Lugubrious

World of Light

I do have some thoughts on these two applications. Specifically, Ichiban has Strengths that would better fit as Powers, and a lot of what he can do in his sheet encapsulates things that everyone can do in the World of Light, or things that are a result of many of its elements working on video game logic.

How would Essence of Mayhem work? I see that it assumes that once the first hit lands, the rest of them are guaranteed. That means the enemy is essentially helpless. Does it occur in its own sort of pocket dimension like it does in game while time is frozen on the outside, does time just freeze around the attack while it's being delivered, or does time not freeze and the attack is just invincible? This is an issue I myself haven't solved with Tora's Chain Attack, which is part of why I haven't used it.

RPG nut is a lot all in one. Wound Ignore and Inventory can both be Strengths in their own right. The other stuff seems like it should be less on Ichiban and more on the world. In this world there's lots of food that heals by its own merit because that's just what it does. Certain weapons, abilities, attacks, etc can all apply buffs and debuffs, and everyone can get their weapons upgraded by blacksmiths because that's what they do. For the downsides, basically everyone has an unwritten MP and stamina. Everyone is vulnerable to status ailments

Poundmates should probably be a Power, unless it's literally "Ichiban knows how to call people on his phone, and he's bizarrely good at convincing them to drop what they're doing and come to him as fast as they can"

If Hello Work, Mobile Edition means he can magically and instantly change gear, attributes, and abilities, then that should be a Power.

For Ganondorf I don't have much to say really. Dark Magic should be a Power. Conversely, having just Warlock Fist as a whole Power feels a little underwhelming. If individual moves are Powers, it'll take a lot to build up even his basic moveset.

World of Light

Twilight Town

Level 11 Tora (72/110) Level 11 Poppi (72/110) Level 8 Big Band (16/80), Level 10 Nadia (27/100)
Koopa Troop and Midna’s @DracoLunaris, Geralt’s @Multi_Media_Man, Ace Cadet, Octopath Travelers, and Pit’s @Yankee, Blazermate, Sectonia, and Susie’s @Archmage MC, Sakura, Jesse, and Karin’s @Zoey Boey, Raz and Red’s @TruthHurts22, Omori’s [@Majora’s End], Rubick’s @Scarifar, Bede’s @Crimson Flame, Roxas’ @Double, the Mercenaries, the Wonderful Ones, and the Phantom Thieves
Word Count: 3070

For Geralt

New items obtained (from Elephante, Meerca, Quiggle, Gill Grunt x2)
Low-definition Pirate Hat
Better for playing pirate than being one
Pirate Paint Brush
An incredibly rare find. At first glance it seems to have no function, but if applied at the Fountain of Dreams, it can turn anyone into a pirate version of themselves
Wind-up Froggy
A plastic toy that can hop around if wound up
Fish x2
A chunk of meat with the scales still on. Can be prepared in any number of ways to make a tasty dish

If Nadia expected to fade into the background following her short-and-sweet introduction, she quickly got proven wrong. One of the details she elected to share with her new cohort earned her some extra attention. Among the various strangers who’d gathered to meet the Tinkerslug contingent on the docks was a lanky young boy with a rather uniquely shaped head and what appeared to be a severe jaundice, and once she made mention of her unique ability he inundated her with questions. She had herself a chuckle at his enthusiastic curiosity.

“I could answer all that,” she told him, “But showin’ ya might be the ‘necks’ best thing. Check this out.” Nadia reached up and took hold of her head by the ponytail, using at as a handle to lift her head from her shoulders. She swiped the other through the space between them, showing that her neck had been completely, cleanly, and easily severed. A few gasps and incredulous stares accompanied her little feat. “As ya might guess, this ain’t somethin’ I can teach,” she told him, her words tinged with laughter. “I can separate along any of my scars. Blood’s under my control, but I can always make more if I love some, or use it to do stuff. Guess you can say I’m a cut above!”

After that she put her head back where it belonged and fell silent, happy to give the inquisitive little guy his own time to shine. Though she liked the limelight as much as any outgoing person, her looks earned her enough attention as-is, and so many eyes on her just felt uncomfortable sometimes. Raz introduced himself as a Psychonaut, and his mention of entering minds intrigued her. While that sounded like a massive invasion of personal privacy, and from a ten-year-old circus clown no less, Nadia wondered if the kid really could help her sort through some of her confusion and pain. Even for someone as energetic, fun-loving, and reckless as herself, peace of mind was a valuable thing. Hopefully Raz possesses some himself; flat-out dying in water was one hell of a weakness.

Wonder Red introduced himself next, speaking on behalf of the CENTINELS. Though not anyone that Tora, Poppi, and Big Band knew for very long, they seemed like good people. A little cheesy, but refreshingly professional, was the impression they left with Big Band. Tora wondered where the rest of the hundred-man international team might be. Roxas followed in Red’s footsteps, and though he spared only a handful of details, his relation to Organization XIII made him seem important. His commentary left Big Band with more questions than answers, and hungry for more. In a world of stasis, its oblivious populace kept perpetually in thrall, the existence of an independent Organization operating with its own agenda could not be ignored.

When Primrose stepped up to introduce herself, she did so with a stupendous flourish, putting on a little spectacle for her new allies that Nadia couldn’t help but admire…grudgingly. Through no fault of her own, the talented dancer ended up making Nadia feel a little inferior. Primrose was just so gorgeous, so glamorous, so elegant and powerful, all perfectly wrapped up in one stunning package. Put the rudimentary dances she learned from Shantae to shame, too. Normally the feral wasn’t one to get hung up on comparisons, but she also noticed that Ace couldn’t seem to look away from this woman, and somehow that stung a little. Could that be a touch of jealousy? Nadia frowned. Maybe this newfound competitiveness came as a result of her spirit fusion, or maybe it only just now manifested because she found someone she really liked. Lost in thought, she barely noticed the dancer’s companion Therion, though the thief did not make a spectacle of himself to begin with.

Ace said his piece next, introducing himself as a well-trained, well-equipped slayer of fantastical beasts. His job description and oversized equipment painted him as a frontline battle companion that Tora and Poppi would be happy to fight alongside. After that, Midna and the Koopa Troop picked up the trend Primrose started of showing off and carried it even farther, putting both abilities and egos on display in a show of power and braggadocious bravado. Band noted with some amusement the royals’ opposing boasts; if Midna saved time and Bowser conquered time, times must be interesting indeed. Tora, meanwhile, was just happy to see his fellow gearhead again. Not since Peach’s Castle had he and Junior really gotten the chance to put their heads together. Kamek looked a little different than he remembered, though that line of thinking quickly gave way to an interest in the Snaktivator she produced.

Sectonia went after, and she even managed to rope in Blazermate in order to try and impress the others with her magic. Once her turn came around, the Medabot deployed all her features and constructs too. Tora couldn’t wait to have a dedicated healer again, even if upgrades like Buster-Mode helped Tora take care of himself. Susie went next, but Tora’s mind drifted elsewhere. He had happened to realize that out of everyone gathered here, only Bowser, Blazermate, and himself remained from the original group of strangers who once gathered at the knoll at the edge of the southern badlands to defeat Kirby. It was a sobering thought.

Karin certainly introduced herself with aplomb, and with a level of pride that Poppi hadn’t been expecting. The martial artist took pains to make sure everyone knew just how accomplished she was. Grandiose attitudes were nothing new to Poppi, given her time with Sectonia and Bowser, but the phrase ‘prove yourselves worthy of fighting at my side’ came across as a little insulting from a newbie. Her comment about the Nopon manner of speech did not elude Poppi, either. The moment that Karin needed an immovable shield between her and certain doom, or salvation from its death’s door, she would realize just how valuable these peons around her could be.

In contrast, Sakura made a much more modest entrance. Her fun fact about hot dogs earned her the admiration and respect of Tora, who figured that anyone who loved sausages as much as he did couldn’t possibly be a bad person. Plus, she was cute, friendly, and maybe just a little dumb, all very endearing qualities.

Geralt introduced himself, though to Tora and Poppi his abilities were well-known. The events of the fight at the crystalized farmstead in the Ancestral Steppe had been seared into their memory. Helpfully the Witcher explained away some of the overlap between himself and Ace, which earned some respect from Band. Raw power was nice, but experience didn’t come cheap. After the grizzled, slightly bestial veteran came the bright-eyed youth Pit, the very definition of ‘happy to be here’. Omori followed him up, explaining about powers that derived from emotions. Band’s thoughts were elsewhere. What was that now, five preteen boys on the team, counting Tora? He, Raz, Junior, Pit, and Omori should be out there enjoying their lives, not risking them in a fight like this. If -or more likely, when- death came knocking, would not care that they were children.

When she went Jesse kept things simple and to-the-point, even deigning to drop some info that might be important later. Poppi logged the woman’s mention of a city in danger up north. While she could not yet venture a guess as to what city that might be, one thing was certain: this world needed a lot of saving. Her introduction left just two people, though only one elected to say anything: a rather proud young man who talked highly of his skill with Pokemon. After remembering her Croagunk, Poppi figured it wouldn’t take much to be a better Pokemon trainer than her. Maybe this Bede could give her some pointers. As for the spooky-looking sorcerer, only time would tell, it seemed. Not everyone would be the sort to make nice like this.

When the introductions finally concluded, Peach was all smiles. No matter what she or the others had gone through to get here, as long as the world’s heroes stood united, the future seemed bright. “Okay then. Now that we’ve gotten to know one another a little, let’s get started on our first mission…lunch!” She pointed her gloved finger up toward the Clock Tower, high up on the hill that Twilight Town rested on. “That’s where we’re going, right? Where the Metro station is, I mean. So, let’s make our way up through this…” She squinted in order to make out the name on a nearby street sign. “Market Street toward the train station. On the way, we can buy enough food for everyone, as well as anything else we need. It’s a beautiful day here, so we can eat outside as pool information and figure out who’s going where. If anyone needs some money…” She pulled out a Wallet purchased from the Argentum Trade Guild and poured out a handful of gold coins into her pocket, just a fraction of the wealth now housed within the magic Wallet’s infinite depths. “The treasury of the Mushroom Kingdom will provide!”

She glanced at LeFwee, still smoldering where he lay. “...And let’s make sure we throw these pirates somewhere, too.”

Forty-five minutes later, a few large, checkered tablecloths had been laid out across a grassy hillside on the upper outskirts of Twilight Town, roughly halfway between where the western perimeter road ended and the coniferous forest began. Separated from the acrid haze of the Sulfur Pools on the other side of these hills by the sloped expanse of fragrant pines, this hillside offered an excellent view past the Clock Tower and down across the town itself, all the way to the water. Those Seekers tasked with purchasing food had procured a trove of ingredients for sandwiches, including tasty cheese, fresh bread, savory salami, luscious ham, and vegetables like tickles and tomatoes that could be sliced up and added to sandwiches or eaten as-is if so desired. Drinks aside from water were only a short walk away, as the cafes around the Central Station’s plaza offered coffees, teas, fruit juices, and more. Other food and drink, of course, was up to the buyers’ (and financier’s) discretion.

Not everyone had been getting supplies for the midday feast, however. When the team passed a hairdresser called Seabreeze Salon on Market Street, Nadia discretely slipped inside. Pretty as long hair might be, Nadia didn’t care much for it, especially now that knew Primrose had an even bigger, more voluminous, and more lustrous ponytail than she did. In just a few minutes she emerged with her hair back in a short bob cut, albeit still with Massachusetts’ hair color, black on the inside and white on the outside. To her annoyance Nadia realized that she’d lost the hair dye she purchased at some point, probably in the river; she really needed a better way to carry her things instead of constantly losing them. A few others made their own stops as well. Vandham and the mercenaries took the chance to stop at the Militia headquarters, for instance, and deposit their piratical prisoners after an impromptu meeting with the boss.

While eating, the Seekers spoke, and the biggest topic was naturally where the Metro would be taking them. With such a miraculous transportation system the World of Light was their oyster, but they needed to avoid spreading themselves too thin. This applied even more considering that Vandham and the other mercenaries would be headed back to Alcamoth once their business here concluded, and that some sort of undisclosed discovery by the Phantom Thieves meant that they would be taking the Gray Line no matter what. Commander Nelson relayed Deadman’s request for help in the Dystopiascape, specifically in the biggest metropolis known to the World of Light, Midgar. A brief overview of its internal struggles, including the feuding powers within the city and the upcoming presidential election, as well as the Ever Crisis that assailed it from without, convinced the heroes that this was one cry for help they couldn’t ignore. Plus, as some Yellow Team members brought up, their acquaintance Goldlewis Dickinson would be there to help them, too. Once they established a foothold in Midgar, the Seekers could use the knowledge and resources gained during their time there to find and defeat the Dystopiascape’s Guardian.

Black Line it was, then. But would that be all? A massive group would be that much harder to manage, and in all likelihood cause more problems than it solved. The discussion soon turned to where a secondary team might be headed. Everyone considered the Twilight Forest, the Forbidden Kingdom, and the Frozen Highlands, but ultimately decided on the Under. It seemed like as good a place to start as ever, with more adventure and fewer complications than might be found elsewhere. It was settled: the Dystopiascape and the Under would be the next challenges the Seekers of Light would tackle. After some deliberation, the two teams came to be as well.

Susie, Peach, Tora, Poppi, Raz, Red, Geralt, Bede, Midna, Blazermate, Pit, Roxas, Sakura, and Karin would take the Black Line, while, Sectonia, Ms Fortune, Big Band, Omori, Rubick, Primrose, Therion, Bowser, Junior, Kamek, Rika, Jesse, and the Ace Cadet would take the Purple. The fourteen-thirteen split made sense, and with the teams scrambled everyone would have a chance to work alongside allies both new and old.

A few of those present, informed about new possibilities during the meet and greet, took the chance to request the use of the Snaktivator or Peach’s soul-taking services.

For Midna

Notable spirit consumed:
Harbinger (Torso)
The host has gotten a little taller and her torso has become a bit beefier, bringing it more in line with her hips in terms of size. The skin is somewhat mottled, as if healed after an extensive burn, though it is hidden beneath a black priest’s cassock, buttoned up. There’s also a stole, though its frayed, bug-eaten appearance leaves a lot to be desired. In terms of personality, the host is more enthusiastic about burning things. This spirit confers the Strength Tempered Flesh, increasing effective HP and bodily defense appreciably. It also confers the Weakness Mighty Glacier, decreasing running and flying speed somewhat

For Sectonia

Spirit extracted: Florami

New Striker spiritbound:
Florami
An adult-form spectrobe of impressive power and floral appearance. It can use Flower Ray to shoot a couple energy blasts from the flower buds on its chest on a medium cooldown, or Bloom Blast to spin and shoot a graceful, yet devastating 8-way blast attack on a long cooldown. While active, it regenerates some HP for Sectonia, but it cannot be active unless attacking

Briefly the picnickers also touched on a couple other causes for concern. Organization XIII presented an unknown extra factor in their campaigns, with some of its members helping the Seekers, and others unabashedly hindering them. Their goal seemed to be the eradication of Galeem’s Guardians, but they also worked in secrecy, and Roxas’ past painted them as enemies with a sinister motive. The other issue was a new one: the Consul. An individual who’d seemingly marshaled the denizens of the Sea of Serendipity into one force despite their past opposition, and pointed them directly at the heroes. While little could ultimately be said about him, what happened at Port O’ Panic seemed like enough to say with certainty that the Consul was someone to watch out for.

Finally, with their meals and discussions concluded, the Seekers wrapped up their picnic and made for Central Station to begin the next step of their grand adventure.

They went in the peaceful but subtly melancholic golden glow of an eternal sunset, but as ever the dusk cast long shadows. Atop the Clock Tower itself, no fewer than thirteen such shadows perched in the darkness. Some were tall, and some were short. Some were male, and some female. Some brawny, and some slender. None wielded their weapons, though one held a camera. The affected poses of sophistication, curiosity, flippancy, boredom, severity, excitement, and more, but one thing united them all, aside from their black coats. Not one of them felt a thing–just emptiness, where their hearts should be.

“Aw, now doesn’t that just warm the cockles,” one of the nobodies drawled as he sat on the precipice of the Clock Tower, peering down on the Seekers with one golden eye. “Nothin’ like teary reunion, eh guys?”

“Wot? Surely you en’t alludin’ to us there, scahface,” the shortest Nobody chirped, crossing her arms. “Dunno oo’s ‘appy to see your ugly mug.”

The first one snickered. “As if! We’re just here to wish them luck.”

“What good will luck do them?” another Nobody criticized in a sharp, slightly nasal monotone. “If they mean to achieve their goal, what they need is more power.”

Sighing, the first one shook his head. “Spoken like a true runner-up. You of all people should know, raw strength ain’t what always lets the heroes save the day. Nor speed, nor smarts, nor skill. Not even bravery!”

“It’s true,” a tall one said, his hood stretched over his cube-shaped head. He produced a playing card, then spread it into an entire deck of fifty-two. “No matter the player, there’s one factor Nobody can account for. Luck of the draw.” Without looking he pulled one card from the fan, vanished the rest, and then turned the card to look at what he’d drawn. It was the Ace of Diamonds. “Wonder how this hand plays out.”

“Nothin’ to do but wait and see. Unless they need a little nudge here and there,” the first one replied. . He clapped his hands on his knees and stood. “Ramaxi, Hallextram.” Two of the female nobodies stepped forward. “Kudos to ya both for a job well done. No rest for the wicked though, got a new task for ya. Thanks to that little meet and greet, we now know there’s someone we oughta pay a visit to. Someone I thought we left behind.”

Hallextram nodded. “Understood.” Portals of darkness opened around the shadows, and into them the Nobodies disappeared. Only she and Ramaxi remained for a moment, their eyes on the Seekers far below. “They seem happy,” she murmured. “Even knowing how long and difficult the path ahead will be.” She held out her gloved hand and stared at it pensively. “When this is all over…could we be happy, too?”

“A Nobody doesn't have a right to know,” Ramaxi whispered. “Nor does it even have the right to be. Corpses such as us…should be left well alone.” The two stared a moment longer, then in a heavy silence, left.

---

In the darkness, an incessant rattling noise accompanied the beam of light that shone from the backmost reaches of the room, projecting the image through the pitch and onto the far wall. There an enormous screen rested beneath the dangling curtains, their tassels limp and still given the utter lack of wind. Reflected off the screen, that light gave form to the stage that lay beneath it, the twin curved staircases that led down to the auditorium seating, and the stalls themselves. Most of the seats were empty, but scattered throughout were a few handfuls of curious attendees, their forms given only the vaguest distinction from the shadows by the glare of the screen. Each guest was appropriately dressed for the occasion, and through their suits bore little variance between one another, no two helmets looked exactly alike. These guests all sat apart from one another, and not one of them said a word to each other.

For the most part, they kept their eyes glued to the silver screen before them, especially now that the film had reached its climax. Some of them oohed and aahed over the spectacle, diverted by impressive displays of skill and dramatic reversals of fortune. Shouts of encouragement or derision accented the decisive moments. “Finish her off!” one might yell, or “don’t just stand there,” or “where did that come from?” The spectators insulted and criticized as they pleased, or showed their indifference with a yawn. When the monochrome boy stabbed the old lizard through the heart, and his young grandson wailed his sorrow to the heavens, they savored the rich pathos of the tragedy. When the scrappy brunette got tied to a cannonball and fired away with a yell, uproarious laughter ensued. A couple gasps followed the apparent assassination of the well-armed shipgirl, only to turn to a smattering of cheers when she stood up again to bear the hopes of her late friend, dispatched with such groan-inducing anticlimax by the medical bot. Exultation then followed as she finally pinned the squirrely catgirl down to give her just desserts, but that soon fell to disappointment as the dirty fighter then seized the day. Several nodded their heads at the honorable resolution of the final duel between the sword-wielding warriors, and when that cowardly pirate captain found himself utterly alone and helpless at last, many a chuckle could be heard. Before long, all hope was lost for the denizens of the Sea of Serendipity, and the snap of the fairy’s spine punctuated the end of their resistance. The victors gathered their spoils, and in their captured vessel sailed on to parts unknown.

With the film concluded, the screen went dark, and with it the whole of the theater. Just a moment later, however, a singular spotlight came on above the stage. It illuminated a tall figure in cherry-red armor, his helmet crested with an arch like the battlements of a tower and flanked by half-discs like overlarge ears.

“Welcome back to the stage of history, eternally retold,” he declared, bowing politely to the auditorium. After straightening up, he stared out into the darkness, his dark eyes visible through the X-shaped slit in his visor. “And it would appear that we have quite the healthy turnout, as well. Fourteen is nothing to scoff at for such a ramshackle production, mustered up on such a tight schedule. How long has it been since this place saw so many of us?”

“Not long enough,” spat a pointed, almost venomous voice. A spotlight fell upon the owner to reveal a helmet with the visage of a fanged tragedy mask, adorned by curled horns like bat wings. The man sat upon his cape with his legs crossed, his elbow perched on the arm of his chair so he could rest his chin on his fist. “It was not by my hand that I am once again giving audience. Tell me, S. Why have we been beckoned hence by such an insolent knave as yourself? Merely for a smidgen of entertainment?”

The owner of another voice, old and cantankerous, cleared his throat. “Don’t be so hasty, D.” A spotlight shone down on a domed helmet surrounded in tubes and medical apparatus. “Like it or not, this concerns us both. Your territory’s been awfully quiet lately, has it not?”

D sounded as incredulous as he was scornful. “Siding with this maverick, O? Hmph! Eager to get back to playing with the dead, are we? Or do you have some other bent, you miserable pile of secrets?” A mixture of anger and fear made O trip over his words, and with a grumble he fell silent, while D rolled his eyes.

“Anyone with their wits about them could guess why we’re here.” An even, mature voice brought forth a light that revealed a sinuous helmet with a white mask face dotted by tech lines and recessed eyes. “He has found another band of brave heroes who mean to stand against the flow.”

“Really, I thought it was a social visit.” His tone sarcastic, D glared at the speaker for the implied insult. “That was a rhetorical question, Y. What I want is an explanation. What makes these heroes worthy of our time. If I didn’t know better, I’d say S wanted there to be heroes!”

“Surely you don’t mean to try our patience again, S?” Light flooded onto a burly Consul as he rose from his seat, his ice-blue eyes glaring out from his centurion-styled helm. “You cried wolf once before,” he said, his voice naturally gruff and hard. “You were so sure these ‘heroes’ would be the ones to give us a run for our money, but they folded like a cheap suit, and all we got for our efforts was wasted time. What makes you think this time is any different?”

