hold still.”

Necronomicon pitched backward, and out from her undercarriage squirmed an assortment of tentacles. They snaked through the air, two to gingerly take hold of Primrose, and the others for someone else to grab and be lifted to the flying saucer's top. As delicately as could be managed, the tentacles pulled Primrose into the ship's interior, where she found Necronomicon's warning about capacity to be well founded. The dark and metallic inside, with the bottom door closed, was little more than a single cushion surrounded by consoles and screens. Though to a dancer suddenly out of her element they appeared to be oddly tinted windows, the contents of the visions before her changed constantly in ways the ship's motion couldn't account for, and words flashed as if written and unwritten by an invisible hand. On the displays Primrose could clearly see everything Necronomicon could, supplemented by little boxes and lines of text giving extra information on the subjects. Below the screens lay what could only be strange-looking tablets covered in runes, separated into an array of particularly small ones with glowing letters on them, and a row of larger buttons shaped like a sword, shield, boot, then all three together. Between the two tablets lay a large dark disk adorned with glowing concentric circles and curious shapes only identifiable with great difficulty as the surroundings of Necronomicon herself from a top-down view. A large bar stuck out prominently beneath it, labeled 'SCAN', and on top to either side was one button apiece, each below a hinged glass cover for protection. One read 'FINAL GUARD'; the other, 'ALL-OUT ATTACK'.

“Alright, everyone, hold tight. Heeeeere...we go~!” Necronomicon began to ascend, bringing with her the two passengers. The desert sands receded further and further below as the burly sandstone blocks raced by, until after a few moments the Persona crested the top of the wall. In that moment, the screens before Primrose flashed a scene of the desert ahead, a fabulous extent of sand, rock, and ruin all the way to the foothills of the eminent Split Mountain. Just ahead, Poppi slowed down over a large circular plaza so Joker could let go, then landed to release her other passengers. Necronomicon followed suit, carefully making sure not to get too close to Sectonia if she buzzed by. “Okay, opening bay doors,” came the girl's voice. The hole in the floor through which Primrose entered slid open, allowing her to drop through into the Persona's waiting tentacles and be set down.

Once on terra firma again, Tora gave his partner a thumbs-up with his little nub hand. “Good flying, Poppi!” he congratulated. “QT Pi form really have excellent stability.”

The artificial blade shrugged. “If Masterpon say so. New center of gravity plus longer limbs take getting used to.”

“Hang on, 'Cutie Pie'?” Mona cut in, his tone questioning. He remembered what Poppi looked like at the outset of the mission. “That's what you call this look? Isn't that a little...unsubtle?”

Poppi crossed her arms, a vaguely amused expression pulling itself together across her features. “Friend cattypon hit nail on head.”

“I'm not a cat!”

Necronomicon waved a tentacle as Joker snickered. “Um, sorry to interrupt, but we should probably head back for the others, miss Poppi.” Without further conversation the fliers departed, vanishing over the edge of the great cliff to make the descent to Vah Naboris.

After a moment Tora turned his attention toward the ruins. Although the fliers could take them over, that lay outside their mission for the moment, and they didn't need to ransack their energy for a little convenience. “Looks like we not need to go underground,” he observed.

“Just a fun little romp through more ancient structures,” Mona agreed. “Hopefully there's no traps this time.”



The initial group moved forward a bit to check out the immediate area. Tora took the lead despite lacking Poppi and therefore almost all of his fighting ability, the Variable Saber brandished courageously. Before them stood rows of buildings in a state of dire disrepair, their stone surfaces scarred and metal bits polished to a brilliant sheen by the buffeting of sandstorms. The floor alternated between road and sand, over which Tora marched with impunity. The moment Joker set foot in the sand, however, he recoiled with a sharp intake of breath. Mona noticed immediately, teetering on the brink. “What? What is it?”

“This sand...” Tentatively, Joker placed his foot into it again. Immediately he withdrew it. “My MP. It's draining me.” He glanced at Tora, standing dumbly in the center of the sand trap with a worried look on his face. “Don't you...feel anything?”

Tora shook his head, that being the upmost part of his egg-shaped body. “Nuh-uh! Don't feel anything, except hot. And hungry, meh. Must not have MP.” He put his sword away and held his wings up. “Here! Tora give friends boost over sand!” The Phantom Thieves did not hesitate to use the midway Nopon to spring over the thirsty sands. The instant Joker landed on the road ahead, however, the next patch of sand ahead burst upward. From below appeared two Lamias, one with dark hair and another blonde, followed shortly by a great fiend with horns, three eyes, and four strong arms. “Uh oh!”

