Yankee

World of Light

(holding 1 level up)
Word Count: 799 (+2 exp)
Level: 5 - Total EXP: 215/50
Location: Dystopiascape - Midgar

Tycoon's defeat was signaled by its entire machine body collapsing. Pieces of it fell to the ground, followed by its metal legs buckling and the whole chassis crumpling before crumbling. The arena shook, and Pit stayed his bow. It was over, right? With the way the place was quaking, Pit wouldn't have been surprised if there was yet another phase to fight through. That ended up not being the case, and the shaking died down soon enough - and the machine god's body had dissolved, leaving its shimmery spirit behind.

"We did it!" he whooped, jumping and throwing his fist up in a quick cheer. Never mind the last few days, just today had been crazy. But the boss was done for, and the whole city hadn't collapsed on top of them. It was a win for sure.

Though Pit had been playing the role of a hero for basically his entire life, helping defeat a Guardian now felt like a big step forward for him. He was elated, but when he turned to the other Seekers he quickly found that the mood wasn't exactly one of celebration. Many of his allies expressed concerns over the fate of Midgar's power supply - if Tycoon really was powering the entire place. Oh, guess I never thought of that, the angel realized. He reigned in his enthusiasm over the victory, but even the uncertainty of the city's future couldn't put a real damper on it.

Goldlewis then brought up something that had been pushed to the back of Pit's mind what with all the fighting they'd had to go through. "Oh yeah! The Ever Crisis!" To be honest he also didn't know what Tycoon had to do with it. If it was a giant power source, then maybe... "Maybe whatever was sending the Chimeras and Others here were after the Guardian, like Nox was? Now that it's gone, they might stop!"

It was his best guess. Sandalphon confirmed that Nox's faction, the machines, were no longer a threat at least. Pit bounded over to her, peeking around her tall frame to look at the screens she conjured while the rest of the Seekers fiddled with the spirits (or... books?) of the fallen. A lot of the rest of what the archangel said went over his head, but he understood what a blackout was. He grimaced. Technically, taking out the Guardian was the best thing for the people in the long run. He just hadn't known what kind of collateral damage it would cause. Hopefully the situation wouldn't end up as bad as some of them were expecting.

What's done was done, and whatever would happen would happen - that's the way Pit saw it. He was, usually, a helpful ally for humanity at large on behalf of the Goddess of Light, but it was never hands on. Organizing rebuilding, strategizing for an evacuation, all of that was beyond his capabilities. He could lead a platoon of Centurions, sure, but sympathetic as felt for the people of Midgar he had no desire to stay and coordinate their future. So when Karin volunteered to do just that, Pit was surprised and impressed. After the Seekers arrived back in Arahabaki amid Roland's book explanations and further talk of what the city's inhabitants would do, the girl geared up for a speech.

It was the consensus of the Seekers that evacuation was the best bet. He hoped everything would go as smoothly as possible. With that determined look in Karin's eye, Pit had no doubt that she'd follow through on the words she delivered. Sakura and Susie were going to be staying to help out too it seemed, and though Pit couldn't imagine giving up the greater mission he did admire them for wanting to help the people.

"That was awesome," he told the Kanzuki heiress when she was finished. Was awesome even the right word? The point was, it was a good speech. While the girls staying behind gathered to get started on their new mission, Pit waved goodbye to them. "Good luck you guys! We'll meet again soon!"

Which left the rest of them to carry on. As Geralt pointed out, there was still a lot to do for the good of the world at large. On the topic of where to go next, Pit piped up with another suggestion for the pile.

"We need to check on Princess Peach too!" he reminded the rest of them. "Now that the Guardian's defeated, we can help look for a way to turn her back to normal."

Or if they couldn't, at least a way to stabilize her during the imminent black out. All of the victims turned into Others would have to change back before they could safely leave with the rest of the citizens, he guessed.

World of Light

^{____________________________________________________}
Level: 10 - Total EXP: 188/100 ------ Level: 7 - Total EXP: 239/70
𝙱𝙿 ●●●●● ---------------------------- 𝙱𝙿 ●●●●●
(both holding 1 level up)
Word Count: 636 (+1 exp)
Location: The Under

If the Radiance hadn't been a being made of pure light, its demise would have been a visceral sight. When its spirit was ejected from the remnants of its ethereal body, the Seekers knew the fight was won. Therion let out a sigh of relief and Primrose caught her breath. The both of them approached the front of the train where Ganondorf and Ms. Fortune had been fighting, joining the others as they regrouped to make sure things were really finished. Magikrab joined them as well, mentioning that with the Radiance gone, the infection in the Under would slowly disappear as well - an unexpected but welcome result of beating the Guardian.

It was also fortunate that it seemed their exit from the dream realm would come automatically, and they wouldn't have to search for a way out. But when they did reappear in the real world the group found a surprise awaited them. Instead of the Organization member that had appeared to help facilitate their way into that dream world in the first place, they could Consul F slaying the Radiance's former host and... Therion's eyes widened in surprise. Was he really trying to chance sides now?

"Never betrayed us?" Primrose asked, bewildered at this turn of events. She had expected the Consul to run if he was scared, not to grovel for forgiveness. Even so, she was not about to grant it. "You were never on our side in the first place, you wretch."

The dancer raised her arm, summoning her magic. She had a mind to bring this chapter of the Seekers' story to a complete close, leaving the Under with no Guardian nor either of its Consuls. She was stopped only by her friend stepping forward, holding out his own hand to block her.

"Wait," Therion said. He stared (practically glaring) at F. As far as he could tell, the Consuls weren't bound to the light of Galeem like the rest of the world. If they were, how could they exert control the way they'd shown they could? He also couldn't imagine someone like F being press ganged into joining these 'Consuls,' which just meant that every evil he'd committed was his own choice. Therion was under no illusion that F wasn't a villain. And he, like Primrose, was still pissed at the Consul for everything he'd thrown at them. But executing someone who was pleading for their life, even someone like F, felt wrong. He wasn't sure if he would have cared as much before, but now he knew it would at least leave a bad taste in his mouth. He glanced at Primrose, and then the rest of the Seekers in turn. "Let's... hear him out first. At least."

Primrose pursed her lips, but ultimately let her arm fall back down to her side. She did not release her hold on her magic, though Therion didn't mention it. He didn't trust F either. But if he was willing to give them information in exchange for his life, it was likely he'd be telling the truth - and then they could all get some insight into the group opposing them.

Queen Sectonia, physically embodying their victory against the area's Guardian, wasted no time in trying to gather such information. She asked about the Flame Clocks and the Consul's hierarchy, important questions to be sure. Primrose and Therion let her speak and F answer. But there was something else that both Travelers had been wondering for a while, something they could only really speculate on until now.

"What do you all get out of this? Protecting Galeem, ensuring the world stays like this..." Was it just to enjoy feeling powerful, reigning over their own little chunk of this weird world? There was no answer that would reverse Primrose's opinion of the Consul or make her rethink the Seekers' mission, but she wanted to know all the same.

World of Light

Word Count: 2905
Level: 9 - Total EXP: 234/90
Location: Edinburgh MagicaPolis

On the snowy night streets of Edinburgh MagicaPolis, a small group long split off from the Seekers of Light fought their way through skeletal mobs until they had reached a dark and lonely plaza. Though they'd lost a couple of allies in the process, with their detective leading the charge the group led two threats into the makeshift arena in order to take them down away from the city's vulnerable populace.

On one end of the courtyard, Big Band and Lucia took on the Revenant, as well as a host of other skeletal horrors. On the other, Ace and Albedo faced off against the monstrous Darkbeast Paarl.

A monster hunter by trade, the Ace Cadet had originally taken the initiative against the lightning-wreathed horror by drawing its attention to himself, setting up the separate fights for as little crossfire as possible. As the beast took the lure and stalked toward him, its head creaked to the side slightly to note Albedo moving to stand together with the hunter. The alchemist was not as heavily armored or equipped as his counterpart, but he was no less determined to defeat this nightmare in order to find his lost friend. It was part of the whole reason they were out here in the first place: locating Linkle, the latest Skullgirl.

"As I use my skills, my Geo will react with its Electro," Albedo told Ace as the gaunt horror approached. The hunter didn't look his way, but nodded to let the alchemist know he was listening. "Pick up the purple crystals to gain shields. They'll help immunize you against lightning but are too weak to take physical blows." He could spare no further time for explanation, as Paarl attacked. It lunged forward at its chosen target, jaw wide open in order to crush the Ace Cadet between its hard yellowed teeth. Fortunately the hunter was ready for it.

"Got it!" he told Albedo as he stepped in to meet the beast's lunge. In one motion he twisted and slammed the shield of the Master Bang up into its chin. It was a solid hit, but only part way to a true Shoryugeki on account of the unliving beast reacting far less than either swordsman would have liked.

Albedo slammed his palm to the ground, creating a Solar Isotoma to send out pulses of Geo energy as Paarl reared up on its hind legs. It came down with a double overhead slash, deceptively quick. The trail of electricity left behind as its claws raked through the air made the slashes themselves harder to see, even under pale moonlight. Its attack scattered the two Seekers, nicking the both of them as they tried to get out of the way. Even the relatively small hit carried with it the darkbeast's full weight, letting them know just how deadly the skeletal monstrosity was. Albedo strafed the beast, moving around to its backside. It twisted its neck around to watch him until the clanging of the Cadet's sword beating against his shield drew its attention back to him. "Let's do this."