“Hey, hey, now.” Another light announced the presence of a shorter figure with a helmet shaped like the sun, marked with jagged zig-zags in the shape of a mouth and eyes. “Sit down, U. As fun as it’d be to watch you all at each other’s throats, don’t you think we oughta hear him out, at least? He’s the same as any of us, after all. And did give us a good show!” The Consul closed his eyes, smiling. “I mean, did you hear those dulcet death throes? ‘I’m sorry, everyone’...’forgive me…’ They sure love apologizing, huh? A lot of good it’ll do them when they’re dead, heheh.”

“Thank you O, F,” The man on stage tilted and nodded his head in gratitude. “What I shall endeavor to bring to your collective attention is, indeed, no small matter. My past transgression is, of course, my deepest and most bitter regret, which is why I bided my time to collect enough information to truly certify my position. I do not intend to ask the world of you, my friends; merely that we should lift a finger or two, when the opportunity presents itself. For these ‘heroes’, as you say, are the real deal.”

A number of voices broke out at the same time, most of them dismissive. But through the chaos ripped a rich baritone, possessed of a subtle ethereal echo that bore the depth of time. “Compose yourselves, ladies and gentlemen. Preposterous as they might seem at first blush, our colleague’s concerns are more well-founded than you likely realize.” The voice came from a helmet shaped like a heart clasped in mechanical instrumentation, bearing nine crests and a bevy of eyes.

“A?” Some of the Consuls shifted in their seats, in particular a diminutive one with a drill-shaped helmet on his huge head. His growly voice sounded impressed. “If you’re backing S up, this can’t just be more bologna. But my dominion is as absolute as ever. Not one whiff of trouble in or around the Plateau.” He crossed his arms, narrowing his slitted orange eyes. “What sort of damage are we looking at?”

S adopted a thinking pose. “I’m so very glad you asked, R. As it happens, our new heroes have amassed quite the little list of accolades, and in a rather short time as well. In less than one week’s time, no fewer than four of the Guardians have been defeated, and their spirits laid claim to. Opposing factions have been eliminated across the Deep Blue Seaside and Sandswept Sky, and the people of places like Limsa, Lumbridge, Peach’s Castle, and Al Mamoon rally in their heroes’ support.” The revelations were met with silence, but nobody was jeering now. S gave a wry smile and continued. “This state of affairs cannot, however, be attributed to inordinate strength, or even sheer murderous intent. As you just saw, even the motley crew of blowhards, has-beens, and civilians I quickly gathered in the Sea of Serendipity gave our heroes a run for their money, even if no casualties ensued. We’ve reached this stage -both literally and metaphorically, I might add- because of negligence and complacency. We’ve rested on our laurels so long, we’ve flattened them.”

“Hey, speak for yourself, Stretch!” an obnoxious, childish male voice called out from the front row. No eyes could be seen within the helmet that resembled a boar’s head, with four bent spider legs jutting out from either side, as the portly little Consul stared up at the man on stage. “Everything’s just fine where I am, and getting to the Guardian is impossible! You just want the rest of us to cover up for your mistakes!”

As F snickered, another voice arose in reproach. This one was female, albeit roboticized, and though monotone her delivery carried a certain ridicule. “As much as it must sting to be reproached once in your pampered little life, P, consider the bigger picture for a moment. If we’ve really let four Guardians slip through our fingers in one week, we may be in danger. Our greatest enemy is not a group of heroes, but ourselves.” She turned her semicircular helmet around the room, bathing all in her yellow gaze. “We should begin by asking the corresponding Consuls what happened in their regions.”

“What are you talking about, G?” P whined. “We OWN this world!”

“This world is but a fleeting shadow, on the backdrop of eternity.” From the likeness of a snarling, fanged demon with a plated helmet of its own issued an elegant woman’s voice, soft but charged with power. “And eternity is in our hands. We cannot allow it to slip away.”

“Too true.” S took a deep breath in through his nose. As he continued to speak, images from previous films appeared on the screen behind him. “So. The slain Guardians are Megadragonbowser.” A clip of the fiery brawl in the throne room of Peach’s Castle played. “Ender Dragon. “ A shot of the giant monstrosity crashing through the End. “The Orphan of Kos.” A pitch-black giant loomed over a tar-covered beach. “And Red Eye.” From on high the Seekers dove down to finish off the giant worm as it lay impaled upon countless supports.

“For my realm, I was unaware of them for a time, and while visiting Lumbridge mistook the newcomers for simple adventurers. Only after an uproar surrounding the Guild Master did I begin to connect the dots. After that I began to monitor them more closely, and resolved to let them challenge the Ender Dragon to see if they possessed the power to vanquish it. Afterward, I began to concoct my plan.” He shook his head. “My opposite number, M, was otherwise engaged at that time, and elected not to appear today, either. I cannot speak to him, or to the other regions…”

A rubbed the chin of his helmet. “I admit, I was rather engrossed in other affairs. The depths of the Bottomless Sea provide quite the diversion. With the Maw out of commission, however, I shall have to requisition ever more exquisite horrors from the deep to stoke the flames of war.”

“We were all just busy, I’m sure. Lot of ground to cover, y’know?” The husky, strident voice came from one of the biggest, brawniest Consuls in the room. Her helmet resembled a skull nestled in a mane of tentacles. “Tell you what, though. If the folks from Limsa think they’ve seen the last of conflict, they’re about to be in for a rude awakening. I drummed up a group with a lot of attitude who's gonna shake things up in the Seaside.”

“What, Abyssal Fleet just not doin’ it for ya anymore, I?” A lean Consul in a one-eyed helmet drawled.

I shook her head, her disgust clear in her voice. “They are stagnation itself. It’s not that they do not change–it is that they cannot. They do not think, or desire, or adapt. They merely charge forward, and if they fall, their replacements charge over them. They are played out, and life is wasted upon them. So I leave them to sink, and have chosen for Limsa a new enemy. One that will happily learn lessons from their broken bones, and appreciate wisdom more than they do their teeth. You understand, yes, H?”

“Wow, huh, good luck with that,” H told her. “Well, in my neck of the woods, I’m actually pretty happy those ‘heroes’ of yours broke Red Eye outta the mountain. Their little fight wiped out so much track that Al Mamoon’s ground to a stop, leaving them no choice but to accept an offer from FeeCo. Soon we’re gonna have the whole desert hooked up and fightin’ like cats. Business is BOOMING, baby!”

A Consul with a helmet like a chicken-shaped totem shook her head ruefully. “You forget that neither side is supposed to truly defeat the other,” she reminded him.

“Hey, you of all people should know I play to win, X!” H chuckled. “Maybe you’re just backing the wrong horses. I mean, hordes of filthy bandits and voodoo magic against FeeCo tech? Please!”

Before they could start bickering, S spoke up. “What about the Mushroom Kingdom, then? I understand that they swept through in less than a day, but how fare things now?”

“Don’t you look at me funny!” a slightly shrill old voice insisted. Its owner could be seen under the spotlight, his spiked helmet stylized like a brain protruding from a skull. “I’ve been preoccupied trying to get that fool Eggman started, only for him to go and lose the factory I gave him! My beautiful machine army, up in smoke! Meanwhile, K’s been off playing castle to the west! Didn’t even show up today, see?”

Consul A tilted his head. “If machines are your desire, W, perhaps I can direct you and your erstwhile associate to a certain elephantine derelict on the perimeter of my domain. In their cups locals whisper tales of a Metal Devil, a relic of an advanced civilization.”

“Is that so? Metal Devil, hmm? I like the sound of that. Perhaps I shall give my pawn another chance.” W rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

After a long drink from his glass, D slammed his hand down. “Enough talk! If we mean to actually do something, it would behoove us to know where things stand.”

“Of course.” S cleared his throat again. “The heroes employ Alcamoth as their base of operations. It is well-equipped, and will soon finish repairs on an airship that can cover the whole continent. Right now the heroes are on their way to Twilight Town to use the Metro to begin the hunt for more Guardians, but we don’t know where they’re headed. They also have help from the Organization.”

O snorted. “Feh, the Organization. They’ve been a thorn in our side, sure, but that’s all they are. They know they can’t take any risks if they mean to achieve their goal. Let them keep their shadows. We are the light, and they know it.”

“Plus, we literally outnumber them two to one.” P drummed his feet against the legs of his seat. “If we’re actually going to do something, why not just all jump them at once? Get it over with nice and fast.”

A mixture of snorts and laughter greeted his proposal. “Do you forget who we are?” D scoffed. “We are the custodians of this world! Its very rulers! To resort to such a base tactic would be to announce to all the world -and worst of all, one another- that we possess neither power, nor wisdom, nor courage. Do you truly have no shame, child of man?”

With an annoyed grunt P slumped down in his chair.. “Ugh. It was just a question.”

B interlaced her fingers as she considered all angles. “Have we any word from Master Hand?”

“Off working in mysterious ways, I’m sure,” U jeered. “Forget the oversized glove. Any actual action is up to the likes of us!” He pounded his fist into his palm for emphasis.

“Hmm.” Another Consul earned a light, which shone down on a bucket helm with the face of a clock and a forked adornment. His voice was deep, equal parts sophisticated and menacing. “If the time has come to dispose of Alcamoth, perhaps I could convince L to make use of that Tech Plant she’s always gibbering about. Would you agree to a joint venture, H?”

It took a moment for H to understand the proposal. “Huh? You mean…? Oh, with Zurvan? Yeah, uh, sure thing, N. If you actually convince that frosty bitch, that’ll definitely do the trick. Hate to be those guys, whoo.” He laughed as he pretended to pull at his collar. “Wouldn’t mind watching, though.”

“As for the rest of us,” S mused. “We have much and more to do. Let us stay sharp, keep our noses to the grindstones, and make ready. Whenever and wherever they turn up, we should be ready to oppose them.”

“Very well. Myself and C shall arrange a warm welcome for them in Midgar” Y murmured, nodding his head. “If he hasn’t already begun, of course.” With that, he disappeared in a flash of purple sparks, and the spotlight above him snapped off.

“Funny that neither Consul from Twilight Forest bothered showing up, either” R grumbled.

“I’ll spread the love.” Beneath his mask, F grinned. “I can hardly wait to get T involved. Ohoh, this should be fun.”

B took a long, slow breath. “I suppose I must let J know, as well. One can only hope that she will not go overboard.”

They left, and the others quickly followed suit. One spotlight at a time the room returned to darkness. In just a couple moments, only a couple remained. Rather than vanish, N stood in his chair. “Something occurred to me. A delightful little bit of entertainment. You mentioned that they would soon reach Nyakuza Metro. I happen to know an easy and discreet way to put a dampener on their plans, should I make it in time.”

A brief moment passed in silence before G replied. “It sounds like you’d better get moving, then,” she told him. “I’d join you to see what comes of your little test, but it looks like I’ve got other plans. Try to leave a little for the rest of us, will you?”

“Time will tell,” N replied. A second later he was gone, and G right behind him.

That left only S. His eyes narrowed as he gazed out into the darkness. “Brave, foolhardy heroes…how far will you get this time?”

Then he vanished, and darkness ruled the stage of history once more.

---

“This place is fur-iggen’ AWESOME!”

The bustling, neon-and-brick enormity of Nyakuza Metro took Nadia completely by surprise. She’d seen her fair share of train stations and thought she knew what to expect, but an old-fashioned nighttime city totally exceeded her expectations. At first she assumed that this place featured the same sort of magically-locked time of day as Twilight Town, but upon closer inspection it turned out that the whole miniature metropolis existed one hundred percent indoors. It was weird but wonderful, and once she overcame her initial awestruck incredulity Nadia loved every inch of it. Everything was cat-themed, from the tunnel entrances to the vacuums, and no matter where she turned her delighted gaze she found something that made her smile.

“I mean, street food? Scratchin’ posts? Heat lamps? Giant kitties and cat tower apartments? This is a feline paradise!” Just a few minutes into her new mission, Nadia already found herself distracted. ‘Smitten’ might be a better word, in fact; this place offered just about everything she could ever want. The Metro, laden with cat-themed curiosities and perfect for parkour, just begged to be explored, and when she spotted a glittering jewelry store her eyes sparkled with greed. But she couldn’t afford to take a detour given her present company. With a heavy sigh, Nadia jogged to catch up with the others, resolving to take in as much of the Metro as she could while making her way through to the Purple line. After passing a group of Metro Cats, though, her disappointment gave way to a fit of the giggles. “Oh my gosh, aren’t these little guys cute? Their voices are makin’ me crack up. I swear I just heard one say, ‘if my train doesn’t arrive right meow, I’m gonna be late!’” When she mimicked the feline’s speech, her impression wasn’t just spot-on. It was immaculate, as if she and the Metro Cats somehow shared the same voice, albeit with a different inflection. Nadia blinked a few times, surprised and a little weirded out, then shrugged and carried on.

“Sadly, it ain’t as simple as findin’ the right train station,” she heard Band saying. “In order to enter any station, we need the right color train pass, and the only money they take here is pons.” He pointed to a nearby brick wall covered in graffiti, where a handful of the bright green crystals floated in a row going upward. “Those emerald-lookin’ things, see? Meanin’ we gotta stretch our legs a li’l before we can hit the tracks.”

Before the grand pon hunt could get underway, however, a loud crackly static noise echoed through the Metro. Everywhere, the Metro cats stopped what they were doing and looked up. “The hours of folly are measured by the clock,” an unfamiliar but rather villainous-sounding British accent declared. “But of wisdom, no clock can measure.”

A loud bong rang out as the giant clock face nestled in one of the metro’s high walls above the plaza struck one o’ clock. Silhouetted against its glow were two people, one broad-shouldered with armor and a tall cylindrical helmet, and the other a tall, imperial feline holding a microphone. “Kitties and gentletoms, it seems we have some uninvited guests. Whatever will we do?” the same voice began.

“...Take them,” the other said, her voice low but commanding. “Reward is one million a head.”

“Meh-meh?” Tora piped up, taken aback. “They mean us? Who they talking to?”

A sinking feeling in her chest, Nadia looked around. Where moments ago the Metro had been full of cats, now there wasn’t so much as a whisker anywhere to be found. Everything had gone quiet, and the Seekers were alone. “Uh oh.” She stared up at the clock, her face a mixture of anger and fear. “I think those pricks just put a hit on us! What happened to this place bein' safe!?”

“Sounds like our li’l train ride just got a lot more complicated,” Band said. He, too, squinted up at the clock, trying to make out the strangers who’d just announced both their presence and malicious intent. Could that cat lady be ‘her’?

The man broke out into evil laughter. “Hmhmhmhm…hahahahahahaha! That’s right, fools. Quake in your boots, for Rush Hour is upon us!”

Suddenly the ground began to shake. The sound of countless footsteps pounding the ground echoed through the Metro. Then, from alleys, tunnels, doors, windows, manhole covers, and just about everywhere else the Seekers could imagine, there erupted a living tide of black fur, gleaming claws, and slitted eyes so awash in red that almost no yellow remained. The Metro cats arrived in staggering quantities, wearing white face masks across their snouts and wielding all manner of weapons as they moved in tight-packed crowds. It was a terrifying display–not least because the feral masses seemed to be converging on the Seekers’ position.

Nadia crouched down, pressurizing her blood for a high jump. “Hah, no way in hell I’m fightin’ that! I mean, even if I could, they’re just little guys! Do we really have to hurt ‘em?”

“They weak by selves, but there so many…!” Poppi marveled, her processor momentarily overloaded by her attempt to take count. Despite the massive threat the cats posed, she did not relish the idea of fighting them either. Even attacks with a small area of effect could claim dozens of lives at once. “Extreme caution advised! Friends should run!”

“Forget the pons!” Peach shouted, taking her umbrella in hand as the tsunami of cats bore down on the group. “We need to get to the stations and get the hell out of here, NOW!”

The Phantom Thieves didn’t need to be told twice. They turned into blurs and disappeared down a nearby alley, following the Gray Line signs. “See you on the other side,” Joker called, waving goodbye. “Good luck!” He then darted off after the others, barely making it before the cats swept in front of it and closed off that avenue of escape. Peach was right. It was time to go.

Individually, the cats are weak, but together, their crowds are more like flowing lava than a group of enemies. They’re now covering most of the ground and rooftops. Going/falling into the crowd, whether accidentally or in an attempt to fight, will only result in getting overwhelmed, taking constant heavy damage and being pinned, whether sooner or later. Hit-and-run is fine against small gangs that split off from the crowd to attack on their own or cut the heroes off, though said gangs might be led by an elite cat-themed enemy. Make it through Rush Hour and find a way into your designated station before the last trains leave!

World of Light

Twilight Town

Level 11 Tora (68/110) Level 11 Poppi (68/110) Level 8 Big Band (12/80), Level 10 Nadia (23/100)
Koopa Troop and Midna’s @DracoLunaris, Geralt’s @Multi_Media_Man, Ace Cadet, Octopath Travelers, and Pit’s @Yankee, Blazermate, Sectonia, and Susie’s @Archmage MC, Sakura, Jesse, and Karin’s @Zoey Boey, Raz’s @TruthHurts22, Omori’s [@Majora’s End], Rubick’s @Scarifar, Bede’s @Crimson Flame, Roxas’ @Double, the Mercenaries, the Wonderful Ones, and the Phantom Thieves
Word Count: 1770

With their hygienic detour concluded, the three Seekers made their way down the sweeping curves of Twilight Town’s Market Street. Too big for the sidewalks, Sectonia followed the other two from the air, like a massive guardian angel. Of course, this pleasant and easygoing road offered very little danger; even the trolley cars that occasionally trundled up and down the brick-lined slope on their designated rails moved so slowly that someone would have to be trying to get run over. The only real problem Tora and Poppi found to contend with was that of distraction. All the little shops and storefronts on this winding route presented a bevy of interesting sights, smells, and sounds that all quietly clamored for their attention. They passed bookstores with shelves upon shelves of thick, colorful volumes. The lush flora and sweet-smelling flowers, abuzz with the gentle drone of big, fat bumblebees, provided a feast for their senses. Worst of all, the tantalizing smells of fresh-baked loaves and tarts drifted from the little bakeries, forcing Tora to resist the temptation to take an early lunch on his own.

When Raz found him on the way to the docks, Tora was grateful for a distraction from the scenery. Of course, he also appreciated the chance to talk to someone of the same approximate height and mental age. “Hello!” the nopon greeted him. They’d been acquaintances ever since the telepath joined the group back in Al Mamoon two days ago, which after the trek up Split Mountain felt like a lifetime, but they had yet to really become friends. Tora couldn’t even remember really interacting with him beyond their training session aboard on the Railway Gun, so now seemed like a good time to get to know one another.

As it happened though, Raz did most of the talking. He explained a bunch about his organization and what they could do, trying to keep his giddy enthusiasm for the Psyconauts in check. Most of it went over Tora’s head, especially the rather unfathomable parts about going inside brains, but Tora tried his best to listen. It wasn’t that long of a journey down the remainder of Market Street to begin with, and by the time Raz finished his treatise the group reached the bottom of the hill, where the sunset city gave way to the eastern perimeter road that ran parallel to the water’s edge. Beyond that lay just a meager hundred feet or so of beach, over which the Twilight Town Pier made its home.

The wharf followed along the city’s entire eastern edge, right next to the straightaway used primarily by the customers of Mumbo’s Motors as they ran their laps around Twilight Town, but directly across from where Market Street emptied out, it extended a good distance out over the water. Though the only portion of the entire pier actually usable as docks, the Pier proper seemed to be employed by the citizens exclusively as some sort of fairground, complete with a small roller coaster and ferris wheel, and not a boat in sight. Tora spotted Band on a bench next to the entrance to the jetty, and after Sectonia flew down to rejoin him, Poppi, and Raz, they used the crosswalk to get to the other side of the street. “Hello Band-Band!” Tora waddled up to the lone detective, an eager smile on his face. “Any sign of friends?”

“Not as of yet,” Band reported. “Might be the buildin’ out on the Pier is blockin’ my view, but I ain’t seen any ships comin’ in.”

Tora looked mildly concerned. “Meh…that mean we early, then? If friends not arrive soon, sun will set!”

“Sun not set here, Masterpon,” Poppi Alpha reminded him, poking him in the forehead with her index finger for emphasis. “Sky always like this here. That why it named ‘Twilight Town’.”

The nopon rubbed his head. “Oh…right. Got so engrossed in tinkering, Tora forget.”

Just moments after that, the Octopath Travelers Primrose and Therion arrived together, with the pokemon trainer Bede right behind the woman who’d freed him from Galeem’s grasp. Tora found himself a little jealous of the pink-clad boy getting to spend time with Primrose, but he did not regret the time he spent forging a stronger bond between himself and Big Band. When Therion gave him a look, Tora mimicked it, and like clockwork the thief buckled beneath the nopon’s indomitable eye contact. Tora smirked smugly as Therion looked away. Without thinking, his gaze naturally landed on Primrose, and he might have remained oblivious for a moment if the dancer did not happen to bring up a subject even nearer and dearer to his heart than cuteness: food.

“Picnic lunch sound like delight!” he announced. “Smells in city make Tora famished, so am looking forward to lunch as much as friends. Oh, uh, Tora mean, almost as much as friends, meh.” He turned his attention seaward, scanning the distant waves for any sign of incoming vessels. “Why not go out on Pier? We see friends much sooner that way!”

“Makes sense to me,” Band replied.

His companion nodded. “Go ahead, Masterpon. Poppi quickly find laundry place and clean clothes so Masterpon presentable for big reunion.”

“Meh-meh? Poppi actually act like maid!? Oh, happy day! Thank you Poppi!”

As Poppi left, more members of Yellow Team arrived, like the Phantom Thieves and the Centennial contingent, and together the gathering group made their way down the boardwalk. They walked by various carnival games, a bunch of hot dog, cotton candy, and roast corn stalls, and beneath brightly-painted roller coaster tracks as carts of fun-loving Twilighters and Poptropicans rattled around them. The flashing lights along the spokes of the ferris wheel dazzled the heroes as it turned lazily around in a slow, endless cycle, but Tora couldn’t succumb to distraction now after coming so far. He and the others reached the extent of the Pier in just a few minutes, which terminated in a spacious square platform partially occupied by an exorbitantly-priced seafood restaurant with plenty of outdoor seating. Once Tora got to the end, one peek at the horizon was all he needed to start bouncing up and down in excitement again. “Look, look!” he sang. “There ship out there! It coming this way!”

Sure enough, a large vessel could be glimpsed a few miles out at sea. Bulky and bulbous in shape, but with the unmistakable silhouetted outline of masts and sails, it grew larger and larger one minute at a time. Poppi arrived with Tora’s clean clothes halfway through the ship’s approach. In just a little while, Blue Team would be here at last.