“Scatter!” Mona cried, and he and Joker dodged either way just as Tora arrived to join them, leaving him alone. He pulled out the Variable Saber and extended the blade, facing the monsters without fear—or at least, despite fear.

“Come on then! Tora not afraid!”



With Sakura around, it became difficult to feel too ill at ease. She filled the belly of the Atomos with excited talk of food, listing of dish after dish to confound and astound the resident Witcher. Ranger quickly found herself wishing she could get something to as well, having the benefit of knowing -unlike Geralt- what it was that Sakura referred to. As for whether the girl would make a good teacher, Ranger couldn't say. Despite her professed age and adulthood, she did not cultivate an image of maturity, especially now that the spirit of Arashio made her shorter and softer. Not that Ranger could talk at the end of the day—she still got ID'd every time she went out for drinks and karaoke. And if these guys could spare the time, she wouldn't mind going with them. As long as she could get rid of this regrettably Abyssal material, that is.

Seaplane Tender accepted Sakura's aid with as much gratitude and grace as she could muster, although that trace of redness did not remove itself from her pale cheeks. She replaced her hat on her head and wobbled over to one of the rows of seats along the cargo bay walls, with the street fighter's help, where she seated herself in an exaggerated side-saddle position to account for her enormous tail. With her new friend insistent on sitting right beside her, that left the two rather close. “Um...pardon moi.”

Of course, Sakura then wasted no time in setting straight Ranger's fears, too, which Geralt was kind enough to corroborate by painting an alarming image. Apparently these people knew a 'biker lady', whatever that entailed, who could undo spirit fusions. Ranger sank back in her chair, her new feet clanking on the floor as she writ her relief on her face. “Oh, thank goodness...”

Out of everyone, Kamek paid the most mind to the Abyssals' concerns about Limsa Lominsa, namely the probable violent reaction the very sight of pale skin, black armor, and uncannily human teeth would arouse. No matter what it seemed like the Water Princess would have to remain on the Atomos, but what the others could do was up for discussion, which began as the airship got underway. Kamek corrected himself on the possibility of a simple outfit change before Seaplane Tender could mention her tail. Junior's suggestion, shouted back from from the cockpit, seemed even less plausible, but he rectified it with a more sound -and scary- follow-up. Having witnessed Ranger's change, and to a much lesser extent Sakura's, Seaplane Tender knew the transformative power of spirits. The idea of turning into a fish, however, chilled her to the bone even with the caveat of a defuser's cooperation. Having just been awakened to -or perhaps given- something like humanity, she felt repulsed by the idea of giving it up. “You are giving zis too much thought,” she reasoned. “I do not need to go into ze city. I'll wait here while you do your business, however long zat might be. Oh, and please, do not call me 'Your Majesty'. The Abyssal Fleet has no real royalty, and if it did, I would be nobody special. It's just my designation, 'Seaplane Tender Water Princess'...alzough, zat is a bit of a mouthful, I suppose.”

The Atomos passed within view of the Navy's rally point. Having lost all contact with the participants in the fight against the Water Princess, as well as noticed the odd disappearance and reappearance of Arashio's signal, the operators couldn't give their commanders much of an idea at all about how things turned out. The Navy itself had continued its retreating battle against the Abyssals, but quickly turned the tide after regrouping. Without their princess rallying them or any additional reinforcements, the monstrous machines attacked in vicious but disorderly fashion, and by now the shipgirls had made quick work of them. Many recognized the airship, spotted as they fell back earlier, and noted that while it sported some fresh damage it seemed not much worse for wear.

As it zoomed by in the direction, of Limsa, the girls looked to their commander. Although Prinz Heinrich ran her division with a looseness befitting her alternatively laid-back and gung-ho personality, strength radiated as much from her as it did the fearsome machine she stood upon. Heinrich shaded her eyes with a hand as she watched the Atomos go, her other hand on her hip. “Well, whatever the heck that was, it's over with now,” she observed, noting that the craft seemed to lurch in its flight a touch. “Either they blew the sucker to pieces or they turned tail. Now we've cleared out the shmucks let's get a move on. Full steam ahead!” On their leader's orders the Navy set sail, but Heinrich kept that odd flying ship in mind. “The outsiders, huh.? Admiral said keep an eye out for 'em. Guess they're tryin' to prove 'emselves after all...”