Darkbeast Paarl's main form of attack was its claws, which was immediately obvious. Sometimes it would snap its teeth at the Geo construct that continued to send waves of energy out, or raise a back leg and stomp to try and dissuade the attack at his back, but it preferred to use its long front limbs to slash. This suited the Cadet just fine. Paarl was powerful, but he was fairly confident he could withstand glancing blows, and probably a few direct strikes too. He tried to keep all damage he took from glancing blows though, relying heavily on his shield for both offense and defense at this point.

The crackling of electricity joined the harsh, breathless wails Paarl let out with every swipe of its claws. The lightning covering its body seemed to keep increasing, the scraps of hair left clinging to its bones rising up from the static. Where his shield had the physical damage mostly covered, the elemental shield created from the crystals Albedo's Isotoma created handled the electric damage. After feeling the first jolt of electricity from the beast, the Cadet tried to pick up the purple gems as often as he could get away with while under attack.

Things were progressing slowly but steadily when Paarl suddenly turned away from him, spinning almost 180 degrees to tear its claws into the pest slashing its back legs. The surprise attack landed, knocking Albedo to the ground. He rolled with it, managing to come back up to a kneeling position while he felt over his front, assessing the damage.

The Cadet covered him, stepping back and then jumping in to stab its radial bone and kick up off of it for a slightly higher vantage point. He smashed his shield into its ribs, regaining Paarl's attention.

"You good, Albedo?" the Cadet asked from behind the shield, withstanding the beast's ire as turned to slash at him.

"Still within my threshold," he replied, which wasn't really a yes but also wasn't a no. To his credit, Albedo recovered quickly. He retaliated with a series of wide, swift strokes of his sword, punctuated with a thrust that buckled the monster's leg. It screeched and struck out wildly, turning on a dime to swing at either swordsman.

It alternated between its right and leg arms, striking quickly as it crawled over the area, crushing marble monuments underfoot.

"This thing's a real one trick bony, huh?" the Cadet said. He was getting into a decent flow now,

Albedo's brow furrowed slightly. I wouldn't be so sure, he thought, noting the gathering of electricity in the darkbeast's core. Sure enough, the darkbeast paused its relentless attacks so it could turn and back away from its assailants. It was still close enough that with one movement it could cleave either one of the two of them, but if they wanted to return the favor they'd have to get closer.

Both of them knew it was baiting them. While Albedo kept his distance the Cadet dashed in, surprising the alchemist. The growing pulses of electricity hadn't gone unnoticed by the Cadet, and he had a good idea of what they were building up to.

He was too slow to stop the blast; lightning burst violently out of the darkbeast's center in an area around it. The Cadet's shield had been raised but the electric eruption still pushed back, his feet sliding over stone while the electricity not absorbed by the elemental shield crackling around his form. He grit his teeth, glad he hadn't taken the full force of that. He also wasn't surprised to see that Paarl looked to be in an even more super charged state. It's body was covered in constantly moving bolts of lightning, and its ragged fur stood on end, making it look even more ghastly.

There was no further warning before Paarl was back on the attack. It still relied primarily on its claws, and its swings were no less visceral than before, but now they discharged a lot more electricity. Every swipe sent arcs of lightning running over the ground in several directions, furthering threatening the fighters even if they gave the claws themselves a wide berth. As the lightning rushed between the cracks in the stone courtyard, one could almost swear that they veered towards Ace and Albedo as though they were alive. It was a much too dangerous situation to leave unchecked for long, but if the burst and charging up were within the monster hunter's expectations, it stood to reason that a hard enough hit to knock it out of its charged state would work too.

"Get ready!" the Cadet called over to his ally somewhat cryptically. Thankfully, Albedo was versed in interpreting such call outs. The hunter moved, taking Paarl's attention with him. The field shifted so that now the Cadet and Albedo were nearer to each other, and the alchemist stepped onto the Isotoma and was lifted up into the air where he awaited his cue. The Cadet veered then, rushing in toward Paarl and leaping over a bolt of lightning as he did. This time he followed through with his Shoryugeki properly, bashing his shield up into the beast and forcing its head to snap back. The hunter jumped up for the downward slam portion ad the same time that Albedo jumped from his platform with a plunging attack, the double hit knocking Paarl to the ground and prematurely ending its charged state. Static discharged from the beast entirely, leaving it dark and empty looking.

The Ace Cadet and Albedo looked at each other, a little hopeful that that would be the end of it. Unfortunately the darkbeast began to rouse, standing back up more quickly than they'd expected. It screamed that high pitched ghostly wail and slashed at the two men with fervor, splitting them up once more. The Cadet dutifully kept close to the monster, taking the most of its offense.

Albedo's eyes flickered from the darkbeast to his Isotoma. By his calculation, the construct would be fading away in a few moments. While he had the energy, and the Ace Cadet had the beast's attention, it would be prudent to use his elemental burst.

The alchemist banished his sword for a moment, gathering the power of Geo in his hand. With a wave of his arm he produced his Tectonic Tide, causing Geo crystals to surge forward and burst out of the ground. Though they disappeared just as quickly as they'd formed, each one that struck Paarl dealt a heavy blow to its bones. The beast screeched as it staggered, left with an opening that the monster hunter was all too eager to take advantage of. The Cadet transitioned from his shield-focused fighting style into a Sword Dance, incorporating the blades on his rigging for even more cutting ability. Being a technique designed for attack hard body parts, the sword cut chunks into Paarl. At the same time, the second part of Albedo's Tectonic Tide went off; Fatal Blossoms of Geo energy shimmered and burst in mid-air around the Isotoma, ensuring that the undead monster was taking damage from all angles.

Under the assault, Paarl vibrated with energy. The space between its ribs began to glow again, signalling its impending explosion of lightning. Albedo distanced himself quickly before it went off, snagging some elemental crystals as he went - then the beast arching its back and letting out a violent screech as the electricity erupted in a wave around it. This time unprepared for the surge, the force sent the Cadet flying until he landed on his back a little ways away.

Darkbeast Paarl turned to Albedo then, its posture low and menacing. To the alchemist it evoked the image of a grim feline about to pounce, which meant he anticipated what came next. Paarl jumped, not high into the air but forward fast. It leapt at Albedo with both of its claws outstretched to try and catch him, covering the distance between them near instantly. He thought he'd avoided it entirely by dodging to the side, but Paarl had already demonstrated that its strikes were faster than they appeared. The elemental shield protected him from the electricity, but shallow slices appeared on the edge of his shoulder and abdomen. When the darkbeast's next swipe came down it seemed even faster; the large skeletal paw slammed down on Albedo, sending him to the ground and pinning him between its claws.

He winced, wounded, as the beast let its jaw hang open. Fortunately he didn't have to think of any quick escapes from its teeth; in the next moment the monster hunter's clutch claw wrapped around Paarl's face, and then the Cadet followed it. He used his full weight to slam into the side of Paarl's head, knocking it off balance enough for Albedo to squeeze out of its loosened grip.

Paarl thrashed for a few seconds before it seemed to realize its hanger-on wouldn't be shaken off so easily. Lightning ran from its fur and around its bones, arcing off the hunter too. He glanced down at Albedo, catching the other swordsman's eye and evaluating his well being. The alchemist was much more fragile than the Cadet - most people were. If he took any more heavy blows it wouldn't be good.

The Cadet may not have fought this particular beast before, but he had a plethora of experience to draw on. Paarl didn't fight desperately like a normal, living monster would before death, but even so its body language had been slowly shifting as an animal's would the more the swordsmen wore it down. And after Albedo's Geo light show, he deduced that it couldn't be far from collapsing. He could handle the rest. He'd be an embarrassment of a hunter if he couldn't.

"I'll take it from here!" the Cadet called while clinging to its head. With his legs holding on and his rigging's blades sunk as deep into the bone as they could get, the hunter used his strength to yank its face away from Albedo, forcing its body to follow. "Don't worry - I'm - a professional!" he followed up with, his words punctuated by grunts of exertion as he wrestled with it.

Albedo lingered, seemingly weighing the pros and cons of leaving the Cadet to face it alone. Eventually he acquiesced after summoning a Solar Isotoma to leave behind, retreating to a much safer distance. Just after he did, Paarl threw its head back and then smashed it directly into the ground, cracking the stone under the impact. This finally dislodged the Cadet; he'd braced himself for it, but damn did that hurt. Especially without his sturdier armor on.

The blow seemed to have affected Paarl as well, as the skeletal monster swayed for a moment before finding its feet again. Unwilling to let it completely recover, the Cadet found his own feet and sprung up into attacking. He came at the beast by swinging his shield arm forward, the motion similar to a right hook. The edge of the shield slammed into Paarl's jaw, hardly enough to even turn the monster's head - but the Cadet continued undaunted. He pressed forward, driving the shield's face head on into Paarl's. He heard something splinter and kept going, bringing his arm back again to strike with an even harder bash against the side of its skull.