---

For Nadia

New Power acquired:
Purrge of Vengeance
Nadia can expend a stock of Dramatic Tension to create a torrential ball of water, 10 feet in diameter, from the palms of her hands. It exploded into a wave on contact with a solid target of sufficient size, dealing a solid burst of damage. Nadia can imbue additional stocks up to her max of 5, each one increasing the ball’s size and damage by 50%, to a maximum of 30 feet and 300% damage

Of course, nobody really expected the fashion in which Blue Team finally arrived. Thanks to sitting unusually high in the water, the Part Omni-Organic, Partially Titanic, Ocean-Optional Tinkerslug towered over the Pier and those who waited atop it, its three enormous eyes staring at them blankly. It was a far cry from the rowboats that Vandham had been expecting, but once Yellow Team -and the local citizenry- realized that the massive mollusk was nothing to fear, there was nothing to get in the way of the Tinkerslug as it sidled up alongside the jetty platform to divulge its cargo.

A wealth of friends both old and new crowded the Tinkerslug’s deck. Whether monster or hunter, wizard or warrior, seraph or secretary, felon or feline, they exchanged waves and shouts with those on the docks, and some didn’t even wait for their ride to come to a complete stop. The two teams, their members numbering a couple dozen strong in total, met on the docks in a scene of utter chaos, with so much hubbub that the Seekers could scarcely hear themselves think, let alone hear one another talk. After a few moments, Peach fired her revolver into the air to cut through the din with a signal for quiet–only to be reminded that the projectiles her gun shot were ghostly spirits that screamed like bats out of hell.

“Whoa, that was way too loud, sorry about that!” she promptly called out, her expression sheepish. “I forgot it did that. Still, it got everyone’s attention, huh?” Peach banished the gun and cleared her throat. “Anyway…ahem! I’m so happy to see you all. Both those we parted ways with back at Alcamoth, and all the new faces.” As she smiled at Yellow Team, however, she couldn’t help but notice a couple faces missing, too. Hopefully that only meant that, like Hat Kid and Banjo-Kazooie, they’d found their own path elsewhere. “I’m sure we’re all really eager to meet one another, and I’m all for it! Even though we might be splitting up again in the near future, we’re still one team, united behind one common goal, and I want us all to remember that. So I was thinking of a way to get everyone on the same wavelength, and this is what I came up with.”

Peach’s Meet and Greet

For this week, we have a special prompt. Everyone is going to take turns getting to know one another. To do that, everyone has two things to do.

The first is to acknowledge everyone who’s already gone. For every character who’s gone, you should include a small paragraph that involves at least one of your character’s responses. This can include impressions, memories, a verbal response, commentary, discussion, et cetera. It doesn’t have to be long, but it needs to be something. It is not required to acknowledge Peach.

The second is to introduce your own characters. This part is optional, since not all characters might be the sort of participate in something like this. If yours do, they need to say their piece in their own paragraph. They can share whatever details, either on their own or in the same vein as someone who went before. This also doesn’t need to be long.

The princess turned and jogged over to one of the picnic tables, which she jumped on top of. She turned around to face the whole group at once. She took a deep breath, both eyes squeezed shut, then opened them. “My name is Peach. I’m the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom, and I’ve been acting as a sort of leader for this campaign. A fun fact…” Peach put her hands on her hips. “My passion is sports! Tennis, gold, soccer, cart racing, even olympics. So when it came time to take up the fight, I was actually in pretty good shape.” She smiled. “Alright, who’s next?”

So, she’s the one in charge, Big Band mused, his expression thoughtful. He didn’t remember hearing her name mentioned by the Seekers ever since he joined, but she’d already taken action that befitted a leader. In circumstances like these, against incredible odds with a staggering amount of unknowns in play at all times, he respected anyone with the courage to take responsibility. Even if it might seem a little silly, something like this meet-and-greet was vital for bringing all these different people together. Band certainly didn’t plan to let this movement fizzle out.

“Don’t mind if I do,” he declared, making sure his rich, deep voice was amped up enough for everyone to hear. The big man stomped over to the picnic table as Peach got down, shaking the Pier ever-so-slightly with each step, and took a position in front of it. “The name’s Big Band, and I’m all there is of the most real. Once upon a time I was a detective, but a twist of fortune led to me becomin’ a different kind o’ brass, fightin’ as a member of Lab Eight against the Skullgirl.” Band deployed a whole host of instruments at once. “Sweet jazz an’ moody blues; they’re all I am and what I do. Lookin’ forward to playin’ with y’all.”

Did he say SKULLGIRL? In an instant Nadia was on alert. The usage of that word could mean only one thing: that Big Band here hailed from the same world as her. Ironic that she would finally meet someone who also called New Meridian home, but it would end up being a total stranger. While not bothered in principle, the admission that that this guy used to be a cop instinctively made her wary, and his usage of a phrase that included ‘fortune’ didn’t exactly help. She didn’t know him, after all, but if he knew her, things could get interesting. Still, circumstances brought them together today as allies. Hopefully the two of them would play nice.

Having just heard firsthand exactly what ‘twist of fortune’ led Band to his current condition, Tora couldn’t help but wince a little. The fact that his friend could hide so much personal suffering in such a casual turn of phrase both stood as a testament to Band’s strength of will, and made Tora wonder just how much pain lurked beneath the surface in this group. Hopefully he could become a real friend to all of them, and lift their spirits, even if just a little.

Poppi listened to Band’s introduction with crossed arms. The fact that the metal musician had once been an ordinary man intrigued her. Living things like people and nopons came about through birth and grew as they lived, while artificial beings like herself had been built, but Band had a foot in both camps. She struggled to answer the questions of ‘why’ and ‘how’, figuring that they’d be better left to Tora. Hopefully he wouldn’t develop an interest in recreating the phenomenon himself. Poppi followed along behind as her Masterpon raced over to Band, eager to go next.

“Am Tora!” the nopon announced to everyone. “Inventor, engineer, and defender extraordinaire! Meh, meh. Am creator of artificial blade Poppi, and there not gadget or doodad that Tora cannot fix or make better! Can protect everyone with Drill Shield too, so Tora is super handy to have around. Very much hope that everyone can be Tora’s friend!”

Nadia smiled at him. “Aww, you’re so cute! You’re like a little mechanic!”

“Am actually big for nopon, and am very much mechanic!” Tora informed her. “Thank you, Gormotti friend! Tora think you cute too, meh!”

That took the feral by surprise. “H-huh? It’s kind of weird, hearin’ that from you…”

Now Tora looked confused. “Meh? Weird when Tora say to you, but not when you say to me? Not make sense to Tora.”

Big Band chuckled. By now he knew just how serious Tora was when it came to both engineering and defending, despite his appearance. Though he often managed to lighten the mood with his antics, the kid was a lot more than comic relief. He trusted that everyone would get as attached to the little guy as he had.

“Poppi is Poppi,” his companion began, following in Tora’s footsteps as usual. “Together Masterpon and Poppi work as driver and blade. He wield weapons, Poppi channel ether. He get in trouble, Poppi bail him out.” She giggled. “Also have three forms. This form is pure defense, Quixotic Tutelar is evasive warrior, and Quantum Technochampion is all-out offense. Poppi like instruments, textiles, art, and smelling food!”

Tora just stood there on the bench next to her, looking proud despite the light ribbing. He and Poppi were a unit, after all. Nothing short of the end of the world could keep the two of them apart.

When it sank in that this girl was not only a machine but one invented and made by Tora, Nadia couldn’t help but be impressed. Maybe there was something to all that boasting, after all. Poppi certainly looked formidable in her armor, reinforcing the idea that the dynamic duo would serve as the team’s defense. That was just fine with Nadia; the more others could soak up punishment and occupy enemies’ attention, the better she could get into the mix and do some real damage.

Speaking of, since she’d already drawn some attention to herself, now seemed like a good time to speak up. She ran over and leaped onto the bench with an acrobatic flip. “My name is Ms. Fortune. I guess I’m what you’d call a dashing rogue. My whole gimmick is that I can split myself up into pieces without dyin’, so when it comes to fightin’, I ain’t kitten around! Puns are my thing by the way, so you’d better purr-pare yourselves.” She treated the whole assembly to the old double finger guns.

Big Band’s narrowed gaze lingered on her for an extra moment, and not due to the girl’s allure. Something about her seemed familiar, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Tora had called her Gormotti, whatever that meant, but to Band she seemed like something between a Feral and a Dagonian, judging by those cat ears (and puns) and fish tail. It wasn’t just that though. Something about her silly attitude struck his detective instincts as less than genuine. She seemed like a tricky sort, someone it might pay to keep an eye on. “A purr-leasure to meet you, Ms. Fortune,” he murmured, returning her pun in kind. Once Nadia got down from the bench, he waited to see who would go next.

World of Light

Twilight Town

Level 10 Tora (65/110) Level 10 Poppi (65/110) Level 8 Big Band (9/80)
Primrose and Therion’s @Yankee, Sectonia’s @Archmage MC, Jesse’s @Zoey Boey, Bede’s @Crimson Flame, Roxas’ @Double, Vandham, Shovel Knight, the Phantom Thieves
Word Count: 2292

Once inside Mumbo’s Motors, it took only a few seconds for Tora to find a suitable spare workbench in the corner. He popped open his toolbox and soon found himself humming along with the music as he proceeded to make himself comfortable. A number of tools, half-used duct tape rolls, empty oil cans, spare parts, and trashed components nobody had bothered to throw away littered its surface, but Tora happily swept everything he didn’t want off onto the floor. “Okay, friend Band!” he said, turning to face his friend as he put his wings on his hips in what he believed to be a hero pose. “Ready to get started! Just take it off, put here, and Tora get busy!”

Band blinked a couple times. “Fraid I can’t exactly do that, kid.”

“Meh-meh? Why not?” For a moment Tora looked consternated, but his expression turned to one of unabashed hope as he realized the possibility of increased free time. “Band change mind?”

“Ah, no, no, what I mean is, I can’t ‘take it off’,” Band explained. Two large mechanical arms extended from his trench coat to pull it open, revealing the body beneath. To Tora it looked more or less like a giant, gunmetal-gray can, or maybe a bell, criss-crossed with all sorts of lines and shapes for the detective various ports to open up and deploy his orchestra’s worth of hidden instruments. It measured just a little less than twice as tall as the mechanical legs beneath it, giving Big Band a very hop-heavy physique. “This ain’t a suit of armor. It’s one big, mean, blues-playin’ machine.”

Tora scratched his head. “Oh, sorry. In that case…ah! So Band is piloting machine!” It made perfect sense considering how small the man’s head was in comparison to his body. The Nopon could easily picture his friend’s real body cooped up inside that can somewhere, pulling levers and twisting knobs. “Why friend not say so? In that case, just climb on out and leave rest to Tora!”

Smiling with just a hint of sorrow, the ASG soldier shook his head. “Can’t do that either. Sorry kid, I realize now, I really shoulda come clean earlier ‘bout the….particulars of my situation.” Band plodded over and sat on the workbench, which creaked beneath his weight but somehow held. He ran his hand along its stained, greasy surface, thinking about how long it had been since he laid on a hospital bed and not a table like this, then started unbuttoning his trench as he explained. “Let me put it to ya this way, kid,” he told Tora, unperturbed by the Nopon’s wide-eyed and slightly worried stare. “If I were to step up on a scale, it’d tell me I weighed five thousand pounds. Now, that’s a whole lot -two and a half tons- but most of it is steel, brass, and rubber. If I were to count the parts that’re flesh and bone, though, I’d weigh in at just ninety-five. Not even half your average man.”

Tora’s brows knitted together. “But…how that possible, meh? Even if major skinnypon, that seem like too little…”

“It’s ‘cause there’s barely any o’ the original me left,” Band told him, his face one of distant melancholy. “Without all this metal, I can’t fight, can’t walk, can’t feed myself…can’t even breathe. It ain’t an exaggeration to say that this machine is keepin’ me alive.”

His young friend looked horrified. “No way that true!” he insisted, but a nod of Band’s head confirmed his sincerity. “That horrible! Poor Band. Not having arms, wings, or legs not even sound like life to Tora!”

Band chuckled, a little indignant. “Hey, hey. It ain’t easy, but I don’t need any pity, alright? I get by. Need a little help from time to time, but don’t we all?” He extended a mechanical limb, flexing the brazen fingers. “Besides, don’t think of it like I don’t got arms or legs. These are my arms, and those down there are my legs.” He kicked the stubby prosthetics like a child on a pier. “Remember, I said ‘original me’ before, not ‘real me’. ‘Cause what you’re lookin’ at right now…that’s me. This is all of me.” Band gestured to his body. “So don’t go feelin’ sorry for me. My biography ain’t a sob story, y’hear?”

“Tora not fully understand, but if Band not need sad feelings, Tora not give any,” the engineer promised him. He’d replaced his shocked expression with a sympathetic one. “But…how this happen, meh? Friend Band born like this? Or maybe…” Tora’s eyebrows shot up. “Sacrifice human body for power!?”

“Hell no!” the detective laughed, shaking his head. “I didn’t ask for this. Well…I guess that ain’t exactly true. I agreed to it ‘cause I figured anythin’ was better than the way I was before. Now that…that wasn’t a life. Just existin’ day after day, waitin’ for it to end. All thanks to the folks I trusted most.”

The Nopon gulped. “...Meh, meh. If Band not mind, could tell Tora more?”

Band thought for a moment, then nodded again. “I don’t mind. We old folks gotta pass on our wisdom to the new generations, after all. Make sure they don’t make the same mistakes. Just keep in mind, I’m pretty sure the worlds we’re from are pretty different. I dunno how much we got in common, so I won’t be delvin’ too deep into the details, you dig?” He leaned against the wall behind the table, looking off into the middle distance as though it contained the past for him to see.

“Well, my story begins and ends in New Meridian, the capital of Canopy Kingdom. Guess the first thing you oughta know is that Big Band ain’t my real name. Back then, they called me Ben Birdland. I lived through the Grand War, all the fear and violence, and I wanted to do somethin’ about it. Not, heh, save the world of course, but just make a difference for the better, y’know? So I enlisted as a cop. An officer of the law. To walk the streets of the city, keep an eye out for folks’, just do whatever I could to keep the people safe.”

Tora flapped his wings. “Meh-meh! Band sound like superheropon!”

“Heh.” The detective smiled. “If only. Maybe that’s what I hoped bein’ a cop would be like, but things don’t always turn out the way ya hope.” His expression turned serious. “Even the war wasn’t as bad as what I went through as a beat cop. And things didn’t get much better after I got promoted to detective. The higher up ya get, the better you can see just how bad things are. But it was all worth it, ‘cause I knew deep inside I was doin’ the right thing. Upholdin’ the spirit of the law.”

“Spirit of law?” Tora looked confused.

Band closed his eyes. “Yeah. Laws are meant to protect us, right? To keep people safe, make things fair, pay evil unto evil and good unto good. Ya ain’t got a society without ‘em. And even if people fall short, makin’ all kinds o’ mistakes, the law is a glorious thing. Somethin’ greater than ourselves we can believe in, that we can strive for. To keep us on the straight and narrow, y’know? ‘If the word of law falls, pick it up and hold it higher!’” After the recitation, however, Band sighed, and his head fell. “At least, that’s what I thought. Turns out, the law ain’t always like that to people. ‘Specially not in New Meridian. A badge and a gun give a man power, and any kind o’ power can be dangerous in the wrong hands. My unit…they didn’t care one whit about anyone but their own damn selves. Instead of takin’ criminals down, they cut some deals. Took money to look the other way, and sometimes, even give the bad folks a helpin’ hand. They were crooked. Corrupt. Like a fruit that’s rotten on the inside.”

“Tora appreciate analogy,” his friend remarked quietly.

Band laid himself down on the table. “I didn’t realize just how bad it was until it was too late. I was too good for my own good, and they gave me an early retirement. Left me broken, to live out the rest of my sorry days in a hospital, trapped in a big metal tube I needed to breathe. An iron lung. ASG approached me ‘cause I had nothin’ to lose, and I agreed. Now I carry my iron lung around with me, rebuilt as the one and only, all there is of the most real. Big Band.” When he saw just how sad Tora looked, he grimaced. “Hey, wipe away those damn tears. I wasn’t tellin’ ya all this so you could feel sorry for me. All I’m sayin is…” He closed his eyes. “Just be careful while you’re diggin’ ‘round in there, will ya?”

“T-Tora not cry, meh! Just get dust in eye.” The young engineer shook himself out. “Tora not realize big importance of machine, so will be extra-specially careful. Ben-Ben just wait, Tora soon have everything working like well-oiled machine!”

“Right on.” The detective smiled. “You’re a good kid, Tora. If you can do me one favor, though, call me Band. We can learn from the past, but we can’t cling to it, else we’ll never move forward. Groovy?” The Nopon agreed without a second thought, then took his tools in hand and got to work. Bit by bit he took Band apart, painfully conscious of everything that looked important. He oiled up the joints, ironed out the kinks, tightened the couplings, cleared some blockages, cleaned out sand, and more. As he worked, fixated less on his own curiosity and more on doing a good job, the time just seemed to slip away.

---

Before Tora knew it, an hour had gone by. Even while in the process of making the final adjustments and making sure that everything socketed back into place just right, he remained so engrossed in his work that he didn’t notice Poppi standing beside him until he turned to deposit his tools in his box. “Meh-meh-meh!” he exclaimed, surprised. “Why Poppi scare Tora like that!?”

“Poppi not scare Masterpon,” she reasoned. “Poppi just standing here. All fear occur inside Masterpon mind.”

Tora dabbed at his brow with a rag stained gray-black by machine grease. “W-well, Poppi could have said something at least.”

“If Poppi say something, Masterpon actually startled and potentially damage vital Big Band components,” his companion pointed out.

“That…probably true,” Tora admitted before straightening up. “Wait, no! Tora not technically professional, but Tora never risk hurting friend Band-Band!”

Behind him, the detective sat up slowly. “Well, glad to hear that now, I s’pose.” He stretched to the extent that he could, circulating power, coolant, blood, and pneumatic gasses through his internal systems. “Hrrmm. ‘Tween the music and all those tinkerin’ sounds I guess I dozed off there for a bit, huh. Not feelin’ half bad either. Guess you know your stuff, Tora!”

Big Band Levels up

New Power:
Bagpipe Blues
After playing his bagpipes for a moment to build up energy, Band gains two buffs. One allows him to finish off his next Super Sonic Jazz with Satchmo Blow, a weaker version of Satchmo Death Blow. The other gives him armor on his attacks for ten seconds, making him much harder to stop in close-range combat

“Mhm!” Tora replied, looking very proud. “One other thing, though. While making repairs, Tora realize that Band not only have strange black blood, but also seem like run low soon. When look into further with handy analyzer, Tora find out that it mostly oil, which very interesting! Tora mostly mechanical and software engineer, but amateur chemical engineer also, so want try synthesize more fluid using oil in shop, but need blood of correct type, too. What Band-Band blood type?”

The line of inquiry left Band impressed. “Just how much you got rattlin’ around in that head of yours, kid? You some kind o’ crazy super-genius?”

“Of course, meh!”

“Please not encourage Masterpon with excessive praise,” Poppi cautioned him.

“Oh, uh, right.” Band cleared his throat. “Well, that’s awful nice of you, Tora. My blood type is B♭. Experimental oil mixture. If you can really do what you say, I’ll owe you big-time.”

Tora tried not to look too pleased. “Meh-heh-heh. Don’t worry Band-Band, it nothing between friends.”

“I gotta ask though. You started sayin’ my name twice all of a sudden. Any reason in particular?” Band wondered.

His mechanic smiled, his eyes shining. “Doublename just show Tora’s respect! Respect for great detective. Band-Band should be proud!”

“Heh, don’t you worry,” the detective reassured him. “I am.”

Judging by her smile, Poppi was, too. “Seems like Masterpon been busy,” she said. “While you fix up Band in here, others outside learning to drive or messing with custom cars.”

“Meh-meh!” Tora exclaimed, dismayed. “Did Tora miss all fun?”

His companion shrugged. “Poppi not sure. Driving tests and races all take time, and when friends finish lap, they want change up cars again to improve performance.”

“That what Poppi been doing?” Tora asked.

“No, just watching,” she replied. “That fun by self, but also walk around city to see sights. All sorts of interesting places not in Torigoth or Alcamoth. Poppi very much think Tora like Seabreeze Salon. It shop for styling hair!”

Tora scratched his chin. “Well, if Poppi think so, maybe we try later. But right now, Tora want fool around with cars, meh! Already learn to drive in Land of Adventure, so Tora super-speedypon!” At that point, however, his stomach grumbled loudly. He shook himself from head to tail officiously. “...Or maybe Tora want lunch.”

“Let’s round up the others and see how it’s goin’,” Band suggested. “Shouldn’t the folks from the place Vandham mentioned be arrivin’ soon, too? And he said they’re comin’ by boat. Maybe we could find somewhere by the sea.”

“That good plan!” Tora sang, bouncing up and down. “First we gather friends, then time for food!”

Flipping the Bird

Geralt, Pit , Omori, Rubick, Level 9 Nadia (99/90)
Word Count: 7652 (+8)

Even with all hands scrambling to make repairs, it took more than just a couple frantic minutes to attend to the Raptor’s damage. The pirates clung to the rigging and stacked atop one another as they labored to patch up the massive ruptures left in their balloon by the main gun of Geralt’s Breaching Bastion. A few more shots whizzed nearby, but nothing that required the now-active Trophy System. In front of the downed airship the battle unfolded between the Seekers and the Port o’ Panic forces, including the fights with the Raptor’s elites and Risky’s Marauders on the other side of the scuppered Adrian. Aside from surface activity from Rika, only bubbles and bright lights suggested the presence of the submariners down below, but things seemed just as intense down there. Captain LeFwee alternated between watching events unfold across the ocean, and squawking orders at his crew, never stepping in to lend a wing himself. After another minute or two the repairs were complete, the balloon filled up, and the piratical dirigible lifted off from the water once more.

“We’re back in the air! Yahahahaharr!” LeFwee exulted. He raced to the railing and extended his gunblade toward the Adrian, totally oblivious to the small party currently headed back from Port O’ Panic itself, let alone what transpired there. “Now, it be time to finish these scurvy dogs off! All hands, return fire!”

The gunners obeyed. Scarcely had the Raptor’s dripping keel part ways with the sea then its three guns started up once again. Cannonballs hurled through the sky to pound the Adrian -as well as anyone aboard- once more, and finish what the pirates’ ambush had started. Yet the loss of helium in the balloon meant that the ship flew much lower than before, a tempting target for the Seekers whose own fights had come to an end.

Though the events at the Port-O-Panic left Omori feeling discouraged, he sped back in the direction of the Adrian. However weird it felt; being weighed back by his regrets so suddenly, he’ll have to worry about it later. They weren’t done fighting yet. The aerial ship regaining its momentum was evidence of that. As far as the boy was concerned he could still fight, and with Junior busy tending to Annetta, that left him out of the two to help confront the Raptor. Only problem was that he didn’t have any ideas on how to reach it from below. Unless…

He glanced around to see one of the seekers skating upon the watery battlefield. The boy’s head tilted slightly as he tried to make out who it was. Didn’t take long for him to recognize those cat ears. ”Miss Nadia!” Omori called out to his feline acquaintance, riding up next to her. ”Think you can toss me up there?” He asked, pointing up to the deck of the ship.