At that moment, the Ri-class Destroyer was introducing herself. Ranger never thought she'd see the day an Abyssal grunt, barely formed enough to talk and think, would be standing mere feet away doing a smarter salute than a fair few Navy girls. Seaplane Tender greeted her fellow in kind and urged her to follow Junior's directions, motioning for her to sit. The Destroyer's analysis somehow replaced the team's collective attempts to solve the problem at hand, despite her presence in fact intensifying it. In the end, as Limsa came into view and Junior guided the Atomos toward the familiar Pirate's Cove, the three Abyssals would remain behind as the majority set out in search of their allies.

When they disembarked, however, they found nobody but Brineybeard and Shippy. The retired pirate captain waved. “Ahoy, mateys! Looks like we'll be sailin' together, afore too long. Yer princess and I worked out a deal. Although, that do be a fine-looking craft too, an' able to sail the seven skies, no less...” Any further self-defeating comparisons fell away when Brineybeard received a new, unavoidable query. “The princess? She 'n that Cuppy lad went off runnin' just a few minutes ago, somethin' about a link in a restaurant. The Bismarck, I think it be. Maybe they missed lunch? Arr...”

---

With Frog's knowledge of Limsa Lominscuttle Town, accrued day by day as he labored over his commissions, finding the restaurant in question was the work of minutes. Ace Cadet and Hat Kid slid to a stop behind their amphibious ally as the open-air Bismarck's dining area came into view. A quick glance at the patrons of the establishment confirmed for the Blue Team members the presence of their friend, seated across from a sultry lady in dark purple whose back, in a stroke of profound luck, was facing them. If Link saw, however, he wisely gave no notice. So far the atmosphere of the place rained undisturbed, with the various guests enjoying their late lunches while the staff carried out their duties without impedance. Yet if one's eyes were to linger on Link for a few moments, one might get the distinct impression that he was trapped by more than societal convention, true to Cuphead's report. At the very least the bad date showed no signs of ending soon, or even progressing much at all, so it fell to the would-be interlopers to choose to make a scene in a place of fine dining, or seek another avenue of rescue. This woman clearly possessed some sort of magical power, perhaps dark in nature, implied by her outfit as clearly as her actions, so any direct confrontation would not end cleanly.

A waiter approached. "Welcome to the Bismarck," he said, treating the newcomers to a polite smile. "Party of three?"



Finding the others, as well as somewhere she could come by a real meal, sounded like a plan to Nadia. Hopefully it would do wonders for that Sephiroth's mood as well, thereby indicating that this spell of sardonic aloofness was nothing more than a sort of appetite-induced grumpiness. But she wasn't going to hold her breath.

Scarcely did the four set out on their journey through the crowded Aetheryte Plaza than a commotion from the bustling Hawker's Alley make Nadia's ears twitch. She listened for a moment to the pounding of feed, the sharp intake of breath, and the protests of civilians. “Hey.” She poked Bowser's side. “Sounds like someone's comin' from that way, and in a real hurry too!”

After a moment her prediction became reality, and from the throng within shaded market avenue burst none other than Cuphead and Princess Peach. Nadia, put her hands up, smirking. “Well hey, that was easy.” Of course, she didn't need to say that things wouldn't be that simple.

Peach saw her -actually, the far more distinct Bowser- a moment later, and paused in her mad dash. “Oh. Hello!” She looked at Nadia with a semblance of recognition, since they had at least seen each other, but had only curiosity for Sephiroth. Or maybe not...what was that oddly inquisitive look that possessed her for a split second? Regardless, Peach called out to them. “What are you doing here?” She shook her head and held up a hand to forestall any reply. “Later. Come on!” The new arrivals fell in with her, with Bowser's bulk and lumbering stride quickly parting the crowd for them as they left the Aetheryte Plaza. A fascinated Shantae, back from break and ready for a new dance, watched them go with narrowed eyes.

“We lost Link,” Peach explained as she ran, although that meant nothing to Nadia. For royalty Peach seemed to be in very good shape, well beyond that that her fusion alone could reasonably explain. Nadia figured she better listen. “But Cuphead spotted him with some woman at a restaurant, controlling him or something. We're going to save him.”

Although she accepted the task of a gallant rescue without question, another word stuck in her mind. Despite her quick bowl of ramen she still felt hungry, as if the salty noodles only whetted her appetite. “Restaurant? Purr-fect!”

“The others are ahead of us,” Cuphead piped up. He was ahead of everyone else, but his head swiveled around to face them. “By the time we get there, it might be done with.”

That sounded just fine as far as Nadia was concerned, but should push come to shove, she would be happened to lend a paw to this friend of Peach's. Do a good dead, eat some good food, just like the old days. Nadia found herself forced to push away wistful memories, quickened in her mind by familiar sounds and smells from days long gone.