The darkbeast wailed, scooting backwards to avoid the finishing round slash from the hunter's sword. Then it came right back, reaching in with its quick and brutal claw swipes. Now the hunter was back on the defensive, fending off the physical slashes and relying on the dwindling elemental shield to prevent the worst of the lightning from affecting him. Throughout the fight the Cadet had been getting more used to the speed of Paarl's slashing, making them easier for him to block. What was really worrying was that electricity was starting to flash in its chest cavity again already, putting the Cadet on alert. If he wanted to prevent it from charging itself up any more, which he very much did, he'd have to act fast.

The Cadet raised his shield up to stop an overhead slash and slipped out from under the darkbeast's claws, sprinting underneath its body toward the Isotoma on the other side of it. Paarl shifted, lowering itself to spin around in a flash. It dragged lightning through the air with its claws as it lashed out, this time managing to catch its prey. Blood splashed over the ground, ripped from the Cadet's arm and back. It was all he could do to keep upright and not go sprawling to the ground. When he made it to the Isotoma he stepped onto it like he'd seen Albedo do before, and a flower-like construct ferried him up into the air. Paarl's eyeless gaze followed him, and from the new vantage point the Cadet could really see the number he and Albedo had done on the beast. Splinters and fractures littered the bones of its skeleton, especially in areas where entire pieces had been broken off. The sight encouraged the Cadet, and he leapt off the small platform. He practically dove toward Paarl with a helm breaker, his sword held overhead in both of his hands. When the blade struck it shook the monster enough to knock it back out of its charged state, and the hunter drove it down toward the ground. Its skull cracked against the stone, rattling its whole body.

Paarl fell, collapsing into a heap. It didn't move even as the Cadet, who had landed on top of it, climbed off of the pile of bones. It didn't move, but neither did it disintegrate, keeping the Cadet on edge. Is it dead? Re-dead?

A chill ran down the red head's spine. Slowly, the beast started to rise. It dragged its head up off of the ground, the whole skull titled at the wrong angle on its neck. Its body made a horrible grinding sound as it tried to stand, not that the hunter was going to let it. The Cadet raised his shield, bringing it down hard on the split that was starting to spread through its skull thanks to the continued abuse from Albedo and himself. The steel acted like a hammer and wedge in one, crumbling the bone.

Dead of Night

Ace Cadet’s @Yankee, Big Band’s @Lugubrious, Albedo, Lucia
Word Count: 5044

At great length, the Darkbeast Paarl hit the ground for the final time, the horrendous creaking of its fractured bones falling silent as its uncanny electric aura sparked its last. That monstrosity had just refused to die, a far more dogged nightmare than its Revenant counterpart despite the other terror’s high-tech equipment. Band, Lucia, and Albedo looked on warily from a distance, waiting to make sure that the undead werewolf would actually stay down this time. All three were beat, tired and sore from fighting with no dedicated healer to take the edge off. It had been only hours since the not-so-silent night had fallen over Edinburgh MagicaPolis, but with no end to the skeletal hordes, it felt like forever. Even Ace was feeling it by now, and if he wanted to prioritize his own well-being with what minor healing he possessed, Big Band couldn’t blame him. The Cadet was not that kind of man however; he was happy to share what he had with others, even in dire straits. Maybe especially in those times.

"Nothin' to it," the Cadet joked, his voice cracked and quieter than normal, as he wiped the blood from the side of his face. After collecting the mighty beast's spirit and grouping back up with the others, he offered them the last of his potion stock before indulging himself. Band graciously declined, as did Albedo, and though Lucia’s denial was less believable, she did the same.

Of course, the four didn’t believe for a moment that their opposition ended with Paarl. As their battles raged within the circular monument plaza, more skeletons had trickled in. Rather than interfere with the fights, they watched eerily from afar, forming a scattered perimeter around the plaza’s edges. With them around, the place seemed even more bleak and lifeless. This area seemed like a historical district, unpopulated but preserved for its religious or other ceremonial significance. What few workers or residents remained couldn’t possibly be sleeping after all this commotion, but none dared to poke their heads out their doors or peer through their shutters. The Seekers were surrounded and, except for one another, alone. When it became clear that Paarl was well and truly defeated, however, the skeletons recoiled. They remained at a respectful distance, giving the fighters who’d just felled some of their strongest brethren a wide berth. In that uneasy moment, everyone could hear subtle whispers swelling against the background noise of polar winds, whistling across the faces of buildings and through the wrought-iron fences.

“Hmph,” Band grunted after a moment, easing up just a touch. With his heart rate slowing, the cold was setting in, and with each breath he took his instruments gave off puffs of warm mist. “Looks like they know what’s good for ‘em, after seein’ all that.” He wasn’t about to let his guard down though. These skeletons weren’t attacking, but they weren’t retreating, either. In fact, it seemed to him as if they were waiting. Probably for reinforcements. Hopefully for the Skullgirl.

It wasn’t long before Band got his answer. One of the buildings attached to the plaza, antiquarian enough in design to be anything from a museum to a temple, gave out a loud creak as its front doors pushed open. Barely illuminated in the feeble light of magic lamps, a very small skeleton sidled through the gap, his little purple cape fluttering in the frigid breeze. He jogged down the steps and took hold of the wrought iron gate at the bottom, which he pulled ajar with great effort. Some of the nearby skeletons came over to help, and after their combined efforts opened the gate, the little one waved to the Seekers, beckoning.

Band pursed his lips, his nose wrinkled and his eyes narrowed. “Much as I don’t like the look of that, it seems like someone wants to meet us.” He slowly looked over at the others out of the corner of his eye.

“A truce, maybe? They mighta realized they can’t drive us oahff with brute foahce,” Lucia reasoned. As much as they’d worked to earn a little satisfaction, Band hoped her boast wasn’t pre-emptive.

Albedo remained deadpan. “Or, for the same reason, it could be a trap.”

"I don't think so," the Ace Cadet said. His gaze was on the dark passageway beyond the gate, focused, apprehensive. "This is Linkle, remember?"

Cursed or not, there was no way the monster hunter believed that Linkle would set a trap for them. She'd been helping them out too, or trying to, despite her affliction. Albedo had traveled with her, surely he knew that too and was just trying to be objective. It was a good thing, because the Cadet couldn't be. He wanted to help their friend. His hands closed into tight fists.

Regardless, they wouldn’t achieve anything backing down now. This was the best chance the Seekers had to do what they came for, and walking headfirst into dangerous territory was nothing new. The four readied themselves and heeded the little skeleton’s summons, advancing toward the building. As they approached, the other skeletons shrank back to let the team pass, and the little one turned to guide them onward. After ascending the stairs, they entered the cathedral.

It was quiet. Ominous. Every wall was a gallery of recesses separated by pillars, most with eerie, larger-than-life statues of unified material and theme, if not composition. Though the darkness in here made it tantalizingly difficult to make out the details, Band felt sure that none of those marble figures, no matter their forms or postures, were quite human. He tried not to let his eyes rove through the huge interior space too much, though the vaulted ceilings invited him to turn his gaze to the balconies high above, where many more empty sockets stared down at him. He kept his focus on the very front of the cathedral, where in place of an altar, there sat the statue of a hooded woman with a bronze, mechanical figure sprawled across her lap. Moonlight poured through the tall glass window behind her, as well as from the domed skylight above, and snowflakes drifted through the broken glass. There, sitting on the marble curve of the saintess’s robe, nestled between the limp arm of the bronze machine and the side of his torso, sat the Skullgirl.

She wore a tattered cloak of dark green, its hood over her milk-pale face. The hair that lined her face and spilled from her hood in twin braids blazed a bright blue, like frozen flame. From two holes on either side extended plumes of the same icy inferno, resembling rabbit ears. She wore a faded burgundy suit of what might be leather, with sleeves and legs that flared out over metal gloves and greaves. Beneath her choker, what little skin would’ve been visible seemed to be blue-tinged and transparent, allowing the newcomers to see her spinal cord and collarbone. This gave her face the unsettling appearance of a mask, a false shred of humanity worn on a lifeless body.

“She’s too far gone,” Band whispered beneath his breath, almost imperceptibly.

The Skullgirl’s eyes slid open. They were a radiant, nightmarish scarlet, each iris containing half of a skull. For a moment her face tightened in an expression of instinctual annoyance, as if she’d just been awoken from a pleasant slumber. Then her eyes filled with sorrow. Misery. Regret. When she spoke, her voice was slightly hollow. Resonant. As if fathomless masses backed her voice with the faintest of whispers.

“Why… are you here?”

It was a few moments before anyone spoke. It wasn't easy to reconcile the visage of the person in front of them with that of their lost friend. The Skullgirl was uncanny, and the haunting, almost mystical look about her unnerved the Cadet. He could feel his palms perspiring and his throat tighten. At his hip, the scoutflies that would normally remain their neutral green while safe in their cage slowly began to emit a reddish glow in the presence of the Skullgirl - though it was already obvious that she was dangerous. But underneath the eerie blue and bone motif, there was a heroic girl hurting. Her eyes said as much. Linkle was still in there.

Wasn't she?

The Cadet swallowed the lump in his throat and took a step forward.