The feral turned his way. Thought it had been a bit since she last did this, back when fused with Northampton out of necessity at the Battle of Blackwater Bay, she felt pretty glad that she didn’t seem to be embarrassing herself so far–and doubly glad to see that Omori made it out of that ruthless ambush alright. “Oh hey, kid!” she greeted him with a smile. Now that she faced him, it would be hard for him to ignore the giant new scar straight across her middle. To just about anyone such a grievous injury would be fatal, and despite a full heal from Blazermate it still hurt, but Nadia kept her face upbeat so he wouldn’t worry. “Throw ya? Uhh…” She looked back to gauge the distance. Being off to the side somewhat, the two of them avoided the line of fire between the Raptor and the Adrian, but even if left uncontested Nadia didn’t fancy her chance. “I’m not that strong. But maybe…”

She pulled out one of the hooks from her new rigging, getting a feel for its shape and heft. “I ain’t half bad with a grapplin’ hook!” Her eyes shone with the dangerous light of a wicked new scheme. “C’mere, follow me!”

"Wait for me!"

Omori felt the frame of his rowboat wobble slightly as another person hopped down into it, catching him off guard for a moment. The voice, along with the brief flap of wings to keep said person balanced while standing in the boat, belonged to the angel he'd met earlier in the day. Pit had recovered from his feat and was raring to get into the action for real. The Orbitars still revolved around him in a slow ellipse, and he gazed out over the water toward the Raptor with a determined expression just before his focus shifted to Omori. Perhaps sensing the boy's distressed mood, Pit offered him the same encouraging smile he usually gave to his Centurions back in Skyworld. "Let's go!"

Omori couldn’t help wondering why Pit couldn’t just fly to the Raptor, unaware that the angel was unable to. But then again, how many of them were unable to fly? He decided not to worry about it and nodded to the other boy in response, following Nadia’s lead.

As the Raptor started rising into the air, Geralt frowned. That was certainly quick, he’d expected they’d stay down longer than that. Still, no matter. The Bastion was still active, so it was as simple as aiming the main gun at that balloon and firing again. They weren’t even that high up, so he didn’t have to account for that nearly as much.

However, as the shot from the main gun was about to burst through the balloon again, it detonated in the air, leaving the ship’s flotation system unharmed. Geralt frowned at the sight, wondering if they’d had somebody on board who could intercept the projectiles, but had failed to do so the first time? Unfortunately, given the relatively long time that it took for the Bastion to reload, Geralt took this as a sign that his contributions would be best performed in another manner. Climbing back aboard the Adrian and dismissing the Bastion, he sought out the other Seekers who remained, hoping to get a hand in reaching the enemy’s airship.

Rubick hung back in relative safety as the other Seekers made their way back to the Adrian and went to combat the Raptor. After the fight with Hydroid Rakkam, he was low on energy and would need some time before he could get back up to his spell slinging shenanigans again, and he was not about to get pelted by a cannonball before he was ready. Truly, his lack of regen was a problem, and he needed to rectify this as soon as possible. Still, by this point the Adrian itself had sunk almost to the upper deck, and listed at a troublesome forty-degree angle. As for the Raptor, Geralt had done some damage to it earlier, but it appeared to have recovered. Now the Bastion’s shots were no longer effective, which was a problem. It seemed the Raptor had some extra protection on board, which meant it would have to be taken care of before the Seekers could bring it down. This also made Rubick wonder why it had not been activated in the first place, since it could’ve protected the Raptor from taking damage.

Out on the water, Nadia approached the Raptor alongside the others, skating with refreshing ease over the sea’s wavy surface. The difference really was immense; fighting the shipgirls without this ability meant being either in the water, clinging to someone, or midair one hundred percent of the time. Unfortunately, just being able to approach the Raptor quickly wouldn’t be enough. As the Seekers drew near the crew took notice, and after they raised a general alarm a bevy of flintlocks, muskets, and harpoon guns appeared along the railing. Out of the attackers’ reach and defending from the high ground, LeFwee’s animalistic crew seemingly had every advantage and could enjoy taking their time shooting the heroes full of holes.

The angelic Guardian Orbitars were enough to shield both boys from the opposing crew's gunshots, one Orbitar dedicated to Pit and the other hovering around Omori. The heavier harpoons would need some evasive maneuvers to handle, as even though they wouldn't break the Orbitars they would shove them away where they'd be useless until automatically floating back to their user. At this point, Omori could fearlessly steer their boat away from enemy fire like it was nothing. He was getting the hang of this!

After the very inaccurate but still dangerous barrage began, Nadia sighed. “‘Kay, you guys get ready. I’ve got a li’l pent-up energy in me, so I’ll get us started.” With loads of Dramatic Tension in reserve, the catgirl focused her power. She brought to mind the bar fight from yesterday, when Red Band Rita stabbed her in the back at the end of a furious struggle with the pirate’s cutthroats. Nadia didn’t think of herself as an angry person, or a vicious or vengeful one, but in that moment she’d channeled her raw spite through such an emphatic glare that she’d literally blown her opponent away, annihilating her in a beam of raging water. And what was it she said, in the spur of that wrathful moment…?

“River-carving Rapids!” Nadia yowled, and from her blue eye a fearsome Cataract surged. The beam of pure hydro power crashed into the Raptor’s side, sweeping along the railing in a torrent of water and wooden shrapnel. None of the crew got enough exposure to take serious damage, but they got knocked back, and the Seekers got an excellent chance to make their final approach.

"Whoa! Eye lasers!? That's so cool!" Pit exclaimed. And she'd even given the move a cool name. Pit tempered his fanboying for the moment though, focusing on the task at hand.

"Charge, Omori!" he said, pointing toward the Raptor now that the way was clear.

”On it!” More than willing to take the opening, Omori drove their vessel straight towards the enemy with his machete at the ready. In no time flat he’d gotten close; now the only problem was actually getting up there. Luckily, Susie cruised in with her business suit to lend a hand. She extended her mech’s arms to accept one Seeker after another and hurl them up to land on the deck. Of course, the moment they landed they’d be swarmed by a gang of pirates, some the piscine Gill Grunts, and others the more unique neopets, but all angry and armed to the teeth.

Rubick performed some mental calculations, trying to determine how much energy he still had in his reserves. He already knew, but it was best to double check. There was still enough in his tank for about one or two of his usual spell combo. He could feel it this time; after the battle with Hydroid Rakkam, he had regained full access to his usual list of spells. He made his way to Susie after she tossed Omori to the Raptor, and allowed himself to be similarly hurled. Now on the Raptor’s deck, Rubick looked for the greatest concentration of mobs and lifted a Gill Grunt via Telekinesis. It was slammed down just as quickly, discharging a wave of energy that stunned all enemies who were nearby the unfortunate Gill Grunt. Rubick then followed up with a Fade Bolt, a bolt of green energy that dealt damage as it jumped from enemy to enemy. It also had the added benefit of weakening their attacks for the next several seconds.

Angry and weakened, huh? It’ll be easier for Omori to break through their defense in that case. He was quickly locked in a sword fight against the cutlass wielding Xweetok, while narrowly avoiding getting shot by a Blumaroo’s musket. The boy was gradually gaining momentum against his opponent when one of the bullets managed to hit his side. That was going to leave a mark. Widened eyes turned to face the rat-like creature, while he fired his flintlock at the other Neopet without looking back. Omori swapped out the gun for his knife, and charged at it for a stab. Though, he made sure not to go for an immediately fatal hit this time, instead opting to return the favor by striking it’s shoulder. He yanked his weapon out and shoved the neopet away. How did that friend heart thing work again? Assuming he did enough damage, Omori tapped his chest to form one, and passed it to the two, restoring them back to health. Now with that out of the way, where was the captain?

As he moved away from the edge of the Raptor’s deck, Nadia landed deftly behind him. While she did like her idea of using her new anchors to lift herself up to the enemy vessel, joining the procession of heroes being flung by Susie meant a lot less time and effort on the feral’s part, and she’d been feeling pretty drained already. After her arrival aboard the Raptor, however, she found herself faced with a pack of animals, be they anthropomorphic fish that looked much less horrible than the Murlocs of Carcass isle, or various blue-tinted critters in pirate outfits. The round one with a big captain’s hat and even bigger squirrel tail caught her eye, for no matter how he scowled, he couldn’t look intimidating in the slightest. “Aw, how cute!” she said, unable to suppress a smile until the Meerca pointed a gun at her and embedded a lead ball in her stomach. Her expression turned from joy to profound sadness as she looked down. Between her pain resistance and what she’d just been through, the shot barely registered; it was such a low-caliber bullet that it failed to penetrate her abdominal muscles, and after a moment she ‘spat’ the round out. “I feel so betrayed,” she complained. Nadia then launched her arm at the Meerca, grabbed him by the pelt, and slung him around in an overhead slam directly in front of her. Without further ado she put her water pressure in a jet-propelled kick, and punted her foe off the Raptor into the sea.

Geralt, meanwhile, had hitched a ride with Blazermate, gliding over the ocean to Susie, who catapulted the Witcher upwards into the fray. Geralt didn’t bother drawing either of his swords, instead lashing out with fists, elbows and claws to batter his foes. The Elephante decked in pirate garb and armed with a sword joined a pair of Gill Grunts in attempting to bar his path. Geralt, in a moment of inspiration, used Axii to turn the fight from three against one, to a two-on-two brawl. The Elephante ruthlessly beat on one of its allies, while Geralt put his title of boxing champion to good use, bobbing, weaving and dodging out of the way of harpoon thrusts and swings while absolutely clobbering the Grunt attacking him. After a few solid hits, Geralt took advantage of a lapse in judgment to crash the grunt’s head into the railing of the ship, knocking him unconscious just as the Elephante did the same to its foe.

Turning to his reluctant ally, Geralt nodded and told the Elephante to take a swim, which it did with glee, until it hit the water and realized it had thrown itself overboard when the spell broke, shouting angrily up to the Witcher, who ignored it. Stalking towards the helm of the ship, Geralt bared his teeth. They had to keep this thing from getting back in the air and really rejoining the fight. In his path lurked the Quiggle, Ribbit, with his pike in a defensive position, and as the Witcher momentarily considered his options he also spotted Omori in much the same position, clearly looking for the Raptor’s captain. Unlike Geralt, however, he’d thought too highly of his foes, and now Wiggles the Xweetok approached him from behind with his cutlass extended.

“Behind you, kid! Out of my way,” Geralt called out in warning then demanded, hand forming the sign of Aard, pushing the frog off-balance. As it tried to regain its footing, Geralt grabbed onto its pike, breaking the head off and kicking it off the ship, before shoving the Neopet against the railing of the ship. “You’re done. Join your friend down there or I’ll gut you like a Nilfgaardian and make supper out of you.” Playing up the disturbing visage granted to him by the Orphan’s Spirit, he hoped that disarming and sufficiently demoralizing his foe would qualify for Galeem’s curse. It wasn’t something he’d put much thought into until now, where he got the feeling that carving a bloody trail through the ship wouldn’t go over well. Still, if this failed, he had claws and blades he could use. Yet Ribbit obeyed–or so it seemed. The moment the Quiggle jumped overboard, it used its froglike fingers to cling to the hull of the Raptor, where it began to climb around to come back up and cause problems again.

Geralt’s warning managed to reach Omori’s ears before Wiggles could strike, and soon enough their blades connected once again. Did the fight with Annetta somehow affect his performance here? If he wasn’t supposed to kill them yet freeing them does jack squat to stop them, then what the heck was he supposed to be doing?! Why was he even holding back?! His exasperated expression said enough. Not even paying mind to Droopy, the boy overwhelmed Wiggles with relentless slashes from his blades. Omori fired his flintlock at Droopy before the rodent could reload its weapon.

After bodily kicking Chuck the Meerca into the ocean blue, Nadia found herself under attack by the Kiko, Kickball. Using her ability to float, Kickball came after her with hatchets almost as big as herself, but while they presented a decent threat, their weight caused her to overswing something fierce. Nadia blocked for a moment using her new anchor chains to get a bead on her foe, then pulled off a somersault flip into extended axe kick to bounce the round creature off the deck. Taken by surprise, Kickball found herself on the backfoot as Nadia laid into her with a flurry of claw swipes, so the Kiko blocked like her life depended on it. Annoyed by the neopet’s half-decent defense, Nadia took off her head, rolled it beneath Kickball, and sneezed to launch her head onto her opponent’s back. Once she broke the Kiko’s guard with the cross-up, Nadia finished her with a golf swing that sent Kickball flying into the ships rigging, where her momentum tangled her up in the ropes like a fly in a web.

Taking advantage of Rubrick's stunt, Pit leapt onto the deck with the others and made to fan out and take on the closest enemy he spotted. The Orbitars had faded into light, quickly replaced by the two halves of the Palutena Bow. The swords clashed with the spear gun of a gill grunt, too close to use the weapon for its intended purpose and resorting to jabbing its spiky end at the angel. Clang, clang, clang. The gun being as large as the fish person that wielded it made it an effective shield if nothing else. Pit shifted around the grunt, but finding no immediate openings he opted to try something else instead. He jumped up, kicking both of his legs out at the grunt. It blocked with the spear gun as expected, and the force of the kick sent it hurtling away in the opposite direction. It crashed into another of its own kind who'd been trying to line up a shot during the brief scuffle. That one's spear gun featured hooks on the end of the harpoon, and the collision sent it's shot high and wide where it sailed harmlessly out over the ocean.

Capitalizing while they were down, Pit surged forward and knocked the huge weapon out of the first gill grunt's grasp. It growled angrily and changed tactics and threw a punch, one that was easily caught by the flat of Pit's sword. The grunt gasped and cradled its stunned arm, leaving itself completely open to a spinning roundhouse kick from its angelic opponent that sent it right over the railing and into the drink below.

"Okay, who's next!" Pit boldly announced, only to met with the sound of a gunshot and the hot pain of a ball bearing in his lower back. He let out a yelp that devolved into a pained hiss, whirling around to face his assailant. One of LeFwee's henchman, a seal with a tuft of orange hair on it's head and two flintlocks in each hand, had snuck up and took aim. Currently Nubbin the Tuskainny was doing a miraculous job of reloading the one gun while at the same time leveling the other at Pit.

Pit dodged the next shot now that he actually saw it coming, rolling to the side and popping back up. Behind him the other gill grunt had recovered and was just standing back up when the Tuskaninny's shot ripped right through it, and it dissolved into ashes.

Moving into melee range, Pit expected little opposition given his opponent had two ranged weapons. However Nubbin managed to evade the first slash with a surprisingly dexterous backward slide, and then brought his tail around to slap Pit in the face. Then again, though he managed to recover from his shock quick enough to stop a third strike with his arm bracer.

"Cut it out!" Pit complained, and was met with a retort of "No way, if it works it works!"

Nubbin turned and slammed his tail into Pit's opposite arm where the angel brought it up to block again. At this point he had finished loading both flintlocks again and jumped back to shoot them at near point blank range. Quick and experienced, Pit's swords flashed in his hand and both bullets struck the divine steel. They ricocheted away, and in the next moment Pit dove forward while the Tuskainny was hastily reloading again. He hooked a blade under each of Nubbin's arms and grinned mischievously at him.

"Out you go!" he said, heaving Nubbin up and over the Raptor's side. In a fit of incredible luck, the flying neopet also hit Ribbit as the Quiggle jumped up to keep fighting, sending it hurtling away from the ship to splash down into the water. In a panic Nubbin let go of his guns to try and scrabble at the wood and catch himself, but it was too late - he fell down towards the ocean and a stream of strangely kid-friendly curses followed him.

While Omori was crossing blades with Wiggles and shooting at Droopy, Geralt came upon them like a bat out of hell, tackling the kangaroo Neopet into the railing, claws lashing out into its body and elbows thrashing out to keep its arms pinned. “Stay down!” He yelled, digging his claws into the pirate and pushing him closer to falling overboard. “We’re trying to end this without slaughtering you like animals!” He continued, snarling and growing more agitated by the second. “But if you’d like to die here, be my guest!”

Rubick Blinked next to Geralt and Omori and pulled out his Ray Gun, firing off a couple shots at Droopy. The Blumaroo, already pinned by Geralt, recoiled; it would be a simple act now to finish him off or throw him into the ocean. “Say, why are we trying not to kill them?” Rubick asked. “If they’re after our lives, it only makes sense that we go after theirs in return.”

”Like I know what the plan is besides survival at this rate…” Omori huffed out in response. With Wiggles out of the way for good, there wasn’t anything stopping him from finishing off Droopy. As he drew nearer to the pinned Neopet, he waited to see what Geralt wanted to do before acting in accord.

Geralt put a claw up to the pirate’s throat, cat-like eyes narrowed into slits. “Drop your weapon overboard, then go and wait for us to deal with your boss. I’m giving you a chance to live, don’t throw it away.” With his fighting instinct blasted out of him, the very overwhelmed Blumaroo nodded frantically, then slumped down and crawled away, not even looking at his weapon. Geralt grabbed the Blumaroo’s abandoned musket and, giving the weapon a quick glance, held it out for either of his companions to take. “If not, it’s going overboard.”

As enticing as a new weapon may be, there was just one problem. ”Toss it. I don’t have enough limbs for another gun.” Omori shrugged.

“My robes are getting a little full of items too,” Rubick added. Well, that and he didn’t know how to use the firearm. He’d certainly heard of firearms and what the Keen back in his own world could do with them, but he himself had little experience using them and wisely decided that he shouldn’t mess around with it.

With both his allies deciding they couldn’t make room for the musket, Geralt shrugged and carelessly tossed the weapon over the airship’s railing and into the ocean below.

On the subject of plans, Nadia had thought of one. “We should go after their leader!” she shouted over from the ship’s prow, where the act of giving a hapless Gill Grunt a turbo-noogie currently occupied her. “I’ve seen all kinds of animals on here so far, but no sign of that parrot. Y’know, the one that was squawkin’ big earlier?”

“You’re one to talk, you damn cat!” The grunt stomped on her foot and made a break for it, but Nadia extended her reach to snatch him back. “Guh!”

He snapped back toward the feral, who planted him face-first into the deck. “Shut up, fishface!” She stomped on him twice, cracking the wood around him. “You try harpoonin’ me in the head, this is whatcha get! Asshole!” With a final pressurized stomp she accidentally broke through the upper deck, and disappeared into the hold below.

“And there she goes…” Geralt sighed with an eye roll. “She’ll be fine, let’s go deal with the captain.” He suggested, drawing steel for the first time since boarding the ship.

”Think he might be hiding in there like a wuss?” Omori pointed in the direction of the Captain’s Quarters with his machete.

“I don’t see where else he could be,” Rubick responded, shrugging. “Shall we go in, then?”

“We haven’t seen him so far, so I have to assume that’s where he is.” Geralt agreed. “Let’s do it.” Casting Quen to protect himself, he strode up to the captain’s cabin and kicked open the door.

For a very brief moment, he got a look at a small, rectangular green device, planted upright on two pairs of little legs next to the door. Then the claymore exploded, dealing heavy damage not just to Geralt, but the entire front of the captain’s quarters along with it.

“Rahaha! How d’ye like that!” The pirate captain LeFwee crawled out from underneath the table he’d been hiding under to saunter through the smoke and debris. In one hand he held his silver gunblade, a mastercraft weapon that totally clashed with the rest of his aesthetic, and rather than the other hand he sported a three-pronged multihook that incorporated hook, saber, and corkscrew all in one. Thinking that he looked very menacing, the parrot clacked the hook parts together like the tongs of a dad at a barbeque. “I’ll be takin’ me ship back now, lubbers!” Just two enemies, it looked like. Manageable. Especially since he wasn’t really outnumbered. LeFwee pointed the gunblade at the Witcher’s fallen form. “Unless all ye sorry souls walk the plank this instant, that be yer fate!” In his show of bravado he did not notice that his claymore, which could definitely kill the average man, had not quite incapacitated Geralt thanks to his Quen shield.

When his dumbfoundment at Geralt’s unfortunate takedown subsided, Omori turned his ire back toward the perpetrator himself. ”Don’t count on it.” He may have been scratched up at this point, but he wasn’t going down easily. He charged inside, going in for the initial strike. LeFwee pointed his gunblade at Omori and went to fire. Like that would disway him. Omori went evasive, dodging whatever bullets he could as he gradually closed in.

Foot steps from around the nearby signaled another person's approach toward the captain's quarters. Pit slid around the corner, drawn by the noise of the explosion. "There you guys are!"

He saw Rubick first, then Omori rushing into the wrecked room, and finally his eyes found Geralt laying on his back on the wooden floor. His hackles were immediately raised and his covert feathers puffed up dramatically as his eyes widened. "Geralt?!" Surely he wasn't about to watch the man die again?! But, no - on second look his companions didn't appear to be that worried, and the Witcher was alive if dazed.

Rubick had been a little closer to the explosion than he would’ve liked, and was knocked back a few feet by the force. While he was hurt, he was really more indignant that the trap was still triggered despite precautions taken. “No worries, my young feathered friend, the boy and I are fine as well, thank you for asking,” Rubick sarcastically moaned at Pit (to which the angel actually looked embarrassed. "Oh, ehehe..."). He also pointed his staff at LeFwee, casting Telekinesis to lift him up just high enough so that he could no longer touch the ground while also twirling him around to throw off his aim.

The parrot squawked in surprise when the sorcerer’s magic lifted him off his feet. In a rush to pull the trigger, he overcorrected on his spin and shot wide, then swung his weapon’s blade the opposite way to try and ward off Omori before he could get too close. Omori swung his machete back at LeFwee in response, their blades colliding in attempts to avoid getting cut. While he held his stance, the impact just sent LeFwee into an even more chaotic midair spin, leaving him dizzy and wide open.

”Pfft-”

Even Omori couldn’t take him as seriously with him stuck in such a predicament. A humored grin crept onto his face as he tried to stifle a chuckle.

On the ground, Geralt took the chance to get a good glimpse of what was happening, and it seemed now was about the time to get back into it. Holding back a groan as he got to his feet, the Witcher collected his sword and started walking towards the combatants as quietly as his armor would allow.

”Okay, I think you can drop him now!” The monochrome youth called back to Rubick. But not before getting a few strikes in at the vulnerable LeFwee. That should cover his pistol, just in case. Though, some of them didn’t hit, even as he seemed to pick up a bit of speed. Rubick shrugged and released his spell, causing LeFwee to fall.