With the great mountain at her back, the Skullgirl began her journey into the land of snow, the distant trace of civilization pictured in her mind. Spurred on perhaps by images of oaken-log cabins, roaring fireplaces, trophy-lined mantles, and toasty mugs, she scrabbled down a precarious mountain path in the direction of the village, but the region's wildlife quickly caught her eye. Whether or not the Tateru was a people or pokemon it didn't respond, but the Skullgirl quickly found her scent picked up by creatures far keener for interaction. The savage wolves approached with fangs bared, their crimson eyes cruel, but whether they attacked out of hunger or hatred -hatred for the unnatural thing before them- they did not hesitate.

The Skullgirl unleashed various elements from her varied skillset, dispatching beast after beast with ease. Remarkable ease, even. When she called forth a crystalline spire of icy spikes to impale one, it exerted not the slightest tax on her body. She could do it all day and all night, if need be, but the pack had not been a larger one. For a few moments she stood among the ashes, arguing with the voices in her head. When she started her boots crunching snow once again she strode northward from the mess of tracks, and the village receded further into the distance behind her.

How much time went by she couldn't say, but it didn't feel like long before she stood on the shore of a frigid sea. Icebergs drifted around the dark water, where various lazy seals lounged, and a few vigorous ones jousted with crabs upon their backs. Much closer waddled penguins in great numbers, squawking uproariously as they went about their business. From here the Skullgirl could see the sleek, futuristic tower floating above the ocean a fair way out, but the column of light fell on the shore. It lay on a similarly technological device about as tall as a horse, which gave no response if approached. A press on its sides would prompt its panels to open up, revealing a cache within: a neatly sealed steak and potato meal, two pokeballs, a set of materials and instructions to build a log sled, and a loot box. If deprived of contents, the beacon went dark and folded up after a short delay, becoming little more than a chunk of inert metals.

---

---

---

---

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow as he glanced over at the commotion while his group came to a brief halt. He wasn't entirely sure who these new people were, or why one of them was a living cup, but he decided not to question it. Things had been strange since he'd woken up here, and he seriously doubted that would change any time soon. Thus he settled into silent observation once more, meeting the curious look Princess Peach gave him with one of his own, albeit one crossed with the subtlest of smirks. He knew that regular people tended to look at him differently, and while he'd like to imagine it was solely because of his status as a higher being, he was forced to concede the fact that the Mako energy with which he was infused also played its part. In any case, the SOLDIER didn't have much time to dwell on this line of thought, as things had begun to rapidly progress and Sephiroth soon found himself running to the restaurant alongside the others.

It was during this time that he had the situation to which they were running explained, how they were going to save some man—or boy for all he knew—named Link as he'd apparently allowed himself to become bewitched, though it all meant very little as far as Sephiroth was concerned. He had no personal stake in this unless it granted him more power or information, after all, or a greater standing within the group. The last possibly being the only reason why he even bothered to make an effort in the first place. After a few minutes of travel he eventually found himself standing before the restaurant proper, the smells of food wafting from its shaded entrance. Waiting for the others to move in first, as they were ahead of him, Sephiroth quietly and calmly brought up the rear. He wasn't tense or on edge, seemingly the most relaxed out of anyone there, but that didn't mean he had grown lax. Should the woman who had bewitched this Link fellow prove to be a threat, he would deal with her quickly and cleanly, without hesitation or regret.

Just as a SOLDIER should...

@Archmage MC, @Dawnrider, and @DracoLunaris

Everything regarding the Water Princess and Ranger, and this new ship girl, seemed to be working out. She must have missed her introduction. She had big monstrous tails, and a very revealing outfit in a way that sort of dehumanized her. There was nothing wrong with showing some skin but those clothes were clearly just placed on her by somebody else with no regard for what she would actually want.

She ended up feeling quite bad for her. Kamek had given her a heart, and it was clear she wasn't sure what to do with it. She was just a weapon, made to be disposable. It made Sakura sad, so she was going to try and introduce her to concepts like friendship and hobbies!

Junior also had some...pretty bad ideas. "Y-yeah, let's just have Seaplane Tender Water Princess stay here on the Atomos. Man, that is a mouthful." Sakura said, mumbling the last part more to herself.

Princess Peach was somewhere else, and Kamek was going to go looking for her.

"Hmm," Sakura stayed seated, rubbing her chin as she considered the sitaution. "Well, I still feel pretty crappy because I got blown up. I kinda wanna be lazy, y'know?" She admitted with a sheepish smile.

"I'll stay here with the other ship girls and Junior. If that's okay? Maybe catch a nap or something? Just don't forget to come back and get us before getting dinner, okay?" She said.