"Linkle... Long time no Ceadeus, huh?" he started, though even he could barely spare a smile at his icebreaker. He continued then, spreading his hands in front of him. "We're here to help you."

A certain party member had alternative reasons for seeking her out, though the Cadet remained ignorant to them for the moment, the optimistic spark in his heart a little too bright to see them.

"We've been looking for you since you disappeared from the Dead Zone. Nadia... Ms. Fortune told me what happened there, and Albedo filled us in on the rest. You've been fighting that curse alone, right? But you don't have to! We'll find a way to break it together. Okay?"

Before it's too late. Before more people get hurt.

Linkle turned her downcast eyes to the floor. “I’d like that. I really would. But…”

Lucia and Band kept quiet, whether out of apprehension or deference. As Ace spoke, though, Albedo stepped forward to throw his support behind the hunter’s words. “Linkle. I only had the pleasure of meeting you after whatever happened,” he began. “But I’ve seen your courage and kindness for myself. Even in this state, you went out of your way to help people. Like Treat, Tuley, and Skadi. It doesn’t matter what you look like. You have the spirit of a hero. But saving the world is too great a burden for any one hero. Please, don’t give up on us.”

Well said. To Band, it sounded rather like he’d been workshopping this speech. Once he finished, Band finally spoke up. “Don’t let the Skull Heart win,” he urged, holding out a faint hope that there was anything left but the Skull Heart to address.

“I don’t want to!” Suddenly Linkle looked up, her lips pursed and her eyes narrowed as she stared at her four visitors. “I’m fighting back as hard as I can, I really am. Every single day. But I’m only human. The voices…they’re wearing me down. Like sandpaper on my soul. And the more they strip away, the more I understand.” She paused, her expression one of pity. “Listen. At first, I was convinced that I had to run away. That I would only hurt you if I lost myself. But maybe that was the Skull Heart talking, because things got so much worse so fast…I realized it was my friends who were keeping me, well, me. And I want you back. Even if the old me is gone, I think I can keep from sinking any deeper as long as I have friends.”

Despite her hollow timbre, Band could hear the powerful emotion in her voice. He got the sense she’d been wanting to say this for a while. As for why she’d been so hesitant to do so, he suspected that she was about to say.

The detective’s guess was right on the money. “But I don’t want to lie to you, so there’s something you need to know. About how bad things really are. I was planning to take it to my grave, since I figured it’d be too much for anyone else. But if you really want to help me… I can tell you.” As she prepared herself to ask a question she already knew the answer to, Linkle put on a wry smile. “Will you listen?”

"Of course!"

The Cadet knew they were far from out of the woods yet regarding Linkle's condition, but the fact that she was still herself in part - that she wanted help and was willing to let them do what they could for her - came as a real relief. He was glad that Albedo had come with them and spoken up, agreeing with all of the alchemist's words. Now he didn't know what Linkle was going to tell them, she made it sound grim and heavy, but he was more than willing to hear out anything she had to say. If she wanted her friends back she'd have them. "What else are friends for, right?"

Linkle took a deep breath in through her nose. “Well…alrighty, if you insist.” Then gathered herself up and jumped down from the statue, animated by a trace of hopeful energy. Despite the long shadow she cast, Albedo noticed that the Skullgirl was actually the shortest person here now that she stood before him. Her slight smile turned wry, a little sheepish even, which was an odd expression for an undead abomination to make. “This is…well, it’s gonna sound creepy no matter what, so there’s no avoiding it. I can sort of…sense…the dead. All around me. I don’t hear their voices or anything, but still, it’s almost like they’re calling me. Begging me to be revived. As to why that’s a problem, beyond the obvious I mean, well…”

After fidgeting uncomfortably for a moment, she crossed her arms. “I guess I should start at the beginning, since none of you were there. The first thing I remember is about a week ago, showing up on this hillside way, way south of here. I was still brainwashed, and for whatever reason I was attacking this poor little guy named Kirby. There were others, too. Bowser, Blazermate, Courier 6, Michael, Tora, Geno. At first I thought that’s when the World of Light got made, but the farther we went, the more people we found with memories that went back longer. Like Peach, she said she’d been cooped up while the Rabbids and the robots were fighting for…months, I think?”

That matched up with what the Cadet knew. He had spent more than a few weeks living in Lumbridge until the Seekers had swept through. Before that things were fuzzy, and before that all he recalled were memories from his original, home world. He nodded at Linkle, encouraging her to continue, but... well, he had sort of braced himself for some awful revelation regarding her curse. It had started like that, but he didn't know what her tangent had to do with it. The hunter realized that he must have misinterpreted what she meant when she said "how bad things really are."

Linkle ran her hand over her head, slicking back her own rabbit ears, which popped up again the moment she let them go. “So…what I’m saying is, memories aside, there’s no telling how long the World of Light’s been around. Except that…you know, as time goes by, more and more people die. A city’s population might stay the same, but the dead just pile up, and up, and up…” She narrowed her eyes. “You…you see what I mean, right? Even while constantly trying to suppress my power, I’ve been raising the dead without even meaning to. There’s just so many of them. I can feel them, everywhere. You don’t get that many dead people in a week or two. Or in months. Or years.” She swallowed. “Or…decades. To me, it feels like people have been living, fighting, and dying in this world for…for centuries.”

For several long moments, no one in the cathedral spoke. Even the muted bone rattling of the undead around them quieted down in the face of the Skullgirl's confession. Ace's eyebrows shot up in surprise. That was the last thing he had expected her to say, and it took him a bit to process it.

"Centuries? That can't be, I mean- that's... that's crazy, right?" Though he said that, at face value he believed Linkle's words. He had no reason not to, and with her curse giving her special insight into the dead, what she'd said was just about the only theory that made sense if there were really that many souls calling out to her.

He cast a look at Band, Lucia, and Albedo. "That Galeem thing has been abducting people- whole planets- for hundreds of years...?!"

The others were having as much trouble grappling with it as he was. Lucia had one hand on her hat, a dismayed look on her face. Albedo kept his expression impassive as he wrote in his notebook, noting down every detail but saying nothing. Big Band was shaking his head, his wide eyes showing just how flabbergasted he was. After a moment he swallowed, and opened his dry mouth to speak. “It’s crazy alright. I wanna say it ain’t possible, but to tell the truth, I got nothin’ to back that up. Just lemme think…” He scrunched his brows together at Linkle. “You said the first thing you remember’s a week ago?” As she nodded, he took a long, slow breath. “Well, for me…let’s see. One thing at a time. I joined y’all back in the Sandswept Sky in Al Mamoon. Peacock and I arrived by train ‘bout a week before that. Took the Owl Express outta the Forbidden Kingdom, veerin’ south past the Valley o’ Ruin. Before that we spent a couple months in Snowbelle City. Before that…” He paused, uncertain. “Anythin’ further back than a year, and it’s hard to say.”

“At least ya got that fah, I can’t even remembah back a full yeah,” Lucia chimed in, looking a little horrified. “That’s supah weahd. The hell’s wruong with me?”

Albedo lowered his notebook, thinking. “So the working theory is that Galeem is attacking different worlds and pulling their people into the World of Light over time?” He crossed his arms. “We would need to corroborate a shared timeframe with two freed individuals from the same world. Before that, though, there’s something to consider. Galeem itself.” From inside this cathedral he couldn’t see the night sky, but when the clouds had parted earlier, he’d seen the World of Light’s architect. “I haven’t been watching constantly, but whenever I look toward the continent’s center, I can see Galeem there. I believed it to be inactive. However, it could also be a fake.” He put his hand on his chest. “As for me, I can remember events over a year in the past. Plenty of people have come and gone during that time, but I didn’t think anything of it.” He shook his head. “There’s too much we don’t know.”

“You know who probably does, though?” Band interjected suddenly. “Those damn Consuls, L and N. We get our hands on one, and we can grill ‘em for all they’re worth. Forget all this worryin’ and fussin’, so what if the world’s been around a long time? Our goal’s the same.”

Centuries. The Cadet's mind was still reeling even as he processed what Band said. Missing persons case, tales of people being spirited away, ships and caravans that vanished and never reached their destination... could it have been the result of "this"? Being brought to a weirdo patchwork world? Or maybe it was possible this was some kind of shared after life? The hunter absolutely did not want to consider those kinds of implications. He shook his head subtly, then put on his best determined face.

"Big Band's right. There's still a bunch of people and places to set free from Galeem's mind control. So whether that ball of light up there's a fake, or it's been kidnapping people for hundreds of years... we can get the answers as we go.

"And the Consuls trying to stop us from getting those answers? We'll deal with 'em. It'll be better with you fighting with us again, Linkle. And it’ll be easier to help you when we’re with you."

The Cadet looked at her again. Her appearance, and the feel of her overall presence, was still surreal. He smiled though, an expression that read everything is gonna be okay. They'd find a way to purge her curse as part of the answers they sought. He extended his hand toward the Skullgirl.

It was the monster hunter’s bright smile that seemed to shine through the last of Linkle’s doubt. Her dreadful news clearly hadn’t been the deathblow to the heroes’ morale that she thought it would be. Ace, Band, Albedo, and even a new face like Lucia all appeared to be as determined as ever to right the world of light’s wrongs. Linkle took a deep breath. “Now I feel bad for doubting you guys.” She leaned forward to reach down and accept Ace’s hand, then hopped down from the statue, landing among the others.