After getting dumped back down, and hitting the edge of his own table on the way, LeFwee landed in a heap with his already-scruffy feathers in disarray. “Ugggghhh,” he groaned, wincing as he rose partially onto his forearm. “Scurvy…dogs! Plague-ridden bilge rats! Just ye wait, I’ll fix ye good an’ proper.” He raised his voice, but couldn’t quite stamp out the quaver in it. “BOSUN!”

There was no reply. Nothing at all happened. “Bosun!?” LeFwee yelled again. “Damn yer eyes, Rakkam where ye be!?” Clenching his beak, he looked around, anticipating someone’s arrival. He glowered at the Seekers in the meantime. “A-any minute now! When he shows, haharr, ye’ll soon be drownin’ on dry land, mateys!”

As LeFwee dropped to the floor, Geralt continued his approach, slowly lifting his sword and pointing it at the bird. “He won’t be coming. He’s got more important things to deal with now.”

For just a second LeFwee looked aghast, but with a shaky laugh he regained his fierce expression. “So, ye survived me little claymore, eh? Lyin’ through yer teeth, is what ye are.”

Raising his eyebrow, Geralt pulled out the speargun that Rakkam had given him. “Ain’t lying.” Rubick nodded, adding, “He was a fun challenger. I hope he wasn’t all you had, though.”

This time LeFwee’s silence lasted a moment longer, for he recognized that spear. Then, in a deliberate manner, the parrot cleared his throat. “Just…just ye wait,” he repeated. “When he shows…ah!” His gaze locked onto something behind the group of Seekers. “Massachusetts! Where’ve ye been!? Never mind that now, just shoot these lubbers!” He slammed his wing on the deck as if pressing a trigger himself.

“So, her name was Massachusetts,” Nadia mused, sauntering over to join the group, followed by Blazermate. She had her hands in the pockets of her newly-modified jacket, and both her fishtail and giant ponytail swished behind her as she walked. “Guess I’ll pour one out for her later. Lady was downright ruthless, but at least she had guts. Unlike a certain someone~”

LeFwee’s beak hung open. “What!? T-this be an order, ye empty-headed strumpet! Shoot these swabs now!” More than a hint of desperation had infested his voice. “Now, y’hear me!? Blow ‘em away!”

Nadia winced. “Oh man, was she not the brightest? Well, joke’s on you, I’m already a dumbass.” She looked around idly at the other Seekers with one brow raised, not even shifting her hands from her pockets. “As for shootin ‘em…nah, I think I’m good.” She shrugged, and put on a mischievous smile. “I also ain’t Massachusetts, for what it’s worth. Whatcha think a-boat that?”

Though his feathers covered it, the color had been draining from LeFwee’s face. “I-Ingraham!?” he called out hopefully.

Blazermate shook her head enthusiastically.

“Buh…but…what about Rip Tide, then? Surely he ain’t been…”

Narrowing her eyes, Nadia tried to sort through all the unique enemies she’d seen. “The…fish guy? Didn’tcha fry him up, Blaze?”

The medabot shook her head again. “Nope, I passed the fishman off to Peach. He was annoying.” Now Blazermate looked around. “I haven’t seen her since then, though…”

“Aha!” LeFwee cackled, clinging to the sliver of hope. “That wench in pink? She be sittin’ at the bottom of the briny deep by now! Rip Tide be the scourge of the seas! He be able to adapt to and copy any fightin’ style in minutes!”

Geralt let out a laugh at that. “Your fish is fileted if the Princess got her hands on him. She’s almost as scary as my wife.” Regardless of their optimism, Omori still held concern for the princess, and hoped she was alright.

At that moment, there came a splash from down below the ship. A human-sized shape sailed over the edge of the ship and came down on the deck of the Raptor. His shiny royal blue scales and golden armor both glinted in the sunlight as he deftly landed, his enormous jaw opened wide to expose a pearly white leer. Over his shoulder he carried the body of a woman, her armor mangled and scarred, and the suit beneath it torn and bloody. One of her arms was broken, and a massive gash crossed her entire face, including one eye.

The stunned silence came to an end when LeFwee crowed with laughter, his sheer relief giving vent to a shrill victory cry. “Ye fools, ye knaves, ye picaroons!” he squawked. “What did I tell ye? Did I not say that Rip Tide be the undisputed master of combat!?”

As the Seekers watched, the fishman laid his burden down on the deck. Then promptly evaporated like the morning mist.

LeFwee’s beak dropped. “...Rawk!?”

Peach opened her eyes–or eye, to be precise. “I need…healing,” she whispered, and collapsed. Blazermate sped over to oblige.

Omori breathed out a sigh in relief, she’ll be okay. He then turned his attention back to the desperate captain.

Geralt, not one for healing others, decided to prevent LeFwee from getting any bright ideas and stepped forward, kicking his arm from under him. “Before you get clever.” He warned, sword sliding close to the parrot. Rubick walked forward and said to LeFwee, “So. All of your forces are gone, and we outnumber you one to many. If it were me, I’d like those odds. Too bad you’re not me. I am curious though… Why did you attack our ship? What was in it for you?”

Still under Galeem’s influence and brought to the end of his mental rope by the realization of just how bad things were, LeFwee went ballistic. He thrashed his hook hand, both batting Geralt’s sword aside and scratching across the face with its prongs, then brought the multihook back around to try and tear out the Witcher’s throat, but by that time the Seekers were already in motion.

While Pit had hung back and let the others try and instill defeat in LeFwee with just their words, now that the bird had snapped he bolted forward and caught the multihook between his dual blades, the X-shape stopping it right in place. He drew the swords down the hook in an outward slash, separating it, and a few finger-feathers, from its wielder.

“Fuck!” Geralt cursed as his sword was knocked to the side, the parrot pirate surging to his feet and slicing his bladed hook-hand towards the Witcher’s throat. Just my luck, three times in one day. Thankfully, however, a bloody end was avoided when Pit, one of his ‘killers’, jumped to his rescue, even taking a few digits off of LeFwee, who stumbled back. Geralt danced around Pit, gauntleted fist lashing out like a striking snake and smashing the pirate’s beak and knocking him against the wall of the captain’s cabin, the Witcher grabbing him by the throat, his other hand immobilizing the arm with the claw attached. “Now, I have had it with you piece of shit pirates trying to kill me and my friends. For once in your fucking life, listen!” Geralt punctuated this by creating a friend heart and forcing it into LeFwee, only slightly loosening his grip on the captain’s throat. “If you try and kill me again, I will take the rest of that arm. I am not fucking around anymore. Do you understand me?” Confused and, ultimately, cowardly, the parrot nodded his miserable head.

Taking a moment to watch the Captain’s attempted kill and its subsequent backfire, Omori’s grin gradually dropped back to indifference. ”I wouldn’t get my hopes up, freed or not he might be as stubborn as the others were. And honestly, this is getting annoying.” He told the others, crossing his arms in thought. ”If you ask me though, I think they were all manipulated.”

Rubick quickly moved back as LeFwee swung wildly, then sighed. “Perhaps it’s because of that, then?” Rubick said, looking up at the bright orb in the sky. “I’d hate to think this could’ve been me if I was still under its influence.”

Omori shook his head. ”Good guess, but I was referring to someone else.” He explained. Then he glanced back at the parrot. ”Oh yeah, your Consul guy ditched the fight, by the way? Didn’t even do jack besides wax poetic. Well, he did knock the wind out of me before he fled, but other than that?”

“Did I not say that I was just here to observe?”

In the corner of the captain’s chambers, the shadows began to move. An unusually tall figure there, hidden with the help of a huge, fine black cape among LeFwee’s collection of frippery, moved ever so slightly into the cloudy late-morning light, in which the cherry-red armor that adorned his suit shined. He clapped softly as he surveyed the assembled Seekers, who’d tensed up at the reveal of his presence, ready for action. “My, you lot certainly laid waste to the crew. Of course, they were little more than lost pets playing pirate, but I suppose some congratulations are in order, mm?”

S’ voice alone caused Omori to tense up, more so than the rest of his team. He swiftly aimed his flintlock at the Consul, and did his best to remain composed against his trembling hand. Deep breaths.

“Hidden in plain sight,” Rubick mused. “Incredible that none of us saw this coming. Hmm, perhaps this says more about us then it does about him…”

Geralt was trying to decide between keeping LeFwee in place and confronting the newcomer, but ultimately kept his hand around the parrot’s throat. “This changes nothing.” He hissed in warning.

“On the contrary,” the Consul insisted, his dapper tone vaguely derisive. “You may find that things will be rather different, going forward…”

Struggling in vain against Geralt’s grip, LeFwee managed to choke something out. “C-consul. Do…something!”

S rolled his head back and slumped his shoulders, as if looking to the sky for strength. “Now that’d just defeat the purpose. Did it occur to you that death might be a fitting end to your tale? Craven and incapable, a paltry excuse for a villain, scarcely even a bump in the road for our valiant heroes. And certainly possessed of no useful information for them, considering we only just met. Though I daresay your hopes unraveling before your eyes was karmic justice at its finest.” He turned his attention back to the others. “You lot needn’t fear though, not just yet, anyway. I have no intention to fight you. In fact, I have a little parting gift for you. Do take care now.” He dissolved into purple light, and disappeared.

After a moment, a red glare from behind the Seekers cast their shadows against the cabin wall. When they turned, they found a bright red projection being cast from a distant figure standing atop the highest point of Port O’ Panic. In the radiant light, a shape took form, a single symbol writ large upon the gray storm clouds themselves.

Then, not long after, it disappeared, and by that time the stranger had, too.

Nadia pursed her lips, her arms crossed. “That can’t be good. Who the hull was that guy?”

With S taking a second leave, Omori could properly calm down, and pocket his gun. He already had a feeling the symbol left behind could only mean the worst. ”That was who I was referring to. Unfortunately, I have no clue what his name is. But I can tell he shouldn't be underestimated.” He spoke up, picking up the gunblade LeFwee had forgotten and looking it over. Nice weapon. ”I’ll explain what I can later.”

Rubick stared at the symbol that had come and gone. “Well, that was certainly ominous. Our mystery spectator certainly put in quite the effort to remain as dark and cryptic as possible. But if his goal was to dissuade us from this journey, then clearly he doesn’t know me very well. It only makes me more curious about his intentions.” With that, he giggled in anticipation of the future.

Geralt let LeFwee’s throat go, narrowing his eyes at the pirate captain. “Go fetch your crew. Let them know the fight’s done.” When he saw the ominous sign, he frowned. “Ah. I do not like that. Not at all..Moogle!” Geralt called out to Alcamoth’s resident teleporting assistant. “Mark this place down. That little sea town out there. We’re…going to need to bring them up to speed. Including this idiot here.” Geralt gestured to Captain LeFwee. “Not sure who is and isn’t Hearted, though. Which might pose a small problem.”

By that point, the Raptor -without anyone keeping it repaired- had drifted back down to the ocean. It hit the waves with a jarring impact, then came to a rest in the water, the balloon sagging down overhead. Fully healed by Blazermate but still sore, scarred, and tired all over, Peach got to her feet. Around the ship swam a couple Gill Grunts, Kickball, and Nubbin, some of them still willing to fight despite their wounds and exhaustion thanks to Galeem’s influence. The rest had presumably drowned. Across the way, the brutalized Adrian had finally disappeared beneath the surface, though the Tinkerslug had turned up with Karin on board to rescue the Koopa Troop from the water. The battle was over, and it looked like everyone had survived. That was a blessing, Peach knew, but she felt miserable. Due in part to her fight alone against Rip Tide, whose lethal skill left her more gravely wounded than any other foe thus far, and also because of the pit that had formed in her stomach. It told her that things had suddenly gotten a lot more complicated.

Results

Party: Geralt, Ms Fortune, Pit, Omori, Rubick
Encounter Reward: +5 EXP
Additional Rewards: Assorted pirate weapons, Squall’s Gunblade, Xweetok spirit, Elephante spirit, Meerca spirit, Quiggle spirit, Gill Grunt spirit x2, Trophy System (1 charge left), defunct airship, pirate ship supplies

World of Light

LeFwee’s Finest

Location: Sea of Serendipity
Level 9 Nadia (71/90), Blazermate and Susie’s @Archmage MC, Geralt’s @Multi_Media_Man, Rubick’s @Scarifar, Peach
Word Count: 3927 (+4)

Regrouping with the others aboard the Adrian, Geralt found the pirate vessel to be quite the ship. Even most Skelligers couldn’t lay claim to a ship this robust, and it gave the impression that Cortez’s self-imposed title might have been a little more than bluster after all. He had the feeling Cerys and Hjalmar wouldn’t hate having this thing for themselves to take the fight to the Nilfgaardians, had they the chance.

Rubick managed to reach the Adrian with not a moment too soon, as the Toadies spell expired while he was still in the air. The Toadies faded away, and Rubick fell a couple feet onto the deck, roughly landing on his rump. “Oof!" Rubick exclaimed, and the Staff he had pocketed earlier was now peeking out of his robe. Rubick was quick to shove it back in and jump back onto his feet, brushing his robe off for any dust and water.

Soon enough, without waiting for the few laggards, they were off. Peach was right in that they knew the group’s destination and were more than capable of taking care of themselves on the way there, so he didn’t dwell on it himself. Separating when convenient and meeting up later was something he’d done plenty lately, it felt, even before having been brought to the World of Light.

Cortez brought the Adrian out of the lake and out onto the open sea, which spilled forth before their eyes. Geralt took a moment to admire the view before his eyes locked onto the rickety sea town that looked like a stiff enough breeze could take it out. It certainly didn’t stand up to Limsa Lominscuttle Town, not by any metric. As he and the others looked out into the water, Geralt frowned when he noticed Nadia’s focus on something, turning to the strange ‘birds.’

She caught on a moment before him, but when they did, Geralt’s hand made the all-too-familiar Sign of Quen and he drew his bow, not even managing to get an arrow off before the bombs fell.

Rubick took a page out of Geralt’s book and quickly copied his Sign, making a Quen shield to protect himself as well. He then looked around for suitable cover and dove towards it. The bombs did quite a bit of damage to the ship, but at least he’d be fine for the time being.

Blazermate had been chilling on Cortez’s ship along with Geralt, having procured the pirate’s help and it in a way with her cute looks and charm. A bit of self pride that was shattered as they came under attack by no less than 5 different groups of enemies! Apparently this spot was a huge ambush point, and these people would not be reasoned with. Cortez took a fair amount of the opening fire and clattering to the ground. Blazermate started to panic, but stopped when she noticed Cortez was fine. While he looked dead, her Scan ability told her he was okay. Did… Did he just start to play dead? Well, seeing as he was fine, even if his ship was a bit damaged, Blazermate looked to join the others in dealing with one of the groups. They’d need her healing and shields.

Of course once Blazermate left the ship, Cortez got back up and yelled. “We’re being attacked, get to it men!” and his ghost crew sparked back to ‘life’ after having been extinguished. He assumed a more menacing form and began charging up some type of attack, getting ready to deal with those attacking his ship, but with the spirits’ vitality tied to the Adrian’s it wouldn’t be long before both craft and crew went down.

“Oh, what fun! I was beginning to believe this would be a boring trip!” Rubick yelled in delight. Plenty of adversaries attacking their ship, leaving them in dire circumstances. There was nothing better!

His big mouth. Geralt didn’t even have to say the words, the mere thought of being attacked seemed to bring it into being. While his magical shield protected him from the heat and much of the explosive compression of the bombs, it shattered and the remaining kinetic energy pushed him into the deck’s railing, his arms holding on for dear life as the ship rocked.

A pair of ships had revealed themselves in the chaos of the attack, one fused into a titanic snail and the other floating and held aloft by a balloon. It was the latter that Geralt focused on, a savage and sadistic grin forming on his face, even darker and more disturbing due to the physical traits the Orphan had granted him as his cat-like eyes narrowed.

Susie didn’t really react with any kind of shield or anything when they came under attack. But she was also in an area with more cover, having found a place on Cortez’s ship to relax as best as she could. Cannonfire and the sound of fracturing wood brought her to her senses though, and with a battle on the way, Susie was admittedly a bit nervous at the massive amount of enemies in the way. Sure they had a lot of seekers too, but without her business suit, there wasn’t too much she could do. Still, at least she could try to summon it…

And this time it worked! A pink drill shaped robot with massive deadly arms materialized in front of Susie. With a clap of excitement, Susie hopped into her mech, put down her visor, and followed Geralt into battle with her piloting her mech, Susie using its missile launchers to fire basic rockets at their foes as she approached.

Before peeling away to race after Sakura and Karin, Ace left everyone still holding out in and around the Adrian a priceless parting gift. As Pit purged the skies of the Abyssal bombers overhead through clever use of his orbitars, he cleared the way for a fresh cloudburst of vitalizing tonic. “Ahh, that’s quite helpful,” Rubick remarked, noticing how much quicker he had become. “I’ll take the flying one.” Geralt called out as Ace’s invigorating rain fell over him, giving him a boost that would surely be appreciated in the coming fight. “Gonna need some cover!” With that, he hoisted himself over the railing, falling into a roll as the Breaching Bastion appeared below him, and he rose quickly from the recovery, already pointing his guns towards the airship, and more specifically, the balloon keeping it in the air.

Without the threat of bombs falling on her, Nadia clawed her way up the side of the Adrian and vaulted onto the deck just in time to get a burst of energy from the monster hunter’s stimulant. It alleviated the last of her fatigue from the river, as well as the shadow of dread that the naval cannonade cast over her heart. Of course, with the pirate ship disintegrating bit by bit thanks to the withering combined assault of the Raptor, Tinkerslug, and submariners, she didn’t have a moment to lose. Something needed to be taken out of the equation–and with his Breaching Bastion, Geralt had just the ticket.

“We’ll cover you!!” Nadia called to him. “Just give us a sec!”

Speeding toward the Adrian from their airship came LeFwee’s finest, the shipgirls Massachusetts and Ingraham, plus the fearsome Hydroid Rakkam and a tenacious-looking fishman, who managed to keep pace with the wave-riders with the simple act of swimming. Ace’s parting shots made them wary, but none hit, so his attempt at a diversion fell short. All four would be running circles around Nadia if she tried fighting them in their element, but she didn’t plan to leave the piratical gang to Peach. She watched the sky until one of the bombers not yet dispatched by Pit cruised in to rip through one of the Adrian’s sails, then rushed to shimmy up the nearest mast. When the freakish plane-monster burst through the sailcloth, Nadia pounced with her trademark catlike reflexes and grabbed hold of the Abyssal’s rigid wings, digging her claws in. “Here, birdie-birdie!” It shrieked and scratched at her with its talons, but to no avail. The next second both were out over the water. Just as Nadia hoped, this thing could support her weight while flying, and when she yanked on one wing or another Nadia could make the creature turn. Just in time, too; the next moment Massachusetts opened fire on the Adrian, and at Rakkam’s beckoning great tentacles burst from the ocean to encircle the ship and pull it apart. “Hmm, that looks fun,” Rubick said to himself as he observed Hydroid, pointing his staff at him and Power Stealing it for himself. When the information reached his brain, he quickly became excited. “Oh ho ho hooo~ it’s even better than I thought!”

Blazermate, being the medic of the team, had been spending her time buffing those who weren’t too badly damaged with her medi-beam, increasing their effective health and charging her shield and her medaforce. While she would need more time to get her medaforce up, this quickly got her shield charged in the matter of a dozen seconds having such a massive target rich environment to heal.

With Geralt under fire, the Seekers needed to take initiative. Nadia steered the Abyssal toward Peach as Blazermate flew out to join them, healing those on the way, and together they headed out to meet the LeFwee pirates atop the waves. The princess added to Susie’s rockets with an explosive salvo from her own launcher and a handful of torpedoes in the water. Registering the challenge, the enemy squad turned their attention to their opponents and changed formation to engage the threat. Massachusetts turned the six cannon barrels of her rigging on the incoming misfits with a smirk. “I can appreciate a little backbone,” she said, her low but powerful tone amplified by her comms array to carry across the water. “Show me what you can do.”

Rip Tide let out a foamy, guttural chuckle. “Course, we’ll blow you chumps outta the water long before then!” As Massachusetts took aim, Rakkam unleashed his Tempest Barrage, calling from the ocean an artillery onslaught of liquid fury to rain down on the water’s surface, forcing all three Seekers to take emergency evasive action. Peach quickly realized that her umbrella wouldn’t be much help against this deluge as several projectiles punched through the fabric and into her body; Nadia’s Abyssal ride didn’t make for much of a shield either. She, Peach, and Blazermate all took a battering from the impact damage, softening them up for the cannonade from Massachusetts that followed. As it turned out, the Raptor’s chief gunner possessed some serious skills. Two shots whizzed by Nadia close enough for her to feel the heat before one struck the bomber she dangled from head-on, nearly destroying its head. Seeing the first two shots of cannonfire coming to the group as Blazermate recovered from her tumble from the wave, Blazermate used her projectile shield to block incoming shots. She missed the first one that nearly missed Nadia, but was able to fizzle the shell that was heading right for Peach. And all while she could heal herself and the others from the safety of her barrier as they approached, at least from the front.

Susie meanwhile had begun advancing on the location of the pirates from a different direction than the others. She began to spin up the arms on her mech before dashing forward with them spinning like sawblades, moving at incredible speeds as she dashed to crash into all of them. By that time of course, they’d broken formation, and Rakkam, who’d been mitigating the incoming explosives with corrosive shots from his Carcinus Scourge speargun surfed up to take care of the easy target before she started causing problems. He hurled his speargun at the incoming mech, and though it did little damage, the burst of strange energy it released in an area created a bullet attractor field directly on Susie’s head. Rakkam swapped to his secondary weapon, the Akjagara pistols, and hammered the trigger. The precision barrage left Susie in dire straits in a matter of seconds.

Susie figured that this wouldn’t be much of an issue, but boy was she wrong. She never had to deal with this stuff when dealing with pinkie, as even if he turned into a weird rock and came down on top of her in her business suit, the suit would just take the damage. Apparently that wasn’t how things worked in this world, and Susie’s suit started to spin wildly as she was hit and more or less knocked out, the suit’s arms still spinning and damaging anything nearby for awhile before she came to a stop, just floating on the water. At least she wouldn't’ sink unlike some others.

For the moment, however, Geralt was in the clear; it was time to silence the Raptor’s thunder. Geralt took careful aim at the Raptor, a test shot of the Bastion’s smaller guns confirming that he had the right of it. With no fanfare, only grim determination, he fired the main cannon, the massive projectile firing directly at the balloon keeping the Raptor in the air.

“Looks like they need to be taught a lesson,” Rubick said, finally leaving his hiding spot and making his way over to the edge of the ship. While Geralt took aim, he’d pointed his staff toward Massachusetts and begun to charge the ability for a few seconds. Once he was done, he announced, “Tentacle Swarm!” and summoned a large mass of watery tentacles underneath the Shipgirl, intending to restrain her and prevent her from damaging the ship further. Massachusetts neither anticipated nor could guard herself against her ally’s attack turned against her. The tentacles that erupted beneath her ensnared both her limbs and her rigging as they lifted her into the air. Amused, she pit her strength against them in a mighty struggle, but for a moment her artillery assault against the others petered out.