Sakura would descend down the ramp to wave goodbye to whoever left. "Hi, there, Captain Briney," She said while she was still there. When she realised he might not recognize her, she got awkward and retreated back up into the Atomos.

(I kinda feel bad about absorbing this ship girl's spirit. I hope that if she was still all here, she would be happy with the things I did. I guess...I guess she kinda is me, now, though, right? We combined. So if she wouldn't be happy, I would know...? I don't even know her name. I should ask Ranger about her.)

"Uh, hey Junior," She called up to the turtle boy. "I'm gonna go check up on the other ship girls. Call me if there's trouble, okay?" With that she headed inside to the back bedroom.

"Okay, ladies." Sakura triumphantly appeared in the doorway with a confident smile, stance wide, fists on her hips. I think we need to come up with some names! Heavy Cruiser Ri-Class and Seaplane Tender Water Princess won't do! And maybe we should go shopping. Or maybe I'll go shopping and just bring back a bunch of clothes and we do make overs. Especially you, Heavy Cruiser Ri-Class. I think you need something tough and cool and punk. And blue! It'll match your eyes." She said. "Oh, I'm Sakura, by the way. This is Ranger, and this," She paused. "Is Seaplane Tender Water Princess. Yeah, see? New names. Nick names!"

She sat down on the bed. "Ri-class? Maybe...Ririka? Riri?" She looked her up and down. "Hmm. I don't want to force something on you. It's an important decision! But, it's also one that can be reversed later if you want to change your name." She added.

"And Seaplane Tender Water Princess," she inhaled, and then laughed, out of breath. Her studying eye turned to the Water Princess. "You sound like you're from France. Do you know France? I think a beautiful french name would suit you." Sakura placed her thumb on her chin and tried to think of French girl names.

"...Charlotte?" She said. It was from a children's book. The only other french name she could think of was the name of that old queen that got her head chopped off by angry people. Too grim! Unfortunately, Charlotte also dies at the end of Charlotte's Web. That made her cry so much.

"Charlotte is a pretty name. What do you think, Ranger? I guess we could just call them Seaplane and Cruiser. If we wanted to be effecient. And boring, if you ask me." She crossed her arms and legs on the bed, closing one eye indignantly. "Don't just go with that idea. I feel stupid for bringing it up. I want to pressure you two into doing something cool and brave."

Sakura blinked. She straightened her back, now both eyes closing. "Not pressure in a bad way- pressure in a good way." She declared.

Everything was calm at the moment as weapons had yet to be drawn, but even in the still atmosphere of the restaurant the amphibious warrior could feel the tension in the air. As the waiter addressed them he nodded vacantly as he was keeping his sights upon their adversary. Frog didn't want to immediately cause a disruption as it may attract attention their way, so looking at Ace Cadet he motioned for him to stay his weapons "Hold Ace," he said in a whisper to his comrade glancing passively at the small maiden in the purple top hat guessing that the girl was most likely Hat Kid "Thou needn't draw attention hither we shalt take them by surprise." Frog uttered quietly to Ace Cadet as the waiter began to lead them to a vacant table.

The remaining red team trekked up towards the gates of Limsa Lominscuttle Town, and now that he wasn't distracted by Miss fortune’s bloody antics he could actually take it all in. The city was sprawling, a myriad of bridges connecting dozens of small stone pillars that housed various white stone and gold domed buildings. Definitely a nice change of pace from the drab and broken Dead Zone. While Bowser admired that it would make for some excellent obstacle courses if you blew up a bridge here or there and added a few spikes, minions and floating platforms he expected, incorrectly, that finding anyone in the city was going to be a pain in the tail. In this he was completely wrong because it took less than a minute.

Bowser had to agree with Miss Fortune, finding Peach had turned out to be incredibly easy. It helped that the king, and his now thoroughly battered top hat, both stood out and over most of the crowds in the bustling market they found themselves in after getting through customs and so it was more she who found them than the other way around. The king was happy to see her safe and sound, but she seemed to be in a rush and also surprised to see them. The latter wasn't exactly surprising, they had unexpectedly put their given goal on hold to avoid being exploded and were lacking a number of prominent faces after all, but the former did not bode well.

”We-” Bowser attempted to begin explaining why they were there, only to be presented with a hand to talk too. He shushed and then stomped after the princess. His royal presence, or more accurately his immense bulk and the threat of being rammed by it, parted the crowd as they rushed through the unfamiliar, to Bowser, City. As they ran Peach filled them in, telling them that Link had been kidnapped by some lady and taken to a restaurant of all places, which was very convenient.