Compared to all of them, even Albedo and Lucia, Linkle was surprisingly short face-to-face. Too young and too kind a girl to bear such a heavy burden, Band reckoned. Right now though, it wasn't melancholy that the detective felt. How could it be, when they’d managed to get through to Linkle, and bring her back from the brink and into the fold? It almost surprised him to realize that for a moment, he’d forgotten all about the monster she was destined to become. In that moment he’d seen only the poor girl who’d nearly lost herself, but refused to succumb. Their eyes met briefly, and a flicker of knowing passed between them. Linkle had no future. That was an inescapable fact, and she knew it. Yet somehow she resolved to carry on, and fight for a brighter tomorrow that she’d never see for herself.

“You’re strong,” he told her, his voice low and his respect clear. “A whole lot stronger than me.”

Despite everything, Linkle smiled. “A hero never gives up. If I’m gonna be one someday, neither can I.”

The Cadet chuckled incredulously at the girl's humility and patted her on the shoulder. As far as he was concerned anyone that had been part of the campaign so far was one, especially Linkle, despite her present condition. He withdrew his hand from the Skullgirl's cool frame and crossed his arms, the metal pieces on his coat and gauntlets clinking together softly.

He was immensely glad that they didn't have to do battle with Linkle, and even more so that she decided to give herself a fighting chance. Or so he thought; it was impossible for the monster hunter to know the inescapable consequences of accepting the Skull Heart. Still, after getting separated from Nadia and the rest of the Seekers, learning the fate of Smash City Alcamoth and the allies they'd left there, and challenging Consul N and losing... the good guys really needed a win. Linkle did too, after what she'd been through. Coming together like this was that win - and it was only the first part. Together, they'd tackle the Consuls and her curse.

"Gargwawesome. We should all probably rest and plan our next move. But..." The Ace Cadet glanced up and around at the skeletons that still lined the cathedral before looking back at Linkle. "What can we do about all the boneheads skull-king around? You said you can't help raising them?"

Linkle pursed her lip and inhaled, nodding. “Yes, but they’re loyal. Mostly. I’ve been trying to keep them out of trouble, but this isn’t a good power, and plenty of bad things have died around here. They’re not all bad though.” As she spoke, the short skeleton with the purple cape came over to stand next to her, his presence -small but determined- reassuring. Linkle patted him on the skull, which seemed to please him. “They’ll help us when it’s time to fight. I need to avoid using my powers if I can, I think they’re tainted the Skull Heart now. So it’s skeletons and crossbows for me.”

While Band wasn’t sure that he bought the idea that any of these reanimated monstrosities could be good, he knew that he and the others needed all the help they could get. If Linkle had an idea of what did and didn’t worsen her condition, that was a good start. An Anti-Skullgirl soldier workin’ with a Skullgirl, huh? he thought with a sigh. Really is rainin’ cats and dogs. “Right, y’all. We made ourselves an unlikely friend. What’s next?”

Albedo stood with his arms crossed, clearly already thinking about the team’s next course of action. “Our current goal is the Consuls. It stands to reason that they pose the greatest threat to our overall mission, and they also possess critical information. Given N’s demonstrated might, we must assume that L is at least as powerful. Fighting them one at a time would be our best course of action. We’ve already been to what I assume is L’s home, but I highly doubt she’ll be waiting there for us to challenge her.”

Furrowing his brow, Band recalled a couple choice words. “The Flame Clock. Sounded important to L at least. Ring any bells?”

“Flame Clock…” Linkle repeated beneath her breath, thinking. “Sorry, I haven’t seen anything like that.” Her eyebrows rose suddenly. “But my skeletons might. I’ll have them search the city. Uh… as quietly and not-scarily as possible.”

“That wahks,” Lucia remarked. As much as these skeletons sent shivers down her spine, she’d rather them be working for her than against her.

Band nodded. “She’s probably long gone by now, but if the Flame Clock’s where they go when the goin’ gets tough, we’ll know where to find ‘em.”

“One other thing,” Linkle piped up. “Last night, I fought N. We ran into each other after nightfall at the magic library. I guess we were both looking for you. His power’s nasty, but…well, to keep things brief, it was a stalemate.” She forced herself to smile. “So when we do find him, I’m sure we can defeat him together!”

Unfortunately, her confidence did not leave Band reassured. If the Skullgirl could hold off the man who took his team four-on-one, she might already be too strong. But for now, he had to trust her. Or at least in the fellow heroes that trusted her. “...Right.”

"Definitely," the Cadet said, agreeing with Linkle. He clapped the detective on his broad back, hoping to instill some of the optimism he currently felt. Especially since the last day or two had been nearly devoid of it. "If we can get through that weird power of his."

In general the Cadet was of the same mind as Lucia - the skeletons creeped him out, but he would let Linkle handle them as best she could. He put his focus back onto the Flame Clock that Band brought up, seeing as that was the best lead they had at the moment.

"I hope that Flame Clock's a 'we'll know it when we see it' kind of thing." The hunter could only really conjure an image in his mind of a regular old clock on fire. Or one that was filled with fire. Actually, that reminded him of something... After a brief moment of thought, the Cadet turned to Lucia with raised eyebrows. "Hey, didn't you say there was a big yellow clock at the top of the pumpkin? It couldn't be that, could it?"

Linkle’s own brows shot up as she whirled to face Lucia, followed by the gaze of everyone else.

For a moment, the policewoman just blinked at them, her eyes wide. Then she let out a breathless chuckle. “Well, I’ll be dahned. That’s proabably the one. In Edinburgh it don’t get moah high an’ mighty than that.” She scratched her neck, slightly mortified.

“On top…?” Band’s eyes widened as he peered through the church’s frosted window toward the snowbound city’s most incredible landmark. With the Eiffel Tower forming just the peak of the witch’s hat atop the pumpkin that contained the whole Nyakuza Metro, its size was astronomical to the point of absurdity. Despite everyone’s relative proximity to it, it towered to such heights that the pinnacle would’ve still been visible above the hat’s gear-shaped brim if not for the cloudy sky. He whistled. “Hate to say it, but that’s a high note I don’t think I can hit.”

Albedo crossed his arms. “I’m sure there are other ways up. But they could conceivably take so long that if we attempt to pursue a Consul there, he or she may finish with the Flame Clock long before we get there.”

“If only we had a choppah oah somethin’,” Lucia remarked, nodding sadly.

“Well, that’s one problem solved!” Linkle piped up. The irony of the Skullgirl being the ray of positivity alongside Ace was not lost on Band. “Once we figure out a way up there, all that’s left is to take the fight to the Consuls.”

Once again Albedo stepped in to help. “We can use their overconfidence against them. They believe they have all the power, and may not hesitate to step into a trap.”

Band snapped his metal fingers. “What about L’s ‘collection’? She said she ‘curated’ those poor folks from all over in order to keep ‘em forever. I bet she wouldn’t sit idly by if we went and smashed the place up. And N said he doesn’t give a rat’s ass about her stuff, too.” His eyes narrowed. “It’ll leave a bad aftertaste, I know, but in the end there ain’t anythin’ there but frozen ash.”

“And when we defeat her, we can get the secret of the Highland’s Guardian out of her,” Albedo said, skirting around the issue of L’s ‘specimens’.

Ace Cadet looked back and forth between the small gathered group, smiling at the newfound energy. After a long and harrowing night it was impossible not to feel the weariness really starting to set in, but one goal completed and a new one to work towards kept the worst of it at bay.

"Alright, this is sounding like a plan!" he said, bringing his hands together in one enthusiastic clap. If they pulled this off, the catharsis alone would be worth it in his opinion, not to mention everything they stood to gain by succeeding. "And now we know where to start."

Of course step one of investigating the massive pumpkin's clock and securing a quick way up would have to wait until after some rest. Still, progress was progress, and it was about time things swung back in the heroes' favor.

World of Light

^{____________________________________________________}
Level: 10 - Total EXP: 187/100 ------ Level: 7 - Total EXP: 238/70
𝙱𝙿 ●●●●● ---------------------------- 𝙱𝙿 ●●●●●
Word Count: 757 (+4 exp)
Location: The Under

When the Radiance fell, both Primrose and Therion ceased their chasing and casting. The dancer still held a spell in her hand, and Therion his blades in his, but both of them glanced around at the others and waited for the telltale crumbling of the light being's body. The Orsterrans used the break in the endless onslaught of light to catch their breaths, but once it was clear that the Radiance wasn't dissolving they steeled themselves for battle once more. Neither expected the dreamscape to shake and change, or a bubbling blackness to appear and attempt to take the Guardian for itself. Ultimately it did not succeed - and the Radiance fell up and away until it was but a bright light in the sky.

None wondered for long about their next course of action. Logic didn't really apply, this being a realm of dreams and all, so when a train appeared with the Magikrab heading it, it wasn't as big a shock as it could have been. When he gave the call for an all aboard though, Primrose's mouth curved upward in amusement.