In that same moment, Geralt’s ordnance hit its mark. His shell blew straight through the Raptor’s balloon, in one side and out the other. A chorus of yells rang out as the ship jerked, knocked off-kilter enough to stop its continuous broadside in its tracks and begin its descent toward the water. “What in blazes!?” LeFwee squawked as his crew members rolled around the deck, ignoring the Gill Grunt who got hurled overboard. He glared up at the gaping punctures in his balloon. “How’d they hit us!? Where be the Trophy thingy!?”

Holding on to the railing for dear life, his Blumaroo deck hand yelped back. “But captain, you said to…!”

“I DON’T CARE WHAT I SAID, JUST GET THE DAMN THING!” the parrot screamed. “And someone patch the balloon, before we be dead in the water!”

As the Raptor dipped lower and lower, losing helium fast, the crew scrambled to salvage the situation. Most climbed up the rigging and slap a couple of giant patches on the balloon, while a few fetched a curious device from the hold to set up on deck. For now, no more cannonballs sailed toward the Adrian, allowing the Seekers to focus on the battle at hand.

Hydroid’s Tempest Barrage came to an end just a couple seconds before Massachusetts ripped free of the Tentacle Swarm, using her cannons to blast apart the constructs and give her room to move. She then carved her way loose with a pair of small anchors connected by chains to spools on her rigging, wielding them like hand axes. As Ingraham sped up to top off her health, she pointed her anchor toward Rubick and Geralt. “Rakkam. Take care of those two, will you?” In response the warframe twirled his speargun and began to surf their way.

With the Raptor slowly descending, Geralt turned his guns towards the advancing Rakkam, the smaller cannons opening fire while the larger one slowly reloaded. “Unfortunately,” He called out to Rubick above, trying not to be too loud so that their enemies heard, “This thing can barely move. If it goes badly, can you pull me up and out onto the ship? I also can’t fix this thing if it gets too badly damaged, it needs to be physically repaired. We have an engineer I could ask where we’re going, but it’s a big ask and I don’t think he’d do it for free.”

Rubick tilted his head from side to side as he responded, “Sure, that’s an easy matter. And in the other scenario, I do still have some funds, so there’s no issue there either.” Turning his attention back to the Shipgirls and warframe, he couldn’t help but worry a bit. They were converging towards the Adrian, and he was still sorely lacking in firepower. Even the Tentacle Swarm wouldn’t hold them back for long. Still, it was something to do. Charging the spell again, Rubick once again summoned the mass of watery tentacles under Hydroid Rakkam.

Rubick then pulled out his Magic Wand and activated it, causing the energy stored within to restore a portion of his spent reserves. Rubick did have a large reserve of mana, but he needed to manage his resources efficiently. He would have to work hard if he wanted to survive this. While doing so, he also witnessed Rakkam disappear beneath -or maybe into- the surface of the water with Undertow, effectively dodging the stolen ability and hiding his approach. In another moment, the warframe would be here.

Back out on the water, Peach’s group had managed to gain some ground after weathering the Tempest Barrage and gunfire storm with the help of Blazermate’s shield and healing. Since the medabot prioritizes her allies, a shell to the head spelled the end for Nadia’s ride, but the cat burglar didn’t mind hopping on top of Blazermate instead. Balancing on top of the robot’s pigtails with feline grace, she tensed her muscles for a superjump as the barrier began to flicker. With a final explosive burst from Massachusetts, the shield went down, and it was go time.

Looking to take out the medic first, Rip Tide immediately breached the surface to drive his swordfish into Blazermate’s torso with the whole weight of his body behind it, ensuring that even if he didn’t hit anything vital, he’d essentially tackle both her and her passenger into the water. That is, if Nadia hadn’t already been jumping as well. “Peach, send me!” The feral bailed off of Blazermate and went for the princess, who understood and used her umbrella to bounce the catgirl in the direction of the enemy. A pressurized blood blast did the rest. Nadia launched toward Massachusetts, not really knowing if her daredevil pounce would hit or miss, but either way, the shipgirl didn’t plan on letting her foe find out. Her anchor whipped through the air toward Nadia with a tremendous din of clanking chain, fast and well-aimed enough that the feral barely put up her guard in time to deflect the heavy metal to the side. “Anchor, aweigh! …Nyowch!” Despite her pain resistance, the dent left in her forearm hurt a lot.

Massachusetts grabbed her chain and yanked to reel it back in while throwing her other anchor. Nadia’s first instinct was to airdash out of the way, but going anywhere else would leave her with nothing but the ocean. She made a split-second decision and stayed her course, which meant that the shipgirl’s anchor struck her clean in the head, literally knocking her block off as she reeled backwards midair. Seeing her enemy beheaded, and a little disappointed it was over so soon, Massachusetts took hold of her chain to retract it. To her surprise, Nadia pivoted midair, the muscle fibers that still connected her head to her body -and her toothy grin- hidden by the blood. “Purr-fect!” She snatched the passing anchor and let the surprised shipgirl pull her straight to where she wanted to be. Nadia zoomed in, somersaulting like a vertical sawblade, and slammed her fishtail down on Massachusetts’ head. As her tail curled she kicked off her opponent’s shoulders and into the air, then at the height of her backflip shot both forearms down to grab the shipgirl’s rigging and rubber-band back down headfirst for a skull-rattling headbutt. The impact knocked Massachusetts over backward, and both tumbled across the water.

Blazermate, having seen that her shield was going down, was preparing for more evasive maneuvers. Nadia put a bit of a stop to that for a bit by jumping on her pigtails though in order to attack someone else, which forced Blazermate to have to rely on her suffering shield arm when Rip Tide decided to jump at her from the water. Still, Blazermate could try to deflect the guy so she didn’t go into the water with him, it’d take forever for her to get out of that, so she sidestepped his attack and used her suffering shield to deflect his thrust away from her. The shield, having been attacked, attacked back by biting Rip Tide as he passed by, infecting him with the zombie virus. Of course, for it to have any effect he would need to die first, and for this Aqua-Fighter that was a tall order. The bite stopped his momentum, and he used that moment to twist around and grab hold of the shield’s edge. “Not bad!” Suddenly, Blazermate was supporting his weight, and Rip Tide plunged his swordfish inside the mouth of her shield, piercing through its innards and into the arm inside. He then leaped off her, and from his pocket somehow pulled a large Blubber Whale to hurl down at the medabot like a giant mallet. “But not good enough!”

Blazermate didn’t like this guy trying to shove a sword fish into her shield, and battered away his sword when he was a fair amount in there to reduce the damage and disarm the guy, which he seemed all too happy to lose as he leaped away and tried to throw something at her from his pocket. Blazermate had the mobility to dodge the car sized whale coming at her from this guy, especially considering he had to make that throw while falling being unable to fly himself. Before he fell in the water though, Blazermate could mark all of his weak points, which light glowed through the water when he was near the surface, making his ambush tactics not as effective anymore. The Blubber Whale struck the surface with a mighty slap, sending up a geyser of water, but its target got away just in time.

It had gotten her attention that a few people were hurt, so she had to go deal with that. Susie most of all, who got hit by something nasty. ”Hey, someone else play with this brat, I’ve got work to do.” Blazermate said as she went to go heal Susie, buffing the nearby Peach her with some overheal before doing so. Obligingly the princess skated in to give Blazermate a break and take her place against Rip Tide. The fishman held out his hand for his swordfish to jump into, and moved in to accept her challenge.

World of Light

Ms Fortune

Location: Sea of Serendipity
Level 9 Nadia (67/90)
Koopa Troop’s @DracoLunaris, Blazermate and Susie’s @Archmage MC, Geralt’s @MULTI_MEDIA_MAN, Ace Cadet and Pit’s @Yankee, Sakura and Karin’s @Zoey Boey, Rubick’s @Scarifar, Omori’s @Majoras End, Nadia Fortune, Peach
Word Count: 2263

For a couple minutes Nadia rested on her rock, allowing the cool freshness of the rain to revitalize her. Ever since her fusion with the Rhodeia, the hydrokinetic Oceanid from Carcass Isle, she found herself endowed with a better sense of purity when it came to water. While not filthy by any stretch, the river couldn’t exactly be called clean either, with all the plant and mineral debris stirred and broken up by the ruthless rapids. Nothing felt purer than the rain, formed from vapor up. in the clouds where water, the source of all life, coagulated and fell far from the reach of earthly foulness and contaminants. And thank goodness, really, because without this newfound appreciation Nadia figured she’d be pretty damn miserable by now.

As the rain rinsed the fatigue built up by fighting against the rapids away, more of her fellow Seekers accumulated in Floria Lake at the bottom of the mountain river. It looked like Geralt, Sakura, Peach, Rika, Bowser, and Karin all made it without any obvious issue. Had she really been the only one to lose her boat? Then again, as she took stock of those around her Nadia began to realize just how many allies weren’t here yet. Of Rubick, Omori, Ace, Pit, Blazermate, Susie, Kamek, and Junior she found no sign. “Where is everyone?” she wondered aloud. “Hope they didn’t wash down a dead end, or somethin’.” She remembered the gigantic bear, and shivered at the thought of poor Junior or Omori disappearing into that horrendous maw. Maybe they should have all stuck together on the way down, after all.

Her reverie came into an abrupt end as a giant robot appeared over the waterfall, which nearly made her lose her head. “What!?” Only her recognition of Blazermate through the downpour stopped her falling back into the drink, and after flailing her arms to regain her balance Nadia got to her feet. It took a few seconds, as well as the sight of Kamek flying around the enormous Medabot, for the feral to put two and two together. “Ohhh!” She scratched the back of her head, looking sheepish. “I totally for-bot about Kamek’s size magic for a spell, huh?”

The arrival of both robo-ladies and the missing Koopa Troop members did a lot to assuage Nadia’s worries–it looked like the others just fell behind, after all. Only one question remained: what was giga-Blazermate holding? In short order Nadia got her answer, as the big healer plopped the thing into the water and Kamek restored both of them to normal. As Blazermate shrunk back down, the wooden thingamajig grew, revealing itself to be the pirate ship Adrian, seized from the ship graveyard up at the river’s headwaters for use on the open ocean.

“Wow, that’s so smart!” she exclaimed, impressed at the others’ resourceful combination of powers. How they somehow made friends with a literal monster like Cortez, she couldn’t imagine. “You’re tellin’ me we ‘arr’ actually gonna set sail on a real pirate boat? That’s some serious gourmet ship!”

Peach shared the feral’s enthusiasm. “Good work, everyone. And thank you, Mr. Cortez, for lending us a hand. They can be a rowdy bunch, but trust me, they’re all worth their weight in gold.”

“Gold, eh?” the skeletal pirate mused, drawing his hook along his jawbone with an unpleasant scraping sound. “I’ll hold ye to it, Princesa.”

A few of the heroes, eager to be out of the rain, in a sturdier watercraft, or both, climbed aboard. Nadia charged up her water pressure and launched off her rock to sink her claws into the Adrian’s exterior. Compared to Shippy, with its singular mast and sail, the Adrian was massive. It boasted three masts, with three sails on the largest of the bunch, and even an auxiliary sail on the prow. With its pitch-black hull and will o’ wisp crew, it looked every inch the haunted pirate vessel, which Nadia honestly found sick as hell. “I’ll take normal ghosts any day of the week,” she murmured. While she could have easily ascended to the deck and walked around like anyone else, using her claws to climb around the hull felt more fun, so she maneuvered herself all the way up to the prow. After stopping to appreciate the horrific skeletal figurehead, she swung up onto the bowsprit, then trotted out along the narrow beam -using her tail for balance- until she could take hold of the rope connecting to the forward sail. “Avast, me hearties!” she cried. “Aweigh anchor!”

Peach, having skated up toward the ship’s front after Rika, gave a nod. “Yes, let's move out!” she called, waving to Cortez up at the ship’s wheel.

“Aye aye!” the pirate replied. At his command the sails unfurled, billowed in the wind, and got the Adrian moving through the waters of Floria Lake.

This turn of events somehow took Nadia by surprise. “Wait, we’re really goin’? What about Ace and the others?”

“They know where we’re going, and they’re more than capable,” Peach replied. She did not look one hundred percent confident herself, but the situation couldn’t be helped. “Besides, we couldn’t very well go back and search the whole mountain range. With how much faster the rowboats are, they can catch up in no time.”

Not totally reassured, Nadia kept looking back over her shoulder as the final waterfall grew farther away, her ears lowered and a worried look on her face. The team had a whole haunted ship to call their own now, bound for open waters and a straight shot to a grand reunion, but the feral couldn’t put aside a sinking feeling.

Cortez steered the Adrian through the short channel to the sea. After rounding the mountainous bend at the forefront of the ship, Nadia was the first non-shipgirl to catch a glimpse of the open ocean, as well as what lay atop it. A ways from the shore lay what looked like a floating city, not unlike Limsa Lominscuttle Town, but as she studied it Nadia found more differences than similarities. While Limsa stood on firm foundations, a seastack city with bastions of stone like a castle, this one looked rose above the waves on stilts and trunks of wood, with tent canopies rather than carven parapets over huts and floors of slapdash, nailed-together wooden planks, their lower reaches thick with seaweed and bivalves. Rafts floated between the sea towers, many rather elaborate buildings in and of themselves. Anchored to the sea floor, they rocked precariously on the waves. Compared to Limsa’s splendor, the place looked shoddy, quaint, and dilapidated. Nadia marveled that such a place could still stand in such turbulent waters, but the World of Light nothing was impossible.

She also noticed that the rain seemed to have thinned. Though the sky remained moody, its deluge fell off to just a drizzle, and with the haze lessened Nadia could see a lot farther. She looked up and down the coastline, finding it mostly rocky and mountainous. The nearby cliffs divulged a flock of black birds, probably emboldened enough by the reduced rain to make their move back to their nests. Maybe it was just the cat in her, but Nadia couldn’t take her eyes off them. They flew in the direction of the Adrian, their flapping ungainly and irregular. Now that they grew closer, she could see that their wings looked rather small, too, with tails that were thick and long, more like a fish’s. Were these even birds at all?

Nadia’s eyes narrowed. Whatever they were, these things were weird, with their stubby white beaks, opening and closing as they glided. They looked more like teeth than anything. “Wait,” she murmured, craning her neck upward to get a better look as the creatures passed overhead despite the rain in her eyes. Black bodies, white teeth. Short, steady wings, and a long body. Almost like a plane. But what were they clutching in their talons? The feral gasped, so suddenly that she nearly choked herself, and at the top of her lungs yowled, “ABYSSALS!”

“Take cover!” Peach cried.

The next moment, the attack began. Several dozen explosive canisters rained down on the Adrian from the bombers, each packing the punch of a fragmentation grenade. The chain reaction laid waste to the upper deck, including the masts and the ship’s wheel, wounding Cortez in the process. As Nadia sprinted down the bowsprit one bomb struck the beam, snapping it like a matchstick. The feral jumped and let out some blood for an airdash, narrowly twisting around another bomb in the process, and latched onto the wood beneath the Adrian’s prow for cover. She fought to hold on by digging her claws deeper when the ship rocked wildly, bashed about by the force of both the explosives on deck and those that detonated in the water beside it. Shards of wood and smoke filled the air, while will o’ wisp crewmen dissipated into nothing with an ethereal shriek apiece.

Still, from her position Nadia managed to avoid the worst of it, and it also gave her a good look at what came next. From the shelter of the nearby mountains emerged an airship suspended beneath a giant balloon emblazoned with the symbol that was the nightmare of every mariner: the pirate skull. It kept its distance from the Adrian as it began to circle around, its deck full of neopets armed to the teeth and harpoon-wielding Gill Grunts, all screaming themselves hoarse in a terrifying throng. At the same time, the surface of the ocean opposite them exploded to reveal a three-eyed leviathan with another pirate ship built into its shell. Some sort of bubble that extended over its deck deactivated, and a horde of scimitar-wielding Tinkerbats appeared. A purple blur shot up from their midst to land in the crow’s nest, and from that lofty perch an uproarious laugh rolled across the ocean.

“Ohohohohohoho!” The lady captain guffawed, extending her sword toward the vessel that had fallen right into her trap. “Well hello there, my pretties!” she called, her voice amplified by her megaphone. “Welcome to the Sea of Serendipity. I, the great pirate Risky Boots, will be your guide today on your grand tour…of Davy Jones’ Locker! Prepare yourselves for the wrath of my Part Omni-Organic, Partially Titanic, Ocean-Optional Tinkerslug!”

Nadia blinked, thrown for total loop by her uncharacteristically quick observation. “P.O.O.P.T.O.O.T.!?”

Risky bared her teeth. “Don’t call it that!”

“RAAAWK!” A shrill scream from the other vessel. Nadia span her head around to see a purple-clad pirate parrot LeFwee on the deck of the airship, flanked by the warframe Hydroid Rakkam with a gunspear and the swordfish-wielding Rip Tide. “Not if we sink ‘em first! Fire, me hearties!”

Determined not to be outdone, Risky fired her pistol into the air. “POOPTOOT, open fire!”

Thunder rolled across the Sea of Serendipity as both halves of the pincer attack let loose. The Raptor fired a triple-fanged broadside, while the Tinkerslug unleashed its four forward-facing cannons. Finally, Port O’ Panic itself opened fire with the only cannon on its solitary Lookout Tower, operated by the marine iguana Reme Lousteau and the nymph Annetta Fish herself, with a tall stranger looking on. Cannonballs hurtled through the air toward the Adrian, none of them on target quite yet, but it would only be a matter of time before the bombardiers dialed in their aim.

“Gahahaha!” LeFwee cackled. “We got ‘em right where we want ‘em! Let’s finish it off quick-like! Get down there, ye scurvy dogs!”

Rakkam and Rip Tide vaulted over the Raptor’s railing and plummeted down toward the waves below, joined by two more fighters that, unlike them, stopped on the water’s surface. The Raptor’s chief gunner, Massachusetts, prepared to join the bombardment, while the medic Ingraham hung back with her healing drones. Rip Tide rose to the surface and began to swim toward the Adrian, backed up by Rakkam as he surfed atop a wave.

“I’m one step ahead of you, featherbrain!” Risky barked back. “Submariners, now!”

In the water beneath the Adrain, the sisters Adie and Elsie got to work. With their arm cannons they laid into the bottom of their target from below, blowing out chunks of hull so that the giant Thumpback could hook his anchor inside and really start doing some damage.

As the first cannonball hit the ship, jarring it almost hard enough to shake Nadia into the water, she grit her teeth and tried her best not to panic. Pirates, rogue shipgirls, loose Abyssals, and heavy artillery. Memories of Blackwater Bay had her stunned. This wasn’t just bad. It was terrible.

Twilight Town

Level 10 Tora (62/110) Level 10 Poppi (62/110) Level 7 Big Band (76/70)
Primrose and Therion’s @Yankee, Sectonia’s @Archmage MC, Jesse’s @Zoey Boey, Bede’s @Crimson Flame, Roxas’ @Double, Vandham, Shovel Knight, the Phantom Thieves
Word Count: 2018

The moment the subway car’s doors parted to let its passengers disembark, Tora realized that the name ‘Twilight Town’ wasn’t just for show. Orange-gold light poured through the train station’s windows across the polished red granite and beige travertine tiles of the interior, casting long, dark shadows from the benches and counters beneath great arches. Vast, stately, and practically empty except for the new arrivals, it imparted a slight echo to the footsteps and voices of the visitors, but more than that it offered a sense of quiet and peace that neither the open-air platforms at Radlandia, nor the top-security Biodome headquarters, nor the cramped confines of Rapture’s underwater transportation hub, nor the vista at the terrace station amidst Karnaca’s pungent winds could provide.

In Band’s eyes, the place possessed a solemn grandiosity that befitted a cathedral more than a train station. With stained glass and an altar or two, he might have just as well been back at the Grand Cathedral of the Trinity. That place always gave him the creeps, even before he caught wind of the rumored catacombs that lay beneath, where the Skullgirl Marie surreptitiously bided her time until New Meridian faced its judgment day. Did those sepulchral crypts still exist, beneath the city at the bottom of the ocean deep? The detective honestly didn’t want to know, and with how things were headed, he had bigger fish to fry, anyway. He lifted his face to the comfortable warmth of Twilight Town’s forever-setting sun, so much kinder than the cyclopean depths of the earth or sea, and for just a moment’s time pondered the irony of how the apocalyptic threat of the Skullgirl now suddenly seemed so small.

He took a deep breath and hurried after the others, stomping across the open floor of the train station to the front doors. Tora and Poppi led the way, though whether the defensive duo took point to protect the others or just sate their curiosity, Band couldn’t say. The two ended up holding the door open for the others, with Poppi taking stock of who’d made it in the process. Both Octopath Travelers, the entirety of the Phantom Thieves, Big Band, Jesse, her old friend Vandham, and her new friend Bede all stepped out into the eternal dusk that shone down on the Station Heights plaza. Poppi noted a handful of absences, but between the reports of Band and Primrose she didn’t concern herself too much about the missing members of the Black Line or Mountain teams. That left just the Virgin Victory delegation with their ornery escort Asbestos, and the Purple Line crew that Therion made no mention of. If something went wrong though, Poppi assumed that the thief would tell them, so for now she joined her Masterpon in the plaza with a worry-free processor to take in the sights.

“Wow-wow!” Tora marveled, flapping his wings in excitement. “It so pretty! And peaceful!” As she scanned Station Heights, Poppi couldn’t help but agree. It was, in a word, cozy. The whole city seemed to be cast in friendly, homey earth tones of brown, yellow, and tan, accented all throughout by the green of countless potted plants, flower boxes, and rooftop gardens everywhere one looked. The routes visible from here, especially the Market Street, curved and wended in an organic fashion, all awash in the soft yellow glow of lanterns, windows, and shop signs. Places like the nearby cafe featured chalked blackboard menus out front with the day’s specials written out in cursive. Railings and fixtures inevitably featured wrought iron, curled and bent into all sorts of shapes, and the people who ambled around seemed unusually carefree. Pleasant, relaxing music rolled up and down the brick roads from various establishments, completing an unprecedented nice atmosphere. Behind the new arrivals towered the clock tower in all its splendor.

Tora took a deep breath. He got no trace of the pestilence or sea-borne foulness that he whiffed in Karnaca, and none of the weird scents that befuddled his senses in Radlandia. Just the aromas of coffee and baked goods, reminding him that lunchtime couldn’t be far off. “Tora not believe it. Friends actually get spend time in nice spot? No sand, no snow, no monsters? Nothing to do but wait for more friends? Sound like Tora dream!”