”Yeah! We’ll crack some heads and then eat some dinner!” Bowser punched his palm as he agreed with Miss Fortune, who clearly had her priorities straight, at least in Bowser’s opinion.

”It’s just Link that's in trouble right? Everyone else good? he asked, hoping to get a response before they arrived. There wasn’t much time for it, their quick pace bringing them to the fancy looking restaurant. It would be the perfect place to cool down in the evening, but if it remained that way for long enough for them to enjoy it remained to be seen. Quick and clean most certainly did not describe Bowser’s fighting style after all, but he was pumped up and raring to go. They weren't going to lose another green clad Hylian youth to bewitchment today, that Bowser would guarantee with devastating force.

Sephiroth, at the smash tower, agreed with Blazermate for the most part, deciding to go with the team. Although he gave her quite the sharp retort about how there was also sand at the beach, which Blazermate retorted, a bit embarrassed but also petty. "Yeah, but thats fun sand! You can't make a sand castle out of the desert sand!" Bowser also looked a bit bothered, but Blazermate wasn't sure why. Ms Fortune then made a good observation, which Bowser backed up, they were flesh and needed food, sleep, and bathing. Although that middle thing wasn't something Blazermate figured they needed, they weren't in the dead zone for THAT long! Still, the cleaning bit sounded like a good idea, the medabot had dust and grime all over her beautiful blue parts.

When they reached the area of Blue team, the coastal city of Limsa Lominscuttle Town however, Ms. Fortune, who had brought up the idea of bathing, decided to take a dip in the water nearby. This gave Blazermate an idea, and while the rest of the group was interested in seeing the bathing Ms Fortune, well, bathing was a bad idea, she apparently was just as take apart and put togther ad Blazermate! Just a flesh version! Blazermate made a much less noticeable splash nearby to clean off all the dead zone grime. while she was a robot, she was a medabot, and thus didn't run on electricity or need circuitry or any of that, so water didn't bother her at all. Although she couldn't swim without aqua parts, so she just fell to the relative shallow bottom, climbing up the nearby wall and back to the rest of the team after she had washed herself off, making sure to follow the team as they went to look for blue team. She was there to catch Ms. Fortune's comment about "cat got your tongue", and while still dripping water, she said, tapping her faceplate. "I'm a medabot, I don't have a tongue, or mouth."

Surprisingly in this sprawling, pretty, and NOT DEAD town, it didn't take too long for them to find Peach. Bowser, the one that knew her the most, was the one who made first contact, making sure everyone could get to the princess. After a quick chat and Peach being updated about all that had happened, Blazermate and the rest of the group learned that Link had been abducted by someone, who was keepign him hostage at a restaurant. Blazermate commented saying. "Sounds like a date." She didn't have a need to eat, so she didn't share Bowser and Ms. Fortune's desire for food, but she was interested into seeing who abducted link to date him. He was alright, but he wasn't that pretty.



"From what I can gather." Sectonia said to Midna, when she asked about how to handle the Galeem controlled mercs. "Don't attack them and offer what they want, and they'll follow you like any follower. They just wont know why."

When they arrived at the new area, much to Sectonia's annoyance, they decided to fly people around, with one of the youths that had gone to the pyramid apparently transforming into some kind of UFO thing with tentacles. The Queen found this very strange, but she also did realize that the lady didn't like using this form out of its ugliness, so the Queen could understand that at least. Looking over the area, with Midna and Tora commenting on the creatures around, Midna commenting how she could use one back at her castle, Sectonia scoffed. "Even those 'dragons' need to be more beautiful. Maybe some ornate patterns, crystals, or flowers would help, but I doubt it." She was then reminded of the Medic and his need for experimentation, and asked him. "Doctor, how well do you think you could make these creatures more beautiful?" His response wasn't what Sectonia was expecting from the man, and gave her a bit to think about.

After carrying some of the phantom troop up the cliff, they eventually found their way to some sand pit. "Hmph, a Queen isn't a 'taxi service'." she said, deciding to go with the scouting party than grabbing a few others. Besides the only ones left seemed to be interested in the stuff below or were too large for her to carry anyway. As they scouted the area above, they found a strange sand pit. Sectonia, being the residential flyer, and the only one who's only method of movement was flying, didn't care much at all about this as she could just fly over it. Joker however, who was curious, mentioned that when he touched it, his "MP" drained, whatever that was. Tora tried the same thing, but didn't feel a thing, much like he should. It was just sand after all. However, as they disturbed the area, two snake like women appeared, jumping towards the party to attack them.