"Is this gonna be a theme?" Therion wondered aloud. He didn't provide any context, just glanced at Primrose, Jesse, and Sectonia who had all fought the desert Guardian together. It seemed this time, at least, they'd be the ones in pursuit.

As everyone piled in (or rather climbed on top), Kamek brought up some information about their foe. With its weakness to the dark confirmed, Primrose knew what to focus on. If it was dark magic they needed, she had that more than covered. Her small, amused smile turned into a smirk as she responded to Sectonia just before the train set off. "Let's."

They set off, the scenery around them becoming blurred as the train hurried to catch up with the Guardian. When it finally did, the group had to suspend their disbelief a little in order to get back into the fight. Everyone with projectiles got started right away, especially after enjoying some buffs from Kamek's clone. Naturally Primrose joined them.

"Dusk, fall!" She conjured her Dirge of Dusk, three whirling spheres of shadow that shot towards the Radiance. If it really was vulnerable to darkness, this spell would hurt - and further weaken its resistance to shadow. After casting she devoted her energy to evasion, getting out of harm's way as best she could while nimbly maneuvering around her allies. The platform they fought on now left much to be desired, but it was all they had. She didn't complain, especially when the largest of their group hopped to the back or disembarked entirely and left more room.

Even before they'd caught up with the Radiance, Therion had decided that he was putting himself purely on support duty. He had a good throwing arm, but didn't even consider trying it out in this situation when they were hurtling through dream space - and Aeber's Reckoning would be a one and done thing. Instead, he'd put his SP to better use.

First he used one of Sectonia's crystal walls to project him while he summoned his Striker. He conjured it in the space between train cars, getting it stuck snuggly so it wouldn't just roll off. Then he patted it and bid it good luck as the crystal crumbled, and it starting to fire its blood red lance at the Radiance, repeating as it grew back until its timer expired. And where Primrose chose to continually user her Moonlight Waltz spell in between dodging, accruing cuts and burns when she had to cast, Therion kept moving nearly non-stop. He equipped his shield for once to help protect him against the raining swords, but while one hand held it the other was conspicuously empty.

"Tag," he said, his voice lost to the wind while he darted around the battlefield and touched some of his teammates with that hand. Primrose, Sectonia, and once they caught back up Junior and Kamek. With his ability to donate his own mana, he could keep the casters doing what they did best - and Periodically his body would glow as he activated Battle Boost while sharing his energy. With them he could try and make it last however long the fight would.

When the train lurched at Ganondorf's command and rammed into the Radiance, it seemed things may not last much longer if it couldn't escape. Primrose used the opportunity to cast a stronger Moonlight Waltz, using her own Boost to empower the spell as it erupted against the pinned Guardian.

Word Count: 886 (+4 exp)
Level: 5 - Total EXP: 213/50
Location: Dystopiascape - Midgar

As the battle continued, Pit quickly decided that if he was going to stick with the few trying to keep the machine god at bay, the Breaking Palm wasn't the way to do it. It worked well enough against the Singer, or any mobile target, but even though their shots could be powered up just the same as those of any of his other weapons they were not suited for punching through hard metal. An overwhelming amount of shots might slowly chip away at Tycoon, but how long would that take even when accounting for Susie and Zenkichi's attacks? Way too long. The angel would be better served swapping to something that packed more of a punch so that he could better contribute. On that he dove out of the way of one of the Guardian's laser arrays that had resumed its firing, and took a moment to dismiss the Palm and glance at how the rest of the Seekers were faring before he went back on the attack.

Everyone was engaged in the fight, but with Karen's team whittled down to just C and himself the odds were in the Seeker's favor. Even so the arena was still a chaotic tangle, with everything from fist fights to fire fights to exchanges of magic going off all while Tycoon bared down on the two groups vying for the chance to take its spirit. So far Pit had been spared any major damage, and Sandalphon's healing put him right back into perfect condition as the Singer's smoke faded away.

We can do this! Pit thought as he felt the grip of his bow materialize in his hand. With a team like this, how could they lose?

When the markers of Artificial Gravity first appeared on the ground, Pit hardly noticed them. Just before, a light brighter than any of the elemental skills Karen was slinging shone in the arena - one that drew Pit's attention, since from within the light a huge draconic angel-like being had appeared. Of course, Pit didn't have a spare moment to really admire this form Sandalphon had mentioned to him before; not if he didn't want to be struck with a stray projectile or a swipe of Tycoon's arm. Or the magic mortar that was now a more pressing threat, as the indicators on the ground swelled up in size. The distraction, however momentary, had him scrambling to get out of the marked area when he heard the great crackling sound from somewhere above him.

The mortar came down on him with monstrous force, pressing and ripping. But when the particles of the attack dispersed, Pit was still in one piece. He hadn't been able to completely avoid the Artificial Gravity, but it would take a lot more than that to put him down. He looked battered, more worse for wear than he actually felt, but the sparkle of determination in his eyes made it obvious that he wasn't in dire straits.

"Is that all?" he shouted at the Guardian, finally getting back into the fray for real. The Palutena Bow was the perfect balance of offense, defense, and evasive ability - he hammered Tycoon with arrows until he was close enough to start slashing too. It was good timing when Zenkichi gave him a power up, as the angel was in the middle of leaping in with a series of quick spinning cuts. He had no clue what the man had called out when he did it, but it was probably something cool. "What he said!"

Pit back dashed away from a stomp, letting a charged light arrow loose to crash against Tycoon while Roxas began his own light barrage. When the arena began to really shake, from more than just the giant robot moving around it, Pit hopped into the air and used his wings to stay there for a moment while continuing to shoot. A quake? He glanced curiously at the other battles again, noting is long as he couldt was probably C or Karen's doing since Tycoon wasn't acting much differently. Both battles looked ferocious, something that meant they were probably nearing their end. Pit grinned, confident it was the Seekers who would emerge victorious.

He landed and went right back into melee with the machine god, and called a encouraging response to Zenkichi. "Can do!"

Those doing battle with Tycoon gave it all they had, and their efforts were paying off - after enough boss battles Pit could practically sense it, even if it was hard to see. Then he felt something strike his right shoulder. It was painful for sure, but not debilitating for him. Crossfire? He winced but didn't cease his attacking until the second hit. It struck his right wing, and instinctively Pit jerked away and pulled the limb in close, spinning around to see what was going on. Around the Consul there was a bullet storm going on, which was probably where the crossfire had come from. This time he didn't let himself stay distracted for long, instead making use of one of Tycoon's punches to get farther away from the potential projectiles. He redoubled his efforts, slashing up the Guardian's arm and then swapping to shooting when it pulled back. He felt there had to be close, they just needed to push a little more!

World of Light

^{____________________________________________________}
Level: 10 - Total EXP: 183/100 ------ Level: 7 - Total EXP: 234/70
𝙱𝙿 ●●●●● ---------------------------- 𝙱𝙿 ●●●●●
Word Count: 483 (+2 exp)
Location: The Under

It was hard to judge how long a battle would last. Despite the now numerous conflicts that Primrose had been a part of, she wasn't a warrior that could instinctually tell the strength of an opponent, nor could she calculate her and her allies' strength to compare it to. So it was more like a gut feeling when she felt her mana had recovered enough to last the remainder of the battle.

She launched her fire and shadow magic at the Radiance when she could, completely unable to contribute anymore empowerment to the Seekers via dancing given everything the alien light was throwing at them. She side stepped the conjured blades when they fell vertically, ducked or flew when they came horizontally, and generally did her best to avoid the rays of light that shown out over the area.

Therion was in the same boat, along with most everyone else - keeping evasive and contributing when he could. After his use of Hellfire he caught on to Nadia's pun quickly and noted the elemental reaction, but felt the need to let her know his contribution to that trick of hers would be limited. "Yeah. Just don't expect it to happen again anytime soon," he said just before the two of them split up to avoid the spikes. His fire spell was one of the more damaging options he had, but wasn't something he preferred to use all the time. In the mean time he was back to physical weapons, chucking his throwing knives and darts at the Radiance when it appeared close to him.

Both of them took a splash in the healing water of Jesse's striker to help with the damage they were steadily taking, but otherwise they kept on the move. With the arena half covered in spikes, getting out of the way of the Radiance's attacks was only getting more difficult - so it was with great relief that Jesse threw down the ooze and Sectonia summoned her antlers, providing more options for movement.

Primrose's Baldur Shell had already been broken through and had yet to recover, so she was glad to use the cover provided by her allies to get out of the way of the light rays. She cast Moonlight Waltz on the Radiance when it stayed put for a moment to throw yet another barrage at them. Then she cast Luna, using her own Boost to strengthen it and letting the spell track the Guardian as it teleported around the area.

Meanwhile Therion made use of the ooze rather than a teammate this time, having used it before. On the way up he barely evaded a flying sword and used Armor Corrosive again, on the Radiance itself this time. On the way down he intended to get another attack in, but it teleported away - not before conjuring another wave of searing light that began to wash over the area.

Word Count: 1115 (+4 exp)
Level: 5 - Total EXP: 209/50
Location: Dystopiascape - Midgar

Pit would have told Nox off for his actions (if he knew what he was doing was evil, why do it in the first place?), but very suddenly the man had an unexpected outburst. It would be the first time in Pit’s experience that words alone got through to a villain without the need for a fight, but that… didn’t seem to be what was going on. It almost seemed like the wail of someone who had already lost, but as far as Pit knew it was everyone’s first time meeting Nox.