“Better enjoy it while it lasts,” the team’s detective chuckled. “After this, we’re back on the beat.”

“Yes-yes, Tora know.” Grumbling, the Nopon brushed his hair back with a wing, only for it to pop straight back up. “So, where to for lunch?”

As it happened, the new arrivals were due for a reunion already. As they milled around the plaza, a familiar inhuman silhouette cresting the top of Market Street caught their eye, and Tora turned to see Sectonia on her way over. “Meh, meh! More friends incoming!” he called, waving. Since her fusion with a certain flowery Spectrobe the bug queen looked more monstrous than ever, but it looked like she and the Scout had made a new friend. Both Tora and Poppi noticed his distinctive outfit right away. “Oh! You…you!”

“Organization 13?” Poppi asked, her memory banks crystal clear on the matter. Though the member who called herself Ram assisted the team several times in the Sandswept Sky, she remembered the hassle that the die-headed one caused them in Lumbridge. “Here to help this time, Poppi hope?”

As the reunified Seekers ironed that out, Tora’s attentioned began to wander. He heard a noise above Twilight Town’s general ambiance, the unmistakable sound of motors and machines, which naturally piqued the engineer’s curiosity. As he listened the noise got louder and louder, coming roughly from the plaza’s north side, and he pitter-pattered over in that direction to look. Suddenly, a bizarre contraption roared around the corner, drifted past a candy shop, and promptly tipped over onto its side with a loud crash. “Dangit!” the boy behind the wheel yelled, seemingly more annoyed than hurt by the impact, before he unbuckled himself. As Tora watched, taken aback, a handful of other makeshift cars hurtled around the corner, each more kludged than the next.

A long buggy narrowly missed the fallen vehicle, giving the monkey Amigo driving it a chance to screech at Alex, followed shortly by a white-bearded dwarf on a trolley. An H-shaped doohickey wobbled along with the graffiti artist Gum in back, and a monster truck steered by a red-suited maniac in a gas mask brought up the rear. The parade of cobbled-together vehicles did a rather low-speed lap around the station plaza, honking their horns to clear the road, then headed for the south road. Multiple collisions occurred, making the reason for the wrought-iron poles around the plaza’s perimeter sidewalk very clear, but somehow the vehicles just bounced off everything in their path, including one another.

Poppi jetted over to make sure her Masterpon was okay as he approached the fallen racer, then landed beside him and turned a furrowed brow on Alex. “What is meaning of this?”

“It’s a race, duh!” the boy told them. “Can you help me here? Pretty please?”

Tora, who’d been staring at the machinery, suddenly gave Alex his undivided attention. “If we help, can we ride with? Tora help distribute weight better!”

“Sure, but c’mon! I’m gonna come in last at this rate!” Alex wailed.

Nodding, Tora turned to his companion. “Please to flip it, Poppi!”

“What? Why? Masterpon, explain.” Poppi questioned him, baffled. She didn’t question the danger of joining the race, knowing that his durability made any accidents at these mediocre speeds a joke, but she couldn’t fathom why.

“Where there funny contraption, there certainly funny mechanic, meh!” Tora reasoned, his eyes sparkling. “While have down time, Tora want learn all about local machines! Plus, after seeing friend Rose-Rose, Tora have many new idea for upgrade Poppi Qt Pi chassis!”

Poppi crossed her arms, a suspicious look on her face. “Poppi chassis just fine as-is, thank you.”

She glanced over to see Band on his way over, having threaded the needle between racers on their way out of the Station Heights plaza. He honked his horn as he slid to a stop. “Hey, if there’s a grease pit nearby, you can finally gimme that tune-up ya owe me, instead.”

“Meh!?” Tora balked, the prospect of one exciting project pulled out from under his nubby little feet and replaced with something totally different. Still, time was wasting, and the pros outweighed the cons. “Fine, fine, yes. Tora make good on word for friend Biggypon Band!”

Poppi nodded, and with one hand flipped Alex’s car back onto its tires. Both he and Tora mounted up, with Poppi and Band resolved to follow behind. The Nopon waved to the other Seekers. “Come on, friends! This look like fun!” Alex put his pedal to the metal, and at a sprightly twenty miles an hour, sped away.

---

The race came to an end in the town’s southernmost point, halfway down the slope, in a lot surrounded by trees with padded bumpers on their trunks; there, the Seekers found a machine shop called Mumbo’s Motors. With Tora as ballast in the back Alex’s rickety contraption only tipped over two more times on the downhill stretch to get here, and as the vehicle slowed to a stop to take last place, the Nopon hopped down with only minor bruises to offset his giddy excitement. This place looked like an inventor’s paradise, with piles of components from nuts and bolts to engines and wheels stacked high. Some of the racers who stuck around already seemed to be tinkering with their rides, pulling them apart and socketing them together like toys. In charge of the place were two chief mechanics whose only point of commonality was their overalls: the skull-headed Mumbo and the formidable Ellie. They alternated between telling the racers what to do and trying to do it themselves, bickering all the while. It was perfect. The fact that the building’s plumed facade looked sort of like a Nopon with a mohawk was just icing on the cake.

It was perfect. As much as Tora loved the smell of food, the odors of oil, gas, coolant, and rubber were near and dear to his heart, as well. He bounced up and down, flapping his wings. “Meh, meh, meh! Tora can’t wait for tinkerings!” When he looked at Band, however, he closed his eyes and gave a stiff nod. “But first, Tora fulfill promise! When done, friend Band feel good as new! Tora learn lots about ancient tech from peeking around insides too, meh!”

“You sure you oughta have said that last part?” Band asked him, brows furrowed, before sighing. “Still, ain’t gonna turn down my first real tune-up in who-knows-how-long. Show me whatcha got, li’l man.”

As the two went inside, Poppi approached the others. “It look like they let anyone use chop shop for free. Everyone allowed to put together own cars and race around Twilight Town perimeter track, or others, but Mumbo Motors not liable if people do bad job. Could learn how drive, too.” She shrugged. “We just need kill time until rest of Seekers arrive from Alcamoth, so can do something else if friends want. If Poppi know Masterpon, he definitely want lunch after this, though. Hopefully finish just in time for full reunion, and everyone get bite together. Meet you all in hour?”

World of Light

The Chalk Prince and the Skullgirl, the Prisoner, and Frisk

Frisk’s @Majoras End, the Prisoner’s @XoXKieroBombXoX

Eager for warmth and rest at long last after a harrowing winter’s night on Dragonspine, Frisk set off with Teba, Joel, Joserf, and the Prisoner in tow. The countless spots of distant light in the cosmos above mirrored the snow-white landscape below, dotted as it was by the azure glimmer of so many blue flowers, the earth and heavens connected by beams of moonlight to make clear the travelers’ northwestern path. Trudging through the earth beneath that starry night felt almost dreamlike, as if this mystical, ephemeral realm might fade away at any moment. At times even the moon itself looked oddly hollowed, as if chiseled away by some celestial carver in a fundamentally unwholesome manner, and for a moment it seemed as though a second moon drifted above the World of Light to keep the incomplete moon company. Yet the moment Frisk so much as blinked her eyes, it was gone, so suddenly and without ceremony that she couldn’t help but wonder if that second moon ever really existed in the first place. Now that her adrenaline had faded, fatigue swept in to take its place, and phantoms sprang readily to a tired mind.

The small party met with Linkle and Albedo on the way, prompting a brief recap of the events already explained to Frisk. For her part the Skullgirl couldn’t be happier to see father and son reunited, and while Albedo agreed, the way he kept looking at Joserf once everyone got moving again suggested a subtle distrust. As the starlit darkness gave way to the stretch of riverbed illuminated by radiant trees and effulgent crystals, and electric lights revealed the angular outlines of the long sought-after port town, the vague feelings of mystery and menace that clung to the travelers melted away. Numb from the cold, they made it through the final stretch and dragged their weary feet into the town together.

True to its appellation, this place looked like nothing more than a humble twenty-first century fishing village, ferreted far away from the civilized world on some remote, frigid Canadian coast. It featured only a couple handfuls of buildings, most of them utilitarian, with the largest compound surrounded by a tall barbed-wire fence. It possessed none of the rustic charm of Snowdin and offered the tired travelers nothing in terms of a warm welcome, but the wooden lodge that sat upon the slope above the town confirmed that people did live here, at least. On one side of the docks sat a promising chalet with great glass windows that betrayed some light from within. Whether or not the people here would be welcoming to strangers, especially at such a late hour, Albedo couldn’t say. One thing was clear, however: the original plan to take a boat from here to Edinburgh would absolutely have to wait until the next morning.

After confirming this with Linkle and Frisk, Albedo approached Teba in the hopes of asking about any accommodations this tiny town might be able to offer. If he and the others were going to spend the night, after all, they’d need a place in from the cold to stay, and ideally food at some point. Short and to the point as usual, Teba recommended the seaside chalet, then bid the others farewell. Joel and Joserf left together, with the boy leading his amnesiac father to their home. Even in the dead of night, the youngster knew well the path. That just left the original group who set out from Snowdin, plus a certain sentient pustule along for the ride. “Let us heed Teba’s instruction, then,” the alchemist stated, and the party started moving again.

As he made his way across town, however, Albedo began to get the impression that there might be more to this place than met the eye–and he didn’t mean the miracle of electricity, incredible as it still seemed to him. While at first he just assumed the village to be run-down and neglected, the cracks, holes, gashes, craters, and burns scattered across the walls and walkways told a different story. It looked to him like battle damage, and recent at that. As he passed, a couple of the spaces that at first glance appeared vacant actually harbored the wreckage of other wooden buildings. Meanwhile, one of the few spots with the lights still on turned out to be a clinic, where the local sawbones seemed to be looking after a good half-dozen wounded men, women, and creatures.

From a distance Albedo spotted a wide, red-haired fellow with a colorful collar and viking hat speaking to a very slender woman in a lightly armored suit, wearing a asymmetric helmet composed of many overlaid, spiraling strips like ribbons, but before his group got close the pair split up. The man, looking very much put-out, shook his head as he made his way toward the clinic. Meanwhile the woman happened to cross paths with Albedo’s group by the docks, as she headed for a curious whale-shaped ship. She glanced at them only once as she stalked past beneath the glare of a dock light, one hand perched on her hip. Only her lime-green eyes could be seen beneath her cherry-red getup, and her gaze lingered for a moment on Frisk. Then she went on her way.

As it turned out, the chalet was open, though the white-furred goat who answered the bell looked rather sleepy. Still, Chevre made an effort to be as kind as she could, and offered the newcomers some spare rooms at a very reasonable price for spending the night if they had no other business to attend to in town. She also mentioned a courtesy continental breakfast to be provided the following morning. “Thank you, ma’am,” Albedo told her. As she hoofed it back to bed, he went on to address the others. “Let’s all make sure to rest well, recuperate, and catch the first ferry to Edinburgh MagikaPolis tomorrow morning. See you then.”

Before going to bed himself, however, Albedo went back outside to do a little extra looking around. Contrary to his initial impressions, this fishing village really piqued his curiosity, and it would be difficult to retire for the night with his urge to learn unsatisfied.

World of Light

I wouldn't object, necessarily, but are you sure you'll be able to follow along and keep up? Generally we want to post once a week.

World of Light

Ms Fortune

Location: Riotous River
Level 9 Nadia (64/90)
Koopa Troop’s @DracoLunaris, Blazermate and Susie’s @Archmage MC, Geralt’s @MULTI_MEDIA_MAN, Ace Cadet and Pit’s @Yankee, Sakura and Karin’s @Zoey Boey, Rubick’s @Scarifar, Omori’s @Majoras End, Nadia Fortune
Word Count: 2176

The brief siesta at the river’s headwater, watching all the assorted bears help themselves to a fishy feast, gave the Seekers a chance to group up again after their hijinx on the Eryth Sea spread them thin. Nadia hadn’t been alone in her opportunistic perusal of convenient shipwrecks in the Kove, as she found when most of her comrades pulled up to the riverbank with at least few articles in loot stashed in their rowboats. Given more time the feral would have been only too happy to give the ship graveyard a more thorough search, especially after she piddled away the last of her money on that morning’s pancake feast, but even putting aside the time it would take, this mission was about helping the stranded members of Yellow Team–not helping herself. Besides, how would she even carry all her ill-gotten gains? By using rope to tie together barrels of treasure behind her rowboat like a miniature sea train?

…

It took some effort, but Nadia managed to shelve the tempting idea for now, reasoning that such a craft couldn’t possibly survive these rapids. Now that she got a good look at it, it might be tough just to get her rowboat through there by itself, what with all the potentially hazardous wildlife. Still, she hadn’t been joking around when she told Kazooie that this log flume got her excited. When she looked around, she saw that most of her team had caught up, and now crowded around the precipice of the first cataract like sea lions on a wharf. A few lagged behind, but nothing she needed to worry about. “Well, if you’d ask me what our chances are, I’d say they’re a little fishy…but bearable. Eh? Eh?” Nadia grinned at the others, her smile bright even in the murky rainstorm. “Nyeheheh. This is gonna be a boatload of fun!”

With the Koopa Troop at the head of the pack and Sakura and Karin caught up in the flow, it was off to the races. Nadia splashed through the pebbly shallows with her boat in tow, launched it into the current, and pounced in head-first. A moment later she flew off the edge, dropped a good twenty feet to the waterfall’s bottom, and bobbed to the surface in a spray of water with her heart full of exhilaration. “Woohoooo!” she yowled, shaking herself off. With a huge grin she closed her hands in a vice grip around her oars and got swept away on a wild rapid ride.

Of course, she got about three seconds in before the first problem slapped her in the face, literally. Agitated by the arrival of the boats, the migrating salmon went into a frenzy, and threw all caution to the wind in a mad dash upstream. The big hook-nosed fish, its scales a vivid crimson, smacked her face sideways before landing in the beat. “Hey!” Nadia cried, trying to grab the thing as it thrashed and nearly sending her new hurdy-gurdy into the drink in the process. “No stowaways, chum!” By the time she tossed it out, another one flew her way, but this time the feral and her lightning reflexes were ready. Though her nature urged her to filet the fish with her claws here and now, she just batted it away with her hand, her claws unsharpened. No use killing them if she couldn’t make use of their meat, after all. More salmon leaped her way, but no matter the angle Nadia struck them aside. “Hey, not a bad warmup!” she laughed, her mission momentarily sidelined in favor of fooling around with different attacks. One after another she dished out chops, palm strikes, ridgehands, backhands, headshots, and plenty of old-fashioned punches, leaving the dazed fish strewn about in her wake. Finally, a massive specimen hurled itself at her, big as a Labrador Retriever, but Nadia stepped up to the plate with her tail held like a baseball bat. With a mighty WHACK she sent it flying into the air. “And it’s a home run!” After nearly tumbling overboard Nadia sat back down, chuckling to herself. “Or should I say salmon run?”

Her amusement turned to dread, however, when the salmon hurled up and slapped down onto the shelf of rock where the Runebear was napping. Disturbed by the meaty impact and the fish’s flailing, the enormous beast rose to its haunches, blinking down at the interlopers raiding its patch of river. As a number of the smaller bears around the riverbanks and cataphracts turned to run, Nadia shrunk down, her ears flattened and her teeth clenched as she let out a nervous laugh. “Ah…aha…hah. Nice…bear?”

In reply the Runebear roared, and a shockwave of pressurized air ripped through the rain to blast apart the water’s surface like a rogue cannonball. “Holy mackerel!” Nadia yelped, seizing her oars. Up ahead, Peach looked back to see why she’d shouted, only for the princess’s eyes to go wide when she saw the Runebear on its feet. “This is bad, beary bad in fact!” Though maybe still not taking this quite as seriously as she should, she immediately bent to the task of getting the hell out of dodge. The giant beast threw itself from its ledge and hit the water in such a tremendous splash that the resulting wave picked Nadia up and sent her boat shooting downstream. “Didja see that!?” the feral hollered as she zoomed up toward Peach. “It bear-ly missed me!”

“Enough with the damn bear puns!” Peach exploded, letting out a little Mr. Grimm as she went into high gear herself.

What followed was a frenetic downstream chase, involving anyone else unfortunate enough to be in the middle of the pack. Though slow, the Runebear seemed to be nigh-unstoppable, bearreling through any obstacles in its path. At times its incredible bulk just about blocked the river’s flow, creating a swell behind it that slowly grew into a tidal wave as the monster washed downstream. As it turned out, the river itself was nothing to sneeze at, either. The distance it covered compared to the Eryth Sea itself in terms of length, but its path through the mountains was anything but predictable. At times it got very deep, taking the form of a half-flooded crevasse in the stone, but sometimes it got shallow enough that the water washed up around the bends like a giant water slide, where the average person could wade through at knee-height. Here and there the river evened out and widened into a small lake, flat enough that a boater might need to pick up his or her oars again, but as Nadia found out with very little warning the river could also fall away at a forty-five degree angle that left her holding onto her boat for dear life.

All sorts of obstacles presented themselves, too. There were stones in the water, from normal rocks to natural columns to ancient ruins beneath the surface. Tree trunks flowed down stream and in some cases stuck in the rocks to create blockages, and more than one beaver dam showed up at the end of a small reservoir. In the more verdant areas, plants often dangled over or into the water. Not everything in the way seemed natural, though. Sometimes the Seekers encountered ramps, or speed-boosting rings. Once Junior got tired of destroying them, the others also got a chance to take out the minigame targets suspended over the water, with each providing a couple rupees for their troubles.

Just after the second forty-five plunge, the river opened up into a foamy pool where green jungle covered the surrounding crags. There the river split, with one branching path each to either side of the ruined tower right in the middle. Thinking quickly, Nadia went with the flow as it favored the right-hand distributary, but as she passed the central structure she shot out a hand to grab hold, allowing her to swerve behind it to the left-hand path. Unable to fight the current, the Runebear got swept along to the right, and Nadia was home free.

The branches of the river flowed in, out, and around one another, headed in roughly the same direction but different in appearance. They tended to be either rocky, with a smattering of highland timber, or jungly, interspersed by occasional caves. On the rockier path lay the only river town, with solemn huts perched on hardy stilts above the water’s flow, connected by rickety wooden bridges. A few raised platforms featured the ability to deploy rafts, but none of the empty ones would accept one of Steve’s rowboats. The town even included a restaurant over the water, where chefs scrambled to serve their customers from atop platforms suspended by ropes. Elsewhere the overgrown remains of aged shrines sat silently in waterfall gorges, their mystique impenetrable as the Seekers were swept by. On the more verdant branches, there were more peaceful stretches just as often as frothing rapids and enormous cataracts. There were many bridges just waiting to clock the unwary rower in the head, from ladders that a traveler could barely balance across to more solid affairs of metal or stone meant for animal or even vehicle traffic. Speaking of animals, the river had its fair share, from fish and birds to swimming dinosaurs and little monsters camped out in crevices. Nadia’s heart never got the chance to stop pumping the whole time; even if she happened to slow down for a moment in some mountain pool or basin, it would only be a few seconds before the flow picked right back up again.

Often Nadia caught sight of the others on their way downriver, but between the currents, branches, and hangups, the Seekers were mostly on their own. Considering everything she’d narrowly scraped around and bounced off so far, Nadia couldn’t believe her boat held up as long as it did, but it was only a matter of time until her luck ran out. With the bear out of sight and out of mind, the feral got the chance to enjoy herself. Whenever the opportunity arose she jumped out of her boat to hop along pillars of rock, run over lily pads, swing from vines, scurry along the riverbank if there was one, or otherwise just wall-run along the the sides of cliffs as her boat floated beneath her using her hardened, stone-scarring claws. Putting her agility to the test against these makeshift courses, and finishing them off with a giant leap back into her waiting boat, was an absolute blast, and with each excursion she pulled off more daring maneuvers than the last. At one point, however, she got a little too cocky and for her final trick swung a few loops around a vine that hung across the river, launching toward her boat in a quintuple-backflip. Rather than land in her watercraft the feral smacked her head against the side, knocked it off-kilter, and plunged into the water. “Owww!” She surfaced a moment later with a grimace, holding her head, and no sooner did she open her eyes than she saw her boat drift directly into a big rock and smash to pieces. “Oh…great.”

Nadia floated the rest of the way in a huff. A strong swimmer, she pushed through the slower parts without any real issue, and when rapids appeared in her way her quick thinking got her through. Well, sometimes; the feral’s resistance to pain came in handy elsewhere. Eventually the elevation leveled out, and all the branches of the river reunited into one big tributary. As the Seekers drifted back together, most of them still miraculously with their boats, Nadia bobbed along with them in the water, bruised, tired, and soaked to the bone. “Don’t want to talk about it,” she muttered sullenly, her droopy ears flicking at the rain. Not long after, the final waterfall deposited the group in a quiet basin at sea level.

Hemmed in on three sides by red-rock cliffs and featuring a handful of giant green mangrove trees, Lake Floria seemed to be a place of relative peace where everyone could recover from the harrowing, multi-faceted trip downriver. With corals down below and a unique ribbed texture on the rock walls, it announced to one and all that they’d finally reached their destination. Nadia clambered up onto a rock, shivering, and got the hair out of her face so the rain could wash the saltwater sting from her eyes. There lay some overhangs nearby that she could have used, but at this point, she didn't even care about being wet anymore. “Y’know, it wasn't that bad, all things considered!” she announced after a moment, keeping a chin up despite the ride’s disappointing end. The whole river ride had taken about half an hour by itself, maybe even longer, and she was worn out. As she looked to the right, she could see through a short curved channel to the open ocean at last. Just a little further, and it would be a straight shot to Twilight Town! Hopefully she could hitch a ride without looking like an idiot in the process.

Nyakuza Metro

Level 10 Tora (59/110) Level 10 Poppi (59/110)
Ace Cadet and Pit’s @Yankee, Bede’s @Crimson Flame, Tora, Poppi, Vandham, Big Band, Peacock
Word Count: 1339

Bloop!

The pale-green barrier deactivated after Tora swiped his pass, allowing him to waddle through. Once Poppi and Bede followed, all four had made it through the checkpoint, and with Vandham in the lead the four began to make their way through the Mint Line station. Just as with the other stations, this one featured its own thematic decor. Rather than the aquariums, water fountains, potted corals, and teal Prismarine bricks of the Blue Line, or the animal-headed statues, pottery, monuments, and sandstone of the Yellow Line, this one featured a rustic, adventurous flair.