"Hmph. Stay in your sand." Sectonia said at the snakes, summoning one of her staffs to strike them with her dark lightning. Considering how hot it was here and the 'work' she had to do, she wasn't really much in the mood with dealing with an ambush from such repugnant creatures.

It wasn't like the Cadet was expecting Cuphead to be mistaken, but still seeing Link there struggling against some invisible bonds was like a punch to the gut. It didn't sit well with the hunter at all, despite the fact he couldn't fathom what magic was or the extent of what a mage could do it was clear that something was going on, something bad. At times the Hylian would chat plainly with the white haired woman, and others he would lash out as much as possible. Frog was wise to speak when he did, as the Cadet was mid-step towards the unhappy couple.

"We already have her by surprise," the Cadet whispered harshly to Frog, "Her back is turned, I bet she thinks we have no idea where Link is right now!"

The waiter looked between all three of them with a patient expression. Used to dealing with if not this sort of thing, then with troublesome guests. The monster hunter looked too, from Frog and Hat Kid to Link and the woman seated with him. He clenched and un-clenched his fist. This kind of encounter was one the Cadet wasn't well suited for - the only thing he could think of was just to go for it. So... he did.

"This way," the waiter said, turning to guide them, but Ace Cadet hesitated to follow. He crouched down closer to Hat Kid's level and spoke to her and Frog both: "You guys take the surprise route, I'll - distract her, or something."

He broke off from the others, going around the long way. The waiter barely spared the redhead a glance before he tried to usher the others to a table. Cadet put Link's table between himself and Frog and Hat Kid, and from that opposite side he approached.

"Link!" The Cadet moved quickly, but also as casually as he could handle. He put his hands down on the table, leaning slightly over it, invading the Hylian and his captor's space. He wore a smile, but to anyone looking closely the expression was strained. Cadet was not a very good liar all things considered, but he took Frog's suggestion of not drawing attention to what was going on. Or tried to, at least. A brawl in the middle of the Bismarck wasn't on the agenda if he could help it. "Been looking all over for you! C'mon, we still have a lot of work to do."

He looked at the darkly clothed woman. While she was enchanting in more ways than one, she was definitely off-putting. "We're gonna get going now, kecha later," he told her. If the woman was any kind of intuitive she'd be able to tell the hunter knew exactly what was really going on here at their table, but until called out the Cadet was going to keep up his poor charade, going as far as to try and help Link out of his seat as if he was an old man that needed that kind of assistance.

Yoshitsune had been traveling for a while when he stumbled upon the ruins. Things had been crazy ever since he landed in this new world. He didn’t truly know what was going on but was glad he had yet to get in any bad fights and the few he had gotten into, he'd won without any death. From what he experienced, this was nothing like Kyoto.

As he rounded the corner to the front of the ruins, he saw something moving in the sky. He stayed low, out of sight, until they dropped to the ground and entered the ruins. They were ambushed inside, however. He didn’t know which side to help at first but figured the monstrous-looking beings were the evil ones, though there were monstrous-looking beings on both sides. This made it quite confusing. He watched for a bit, seeing how each team worked together before choosing who he thought the heroes to be.

Once close enough, he slid to a stop behind the horned fiend, held up his Amahagane, and shouted, “Kamui!” Time seemed to slow, though he knew exactly what was happening. His perception of time slowed, allowing him to begin his movements faster, though he still moved at normal speed. He figured it’d get its attention, giving him the chance to counter and injure, if not destroy, the beast. As the monster attacked, he slid to the side, dodging the hit, before aiming to cut the attacking arm off.

As Kamui wore off, Yoshitsune jumped back, trying to get the demon to charge. He was ready to block or dodge at a moment’s notice. His eyes never left his chosen enemy. With the number of warriors to fight this battle, Yoshitsune thought the lamias would focus on the others, leaving the fiend's focus on him.

He wished Shizuka and Benkei were still beside him to take this monster with him. His friends would definitely make this battle much easier. He took another step to the side, holding his swords held in an x over his torso, arms stretched towards the monster in front of him.

It was hard not to have such nagging doubt that Ace would be able to keep up his charade, acting like he was assisting the young man as if he was an elderly person. Yet this was the best opportunity to surprise the witch sitting across from Link, but Frog waited a moment to gaze at the other diners before motioning Hat Kid to follow him just as their waiter walked off.

"Thou shalt go right whilst I go left." standing Frog slowly walked into position and made eye contact with Ace and placed his hand upon Masamune's pommel letting the redheaded warrior know that if fighting broke out Ace wouldn't need to worry about facing the witch alone.