"What’s he talking about?" the angel asked, genuinely confused about what was happening. What did he mean by ‘ten minutes’? And his strange cube that has spoken to him and told him he would succeed, what was that about?

It was suggested by some that Nox actually had succeeded, that he and his crew had defeated the Seekers and managed to travel back in time to this moment, instead of whenever he’d actually wanted to go. Pit blinked at that, not looking any less lost. There was no way the Seekers would actually lose, right? He discarded that explanation entirely.

After what had just happened, it wasn’t as surprising to see Nox cut and run. Karen Travers stepped up in his place with another alleged method of time travel. He still meant to fight, even with one ally deserted and the other two unsure. Maybe if they subdued Karen fast, they could convince the other two not to fight. Mephisto already looked about ready to give up like Nox had, and Sam didn’t have the light of Galeem in his eyes that would force him to keep fighting. Pit twirled the bow in his hand, as much a restless fidget as a sign he was ready for battle. But the one to kick things off wasn’t himself, or Karen or Goldlewis - it was Consul C.

All of a sudden the Seekers were contending with two big monsters on either side of them, and the Consul himself had joined the enemy team.

Pit dashed into battle toward C's group at the same time that the rest of the Seekers moved. With Tycoon now activated it swung its massive arm across the area, nearly catching Pit in its path. When the angel noted the metal coming toward him, his head buzzed with thoughts of escaping the impact. He leapt up as high as he could, using his wings to go even farther. If he’d jumped even a moment later he wouldn’t have been able to clear it - but as it was Pit pulled his legs in so that Tycoon’s arm just barely passed underneath him. He landed with a roll on the moving metal and then popped off the side back down onto the arena as the machine god reset its posture.

It was the Guardian that Pit chose to focus on first. Everyone else was engaged already, leaving only Susie to pit herself against Tycoon and take the brunt of its attention. The angel started firing upon it, loosing light arrows as fast as he could nock them. He struck all over the machine, searching for any place he guessed might be a weak spot. Maybe it didn't even have one, as armored as it was. Still, this was their mission. Once it was taken town and one of them claimed its spirit, the fight would be all but won!

Pit had been bouncing around while firing to avoid what he could when he could, between Tycoon’s attacks and the stray offshoots from everyone else fighting. Robotic parts had flown off from the Guardian, firing lasers that seemed to have frozen in place that he kept an eye on too. He was doing a good job of playing keep away until the fog that had been gradually covering the area made its way to him.

He coughed, the clouds stinging his throat and skin. The longer he stood in it the more it hurt. So it wasn’t just a smokescreen, this stuff was actually doing damage! Pit beat his wings to clear a small area around him, looking for higher ground. Unfortunately the arena was mostly flat, so he had little choice but to use Tycoon for a lift.

"Be right back!" he said to Susie and Zenkichi as he passed them by, catching the side of Tycoon’s arm when it aimed at her. It pulled its arm back and Pit rode up with it, transitioning to the Guardian’s shoulder. From there, he could see a little better… but a lot of the battlefield was starting to become obscured. The smoke was emanating from the monster that Mephisto had turned into as it teleported around the area.

He also saw Roxas chasing it around. Last he’d seen the blonde boy had been talking Sam down, so he must have succeeded and moved on to another enemy. It was time to switch priorities and join him - especially if the fog was going to interfere with the others’ fights.

Pit dismissed his bow, replacing it with the rainbow orb that would become his Breaking Palm. He closed his fist around it and it began to adhere to his skin. The chromatic marks traced their way up his arm, and he opened his hand back up to unleash a helpful assault. Much faster and more homing than his arrows, the energy shots from his Palm could chase down even the slipperiest of foes. Since Pit couldn't tell where the Singer would appear next, he had to rely on the speed of his attacks to trace the battlefield and hit home. Shimmery rainbow energy blasts drove toward their target, piling damage onto the beast alongside Roxas’ attacks. When it disappeared and reappeared in another area, the energy blasts curved to chase their target if they were close enough.

The barrage of light continued, raining down on the Singer especially when it moved particularly far from the Nobody, right up until Tycoon decided it didn’t want a hitchhiker any longer. It didn’t even need to reach up and swat him; Tycoon shook its shoulder and unbalanced Pit, and when it threw its next punch the angel fell from his perch with a yelp. Bouncing against the machine god’s body wasn’t particularly painful, but it wasn’t fun either. He caught himself before hitting the ground, his wings slowing his fall so that when he landed it was in an undignified heap rather than a nastier impact. The rainbow glow of the Breaking Palm lit up the remnants of the fog in this area, and then the same energy that had been chasing the Singer crashed against Tycoon.

World of Light

Word Count: 2136 (+6 exp)
Level: 5 - Total EXP: 205/50
Location: Dystopiascape - Midgar

It seemed to Pit that within one blink of an eye and the next, Nox had appeared in front of him. The swirling energy of his Palm was already headed Mephisto's way, but he cut off the flow in order to gather that power into his hand, preparing to engage Nox directly.

"You-!!" was about all the angel had time to say. As fast as his reflexes had been, Nox was faster - he had the luxury of moving in stopped time after all. Pit pulled his arm back for a strike, but Nox already had his own extended and shot a blast of energy himself. If Pit had gone for a defensive play he might have avoided his current predicament of careening backward through the air, but hindsight wasn't going to help him either.

Pit flapped his wings until he was just about right side up, landing on his feet but stumbling from the sudden impact with the ground. He could hear Midna's visceral screaming mix with Geralt's cries of berserker rage and the street fighter's technique call outs, and hoped everyone could hang in there so he could rejoin them. Sandalphon's earlier heal, which unbeknownst to the Seekers at that point would end up being her last, had shored up a lot of his health - he wasn't worried about himself until there was a great crackling sound directly above him. He looked up, his eyes going wide. The Artificial Gravity!

It came down on him with monstrous force, pressing and ripping. But when the particles of the attack dispersed, Pit was still standing. Badly battered by the full force of the magical mortar, but alive and determined to see the fight through to the end.

He had already gotten moving again when he realized that Midna's screaming must have been her death throes as he took her place against Nox, since she was little more than ash and spirit now. Pit fired upon the Watchmaker while the Breaking Palm was still equipped, just after Nox had fired energy blades of his own at Heavenly Wings. He noticed the incoming projectiles and moved out of their path, only for the rainbow bolts to curve and hit him anyway. The same happened with Pit's second volley, though the third was mostly dispersed by rough swipes of Nox's swords.

With so many Seekers gone, there was no longer an easy way to distract Nox enough to get to the enemy healer. Eventually all of the damage they'd done to Nox's crew would be neutralized and then undone, if their healing hadn't gotten to that point already. To get to Mephisto, going through Nox was the bare minimum - and the Breaking Palm wasn't the way to do it. Its tracking energy bolts could chase him down without fail, but even at maximum output how long would it take to bring him down? Way too long, not even counting the other three he had on his side interfering. Pit backed off from attacking when one of Geralt's fireballs flew toward Nox in order to switch weapons. It was then, with mounting horror, that he saw what had become of yet more of his friends. At some point Sandalphon had reverted out of her dragon form and lay bleeding on the ground. Out of the two angels, she was the healer - he couldn't do a thing for her. In another area of the battlefield the elder Travers dropped Karin over the dark void that surrounded Tycoon's platform, and all Pit could do was watch while his heart clenched. "No!" Without the Power of Flight, he didn't have any chance of saving her. He'd never felt more useless.

On top of it all, Giovanna had arrived at some point. Normally, the sight of an ally come to help would inspirit Pit, but now would she just be another casualty? He'd hate to see anyone else end up dead, but telling her to run would be the same as admitting that the battle was a lost cause. He couldn't allow that, not after all of the sacrifices that had already been made.

Everything's getting worse and worse...! he thought as he felt the grip of his bow materialize in his hand. Lady Palutena... please help us! I don't know what to do to stop this!

When he felt a surge in energy flow into him, for a split second Pit believed his prayers had been answered. He could have cried in relief, but in the next second he realized that wasn't the case. This didn't feel like the Goddess of Light's touch. He looked around only to catch Zenkichi's final moments. He couldn't hear the man's words over the ongoing battle and the lurching of Tycoon as it readied itself to bring its fist down once more, but his feelings reached the angel regardless. With Heat Riser, Zenkichi reminded him that he already knew what he had to do. He couldn't buff, or heal, or fly, so it was the only thing he could do: fight.

He hurtled towards Karen with a battle cry just as the psychic's sclerokinesis ran out. Made all the faster thanks to Heat Riser, Pit made it to him before he could move to engage the angel on his own terms. A heavy cross slash delivered inside of his guard opened Karen up for Roland or any quick opportunist to take advantage of, but it wouldn't be Pit - he kicked off the psychic on his way to his previous target, Nox.