It featured a mixture of conventional brick and different kinds of wood, harvested from dozens of different trees with their own colors and textures to make a mosaic of the land’s bounty. Bulletin boards dotted its walls, well-anchored to withstand the rumble of the passing trains, and on them Tora spotted a huge variety of samples, be they leaves, flowers, crops, insects, hides, or monster loot, all carefully preserved. There also seemed to be plenty of pictures, though the only ones that Tora recognized depicted Lumbridge, the First Town. Beyond that, none of the ruins, hamlets, hovels, or natural wonders rung a bell for him. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that just about everything here hailed from the Land of Adventure, collected from previous cycles and brought here for safekeeping before the region’s weekly regeneration wiped them all away. For the second time that hour Tora felt as though he were walking through a museum, but unlike Glorious Karnaca, he couldn’t just leave when he got bored. He seated himself on a pale beige Jacaranda-wood bench to wait for the next train.

“Hopefully friends not need coming through here too often,” Tora mentioned after a solid two seconds of sitting still. “Finding pons to get train pass every time seem like big-big chore.”

Leaning back in his own seat, Vandham scratched the side of his head. “Yeah, mate. Lucky fer us, the place wasn’t designed with someone like Poppi around.” He gave a grateful nod to Tora’s companion. “Made right quick work of it, flyin’ around like that, eh?”

Poppi QT-π proudly tossed her long, lavender hair and crossed her arms. “Of course. In this form, Poppi thrusters calibrated for maximum speed and pinpoint precision. Pons stand no chance, wherever they might hide.”

“Too bad other friends not have Poppi!” Tora gloated, looking terribly smug.

Vandham nodded. “There’s the rub, aye. If the Alcamoth mercenaries mean to use this place, it’ll take a bloody fortune to get passes for ‘em all.”

“Maybe there someone we can speak to in hopes of coming to arrangement,” Poppi suggested.

Just then the small group heard a greeting from right, in the direction they’d come from the Metro proper, and when they looked over poor Tora’s eyes went as wide as saucers. On her way over was an absolutely stunning woman, whose abundant physique drew attention like a gravitational field, and whose constant, hypnotic motion -an effortless and rhythmic dance of swinging hair, streaming silks, jingling jewelry, and swaying curves- made it nigh-impossible to look away. She stood six inches taller than Poppi and only three shorter than the brawny Vandham, with impressive muscles of her own and an enormous ponytail that went from reddish-brown to blonde. She seemed familiar somehow, but at the same time totally different. Only after a few seconds did Poppi’s processor, currently not short-circuiting like a certain someone’s, make the connection.

“...Primrose?”

The name, along with a hard nudge in the ribs from Poppi, seemed to kickstart Tora’s brain back into working order. He blinked a few times, shaking his head, and looked back at the statuesque dancer with a slightly more objective eye. “It is!” he exclaimed after a moment. “Rose-Rose, what happen? I mean, Tora sort of know what happen, but…meh-eh-eh!” After getting another bonk from Poppi, he continued, wincing a little. “Meeh…Tora mean, Rose-Rose get into fight? You okay? What about friends Midna and Braum?”

“Shovel Knight too,” Vandham added, his focus squarely on what mattered. “If ya don’t mind, tell what ‘appened.”

After a few moments, Poppi’s optics picked up some more non-cat motion to the team’s right, and she looked over to see a handful of more familiar faces on their way over. “Oh!” she said suddenly, uncrossing her legs as she sat up straight. “Looks like Phantom Thieves are back.”

Sure enough, Joker, Mona, Skull, Panther, Fox, and Necronomicon all arrived in one bunch, having coordinated their arrivals with their comms. Unlike Primrose, Panther had yet to fuse with the Scythana spirit she received the night before, no doubt thanks to the impracticality of standing over seven feet while none of her friends even got close to six. None looked hurt, but Poppi knew that the thieves’ healers could have already worked their magic. After hearing about what happened to Midna’s team, Poppi wasn’t about to assume everyone’s trips went as well as her own.

“Hi-hi!” Tora greeted them, glad for a little extra help in his fight against gravity. “How friends’ trip go?”

“I believe it went well, all things considered,” Fox ventured. “We visited a quaint medieval kingdom by the name of Brightvale, which seemed altogether quite pleasant. It was a verdant and picturesque countryside, with rather friendly and peaceable locals. While there, we happened to witness a cheese-rolling competition. I would’ve liked to set up an easel and commit the memory to canvas, had I the time.”

Mona looked a little less happy. “Yeah, but after that was Tomato Town. We went in expecting a nice farming village, but the whole place was a warzone. Smoking craters, bullet casings, all kinds of ruins and wreckage. Worse still, the war’s still going on a ways off! Turns out most of the region is a gigantic battlefield. And it’s all on the far side of Empty Space from Alcamoth anyway, so we hightailed it back here once we got the word, pronto.” The little thief shook his head wearily, then sipped the juice box he’d gotten from one of the food trucks. “By the way, not that I’m a cat or anything, but have any of you noticed that some of these guys look awfully like me? I mean, big heads and everything!”

“You know I was actually just thinking that? Hehe.” After giggling, Panther delivered her own report. “For us, it was just kind of, like, boring, actually. Just different parts of a big dry area. Not a sandy desert, more like a rocky one. There were some big metal buildings, and one tower that went way, WAY up. Buuut since it was pretty clear, we didn’t need to climb it or anything.”

“I really wanted to though, I’ll have to go back later. For a minute we were totally on the top of Alcamoth’s list, but the other team found somewhere closer, I guess,” Skull added.

“Just snowy cities on our end,” Joker said succinctly. “One normal, one really big but ancient-looking.”

“I’m glad I can’t feel the cold!” Necronomicon chirped.

Vandham nodded, absorbing all the information. “Got it. Since we know Band and Peacock got back from the Black Line, that just leaves the folks who went for Gray. I sure ‘ope that Asbestos bird is keepin’ Nelson and MacGregor safe.”

Less than a minute later, the subway train finally arrived. As it pulled in, Big Band slid up too, using Emergency Break to cancel his Brass Knuckles charge. Poppi couldn’t help but notice that the detective was alone. “Where others?” she asked him, her concern writ on her face.

“They’ve got some other business to mind,” Band replied. “I know it’s a minor drag, but it’ll be just me with the in crowd for the time bein’.”

Poppi nodded solemnly. “Poppi hope they find whatever it is they looking for, then.” After a final glance through the station she turned and boarded the subway car. Big Band followed suit, and after just a moment the train got rolling.

The Chalk Prince and the Skullgirl, the Prisoner, and Frisk

Frisk’s @Majoras End, the Prisoner’s @XoXKieroBombXoX

After arriving in the wintry glade and confirming everyone’s condition, the sledders took a few much-needed moments to try and decompress. All things considered, they couldn’t have asked for a better spot, either. Around them the soft glow of the trees and crystal formations assuaged the fundamental fear and uncertainty that plagued their travails through the gloomy caverns, and now that the storms had subsided, fissures opened in the clouds to reveal a starry night. No worrisome echoes reached them to hint at some nearby danger just waiting for a chance to strike. Even the winds relinquished the relentless fury with which they howled across the faces of Dragonspine, a more dire and inexorable predator than any of the elementals or risen dead Frisk faced.

Still, the shadow of the impostor lay over them. Its specters of doubt, regret, and inadequacy would haunt Frisk for some time, Albedo feared. Though neither he nor Linkle knew exactly what duplicitous events transpired on those dark and snowy slopes, the Skullgirl especially couldn’t stand to see Frisk in a bad state because of them. “I know this is rich, coming from me,” Linkle began. “But…you can’t blame yourself.”

Her eyes fell to the skeletal Spheal, now little more than a curled spine with only a distended ribcage to suggest its former shape. When an idea occurred to her, those same eyes shone blood-red in the moonlight. “I could bring Melony back, if it’d help?” Ghostly flame welled in her palm.

“I strongly advise against it,” Albedo said, his voice somehow soft and firm at the same time. “These sorts of wounds cannot be so easily healed. The best treatment is simply time.” He did not dare lay a hand on Frisk's shoulder, but he attempted to communicate his sincerity nonetheless. “That, and the willingness to look forward. To treasure and protect those who yet remain, then be buried with those who are gone.”

Accordingly, the conversation turned to the living, namely Teba and Joel. “Albedo arrived not long after Teba returned,” Linkle told Frisk. “He was very, very mad, and it was hard to get the details straight, but when he realized Joel was okay he calmed down just a little. Then Albedo showed up, half-frozen, and we started to realize what had happened.”

“Teba is still at camp, looking after Joel. He wanted to depart to a cabin farther down the mountain right away, but Joel insisted that both stay a while longer to wait for word from us.” Albedo stared off into the night. “I think he felt responsible. For sending you and Melony into such danger.” He turned back to Frisk and nodded. “They’re not free, but yes, go ahead and return there.”

Linkle nodded too. “Yeah, let them know we’re okay.”

“We’ll make our way over,” Albedo added. “We’ll be retracing our steps once we get back though. By my calculations, the fishing village isn’t much farther northwest from here.”

With permission given, Frisk could zip back to the campfire in the forest of slain giants. When she approached the fire she saw two figures, but not the two she expected. There was Teba, his snow-white plumage orange in the firelight, but also an unfamiliar man-sized shape. As she grew near, the sound of her footsteps spooked the mass, which split in two. It turned out to be the young Joel, who’d been hugging an unfamiliar man. Though Frisk didn’t recognize him, he looked very similar to Joel, and when the gears began to turn in her mind a bright spark of hope rekindled the burnt-out coals of her heart.

Maybe he mistook her for Melony, or merely recognized Frisk through the changes she’d undergone, but at Frisk’s approach, Joel’s face lit up even more. “Dad! This is that person I was telling you about. Her and the others, they were so brave going up into the mountain to look for you! I’m not really sure what happened, but look, they must be okay!”

The man nodded, his look immeasurably apologetic and grateful. “Joel has told me everything about you. I can't thank you enough for trying to help. My memories of my time up there are a little foggy…everything’s blurred together. My memory has still not fully recovered, but Joel and his mother... they are the only ones that I will not... no, that I cannot forget.”

His son sniffed. “Daddy…”

“Daddy's right here, Joel,” Joserf whispered, hugging the boy tight. “Daddy's right here.”

Wings crossed, Teba motioned for Frisk to step aside to give the two their moment. In a low voice, he spoke to Frisk. “He staggered in from the cold just ten minutes ago, half-frozen to death and a little delirious. Things got better after some soup, though.” The Rito nodded at the steaming pot that hung over the campfire. Then his eyes narrowed. “Are the others okay?” After receiving a reply, he sighed. “Look…I’m sorry I blew up on you back there. After learning that you’d been traveling with a fake, everything suddenly clicked. We were all being played against ourselves, and one another.” His eyes settled on the fire. “If only Melony didn’t need to pay the price. But she knew the risks, and was brave enough to take them, even though she couldn’t fight on her own. That’s one tough lady, in my book.” He presented Frisk with a satchel containing Melony’s belongings, including some basic provisions, items, and two Pokeballs. “Do right by her, will you?”

“Anyway,” he said after another moment. “I’ll help two along to the fishing village nearby, where they can spend the night. You and the others ought to come along as well.” He pointed a wing to the northwest, indicating the direction from which Linkle and Albedo would be coming.

Port O’ Panic

Amidst the tropical downpour, turbulent waves driven by the coming storm lapped at the lashed-together rafts and stout wooden stilts of the ocean platforms that constituted the maritime colony called Port O’ Panic. The algal growths whirled and fluttered like a dancer’s fans in the current, while the competing clusters of barnacles and mussels put aside their age-old struggle to batten down the hatches against inclement weather. Given the chance, Reme Losteau would have liked to do the same, but before he could bunker down he had a job to do. Like any marine iguana, purple-scaled or otherwise, he felt out of sorts whenever clouds rolled in to deprive his cold blood of the sun’s warmth, but it wasn’t the chill of the rain on his wetsuit making him shiver right now. Instead, he braced himself at the sight of the dirigible warship that appeared from the rainy haze, cruising in for an expert water landing at the docks of the Port’s central tower.

A gangplank swung down to clatter against the pier, and a moment later, the ship’s master appeared, peg-legged and purple-clad. He looked to be in a foul mood, far fouler than the weather, with his beak twisted up in a scowl as he ground the three metal prongs of his multi-hook together. The villainous-looking parrot stomped down to the dock, casting about such a fearsome glare that even the townsfolk peering from their windows shrank back behind the shutters. They’d learned the hard way that the captain’s ego far outstripped his patience -along with his stature- and that he would brook no insult, whether real or imagined. And right now, his feathers looked about as ruffled as a bird’s could be.

Reme’s expression tightened. “LeFwee.”

He marched right up to Reme and shouted in his face. “That’s CAPTAIN LeFwee to you!” he squawked, sending spittle flying into the iguana’s face. “What be the meanin’ of this, ye flea-bitten bilge rats!?”

Anger simmered behind Reme’s aged eyes, but he kept an even keel. “Captain LeFwee. Madam Fish has urgent business with you. Please follow me.”

“That so?” The parrot ground his beak, his eyes narrowed in annoyance at the bothersome rain. “Hmph! Very well. But if there be any funny business…Bosun!”

At the captain’s bidding, the sky vessel Raptor’s dreaded second-in-command showed his face. LeFwee’s bosun descended from the deck with a powerful gait, heedless of the raindrops that spattered atop his broad, crested helmet, or on the coat slung with casual confidence across broad shoulders. Nobody really knew if this silent giant, who stood almost twice as tall as the parrot who commanded him, was a machine or a living being. Only that his name was Rakkam, and that he was a warrior without peer. Alongside him floated a tentacled companion, a subtly loathsome sentinel that Rakkam seldom went without. Reme just nodded, and led the way across waterlogged planks and creaky stairs.

A few moments later they stood in the Big Room, the port’s largest structure in its central tower, higher than even the tallest rafts that floated nearby. By far the cleanest, most spacious, and best-furnished residence in the whole colony, the Big Room doubled as its town hall, and at the meeting table in its center Reme, LeFwee, and Rakkam found the town’s leader. While the fairy known as Annetta Fish looked more like the siren who’d lead a boat astray than the captain who’d keep it on course, the people of Port O’ Panic had chosen her as their metaphorical ship’s figurehead, and her efforts to live up to that title were plain to see. Her outrageously long sea-blue hair was frazzled with stress, and there were bags beneath her perpetually-narrowed eyes. “C-captain,” Annetta chirped, her once-bubbly voice pitched with agitation. “Thank you for coming so fast!”

“Aye, that I did,” LeFwee squawked. Reme stepped aside to stand by the door, and Rakkam followed his captain as he stalked over. “But why, pray tell, have I come? That seashell ‘orn of yers…when I ‘ear it blowin’ o’er the briney deep, it means that poor, defenseless Port o’ Panic be needin’ Captain LeFwee to save ‘em. And yet, there be no Marauders in sight. I ain’t one for social visits, wench–need ye a reminder o’ our little agreement’s terms?”

Annetta balked. “N-no, captain! It’s not that, but…”

The parrot slammed his multi-hook down on the table. “But what!? Lest ye forget, the protection money ye pay is for protectin’. If ye mean to stand around flappin’ yer gums, ye better be willin’ to pay fer that, too!”

“Well! It’s a good thing you’re here today to do some protecting, then.” A man’s voice cut in, drawing the others’ attention to the Big Room’s second story. There, they saw a tall figure in a gray-white composite suit, its rubbery texture layered beneath cherry-red armor plates. A purple light glowed within a socket on the chest beneath a facsimile of an ascot plus collar, and an intricate helmet crowned his head. A fine soot-black cape trailed behind him as he made his way downstairs.

LeFwee glowered at the unwelcome guest. The sight of someone who stood at an impressive 6’10”, higher even than his bosun, made him mad instinctually. “And who might ye be, ye bloody eyesore? Speak up now–can’t hear ye with yer head in the clouds!”

“Ohmigosh! I’m so sorry, Consul, sir!” Annetta panicked.

“Now, now. It’s hardly your fault, miss.” The stranger reassured her, an amused tinge to his words. “We’ve had no occasion to meet before now, so it’s only natural, especially for one of his ilk.” He turned to the incensed captain. “As for you…well, I shan’t raise my expectations unduly, but have you any familiarity with the time-honored game of chess?”

LeFwee looked ready to launch himself at the stranger and gouge him with his corkscrew, but Rakkam laid a hand on his shoulder. The parrot glared at him, then back at the stranger. “...Aye.”

The gentleman clapped his hands. “Well, that makes things delightfully simple! As you know, then, the board is composed of various pieces. From the all-important King and his mighty Queen down to the lowliest Pawn. The two sides fight their battles, over and over again, through victories and losses unnumbered. As for me…well, I am neither pawn, nor knight, nor even king. I am not even on the board. Just a shadow that lies across it.” Closing his eyes -the only part of him visible beneath his suit-, he performed a polite bow. “I am your Consul. You may call me S.”

“Hmph! S? What kind o’ name be that?” LeFwee looked nonplussed. He glanced at Annetta, who gave a shrug and a shake of her head, as if to say just roll with it “What’re ye prattlin’ on about? If ye not be on the board, then surely ye be nothin’. I meanwhile, be king o’ these ‘ere waters! What’ye mean by ‘consul’, anyway?”

S straightened up, rolling his eyes. “Ah…nevermind. Twas just an analogy, if you will. Consider me the superior of the lovely Annetta here, which in turn, makes me yours. But fret not, for all I ask is business as usual. As I alluded to beforehand, you’re here today to defend Port O’ Panic against some threats that will arrive in the very near future.”

“...What kind o’ threats?” The parrot ran his fingers through his feathery beard.

“It is a band of powerful and highly skilled fighters,” the Consul replied, approaching the table. “They number less than a dozen strong, but what they lack in numbers they more than make up for in power. They are monsters that make a habit of slaughtering anyone in their way in order to steal their abilities for themselves. I fear Port O’ Panic is directly in their path. Luckily, there is one flaw in their plan: they did not account for the ‘infamous’ LeFwee Pirates. Anticipating no naval adversaries, they come this way in mere rowboats.”

The captain laughed. “Rowboats!? Ye can’t be serious. If that be the case, it matters not how skilled they are. One good broadside’ll blow them straight to Davy Jones’ locker!”

“I’ll thank you not to underestimate these monsters,” S, now seated at the table, told him sharply. “To the poor people of Port O’ Panic, beleaguered by maritime disaster time after time, this is a dire predicament. You must crush them. Do you understand?”

“Fine, fine, says I,” LeFwee told him, sighing. “We’ll ‘it ‘em with all we got. But ye…” he pointed his multi-hook at Annetta. “Owe us double fer this week.”

“Double!?” the fairy squeaked. “We’re just fishers and divers here, we can barely pay you as-is!”

LeFwee turned up his beak. “Sounds like a big fat load o’ not me problem!”

Fingers tented, S spoke up again. “By the way. Not that I harbor any mistrust for the ‘great’ LeFwee Pirates, but to ensure the safety of the whole Sea of Serendipity, I’ve taken the liberty of requisitioning some additional help.”

“Oh, wow, you’re too kind sir!” Annetta made sure to tell him right away.

The parrot drew a different conclusion. “More like lily-livered,” he muttered. “Who be these ‘elpers, then?”

Before S could answer, a cacophony of shouts erupted outside. Reme hurried to open the door, and right on cue a villager burst in. “Madam Fish!” he panted. “It’s the Marauders! They’re here!”

“WHAT!?” the fairy almost fainted, falling backward out of her chair before pulling herself back up to the table, her expression aghast. “They’re attacking now!?”

Reme held his head in his hands. “Madam, I’m so sorry! I should’ve gone back to the watchtower so I could’ve raised the alarm.”

“Back to the ship!” LeFwee roared. “Before they blow us to kingdom come!” He and Rakkam ran for the door, with Annetta flying right behind. S just laughed, stood, then followed at a leisurely pace.

The minute he stepped outside, however, he screeched in dismay, for the villager’s warning had been literal. Parked at the docks right across from the Raptor was the terrifying Tinkerslug, a pirate ship built into the back of a giant, three-eyed sea snail. Its deck swarmed with Tinkerbats, while the bestial crew of the Raptor crowded along its own deck, weapons drawn. Both parties seemed to be in a stand-off, hurling insults and threats at one another over the rain. The elites of both factions stood by, waiting for a signal from their bosses. Finally, perched in the crow’s nest above it all and enjoying every second of it, was the Tinkerslug’s captain: the renowned pirate queen Risky Boots, with her distinctive giant hat and skeletal garb.

LeFwee leaned over the railing, his eye wide. “What in the seven ‘ells’re ye doin’ ‘ere!” he shouted down.

“I was invited here, you chicken-legged clod!” Risky cheerfully yelled back. She aimed a finger gun at him. “Maybe these folks are sick of you protecting ‘em as I am!” When she fired the finger gun, a grappling hook shot from her wrist-mounted launcher and hooked info the sea tower, followed shortly by Risky herself. She landed with an acrobatic flip in front of everyone and leveled her scimitar at LeFwee, eliciting a surprised squawk. He stepped back behind Rakkam as he fumbled for his silver gunblade.

“Invited!? By who!?” LeFwee demanded.

S, watching the ruckus as he leaned against the doorframe, waved his hand. “By me, of course,” he said, pretty nonchalant about it all. “Your additional helpers have arrived.”

Annetta looked dumbfounded. “W-what? You’re saying they’ll help us? But they’ve been the ones robbing and kidnapping us, the reason we had to hire LeFwee in the first place! He and Risky Boots are sworn enemies!”

“CAPTAIN LeFwee!” the parrot roared, raising his blade. “But the wench be right! This sea ain’t big enough fer the both of us. She killed me first mate! ‘Ad an eye for treasure like a ‘awk, ‘e did!”

“And you killed our new healer! You’re the lowest of the low,” Risky snarled.

“Daw, please. We’re pirates, fer Pete’s sake!” LeFwee turned his sour face on the fairy. “What’s this about, some kind o’ bid to knock me off? If ye double-crossed me, Annetta, I’ll gut ye like the Fish ye be! And the beanpole after that! Once I finish off this blue bitch, ‘ere…”

At that Risky laughed. “Ahahahaha! You mean you’ll tell your bosun to, you feathery windbag. Hiding behind his skirts the whole time, too!” She glanced at Rakkam, then back to LeFwee. “Why don’t we just settle this, here and now!”

“Enough!” S pushed off the doorframe, his voice raised. His eyes shone red, as did those of both pirate crews, captains included. Despite the high tension, the uproar began to simmer down, and when it subsided so did the glow. “Lower your weapons,” S told them. “What you’re up against is far greater in scope than your petty rivalry. If you fail to cooperate, you can kiss both Port O’ Panic and the Marauders’ Den goodbye. Once you’re done, and I’ve distributed your rich rewards, you can get back to wanton mutual destruction.” The mention of rich rewards helped to distract them both. He shook his head in resignation holding his temples, then stepped forward to put a hand on both captain’s shoulders, pulling them together. “Now, both of you, come with me. There’s no time to waste. Here’s what we’re going to do…”

World of Light

Around two years at this point, yeah.