He couldn't quite make out if Hat Kid had moved into position but he was more focused on looking as casual as possible, and Frog leaned against a wall nearby the men's washroom door as though waiting to use it while keeping a steady gaze trained upon Ace with a hand planted on his weapon. Whatever happened he was ready to leap into action if they couldn't escape the restaurant without a fight.

Everyone seemed to like the Medic's plan, but after a small test of the divine beast's flexibility it became apparent that another course of action would have to be employed. There was talk of combining the two ideas, but it was met with no more enthusiasm than the original. As everyone pondered, Midna proposed her own idea. ”Maybe instead we get some spirit sourced mobility. I’d describe some of the ‘wildlife’ out there as monsters instead, and some of it can fly or maybe climb, so if we get spirits from them we can use their power to lift us up." She also proposed taming the creatures instead, but the Medic had already heard what he wanted to. Better still, he saw the look in Midna's eyes as she contemplated acquiring spirits. She may not know it, but she was hungry for experimentation, testing the limits of what she could do, what she could become. The Medic let out an unkind chuckle, a smug, evil grin creeping onto his face.

As the discussion continued, one of the teenagers, the girl dressed as a pharaoh, spoke up. Evidently, she could transform to give herself, and by extension, one of them, the powers of flight. The transformation would be permanent, but as long as she consented, the Medic saw no problem with that. Before she could take her true form, however, they'd need to go outside, as it was apparently too large to fit within Vah Naboris' belly. Despite planning on staying behind and harvesting some of these "spirits", he was still very intrigued to see what the girl would become and followed her outside. The Medic pulled out his notepad once more, intending to take notes on the transformation, however, it turned out to be more of a spectacle than he had anticipated. The girl began chanting about death and forbidden knowledge, being joined in the end by the phantom voice of some other teenage girl. A blinding light radiated out of her, and as the Medic shielded his eyes with his notebook, the girl was replaced with a sight the Medic was oddly familiar with, that of a flying saucer. "Mein Gott... She vas an alien ze whole time!?" The Medic exclaimed incredulously. How had something like that escaped him? He had examined her himself! As he stared, his glasses sliding down his nose ever so slightly, Primrose, the dancer who had accompanied the teens back from the pyramid, produced two spirits and offered them up. This snapped the Medic out of his stupor. "Oh, uh, alright." He replied somewhat dumbly. Taking the spirits from her, the Medic brought them closer to his face to examine them. One of them was some kind of mummy sans the wrappings, the other an unnatural amalgam of insect and woman. The latter interested the Medic far more, though neither was particularly useful in the present situation, so he simply dropped them into one of his coat pockets, postponing their study for another time. Above him, the UFO proclaimed itself Necronomicon and produced several metallic tentacles from it's underside. They reached down and gently but firmly took hold of Primrose, pulling her up and into it's interior. It then reached down and took hold of one of the other team members, placing them on top of itself. The Necronomicon flew up and away, it's secondary occupant clutching onto the gargoyle affixed atop the spinning disc.

It wasn't until Necronomicon had disappeared from sight that the Medic was able to compose himself. Midna mentioned a group of dragons that could be useful, not only for their gift of flight, but for their raw power. The Medic's evil grin returned to his face. "I vould be most honored to assist you on zis hunt, your highness! I cannot vait to study such legendary creatures up close!" Sectionia didn't seem to be having any of it however, scoffing at their apparent ugliness. She turned as if to leave, only to stop and inquire as to whether or not The Medic would be able to make some of these creatures more beautiful. "Ah, vell, you see," the Medic began, adjusting his glasses once more. "Ze short answer vould be yes, certainly. However, "beauty" iz an incredibly subjective term. For instance, I find beauty in ze unique, ze unknown, und ze unattempted. However, many of ze zings I find beautiful are viscerally unpleasant und even frightening to most people. Having said zat," He continued, unaware of whether Sectionia was even still there. "If you wanted to make something cuter, zat vould be a significantly easier task, as vat qualifies as cute is much more definable. Now, I von't go into too much detail, but suffice to say zat "cuteness", or neotony, is a biological adaptation found in more complex organisms, primarily mammals, zat allows ze parent to more immediately bond viz zeir offspring. Zese iz important, as it provides zem viz a more selfish reason to protect und nurture ze infant until it iz capable of providing for eetself, at vich point it vill have lost ze traits zat made it "cute" in ze first place. Of course, zis phenomena iz not restricted to zeir own offspring, or even animals in general, but zat's a discussion for anozer time." The Medic concluded, smiling smugly at his ability to reason away the intricacies of what most called humanity. "Er... vhat vere ve talking about? Oh, yes! Dragon hunting!" The Medic stated excitedly, seeming to switch gears instantaneously.