Nox had to be the lynchpin of the enemy's plans. He was the one that had demonstrated he could manipulate time. If they could just deal with him, maybe their entire plan would fall apart. The Xelor had turned his attention to Geralt when Sam called out, but when he noticed Pit making a beeline for him he held a hand out toward the angel. The energy blades that had cut through Sandalphon shot out just as Tycoon's arm came down, inadvertently protecting Pit from the blades even as he dodged the slam. He hopped up and over the machine god's limb, executing another emergency evade - having anticipated where Pit would pop up from, Nox had sent a few more blades flying. They'd nicked his leg, but Pit was undeterred.

He rolled to his feet and moved in, meeting Nox in melee. Honestly Pit had no idea how long the buff Zenkichi had granted him lasted, he only knew it couldn't be permanent. He had to make the most of it.

"I'm not about to let you have your way! Not after everything you've done!" He said, referring not just to the deaths the battle here had resulted in but all of the unnamed evil Nox had already confessed to. The man remained silent beneath his mask as his dual swords clashed with Pit's. "That all of you have done!"

Pit might be small, but he was strong. And now, empowered, he had an advantage. Nox's blades couldn't make any fatal wounds, if they got through Pit's blocking and parrying in the first place. At the same time, Nox also prevented any decisive blows - but he was slowly being driven back with each punishing swing of Pit's swords. The damage was mounting. This was doable!

"Evil doesn't deserve to prevail!" One of the blue and gold blades slid against the edge of Nox's where it sliced across his armored chest before Pit snapped it back together with its twin. He stepped forward just to give the next outward slash with the entire bow more force as he cut Nox and pushed him back.

He didn't intend to let up his assault, but when the Watchmaker raised his left arm it set off alarm bells in Pit's head. Nox hadn't been using that shield during their entire exchange - he must have been biding his time, waiting for the best time to use it. Now was a good one, with Pit's weapon extended and already in motion. The shield formed silently and ominously. The angel had to backpedal something fierce to avoid it, using his wings to catch and blow air in order to stop himself. Nox lunged forward with his remaining sword and sliced through Pit's bracer as he leapt away, swapping to peppering Nox with arrows from a slightly safer distance.

But out of nowhere he felt something strange in his wing. He flexed it unconsciously while he kept Nox under fire, stretching it out only for it practically try twisting itself inward. The limb was delicate enough that he could pinpoint where the prickly, weird feeling was radiating from - the impact point from Mephisto's bullet. It was also important enough that when he noticed this and felt a flicker of fear that something was happening to his wing, he directed nearly all of his attention to it. A deadly mistake for most to make in the heat of battle.

When Nox teleported in front of him again Pit's honed instincts kicked in. He performed a back-dash, narrowly dodging the Watchmaker's Minute Hand and drawing another light arrow back in the same motion. Then he felt another pull on his wing, unbalancing him and making his arrow sail right by Nox's head instead of into it. With a quick glance he saw Mephisto looking his way with a smirk on his face, so Pit willed the stray arrow to turn and strike the former Reunion member instead.

So this was how it was, he couldn't get to Mephisto without getting to Nox and couldn't get to Nox without getting to Mephisto? Something had to give, even if Pit had to force it to.

He felt a more painful wrenching in his wing, making him grimace and bite his lip to avoid crying out. They probably didn't know that his wings were part of his lifeline, and he didn't want to alert them to that fact either. Nox came at him again, this time making contact since Pit tried to dodged one way while his infected limb pulled him in another. The first swing bit into his shoulder, the second he parried with his bow. He jumped up high, pointing the bow at Nox and already expecting the tug that would throw off his aim. He did the same curving of the arrow to hit Mephisto once more. Their party's defender caught on quick though.

"Tu te crois malin." Nox raised his palm. It glowed blue and released a blast of energy at Pit - the same kind that had sent him flying earlier. It pulled a small, cheeky grin out of the boy even in these dire circumstances. He quick summoned his Guardian Orbitar, showing off its reflect function and bouncing the attack right back. This time it was Nox who was sent flying. Then, the pain in his wing subsided. If Pit had to guess, Mephisto couldn't heal and control at the same time. Or maybe he'd just changed focus entirely to healing as he started to raise his cane. Regardless, with Nox out of the way for now Pit had to strike fast.

The light arrows that smashed against Mephisto's frame were stronger than the energy bolts he'd been assailed by earlier - and now more were raining down on him. They too could home in on their target, preventing any easy escapes. When Pit landed he dashed toward Mephisto, using the momentum to fire the even more powerful dash shots at him. He had to overwhelm the other boy during the small window of opportunity.

A frail being in the first place, Mephisto couldn't withstand the concentrated barrage for long. He died with a gasp of surprise at his end when the final arrow punched into him, unable to heal through it all. When his body crumbled to ash, his staff crumbled with it - dashing any hopes Pit had of possibly using it for the Seeker's benefit.

Breathing hard after the exchanges with Nox and the rapid shooting, the angel whirled around to confront the Watchmaker once more... but the man wasn't where Pit had expected him to be. After calculating that he wouldn't be able to save Mephisto, Nox had started on his main objective instead of re-engaging Pit: the Guardian, Tycoon.

Pit didn't have time to feel foolish for not anticipating that Nox would all but abandon the battle. The Xelor's win condition wasn't defeating them in the first place, it was defeating it. Heat Riser had worn off a while ago, and without the speed boost Nox had a good head start on him. Still Pit had to do all he could to catch up and intercept him, even with his stamina beginning to flag.

"Stop!" he shouted, heart thudding in his chest as he gave chase while Nox got closer to his goal.

Hello ^o^

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World of Light

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Level: 10 - Total EXP: 181/100 ------ Level: 7 - Total EXP: 232/70
𝙱𝙿 ●●●●● ---------------------------- 𝙱𝙿 ●●●●●
Word Count: 804 (+4 exp)
Location: The Under

The more damage the Hollow Knight took, the more aggressive it became - but at the very least it was easy to see that they were making progress. The collective efforts of the team were wearing the vessel down, after which point it would be up to Kamek to make sense of the Dreamcatcher and let them in to face the Under's true Guardian.

After suffering the knight's parry, Therion largely stuck to ranged attacks. His mobile cover in the form of Sectonia's antlers was compromised not long after the initial infectious rain, forcing the thief to abandon them and stay on the move - though with everyone else present and taking the knight's attention he avoided danger. Primrose was among those fighting up close and personal, her Berserker triggering and empowering her strength and speed. Normally she would enjoy the extra space and reach that her lance afforded her, but the Hollow Knight's nail might as well have been a polearm too for how large it was compared to the average person. She clashed with it, or managed to dance out of the way of lethal wounds only to take advantage of it going after someone else to land more hits, however glancing they were.

Then it all came to a head. Their often unseen helper from the Organization zipped into the depths of the temple, restraining the vessel just long enough for the Dreamcatcher to do its thing. Suddenly, the Seekers were back inside of a dream.

With no idea what they were up against just yet, Primrose had to choose her next dance more strategically. She performed a second Sealticge's Seduction, this time bestowing its effect on Bowser Jr. so that his healing or status purging would benefit the entire group at once. That was all she had the time for, as an angelic alien descended in a blaze of light and began its assault just as swiftly as its prison vessel had.

Walls of light, rain of swords, searing sunlit lasers - it certainly wasted no time in putting the Seekers through their paces. Its very presence was discomforting, and it rained hell on the group like an avenging angel or a demon disguised as something divine. Both of the Travelers were thrown into evasive maneuvers, heeding Ganondorf's warning as the the second part of the battle began in earnest.

With evasion being one of Therion's specialties, he fared better than most. Only the wall of light was trouble; when he realized he couldn't easily get out of its way since it covered the entire platform they stood on, he crossed his arms defensively and hoped for the best. The same was true for Primrose, though the falling swords had come too many and too quickly for her to get out of unscathed.

"Ugh..." the dancer let out a small noise of pain, resisting the urge to clutch at her cuts. Instead she thrust her lance toward the Radiance, pointing her striker towards it while she summoned it. "Makami!"

The wolf demon howled its understanding and rushed through the air towards it prey. It easily weaved through the swords with its paper thin body, delivering its Double Fang attack directly to the Guardian. At the same time Primrose was hurrying to catch up to it herself, giving her mana time to regenerate and using her Ravaging Confession to appear behind the Radiance after it teleported. Seeing as the Guardian preferred to stay airborne above the Seekers, it ended up with Primrose only able to get one or two slashes in before having to catch herself mid-fall. After floating back to the ground she huffed, and relied on her Devout Beads to contribute to the offensive. The ring of magatama spun as though charing before firing off their rapid projectiles.

Looking at the radiant being, Therion didn't get the sense that this would be a contest of stamina. It hardly looked like a living creature, rather made up of light or sickness or something else entirely - so it was better to assume it could conjure its swords and lights indefinitely without tiring. Going by that logic, offensive would be the best defense. He took the first opportunity he saw, using the King of Evil as a springboard to get up close to the Radiance. His own body began to glow as his Boost activated, empowering the point blank Wildfire he let loose onto it. The force of the spell pushed him away and he flew back through the air, just managing to right himself not take too hard of a landing.

Beneath him a section of the platform they were on began to light up. Taking that as his signal to get out of the way Therion sprinted to the other end. Swords sprouted out of the ground, restricting the fighting area for now.

hii

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